Latest news with #iMacs
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Apple adds infamous device to vintage list, marking end of controversial era
Apple has officially designated its 2013 Mac Pro, dubbed the "Trash Can" for its cylindrical design, as a vintage product, closing the chapter on one of the company's most divisive hardware experiments. The update, published on July 11, marks more than a decade since the machine first launched and more than five years since it was last sold. Also added to Apple's vintage list this month are the 2019 iMacs, the 11-inch and 12.9-inch 2019 iPad Pro models.(REUTERS) Unveiled with much fanfare in 2013, the radically redesigned Mac Pro stood in stark contrast to its predecessor's tower form factor. It featured a compact, cylindrical chassis and a dual-GPU architecture that Apple believed would suit future pro workflows. At its launch, Apple's Phil Schiller boldly declared, 'Can't innovate any more, my ass.' But the excitement didn't last. Mobile Finder: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched in India Within a few years, it became clear that the new design was less flexible and difficult to upgrade, especially for professionals who needed modularity and powerful single-GPU performance. By 2017, Apple executives publicly acknowledged the limitations of the design, with Craig Federighi admitting that the company had "designed itself into a bit of a thermal corner." Despite a modest internal refresh in 2017, Apple ultimately scrapped the form factor, returning to a more traditional and modular tower with the 2019 Mac Pro. The current 2023 model, which runs on Apple's M2 Ultra chip, continues in that direction. The vintage classification means Apple will provide hardware service and support for the 2013 Mac Pro for up to two more years, as long as parts remain available. Once a product is seven years old, it transitions to obsolete status, at which point official service is no longer offered. Also added to Apple's vintage list this month are the 2019 iMacs, the 11-inch and 12.9-inch 2019 iPad Pro models, and the 128GB iPhone 8. Meanwhile, Apple has labelled the second-gen AirPort Express, certain AirPort Time Capsules, and the 802.11ac AirPort Extreme as obsolete. While the 2013 Mac Pro no longer supports the latest macOS Sequoia officially, some users still run modern software on it using tools like OpenCore Legacy Patcher. For now, it remains a footnote in Apple's hardware history, a bold vision that ultimately missed the mark.
Time Business News
19-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Fast Fixes, Zero Surprises: Switzerland's Rising Demand for Phone & Computer Repairs
Switzerland is a tech-driven country, so even a short loss of digital access might feel like a big setback. It's important to get your smartphone screen fixed, your laptop running slowly, or your operating system ruined as soon as possible by an expert. It's not surprising that people in Switzerland are using phone & computer repair services like Reboost, which is well-known in Ticino for its quick diagnostics, clear pricing, and experienced technical assistance. Why tech repair is now necessary Switzerland has a good level of living and a well-functioning infrastructure, thus digital integration is now a part of everyday life. With the development of telemedicine, online banking, virtual learning, and remote employment, having technology that works all the time is not just helpful, it's necessary. When devices or software don't work right, it can cause lost productivity, missed chances, and data breaches. Reboost: The Name You Can Trust for Tech Repair in Switzerland Reboost is one of the best companies in the country for tech repair. It has repair shops in Lugano and Chiasso, both of which are in the Ticino region. Reboost has built a good reputation for offering complete solutions for both computers and mobile devices, such as: Smartphones running iOS and Android iPads, iMacs, and MacBooks HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, and other Windows laptops/desktop. Reboost has answers for any problem, whether it's a cracked screen, a slow startup, a malware infection, or a battery that won't hold a charge. They also have a no-surprise pricing policy to back it up. Free diagnostics and clear prices One of the best things about Reboost's service is that it offers free diagnostics. Customers can bring in their equipment for a full evaluation for free, even if they decide not to have it fixed. This model with no strings attached gives clients peace of mind and lets them make smart choices. Also, all services come with a set price. Customers never have to worry about hidden fees or surprise costs. They only get clear, upfront cost estimates that show how serious Switzerland is about being honest, precise, and professional. A Repair Process That Goes Off Without a Hitch Speed, accuracy, and customer service are the three things that make up Reboost's repair method. There are four main steps in their process: Diagnosis: We use powerful diagnostic