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Ming-Chi Kuo Predicts First Apple Silicon Macs

Charlotte Henry ·

The first wave of Apple Silicon Macs are set to include a 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Those will be released this year, With 14.1-inch and 16-inch, MacBook Pro Models coming in 2021. That’s according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, in a note reported on by MacRumors.

In a research note with TF International Securities today, seen by MacRumors, Kuo said he expects the ‌Apple Silicon‌ 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ to go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, but he also now predicts we will see an Arm-based MacBook Air either in the same quarter or in the first quarter of next year. Kuo still believes that Apple intends to launch a mini-LED 16-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌ and a 14.1-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, also with a mini-LED display, but these will likely arrive in the second or third quarter of 2021, and intriguingly, both will have an “all-new form factor design.” Previous rumors suggested an updated 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ could arrive this year in October or November.

TMO Deals

Kinkoo Mini Portable Air Conditioner: $59.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the Kinkoo Mini Portable Air Conditioner that cools, humidifies, and cleans the dust particles from the air. Fill the viewable water tank, and the device uses evaporation to cool you down—the company says it works best in a hot and dry climate. It’s $59.99 through our deal.

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'Little Voice' on Apple TV+ Aims to Improve Autism Representation

Charlotte Henry ·

Little Voice arrived on Apple TV+  on Friday. It features an autistic character Louie King, who was played by an actor who is on the autism spectrum, Kevin Valdez. The actor joined the show’s co-creator, Jessie Nelson, to explain why this was so important.

“He’s really similar to me,” Valdez says. “It’s almost like this role was made with me in mind”… Apple’s service has a show, See, that features a large cast of actors who are blind or low vision.  “I was so pleased with how far we’ve come that Apple was so supportive of finding an autistic actor to play this role,” Nelson says. “This is a very different moment in history.” Increasingly, autistic actors are playing characters on the autism spectrum. And those characters are moving beyond the male autistic savant stereotype, says Arianna Esposito, director of lifespan services at Autism Speaks. Having a person with autism playing a role like Louie “really brings an authenticity to the character,” Esposito says.

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Nokia Collaborates With Apple on Data Center Networking Tools

Charlotte Henry ·

Nokia launched a set of tools for data center networking in collaboration with Apple on Thursday. Reuters reported that the aim is to help firms manage increased traffic as 5G networks are rolled out.

As the usage of 5G networks expands, vast quantities of data will be generated as more household appliances and other machines are linked up with sensors and artificial intelligence tools, creating the so-called “internet-of-things”. Nokia, which competes against China’s Huawei and Sweden’s Ericsson to build 5G networks, has been broadening its portfolio by adding open interfaces to its 5G equipment and launching new networking products. “We worked very closely with (Apple) over the last two plus years to understand their requirements,” said Steve Vogelsang, Nokia’s chief technology officer for IP and optical business.

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Quibi Loses 90 Percent of Users After Free Trial

Charlotte Henry ·

Quibi lost 90 percent of early users after their free trials expired. That’s according to data from Sensor Tower, reported on by The Verge. 

According to the firm’s new report on Quibi’s early growth, the short-form video platform signed up about 910,000 users in its first few days back in April. Of those users, only about 72,000 stuck around after the three-month free trial, indicating the app had about an 8 percent conversion rate. That’s not too bad. But compare it to the streaming video industry’s most successful debut of the last few years, Disney Plus, and the resulting picture is a grim one for Quibi.

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Microsoft Reveals Details of Vast Phishing Campaign Against Users

Charlotte Henry ·

In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft revealed details of a major phishing campaign that its Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) first observed in December 2019. The criminals targeted user accounts in 62 countries,

Based on patterns discovered at that time, Microsoft utilized technical means to block the criminals’ activity and disable the malicious application used in the attack. Recently, Microsoft observed renewed attempts by the same criminals, this time using COVID-19-related lures in the phishing emails to target victims. This malicious activity is yet another form of business email compromise (BEC) attack, which has increased in complexity, sophistication and frequency in recent years. According to the FBI’s 2019 Internet Crime Report, the most-costly complaints received by their Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) involved BEC crimes, with losses of over $1.7 billion, representing nearly half of all financial losses due to cybercrime. While most of the public’s attention in recent years has justifiably focused on the malign acts of nation state actors, the increasing economic harm caused by cybercriminals must also be considered and confronted by the public and private sectors. For our part, Microsoft and our Digital Crimes Unit will continue to investigate and disrupt cybercriminals and will seek to work with law enforcement agencies around the world, whenever possible, to stop these crimes.

TMO Deals

Innotech Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Scale, BMI Analyzer, Health Monitor: $41.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the Innotech Smart Scale, a device that provides 9 precise ways to look into your body measurements including weight, body fat, water, muscle mass, BMI, BMR, visceral fat, bone mass, and protein. It connects to an app on your iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth 4.0, and it supports supports Fitbit, Apple Health, and Google Fit. This smart scale is $41.99 through our deal.