Apple launched new MacBook Pro laptops, AirPods and HomePod minis at an online event on Monday.
This was the company’s second major product launch event of the year.
Last month, the most valuable company in the world, rolled out its latest iPhone 13 series, Apple Watch 7 and new iPads.
US venture capital firm Loup Ventures expects the devices announced during these two events to account for up to 50 per cent of Apple's revenue over the next 12 months.
Here are eight takeaways from the “Unleashed” event that was streamed live on various platforms.
Easy being green
Apple’s new MacBook Pros come in an enclosure made of 100 per cent recycled aluminium. They also use reprocessed rare earth elements in all magnets used in various components.
Both models are built with 35 per cent or more recycled plastic and all of the packaging wood fibres are from “responsibly managed forests or recycled sources,” the company said.
“MacBook Pro remains free of harmful substances … is manufactured using even more renewable energy and meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency,” it added.
Faster chips
Apple introduced its own M1 chip in November last year to avoid Covid-induced supply chain disruptions and reduce its products’ reliance on Intel chips. The next-generation chips — M1 Pro and M1 Max — are being used in its latest laptops, which they say are the “most powerful and capable chips” they've ever produced.
Using the latest 5-nanometre process technology, the new chips contain 33.7 billion transistors — more than two times the amount in M1.
Consumers can expect better performance per watt, increased power efficiency, enhanced memory bandwidth and capacity.
The central processing unit in the new chips is reportedly up to 70 per cent faster than M1, so tasks like compiling projects in Xcode — an ecosystem created by Apple for app development — are much faster than before.
While the graphic processing unit in the M1 Pro is up to two times faster than M1, the M1 Max is up to four times faster, the company said.
AirPods lost and found
Apple’s latest third-generation AirPods will now be included in the Find My network enabling users to keep track of their belongings. This network includes iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, offering proximity view in the Find My app and Lost Mode, as well as uncoupling alerts and sounds.
They also come with a new skin-detect sensor that determines if AirPods are in the ear, in a pocket or on a table and stops the playback when they are not in the ear, saving battery life, which can be limited.
Siri, play millions of songs
Later this year, Apple's new Music Voice Plan will allow subscribers access a catalogue of about 90 million songs and hundreds of playlists for $4.99 per month -- though it may not be available in your country.
If available, just tell Siri to start your plan and music can be accessed across all of your Siri-enabled devices, including HomePod mini, AirPods, iPhone and CarPlay.
A one-time, seven-day free preview with no auto-renewal will be offered to non-subscribers who request music through Siri so you won't have to yell at Siri when you are charged on day eight.
HomePod minis like a rainbow
The HomePod mini, which was designed to pair with Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and various other streaming stations, will be coloured yellow, orange and blue — starting at $99.
The company said HomePod mini will send any information to Apple servers only after “Hey Siri” is recognised locally on the device or the user activates it by touch to ensure the security and privacy of users’ confidential information and Apple devices.
“Requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID, nor is personal information used for Apple’s advertising purposes or sold to other organisations,” Apple said.
Do you know the way to Monterey
Apple’s latest desktop operating system, macOS Monterey, will be available as a free software update from October 25, which was designed with improved productivity in mind.
It also ensures more robust security protections, including hardware-verified secure boot, runtime anti-exploitation technologies and fast encryption for files.
MagSafe makes it return
New MacBook Pros come with MagSafe 3 technology that Apple ditched about five years ago and moved to USB charging on its new laptops.
It features an updated design and supports more power into the system, the company said.
This move will let the company to create an ecosystem of accessories for easy attachment and faster charging, industry experts stated.
“The magnetic connection is strong enough to resist most unintended disconnects, but if someone trips on the cable, it releases so your MacBook Pro stays put,” Apple said on its website.
Prices and availability
The new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max are available to order from Monday on the company’s website and on the Apple Store app.
Units will also be in select Apple stores and authorised resellers from October 26.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro model starts at Dh8,499 and the 16-inch MacBook Pro model starts at Dh10,599.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
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The%20Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Movie
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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57%20Seconds
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