technologies to carefully check each gadget. The goal is to find the problem with surgical accuracy, from finding hardware flaws to looking for viruses. Data Protection: Before any repairs are made, all personal data is backed up safely and restored completely after the work is done. Optimization: Technicians run more than 1,600 background procedures to clean, improve, and speed up the device's performance. Setup and Delivery: Repaired devices are shipped back completely set up in the user's choice language, with all the important apps installed, and ready to use right away. Full range of repair services for all needs Reboost has professional answers for a lot of problems that digital gadgets have. They can do the following things: Screen Repairs: Fast screen replacements for devices including the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Xiaomi. Battery Replacement: Fixes for batteries that don't last long or that shut off suddenly. Start up or boot issues: Fixes for black screens, freezing, or looping reboots. Getting rid of malware and viruses: security upgrades and deep-cleaning tools System Speed Optimization: Speed up devices that are having trouble with performance Fixing parts: replacing keyboards, charging ports, cameras, touchpads, and more In addition, Reboost also installs Hydrogel screen protectors, which are very thin shields that protect the screen from damage without making it less responsive. The Future of Fixing Devices in Switzerland As technology changes, so will the necessity for reliable maintenance services. As more and more people work from home, learn online, and manage their money online, the need for quick, professional tech help will only expand. Companies like Reboost are defining a new gold standard for phone and computer repair in Switzerland by combining technical know-how, automated efficiency, and policies that put the consumer first. Last Thoughts In Switzerland, where trust is very important, it's important to have a reliable person to fix your phone and computer. Reboost not only provides great service, but it also gives you peace of mind by making sure your gadgets are in the finest hands. Reboost gets your digital life back on track quickly, safely, and with Swiss efficiency, whether you have a broken phone, a slow laptop, or a fear about losing data. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
The Age
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
‘China has Apple by the balls': How the rising superpower captured the tech giant
This story is part of the June 14 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Investigative journalist Patrick McGee describes it as the biggest untold story of technology in the 21st century: how, over decades of jaw-dropping investment in China, Apple became one of the world's biggest companies – but in the process helped China become a technology and manufacturing superpower. That power is now being used to challenge the West. You've said that Apple wouldn't be Apple today without China. And China wouldn't be China without Apple. How so? By 2015, Apple was investing $55 billion a year into China, and a lot of that was in training people to assemble iPhones, iMacs and other Apple products – by [Apple CEO] Tim Cook's public estimate, 3 million people were trained. Apple sent planeloads of its best engineers – from MIT, Caltech and Stanford – to train the Chinese on how to produce their products. Overall, it has trained 28 million people in its supply chain since 2008. That's bigger than the labour force of California or the population of Australia. It has had more impact on China than the Marshall Plan on Europe after World War II. In 1999, none of Apple's products was made in mainland China; by 2009, virtually all were, and company profits shot into the stratosphere as a result. Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1996 but within a decade became the richest company on Earth, thanks to sales of its iPhone and iPad. What did China offer that no other country could? China has policies and a population base tailor-made for the electronics industry. They created bonded zones [places offering generous tax breaks and streamlined customs procedures to attract foreign investment] in cities like Shenzhen. Back in the 1980s, Shenzhen was a series of fishing villages. Today, it's a city of 18 million people. We in the West don't understand how easy it is to build a factory in an area like Shenzhen. The government provides you with the labour from the western part of the country, where literally millions are leaving backbreaking agricultural jobs to work 12-hour shifts in factories. Businesses get free land and cutting-edge machinery. Local cadres in the political system are incentivised to build factories and get growth from their region. The bureaucracy is shaped to be more like a venture capitalist. China has invented a new form of capitalism, where instead of having dynamism in the private sector, it's on the public side. 