I wrote a whole post about what it’s like to wear a mask all day at work, and then deleted it because it sounded like I’m not grateful to have survived long enough to have that choice. But I am grateful. This is not the world I imagined, but I get to be alive in it.

Have you ever heard a radio announcer say, "That was (song) from the movie (title)," and you thought, "Wow, I've always loved that song, but I never knew it was from a movie." It may well have been from a movie you never saw or never even heard of because it wasn't all that great. Plenty of film productions commission songs specifically for the film, and even more find appropriate but unreleased songs to use that are then released in conjunction with the film. That leaves us with a lot of songs that became hits from movies that flopped so badly we don't even remember them -or maybe the film is just too old.  

Back in 2014, you couldn't escape the Pharrell song "Happy." It was the biggest song of the year, won two Grammys, and we posted about it quite bit. Yet few people recall that is was written for the 2013 movie Despicable Me 2. The movie was honestly a hit, but it was aimed at children. Even more obscure is the origin of the song "Unchained Melody," which was a big hit for the Righteous Brothers in 1965 and you might associate it with the 1990 film Ghost. However, it was written for the 1955 prison movie Unchained, and that's how it got its title.

Some of your favorite songs may have been spawned by a movie you've never seen. Read up on 21 of those songs, with videos, at Cracked.

All aboard the Quarantrain! A large setup of miniature trains in a realistic setting is always a treat, and you have to admire the craftsmanship and dedication of those who make them. Jim Merullo did that with some extra goodies during the pandemic lockdown. He upgraded a previously-abandoned HO scale train layout with scenes that bring us all in on the joke. The first scene he made for what he calls the Quarantrain was a recreation of a classic Gary Larson Far Side comic. Making a standing cow was not easy- he had to combine parts of four cows to get it right. Another scene that caught my eye is an illustration of the Trolley Problem.

Will the switch operator do nothing and kill half a dozen children, or divert the train and kill a nun? See more of these unique scenes from the Quarantrain at Merullo's website. He also posted at thread at Bluesky explaining how he constructed the Quarantrain.  -via Everlasting Blort

Okay, that headline is a lot, but it is about as succinct a summary as I can provide. Sora News 24 has the full story.

A taishoku daikou is a company that a worker in Japan will hire to inform his/her current employer that he is quitting. This is apparently a thriving industry in Japan for cultural reasons that elude my understanding.

Momuri is the name of one such company that has processed over 20,000 resignations. Recently a rival firm contacted Momuri and informed it that a Mormuri employee was quitting. This particular employee had, prior to his employment at Mormuri, been a customer who had hired Momuri to help him quit the job that he had at the time.

You follow that?

Photo: Lukas Bieri

The New York Post reports that an Ecuadorian restaurant has opened in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. Le Casa Del Guy -- "the house of the guinea pig" -- has become famous for its focus on a staple of Ecuadorian cuisine: the guinea pig.

Guinea pigs raised for food are usually larger than those raised to be pets, weighing about two and a half pounds and measuring sixteen inches long. They can be quite expensive, sometimes over $100 a plate. That's because the restaurant management has to have the guinea pigs shipped from Ecuador then inspected. It might be cheaper to raise them domestically.

-via Dave Barry | Photo: La Casa del Cuy

Screen Junkies took the opening of the movie Wicked this week as an excuse to go back and do an Honest Trailer for a movie made in 1939. They don't have to explain The Wizard of Oz to us because we've all seen us (or should have by now), and there's not much they can criticize about the filmmaking. However, they reframe the absurd story through a modern eye to be about a young girl with a serious concussion who accomplishes her mission through murder, theft, and consorting with strange men.    

By the way, Wicked is another of the many recent movies that explore the tragic early life and motivations of an existing movie villain to make them appear sympathetic and allow us to feel better about liking them. See also: Maleficent, Joker, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Cruella, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and the Star Wars prequels.

