Following FuboTVs recent move to settle its antitrust lawsuit with Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery over the impending launch of their Venu Sports streaming service, DirectTV and EchoStar are urging the courts to consider how other TV distributors could still be shut out of the sports streaming space.On Monday, Fubo announced that, as part of its plan to merge with Hulu + Live TV, it would also drop its lawsuit against Disney, Fox, and WBD alleging that their collaboration on Venu Sports violated US antitrust laws. The settlement outlines how Hulu + Live TV and Fubo can create a new multichannel video programming distributor that Disney would own 70 percent of. But the lawsuits dismissal also lifted the injunction to halt Venus launch which US District Judge Margaret M. Garnett passed down last August.Because Venu Sports now has a much more realistic chance of coming to market, DirectTV and EchoStar are voicing concerns about how Fubos proposed Hulu deal may exacerbate, rather than properly address, the core issue of sports streaming anticompetitiveness. In a letter to Garnett, DirectTV argued that while Venus venture partners have paid Fubo to ensure cooperation from an aggrieved competitor, they have also restored an anticompetitive runway for the JV Defendants to control the future of the live pay TV market.DirectTV is just one of several non-parties that expressed grave concerns about the impact Venu would have on competition for sports programming, given that Venu would offer content in a manner that [the Defendants] do not allow DirectTV or other distributors to offer to consumers, DirectTVs lawyers said.In its own letter to Garnett, EchoStars legal team insisted that the original injunction blocked Disney, Fox, and WBDs scheme to monopolize the pay-TV market and, once accomplished, charge inflated prices to millions of Americans.The parties settlement appears designed to eliminate court jurisdiction over this multifarious harm by effectuating the preliminary injunctions expiration, rather than addressing the underlying competition issues, EchoStar said. Now, with the injunction undone by voluntary dismissal, DISH, Sling, and other distributors will suffer antitrust injury.

Proteins, essential molecular machines evolved over billions of years, perform critical life-sustaining functions encoded in their sequences and revealed through their 3D structures. Decoding their functional mechanisms remains a core challenge in biology despite advances in experimental and computational tools. While AlphaFold and similar models have revolutionized structure prediction, the gap between structural knowledge and functional understanding persists, compounded by the exponential growth of unannotated protein sequences. Traditional tools rely on evolutionary similarities, limiting their scope. Emerging protein-language models offer promise, leveraging deep learning to decode protein language, but limited, diverse, and context-rich training data constrain their effectiveness.Researchers from Westlake University and Nankai University developed Evola, an 80-billion-parameter multimodal protein-language model designed to interpret the molecular mechanisms of proteins through natural language dialogue. Evola integrates a protein language model (PLM) as an encoder, an LLM as a decoder, and an alignment module, enabling precise protein function predictions. Trained on an unprecedented dataset of 546 million protein-question-answer pairs and 150 billion tokens, Evola leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) to enhance response relevance and quality. Evaluated using the novel Instructional Response Space (IRS) framework, Evola provides expert-level insights, advancing proteomics research.Evola is a multimodal generative model designed to answer functional protein questions. It integrates protein-specific knowledge with LLMs for accurate and context-aware responses. Evola features a frozen protein encoder, a trainable sequence compressor and aligner, and a pre-trained LLM decoder. It employs DPO for fine-tuning based on GPT-scored preferences and RAG to enhance response accuracy using Swiss-Prot and ProTrek datasets. Applications include protein function annotation, enzyme classification, gene ontology, subcellular localization, and disease association. Evola is available in two versions: a 10B-parameter model and an 80B-parameter model still under training.The study introduces Evola, an advanced 80-billion-parameter multimodal protein-language model designed to interpret protein functions through natural language dialogue. Evola integrates a protein language model as the encoder, a large language model as the decoder, and an intermediate module for compression and alignment. It employs RAG to incorporate external knowledge and DPO to enhance response quality and refine outputs based on preference signals. Evaluation using the IRS framework demonstrates Evolas capability to generate precise and contextually relevant insights into protein functions, thereby advancing proteomics and functional genomics research.The results demonstrate that Evola outperforms existing models in protein function prediction and natural language dialogue tasks. Evola was evaluated on diverse datasets and achieved state-of-the-art performance in