Apple unveiled its latest slate of new products on Monday in Brooklyn — just in time for millions of loyal customers to shell out their money before the holidays — including the newest iPad and a long-awaited Mac Mini update. Oh yeah, Lana Del Rey also made an appearance, because why not?
The new Mac Mini strikes a familiar look on the outside, but its support for up to 64 GB of RAM and quad-core and six-core Intel processors instantly separate it from the most recent update, launched in 2014.
The Mac Mini will have up to 2 TB of storage and sport Apple’s new T2 security chip. It has four Thunderbolt 3 ports, and an HDMI and USB-A port. The 8 GB base model starts at $799 and will start shipping November 7 — but if you get it completely tricked out, you’re looking at upwards of $4,000.
The MacBook Air also received an update, with a 13.3 inch Retina display, touch ID and Siri now built in. It comes with an eighth-generation Intel dual-core processor and up to 16 GB of RAM and 1.5 TB of storage. The 2018 Air is a little bit more air-like, too, shedding about a quarter of a pound to hit 2.75 pounds. It still has a headphone jack and two USB port on the sides. The MacBook Air is made with 100 percent recycled aluminum, just like the new Mac Mini. It’ll run $1,199 for its 8 GB base edition and will also ship November 7.
The latest iPad and its stylus on display at Apple’s product launch event in Brooklyn
The third major product release was the new iPad Pro, which, like the latest iPhones, has kicked the home button to the curb. The new iPad runs on Apple’s A12X bionic chip and comes with up to 1 TB of storage. It comes with a wider 11 inch screen, but by slimming down the bezel, fits the same body size as the old 10.5 inch iPad. A bigger 12.9 inch version will also be available.
Apple boasted the latest iPad is 92 percent faster than all portable computers sold in the last year. The 7 megapixel camera on the front will use FaceID to unlock, and the back has a 12 megapixel camera. The 11 inch base model will run $799, and the 12.9 inch will cost $999. It will also start shipping November 7.
A few other things worth mentioning: Tim Cook kicked things off by saying there are now 100 million active Mac devices around the world. And if you stayed until the end, you caught a performance by Lana Del Rey. With $240 billion in cash, Apple can afford to splurge a bit.
7 Rad Projects Elon Musk Has Worked On (Photos)
Elon Musk has been at the forefront of Silicon Valley innovation for two decades. The South Africa-born entrepreneur has been linked to a number of high-profile, intriguing ventures... so let's take a look.
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Pay Pal
Musk made his initial fortune thanks to PayPal, which he sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. He made a cool $165 million off the deal.
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Tesla Motors
Instead of buying an island and living the high life after the PayPal sell, Musk went to work on getting the world off its dependency on oil. He founded Tesla Motors (now Tesla Inc.) in 2003, taking over an old Toyota-General Motors manufacturing plant in the Bay Area. The slick electric cars can travel 250 miles without a charge and sell for upwards of $100,000. Its "mass" car, the Model 3, is due out in 2018.
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Space X
Perhaps the project most important to Musk is SpaceX. Founded in 2002, the rocket company has worked with NASA on several launches. SpaceX made history when it developed "recycled" rockets that are able to be launched, landed and reused. Even more ambitious, Musk wants to send manned missions to Mars within the next decade... and colonize the red planet.
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Hyperloop
Musk frequently travels back and forth between NorCal and SoCal, and he wants to do it quickly. Enter Hyperloop, where passengers will be put in pods and shot through tubes connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles at speeds of up to 760 miles per hour. Musk sketched the concept in 2013, and it's now being pursued by a group in L.A. full-time.
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Neuralink
Musk is also big on artificial intelligence and hopes to find a way to directly connect humans to machines. That's where his Neuralink comes in. Co-founded by Musk in 2016, the company aims to integrate our minds with AI advancements via chip implants.
Via @nbashaw on Twitter
The Boring Company
The Boring Company aims to alleviate traffic by building an underground network of tunnels. Cars would be able to latch on to giant sleds and zip through tunnels at 125 mph or passengers can take futuristic glass buses if they want.
The Boring Company
SolarCity
Founded by Musk's cousins in 2006, SolarCity is the second-largest provider of solar panels in the USA. Musk owned 22 percent of its shares when Tesla bought-out the company for more than $2.5 billion in 2016.
Tesla Inc.
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The real-life Tony Stark is the poster boy for Silicon Valley entrepreneurship
Elon Musk has been at the forefront of Silicon Valley innovation for two decades. The South Africa-born entrepreneur has been linked to a number of high-profile, intriguing ventures... so let's take a look.