MacworldApple is getting ready to replace the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in its products, currently supplied by Broadcom, with a chip of its own design. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the company has been hard at work on this project for several years and should start rolling out the chips in products beginning in 2025.The chip is separate from the in-house cellular 5G modem, which will eventually replace parts from Qualcomm, though the two projects are intended to work together in an end-to-end wireless system that Apple hopes will be more power efficient.The new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, code-named Proxima, will first appear in refreshed HomePod Mini and Apple TV devices, but should also show up in the iPhone 17 later in the year. Macs will get the new chip starting in 2026, according to the report. Apple may not be able to meet every technical capability that Broadcom can provide, according to Bloombergs sources, but the chip will still support Wi-Fi 6E. If the chip does not support Wi-Fi 7, however, it would be a step backward from this years iPhones, which do support that standard.Apples primary goal with the chips, at least at first, seems to be tighter integration with its other chips and products and better size and power efficiency, to improve battery life and provide for new product form factors.

MacworldThe Apple MacBook Air M3, which we called simply the best, is on sale for $200 off at Amazon right now, a sweet price point that has us wanting to add it to the cart. Our favorite is the 15-inch model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1,299, but all sizes and configurations of both the 15-inch Air and the 13-inch model have the same discount.That means you can get a brand-new M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of storage for as low as $899 and the M2 model for a staggering $799. This is the best price weve seen for this laptop outside of Black Friday when some models were $250 off. That, however, is not a price were expecting to see anytime soon for this MacBook Air.This M3 MacBook Air laptop is Apples latest model, featuring a powerful chip alongside a hefty 16GB of memory. While the MacBook Pro has a legacy of being the go-to model for professionals, this particular combination should be enough to get any task done, including video editing. We recommend springing for one of the models with a 512GB SSD on board, which is plenty of storage space for whatever it is you need to hold on your computer, from pictures to apps to some light games.One thing this laptop is famous for, however, is that its thin and light, meaning you can carry it anywhere you go without minding it one bit. That day-long battery will also keep you going on your adventures. So go ahead and get your very own MacBook Air M3 for as low as $899 at Amazon while you still can.Save $200 on the M3 MacBook AirBuy now at Amazon

Microsoft has offered a miniscule concession to users determined to install Windows 11 on PCs that dont meet its minimum hardware requirements: you will be able to do it, but on your own head be it should things go wrong.The apparent moderation of its previously hardline upgrade policy appeared on a support page update which lists the numerous disadvantages of pressing ahead with a Windows 11 on an unsupported system.These include unspecified compatibility problems, and a watermark noting a PCs non-compliant status that will appear on the Windows 11 desktop. More significantly, it states:If you proceed with installing Windows 11, your PC will no longer be supported and wont be entitled to receive updates.This is unambiguous no security updates. And thats in addition to the rather alarming warning that any damages to your PC due to a lack of compatibility arent covered under the manufacturer warranty.Those are serious gotchas, the same ones Microsoft has been warning about for some time. Only a week ago, a blog by Microsoft senior program manager Steven Hosking described the most important element of the Windows 11 requirements, support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, as non-negotiable. That remains the case.Not sugarcoating itWhat has changed? Despite some optimistic news reporting on this issue, nothing. Microsoft doesnt want users to upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, but is now acknowledging that some people will push ahead regardless. That being so, it wants to tell them what might happen, so they cant say they werent warned.The date Windows 10 is due to stop receiving updates, Oct. 14, 2025, remains the same. Upgrading to Windows 11 without meeting the hardware requirements wont change the negative consequences of this. Nor does the update explain how users can bypass the minimum requirements, should they choose to do so.Importantly, users who regret upgrading will only have ten days to revert to Windows 10. After that, the files enabling this function will be deleted to save disk space, and the go back button in Recovery