DigiTech Geeks

MacBook Air (M2, 2022) could be up for pre-order in a week – but how long will stock last? Apple’s redesigned MacBook Air with the M2 chip, which was recently revealed at WWDC 2022 and has been keenly awaited since, will supposedly go on sale come July 15. That’s the word from MacRumors , which cited a retail source for this fresh info on the release schedule for the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) . As ever, we can’t treat this as anything concrete, but MacRumors is one of the more trustworthy Apple-focused sites out there, and the date does fit with what we’ve heard previously – namely that the new MacBook Air will arrive at some point in July. Assuming the July 15 date is on the money, pre-orders will presumably go live somewhat before that date. July 8 is the pre-order date MacRumors is expecting (and a week beforehand makes sense, of course). If you’re thinking about grabbing yourself a shiny new M2 -powered MacBook Air, then we’ve got a dedicated page linking through to all the ma

Amazon's new cheap tablet is out now - and it's the Kindle I never knew I needed After a mid-May announcement, the newest Amazon Fire 7 is finally available to buy - this is the follow-up to the Fire 7 (2019) , and the newest generational version of the company's cheapest slate. This new cheap tablet has more RAM, a longer-lasting battery and finally a USB-C port for faster charging over its predecessor, though the range's core feature - the 7-inch 1024 x 600 screen - hasn't seen any changes. Here's how much the slate costs in your region: You can spend more to increase the storage from 32GB to 64GB, and also to remove the built-in software ads, but we don't find them intrusive enough to be an issue. Saying that, you don't need to make your ads decision straight away, as you can pay at any time to have them removed. The price hike might make the tablet a hard sell given the limited changes over the 2019 model, but Amazon Prime Day on July 12 and

Apple's next iPad Pro could be a tempting MacBook Pro alternative The new iPad Pro (2022) was always going to be an expensive tablet - the 'Pro' tells us that - and r umors of an M2 chipset and MagSafe compatibility don't look like they'll help that price tag. However, leaks now suggest we don't need to fear a price increase: leaker LeaksApplePro, writing for iDropNews , has provided some prices that we can expect for the next iPad Pro range, and they're lower than we expected. Apparently, the 11-inch version will cost $799 for its 128GB storage and 5G-enabled version, while the 12.9-inch version will cost $1,099 for that same configuration. Those prices are surprisingly much cheaper than what the predecessors cost - the iPad Pro 11 (2021) went for $999 for those same options, while the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) was $1,299. Now, that price discrepancy could indicate that there's been an error on the leaker's part - maybe the information they saw

Apple rumored to be making M3 already, and it’ll be in Macs next year Apple is already making an M3 chip, despite the M2 still very much being new on the silicon block, according to a fresh rumor. Given that this is a rather surprisingly early time to be hearing about the M3, stay skeptical around this one, although that said, it does come from one of the more reliable Apple leakers out there; Mark Gurman. In Gurman’s latest newsletter (published on Bloomberg ) he mentions that Apple is working on the M3, which should theoretically be finished and inside Macs as soon as next year. Seemingly, the M3 is destined to be the engine of a refreshed MacBook Air 13-inch, as well as a MacBook Air 15-inch, along with a new all-in-one iMac (he doesn’t specify what size model), all of which are purportedly scheduled for launch in 2023. There’s mention of a 12-inch MacBook, too ( also recently rumored, as you may recall ), but it’s much more tentative as the portable is still supposedly very

Should you pick up a Prime Day Kindle deal, or wait even longer to buy an ereader? Now that Amazon Prime Day is getting close, you might be wondering whether you should pick up those gadgets you've had in your sights now, or hold on a little longer until the online retailer's discount days kick off on July 12. A popular gadget that we see discounted all the time is the Amazon Kindle line of ereaders, and that device is likely be a top pick this Prime Day, too; Amazon is always quick to discount its own products for Prime Day. In fact, if you're looking to buy a new Kindle ereader, we'd always recommend that you wait for the sales – they take place frequently enough to not have to buy at full price. So should a new Kindle ereader be on your Prime Day list of gadgets to buy? Well, that really depends on which model of Kindle you want – basic, Paperwhite or Oasis. We'll run you through the three different types and let you know what your plan of action should be

This Apple patent suggests new MacBook Pro designs could be pretty wild Apple has redesigned its MacBook Pro series several times since its original release, but recent patents submitted by the tech giant could indicate where the future of the fan-favorite workstation laptop is heading. As reported by Apple Insider , this latest batch of patents contain designs for a MacBook Pro that you can wirelessly charge your iPhone on, as well as an innovative ‘extended touchbar’ that reaches around either side of the keyboard .  Older patents are also referenced in which Apple discusses altering the entire surface of a MacBook so that it can be used not only to prevent a build-up of dust and debris, but also discusses using the space as an additional touch-control function, allowing users to essentially control the entire surface. "The proposals described herein are generally directed to electronic devices having an enclosure formed at least partially from a transparent, dielectric m