Colony Of Horror is an exciting puzzle game in which players are invited to immerse themselves in the world of riddles on the theme of huge insects. The game features 15 levels, each of which contains 25 intriguing elements in the style of old paintings. Having a choice, the player can easily select any level from the convenient menu and instantly start solving problems. Having solved the puzzle correctly, the participant automatically moves to the next level, supported by a fun musical environment that can be turned off at will. For convenience, difficult levels can be skipped by simply clicking on the arrow. Discover an exciting world of logic puzzles with Colony Of Horror, where you will encounter huge insects and solve many puzzles in the style of old paintings. Immerse yourself in a mental challenge and test your puzzle solving skills in this unique game.

«Пиковая дама». П. И. Чайковский.
Пермский театр оперы и балета.
Дирижер Владимир Ткаченко, режиссер Владиславс Наставшевс, художники Владиславс Наставшевс и Валерия Барсукова.

Рационально об иррациональном — можно начать сразу с вывода об октябрьской премьере Владиславса Наставшевса и Владимира Ткаченко по «Пиковой даме» Чайковского в Пермском театре оперы и балета. Намеки, ассоциации, приметы, штрихи, видения — все вроде бы в полутонах и неопределенности, в колебаниях смыслов и неясности представлений о намерениях, а, тем не менее, видеоряд строит спектакль жесткий и расчетливый.

Apple today announced the launch of major updates for its Final Cut Pro video editing software designed for Macs and iPads. Final Cut Pro has been version 10 since 2011, but after 13 years, Apple is finally ready to debut Final Cut Pro 11.

Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with a number of "intelligent" improvements.

With Final Cut Pro 11, Apple is making sure to take advantage of the full power of its M-series chips. Magnetic Mask, a new AI-powered tool, lets video editors isolate people and objects in a video clip without a green screen or time-consuming rotoscoping.


Magnetic Mask is ideal for customizing backgrounds and environments, and it can be combined with color correction and video effects for more control over each project.

Another new AI feature, Transcribe to Captions, lets Final Cut Pro automatically generate closed captions in the timeline using an Apple-trained large language model that analyzes spoken audio in a video.


Final Cut Pro 11 now has support for editing spatial video. Users are able to import footage from the iPhone 15 Pro models, iPhone 16 models, or Canon's R7 camera with RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual Lens to make color corrections, add effects, and enhance video with titles and other features. The depth position of titles and captured footage can be adjusted using FCP, and there are different viewing modes for previewing left and right eye angles on the Mac.

When a Mac is paired with a Vision Pro, the Mac Virtual Display can be used for editing spatial video with the Final Cut Pro software. Spatial videos edited in Final Cut Pro can be exported directly to a user's Photos library to be viewed on Vision Pro, or they can be shared with others by uploading them to the visionOS Vimeo app. Other new Final Cut Pro features:

- Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips.
- Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline.
- Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects.
- Create amazing visual reveals with new Modular transitions.
- Increase efficiency with new keyboard shortcuts for common tasks in the browser and timeline.
- Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats.

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1 improves the touch-first editing experience by adding support for Enhance Light and Color, which refines color balance, contrast, and brightness in video or still images with one tap.


There's haptic feedback support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, which means users will feel a light pulse when trimming clips, moving media, navigating the timeline, and resizing viewer clips to snapping points. Apple added four new inks for the Live Drawing feature on ‌iPad‌ for adding animations to videos. There are now watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen options.


Other improvements include a vertical pinch gesture for expanding or minimizing clip height in the timeline, an option for dynamically adjusting the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode, and timeline support for recordings at 90 to 120fps on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The content library features additional modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.

Apple also updated Final Cut Camera to version 1.1, adding support for capturing Log-encoded HEVC video in either standalone or Live Multicam sessions, pairing the dynamic range of Log with reduced file sizes. Users can also enable a preview lookup table (LUT) while recording in Log.


‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ users are able to record 4K 120fps footage for smoother cinematic slow motion and then import it into Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ to edit. Other new features include an advanced level with roll and tilt indicators and a crosshairs indicator for top-down shots.

Along with these updates to Final Cut Pro, Apple refreshed Logic Pro for Mac and Logic Pro for ‌iPad‌, adding support for a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in. There are also updates for Motion, Compressor, and iMovie.