options will disappear.Microsoft also doesnt elaborate on what it means by Windows 11 compatibility issues, so this is a matter of guesswork. However, its possible to imagine that new features that assume a TPM is available could cause instability on a machine lacking this facility. It could also affect drivers for older hardware no longer supported in Windows 11, although this would be likely to be an issue over the longer term.Meet the TPMMicrosofts minimum requirements for Windows 11 cover several hardware components, including having enough RAM and a powerful enough microprocessor. But the most contentious issue is whether a PC contains or supports a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), specifically version 2.0, released in 2014.A TPM is a secure enclave for storing data such as cryptographic keys, certificates, and biometric information fundamental for the security of a PC, including those required for low level PC checks such as Secure Boot, or for the use of Microsofts BitLocker in its more secure mode. Having one is somewhere between a good idea and essential, as more and more software systems going forward assume one will be there at the root of trust. For a summary of the arguments in favor of upgrading to a system with TPM 2.0, Hoskings blog is a good place to start.When it comes to TPMs and Windows, PCs divide into three categories, the first of which supports the functionality using a TPM 2.0 chip installed on the motherboard. The second doesnt have a TPM chip, but can either have one installed using a chip upgrade kit from the motherboard vendor or can have TPM enabled through firmware at UEFI level. The third are PCs that dont support either option, which means they cant be upgraded to Windows 11 without a registry hack.Intel and AMD PCs from about 2017 onwards should support a hardware or software TPM 2.0, while earlier ones going back to Intels Skylake 6th generation in 2015 might do so, depending on the specific processor and support at motherboard and UEFI level.Extended supportFor anyone who doesnt want the risk of a Windows 11 upgrade on unsupported hardware, or just prefers Windows 10, after October 2025 the most secure option will be to pay for an Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription at an unconfirmed cost of $30 per annum for individuals. That way, updates wont disappear abruptly, putting the PC in peril as vulnerabilities pile up over time.Not surprisingly, a lot of users are happy with the status quo and dont feel they should be forced to upgrade to Windows 11 or to pay to remain on Windows 10. This, arguably, is Microsofts fault. It hasnt always clearly explained the benefits of its minimum requirement. That, unfortunately, includes explaining why TPM 2.0 is a good idea, and how its software increasingly depends on it for security.

Apple has introduced significant improvements for enterprise IT admins in thenewly-released iOS 18.2, including the power to manage the latest salvo ofadditional Apple Intelligence features and more.Heres a swift look at whats new.Giving you control of Apple IntelligenceApples approach to generative AI (genAI) is all about combining convenience with privacy.That means it has built large language models (LLMs) that work on the device, supplemented by highly secure cloud-based models that usehighly secure Apple serversin data centers, and partnerships with third-party services to handle tasks the companys own models cant accommodate.That last thing use of third-party services is where some Apple customers might need reassurance.Thats because people might at times share what should be confidential data with these services, which could place companies or individuals at risk of running afoul of data protection laws. Apple has only one genAI partner at this time, OpenAI, and to help mitigate such issues the ChatGPT developer says it does not keep private information pertaining to a request. With cloud queriesheavily encrypted, Apple keeps no information at all, which is part of the attraction of using its own LLM models, and users can choose not to work with ChatGPT at all, if they prefer.But what about unauthorized use of ChatGPT? Or even Apples own genAI models? Is there any way a data security-conscious company can try to protect its data against unauthorized sharing?Now, there is. Starting in iOS 18.2, Apple has,as promised, introduced tools that let Mobile Device Management (MDM) services manage all the latest Apple Intelligence integrations,including ChatGPT,which itself includes search.What this means is that IT admins can permit use of some, none, or all of the available Apple Intelligence tools, including the capacity to generate images in Image Playground. How this control is made available will likely differ between MDM providers, but you should see tools to manage iOS 18.2s newly-added Apple Intelligence features arrive in your management console soon. Apple introduced MDM controls for Writing tools, Mail summarization, phone call recoding, and hiding apps in iOS 18.1.Setting a