Light Start: The iMac Pro is dead, Ford’s nuts are loose in the head, Electric scooters can truly shred and Apple mixed-reality rumours are spread

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Apple has discontinued the ultra-powerful iMac Pro

In 2017 Apple revealed its most powerful (and most expensive) iMac yet. Designed with labs and heavy-duty designers, editors and animators in mind, the iMac Pro is (soon was) the most expensive product sold on the company’s shelves. Now it looks like it’ll soon retire, because who has R85,000 lying around in a pandemic?

The iMac Pro is powered by Xeon processors up to 18 cores, up to 22 teraflops of graphics performance, and a 27in Retina 5K display. It was Apple’s favourite child, with it regularly reminding us that it was “the fastest, most powerful Mac ever made.” Well, it may be putting its favourite child in the corner as of this month. According to DigitalTrends, Apple recently updated the iMac Pro listing on its retail site, adding the dreaded “while supplies last” label to the listing. If you were interested in procuring the expensive machine, you wouldn’t even be able to tweak the specs in the shop anymore. That’s how we know it’s serious.

Source: Digital Trends[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Ford recalls Mach-E SUVs because of loose nuts

Ford’s first fully electric SUV, the Mustang Mach-E, is being recalled before customers even get a chance to drive their newly purchased EVs. Ford has reportedly halted deliveries after it discovered a few loose bolts in quality tests.

The recall affects 1,258 Mustang Mach-Es in the United States, while 80 Canadian buyers won’t receive their Mach-Es anytime soon. “[S]ome vehicles may have subframe bolts that the supplier did not tighten to specification,” says Ford, according to The Verge. “While the issue in affected vehicles is not to Ford’s standards, the company is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition.” The 75 lucky owners who have already taken delivery will have to take their cars in even before they lose that new car smell. It’s a shame, but rather safe than sorry, especially in the case of ‘smarter’ cars with advanced safety features. According to The Verge, Ford will get back to Mach-E owners by 22 March — after which they should have an update on the loose bolts.

Source: The Verge[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Check out these cool electric scooters from Ola (No, not the ice-cream people)

While the world is still seemingly not ready for the impending electric car take over (although we certainly wish it would hurry up), the road to EVs may be paved by scooters. That is according to Ola, an India-based ride-sharing company that’s looking to shake things up. Given the amount of traffic and pollution generated by India’s reliance on fossil fuels, the Indian government has begun rolling out measures to ensure the country is better equipped for the future. That’s where Ola comes in, as it’s announced that it will begin mass-producing a series of affordable electric scooters in a newly established mega-factory.

“Our ambition is to have a big impact in electric vehicles. The only way we can create an impact in electrification is by playing at scale. This business cannot be built by selling 2,000 vehicles a year,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, chairman and group chief executive officer. Ola aims to produce these electric scooters at such a rate that it may begin to export them to other countries. It’s a cool idea that may end up as a great solution to the pollution problems faced in many bustling countries.

Source: TechRadar[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

We may have a launch date for Apple’s long rumoured mixed-reality headset

There have been rumours swirling around for ages not that Apple’s been hard at work developing a mixed-reality headset. Yet despite all the chatter we’ve yet to see any evidence that the thing is actually launching soon. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the roadmap for this mixed-reality tech is divided across three different phases: “…helmet type by 2022, glasses type by 2025, and contact lens type by 2030–2040,” writes Kuo.

Kuo also elaborated on the point by explaining that Apple is most likely currently working on prototypes for the technology. The headset, which is apparently meant to arrive next year, currently weighs between 200g and 300g but Apple is reportedly trying to get that number down to between 100g and 200g. In terms of specs, we’ve only heard rumours from a buckshot of different sources, including some folks claiming it will support an 8K display, a chipset similar to the M1, and up to a dozen cameras and sensors to really immerse you in the experience.

Source: DigitalTrends[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]