New MacBook Pros Released, 2018 Product Roadmap, Back to School Promo - MacRumors

Apple Launches 2018 MacBook Pros: 8th Gen Core, Up to 32GB of RAM, Third-Gen Keyboard, Quad-Core on 13-Inch and More In a surprise move, Apple today updated its Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro models in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, bringing a host of improvements including Intel's latest quad-core (13") and 6-core (15") processors, up to 32 GB of RAM on the 15-inch model, a "quieter" third-generation butterfly keyboard design, and more. Other improvements include up to 4 TB of storage in 15-inch models and 2 TB in 13-inch models, new True Tone support for the display and Touch Bar, and a new T2 chip that offers enhanced security and brings "Hey Siri" functionality to the Mac for the first time. Maxing out a new MacBook Pro won't be cheap, however, as loading up a 15-inch model with 4 TB of storage, 32 GB of RAM, and all of the rest of the available upgrades will push the price to a whopping $6,699. Alongside the new MacBook Pro, Apple also released new leather sleeves for both sizes, as well as a $699 external GPU developed in partnership with Blackmagic Design. Apple also finally stopped selling the low-end 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro (aside from some clearance stock), while no updates were made to the low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Jul 12, 2018 Mac Mini Refresh, New Low-Cost Notebook, Apple Watches With Larger Displays and More Coming This Fall Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a new research note this week outlining his expectations for Apple's product roadmap through the end of the year. While much of it was a recap of previous rumors, perhaps the most anticipated tidbit was mention of a new Mac mini. No details on what to expect in the new Mac mini beyond processor upgrades were shared, but it's been over three and a half years since it last saw an update, so expectations are very high. Other upcoming products included in Kuo's report were iPad Pros with Face ID, three new iPhones, processor-bumped MacBooks, iMacs with new processors and improved displays, a new low-cost notebook to replace the MacBook Air, and new Apple Watch models with larger displays. With Kuo offering some specifics on the upcoming Apple Watch models including reported display sizes of 1.57 and 1.78 inches, some designers have mocked up what these new models might look like and visualized just how much extra display area users will have.   Read Full Article Apple Launches 2018 Back to School Promotion: Free Beats With Select Mac or iPad Pro Models Apple today also launched its annual Back to School promotion in the United States and a number of other countries, offering education customers free Beats headphones with select Mac or iPad Pro models. And yes, the new MacBook Pro introduced today is eligible for the promotion. If you purchase a new Mac (excluding Mac mini) through one of Apple's education channels, you'll receive your choice of free BeatsX, Solo3 Wireless, or Powerbeats3 wireless headphones. With the purchase of an iPad Pro, you'll receive free BeatsX or Powerbeats3, or you can pay a $100 charge to upgrade to the Solo3 Wireless. Apple usually launches its Back to School programs in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico a few weeks ahead of many other countries in Europe and elsewhere, but this year they are all launching simultaneously with the exception of some countries primarily in the Asia–Pacific region where the promotion is offered earlier in the year to match their school calendars.   Read Full Article Apple Releases iOS 11.4.1 With Bug Fixes, USB Restricted Mode This week saw the public release of iOS 11.4.1, which included a number of bug fixes as well as a new USB Restricted Mode that's designed to make your iOS device immune to certain hacking techniques by preventing data transmission over USB if your device hasn't been unlocked within the past hour. Unfortunately, security researchers have already figured out a way around the restriction under certain circumstances, so we'll have to see how Apple addresses that loophole. In addition to iOS 11.4.1, Apple also released macOS 10.13.6, watchOS 4.3.2, tvOS 11.4.1, and HomePod software 11.4.1, all primarily focused on bug fixes, although the macOS update in conjunction with iTunes 12.8 brought support for AirPlay 2 multi-room audio.   Read Full Article Hands-On With the Siri Shortcuts Beta App in iOS 12 After taking some time at WWDC to show off its upcoming Shortcuts app born out of the Workflow app it acquired last year, Apple is now allowing developers to begin testing Shortcuts ahead of its public release alongside iOS 12 in the fall. We went hands-on with Shortcuts to offer just a brief look at some of the ways it can automate multi-step actions on iOS and invoke them using Siri. It's a very powerful app, so it'll be interesting to see what users do with it as third-party apps build out support on their end.   Read Full Article Former Apple Employee Charged With Theft of Trade Secrets Related to Autonomous Car Project  A former Apple employee involved in Apple's autonomous car project was charged with theft of trade secrets this week, offering a bit of insight into the project. The court documents reveal that roughly 5,000 employees have access to internal data on the project, with 2,700 "core employees" tied into more sensitive documents. In something out of a spy novel, the employee was arrested as he passed through airport security on his way to China after he had resigned from Apple to take a job with XMotors, a Chinese company working on autonomous car technology. The employee admitted to downloading extensive data and taking hardware from Apple's labs while out on paternity leave earlier this year.   Read Full Article

This email was sent to dasdisdusonline.apple@blogger.com Click here to unsubscribe or Update subscription preferences View in Browser | Subscribe to this mailing list. MacRumors.com, LLC 4870 Sadler Rd. Suite #300 Glen Allen, VA 23060 USA