generating accurate, context-sensitive answers to protein-related questions. Benchmarking with the IRS framework revealed its high precision, interpretability, and response relevance. The qualitative analysis highlighted Evolas ability to address nuanced functional queries and generate protein annotations comparable to expert-curated knowledge. Additionally, ablation studies confirmed the effectiveness of its training strategies, including retrieval-augmented generation and direct preference optimization, in enhancing response quality and alignment with biological contexts. This establishes Evola as a robust tool for proteomics.In conclusion, Evola is an 80-billion-parameter generative protein-language model designed to decode the molecular language of proteins. Using natural language dialogue, it bridges protein sequences, structures, and biological functions. Evolas innovation lies in its training on an AI-synthesized dataset of 546 million protein question-answer pairs, encompassing 150 billion tokensunprecedented in scale. Employing DPO and RAG it refines response quality and integrates external knowledge. Evaluated using the IRS, Evola delivers expert-level insights, advancing proteomics and functional genomics while offering a powerful tool to unravel the molecular complexity of proteins and their biological roles.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. FREE UPCOMING AI WEBINAR (JAN 15, 2025): Boost LLM Accuracy with Synthetic Data and Evaluation IntelligenceJoin this webinar to gain actionable insights into boosting LLM model performance and accuracy while safeguarding data privacy.The post Evola: An 80B-Parameter Multimodal Protein-Language Model for Decoding Protein Functions via Natural Language Dialogue appeared first on MarkTechPost.

Mathematical reasoning stands at the backbone of artificial intelligence and is highly important in arithmetic, geometric, and competition-level problems. Recently, LLMs have emerged as very useful tools for reasoning, showing the ability to produce detailed step-by-step reasoning and present coherent explanations about complex tasks. However, due to such success, its becoming harder and harder to support these models with the computational resources required, thus leading to difficulty deploying them in restricted environments.An immediate challenge for researchers is lowering LLMs computational and memory needs without deteriorating performance. Mathematical reasoning poses a very big challenge as a task in maintaining the need for accuracy and logical consistency, without which many techniques may compromise those aims. Scaling models to realistic uses is severely affected by such limitations.Current approaches toward this challenge are pruning, knowledge distillation, and quantization. Quantization, the process of converting model weights and activations to low-bit formats, has indeed been promising to reduce memory consumption while improving computational efficiency. However, its impact on tasks requiring stepwise reasoning is poorly understood, especially in mathematical domains. Most existing methods cannot capture the nuances of the trade-offs between efficiency and reasoning fidelity.A group of researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Southern University of Science & Technology, Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, and The University of Hong Kong developed a systematic framework for the effects of quantization on mathematical reasoning. They used several techniques for quantization, such as GPTQ and SmoothQuant, to combine and evaluate the impact of both techniques on reasoning. The team focused on the MATH benchmark, which requires step-by-step problem-solving, and analyzed the performance degradation caused by these methods under varying levels of precision.The researchers used a methodology that involved training models with structured tokens and annotations. These included special markers to define reasoning steps, ensuring the model could retain intermediate steps even under quantization. To reduce architectural changes to the models while applying fine-tuning techniques similar to LoRA, this adapted approach balances the trade-off of efficiency and accuracy in the implementation and the quantized model. Hence, it provides logical consistency to the models. Similarly, the PRM800K datasets step-level correctness has been considered training data to enable a granular set of reasoning steps that the model would learn to reproduce.A thorough performance analysis unveiled critical deficiencies of the quantized models. Quantization heavily impacted computation-intensive tasks, with large performance degradations across different configurations. For example, the Llama-3.2-3B model lost accuracy, with scores falling from 5.62 in full precision to 3.88 with GPTQ quantization and 4.64 with SmoothQuant. The Llama-3.1-8B model had smaller performance losses, with scores falling from 15.30 in full precision to 11.56 with GPTQ and 13.56 with SmoothQuant. SmoothQuant showed the highest robustness of all methods tested, performing better than GPTQ and AWQ. The results highlighted some of the challenges in low-bit formats, particularly maintaining numerical computation precision and logical coherence.An in-depth error analysis categorized issues into computation