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The Morning After: The Mac turns 40

And how Apple’s chips helped it avoid a midlife crisis.

Peter DaSilva / reuters

The Mac turned 40, putting Apple’s longest-running product squarely in middle age. But like someone who sees the back half of their life approaching and gets in marathon-runner shape, the Mac is in the strongest place it’s been for decades. While (its own) smartphones have chipped and undercut PC revenues for Apple, it follows years of growth and a major milestone for personal computers: the introduction of Apple Silicon.

But before all that, let us take you on a journey through Macintosh, Macs, MacBooks and more, with Nathan Ingraham… who has also turned 40. (A few years ago.)

— Mat Smith

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Wired headphones are about to have a mini revival

New models make any phone Apple Music Hi-Res Lossless ready.

It’s been over seven years since Apple found the courage to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone, forcing wireless headphones into the limelight. Now, listening to hi-res lossless music on a phone usually means a hunt for a rare handset with a 3.5mm jack.

However, a new breed of wired headphone has emerged, and it promises audiophile quality on any phone, with no need for a dongle. Of course, there’s a marketing term to go with it: True Lossless Earphones (TLE). James Trew explains.

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Esports are messy in 2024

And our new gaming video series.

TMA
Engadget

With the news that Blizzard and ESL FACEIT are preparing to launch a new esports circuit for Overwatch 2, mere months after the death of the Overwatch League, it’s a good time to take stock of the entire esports’ scene — and introduce our weekly video series, with Jessica Conditt.

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The Pokémon Company is investigating ‘Pokémon with guns’ satire Palworld

It will address products that infringe on its IP.

TMA
Engadget

The Pokémon Company knows about Palworld and is very much aware the game is drawing a lot of comparisons with its intellectual property. Palworld, released on January 18, is an open-world game featuring monsters resembling Pokémon, except they can use guns. It also has a darker tone, allowing players to sell their “pals” to slavery, kill them and eat them as well as being able to battle them to the death.

While the company didn’t explicitly name Palworld, it said it will investigate a game “released in January 2024” and will “take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to Pokémon.”

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