Technology

Apple unveiled a number of updates to its product lineup during its Peek Performance Event on Tuesday, including a boosted iPad Air with its powerful M1 chip. The M1 chip is the same chip used in the iPad Pro and offers better power efficiency and all-day battery life. The 8-core CPU delivers up to 60% faster performance, and the 8-core GPU delivers up to 2x faster graphics performance compared to the previous iPad Air. In addition, the M1 includes a 16-core Neural Engine that powers advanced machine learning functions to speed-up complex computing tasks. The new iPad Air has also been outfitted with a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera that includes the popular Center Stage feature that detects movement and adjusts to keep people in the frame — a feature now available on all iPad models. The 12...

Apple unveiled a new M1 Ultra chip for its Apple Silicon lineup during its Peek Performance event on Tuesday, marking the latest entry in Apple’s M1 lineup following the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The updated chip, which features a custom-built architecture that combines chips called Ultra Fusion, includes a total of 20 cores, 16 of which are classified as high performance. The design essentially combines the power of two individual M1 Max chips into a single SoC (system on a chip). The M1 Ultra supplies 2.5 terrabytes per second, which is four times the bandwidth of competing chips, and features 64 GPU cores as well as up to 128GB of RAM. The chip is equipped with 114 billion transistors, and it is capable of supporting 800 GB/s of bandwidth. Additionally, Apple says that the new chip i...

The next generation of Apple Silicon chips has arrived with the announcement of the company’s new M1 Ultra SoC (system on a chip), the latest entry to Apple’s M1 chipset lineup that’s even more powerful than the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max chips its released so far. The key to the M1 Ultra is the Apple’s UltraFusion architecture — effectively, Apple is fusing together two separate M1 Max chips into a single, massive SoC, thanks to the 2.5TB/s inter-processor connection that the M1 Max offers. That design lets Apple double virtually all the specs from its M1 Max chip on the M1 Ultra: 20 CPU cores (16 performance and four efficiency), 64 GPU cores, a 32-core Neural Engine for AI processing, and up to 128GB of RAM. All told, Apple says that the M1 Ultra offers eight times the performance of the re...

An indie developer-led initiative to raise money for charities providing relief in Ukraine has already raised over $1 million in a little over 16 hours. Over 700 creators on itch.io put together the Bundle for Ukraine, a collection of over 900 indie games and more with all proceeds going to charities providing relief assistance in the country. “As game developers we want to create new worlds, not to destroy the one we have,” the Bundle’s description reads. “That’s why we’ve banded together to present this charity bundle to help Ukrainians survive this ordeal and thrive after the war ends.” For a $10 minimum donation, players can get a veritable smorgasbord of games including skateBIRD, Superhot, and many (extreme emphasis on many) more. The bundle isn’t limited to games but also includes b...

Apple has announced the Mac Studio, a desktop system that looks like the Mac Mini on the outside but packs a lot more power on the inside. The Mac Studio features both Apple’s M1 Max chip as well as a new, even more powerful processor, the M1 Ultra. Apple claims that the new device will be faster than even its top-of-the-line Mac Pro. The desktop includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports on its rear, as well as a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI, and an audio jack. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5. M1 Max systems include two USB-C ports on the front, while the M1 Ultra has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. There’s an SD card slot on the front as well. Apple claims that the Mac Studio with M1 Max will perform 50 percent faster than a Mac Pro with a 16-core Xeon and 2.5 times faster than a 27-...

Apple just announced a new external display during its “Peek Performance” event. It’s designed to be the ideal companion for the company’s high-end Mac lineup — including the brand new Mac Studio desktop powered by the M1 Ultra chip. The Studio Display has a 27-inch, 5K screen encased in an aluminum enclosure. The Studio Display has three USB-C ports and a single Thunderbolt 4 port that supports up to 96W passthrough charging. The Pro Display XDR was introduced in 2019 with a starting price of $5,000. As its price conveys, that monitor is intended for professional photo and video work, with Apple touting the Pro Display XDR’s color accuracy and brightness. Given its high price and niche audience, the Pro Display XDR did little to quell Mac users’ demands for a more reasonably priced, Apple...

Amazon is launching its long-rumored Clubhouse competitor today: a new app called Amp that’s more about listening to music than sitting around and chatting. Anyone who signs up will be able to host their own live show, complete with the ability to stream “tens of millions of licensed songs” from the big three record labels and “a long list” of indies, Amazon says. The goal is to turn any user into a radio DJ, able to program a playlist, talk to listeners, and chat with call-in guests. Critically, hosts and listeners won’t need to subscribe to any particular service to tune in — anyone can listen in to full-length songs as long as they sign up for Amp, which is free. A screenshot of Amp displaying a show’s name and host.Image: Amazon Amazon is positioning this as more of a radio-style servi...

If you missed out on taking advantage of Super Bowl TV sales last month, fret not because March Madness is giving you a second chance to save big. Deal hunters on the market for a 4K TV may want to check out today’s deal on Hisense’s 65-inch U7G TV, which is currently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $799.99, its best price to date. A good deal for gamers who have an Xbox Series X, PS5, or a high-end gaming PC, the 4K TV offers HDMI 2.1 ports, along with a fast 120Hz refresh rate and support for auto-low latency mode that brings a smoother gaming experience. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10 Plus, and Google Assistant. With this TV, you don’t need extra streaming hardware, as it brings instant access to YouTube, Disney Plus, and all the other major streaming apps. As an added b...