Today in Tech

Apple's next event occurs on Monday, and rumors suggest that the company will announce updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. Consumer-level Macs have already received an Apple Silicon update, and it's expected that the Pro models will receive their refresh next week. It's also rumored that a new Mac Mini could be announced, powered by the same chip as the new MacBook Pros. Macworld executive edito...

Microsoft released its first update to Windows in six years on Tuesday. The newest edition of the operating system, Windows 11, introduces only a handful of new features. Those features include Teams integration, better security and a few UX updates. And in the coming months, users will be able to run Android apps on their Windows 11 machines. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld...

Last week, The Washington Post revealed that, despite update app tracking transparency measures, iPhone apps continue to track users. This presents a serious privacy issue, since the type of data gathered about a user's device could be specific enough to identify individual iPhones. And worse yet, The Washington Post revealed that this tracking occurs even when users explicitly ask apps not to do...

Bootcut jeans, butterfly clips and... flip phones? Y2K trends are back in a big way, and that includes Motorola Razr nostalgia. But of course, in 2021, the technology of yesteryear has gotten a huge makeover. Microsoft's recently announced Surface Duo 2 is the latest folding smartphone on the market. It joins a handful of other foldable phones from companies including Samsung, Huawei and, yes, eve...

Apple announced its latest additions to its iPhone lineup, as well as a new iPad mini, at its "California Streaming" event on Tuesday. Both devices will be powered by Apple's new A15 Bionic processor. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor join Juliet to discuss how the A15 processor compare to its predecessor, the A14, and how Apple may use it in future product...

Apple's next event, titled "California Streaming," will occur on Tuesday, September 14 at 10 a.m. PT. It's expected that Apple will announce the iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7 and new set of AirPods. Potential new iPhone features include the ability to photograph stars at night, an always-on display and portrait mode videos. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive edit...

Microsoft will launch Windows 11 on October 5, but not every PC will be eligible for an immediate upgrade. Rollout will last well into 2022 for machines that meet the necessary hardware requirements, and Windows 10 will be supported through October 2025. But, there's still some confusion about what hardware is required to support Windows 11's beefed up security measures. Computerworld executive ed...

Google's latest addition to the Pixel lineup, the Pixel 5a, ships out today. While Apple also has a low(er) cost phone in the iPhone SE, the two smartphones don't have much in common. The Pixel 5a comes with 5G capability, an OLED screen and two camera lenses. On the other hand, the iPhone SE comes with LTE, a Retina screen and one lens. But, the differences don't stop there. Importantly, the iPho...

Apple announced last week that it will soon begin scanning photos uploaded to iCloud for child sexual abuse material. Cybersecurity and privacy experts met the announcement with skepticism, with many pointing out potential abuse of this system. Specifically, experts say this encryption backdoor could encourage oppressive governments to ask Apple to police other types of illegal content. Apple says...

Google announced that its new system on a chip, called Tensor, will power the upcoming the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones. Google says Tensor will improve the Pixel's camera system and its speech recognition abilities, among other things. The company's shift away from Qualcomm to Tensor follows Apple's path of making its own silicon. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld execut...

The semiconductor shortage has wreaked havoc on manufacturers, and Apple will soon feel pinch. In the company's Q3 earnings call, chief executive Tim Cook said that supply constraints around "legacy nodes" will affect iPhone sales. These "legacy nodes" include chips for the display, ports and audio, not the A- and M-series processors that Apple designs for its devices. Macworld executive editor Mi...

Amnesty International's Security Lab revealed that a handful of iPhones, mostly belonging to journalists and human rights activists, were successfully infected with Pegasus spyware. While the majority of iPhones users are not affected, the spyware, created by NSO Group, was found even on newer iPhone models equipped with the latest iOS update. Apple bills the iPhone as the most secure consumer cel...

Apple's M1 chip is the first in what the company calls a "family of chips" that is expected to grow later this year. The next iteration of Apple Silicon, the so-called M1X chip, may arrive in the second half of 2021 and power higher-end Macs. After that, Apple could release an M2 chip, an M2X chip and so on. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join...

Microsoft announced Windows 11 two weeks ago, and rollout is expected to begin later this year. This announcement came as a surprise, since Microsoft previously said Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows. While there's a handful of new features, it seems as though the most compelling reason to upgrade is security. Computerworld managing editor for features, Val Potter, and Computerworld...

Microsoft announced its latest version of its Windows operating system, Windows 11, last Thursday. Some changes look similar to macOS, but others seem to hit directly at Apple and its closed ecosystem. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss Windows 11, what it means for the Mac and what changes users can expect. If you have any...

Rumors are swirling about the upcoming iPhone 13, from potential launch date to new features. And as lawmakers push for stronger tech regulations, Apple argues in a white paper that sideloading apps poses a security risk. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss Apple's position against sideloading iPhone apps, when to expect the...

Apple will not force users to upgrade to iOS 15, instead offering iPhone users two options: upgrade to iOS 15, or stick with iOS 14 and continue to receive security updates. At the same time, some new iOS 15 features could position Apple for success even after the iPhone becomes irrelevant. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss...

Apple announced updates to its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS and macOS at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday. iPadOS has new productivity features, but do the updates justify the company's decision to put an M1 chip in the iPad Pro? And although Apple previewed macOS Monterey, a Mac hardware announcement was noticeably absent. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis a...

Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC, kicks off on June 7. At its opening keynote, Apple executives including Tim Cook and Craig Federighi will announce updates to its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss what changes they expect to see across Apple's operating...

Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC, will take place June 7-11. While software is the main focus of the event, rumors suggest Apple may announce new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Apple may also announce that updates to other Macs, like the Mac Pro and Mac mini, are coming soon. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis join Juliet to discuss...

When the newest version of a phone, tablet and/or laptop launches, the idea of upgrading a personal device can feel enticing. For IT teams, keeping employee devices up-to-date means upgrading strategically and adhering to planned upgrade cycles. Upgrading too often gets expensive, while upgrading too infrequently can mean using slower or even less secure devices. Computerworld executive editor Ken...

Early benchmarks suggest that the soon-to-be-shipped M1 iPad Pro is much faster than the previous generation iPad Pro, as well as the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9 processor. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and Macworld executive editor Michael Simon join Juliet to discuss the benchmark results, whether or not it's worth it to ditch your MacBook Pro for an iPad and the enterpris...

The largest fuel pipeline in the United States, Colonial Pipeline, halted operations because of a ransomware attack. The attack was carried out the cybercriminal group DarkSide. Much of the pipeline remains offline, although the pipeline operator aims to restore service by the end of the week. Mark Weatherford is the CISO at AlertEnterprise, Chief Strategy Officer at the National Cybersecurity Cen...

Apple and Epic Games, the developer behind the popular video game Fortnite, are in court over Apple's decision to remove Fortnite from the App Store. Epic Games attempted to bypass Apple's in-app purchasing system within Fortnite, violating App Store terms. Apple removed the game from the App Store as a result. Macworld executive editor Michael Simon and Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis j...

Apple's iOS 14.5 update arrived this week, including a much-discussed feature called App Tracking Transparency. The feature allows users to have more control over their data and how they're tracked across apps and websites. Plus, Apple's recently refreshed iMac could be the last Mac to ship with M1 chips, as a new Apple Silicon chip is on the horizon. Computerworld executive editor Ken Mingis and...