Along with AirPods 3 and new colors for the HomePod mini, Apple introduced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro this week. In addition to a new design and the superpowered M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, the new MacBooks feature a rather controversial addition: a notch at the top of the screen. Now we want to know your opinion on the notch coming to the Mac.
The cutout at the top of the screen on some devices is popularly called the “notch.” Apple first adopted the notch in 2017 with the iPhone X, as it was the first iPhone to have an edge-to-edge display. Although the notch is now present in pretty much every iPhone model, Apple had kept the notch limited to its phone until now.
Just like the iPhone, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro feature an edge-to-edge display. As a result, Apple has added a cutout at the top of the screen to house the new 1080p front-facing camera. Interestingly, the new MacBook Pro doesn’t have a TrueDepth camera for Face ID, so it’s unclear why the company opted for such a large notch.
As we covered on Monday, developers can choose whether they want to take advantage of the notch area on these new Macs, or whether the app should run with a black bar on top. It’s worth noting that by default, non-updated apps will run in a “compatibility mode” with the black bar at the top when in full screen.
Apple also pointed out that it made the screen taller in order to place the macOS menu bar in the notch area, so the user will end up having more area to view content.
Of course, some users didn’t seem to like the idea of having a notch on a Mac, while others agreed with Apple. Whether you like it or not, I can definitely see the notch coming to other Mac computers in the future.
With that in mind, what do you think about having a notch on the MacBook Pro – and possibly other computers? Let us know in the poll and also in the comments section below.
MONTREAL – Lightspeed Commerce Inc. says it is conducting a review of its business and operations including talks relating to a range of potential strategic alternatives.
The Montreal-based payments technology company made the comments after reports concerning a potential transaction involving the company.
Lightspeed says it periodically undertakes a review of its business and operations with a view of realizing its full potential.
A strategic review is often seen by investors as a prelude to a sale by a company.
Lightspeed says its board of directors is committed to acting in the best interests of the company and its stakeholders.
Company founder Dax Dasilva returned to the role of chief executive officer earlier this year and has been working to return the company to profitability.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2024.
OTTAWA – Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says there is a lot of uncertainty around how artificial intelligence could affect the economy moving forward, including the labour market and price growth.
In a speech in Toronto at the Economics of Artificial Intelligence Conference, the governor said Friday that the central bank is approaching the issue cautiously to get a better understanding of how AI could affect its job of keeping inflation low and stable.
“Be wary of anyone who claims to know where AI will take us. There is too much uncertainty to be confident,” Macklem said in prepared remarks.
“We don’t know how quickly AI will continue to advance. And we don’t know the timing and extent of its economic and social impacts.”
The governor said AI has the potential of increasing labour productivity, which would raise living standards and grow the economy without boosting inflation.
In the short-term, he said investment in AI is adding to demand and could be inflationary.
However, Macklem also highlighted more pessimistic scenarios, where AI could destroy more jobs than it creates or lead to less competition rather than more.
The governor called on academics and businesses to work together to shed more light on the potential effects of AI on the economy.
“When you enter a dark room, you don’t go charging in. You cautiously feel your way around. And you try to find the light switch. That is what we are doing. What we central bankers need is more light,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.
CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer satellite-based Starlink WiFi service on flights within the next several years.
The airline said Friday the service will be free to passengers.
United said it will begin testing the service early next year and begin offering it on some flights by later in 2025.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The announcement comes as airlines rush to offer more amenities as a way to stand out when passengers pick a carrier for a trip. United’s goal is to make sitting on a plane pretty much like being on the ground when it comes to browsing the internet, streaming entertainment and playing games.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do on board a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the deal.
The airline says Starlink will allow passengers to get internet access even over oceans and polar regions where traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals may be weak or missing.
