Apple

Farmers catch the snails from their paddies. — Photo nhandan.com.vn Viet Nam News QUẢNG TRỊ — Farmers in central Quảng Trị Province is struggling to cultivate rice in the summer-autumn crop season due to the outbreak of apple snails, an invasive species that attacks rice plants. A report by authorities in the province’s Cam Lộ District said apple snails have eaten newly-sowed rice in 50 hectares of the district. Farmers in Cam Lộ, a week ago, discovered their rice plants had been eaten. They later found many apple snails in the paddies, with hundreds of snails per one square metre. Some farmers did their re-sowing, but the plants continued to be eaten. The farmers are waiting for support from the local authorities to stop the outbreak of the snail attacks. They made several efforts, including chemical spraying, but failed to kill the snails. Experts said the high frequency of rains this summer reduced the time for the soil to dry, before cultivation, and this … [Read more...] about Apple snails attack rice crop in Quảng Trị

Apple on Friday announced the discontinuation of the full-size HomePod , saying it plans to focus on production and development of the HomePod mini. Apple informed TechCrunch of the product's end of life in a statement today. HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple will provide HomePod customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care. The company plans to sell remaining HomePod units until stock is depleted, though Apple's online storefront is already sold out of Space Gray models. Support will also continue until the product is declared obsolete. Announced at WWDC 2017, HomePod was Apple's … [Read more...] about Apple discontinues full-size HomePod, to focus on HomePod mini

This week's markdowns see the 44mm Apple Watch SE on sale for $269.99, a $40 discount on the new model. Apple's iPad Air 4 is also back down to $559, while the iMac 4K drops to $1,379 ($120 off). Apple accessories also get steeper price cuts as we near the weekend. Latest Amazon offers on Apple The latest Apple discounts on Amazon include deals on AirPods and MacBook discounts , but three offers that stand out include $40 savings on the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE and the 64GB iPad Air 4 (Wi-Fi) in Sky Blue , plus a new $120 price drop on the iMac 4K (also available at B&H Photo ). These promotions offer shoppers the lowest Apple prices , according to our Price Guide. And with inventory constraints still affecting the Apple space, it's best to order now to secure your place in line. At press time, the 44mm Apple Watch SE (GPS) is in stock in Space Gray Aluminum with a Black Sport Band, while the Sky Blue iPad Air 4 is expected to ship by Jan. 20. … [Read more...] about Apple Deals on Amazon: 44mm Apple Watch SE $269; iPad Air 4 $559; $120 off iMac; accessory sale

Feature For the first time since March 2020 all 270 Apple Stores in the US are now open in some capacity. AppleInsider has visited a few stores in the last few weeks, and the experience is radically different than what it was a year ago, or even when the stores reopened for the first time. Over the past year, my local Apple Store found in the Westfield Brandon Town Center mall has remained open save for only a few sporadic weeks. While I haven't had much need to visit in-person over the past year, two faulty MacBooks finally required me to make a Genius Bar appointment and bring them in for repair. Users looking to make any kind of Genius Bar appointment should plan far ahead as the earliest appointments for this location were at least one week out. If you attempt to show up in-person without an appointment, don't expect support. You may be able to wait several hours for a personal shopping experience, but Genius support won't be available. Visitors … [Read more...] about Returning to the Apple Store – the new normal

Apple this week posted repairability scores for flagship iPhone and Mac products in France, a measure mandated by the country's government in January. The listings, known as repair indexes, are now displayed on official Apple Store app purchase pages and on Apple's website, reports MacGeneration . Current-generation flagship devices including the iPhone 12 , iPhone 11 and iPhone SE series, as well as MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, carry the informational mark designed to offer insight into a product's life cycle. Separately, Apple has posted a dedicated webpage on its French website with links to detailed repair index reports covering documentation; disassembly, access and tools; parts availability; parts pricing; and software and services support. Indexes are self-reported and assigned based on cumulative scores in a range of sub-categories. All models in the current iPhone 12 series were assigned a score of 6 out of 10. The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro … [Read more...] about Apple now displays iPhone and Mac repairability scores in France

