Elon pulls out of merger, Twitter upset
This past weekend saw the next evolution in the Elon Musk x Twitter Saga. The CEO and wouldbe Twitter purchaser has once again been thrust into the spotlight as he attempts to pull out of his $44 billion deal to buy the company. His Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing lists a “material breach” of an agreement between the two parties as well as citing “false and misleading” statements Twitter made during negotiations.
This follows a lengthy back and forth between Musk and Twitter’s board of directors regarding the number of bot accounts on the platform. Initially, Musk was rather vocal about restoring some freedom of speech to the platform, vowing to rid it of spam and bot accounts. But, according to Musk, Twitter hasn’t been honest about the number of bot accounts on the platform so…
Twitter hasn’t taken too kindly to Musk’s withdrawal. The board chairman, Bret Taylor, tweeted that Twitter’s board was “committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk” and said the company “plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement.” Both parties have since lawyered up in what could prove to be a lengthy and expensive legal battle.
Source: The Verge
Apple’s next watch could be aimed at the adventurous
As far as rumours and leaks go, we seen plenty regarding Apple’s next addition to it’s smartwatch series. The latest come via Mark Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter. He reckons signs point to Apple introducing a more rugged ‘Pro’ version of its smartwatch alongside a standard model and the next SE model. Based on Gurman’s track record when it comes to Apple products and announcements, we’re inclined to believe him.
Gurman believes the Apple Watch 8 Pro – name still to be confirmed – will be a more rugged version that will appeal to Apple fans that like to run around outside and go climbing and the like. It will apparently feature a more durable screen and use premium materials, like titanium, for the shell. This one, Gurman notes, is likely to only come in the usually more expensive cellular option, leaving the standard and SE models as the Bluetooth-only versions.
‘Premium’ usually means ‘more expensive’ and this is likely to cost quite a bit more than Apple’s current offerings. The Apple Watch 7 topped out at $530 at launch for the 45mm cellular option. Gurman thinks the new rugged Watch 8 could ask for as much as $900, which seems ludicrous. We’ll need to wait for the official announcement (likely sometime in September) to know for sure. Better start saving in the meantime.
Here’s how to view the K2 comet zoom past Earth
Back in May 2017, the Hubble Telescope first spotted a comet near the edge of the galaxy, some 2.4 billion kilometres from the Sun. At the time, it was the furthest active inbound comet ever discovered. Now, as it makes its way through our solar system, the comet, named C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) or ‘K2’ for short, will be visible to those that don’t have their own Hubble Telescope. That’s because this is a rather large lad.
Research from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope estimates the comet’s diameter to be between 29 and 161 kilometres. The tail, or trail of gases, is even bigger. Astronomers estimate that’s between 130,000km and 805,000km across. That’s a large range but it’s difficult to be accurate on massive moving objects that are billions of kilometres away. You’ll still need at least a small telescope to see it but if you don’t have one, the Virtual Telescope Project will live-stream its passing on 14 July. If you miss that, then don’t fret. It should be visible from Earth with a telescope until September.
Source: LifeHacker
Touch Bar Macbooks will classify as 'vintage' soon
The first editions of Apple’s Macbook Pro to feature a Touch Bar will be added to the company’s list of ‘vintage’ products later this month. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The company regularly places its old hardware on the list when they reach five years old. This is Apple’s way of saying it’s time to upgrade (and give them some more money). The 13in and 15in MacBook Pros from 2016 were part of a redesign that also took away most of the ports. Joining them on the vintage list are the early 2015 13in MacBook Air, early 2016 12in MacBook, the late 2015 iMac and the 9.7in iPad Pro.
These devices should remain operational. Apple isn’t about to completely pull the rug out from under you, but they will no longer be eligible for software updates. Apple is also adding the iPad Mini from 2012 to its ‘obsolete’ list. This list is for devices older than seven years and means the device is no longer eligible for repairs from Apple.
Source: MacRumors