errors, logical errors, and step omissions. Computation errors were the most frequent, often stemming from low-bit precision overflow, disrupting the accuracy of multi-step calculations. Step omissions were also prevalent, especially in models with reduced activation precision, which failed to retain intermediate reasoning steps. Interestingly, some quantized models outperformed their full-precision counterparts in specific reasoning tasks, highlighting the nuanced effects of quantization.The results of this study clearly illustrate the trade-offs between computational efficiency and reasoning accuracy in quantized LLMs. Although techniques such as SmoothQuant help mitigate some of the performance degradation, the challenges of maintaining high-fidelity reasoning remain significant. Researchers have provided valuable insights into optimizing LLMs for resource-constrained environments by introducing structured annotations and fine-tuning methods. These findings are pivotal for deploying LLMs in practical applications, offering a pathway to balance efficiency with reasoning capabilities.In summary, this study addresses the critical gap in understanding the effect of quantization on mathematical reasoning. The methodologies and frameworks proposed here indicate some of the inadequacies in the existing quantization techniques and provide actionable strategies to overcome them. These advances open pathways toward more efficient and capable AI systems, narrowing the gap between theoretical potential and real-world applicability.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Nikhil+ postsNikhil is an intern consultant at Marktechpost. He is pursuing an integrated dual degree in Materials at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Nikhil is an AI/ML enthusiast who is always researching applications in fields like biomaterials and biomedical science. With a strong background in Material Science, he is exploring new advancements and creating opportunities to contribute. [Recommended Read] Nebius AI Studio expands with vision models, new language models, embeddings and LoRA (Promoted)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will release the New Game Plus mode for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii as free downloadable content after facing controversy over charging for it in previous game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.RGG announced the New Game Plus mode during a Like a Dragon Direct today, January 9, though didn't say when the "post release patch" would arrive exactly. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii itself launches February 21.The studio faced backlash from fans in early 2024 when it revealed the New Game Plus mode for mainline entry Infinite Wealth would be locked behind the more expensive edition.The Yakuza Games In (Chronological) OrderIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii similarly has different editions but these just include digital extras such as new crew members and skins, while the most expensive version has some physical bonuses such as an eye patch and pirate flag.The game is a spin-off sequel to Infinite Wealth, the eighth mainline entry in the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series (or ninth including Yakuza 0). It follows Majima as he wakes up with amnesia and becomes a pirate, exploring the likes of Hawaii along the way.A trailer released at the October Xbox Partner Showcase revealed a proper first look at ship combat akin to Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and the return of the beloved character Taiga Saejima, perhaps teasing more ties to the main series than previously thought.It will also be a decent bit longer than previous Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, with its story taking around 15 to 18 hours to complete. Fans can also dress up Majima as longtime series protagonist Kiryu Kazuma, but only if they sign up for email notifications.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Transformers: Reactivate gameplay seems to have leaked following the announcement that the project was canceled yesterday.Footage of what appears to be the early-in-development Transformers third-person action game found its way to X/Twitter just hours after developer Splash Damage revealed it had made the decision to end development for the project. The video, shared online by X account @DpzLuna, features fan-favorite Autobot Bumblebee as he blasts away enemy robots both in and out of car form. His movement options include the ability to drive around a few different city-like environments and use short, rocket-powered dashes during gunfights.Texture-less roads, unfinished weapon effects, and more rough-around-the-edges elements suggest more work was needed on this version of the project, though it's unclear at what point in development the footage was captured. Theres also no telling whether the video were seeing today would have resulted in a cohesive package or which other Transformers players would have been able to control. Still, it seems some progress had been made on Transformers: Reactivate before it ultimately met its demise.Transformers: Reactivate was originally announced as a new video game entry in the long-running robot universe back at The Game Awards in 2022. Splash Damage pitched it to players as an online action game with a fresh, new story for PC and consoles, but updates on its progress have been few and far between since its initial reveal. Hope for any news came to a halt yesterday when the team said it would no longer continue working on its Transformers game as it refocused resources on other projects amid fears of potential layoffs."While not being able to see the game through to release is painful, having to say goodbye to friends and colleagues hurts even more, Splash Damage said at the time. We're now focused on doing everything we can to support them through this tough period, just as we are committed to caring for those who stay with us as we build a stronger Splash Damage for the future."Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Nintendo is teaming with Lego once again but not for a Super Mario, Animal Crossing, or Mario Kart set this time, but instead a Lego Game Boy.An incredibly brief teaser trailer was shared by Nintendo of America on X/Twitter, below, which showed a literal handful of bricks that make up the Game Boy including the iconic purple buttons and directional pad.The finished product therefore wasn't shown, but an October 2025 release window was shared. Nintendo and Lego will likely share full details on the model, such as its price, number of bricks, and actual design, closer to the time.Nintendo and Lego now have a long and presumably prosperous relationship having released myriad Nintendo Lego sets in partnership. This includes lines targeted at younger fans such as Lego sets based on Super Mario and Mario Kart, but also some more sophisticated models too.These include, for example, the Lego Pirhana Plant, a 16-bit Mario and Yoshi from Super Mario World, and a colossal Bowser. It recently released the first The Legend of Zelda set too with the $300 Great Deku Tree.The most similar product to this incoming Game Boy is, however, the Lego Nintendo Entertainment System. This arrived in 2024 as a replica of the classic games console and both Lego and Nintendo surely hope fans of it will buy the Lego Game Boy to go alongside.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

People light up when you ask them about their kitchen memories, says Grace Mitchell, designer (@astoriedstyle) and host of HGTVs design series One of a Kind. Theyll say, Oh, my grandma had this funky little sink or she had this cabinet that held all the candies and was painted yellow. So with every project, my first question is always, What do you want to be memorable to someone when they visit and see your kitchen? Its about creating the home that you want to be representative of your life. In every kitchen Grace designs, no surface, from floor to ceiling, and no detail, no matter how small, is overlooked as an opportunity to bring personality or tell a story. You want your kitchen to feel like a warm room that connects to the rest of your house. All the little pieces come together to make a kitchen that is unique and interesting. Here is Graces playbook for breaking the all-white rut: Head to the Salvage Yard Robert Peterson / Rustic White InteriorsHistoric meets modern in a shiny black, industrial-feeling refrigerator by Big Chill.On any given weekend, youll probably find Grace rummaging around at Fort Worths Old Home Supply or some other local salvage supplier. Repurposing vintage finds is a greatand green!way to have something in your kitchen that no one else has, says Grace. Sometimes that reuse can be more straightforward, such as retrofitting light fixtures for a new application or having an old sink reporcelained.Other times, it takes a little more creativity and elbow grease, as with this industrial-table-turned-island, which Grace had a hole cut in for the sink. Take a Chance on Color Robert Peterson / Rustic White InteriorsDont forget the backs of your glass-fronted cabinets. Grace usually mimics the backsplash.Life is too short to live in a white box, says Grace. I ask clients, When you where young, what crayon did you always pick first out of the Crayola box? If you loved cornflower blue then, youre going to love cornflower blue today... and tomorrow. Dont worry about hating it in 10 years. Enjoy your home now! To keep it balanced, Grace pairs bold cabinetry with quieter, primarily white, marble or quartzite countertops. If you opt to paint the cabinets yourself, load your sprayer (preferred over a brush for a smoother and more durable finish) with a satin finish cabinetry enamel.RELATED: 40+ Pretty Kitchen Paint Color Ideas for Your Next Room MakeoverAdd the JewelryJust like with fashion, the design details in a kitchen are as important as the foundation. Whether a midcentury starburst, an elongated pull, or a retro jadeite knob, the hardware helps make each space unique. Grace is also a big proponent of mixing, not matching, and often chooses different styles and finishes of pulls for the wall cabinets and the island. It gives that I found this piece of furniture and put it here type of collected feel like you have in other rooms of you house, she says. Bring the Outside InLisa PetroleGrace finds ways to incorporate one-of-a-kind conversation starters into each and every kitchen.A blue or green paint color brings a botanical element to the kitchen that I think is really