The new versions of Final Cut Pro for Mac and ‌iPad‌, Final Cut Camera, and Logic Pro for Mac and ‌iPad‌ can be downloaded from the App Store. Final Cut Pro for Mac is priced at $299.99, while Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year. The version 11 update is available to existing users for free.

Logic Pro for Mac is priced at $199.99, while Logic Pro for ‌iPad‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
This article, "Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released Logic Pro 11.1 for Mac and Logic Pro 2.1 for iPad, adding new features for songwriting, producing, and mixing. There's a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in that uses the original algorithms and code from Quantec founder Wolfgang Buchleitner, allowing users to add naturalistic acoustic space to their music with Quantec QRS, or to select Quantec Yardstick for more accurate modeling of acoustic spaces.


Plug-in search lets Final Cut Pro users find and add any plug-in from the plug-in menu without clicking on a channel strip insert. Users can search by categories, company name, or part of a plug-in name.

There is a new Modular Melodies sound back that includes hundreds of loops crafted from patchable hardware synths and a collection of meticulously designed Alchemy synth patches.

Along with these features, the app also includes several enhancements.

• Drag channel strips to organize your mixer layout


• Send your mix directly to Voice Memos and preview on iPhone, ‌iPad‌ or Apple Watch


• Click on any plug-in slot while holding the command key to quickly remove plug-ins


• Quickly set input, output, side chain source, or bus routings using in-menu search


• Use key commands to move Marquee selections in all directions to speed up editing

Apple has also released a new version of Logic Remote with stability improvements and bug fixes.
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Oura CEO Tom Hale doesn't believe that Apple has plans to get into the smart ring market because an Apple-designed smart ring might undercut sales of the Apple Watch.


In an interview with CBNC, Hale said that Apple is likely "unconvinced about the value of having a ring and watch together," and he said that while the company is likely keeping a close eye on both Oura and Samsung, an Apple smart ring probably won't happen because "it's hard to do this product category right."

Oura recently came out with the Oura Ring 4, a product able to track movement, fitness, health, stress, and sleep. Oura is one of the most well-known companies in the smart ring space, and it first came out with a ring back in 2015.

Rumors suggest that Apple has explored the idea of a smart ring, but the company reportedly has no plans to launch one at this time. Back in October, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that no ring is in active development.

Apple is said to be worried about cannibalizing sales of the Apple Watch because a smart ring would have many of the same features as the watch. Apple's industrial team proposed a smart ring that would be a lower-cost alternative to an Apple Watch, but Apple executives weren't interested.

Should smart rings pick up in popularity, Apple could decide to design one after all. Back in July, Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring, a device that works with Galaxy devices and tracks movement, sleep, heart rate, and respiratory rate, providing users with a daily sleep score and an energy score.

Apple has patented ring-like devices, resulting in "iRing" rumors, but Apple often patents all manner of products that never make it to launch.
This article, "Oura CEO Says Apple Won't Make a Smart Ring Because 'It's Hard to Do'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In its Mac mini announcement video last month, Apple briefly mentioned an "upcoming" version of Final Cut Pro for the Mac. We believe that Apple will likely announce the update later today, as the annual Final Cut Pro Creative Summit conference begins today and involves a visit to Apple Park starting at 2 p.m. Pacific Time today. Final Cut Pro version 10.7 was shown off during the same Apple Park day of the conference last year.


Final Cut Pro received its most recent feature update to version 10.8 in June. New features included an Enhance Light and Color effect, a Smooth Slo-Mo option for slow-motion visuals, advanced search and filtering in the timeline index, and more.

Following a bug-fix update in August, Final Cut Pro is now on version 10.8.1. It is quite possible that the next version will be Final Cut Pro 11, rather than 10.9, given that Logic Pro went from version 10.8.1 to 11.0 earlier this year.

We recently recapped three new features that Apple already said are coming to Final Cut Pro for the Mac later this year, including spatial video editing, AI-generated video effects, and automatic AI-generated captions. An image of Final Cut Pro in the Mac mini announcement video last month also showed an unreleased "Magnetic Mask" feature that will likely allow users to isolate moving objects in the foreground of videos.