default browserWhile it took time to be convinced, Apple is beginning to allow people to use more browsers than before, potentially opening up competition in the browser industry. The thing is, not all browsers are created equal and its possible that some companies might require employees to use a specific browser on a managed device. This has now been made possible with an MDM tool that lets admins set a default browser and prevent users from modifying that browser, or choosing an alternative. (This should help companies maintain specified browser security policies, for example.)What else is new?These additions supplement an earlier wave of enterprise-focused admin enhancements introduced with iOS 18.1.Hardware-based MFA in Safari is now more reliable when used with security keys.You can disable RCS messages on managed devices essential, given the standard doesnt yet support encryption.It is possible to prevent users from deactivating VPN use on a per-app basis.Admins can prevent apps from being locked or hidden by users.Service discovery in enrollment can request well-known resources from alternative locations specified by MDMTell it from the rooftopsEach time Apple makes one of these iterative enhancements for enterprise deployments of its devices, it shows the extent to which it now deeply supports enterprise markets. If Im honest, the company should try to make more out of this, particularly as its approach toward building an ecosystem for trusted AI marries so well and so deeply with its existing reputationaround security, ease-of-use, customer satisfaction, employee loyalty and TCO advantages in contrast to other platforms.But for most admins, the critical piece in the companys most recent MDM updates will likely be the control it gives them over Apple Intelligence, which should reassure business users that limited deployment of these tools can be accomplished in a deliberate and responsible manner.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

The Intel 4004, the first commercial microprocessor, was released in 1971. With 2,300 transistors packed into 12mm2, it heralded a revolution in computing. A little over 50 years later, Apples M2 Ultra contains 134 billion transistors.The scale of progress is difficult to comprehend, but the evolution of semiconductors, driven for decades by Moores Law, has paved a path from the emergence of personal computing and the internet to todays AI revolution.But this pace of innovation is not guaranteed, and the next frontier of technological advancesfrom the future of AI to new computing paradigmswill only happen if we think differently.Atomic challengesThe modern microchip stretches both the limits of physics and credulity. Such is the atomic precision, that a few atoms can decide the function of an entire chip. This marvel of engineering is the result of over 50 years of exponential scaling creating faster, smaller transistors.But we are reaching the physical limits of how small we can go, costs are increasing exponentially with complexity, and efficient power consumption is becoming increasingly difficult. In parallel, AI is demanding ever-more computing power. Data from Epoch AI indicates the amount of computing needed to develop AI is quickly outstripping Moores Law, doubling every six months in the deep learning era since 2010.These interlinked trends present challenges not just for the industry, but society as a whole. Without new semiconductor innovation, todays AI models and research will be starved of computational resources and struggle to scale and evolve. Key sectors like AI, autonomous vehicles, and advanced robotics will hit bottlenecks, and energy use from high-performance computing and AI will continue to soar.Materials intelligenceAt this inflection point, a complex, global ecosystemfrom foundries and designers to highly specialized equipment manufacturers and materials solutions providers like Merckis working together more closely than ever before to find the answers. All have a role to play, and the role of materials extends far, far beyond the silicon that makes up the wafer.Instead, materials intelligence is present in almost every stage of the chip production processwhether in chemical reactions to carve circuits at molecular scale (etching) or adding incredibly thin layers to a wafer (deposition) with atomic precision: a human hair is 25,000 times thicker than layers in leading edge nodes.Yes, materials provide a chips physical foundation and the substance of more powerful and compact components. But they are also integral to the advanced fabrication methods and novel chip designs that underpin the industrys rapid progress in recent decades.For this reason, materials science is taking on a heightened importance as we grapple with the limits of miniaturization. Advanced materials are needed more than ever for the industry to unlock the new designs and technologies capable of increasing chip efficiency, speed, and power. We are seeing novel chip architectures that embrace the third dimension and stack layers