O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: M1

  • Apple releases updated macOS 12 Monterey public beta

    Apple releases updated macOS 12 Monterey public beta

    Apple on Thursday seeded a new version of its macOS 12 Monterey operating system to its public beta tester community, allowing non-developers to test the upcoming operating system ahead of its public release. The update comes just a day after Apple provided the ninth beta to developers. 

    Users can snag the new public beta from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple’s beta software website.

    The macOS 12 Monterey operating system offers new features such as Universal Control, which allows a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard to be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices, and AirPlay can be shared directly to a Mac from a Mac or iOS device.

    Safari has an updated tab bar and support for Tab Groups to keep tons of tabs organized, and FaceTime now features support for spatial audio, Portrait Mode (M1 Macs only) and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. A SharePlay ‌FaceTime‌ feature (coming in a Monterey update) will let Apple TV users watch TV, listen to music, and share their screens with one another.

    Apple’s upcoming Shared With You feature allows users to keep track of their music, links, podcasts, news, and photo that are sent in Messages, highlighting it in their relevant apps. Notes offers a new Quick Note feature, and the Shortcuts app is now available on the Mac.

    A new dedicated Focus mode allows users to stay on task by removing assorted background distractions based on what’s going on, while an updated Maps application offers assorted new features. The upcoming Live Text feature allows Macs to detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images. The new beta adds Live Text support for Intel Macs. 

    The upcoming Mail Privacy Protection feature hides IP and prevents tracking through invisible pixels, and iCloud Private Relay keeps Safari browsing protected.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the new public beta, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and beta.apple.com

  • Asahi Linux cites progress, says that Linux is now “usable as a basic desktop” on M1-based Macs

    Asahi Linux cites progress, says that Linux is now “usable as a basic desktop” on M1-based Macs

    After almost a year of a project to port Linux to Apple’s M1-based Macs, the creators of the effort have stated that Linux is now “usable as a basic desktop.”

    According to the progress report of September, Asahi Linux is running better than ever, although it still lacks GPU acceleration on M1 Macs as the team approached version 5.16 of the software.

    The team was able to merge some of the drivers such as PCIe bindings, PCIe drive, and USB-C PD drive. Efforts such as Princtrl drive, I2C driver, ASC mailbox driver, IOMMU 4K patches, and Device Power management are still in review.

    “On typical SoCs, drivers have intimate knowledge of the underlying hardware, and they hard-code its precise layout: how many registers, how many pins, how things relate to each other, etc. This is effectively a requirement for most SoCs, because hardware tends to vary quite a bit from generation to generation, so drivers always require changes to support newer hardware.

    However, Apple is unique in putting emphasis in keeping hardware interfaces compatible across SoC generations – the UART hardware in the M1 dates back to the original iPhone! This means we are in a unique position to be able to try writing drivers that will not only work for the M1, but may work –unchanged– on future chips as well. This is a very exciting opportunity in the ARM64 world.“

    The team has stated that is still needs to wait for the M1X/M2 processor launches to make sure they’re succeeding in making enough drivers forwards-compatible to boot Linux on newer chips. 

    As for now, Linux on the M1 Macs keeps looking promising as the operating system gets faster in these machines, thanks to the new drivers:

    “With these drivers, M1 Macs are actually usable as desktop Linux machines! While there is no GPU acceleration yet, the M1’s CPUs are so powerful that a software-rendered desktop is actually faster on them than on e.g. Rockchip ARM64 machines with hardware acceleration.

    While there are certainly many rough edges and missing drivers, getting to this point allows development to be self-hosted and developers to eat their own dogfood. Alyssa has been doing just that, using her M1 Mac running her own kernel merges as a daily driver. “

    Stay tuned for additional details on the project as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Asahi Linux

  • Rumor: Apple still expected to announce “M1X”-powered MacBook Pro notebooks in October

    Rumor: Apple still expected to announce “M1X”-powered MacBook Pro notebooks in October

    If you’re hankering for a MacBook Pro with an M1X processor, it could be en route later this month.

    Per Mark Gurman’s Sunday “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, Apple is still planning to launch new MacBook Pro notebooks boasting the “M1X” processor and improved graphical performance.

    Apple is rumored to be preparing a second special event for the fall, following after its earlier “California Streaming” presentation. While there’s a lot of products on Apple’s potential launch roster, a report highlights that the MacBook Pro lineup will probably get the most attention for the second showing.

    The newsletter insisted that Apple will be launching the MacBook Pro units, and that the product release is “still on tap for 2021.” The first updates are said to be in a “new range of MacBook Pros in the next month and a higher-end Mac mini at some point,” with the additional reasoning that Apple tends to use October to launch Mac updates

    Gurman offered the opinion that the M1X processor will offer a more “graphics-intense and professional-focused” Apple Silicon experience than the current M1 processor. Two variations are thought to be developed by Apple, Gurman writes, with both featuring a 10-core CPU consisting of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores.

    The difference in the versions will be in the GPU, as there are apparently variants with 16 graphics cores and 32 cores.

    Gurman has also forecast that the M1X MacBook Pro models could include a 14-inch MacBook Pro as well as a 16-inch MacBook Pro, that the units would forego the Touch Bar present in the current model, but could offer mini LED-backlit displays and MagSafe magnetic charging.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Bloomberg

  • Rumor: Apple to begin selling all seven M1 iMac colors in retail locations after September 14 media event

    Rumor: Apple to begin selling all seven M1 iMac colors in retail locations after September 14 media event

    It looks like Apple will begin selling all 24-inch M1 iMac colors in its retail stores after September 14.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, following Apple’s September 14 media event, the company seems to be slated to sell the 24-inch M1 iMac in all seven available colors.

    At present, customers can only snag a green, blue, pink, or silver M1 iMac in its retail locations, although Cupertino offers a yellow, orange, and purple version of the desktop when ordered online.

    While these are more unusual colors, they’ve also proven more popular than Apple thought they might. It’s unknown as to whether third party stores like Best Buy will also carry the additional colors.

    It’s thought that Apple might release redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks later this year, albeit it’s highly doubtful that those will be announced at the September event. Apple’s usual pattern is to focus on the iPhone and sometimes the Apple Watch during its earlier fall event. A second event, probably in October or November, will focus on Mac and iPad.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and @mark_gurman

  • Law firm sets up effort to investigate cracks in M1 MacBook screens that may occur following normal use

    Law firm sets up effort to investigate cracks in M1 MacBook screens that may occur following normal use

    If your M1 MacBook display has experienced cracks, there might be an investigation shaping up to help resolve the issue.

    The law firm of Migliaccio & Rathod LLP has announced an investigation into Apple over reports from users that their M1 MacBook displays have cracked during normal usage.

    To this end, a number of users have reported cracks, often accompanied by black bars running across the screen. Some say the cracks appeared after opening the lid without “applying any undue pressure” or even by adjusting the screen angle.

    Customers have complained that Apple customer service usually informs users that the culprit is a small item or particle that has lodged between the keyboard and the screen. The same customers have stated that repairs can amount up to $600 “with no guarantee that the screen crack defect won’t reoccur at a later date.”

    Users who’ve experienced these issues with their M1 MacBook can contact Migliaccio & Rathod by filling out a questionnaire on their website, sending an email to [email protected] or giving them a call at (202) 470-3520.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and Migliaccio & Rathod