At least some of these features will likely extend to an updated version of the Final Cut Pro app for iPad. There could also be updates to the Final Cut Pro companion apps Compressor and Motion for the Mac, and to the Final Cut Camera app for the iPhone.

In the U.S., Final Cut Pro currently costs $299.99 on the Mac, while the iPad version is a subscription-based app priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year.
This article, "Apple Likely to Announce Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple last week replaced the M3 Max MacBook Pro with the new M4 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌, and we picked up one of the new high-end ‌MacBook Pro‌ machines to see how it compares to the prior model with both benchmarks and real-world tests.

We tested an M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 48GB RAM against an M3 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ with similar specs. The two machines look similar, but the display on the M4 version did get some improvements and it's a little bit brighter. There's an option for nano-texture too, which makes a big difference if you ever work outside.

Thunderbolt 5 ports instead of Thunderbolt 4 ports allow you to connect more displays (up to three 6K displays) and get faster transfer speeds. Unsurprisingly, the M4 Max performed better across the board on benchmarks, and those higher numbers did indeed translate to actual improvements in day-to-day performance.

Creating a slow motion clip from a standard clip in Topaz Labs AI took the M3 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ a little over six minutes, while the M4 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ was done in under five minutes.

Exporting a 6 minute 4K video with effects, plugins, LUTs, Roto AI masks, Motion VFX, and more from Final Cut Pro took the M3 Max 1:17, while the M4 Max did it in 1:07. It's only a 10 second savings, but that adds up with longer videos and over time.

Obviously you're not going to be upgrading to the M4 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ if you have an M3 Max machine, but it is interesting to see the year-over-year improvements. If you have something like an M1 Pro or an M1 Max and do a lot of CPU/GPU heavy tasks, upgrading to the M4 Max could end up saving you a good amount of time.

Let us know what you think of the M4 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌'s performance in the comments below.
This article, "M4 Max MacBook Pro: Real-World Usage Tests" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A trio of Apple customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds.


A few months after the ‌AirPods Pro‌ came out in October 2019, buyers began to complain about crackling, rattling, popping, and static-like noises affecting the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The sound seemed to show up when something caused an earbud to move or vibrate, such as walking or running.

Apple tried to fix the problem with software updates, but the company ultimately launched an ‌AirPods Pro‌ repair program in October 2020. Customers with affected ‌AirPods Pro‌ were able to bring them to Apple for a fix or a replacement, but unfortunately, many customers found that their replacement ‌AirPods Pro‌ also suffered from the same issue.

As a result, Apple is now facing a class action lawsuit, with the plaintiffs requesting "relief" due to the defective nature of the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The complaint says that customers would not have purchased the ‌AirPods Pro‌ or would have paid less had Apple made the flaw clear.

Apple is also being accused of false advertising for highlighting features like "superior sound quality" and "pure, incredibly clear sound" when knowing there was an issue with crackling and static.

The court will need to decide if the arguments made here hold up, and whether the case deserves class action certification.

This article, "Apple Customers Sue Over Unfixed AirPods Pro Crackling Issue" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today announced that an additional 15 games are coming to Apple Arcade during the upcoming holiday season, including three Final Fantasy titles, PAC-MAN 256, Boggle: Arcade Edition, Gears & Goo, and more.

Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month and is bundled with other Apple services in select Apple One plans.

Here is the full list of games coming to Apple Arcade through early January:

• Talking Tom Blast Park on December 5


• Boggle: Arcade Edition on December 5


• PAC-MAN 256+ on December 5


• Hot Wheels: Race Off+ on December 5


• Barbie Color Creations+ on December 5


• Little Cities: Diorama for Apple Vision Pro on December 5


• FINAL FANTASY IV (3D REMAKE)+ on December 9


• FF IV: THE AFTER YEARS+ on December 9


• Skate City: New York on January 9


• Gears & Goo for Apple Vision Pro on January 9


• Three Kingdoms HEROES on January 9


• FINAL FANTASY+ on January 9


• Trials of Mana+ on January 9


• Rodeo Stampede+ on January 9


• It's Literally Just Mowing+ on January 9

More details about some of the games are available in Apple's press release.
This article, "Apple Arcade Adding These 15 New Games Through Early January" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon has a collection of the new M4 14-inch MacBook Pro on sale this week, with as much as $160 off select models. These deals aren't the only Mac-related Black Friday sales you can get right now, so be sure to check out our Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals guide for more information.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 16GB RAM/512GB M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, you can get this model for $1,474.00 in both Silver and Space Black. This is a match of the all-time low price on the computer, and right now only Amazon has the sale.

Amazon also has the 16GB/1TB M4 14-inch MacBook Pro at an all-time low price of $1,654.00, down from $1,799.00. Finally, there's the 24GB RAM/512GB model for $1,839.00, down from $1,999.00, which is another record low price. Both of these computers are only available at these prices in Silver.



You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.

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Leading artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are facing "diminishing returns" from their costly efforts to build newer AI models, according to a new Bloomberg report. The stumbling blocks appear to be growing in size as Apple continues a phased rollout of its own AI features through Apple Intelligence.


OpenAI's latest model, known internally as Orion, has reportedly fallen short of the company's performance expectations, particularly in handling coding tasks. The model is said to be lacking the significant improvements over existing systems when compared to the gains GPT-4 made versus its predecessor.

Google is also reportedly facing similar obstacles with its upcoming Gemini software, while Anthropic has delayed the release of its anticipated Claude 3.5 Opus model. Industry experts who spoke to Bloomberg attributed the challenges to the increasing difficulty in finding "new, untapped sources of high-quality, human-made training data" and the enormous costs associated with developing and operating new models concurrently with existing ones.

Silicon Valley's belief that more computing power, data, and larger models will inevitably lead to better performance, and ultimately the holy grail – artificial general intelligence (AGI) – could be based on false assumptions, suggests the report. Consequently, companies are now exploring alternative approaches, including further post-training (incorporating human feedback to improve responses and refining the tone) and developing AI tools called agents that can perform targeted tasks, such as booking flights or sending emails on a user's behalf.

"The AGI bubble is bursting a little bit," said Margaret Mitchell, chief ethics scientist at AI startup Hugging Face. She told Bloomberg that "different training approaches" may be needed to make AI models work really well on a variety of tasks. Other experts who spoke to the outlet echoed Mitchell's sentiment.

How much impact these challenges will have on Apple's approach is unclear, though Apple Intelligence is more focused in comparison, and the company uses internal large language models (LLMs) grounded in privacy. Apple's AI services mainly operate on-device, while the company's Private Cloud Compute encrypted servers are only pinged for tasks requiring more advanced processing power.

Apple is integrating AI capabilities into existing products and services, including writing tools, Siri improvements, and image generation features, so it can't be said to be competing directly in the LLM space. However, Apple has agreed a partnership with OpenAI that allows Siri to optionally hand off more open-ended queries to ChatGPT. Apple has also reportedly held discussions with other LLM companies about similar outsourcing partnerships.

It's possible that the challenges faced by major AI companies pursuing breakthrough general-purpose AI models could ultimately validate Apple's more conservative strategy of developing specific AI features that enhance the user experience. In that sense, its privacy-first policy may not be the straitjacket it first seemed. Apple plans to expand Apple Intelligence features next month with the release of iOS 18.2 and then via further updates through 2025.

This article, "AI Companies Reportedly Struggling to Improve Latest Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's new Mac mini and MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro and M4 Max chips introduce Thunderbolt 5 connectivity to the Mac lineup for the first time, bringing the first major bandwidth increase since Thunderbolt 3 debuted in 2015. While this next-generation standard promises significant improvements, understanding its specific benefits can help you decide whether it's really essential for your needs.


Let's take a closer look at Thunderbolt 5 – what it does, whether it's necessary, and which accessories leverage the latest standard.

