Apple Bringing Popular Features Back In MacBook Updates

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Apple Bringing Popular Features Back In MacBook Updates

Apple is preparing updates to the MacBook Air and Pro that will bring back some of their most popular features.

Apple’s MacBooks are its most popular computers, but the company was accused of letting them languish toward the end of the Intel era. In addition, some customers vehemently disagreed with some of Apple’s decisions that seemed to place more emphasis on form over function. This included removing popular features, such as the SD card slot and the MagSafe power adapter.

According to Bloomberg, the company is looking to bring these features back in upcoming models. The MacBook Pro is rumored to be getting the SD card slot back, with the Air slated to get MagSafe back. MagSafe magnetically attached the power cable to the Mac, rather than plugging it into a port. As a result, if it was snagged on something, it would simply disconnect without any risk of damage. Although Bloomberg’s report doesn’t mention the MacBook Pro, it’s likely it would receive this upgrade as well.

Apple is also reportedly working to add cellular connectivity and Face ID to the MacBook line. Both features have been notably missing from Apple’s portable Macs, despite being available on the iPad Pro. Adding these two features would be a big hit with current and future Mac users.

Now that Apple has tighter control over the Mac’s hardware, it’s a safe bet we will see a faster pace of innovation on the platform.

Apple Bringing Popular Features Back In MacBook Updates
Matt Milano

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Elon Musk Donating $100 Million Toward Best Carbon Capture Idea

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Elon Musk Donating $100 Million Toward Best Carbon Capture Idea

Elon Musk is donating $100 million toward efforts to find the best way to capture carbon emissions.

As climate change begins to take a toll, many are turning to efforts to capture and safely store carbon dioxide (CO2) as a solution. In fact, this is naturally occurring phenomenon, with CO2 deposits safely stored in rock formations around the globe.

There are additional advantages to carbon capture and storage (CCS), including the cost and removal of additional pollutants. According to Earth Institute, Columbia University, “the technology also reduces pollutants like sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxide, and particulates. And the best part is that it costs only $40 for per tonne of CO2.”

With President Biden recommitting the US to the Paris Agreement, CCS could be an important step toward bringing carbon emissions within the target levels. Elon Musk is willing to put his own money toward helping find the best way achieve wide scale CCS.

Details next week

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2021

We will be monitoring this story and provide updates as those details become available.

Elon Musk Donating $100 Million Toward Best Carbon Capture Idea
Matt Milano

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Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas

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Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas

Samsung is considering a $10 billion factory in Texas, its most advanced to date in the US.

Samsung is the largest smartphone maker, as well as the largest memory chip maker, but the company lags behind rival TSMC as a semiconductor maker. While Samsung has been working to catch up for some time, there are a number of current factors that could be driving Samsung’s considerations.

US officials have shown increased interest in revitalizing the US semiconductor business. The early days of the pandemic illustrated the potential shortcomings of being so reliant on China and overseas companies for critical tech components, as multiple companies and industries were paralyzed when China went into lockdown. There has also been increased concern over the security implications of relying on China.

As a result, there’s never been a better time to invest in the US semiconductor industry. Adding to the opportunity is Intel’s recent troubles, including its decision to outsource production of some of its chips to TSMC, although Samsung was also part of the negotiations.

According to Bloomberg the company is locking to establish a factory in Austin, one that will eventually be able to fabricate 3 nanometers processors. If the deal moves forward, construction would begin this year, with manufacturing starting as early as 2023. The project could end up costing more than $10 billion.

Samsung Looking to Build $10 Billion Chipmaking Factory in Texas
Matt Milano

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Microsoft and SAP Partner to Integrate Microsoft Teams

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Microsoft and SAP Partner to Integrate Microsoft Teams

Microsoft and SAP are partnering to integrate Teams across SAP’s suite of solutions, with the goal of streamlining customers’ cloud transitions.

Microsoft Teams and Slack are the two dominant corporate messaging platforms on the market. Salesforce recently inked a deal to acquire Slack in a move that was seen largely as a way to fend off threats and remain competitive. It’s not surprising that Saleforce’s rivals would want to offer similar levels of integration. This is especially true for SAP and Microsoft, both among Salesforce’s biggest competitors.

The partnerships builds on a joint commitment by the two companies, and will see Teams integrated with SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Customer Experience.

“New ways of working, collaborating and interacting completely transform how we operate,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE and member of the Executive Board. “By integrating Microsoft Teams across our solution portfolio, we will bring collaboration to the next level, jointly determining the future of work and enabling the frictionless enterprise. Our trusted partnership with Microsoft is focused on continuously advancing customer success. That’s why we are also expanding interoperability with Azure.”

“The case for digital transformation has never been more urgent,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “By bringing together the power of Azure and Teams with SAP’s solutions, we will help more organizations harness the power of the cloud so they can more quickly adapt and innovate going forward.”

The new integrations are expected to be available in mid-2021.

Microsoft and SAP Partner to Integrate Microsoft Teams
Matt Milano

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Google Search May Pull Out Of Australia Over News Content

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Google Search May Pull Out Of Australia Over News Content

Google has taken the extraordinary step of threatening to pull its search engine out of Australia if it’s forced to pay for news content.

Google has long been at odds with news publishers. Many have tried to get the company to pay for news, but the company has made it a practice to link to and use news content without paying. Google has always claimed that news publishers benefit far more than it does from the arrangement.

In spite of that, the company has begun caving to pressure. France has ordered Google to pay for news and the company recently set aside $1 billion to help fund partnerships with publishers.

Google seems unwilling to give into Australia’s demands, however, according to ABC News. According to the report, Google has said it will pull its search engine if Australia moves ahead with its plans to force the company to pay.

“If this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google search available in Australia,” Mel Silva, the managing director of Google Australia and New Zealand, told a Senate inquiry. “And that would be a bad outcome not only for us, but also for the Australian people, media diversity, and the small businesses who use our products every day.”

That stance did not go over well with the government, with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying “we don’t respond to threats.”

It remains to be seen how things will eventually shake out, but it’s not looking good for Google Australia either way.

Google Search May Pull Out Of Australia Over News Content
Matt Milano

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Google Cloud’s Business Is Taking Off

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Google Cloud’s Business Is Taking Off

Google Cloud is back to business as normal, and focused on growth, following an initial slowdown as a result of the pandemic.

Like many companies, Google had to find its footing when the pandemic first hit. Most industries, including tech, experienced a brief pullback before businesses started returning to normal.

According to Business Insider, Google Cloud’s business is booming again, with the company hiring aggressively and selling its services, after initially focusing on helping customers survive the downturn.

“Nothing has stopped because of the pandemic,” an employee told BI. “This is one of the strategies where we can see companies like [Amazon Web Services] and Google have the leverage to take in that pressure to accelerate. They reap the benefits much higher than everyone else. They’re going full force.”

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian has made no secret of his desire to move the company from third place in the cloud market to at least second place within five years. It appears the company is firing on all cylinders in its efforts to reach that goal after a difficult year.

Google Cloud’s Business Is Taking Off
Matt Milano

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Loon Says Goodbye As Alphabet Pulls The Plug

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Loon Says Goodbye As Alphabet Pulls The Plug

Alphabet is shutting down Loon, its attempt to deliver internet service via balloons, according to Loon’s CEO.

Loon began in 2011, as an unofficial Google X incubation project, before becoming an official project in 2013. The company’s goal was to use balloons in place of cell towers, to provide internet access to underserved areas. The concept was especially appealing in areas where building cell towers would otherwise be difficult, dangerous or impossible.

The company struck a deal to provide service in Kenya, and was used in disaster zones to help keep people connected, such as in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Despite its success, however, Alphabet is pulling the plug.

CEO Alastair Westgarth broke the news in a blog post:

While we’ve found a number of willing partners along the way, we haven’t found a way to get the costs low enough to build a long-term, sustainable business. Developing radical new technology is inherently risky, but that doesn’t make breaking this news any easier. Today, I’m sad to share that Loon will be winding down.

Loon was definitely one of the stranger projects to come out of Google and Alphabet and it’s a shame to see it shutting down.

Loon Says Goodbye As Alphabet Pulls The Plug
Matt Milano

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