Custom MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 laptops delayed for months If you’re keen on getting the new MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) , Apple’s first laptop with its M2 chip , you may have a wait on your hands, as it looks like some models won’t ship until August. As Mac Rumors reports , the shipping delays are hitting custom configurations of the new MacBook Pro 13-inch, so if you configure it to come with 24GB of memory, you’re currently looking at a delivery in the US from between August 3 to August 10. If you buy the set configurations from Apple, however, you should be able to get it pretty swiftly, with delivery starting on June 24, which is the official launch day of the new laptop. It’s the same story in the UK, where the base models are available on June 24. However, configuring the memory to 16GB sees the delivery date slip to July 4 – July 6, and upping it to 24GB moves the delivery estimate to August 2 – August 9. Changing the amount of storage can also impact the delivery date.

I've just started using the newest iPad Pro and it's not the upgrade I'd hoped for I've been using the iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) for years now, and it's served me well; but recently, I was given the opportunity to upgrade to the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) . Naturally, I leaped at the chance. My 2018 was a faithful device, but it had a few flaws that made it increasingly less reliable as a gaming and working tool. It would get way too hot when I played games; the Keyboard Folio would only register a keyboard press about once every 20 depressions; and the battery life had become abysmal. I needed a change. I was hoping the iPad Pro 2021 would be this change, allowing me to play more than 10 minutes of XCOM 2 without catching fire, or work in a coffee shop without the battery dying on me on my way in. But, I was wrong. It's new...? While pulling the new iPad Pro out of the box, I was surprised by its heaviness. It only weighs 50g more, but what a difference those extra

A heatwave could affect your GPU and CPU - here's what you can do Love it or hate it, we have a divisive opinion when faced with sweltering heat, but the components inside our computers and laptops are decidedly not as sun-loving as the folks that use them. Processors and graphics cards are especially sensitive to heat, which is why cooling them on a regular day is important – not just when the weather starts to feel like we’re ready for a BBQ. Most will come with some form of cooling solution depending on how premium the product is, with CPUs typically being shipped alongside a stock fan cooler and GPUs having a radiator and fan built directly into the card itself.  Even more luxurious water-cooling blocks and AIO cooling systems can require a fan and radiator to pull fan-cooled water over the hot surface, and case fans are essential for making sure other components such as your storage and memory also get some help with managing temperatures – but if cool air is needed, wha

Your next Chromebook might know when you're sitting in front of it Body detection security features may be coming to a Chromebook near you. A recently discovered page on the Chromium Gerrit website reveals that body detection features are being worked on for a Chromebook laptop with the code name, “Crota”. Gerrit is a collaboration tool for software developers to come in and review each other’s work, and in this case, Google’s Chromium projects.  Google has expressed interest in the past with “integrated sensor technologies for more personalized experiences” and body detection could be the fruits of that labor. Not much is known about how Google plans for implementing this security feature or how robust it will be. We did contact Google to see if it would like to make a comment about this project or provide information about it, and will update this post if it responds. However, we can look at other examples of body detection and paint a picture of what Google might be doin

Intel is about to unleash first Arc desktop GPU – but you won’t be able to buy one Intel has officially announced the availability of its first Arc desktop GPU , but the catch – as we already knew – is that it’s only going to be sold in China initially, appearing in prebuilt PCs to begin with from later this month. Team Blue is kicking off with the Intel Arc A380 GPU, an entry-level model which comes equipped with 8 Xe Cores, a base clock of 2GHz, 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM (with a 96-bit memory bus), and a 75W TDP. As a wallet-friendly desktop graphics card the A380 comes with a recommended price tag of 1030 yuan over in China, and that’s equivalent to around $150 / £130 / AU$220 (remember that direct currency conversions aren’t always that useful in terms of ascertaining card pricing in other regions, though). Intel compares the A380 to the RX 6400 in its launch press release, as VideoCardz spotted, and claims that its budget graphics card is up to 25% better than the AMD GPU for perf

New iPad (2022) could come with a key feature that the iPhone 14 won't While the new iPad (2022) has been one of Apple's least-leaked products of the year, we've finally started hearing details about the upcoming entry-level tablet - and it already sounds better in one key way than the iPhone 14 that it's expected to debut alongside. Apple fan site 9to5Mac has received some information about the upcoming iPad, apparently from the same source that correctly provided iPad Air 5 information, though as with all leaks take this with a pinch of salt. Apparently, the upcoming iPad will have a USB-C port, making it the final iPad line to use this standard plug since the iPad Pro devices were the first to make the jump in 2018. Existing entry-level iPads use the Lightning port, a proprietary Apple tech that iPhones also use (and are expected to use for this year's models too). Thanks to EU regulations, Apple is having to move its smartphones over to USB-C in the nex