Apple on Wednesday clarified its stance on future integration of Intel's Thunderbolt protocol, saying Macs powered by custom-designed Apple silicon ARM chips will continue to support the connectivity technology. The tech giant in a statement to AppleInsider said Apple silicon Macs will support Thunderbolt's latest specifications. Thunderbolt's future on Mac was in question as Apple is in the beginning stages of transitioning away from Intel's x86 architecture in favor of its own ARM designs. "Over a decade ago, Apple partnered with Intel to design and develop Thunderbolt, and today our customers enjoy the speed and flexibility it brings to every Mac," the company said. "We remain committed to the future of Thunderbolt and will support it in Macs with Apple silicon." Apple's promise to continue support for the specification arrives hours after Intel detailed the forthcoming Thunderbolt 4 standard in a press release. While the updated protocol retains the 40Gb/s data … [Read more...] about Apple silicon Macs to support Thunderbolt despite shift to ARM

Intel on Wednesday announced new details about its upcoming Thunderbolt 4 standard, though compatibility with Apple silicon Macs remains to be seen. The Thunderbolt 4 standard will be backward compatible with previous Intel ports and cables, and will also be cross-compatible with USB4 . Compared to Thunderbolt 3 , it'll offer a number of tangible benefits to consumers while retaining the USB-C connector type. For example, it'll allow for universal cables up to two meters long without needing to resort to active cables that leave out older USB standards. Thunderbolt 4 will also support accessories, such as docks, with up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports . The standard will double the minimum video and data requirements of Thunderbolt 3. Other features include the ability to wake up a computer from sleep by touching a peripheral connected to a Thunderbolt dock, and protection against physical DMA attacks . Thunderbolt 4 will debut on Intel's Tiger Lake … [Read more...] about Intel details Thunderbolt 4 spec, but ‘Apple silicon’ support is unclear [u]

Apple Senior Vice President of Operations Sabih Khan has outlined how the company plans to ensure health and safety across its global supply chain amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The new safety guidelines were revealed on Thursday in Apple's annual Supplier Responsibility Progress report . It opens with a public letter from Khan that thanks supply chain partners across the globe, as well as details how the company is ensuring protections for workers at factories and plants during the coronavirus crisis . Khan said the 2020 report is a "look back" on past sustainability and safety efforts, but also includes some of the actions that Apple is taking to "address COVID-19's unprecedented challenges." "From the outset, we worked with our suppliers to develop and execute a plan that puts the health of people first," Khan wrote. "Thousands of Apple employees have worked tirelessly to execute that plan in partnership with our suppliers around the world." Some of the actions … [Read more...] about Apple operations chief details supply chain COVID-19 response plans

Feature Apple has decisively transitioned its new MacBook Pros to use the slim, unidirectional new USB-C port first introduced on the Retina MacBook a year and a half ago. Its latest MacBook Pro machines not only supply more connectors, but also support the enhanced new USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3 protocols for blazing fast wired connectivity and high resolution displays. Flex your power Like the Retina MacBook, the new MacBook Pro models no longer use MagSafe, Apple's quick release magnetic plug for delivering power. Power is now delivered via USB-C, which fits snuggly enough to pull your laptop off the edge of a table if something inadvertently tugs the cable hard enough. While many are weeping over the death of their beloved MagSafe, I've always been of the opinion that the connector was simply a proprietary effort by Apple to monopolize the resale market for charging adapters. The one-piece design of MagSafe adapters also meant that MacBook … [Read more...] about Everything you need to know about USB-C & Thunderbolt 3 on Apple’s new MacBook Pro

Amazon has issued price cuts on the Apple Watch SE , knocking $20 off the budget-friendly devices and delivering the year's cheapest prices. The $259 Apple Watch SE is available on the 40mm model with GPS functionality in your choice of a Space Gray Aluminum Case or a Silver Aluminum Case . At press time, both color options are in stock and ready to ship with free expedited delivery for Prime members. Also discounted by $20 is the Cellular version , this time with a Gold Aluminum Case with a Pink Sand Sport Band or a Space Gray Aluminum Case with Apple's Charcoal Sport Loop Band . Cellular units are on backorder with expected availability later this month, but you can still secure your spot in line now at the discounted price. There are plenty of additional Apple Watch deals available, including discounts on Series 6 models. It's worth paying a visit to the AppleInsider Apple Watch Price Guide for up-to-date pricing and availability. Additional … [Read more...] about Apple Watch SE returns to $259, cellular $309 in today’s Amazon deals