to optimize surface area usage while lowering energy consumption. The industry is harnessing advanced packaging techniques, where separate chiplets are fused with varying functions into a more efficient, powerful single chip. This is called heterogeneous integration.Materials are also allowing the industry to look beyond traditional compositions. Photonic chips, for example, harness light rather than electricity to transmit data. In all cases, our partners rely on us to discover materials never previously used in chips and guide their use at the atomic level. This, in turn, is fostering the necessary conditions for AI to flourish in the immediate future.New frontiersThe next big leap will involve thinking differently. The future of technological progress will be defined by our ability to look beyond traditional computing.Answers to mounting concerns over energy efficiency, costs, and scalability will be found in ambitious new approaches inspired by biological processes or grounded in the principles of quantum mechanics.While still in its infancy, quantum computing promises processing power and efficiencies well beyond the capabilities of classical computers. Even if practical, scalable quantum systems remain a long way off, their development is dependent on the discovery and application of state-of-the-art materials.Similarly, emerging paradigms like neuromorphic computing, modelled on the human brain with architectures mimicking our own neural networks, could provide the firepower and energy-efficiency to unlock the next phase of AI development. Composed of a deeply complex web of artificial synapses and neurons, these chips would avoid traditional scalability roadblocks and the limitations of todays Von Neumann computers that separate memory and processing.Our biology consists of super complex, intertwined systems that have evolved by natural selection, but it can be inefficient; the human brain is capable of extraordinary feats of computational power, but it also requires sleep and careful upkeep. The most exciting step will be using advanced computeAI and quantumto finally understand and design systems inspired by biology. This combination will drive the power and ubiquity of next-generation computing and associated advances to human well-being.Until then, the insatiable demand for more computing power to drive AIs development poses difficult questions for an industry grappling with the fading of Moores Law and the constraints of physics. The race is on to produce more powerful, more efficient, and faster chips to progress AIs transformative potential in every area of our lives.Materials are playing a hidden, but increasingly crucial role in keeping pace, producing next-generation semiconductors and enabling the new computing paradigms that will deliver tomorrows technology.But materials sciences most important role is yet to come. Its true potential will be to take usand AIbeyond silicon into new frontiers and the realms of science fiction by harnessing the building blocks of biology.This content was produced by EMD Electronics. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.Googles new Project Astra could be generative AIs killer appGoogle DeepMind has announced an impressive grab bag of new products and prototypes that may just let it seize back its lead in the race to turn generative artificial intelligence into a mass-market concern.Top billing goes to Gemini 2.0the latest iteration of Google DeepMinds family of multimodal large language models, now redesigned around the ability to control agentsand a new version of Project Astra, the experimental everything app that the company teased at Google I/O in May.The margins between top-end models like Gemini 2.0 and those from rival labs like OpenAI and Anthropic are now slim. These days, advances in large language models are less about how good they are and more about what you can do with them. And thats where agents come in.MIT Technology Review got to try out Astra in a closed-door live demo last week. It gave us a hint at whats to come. Find out more in the full story.Will Douglas HeavenChina banned exports of a few rare minerals to the US. Things could get messier.Casey CrownhartIve thought more about gallium and germanium over the last week than I ever have before (and probably more than anyone ever should).China banned the export of those materials to the US last week and placed restrictions on others. The move is just the latest drama in escalating trade tensions between the two countries.While the new export bans could have significant economic consequences, this might be only the beginning. China is a powerhouse, and not just in those niche materialsits also a juggernaut in clean energy, and particularly in battery supply chains. So what comes next could have significant consequences for EVs and climate action more broadly. Read the full story.This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate and energy newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Its looking pretty likely 2024 will be the