'Apple provided China with the Ivy League equivalent of a hardware engineering education.' You write that Apple essentially cracked the code on how to manufacture the world's best products without doing it itself. In the early 2000s, Apple was figuring out how to manufacture their products in China without owning any of the factories. It was about orchestrating the production of the products rather than building them themselves. But the orchestration they've done is just phenomenally obsessive. This isn't normal outsourcing. They're not just saying, 'Here's a blueprint of what we need; let us know when it's ready.' They're inventing the processes, the components. So by bringing all its technological expertise and sophisticated production methods to China, Apple taught the Chinese how to develop high-level manufacturing … Indeed. Jony Ive [instrumental in the design of the iPhone, iPad, iMac and Apple Watch] came up with some spectacular-looking products. But the only way those designs came into large-scale reality was that China was investing massively in supply chains, in infrastructure and in ports. And as one engineer told me, Apple provided China with the Ivy League equivalent of a hardware engineering education. Because Apple is epic, the technology transfer is also epic. Loading US Vice President J.D. Vance has very patronisingly reduced the Chinese competitive advantage to its having 'millions of peasants' available to work in factories. But its economy has moved far beyond just low-cost labour producing cheaper products, hasn't it? Yes and no. China has robotics and automation on a scale we [the United States] completely lack. But hundreds of millions of people still live in impoverishment, and go to cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou to work in factories. China has the capacity to move an entire Western city's worth of people, say, up to 500,000, who are willing to relocate for a few months at a time to assemble iPhones and then go someplace else. We have nothing like that. Even if it could, we in the West wouldn't want that to change, because that's not what anybody really wants to do with their life.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘China has Apple by the balls': How the rising superpower captured the tech giant
This story is part of the June 14 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Investigative journalist Patrick McGee describes it as the biggest untold story of technology in the 21st century: how, over decades of jaw-dropping investment in China, Apple became one of the world's biggest companies – but in the process helped China become a technology and manufacturing superpower. That power is now being used to challenge the West. You've said that Apple wouldn't be Apple today without China. And China wouldn't be China without Apple. How so? By 2015, Apple was investing $55 billion a year into China, and a lot of that was in training people to assemble iPhones, iMacs and other Apple products – by [Apple CEO] Tim Cook's public estimate, 3 million people were trained. Apple sent planeloads of its best engineers – from MIT, Caltech and Stanford – to train the Chinese on how to produce their products. Overall, it has trained 28 million people in its supply chain since 2008. That's bigger than the labour force of California or the population of Australia. It has had more impact on China than the Marshall Plan on Europe after World War II. In 1999, none of Apple's products was made in mainland China; by 2009, virtually all were, and company profits shot into the stratosphere as a result. Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1996 but within a decade became the richest company on Earth, thanks to sales of its iPhone and iPad. What did China offer that no other country could? China has policies and a population base tailor-made for the electronics industry. They created bonded zones [places offering generous tax breaks and streamlined customs procedures to attract foreign investment] in cities like Shenzhen. Back in the 1980s, Shenzhen was a series of fishing villages. Today, it's a city of 18 million people. We in the West don't understand how easy it is to build a factory in an area like Shenzhen. The government provides you with the labour from the western part of the country, where literally millions are leaving backbreaking agricultural jobs to work 12-hour shifts in factories. Businesses get free land and cutting-edge machinery. Local cadres in the political system are incentivised to build factories and get growth from their region. The bureaucracy is shaped to be more like a venture capitalist. China has invented a new form of capitalism, where instead of having dynamism in the private sector, it's on the public side. 