Apple Fanaticism: Going ‘Far Out’ on a product launch

This year, with just hours left for Wednesday’s ‘Far Out’ event, the buzz is at its peak, with a kind of frenzy that few other products from any company enjoy.

Every year since 2007, when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone, it has now become even a career for so many tech enthusiasts, particularly those with an affinity for everything from the Apple stable, to guess, dream and churn out rumours and leaks on what the Cupertino major will be announcing at its annual event.

This year, with just hours left for Wednesday’s ‘Far Out’ event, the buzz is at its peak, with a kind of frenzy that few other products from any company enjoy.

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Right from the iPhone 14 series being the star of the event, the number of new models, which most say could be four, rumours of a new iPhone 14 Plus, whether there will be or not be a price increase, new silicon cases, a new hole punch, its shape, enhanced versions of the A15 Bionic chipset – the grapevine is humming nonstop on everything Apple.

Those who aren’t fans are wondering aloud what all the brouhaha is about, but Apple fanatics aren’t even listening. They are discussing new Apple Watch models, which some say could be three, with the Series 8 said to get a new body temperature sensor and a better battery life. The Apple Watch SE ‘might see’ a second generation while speculation is rife on a rugged Pro version for extreme sports as well.

Recent ‘leaks’ from the tribe which now calls itself Apple Insiders, indicate a new AirPods Pro 2, and even an Apple Mixed Reality Headset. The event, which could see CEO Tim Cook announcing the release date for iOS 16, watchOS 9 and tvOS 16, is also likely to see the launch of new Macs and two iPads. There is considerable buzz even on the possible colours of the iPhone 14 series too, with the grey matter of these enthusiasts dreaming in shades green, purple, silver, gold and even graphite.

The event can be viewed at 10.30 pm IST at www.apple.com.

New Launches/Features

Western Digital unveils 22TB hard drive in India

Storage solutions major Western Digital (WD) announced that it is shipping its new 22TB conventional magnetic recording (CMR) hard disk drives (HDDs) that are designed for optimal power over a variety of workloads in India.

The newly introduced 22TB drives will help customers to efficiently store and access huge volumes of data while offering cost efficiencies, a report quoted the company.

With the recently concluded 5G spectrum auction, India expects the rollout of 5G services, which will further amplify data and cloud usage to create huge demand for high-capacity drives, the company said.

Next-gen GoPro likely to retain old design with new sensor

US-based action camera manufacturer GoPro is planning to launch its flagship Hero11 Black with a new sensor and an old design.

The upcoming action camera might look identical to the Hero10 launched last year. All the significant changes will be on the inside, reports The Verge.

The biggest upgrade sounds like a new sensor, which will reportedly be capable of 27MP still images as the current Hero10 Black, which shoots 23MP photos. A recent report said the new model may include two displays, one at the back and the other next to the camera sensor at the front.

GoPro Hero10 Black was launched in India last year for Rs.54,500 with a new GP2 processor, which enables HyperSmooth 4.0 video stabilisation for steadier shots. It also ensures higher resolution 23MP photos, and improved low-light performance.

– Dennis Marcus Mathew with agency inputs