Maybe call it the Pro Turbo Deluxe LE?
While Apple’s iPhones, iPads and MacBooks are selling like hotcakes, its main desktop model, the Mac Pro, is sitting in a corner all by itself, lonely and unloved. Well, not entirely, Apple still sells a bunch of the PCs every year, but the last time the great-great-grandchild of the seminal Macintosh had a redesign was in 2013, when Apple rolled out the latest makeover, which featured a rather tubular, and some would say “odd,” design theme.
In a long and uncharacteristically frank interview with our friends at Tech Crunch, Apple brass, including Senior VP Phil Schiller, essentially say they got it wrong with the current Mac Pro, but that doesn’t mean Apple is writing off their most powerful desktop PC – and the “pro” power users that use it. No, instead, there’s going to be a new Mac Pro – and also a new external display, despite reports to the contrary – but, it’s not coming to market this year.
So… when? Schiller was vague on the timeline but he did hint that the next generation of Mac desktop will not be round – but at least it will exist, despite the popularity of MacBooks, iPads and so on.
Feeling their oats Oaths
Well, it’s either going to go down in tech history as a face-palm-worthy blunder or sly brilliance, but for now, people are wondering what’s in the water over at Verizon after they announced newly acquired Yahoo! and not-so-recently acquired AOL will be managed by a new company called “Oath.” While the new name sets up a multitude of headline opportunities should things go south, the tasks ahead for Oath look to be daunting.
Legacy email and internet portal AOL is anathema to advertisers coveted millennial 18 to 34 year-olds. Heck, as of 2015, over two million people were still using it’s dial-up service, and I don’t think they’re dialing in from cell phones. Meanwhile, Yahoo! Is so tarnished by hacks and stolen data they had to lower their price to preserve the Verizon buyout. But, combine the two and maybe you have something special.
Browser history > Clear > activate Tor
Quick heads up that you might want to think about your data privacy after the White House signed off on new regulations – or, de-regulations – that allow your internet provider to collect, sort and sell your private information, including browser histories and other data points. What other points? Good question, as the new rules allow them to look, record and sell pretty much anything and everything without your consent.
Oh, and the new rules also stipulate that in the future, the FCC is prohibited from making rules that would allow them to protect your privacy. So how are ISPs responding to the new rules? Most are keeping quiet and are likely now quickly shoveling your data into attractive packages for sale to the highest bidder. However, some are pledging to take the high road and keep your bits and bytes private. Who’s doing what? Hit this link to find out.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