romantic, says Grace.Some of Graces Favorite Blue and Green Paint Colors: Kittery Point GreenAcadia GreenBreakfast Room GreenBuxton BlueNewburyport Blue Install a Statement Backsplash Robert Peterson / Rustic White InteriorsA new window wouldnt have nearly the charm as this set rescued from a demolished home.While colored cabinetry usually warrants a white backsplash, white or muted cabinets mean its full speed ahead on a backsplash with splash. For Grace, no material is out of consideration. She's done backsplashes in everything from stamped stone (in her own kitchen) and mosaic tile to painted beadboard and DIY. For the kitchen above, she even used washi tape to tack up gardening-book botanicals on a painted wall, then covered the art with an acrylic panel. RELATED: 40 Pretty and Practical Kitchen Backsplash Ideas Say See Ya to Stainless Robert Peterson / Rustic White InteriorsWhy choose fingerprint-y stainless steel when colored appliances are so fun and memorable? asks Grace. You can build a whole interesting kitchen around a uniquely colored fridge or range. Big Chill and BlueStar are two of Graces favorite sources for bold appliances. In a kitchen with colorful cabinetry, she often chooses white (not stainless) appliances, which she favors for their vintage vibe, and if shes going for chic, shell opt for black appliances because it looks so rich and deep, she says.Turn Family Heirlooms Into ArtLisa PetroleSpecial collections and mementos add personal character to a kitchen. In the party pantry of an avid entertainer, Grace used serving utensils to create a unique wall display (artfully installed with a glue gun at 2 a.m.!). She paired it with another of her favorite tricks: a custom ceiling paper created from a commissioned drawing of said utensils. Shes done the same with love letters, childrens art, family photos, and even a menu from a familys first restaurant. For other projects, Grace has mounted mementos in clear acrylic trays and boxes from the crafts store and covered a fireplace surround with a collection of colorful vintage plates.Your kitchen needs to have at least one thing that is totally and uniquely you. Can the Can Lights Lisa PetroleMaximize storage (and eliminate a dust trap) by taking cabinetry all the way to the ceiling. Grace opts for a set of pretty flush or semi-flush mount ceiling lights and then two or three large-scale fixtures over the island. There is a really neat drama that you get from oversize island fixtures. If you think it might be too big, its probably perfect, she says. She also considers how the kitchen will be used day and night and adds task lightingsuch as a pendant over the sink, sconces mounted on the sides of cabinets, and LED strips inside glass cabinetsaccordingly. RELATED: 40+ Kitchen Lighting Ideas to Brighten Your Cook Space Dont Phone In the Vent Hood Lisa PertoleA salvaged airplane part (cut in half to fit) made the perfect vent hood for the kitchen of a pilot. Stainless vent hoods just feel so cold, says Grace. Instead, she approaches the hood as an opportunity to inject personality, usually with wood or tile. For the latter, shell have her cabinet installer build a wood box surround for the vent and orders a little extra of the backsplash tile to have carried across. (Be sure to order trim pieces for a finished look.) Grace also always has her eyes open for unique salvaged pieces she can repurpose, such as a scalloped copper piece (shown here) that she had cut to size.Rethink the SinkLisa PetroleAdd a touch of feminine flair with a vintage-inspired floral wallpaper (Suzanna by Lulie Wallace). I love a good white farmhouse sink, especially with pretty apron detailing, but I love a colored sink, says Grace. One of the first times we filmed the show, I said, I want to do this show so I can bring back the colored sink. For this vintage-feeling kitchen, Grace reporcelained a salvage sink in the perfect shade of jadeite, but you can also special order color finishes from manufacturers such as American Standard and Kohler. Another bygone favorite that Grace thinks should make a fast comeback: built-in drainboards. They are genius! she says. And what to pair with that sink? A charming bridge faucet, of course. Preferably in an unlacquered brass or polished nickel finish.Be Creative With Your StorageIm a big believer in only having things you loveand actually usein your kitchen, says Grace. Whether you want on display or tucked behind closed doors, adding design elements like statement shelves, glass-fronted cabinetry, and small-scale pantries help keep those things handy and organized. As well, having the things you love on display adds even more of your distinct personality to your kitchen.Small-Space PantrySliding doors make a narrow shelf pantry possible, even in a small space.Lisa PetroleRepurposed CabinetryRepurposed refrigerator doors are a fun twist on a glass-fronted cabinet. White tile lets glassware pop.Lisa PetroleOpen ShelvingHandsome metal shelving hangs on repurposed planed salvaged basketball court floor boards (the homeowners met on a court!).Lisa PetroleHardworking TableA work-bench-turned-chefs-table gives these bakers convenient access to baking supplies.Lisa PetroleMore Ideas for Your Kitchen Makeover:Jennifer KopfJennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.