Thunderbolt 5: What It Does

Thunderbolt 5 doubles the standard data transfer speed to 80 Gbps in both directions, with a special "Bandwidth Boost" mode reaching up to 120 Gbps for video-intensive tasks. This asymmetrical mode allocates 120 Gbps to display data while maintaining 40 Gbps for other data transfers, effectively tripling the bandwidth compared to Thunderbolt 4. The standard also increases maximum power delivery to 240W, up from Thunderbolt 4's 100W limit, enabling faster charging for power-hungry devices like the 16-inch MacBook Pro.


The increased bandwidth supports more demanding display configurations for M4 Pro and M4 Max-powered Macs. Thunderbolt 5 also incorporates DisplayPort 2.1, enabling features like 4K displays at 240Hz refresh rates, for smoother motion during gaming and video playback. Like previous versions, the standard maintains backward compatibility with older Thunderbolt standards and USB devices, including the latest USB4 2.0 specification.

Latest Macs With Thunderbolt 5

Apple's latest Mac models featuring Thunderbolt 5 offer enhanced external display support, varying by specific chip configuration. Both the Mac mini with M4 Pro chip and MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max chip provide three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Here's a detailed breakdown of what's capable in terms of display configurations:

MacBook Pro Models

• MacBook Pro with M4 Pro Chip:




• Supports up to two external displays:




• Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt.


• One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.




• Alternatively, supports one external display:




• One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI.


• One display with up to 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.







• MacBook Pro with M4 Max Chip:




• Supports up to four external displays:




• Three displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.




• Alternatively, supports up to three external displays:




• Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one display with up to 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

Mac mini Models

• Mac mini with M4 Pro Chip:




• Supports up to three external displays:




• Three displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt.




• Alternatively, supports one external display:




• One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one display with up to 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

Note that the Mac mini with the standard M4 chip features Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports up to three external displays, with specific configurations as detailed in Apple's technical specifications.

Do I Need Thunderbolt 5?

For most users performing everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, or even photo editing, Thunderbolt 4's 40 Gbps bandwidth remains more than adequate. Even 4K video editing and working with large file sizes works smoothly with Thunderbolt 4 connections, as many professionals will attest. The new Mac mini and base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip includes Thunderbolt 4 ports that should serve most of these users.


It's worth considering Thunderbolt 5 if you work with 8K video, require multiple high-resolution displays, or regularly transfer extremely large files. The technology will be particularly beneficial if you work with virtual reality, 3D rendering, or high-end video production where every bit of bandwidth matters. However, remember that taking full advantage of Thunderbolt 5 requires compatible peripherals, which are just beginning to enter the market and typically command premium prices.

For most users, the presence of Thunderbolt 5 shouldn't be the deciding factor when choosing between M4 and M4 Pro/Max Macs. The standard M4 models with Thunderbolt 4 will continue to serve the majority of users well, making Thunderbolt 5 a "nice-to-have" rather than a necessity for typical Mac buyers. The technology's true benefits will likely become more apparent as compatible peripherals become more available and affordable over time.

• 14-Inch vs. 16-Inch MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide 2024


• M4 vs. M4 Pro vs. M4 Max Chip Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?


• M1 vs. M2 vs. M3 vs. M4 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Differences Compared

Thunderbolt 5 Accessories

The first wave of Thunderbolt 5 peripherals is beginning to arrive. Apple's Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable ($69) features a braided black design, supports the full 120 Gbps bandwidth and 240W power delivery, while maintaining backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB standards.


For storage, OWC's Envoy Ultra external SSD achieves speeds over 6GB per second – double that of previous Thunderbolt drives – and comes in 2TB ($399.99) and 4TB ($599.99) configurations with a built-in Thunderbolt cable.


Lastly, OWC's Thunderbolt 5 Hub ($189.99) expands a single port into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, supporting up to 140W power delivery – enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro. The hub enables three separate device daisy chains and can drive up to three 8K displays at 60Hz with Display Stream Compression. Its aluminum enclosure uses passive cooling for silent operation, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments like recording studios.
This article, "Thunderbolt 5 in New Macs: Features, Benefits, and Is It Needed?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well.


