Engadget Podcast: Apple’s new M2 MacBook Pros and Mac Mini

Apple’s first major announcements of 2023 are here! This week, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham chat about Apple’s new M2 Pro/Max MacBook Pros and Mac Mini. Sure, they seem like solid upgrades, but did they come too late? Also, we dive into the latest rumors around Apple’s AR and MR headsets, as well as news about cheaper AirPods and new AirPods Max. And in other news, we explore the downside of AI in journalism, as well as another round of layoffs in tech.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

  • Apple announces M2 Pro and Max chips for MacBook Pro and Mac Mini – 1:23

  • The big HomePod is back from the dead! – 15:34

  • Apple’s AR headset may be delayed, a cheaper mixed reality headset may be in development – 25:41

  • Other News: CNET’s AI article problem, Twitter breaks third party apps, and layoffs at Microsoft – 32:11

  • Working on – 44:44

  • Pop culture picks – 46:08

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks

T-Mobile data breach compromised 37 million customers’ data

T-Mobile has admitted that hackers were able to steal the information of around 37 million postpaid and prepaid customers in another major data breach. The carrier said in a regulatory filing that it discovered the issue on January 5th, but that it bel…

Microsoft will lay off 10,000 employees as it cuts costs

The rumors of massive layoffs at Microsoft were true. In a publicly posted memo from CEO Satya Nadella, the company says it plans to cut 10,000 jobs through its third fiscal quarter, which ends in March. The move is meant to “align [Microsoft’s] cost structure” with demand and revenue, according to Nadella — that is, to slash expenses as sales shrink. Customers boosted their digital spending during the height of the pandemic, Nadella says, but they’re now scaling back. Numerous countries are either in the midst of recessions or expecting them, the executive adds.

Microsoft will continue to hire in “key strategic areas,” Nadella says. The company is taking on a $1.2 billion restructuring charge for the severance costs, consolidating building leases and unspecified changes to its hardware lineup. Nadella notes that US staff will get “above-market” severance pay as well as six months of continued healthcare coverage and stock awards.

As GeekWireexplains, this is the second-largest round of layoffs in Microsoft’s history. The company cut 18,000 jobs in 2014 as a newly-promoted Nadella scaled back Nokia’s hardware business. Microsoft hired aggressively during the pandemic, recruiting 40,000 workers in fiscal 2022. Some of those came through buyouts, such as speech tech heavyweight Nuance (6,500 employees) and AT&T’s former ad tech wing Xandr (1,500 people). Microsoft’s headcount is still larger than it was before the pandemic began, but this is still a sharp direction change.

The company isn’t alone in shedding jobs. Meta laid off more than 11,000 employees last fall as a bet on continued pandemic-era growth didn’t pay off. Amazon, meanwhile, expects to drop over 18,000 jobs located primarily in its retail and recruiting divisions. Salesforce recently axed 10 percent of employees. The tech industry is grappling with a tougher economic reality, and Microsoft isn’t immune to those problems.

Apple will audit its labor practices in the US after union-busting accusations

Apple has agreed to review its labor practices in the US after regulators and employees accused the company of union busting. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission ahead of its annual shareholders meeting, Apple said it would carry ou…

Arturia turns the MiniFreak into a standalone soft synth

When Arturia launched the MiniFreak, it also promised that a plugin version, MiniFreak V would also be available soon. Originally it was only available to those who purchased a hardware MiniFreak, but now it’s being offered to anyone who wants access to the dual digital sound engines and 22 oscillator modes without eating up any more physical space in their studio.

MiniFreak V brings all of the features of the hardware synth to your computer, save for the analog filters. Instead the V version gets modeled analog filters. Arturia has long history of delivering excellent emulations of analog hardware, so this isn’t a cause for concern. The software version even has the same limitations, like six-voice polyphony. So if you’ve been tempted by the MiniFreak, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet, this is an excellent way to take it for a test drive.

You still get a robust mod matrix, customizable LFO curves, two LFOs per voice, four lanes of modulation sequencing, a 64-step sequencer and 10 effects with three slots. It doesn’t quite have the raw power of Arturia’s Pigments, but it does have a number of features that lacks — most notably those nearly two dozen oscillator modes. 

In addition to putting the power of the MiniFreak in your DAW, the V version can also sync with the hardware instrument. So you can control it straight from your computer. Of course that’s been available to owners of the synth for a while now, but it’s just icing on the cake if you pickup the VST now and decide to snag the real deal down the road. 

The UI largely mimics the physical instrument, down to the orange highlights and patterned mod / pitch strips to the left of the keyboard. It does offer a lot more visual feedback, however, including animated wave shapes for the oscillators, LFOs and envelopes. Arturia’s MiniFreak V is available now at for $99 or bundled with V Collection 9 for free. After the intro period is over the price will go up to $199.

Update 12:08pm ET: The original version of this article incorrectly stated the price of MiniFreak V as $149. It has been updated to reflect the correct pricing.

Apple’s M2 Pro and M2 Max chips finally arrive for MacBook Pro and Mac mini

As rumored, Apple has unveiled its new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips that will arrive very soon in new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini computers. The new models will be up to 40 percent faster and offer superior battery life — and if you’re keen to …

Apple TV and Apple Music apps quietly appear on the Microsoft Store

Apple Music and Apple TV apps have quietly arrived as preview versions on Microsoft Windows 11, according to a tweet from @ALumia_Italia seen by Thurrott. It’s now possible to download the apps from the Microsoft Store, along with another preview app called Apple Devices that lets you “manage Apple devices from your Windows PC,” according to the description. 

At its 2022 Surface event, Microsoft announced that the apps would be coming to Windows 11 this year, so the news isn’t a huge surprise. Apple’s standalone Windows media apps have been a long time coming — it was recruiting engineers to build them as far back as 2019. Those apps replaced iTunes on Mac, and the aim is to eventually replace them on Windows as well.

All the apps appear to require Windows 11 Build 22621 or higher, but they seem to function well, according to 9to5Mac. Apple TV works much like the app on Xbox or Smart TVs, giving access to Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels, along with movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Apple Music is missing the lyrics feature, but is otherwise the same as the macOS version.

As for Apple Devices, it also replaces iTunes for sync and backup. It’ll allow you to back up Apple devices, sync local media and restore firmware without the need for iTunes. 

When launching them for the first time, you’ll be warned that iTunes for Windows will stop working (you need to uninstall the apps to continue using iTunes). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as iTunes for Windows doesn’t exactly offer a terrific user experience.