The bad news is that Cyber Monday is officially over, and so Cyber Monday Apple deals are starting to fade into the rear view mirror, the good news is that you can still find deals on Apple tech if you know where to look. While Apple’s four day shopping event finished yesterday, retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart still have AirPods, iPads, Macbooks and more for sale.
Don’t expect to find the same deep discounts you’ll see on tech of other brands, Apple sales are often moderate at best. But this is definitely one of the better years for Apple device price cuts, with even recently released tech on sale for the last four days. If you missed Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this will likely be your last chance to pick up some cheap(er) Apple tech for a few months. Read on for the best deals on iPhones, MacBooks, Apple accessories and more.
Best Apple Cyber Monday Deals: AirPods And Audio
AirPods Max Headphones Are At Spectacularly Low Prices
Apple’s over-ear headphones are tremendous, with great active noise-cancelling and superb audio quality across the board. There’s also a useful transparency mode which boosts the sound from the outside world so you can hear someone talking to you with the headphones in place. They’re not cheap, though, which is why these remarkable discounts from Amazon are so great. Note that not every color attracts the same price cut and these will change as Cyber Monday goes on. The AirPods Max come in five colors: space gray, silver, pink, sky blue and green, and they’re all discounted if you hurry.
The AirPods Pro Are 21% Off
Apple’s best earbuds have one feature its cheaper siblings don’t: active noise cancellation (ANC). That ANC is exceptionally good and rivals some of the best tech in the market, which is partly down to the solid fit from the rubber ear tips. There’s also a bunch of extra features like Conversation Boost, which uses the AirPods Pro microphones to boost the voice of the person you’re facing—ideal for noisy restaurants, for instance. Right now, you can snag the Pro version for $60 off, which is a very good deal.
Apple’s Newest AirPods At A Great Sale Price
The third generation AirPods have significantly improved audio over the second-generation version (which are still available, by the way). Like AirPods Pro, these AirPods offer spatial audio for more immersive audio while streaming compatible music and video. With the charging case, you’ll get up to 30 hours of listening time, and don’t forget about getting access to voice commands just by saying “Hey Siri.” These AirPods are brand new, so it’s no surprise that discounts are thin. Right now, if AirPods Pro continue to be at or below the same price, we’d recommend those, but as the Pro price soars again, these are a great buy, especially as a holiday gift.
Best Apple Cyber Monday Deals: MacBook and iMac
The Last Version Of The MacBook Pro 16” Is $500 Off
This previous version of the 16-inch MacBook Pro is still a great laptop, and it’s now $500 off. It has a 16-inch retina display, Intel Core i9 processor, 16GB of RAM, and up to 11 hours of battery life. This model has both Touch ID and the Touch Bar, a full-size Magic Keyboard, and four USB-C ports. Plus, if you tend to work with big files, this laptop has you covered with 1TB of storage capacity.
This Last-Generation MacBook Air Still Has A Lot To Offer
You can save significant cash getting a last-generation MacBook Air like this one. While it’s true that the new M1 chip in the latest MacBook Air offers more power and better battery life, this model has an identical design to the newer model. It’s powered by a 10th generation Intel Core i3 CPU with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage. It’s still a stellar laptop with a Retina display, two Thunderbolt 3 ports and 11 hours of runtime on a charge, letting you work and stream all day far away from an outlet. This is a much deeper price cut than the newer model will attract.
This MacBook Air Is The Current State Of The Art
If you want to pick up the latest model with Apple’s M1 chip, Best Buy has slashed its price by $100. It’s slightly more expensive than last year’s model at B&H, but it also has Apple’s proprietary processor.
Get The Latest M1 MacBook Air With 512GB Storage For $150 Off
If you’d like the latest MacBook Air, complete with super-fast M1 processor, and you know that the entry-level storage of 256GB won’t be enough, here’s a good reason to upgrade to 512GB storage: a $150 price cut. There’s 8GB of RAM, the same fast processor and unbelievable battery life, secure fingerprint sensor and super-light design.
Save $500 On A 13-Inch MacBook Pro
This is a very big discount on a powerful Apple MacBook Pro. It doesn’t have the latest M1 chip, but there’s plenty to like here. The processor is a more-than-capable Intel Core i5, and this is a real performance machine thanks to 16GB Memory and 512GB SSD storage. It comes in the super-elegant space gray finish.
Best Apple Cyber Monday Deals: iPad Pro and Apple TV
Save $100 On The Latest iPad Pro 12.9-inch
This is the best iPad Pro Apple has ever built, with a stunning display thanks to miniLED backlighting which makes it really pop. Of course, it has the M1 processor which is powerful and fast, facial recognition, great audio and snappy design. The miniLED is exclusive to this screen size, 12.9 inches, which is gorgeously big. The $100 savings on the 256GB storage model brings it down to the regular price of the entry-level 128GB storage version.
Make the Most of Your 4K TV with Apple TV 4K
Apple TV streamlines your apps and services on your 4K TV. It also adds Siri to the TV watching experience though the remote, making it easier to find your content with voice commands. Additional features include three-dimensional audio and a high frame rate.