'Apple provided China with the Ivy League equivalent of a hardware engineering education.' You write that Apple essentially cracked the code on how to manufacture the world's best products without doing it itself. In the early 2000s, Apple was figuring out how to manufacture their products in China without owning any of the factories. It was about orchestrating the production of the products rather than building them themselves. But the orchestration they've done is just phenomenally obsessive. This isn't normal outsourcing. They're not just saying, 'Here's a blueprint of what we need; let us know when it's ready.' They're inventing the processes, the components. So by bringing all its technological expertise and sophisticated production methods to China, Apple taught the Chinese how to develop high-level manufacturing … Indeed. Jony Ive [instrumental in the design of the iPhone, iPad, iMac and Apple Watch] came up with some spectacular-looking products. But the only way those designs came into large-scale reality was that China was investing massively in supply chains, in infrastructure and in ports. And as one engineer told me, Apple provided China with the Ivy League equivalent of a hardware engineering education. Because Apple is epic, the technology transfer is also epic. Loading US Vice President J.D. Vance has very patronisingly reduced the Chinese competitive advantage to its having 'millions of peasants' available to work in factories. But its economy has moved far beyond just low-cost labour producing cheaper products, hasn't it? Yes and no. China has robotics and automation on a scale we [the United States] completely lack. But hundreds of millions of people still live in impoverishment, and go to cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou to work in factories. China has the capacity to move an entire Western city's worth of people, say, up to 500,000, who are willing to relocate for a few months at a time to assemble iPhones and then go someplace else. We have nothing like that. Even if it could, we in the West wouldn't want that to change, because that's not what anybody really wants to do with their life.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Inside the secretive labs where Apple's torturers put iPhones to the test
Most of us have, at some point, dropped a phone. Sometimes it hits at just the wrong angle, or on just the wrong surface, and shatters. Other times, it's miraculously unscathed, either because of sheer luck or because of the way it's been designed. In Sunnyvale, California, inside an unmarked and nondescript building, a team of engineers drops more devices each day than you hopefully will in your entire life. The building is home to Apple's durability labs – among many similar facilities around the world – where phones and other products are thrown, dunked, sprayed, submerged, humidified, salted, buffeted, shaken and dismantled. Not only to test their durability and qualify for certifications, but to guide design decisions from the earliest development stages to help the final devices survive the dangers of the outside world. When I visit, the staff are friendly and eager to discuss their meticulous and scientific brand of tech torture (though Apple has not allowed me to quote them). They also give the impression of lab workers who aren't used to visitors. Their work is largely out of the public eye, even more so than some of the work at the nearby main Apple campus in Cupertino. Something that becomes immediately apparent is that, while Apple wants to simulate real-world scenarios, it can't just have its workers drop an iPhone down the stairs or slip an iPad into a soapy bath. The incidents have to be consistent and replicable, so any damage can be understood and mitigated, meaning there's an awful lot of science involved. And robots. But the first area I find is largely robot-free. Here, devices are subjected to simulated worst-case environmental conditions. A massive walk-in cupboard has new iMacs operating in 90 per cent humidity, at 40 degrees. A month in there can simulate years of muggy real-world exposure. Elsewhere, iPhones are being soaked in a high-density salt mist, or withstanding a vortex of artificial sand, designed to simulate the particulate matter of the Arizona desert. A UV chamber simulates the long-term effect of the sun on devices. Sure, you could just put them outside, but the chamber can impart many years worth of rays in just 50 hours. When Apple introduces a punchy new colour or sparkly new finish for one of its devices, it's one that's put up with this kind of punishment and come through fine. Other potential finishes may not be so lucky. Loading It's not all about making sure the devices stay nice on the outside, though. They're tested thoroughly to ensure 100 per cent functionality after their ordeals, and autopsied to check for corrosion or dust ingress. The tests are developed against real-world data indicating the worst likely cases of what could happen to a consumer's device. Part of that comes from analysing damaged products that are sent in for repair or recycling, but a lot also comes from devices in the wild, with anonymised data including the amount of sunlight hitting the sensors and other analytics. When you set up an Apple product and it asks whether you want to send the company data to help improve its products, this is some of the stuff it's talking about.