OhSnap, a company behind many iPhone cases and MagSafe accessories, just unveiled MCON at CES 2025. Its a new slim MagSafe accessory that slaps on the back of your iPhone, then folds out to unveil a fully featured game controller, making it incredibly easy to play games on the go.The new OhSnap MCON comes in two colors: black and white. It has a button that spring launches the controller, though you can also fold it out manually. It features two fold out handles, allowing you to have a better grip on the controller. Plus, when youre not using it, it all folds onto the back of your iPhone with MagSafe and can slip into your pocket.The controller features full-sized hall-effect joysticks, and very tactile and clicky buttons. It connects via bluetooth, and has a 450mAh battery, which you can recharge via USB-C. This product is still fairly early, so they dont have an exact measurement on battery life though they do mention that the controller draws very little power.OhSnap aims to have this product on the market later this year, and itll be available for $149 once it hits retail. Its a little pricey, but its certainly one of a kind. You can check out their Kickstarter page for updates.You can also check out OhSnaps Snap 4 Luxe MagSafe grip at Best Buy. It makes MagSafe accessories stick to your iPhone far stronger.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apples best-selling Mac, the MacBook Air, is getting upgraded soonpossibly as the first Apple product launch of 2025. Here are four new features coming to the M4 MacBook Air when it arrives.Better battery lifeApples M4 chip has repeatedly shown that its improved efficiency comes with real-world gains for battery.We saw battery improvements on the M4 MacBook Pro, which gained two hours compared to the M3 model. Also, when the first M4 device shippedthe iPad Proit provided the same battery life as its predecessor despite a radically thinner design with less room for battery.Apple isnt giving the M4 MacBook Air a redesign, so all of the chips efficiency gains should be funneled into battery life improvements.16GB base RAM, maxing at 32GBApple did something surprising with its first M4 Macs: it gave them all 16GB of RAM standard. Perhaps even more surprising, it bumped the M2 and M3 MacBook Air models to 16GB base too. Call it the Apple Intelligence effect.The M4 MacBook Air will come with 16GB of base RAM too. But it should also bring an advantage thats new to MacBook Air: max RAM capacity of 32GB.32GB is the max available in Apples M4 MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Air with the same chip should offer a similar config. This will be a 33% increase from the 24GB max thats supported by current models.Expanded external display supportOne way Apple has typically differentiated the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is that each product supported different numbers of external displays.For a while, the MacBook Air could only run a single external display. This limitation pushed some users to the MacBook Pro even though they didnt need its other advantages.Last years M3 MacBook Air enabled running two displays at once, but only with the lid closed. Finally though, the M4 MacBook Air should enable what many users have wanted for a while: two external displays while still using the built-in display.To get a better idea of what to expect from the M4 MacBook Airs external display support, check out the display details for the M4 MacBook Pro.12MP Center Stage cameraLaptop cameras have traditionally not been Apples strong suit. But the company rolled out a new 12MP Center Stage camera to the M4 MacBook Proand the M4 iMac tooso its expected to come to the MacBook Air as well.Center Stage can follow your movements while youre on camera, giving you more flexibility on video calls. It also comes with Desk View, a key feature for streaming both your face and your desks surface at the same time.Bonus: Nano-texture option likelyFinally, Ill throw in a bonus fifth feature thats likely coming to the MacBook Air: a nano-texture display option.Apple launched nano-texture displays back in 2019 with the Pro Display XDR, but theyre finally having a real moment just now. In the past year, the M4 iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and iMac have all offered a nano-texture option. Expect to see the same from the MacBook Air.M4 MacBook Air features: wrap-upDespite the lack of a redesign, Apples M4 MacBook Air should boast some solid new features that make it a worthy successor to last years M3 model. And I havent even mentioned the specific advantages of the M4 processor itself, which will bring gains to the MacBook Airs CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine.Which M4 MacBook Air features are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.Best Mac accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Benjamin and Chance talk about the current ongoing controversies with Apple Intelligence notification summaries and the reaction to the settlement of the Siri privacy lawsuit, and how Apple is managing the negative PR. LG announces a new 6K display, but does it actually exist? And Benjamin is thrilled to hear that Apple News+ Puzzles may finally be coming to the UK.And in Happy Hour Plus, we appreciate the seamless integration of iPhone, AirPods and Watch in the current cold winter months. Subscribe at9to5mac.com/join.Sponsored by Oracle: Learn how to cut your cloud bill in half atoracle.com/HAPPYHOUR.HostsChance Miller Benjamin MayoSubscribe, Rate, and Review9to5Mac Happy Hour PlusSubscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:Ad-free versions of every episodePre- and post-show contentBonus episodesJoin for $5 per month or $50 a year at9to5mac.com/join.Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or ThreadsEmail us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com LinksAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel