We explore the visual heritage of the visceral Alien cosmos and its development over the franchises history

The 13-inch and 15-inch laptops are faster and, with the lower starting price of $999, more affordable. Need a desktop? Apple has also refreshed the Mac Studio.

This projector has remarkable picture quality, but few features beyond gaming performance.

MacworldApple has begun legal action to resist a secret demand by the U.K. government for access to iPhone users data. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reports that the company has made an appeal to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, seeking (likely on grounds of U.S. national security) to have the order quashed.The tribunal is connected to but independent from the British Home Office and investigates complaints about intelligence services, law enforcement agencies, and public authorities. It will consider whether the demand, which was based on the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, was lawful. This will be the first time a court has tested the governments powers to break encryption under the act, so it could have far-reaching consequences.In January the office of the Home Secretary issued a technical capability notice (TCN) instructing Apple to create a back door allowing them to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud, according to a report last month by the Washington Post. This report was based on whistleblower tips, as it would be illegal for Apple even to acknowledge that it had received a TCN.While the British government also hasnt admitted that the TCN exists, security minister Dan Jarvis commented obliquely that privacy is only impacted on an exceptional basis, in relation to the most serious crimes and only when it is necessary and proportionate to do so. Yet the powers sought are wide-ranging and potentially dangerous. Any data stored in the cloud by Apple users would need to be accessible not only by the company itself but by the U.K. government and very likely by outside agencies and criminals in the event of a leak.Apple currently has access to some cloud-based user data and has supplied that data in the past when required to do so by a legitimate order from law enforcement. But under the reported terms of the TCN, the U.K. seeks unfettered access to all the encrypted data currently accessible by Apple, even if a user has activated the Advanced Data Protection feature.Apples first response was to disable ADP on iPhones in the U.K., at least for new users. There was no mention of the TCN in the announcement of this move, of course, but Apple took the opportunity to comment that, as we have said many times before, we have never built a back door or master key to any of our products or services and we never will.This is all a big privacy concern for the U.K. and one that will almost certainly apply to users worldwide. In our coverage, my colleague Jason Cross described the order as comically authoritarian and warned that it would instantly compromise the security of over two billion Apple users. U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, who said she had not been informed in advance about the TCN, described it as an egregious violation of citizens right to privacy. President Donald Trump is unhappy as well, calling the order something you only hear from China.How all this plays out remains to be seen, but the new legal challenge is one possible way Apple could avoid the requirements of the TCN. The case, the FT says, could be heard by the tribunal this month, although it is unknown whether the process or decision will be publicly disclosed.

Intel is creating a digital audit trail in its chip supply chain for customers to trace how a chip traveled through the development process before reaching a PC.The Assured Supply Chain program, which was announced on Wednesday, tracks and records the development of a chip through Intels production and distribution chain, which customers can then verify digitally.It encompasses every step in the silicon manufacturing process fabrication, die preparation, assembly, testing, manufacturing and warehousing, said Jennifer Larson, general manager of commercial client segments at Intels Client Computing Group.Chips are typically manufactured in one location and then rerouted to other sites for testing and packaging until they ship out to a PC maker. The program will track the movement of chips through sites in the US, Ireland, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam, Larson said.This is positioned for government, highly regulated industry, and enterprise customers who really desire transparency in the silicon manufacturing supply chain, Larson said.The first chips certified as part of the Assured Supply Chain program will be Ultra Series 2-powered systems which are better known under the code-name Arrow Lake that will ship in the second half of 2025. The chips, some of which have integrated system management tools called vPro, are targeted at commercial customers.A verification mechanism will feature a screen that will list out the name of the CPU, and a list of the countries that reflects the manufacture flow, a spokesman said.The sites listed in the verification tool arent limited to Intels fabs alone. Arrow Lake chips are being fabricated by rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and the verification tool will also list Taiwan-based TSMC fabs.The program complements the Intel Transparent Supply chain, in which a certificate is delivered at the time of manufacturing to show the location and process. The Assured Supply Chain program is different in that it follows a predetermined pathway, in which manufacturing, assembly and testing sites are determined before the chip is made. The chip then follows that trail.Intel didnt share whether the chips were tracked and digitally stamped at each location.In todays world, the country in which a chip is manufactured matters when it comes to meeting security and compliance standards, said Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.Its a way to say these chips are not made in China, they are made in the US, and made very carefully, Kay said.Intel previously made its own chips, so provenance wasnt a concern. The company is now a manufacturing-first company that is welcoming third parties but has struggled to find customers due to yield issues, Kay said.The ASC program could be a way to certify that the manufacturing sites are meeting certain engineering standards, Kay said.This is about quality control and Intel trying to sell its fab to customers this is a good way to do it, Kay said.

This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.AI reasoning models can cheat to win chess gamesThe news: Facing defeat in chess, the latest generation of AI reasoning models sometimes cheat without being instructed to do so. The finding suggests that the next wave of AI models could be more likely to seek out deceptive ways of doing whatever theyve been asked to do. And worst of all? Theres no simple way to fix it.How they did it: Researchers from the AI research organization Palisade Research instructed seven large language models to play hundreds of games of chess against Stockfish, a powerful open-source chess engine. The research suggests that the more sophisticated the AI model, the more likely it is to spontaneously try to hack the game in an attempt to beat its opponent. Older models would do this kind of thing only after explicit nudging from the team. Read the full story.Rhiannon WilliamsMIT Technology Review Narrated: AI search could break the webAt its best, AI search can infer a users intent, amplify quality content, and synthesize information from diverse sources. But if AI search becomes our primary portal to the web, it threatens to disrupt an already precarious digital economy.Today, the production of content online depends on a fragile set of incentives tied to virtual foot traffic: ads, subscriptions, donations, sales, or brand exposure. By shielding the web behind an all-knowing chatbot, AI search could deprive creators of the visits and eyeballs they need to survive.This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, whichwere publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as its released.Join us to discuss disruption in the AI model marketJoin MIT Technology Reviews AI writers as they discuss the latest upheaval in the AI marketplace. Editor in chief Mat Honan will be joined by Will Douglas Heaven, our senior AI editor, and James ODonnell, our AI and hardware reporter, to dive into how new developments in AI model development are reshaping competition, raising questions for investors, challenging industry assumptions, and accelerating timelines for AI adoption and innovation. Make sure you register hereit kicks off at 12.30pm ET today.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 A judge has denied Elon Musks attempt to halt OpenAIs for-profit plansBut other aspects of the lawsuit have been permitted to proceed. (CNBC)+ The court will fast-track a trial later this year. (FT $)2 ChatGPT isnt going to dethrone GoogleAt least not any time soon. (Insider $)+ AI means the end of internet search as weve known it. (MIT Technology Review)3 Beijing is going all in on AIChina is treating the technology as key to boosting its economyand lessening its reliance on overseas trade. (WSJ $)+ DeepSeek is, naturally, the jewel in its crown. (Reuters)+ Four Chinese AI startups to watch beyond DeepSeek. (MIT Technology Review)4 A pair of reinforcement learning pioneers have won the Turing AwardAndrew Barto and Richard Suttons technique underpins todays chatbots. (Axios)+ The former professor and student wrote the literal book on reinforcement learning. (NYT $)+ The pair will share a million dollar prize. (New Scientist $)5 US apps are being used to groom and exploit minors in ColombiaBetter internet service is making it easier for sex traffickers to find and sell young girls. (Bloomberg $)+ An AI companion site is hosting sexually charged conversations with underage celebrity bots. (MIT Technology Review)6 Europe is on high alert following undersea cable attacksIts unclear whether improving Russian-American relations will help. (The Guardian)+ These stunning images trace ships routes as they move. (MIT Technology Review)7 Jeff Bezos is cracking the whip at Blue OriginHes implementing a tougher, Amazon-like approach to catch up with rival SpaceX. (FT $)8 All hail the return of DiggThe news aggregator is staging a comeback, over a decade after it was split into parts. (Inc)+ Its been acquired by its original founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. (TechCrunch)+ Digg wants to resurrect the community-first social platform. (The Verge)+ How to fix the internet. (MIT Technology Review)9 Were still learning about how memory works Greater understanding could pave the way to better treatments for anxiety and chronic pain. (Knowable Magazine)+ A memory prosthesis could restore memory in people with damaged brains. (MIT Technology Review)10 AI cant replace your personalityDespite what Big Tech seems to be peddling. (NY Mag $)Quote of the dayThat is just a lot of money [to invest] on a handshake.US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers questions why Elon Musk invested tens of millions of dollars in OpenAI without a written contract, Associated Press reports.The big storyPeople are worried that AI will take everyones jobs. Weve been here before.January 2024It was 1938, and the pain of the Great Depression was still very real. Unemployment in the US was around 20%. New machinery was transforming factories and farms, and everyone was worried about jobs.Were the impressive technological achievements that were making life easier for many also destroying jobs and wreaking havoc on the economy? To make sense of it all, Karl T. Compton, the president of MIT from 1930 to 1948 and one of the leading scientists of the day, wrote in the December 1938 issue of this publication about the Bogey of Technological Unemployment.His essay concisely framed the debate over jobs and technical progress in a way that remains relevant, especially given todays fears over the impact of artificial intelligence. Its a worthwhile reminder that worries over the future of jobs are not new and are best addressed by applying an understanding of economics, rather than conjuring up genies and monsters. Read the full story.David RotmanWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ Congratulations are in order for LeBron James, the first NBA player to break an astounding 50,000 combined points.+ RIP millennial culture, we hardly knew ye.+ Its time to start prepping for the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse later this month.+ Ancient frogs were surprisingly ruthless when they had to be

Apple announced the new MacBook Air, featuring the M4 chip, up to 18 hours of battery life, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and a lower starting price.

Apple today announced the new Mac Studio, the most powerful Mac ever made, featuring M4 Max and the new M3 Ultra chip.

Apple's update to the Mac Studio has arrived, bringing with it the performance of the M4 Max as well as the new M3 Ultra chip to provide desktop Mac users even more processing power.M4 Mac Studio - Image Credit: AppleThe Mac Studio was last updated in 2023 with an M2 chip upgrade, securing the desktop Mac's position as the one to get if you care about performance, but not enough to get a Mac Pro. A few years later, and Apple's finally refreshed it.The 2025 Mac Studio is Apple's typical spec-bump update, with the changes largely being internal instead of externally-visible alterations. The design remains the same as the previous model, one that was good enough for the Mac mini to steal for itself. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple has updated the MacBook Air line with a new lower starting price, plus the 13-inch and 15-inch models given a bump in performance thanks to the inclusion of the M4 chip.New blue color in M4 MacBook Air, photo credit AppleArriving after many rumors of an update, the New MacBook Air is largely a spec-bump update for the well-established notebook line. In its early 2025 refresh, Apple has given its entry-level notebook range a bit more performance to work with."MacBook Air is by far the world's most popular laptop, and today we're giving everyone even more reasons to love it," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing in a statement, "including a big boost in performance with the M4 chip, a new Center Stage camera, and a beautiful new sky blue color." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums