Technologies
Apple Launches New M2 Pro and M2 Max Chips in the MacBook Pro and Mac Mini
The latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks claim battery life up to 22 hours and add Wi-Fi 6E.
Apple has announced new additions to its M-series chips, adding M2 Pro and M2 Max versions, and offering them in updated versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and in the Mac Mini desktop.
In a press release, Apple says, «M2 Pro scales up the architecture of M2 to deliver an up to 12-core CPU and up to 19-core GPU, together with up to 32GB of fast unified memory. M2 Max builds on the capabilities of M2 Pro, including an up to 38-core GPU, double the unified memory bandwidth, and up to 96GB of unified memory.»
The new MacBooks and Mac Mini share the same design as their predecessors, and these new chips replace the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the earlier versions. We’ve previously tested and reviewed M1 Pro and M1 Max versions of the MacBook Pro and the M1 version of the Mac Mini.
MacBook Pro adds M2 Pro/Max
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops were released in October 2021, and started a shift towards a more structured, squared-off design with a flat lid and sharp corners, rather than the gently bowed lids of previous MacBooks. These models also lacked the touchbar interface of previous MacBook Pro laptops, and that feature remains on only the 2022 M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, which also keeps the older throwback look and feel (for now).
The biggest change, besides the chip generation, is Apple’s claim of battery life of up to 22 hours, which the company says is, «the longest battery life ever in a Mac.» The MacBook Pro also adds Wi-Fi 6E, up from Wi-Fi 6, and an HDMI connection that now supports 8K displays up to 60Hz and 4K displays up to 240Hz.
Apple claims the performance from the M2 Pro chip is up to 40% faster than the previous M1 Pro in Photoshop image processing, and that the M2 Max can do effects rendering in Cinema 4D and color grading in DaVinci Resolve up to 30% faster than the M1 Max.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $1,999, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $2,499.
Mac Mini gets its first update since 2020
The Mac Mini was last updated in 2020, when it added the M1 chip, shifting away from Intel. The new version offers both the M2 and M2 Pro chips.
Apple claims the M2 version offers Photoshop performance that can be up to 50% faster than the M1 version and 2.4x faster in transcoding in Final Cut Pro; while the M2 Pro version can be up to 4.2x faster than the M1 Mac Mini in Final Cut Pro. There was no M1 Pro version of the Mac Mini for a direct comparison.
It’s worth noting that Apple has also killed off the Intel Mac Mini, a version of which was still available (alongside the M1 version) until this announcement. That leaves the Mac Studio desktop as the final Intel-based Mac you can buy from Apple directly. Some retailers still have stock of the Intel Mac Mini, including Best Buy, if you absolutely, positively need one.
The new model starts at $599 for the M2 version and $1,299 for the M2 Pro version.
Apple says both the new Mac Mini and MacBook Pro are available to order starting Jan. 17 and will start arriving to customers and stores on Jan. 24.
Other products that could possibly get M2, M2 Pro or M2 Max chip updates later in 2022 include the 24-inch iMac, the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro desktop.
And no, despite some recent rumors, no touchscreen yet.
More about MacBooks
- 14-inch MacBook Pro Review (M1 Pro, 2021)
- 16-inch MacBook Pro Review (M1 Max, 2021)
- 13-inch MacBook Pro Review (M2, 2022)
- M2 MacBook Air Review (M2, 2022)
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 5, #500
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 5, No. 500.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. As an old-school Minnesota Twins fan, I was excited to see the last name of our most legendary player on the grid. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: QB is another one.
Green group hint: Hit it out of the park.
Blue group hint: Great gridiron signal-callers.
Purple group hint: Half of a thousand.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Football positions, abbreviated.
Green group: Members of the 500-HR club.
Blue group: First names of QBs to throw 500 career TDs.
Purple group: ____500.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is football positions, abbreviated. The four answers are CB, OT, S and TE.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is members of the 500-HR club. The four answers are Banks, Bonds, Foxx and Killebrew.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is first names of QBs to throw 500 career TDs. The four answers are Aaron, Drew, Peyton and Tom.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____500. The four answers are ATP, Daytona, Indy and WTA.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Feb. 5
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 5
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? The Across clues were kind of tricky today, but the Down clues helped me fill in the grid. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Battery warning from a smoke detector
Answer: CHIRP
6A clue: Word that can precede «book» or «tour»
Answer: AUDIO
7A clue: Extreme edge
Answer: BRINK
8A clue: Like a wobbly screw
Answer: LOOSE
9A clue: Type in
Answer: ENTER
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Alternative to streaming
Answer: CABLE
2D clue: One of the Great Lakes
Answer: HURON
3D clue: Dummy
Answer: IDIOT
4D clue: Wash under a tap
Answer: RINSE
5D clue: Game in which Paul Newman successfully cons a crime boss in «The Sting»
Answer: POKER
Technologies
Fitbit Launches Luffu, AI-Powered Health Tracking for the Whole Family
Soon, you may be able to access every family member’s health data in one place.
If you’ve ever wanted a way to keep all of your family’s health records in place, Fitbit may have come up with a solution. Fitbit, well-known for its fitness wearables, announced the launch of its own health care system on Wednesday.
Luffu, which translates to the Old English word for «love,» uses AI to create what it calls an «intelligent family care system.» The platform allows family members to share all their health information through an app.
It’s unclear when Luffu will be officially available, but you can sign up for the waitlist to get access to the limited public beta. Pricing or other details have not been announced.
Luffu will allow families to keep track of everyone’s doctor’s appointments, test results, vaccine records, medications, symptoms, diet and more. The platform uses AI to learn your family’s health history and patterns, and to alert you to any changes that should be addressed, such as missed medications or abnormal vitals. The AI function organizes the data submitted into the system. The app will also connect to third-party apps and wearables, such as the Fitbit.
Luffu is meant to lighten the mental load of family care by organizing all this health data in one place, its co-founder said.
«I was caring for my parents from across the country, trying to piece together my mom’s health care across various portals and providers, with a language barrier that made it hard to get a complete, timely context from her about doctor visits,» said Luffu co-founder James Park.
Luffu will include alerts and a space to log health and medication information via voice, text, photos, and other health portals and devices. The key medical information can be shared across the platform with spouses, caregivers and parents.
A representative for Fitbit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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