Good news! Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 will ship sooner than expected Apple’s refreshed MacBook Pro 13-inch with the M2 chip, which was announced at  WWDC 2022 , will ship more quickly than we were initially told. Apple initially said that the MacBook Pro 13-inch 2022 would ship in July, but the company has just let us know that it is in fact set to ship in June. Punters will be able to pre-order the M2-toting MacBook Pro 13-inch worldwide from June 17, which is this Friday, with the devices arriving with customers from June 24 onwards. Apple also reminded us that the new MacBook Pro for 2022 will be available on the Apple Store website and app, and from authorized resellers. The main difference with this refreshed MacBook Pro is the inclusion of that M2 chip , which is an 8-core CPU (4 performance plus 4 efficiency cores), alongside a 10-core GPU. Apple claims that the M2 is 18% faster than the M1, and offers seriously impressive battery life at 20 hours of video playback (tw

Dell’s adds Alder Lake CPU to XPS 13, but ditches the earphone jack Dell has launched a revised XPS 13 and revealed an upcoming convertible tablet, both powered by Intel’s newest 12th Alder Lake processors . The new XPS 13 is on sale right now starting at $999 on Dell’s website in the US and Canada with a Developer Edition on the way. The difference between the two is that the base XPS 13 runs on Windows 11 (Home or Pro) while the Developer Edition has Ubuntu 20.04. Dell states the Developer Edition is also on sale, but it currently can’t be found on the company website. Lightweight power Availability issues aside, one of the notable aspects of the XPS 13 is its size. It’s 0.55-inches thick with a starting weight of 2.59 pounds. Dell claims it had to create a new type of motherboard, the smallest it's ever made, in order to fit inside the thinner XPS 13. But this size comes at a pretty substantial cost: The XPS 13 only has two Thunderbolt 4 ports for power and outputting vi

Apple makes a game-changing accessibility move – literally, for iOS games Apple has taken a big step forward in terms of making gaming more accessible, having just released an open source plug-in for the Unity game engine that allows developers to tap into the assistive features of iOS . As introduced by Eric Liang, an Apple software engineer, in a video from the recent WWDC 2022 conference – hat tip to 'Can I Play That?' for spotting this one – the Apple Accessibility plug-in comes with all sorts of neat tricks for making games far more inclusive. For starters, there’s the ability to incorporate VoiceOver, the screen reader tool in iOS, with games, allowing for on-screen text to be read out for the benefit of blind or low vision players, and also enabling custom gestures for game controls. Support is also present for Switch Control, so multiple external switches can be used for in-game controls. Then there’s Dynamic Type Support, which gives developers the ability to c

Intel’s high-end laptop GPU benchmarks are starting to worry us Intel’s Arc A730M has popped up in some early reviews over in China – tentative material given the sources, and we’ll come back to that point – but this time one of the testers of the Alchemist GPU has used the latest driver which does officially support the A730M. That driver was introduced yesterday (version 30.0.101.1735) carrying said support, and as laptops are now on sale with the A730M inside – but only in China – this is our first proper glimpse of the potential performance of Intel’s laptop graphics card which nestles just beneath the flagship A770M. The situation is that two sources (flagged up by VideoCardz ) have benchmarked a Machenike gaming laptop now on shelves in China, which has the A730M GPU inside. The first set of results come from ‘Golden Pig Upgrade’, a Weibo denizen who brought us a previous leak as we reported yesterday – but has now installed the latest Intel driver for this latest round o

Apple's M2 iPad Pro line-up could feature its biggest tablet ever Would you buy the new iPad Pro if it were bigger than your MacBook Air ? It sounds like Apple is hoping so, because the tech company is said to be working on a massive 14.1-inch tablet. This comes from an Apple leaker called Majin Bu (via iMore ) - they have a mixed track record with some incorrect leaks, so take this with a pinch of salt, but what they say has been reported by other sources in the past. According to Bu, the next iPad Pro line-up will include an 11-inch and 12.9-inch option like before, but will also have a 14.1-inch option which would dwarf nearly every other tablet on the market (aside from the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra ). According to my resource, Apple is developing a new 14.1-inch iPad M2 with 512GB and 16GB of base memory. The new M2 line is expected to include a new 11-inch model with no major changes, a new 12.9 model with reduced bezels and this new 14.1 iPad #Apple #AppleRumor Ju

Intel Arc A730M leaks give hope with one hand, and take with the other Intel’s second-fastest Arc Alchemist GPU for laptops has witnessed some leaked benchmarks, and they’re a mixed bag of results – though we should be very cautious around interpreting them. There are two sets of benchmarks that come from a Weibo user – purportedly for both real-world gaming performance , and synthetic tests – as flagged up by HXL on Twitter (and spotted by Tom’s Hardware and VideoCardz ). The denizen of Chinese social media platform Weibo, who goes by the name ‘Golden Pig Upgrade’, has apparently purchased a Machenike gaming laptop (which have very recently become available, but only in China) with an Intel Arc A730M and Core i7-12700H (Alder Lake) processor. As mentioned, the A730M is part of the top-of-the-range A7 family, but is the second best offering next to the flagship A770M – these GPUs have 24 and 32 Xe-cores respectively. Let’s look at the synthetic testing first, which saw the A7