An Apple M5 a day
Like clockwork, Apple has its sights set on releasing a new M5 chipset, developed in-house, which is reportedly being made with TSMC’s third-gen 3nm process. That should provide just enough of a boost to performance and battery life to justify Apple’s next round of products. You know the drill by now, right?
You can probably expect the new M5 chip to be available in most of Apple’s devices over the coming year, but according to MacRumors, five products are set to get the upgrade as soon as this year. One of those is a new iPad Pro, just looking for something to upgrade after last year’s refresh gave it a new tandem OLED display and thinner body.
Up next is a new Vision Pro, which hasn’t yet seen a second iteration since the sub-par launch of the first in 2023. We doubt the M2 chip was the problem, but it hasn’t stopped Apple from trying anyway. Then there’s the obvious one — a new MacBook Pro sporting the M5 (Pro and Max versions included) in October this year.
More surprising (but not really) is that a refreshed iMac and Mac Mini are also on the cards for release alongside the new MacBook Pro this year. Considering the extensive redesign the Mac Mini got last year, many might have expected Apple to leave things be for now, but they’d be wrong. Don’t expect much in the way of changes, with Apple likely sticking in the M5 chip and calling it a day.
Spotify gets Jammed up
Perhaps the worst bit about being sat in the backseat of an unbearably long road trip is being at the mercy of the ‘shotgun’ caller, even though it was definitely you who said it first. Whatever spiritual journey they’re going on musically quickly becomes your own, whether you like it or not. Unless, of course, the driver has Spotify and simply starts up a Jam to relinquish the passenger’s DJ duties.
Yup, Spotify’s Jam feature is finally available natively on Android Auto via the ‘Now Playing’ screen, an upgrade subscribers have been waiting for quite some time after it was officially confirmed to be in development in May this year. Click it, and you’ll be greeted by a QR code on the screen that passengers can scan to quickly join to contribute to the shared playlist.
We should note that the driver, who requires a Spotify Premium subscription to even start a Jam session, retains full control of the playlist, with the ability to kick passengers off at any moment. Any passenger can join, even if they’re a little embarrassed about rocking a free Spotify account.
Resident Evil stays mobile
Hankering for some more Resident Evil? Good, because Capcom has announced a bizarre spin-off set in the RE universe to (hopefully) keep you busy until the next mainline game in the series is ready. It’s called Resident Evil Survival Unit, and yes, it’s a “survival horror strategy” mobile game that supposedly connects to the wider universe, though we’re not exactly sure how.
We’ll find out together, apparently. Visiting the game’s website shows some basic imagery of Raccoon City and a countdown timer to the world premiere on YouTube, going live at midnight on the morning of Friday, 11 July. We also got a look at the companies helping Capcom develop the game, JoyCity and Aniplex, both of which have developed mobile games in the past, like Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War.
You can be honest; that just killed your excitement just a little bit, right?
Lego’s bringing back arcade nostalgia
Whether or not you were convinced by Lego South Africa’s massive Christmas in July sale, you can’t ignore the Danish brick company’s latest offering: a 468-piece buildable (duh) arcade that’s about as cute as it is small. It’s nowhere near as intricate as the 2,000+ monstrosity that is the playable Lego Pac-Man arcade machine, but it’ll brighten up your desk all the same.
Fewer pieces also mean fewer Rands if you’re serious about pursuing Lego’s latest creation. It’ll cost a more palatable $40 (∼R710) than you’re used to, to make up for the set’s lack of playability and grand scale. It’s launching on 1 August this year, meaning it’ll be along shortly on South Africa’s Lego outlet, Great Yellow Brick.
The set only stands 15cm tall, but Lego’s managed to cram it full of easter eggs. On the machine’s front sits a generic Space game that totally isn’t Space Invaders and a coin slot that actually accepts coins. Open it up and you’ll find room for a minifigure in a proper little gaming room with gaming memorabilia plastering the walls.