Best Apple Cyber Monday Deals: Apple Watch
The Newest Apple Watch
The latest Watch has the best-design yet and the biggest screen. Discounts are not huge, here, and only on the 41mm version, but it’s still worth having. The latest generation Apple Watch is packed to the brim with features like an always-on display, GPS and cellular connectivity, health tracking and Apple Pay. The watch face makes it easy to see info at-a-glance, and is water resistant so you don’t have to worry about exercising in the rain—or even taking it for a swim. It’s also the most robust Apple Watch yet.
Save $100 on the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6
Apple’s Series 6 watch has the always-on retina display, and upgraded features from the SE and Series 3, including the ability to measure your blood oxygen and ECG through apps. It’s also faster than the Series 5, if speed is what you’re looking for.
It’s Not The Latest, But It Has An Always-On Display
The Series 5 is the sweet spot—packed with most of the same features as the Series 7, it is a fair bit cheaper. And that means you can step up to a model that includes cellular connectivity and pay about the same as you would just for the basic GPS version of the Series 7. You can snag a stainless-steel version (usually much pricier than this), with a sultry Milanese loop band which is smart enough for the dressiest of occasions.
The Entry-Level Apple Watch For A Steal
This is the most affordable model of Apple Watch. While it doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the Series 7 such as the always-on display and a few of the advanced health monitoring features like blood oxygen levels, you can still track health information and even take phone calls and read texts. Actually, it’s the perfect Watch for a lot of people. And it was already keenly priced, so a big chunk off like this makes it especially attractive.
The Apple Watch Series 3 Drops Below $200
The Apple Watch Series 3 is one of the cheaper models, but it’s still packed with a lot of functionality. For under $200 this model comes with automatic workout detection, cadence and pace tutoring when running, the ability to make phone calls from the watch and all of the expected health monitoring you would expect from an Apple Watch. Buy this and you’ll also get six months of Apple Fitness+.
Best Apple Cyber Monday Deals: Accessories
Save $20 On The First Generation Pencil
The Apple Pencil is a fantastic stylus, useful whether you’re drawing or writing notes which, thanks to Apple’s brilliant Scribble functionality, turns your scrawl into printed text in seconds. Which Pencil you should go for depends on which iPad you have. This first generation Apple Pencil works with iPad (6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Generation), iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad Air (3rd Generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd Generation) and iPad Pro 9.7 and 10.5-inch models.
The Official MagSafe Battery For Charging Your iPhone
The latest iPhones have strong battery life, but even so, you’ll get great peace of mind if you put this slim Apple MagSafe Battery Pack into your pocket or bag. With it, you’ll never have to worry about being tethered to a wall outlet. Integrated magnets, called MagSafe, make it easy to attach and align the battery pack to your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max (though it works with earlier models, too).
Save $7 On The Official MagSafe Charger
The Apple MagSafe Charger wirelessly charges your iPhone, AirPods, and AirPods Charging Case. With 20 watts of charging power, you’ll get a full charge faster than previous Apple chargers could manage. It also has a magnetic alignment that keeps your devices in place as they charge—no more waking up to find you didn’t put the iPhone in the right place and it didn’t charge overnight.
Protect Your New iPhone 13 Pro With a Leather Case That’s $11 Off
This leather case not only looks great but it’s also compatible with MagSafe or Qi-certified chargers. It also has built-in magnets that quickly snap together or apart so you’re not wrestling with the case anytime you want to put your phone in or take it out of the case.
This Apple HomePod ‘Mini Comes With A Philips Hue Starter Kit
Apple’s spherical smart speaker is imbued with Siri and can control your smart home devices, which is useful because this bundle comes with a Philips Hue starter kit. That kit includes three white and color bulbs that can be set and controlled with voice commands.
Apple’s Smart Folio For The 12.9-inch iPad Pro Dips Below $100
Apple’s tablet cases are expensive for a reason, they’re exceptionally well designed. So when one drops in price, don’t miss the opportunity to pick it up while its cheap. This Folio automatically wakes up your iPad Pro and puts it to sleep when closed, it also doubles as a stand when folded.
Pick Up This Discounted Smart Cover For Your iPad Mini
The iPad Mini Smart Cover isn’t just a protective case, it can be folded into different positions to use a stand at different heights. It will also wake up and put to sleep your tablet when the case is on or off.
Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.
The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.
Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.
The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.
Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.
On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.
The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.
More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.
Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:
You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!
Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.
Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.
There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.
Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.
Successful people tend to be secretive.
Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.
Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.
Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.
TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.
Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.
The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.
The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.
The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.
Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.
“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.
The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.
“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”
The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.
However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.
That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.
“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.
“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”
The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.
About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.
“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.
Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.
In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.
The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”
“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.
“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”
Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.
Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.
In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.
The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.
Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.
“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.
“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.
Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.
Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.
“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.
“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”
Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.
As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.
But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.
Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.
The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