hottest year on recordBut average temperatures are just one way of assessing our warming world. (New Scientist $)+ The first few months of 2025 are likely to be hotter than average, too. (Reuters)+ The US is about to make a sharp turn on climate policy. (MIT Technology Review)2 Meta has donated $1 million to Trumps inaugural fundIn an effort to strengthen their previously fractious relationship. (WSJ $)+ Mark Zuckerberg isnt the only tech figure seeking the President-elects ear. (Insider $)3 How China secretly repatriates UyghursEven the United Nations is seemingly powerless to stop it. (WP $)+ Uyghurs outside China are traumatized. Now theyre starting to talk about it. (MIT Technology Review)4 How Big Tech decides when to scrub a users digital footprintMurder suspect Luigi Mangiones Instagram has been taken downbut his Goodreads hasnt. (NYT $)+ Why its dangerous to treat public online accounts as the full story. (NY Mag $)5 Russia-backed hackers targeted Ukraines military using criminal toolsWhich makes it even harder to work out who did it. (TechCrunch)6 What Cruises exit means for the rest of the robotaxi industryAutomakers are becoming frustrated waiting for the technology to mature. (The Verge)+ Cruise will focus on developing fully autonomous personal vehicles instead. (NYT $)7 Researching risky pathogens is extremely high stakesThe potential for abuse has some researchers worried we shouldnt undertake it at all. (Undark Magazine)+ Meet the scientist at the center of the covid lab leak controversy. (MIT Technology Review)8 Altermagnetism could be computings next big thingIt would lead to faster, more reliable electronic devices. (FT $)9 Why some people need so little sleepGene mutations appear to hold at least some of the answers. (Knowable Magazine)+ Babies spend most of their time asleep. New technologies are beginning to reveal why. (MIT Technology Review)10 Inside the creeping normalization of AI moviesThe worlds largest TV manufacturer wants to make films for people too lazy to change the channel. (404 Media)+ Unsurprisingly, itll push targeted ads, too. (Ars Technica)+ How AI-generated video is changing film. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the dayTheyve made him a martyr for all the troubles people have had with their own insurance companies.Felipe Rodriguez, an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, explains why murder suspect Luigi Mangione is being lionized online to Reuters.The big storyWhy AI could eat quantum computings lunchNovember 2024Tech companies have been funneling billions of dollars into quantum computers for years. The hope is that theyll be a game changer for fields as diverse as finance, drug discovery, and logistics.But while the field struggles with the realities of tricky quantum hardware, another challenger is making headway in some of these most promising use cases. AI is now being applied to fundamental physics, chemistry, and materials science in a way that suggests quantum computings purported home turf might not be so safe after all. Read the full story.Edd GentWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet em at me.)+ Working life getting you down? These pictures of bygone office malaise will make you feel a whole lot better (or worsethanks Will!)+ Gen Z are getting really into documenting their lives via digital cameras, apparently. + If you believe that Alan MacMasters invented the first electric bread toaster, Im sorry to inform you that youve fallen for an elaborate online hoax.+ The case for a better Turing test for AI-generated art.

On Thursday, December 12, His Majesty King Charles III visited Apples Battersea office in London.

The release of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 introduce new Apple Intelligence features.

If you've acquired an M4 Mac mini, you probably want a display to match. Here are the best monitors for the Mac mini that you should be looking at to go with your new hardware.Pick up a budget-friendly monitor to go with the M4 Mac mini - Image credit: Apple, ASUS, SamsungThe Mac mini is an ideal device if you're switching over from PC, but it's also a great workhorse for Mac traditionalists. However, while it's a very capable device, you do have to supply your own display.If you're switching, you've obviously got one at hand, but it may be too old or too low-resolution for modern computing needs. If it's for a brand-new setup, a monitor's a must-buy. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple has updated its iWork suite of apps, with Numbers, Keynote, and Pages gaining the ability to use Apple Intelligence features.Image Playground in Numbers for iPadOSApple's update to iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 made some considerable changes to Apple Intelligence. Now, Apple's iWork suite can take advantage of them.Updates to Numbers, Keynote, and Pages released on Thursday now add support to the new features of Apple Intelligence, which should help users work smarter. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums