King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Apple is set to kick off its second product event of the season, a month after introducing its new iPhone 13 lineup.
At a virtual event on Monday at 1 pm ET, the company is expected to unveil two high-end MacBook Pro laptops powered by its next-generation silicon chip. It may also introduce an update to its entry-level AirPods that's more in line with the features of the AirPods Pro line.
Apple's event kicks off what promises to be a busy week in tech product launches, with several companies pushing out new gadgets ahead of the all-important holiday season. Later this week, Google will unveil its Pixel 6 smartphone and Samsung is hosting a mysterious press event that the rumor mill didn't even see coming.
But these products are launching amid ongoing concerns about global component shortages and logistics issues. Apple, in particular, confronted supply constraints earlier this year mainly impacting the iPad and Mac. It's now reportedly considering cutting its iPhone production goals for the year because of the chip shortage. Apple declined to comment on the report.
There continues to be growing demand for PCs despite the shortages, however. PC shipments, including desktops and notebooks, reached 83.6 million units in the second quarter, up 13.2 per cent from the same period last year, according to market research firm IDC.
Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, said Apple's decision to push forward with new product launches speaks to "the company's confidence" in getting its devices "into customer hands by holiday season despite the doomsday supply chain skeptics."
The centerpiece of Monday's event is widely expected to be the MacBook. According to a Bloomberg report, the MacBook Pro is set to get its first major update in five years.
If the event's "Unleashed" tagline and the invitation's artwork -- which features a hyperspace version of Apple's logo -- are any indication, Apple will spend a good bit of time touting the MacBook Pro's speed and performance upgrades. In 2020, the company switched to a powerful in-house M1 silicon chip for its computer lineup. Now, its MacBook Pro line is expected to get the so-called M1X processor that'll likely be even faster and more efficient than its M1 chip.
The new laptops, which are rumored to come in two sizes (14 inches and 16 inches), are said to have thinner bezels, improved displays, longer-lasting batteries and more memory options. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo, who has a strong track record for predicting Apple specs, the company is also expected to ditch one of the MacBook's most divisive features: the touch bar. That small rectangular OLED touchscreen, which was introduced in 2016, replaced the row of function keys at the top of the keyboard with text prediction and shortcuts.
Other MacBook Pro rumors include bringing back the HDMI port, SD card slot, and a MagSafe charger, the last of which was removed when Apple introduced USB-C ports to the line.
Apple may also show off its first update to AirPods in two years. Since their 2016 debut, the wireless earbuds have emerged as a surprise status symbol and a runaway hit for the company.
The third-generation AirPods will likely borrow some features from the more premium AirPods Pro line, including shorter stems and a case with longer-lasting battery life. (The entry-level version currently costs US$159 and the Pro is US$259.)
Apple has long leaned on offering multiple tiers for products like its iPhones and Apple Watches, often referred to as the good, better, best model. For that reason, it's possible the latest AirPods will come without active noise cancellation or spatial audio support so the Pro line can still differentiate itself. (Apple's over-the-ear headset, the AirPods Max, is its priciest option at US$550).
Apple could also unveil a Mac mini Pro desktop computer with the M1X chip. But some rumors indicate a slimmer, redesigned model could be delayed until next year.
While the company teased new macOS Monterrey features for its Mac computers at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June, it has yet to announce a launch date. Apple will likely reveal Monday when users will be able to download the next-generation software, which includes updates to FaceTime, support for AirPlay, a low-power mode and a tab-grouping feature in Safari.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.