While not all advertised Apple Intelligence features will be available immediately, iOS 18.2 introduces several capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 18 new things your iPhone will be able to do when the update rolls out in December.

Share AirTag Location With Trusted Friend or Airline

Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced. Choosing the Share Item Location option creates a link that lets someone view the location of a lost item when they open the link.

The link can be opened on a non-Apple device, so an iPhone or Mac is not required to provide someone with your item's location. Links expire after a week or when you're reunited with your lost item. More than 15 airlines will offer the feature, which will be integrated into each airline's customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed baggage, according to Apple. In addition to items equipped with an AirTag, the feature also works with third-party accessories and item trackers that support the Find My network.

Require Screen On for Camera Control

On iPhone 16 models, under "Display & Brightness" in the Settings app, there is a new Camera Control toggle called Require Screen On. When enabled, this setting requires that your iPhone screen is illuminated before a press of the Camera Control button will open the Camera app or a compatible third-party camera app. It's a handy option if you find yourself pressing the button accidentally.

Lock Auto Exposure and Auto Focus

By applying light pressure on the Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models, you can now lock auto focus and auto exposure settings. The lock remains active until you release your finger from the button. Enabling the feature involves navigating to Settings ➝ Camera ➝ Camera Control and toggling on the AE/AF Lock option.

View Video Fullscreen in Photos

When iOS 18 was released in September, it brought a major redesign to the Photos app on the iPhone, but some of the updates received mixed feedback. Since announcing iOS 18, Apple has made ongoing adjustments to the app, and that looks set to continue in iOS 18.2. In the latest beta, the video player has been updated to occupy more screen space, removing the thick borders seen in earlier iOS 18 versions. Now, videos display in full screen without needing a tap to expand them.

iPhone Mirroring With Hotspot

With iOS 18.2, you can now use iPhone Mirroring even while your iPhone’s hotspot connection is shared with your Mac. Previously, connecting your Mac through Personal Hotspot prevented the use of iPhone Mirroring.

Track Safari Download Progress

With iOS 18.2, tracking your Safari downloads should be more effortless and immediate, since you can keep an eye on download progress right from your iPhone's Lock Screen. On iPhone 14 Pro models and newer, it also appears in the Dynamic Island.

Adjust Media Volume on Lock Screen

Prior to 2022, the volume slider was a familiar presence on the Lock Screen whenever media was playing. When Apple released iOS 16, however, it removed the control without explaining the reason, much to the dismay of many users.

Thankfully, Apple is bringing the control back as an option in iOS 18.2. If you're already on the iOS 18.2 beta, you'll find a toggle in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Audio & Visual, labeled "Always Show Volume Control". Enable the switch, and you'll be able to adjust volume from the Lock Screen without having to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ or use the physical volume buttons.

Play Daily Sudoku Puzzles

With iOS 18.2, Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. will gain access to daily sudoku puzzles, offering easy, moderate, and challenging difficulty levels. A scoreboard will keep track of your sudoku statistics, including the total number of puzzles solved and your fastest completion times for each difficulty level. This addition will be the fourth puzzle game available with an Apple News+ subscription, joining Crossword, Crossword Mini, and Quartiles.

Easily Manage Default Apps

iOS 18.2 includes a new "Default Apps" section that can be found in the Settings app, which can be used to manage your default apps for the iPhone. This is a feature that Apple promised would be coming to the European Union, but it looks as if it may become available worldwide, based on the beta.

• When Is Apple Intelligence Launching in the European Union?

In the latest beta, US users can access the Default App interface to choose their preferred Email, Call Filtering, Browser, and Passwords, and Keyboards. EU users should have more options for choosing non-Apple apps as their default, as they are able to delete core apps like Messages, App Store, Safari, Camera, and Photos.

Adjust Camera Control Double-Click Speed

A new option in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Camera Control allows you to adjust the double-click speed for the Camera Control button. The available options are Default, Slow, and Slower. The settings are added alongside existing options to adjust the speed of the double light press and the force of the light press.

