How to reset NVRAM on late-2016 MacBook Pro models
Things can go awry with any computer from time to time, and getting things back to normal is often just a matter of knowing the right trick. With a Mac, resetting NVRAM is a quick fix for a number of issues, and Apple has changed the way you go about doing this with the late-2016 MacBook Pro models.
One of the reasons for the change is that these latest models do not feature the startup sound, so timing the required key presses is a slightly different matter now. Here's what you need to do.
New MacBook Pro (2016) starts automatically when opened without the iconic startup chime
When Apple unveiled the new MacBook Pro range last week, much was made of the Touch Bar and other things that have been added. What was not noticed immediately is that the company has also ditched the famous startup chime that used to sound when powering up the laptops.
More than this, Apple has eliminated the need to use the power button. Just as laptops wake from sleep when the lid is opened, the new MacBook Pro automatically powers up when the lid is lifted -- even if they are fully switched off.
Trade in your MacBook and Microsoft could give you $650 off a Surface
Apple is clearly hoping you'll spend your hard-earned cash on making your next laptop a new MacBook Pro, but Microsoft has other ideas. If the lure of the Touch Bar is not enough to convince you to buy from Apple, Microsoft is dangling a carrot to sway you towards a Surface.
As the company has done before, Microsoft is offering a trade-in program for anyone willing to ditch their old MacBook in favor of a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book. If you're ready to make the switch, you could save up to $650.
Demand for Microsoft's Surface Studio pushes delivery to 2017
If you were hoping to get your hands on a Surface Studio, you're going to have a bit of a wait on your hands. When the new all-in-one was announced, pre-orders opened straight away with shipping due in mid-December.
But demand has been such that Microsoft will now not be shipping newly ordered devices until early in the New Year. There's no word on precise details of availability, but all three Surface Studio models have now had their delivery dates pushed back.
Facebook wants you to vote online for your favorite US election candidate
There is just over a week to go until the most important US election in living memory is over. On 8 November voters will hit booths to indicate their preference for Trump, Clinton, or one of the various independents. Facebook is getting in on the action, looking to let users know about the candidates and to encourage voting.
While the new Facebook feature lets you vote for candidates by favoriting them on the new site, the social network is quick to point out that this is not online voting -- votes placed on the site will not count towards the election proper. So what’s the point?
Apple wants to limit how the new MacBook Pro (2016) Touch Bar can be used
When Apple unveiled the latest MacBook Pro, it was the Touch Bar that stole the show. But if you were expecting this touchscreen addition to the keyboard to become an all-singing, all-dancing fun parade, you may be disappointed.
Apple -- loving, as it does, to remain firmly in control of everything -- has issued developers strict guidelines that restrict how the Touch Bar can (or should...) be used.
GIPHY has a tool to save all of your favorite Vines as GIFs
Twitter's decision to shut down Vine disappointed many people, but there was some reassurance that while it is not going to be possible to create any more Vines, existing ones will be saved on the website for the foreseeable future.
Recognizing the potential for things to change, GIPHY has announced that it is actively developing a tool that will make it possible to further safeguard the future of your favorite Vines. The animated GIF company is working on a tool that will convert Vines into GIFs. "Long live the loop!" exclaims the company.
Customizing Windows 10 Creators Update could become a costly habit
If you're the sort of person who likes to change the look of their desktop with themes, you had better start saving up ahead of the launch of Windows 10 Creators Update. We already know that Microsoft is using the next update to bring 3D tools such as Paint 3D to the masses, but it will also be used to make a bit of money.
A video showcasing what we can expect to see in Windows 10 Creators Update in early 2017 focuses mainly on the 3D side of things. But it also reveals that it will be possible to customize the look of Windows 10 using paid-for themes.
FBI reopens investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails
Hillary Clinton may have thought the dust had settled and she was on the home straight to defeating Trump, but the ugly matter of her emails has reared its head again. Today the FBI announces that it is reopening its probe of the presidential candidate, citing the discovery of further emails "that appear pertinent to the investigation".
The emails in question were discovered during an unrelated investigation. No details of what this investigation relates to have been revealed, but the announcement by the FBI comes as a blow to Clinton so late in the election campaign.
Facebook denies its targeted advertising is racist
Earlier today we reported about allegations from ProPublica that Facebook is engaged in what appears to be racist ad targeting by excluding based on 'ethnic affinity'. Facebook, predictably, refutes these claims.
Firing up full-on defensive mode, Facebook says that its users benefit from targeted content that is more relevant to them. To use the company's marketing spiel, this is "especially critical for people who choose to affiliate with ethnic communities". Far from being racist, this exclusion targeting technique is actually used to avoid causing offense, says Facebook.
Facebook accused of using racist 'ethnic affinity' ad targeting
Advertisers on Facebook are being given the opportunity to exclude people of certain ethnicities from seeing their ads. This is the accusation made in a new report by ProPublica, and it's a feature that -- if true -- would be both racist and illegal.
Just as for Google, advertising is big business for Facebook, and the social networking giant is keen to give advertisers all of the tools they need to ensure the maximum return on their investments. But the revelation that the audience for ads can be targeted by excluding those with a particular 'ethnic affinity' is more than a little disturbing.
Apple's MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is 'absolutely incredible'
The star of Apple's event today was always going to be the new MacBook Pro. Other announcements may have been made, but they faded into insignificance compared to the latest addition to Apple's notebook range. This time around we see a 13- or 15-inch device with an all-aluminum design. In Tim Cook's words, it is "absolutely incredible".
Both models are available in Silver and Space Gray, and it's the thinnest and lightest MacBook Pro ever made. Things have shrunk, things have grown. The new MacBook Pro is thinner and lighter than ever, but the trackpad is now twice as large -- it is huge. But the real show-stealer is Touch Bar.
Twitter shuts down Vine
Twitter today announced that it was doing everything it could to bring in some profit, and this was swiftly followed by the announcement that the company is to close down Vine.
Vines that have already been created will live on via the website, but the mobile apps will be shuttered, and no more Vines can be created. The precise date of the closure has not been revealed, but it is some time in the coming months.
Twitter shareholder letter: 'meaningful' safety update, machine learning, timeline changes, and redundancies
Twitter's troll and harassment problem is well-documented, and the social media site has faced mounting criticism over its apparent inability to keep users in check. In a letter to shareholders, Twitter today announced that it will be making "meaningful updates" to its safety policy -- but it doesn’t say what they might be.
The letter says that Twitter wants to "drive value" across three key areas: audience, content, and revenue. For the audience side of things, this means timeline tinkering and contextualizing content. For content, it means partnerships, streaming video and syndication. To make the most of revenue, some fat must be trimmed, and this means internal restructuring and job losses.
Facebook adds augmented reality Halloween masks to Live video plus spooky reactions
Out on the streets people may be keeping an eye open for killer clowns, but on Facebook this Halloween things are also taking a frightening turn. The social network is using this spooky time of year to introduce augmented reality masks to Live video -- with a Halloween twist, of course.
At the same time, Facebook is also adding "limited-edition" Halloween reactions. These transform the now familiar Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry reactions in something rather more ghoulish.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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