Categorize Emails in Mail

In iOS 18.2, Apple is introducing an updated version of the Mail app for built-in categorization. Mail Categories effectively organize your incoming emails into distinct sections for easier navigation.

Important emails are grouped in a "Primary" category, while other types are categorized into three additional sections. The "Transactions" section streamlines access to receipts, orders, and shipping information, allowing you to quickly locate your purchases. Meanwhile, the "Updates" section gathers newsletters, appointment reminders, and various subscription emails, keeping you informed. Lastly, the "Promotions" category highlights special offers and promotional messages, to make sure you don’t miss out on any deals.

Generate Images Using Prompts

Image Playground is a totally new app designed to help you create images based on your ideas. Similar to ChatGPT, you can generate images by providing a prompt, and Apple offers suggested categories like themes, locations, and costumes to inspire your creativity. The app specializes in stylized content, meaning the generated images won't be realistic, but can choose from Animation and Illustration styles.

Additionally, you can include likenesses of friends and family by pulling images directly from your Photos app. While Image Playground functions as a standalone app, it can also be integrated into apps like Notes and Messages and added to third-party applications.

Get an iPhone Charge Time Estimate

In iOS 18.2, newly discovered code suggests you may be able to get notified about how long it will take your iPhone to reach a specific charge level. This would build upon iOS 18's existing battery health capabilities, which include new options to limit maximum charging to 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% to help preserve long-term battery health. iOS 18 also now alerts users when their iPhone is being charged with a slower-than-optimal charger.

Create Custom Emoji Characters

Genmoji are akin to traditional emojis but offer enhanced functionality. With Genmoji, you can create virtually any emoji you desire, freeing you from the limitations of the standard emoji set.

While they function like emojis on Apple devices, they are not encoded characters from the Unicode Consortium. Instead, Apple developed a unique API for Genmoji, ensuring they display correctly in any application that supports rich text. You can generate a Genmoji by providing a description of your desired design, and you even have the option to create Genmoji that resemble individuals from your Photos library.

Query ChatGPT via Siri

Apple is collaborating with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This partnership allows Siri to handle complex requests by referring them to ChatGPT, such as generating images or creating text from scratch. With the Writing Tools feature, ChatGPT can produce and illustrate original content, expanding its capabilities beyond what Siri can currently offer.

For instance, you can open a lengthy PDF and ask Siri to summarize information on a specific topic; Siri can then pass this request to ChatGPT to generate a comprehensive summary. Apple envisions Siri as a facilitator for AI models and tools, optimizing available resources to provide you with answers without the need to switch between multiple apps.

View ChatGPT Limits

As part of Apple's collab with OpenAI, iPhone users can access ChatGPT for free but are limited to a small number of requests using the latest ChatGPT-4 turbo engine and a limited number of DALL-E 3 image generations. To that extent, the Apple Intelligence & Siri section in Settings will display ChatGPT limits for free users, but it also provides an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. Once these limits are reached, access reverts to a more basic version of ChatGPT, which is less costly for OpenAI to maintain. Full access requires a ChatGPT Plus subscription, priced at $19.99 per month.

Visual Intelligence

If you have an iPhone 16, you can make use of Visual Intelligence, a feature that offers insights about your surroundings. For instance, when you open the camera and aim it at a restaurant, you'll receive details such as opening hours and reviews.

Additional capabilities of Visual Intelligence include reading text aloud, identifying phone numbers and addresses for adding to Contacts, copying text, and summarizing information. Users can also search Google to find where to purchase a specific item they see, and by pointing the camera at an object, they can access further information through ChatGPT. Apple intends to enhance this feature by introducing more functionalities in the future.

More Options in Writing Tools

Apple is upgrading the Writing Tools feature to include options for more open-ended modifications. In iOS 18.1, Writing Tools can only adjust the tone to friendly, professional, or a simplified version. However, with the release of iOS 18.2, users will be able to specify the desired tone or content changes, such as incorporating more action words or transforming an email into a poem.
This article, "18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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