Apple reported its earnings for Q1 2023 today, and it was one of the company's poorest-performing quarters in recent years. It was the company's biggest decline since 2016 and the first since 2019. Overall revenue was down more than 5 percent year-over-year as the company failed to match sales from the same quarter last year across most of its hardware categories. iPhone revenue was $65.78 billion for the quarter, down 8.17 percent year over year. Similarly, "Other Products"—which includes the Watch, AirPods, and some other outliers—was down 8.3 percent year over year at $13.48 billion. The real underperformer was the Mac, which was down almost 30 percent at $7.74 billion. Further Reading Apple CEO Tim Cook to take 40% pay cut this year The two parts of the business that did grow were services— which include things like Apple Music and TV+, iCloud, and AppleCare—and the iPad. Services were up 6.4 percent at $20.77 billion, while the iPad grew 29.66 percent to $9.4 … [Read more...] about Apple Q1 earnings miss the mark almost across the board
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AMD admits to restraining chip supply to keep higher CPU and GPU prices
In context: Gamers have been lamenting about the high prices of graphics cards for what seems like forever. We all got excited when crypto mining became obsolete, just knowing that we were finally going to see prices come down, but for the most part, they haven't. The latest GPUs are still out of reach for the average consumer, and even older cards are holding their value. If you haven't noticed, the tech industry is suffering a significant contraction. Executives are panicking as they try to pinch pennies with layoffs and other measures to keep investors happy. One of those "other measures" is restraining product supply. In a Tuesday evening investors call, AMD CEO Lisa Su tried to calm investor anxiety by pointing out that the company has been, and will continue to, undership GPUs to "balance supply and demand." Of course, that's just another way of saying, "we're going to keep prices inflated by lowering our output." "We undershipped in Q3, we undershipped in Q4," Su told … [Read more...] about AMD admits to restraining chip supply to keep higher CPU and GPU prices
Best VPN routers (February 2023): top routers for Virtual Private Networks
The best VPN routers to make use of your virtual private network connection A Virtual Private Network (VPN) (opens in new tab) is an essential service for maintaining your online privacy, and it’s really easy to use: install an app, tap a button, and you’re protected in seconds. But what if you’re looking to protect everything in your home? Use a VPN router, and there’s no need to install apps everywhere and learn how they work. Just connect your phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs and anything Wi-Fi-enabled to the router, and it automatically shields all your online activities from attackers. We’ve uncovered the routers with the best VPN functionality, the most capable firmware, and how widely they’re supported by the top VPN providers. Of course you’re looking for a great router, too, so we also pay close attention to design, connectivity, speed, coverage, and bonus features such as parental controls. So, read on for our list of the best VPN routers, and at the end, … [Read more...] about Best VPN routers (February 2023): top routers for Virtual Private Networks
Test Drive the BlackBerry OS on Your PC
There’s a wider selection of smart phones and mobile OS’s than ever before, but you can’t just go buy every phone available and try them all out. Here’s how you can test out the latest version of the BlackBerry OS for free on your PC. We’ll also look at see how it stacks up to the latest Android and iOS software. Downloading and Installing the BlackBerry Simulator First, you’ll need to download and install the BlackBerry Simulator. Head over to the download page ( link below ), select the version of BlackBerry OS you want to try, and click Next. We’re going to select v6.0.0, which is the latest version that will ship on the BlackBerry Torch. You’ll need to register for the download, so enter your name and other info. When you’re done, confirm that your information is correct, select whether or not you want to receive emails from RIM or BlackBerry, and click Next . Agree to the license, and click Next . Finally, click the Download link … [Read more...] about Test Drive the BlackBerry OS on Your PC
The Best Budget Bluetooth Speakers of 2023
Table of Contents What to Look For in a Budget Bluetooth Speaker in 2023 Frequently Asked Questions Best Budget Bluetooth Speaker Overall: DOSS SoundBox Touch Best Budget Portable Bluetooth Speaker: JBL Clip 4 Best Budget Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: Anker Soundcore Best Budget Rugged Bluetooth Speaker: Anker Soundcore Flare Mini Best Budget Car Bluetooth Speaker: Sony SRS-XB13 Update, 01/11/2023: We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our best budget portable speaker to the JBL Clip 4. What to Look For in a Budget Bluetooth Speaker in 2023 One of the first factors you’ll want to consider when looking for a Bluetooth speaker, regardless of price, is the size and form factor. If you’re using a speaker in place of a home stereo, you’ll likely want a bigger model than if you’re looking for a portable speaker to carry to the park. While almost any Bluetooth speaker will be more rugged than a piece of home audio equipment, they’re not all … [Read more...] about The Best Budget Bluetooth Speakers of 2023
Nazca Lines: Mysterious geoglyphs in Peru
The Nazca (also spelled Nasca) Lines are geoglyphs located in an arid coastal area of Peru that cover an estimated 170 square miles (450 square kilometers). Scratched on the ground, the Nazca Lines number in the thousands and depict creatures from both the natural world and the human imagination. They include animals such as the spider, hummingbird, monkey, lizard, pelican and even a killer whale. Ancient artisans also depicted plants, trees, flowers and oddly shaped fantastic figures, as well as geometric motifs, such as wavy lines, triangles, spirals and rectangles. How old are the Nazca Lines? The vast majority of the lines date from 200 B.C. to A.D. 500, to a time when a people referred to as the Nazca inhabited the region. The earliest lines, created with piled up stones, date as far back as 500 B.C. Who made the Nazca Lines? The Nazca people were an ancient prehistoric culture that was successful in using engineering techniques to bring underground water … [Read more...] about Nazca Lines: Mysterious geoglyphs in Peru
PS5 owners won’t get this set of free PS4 games for much longer
Further Reading We made a PlayStation Plus explainer that’s better than Sony’s [Updated] For over two years now, PlayStation Plus subscribers who owned a PS5 got access to the PlayStation Plus Collection , a set of 19 legacy PS4 games available for free download and play via the console's backward compatibility. This week, Sony announced that it will be ending this subscriber benefit in May. Current PS5 owners will have until then to redeem their free games, which will remain available on their account as long as they stay subscribed to any of PlayStation Plus' multiple tiers . Hundreds of legacy PS4 games are still available for download as part of the higher-end PlayStation Plus "Extra" and "Premium" tiers (starting at $14.99/month or $99.99/year). That list includes many of the titles that were part of the PlayStation Plus Collection, including almost all of Sony's first-party titles. But the PlayStation Plus Collection was also available at the cheapest "Essential" … [Read more...] about PS5 owners won’t get this set of free PS4 games for much longer
Apple’s iPhone, Mac Sales Fell During the Holidays Amid Supply Struggles
Apple's iPhone sales fell more than 8% to nearly $65.8 billion as people struggled to find the company's new iPhone 14 during the holiday shopping season, amid production slowdowns and other delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three months of Apple's fiscal first quarter, ending in December, were marked by strong demand but limited supplies for the company's latest smartphones, in particular its $999 iPhone 14 Pro series. Apple faced other challenges as well. Its Mac computer division too, including its MacBook laptops , reported sales fell nearly 29% to $7.7 billion. The company's wearables and accessories business also notched sales that dropped more than 8% to about $13.5 billion, despite Apple having introduced a new extreme sports-focused $799 Apple Watch Ultra . Apple CEO Tim Cook blamed several factors, including manufacturing delays, the fluctuating price of the US dollar across the world, and especially strong sales for its then-newly redesigned … [Read more...] about Apple’s iPhone, Mac Sales Fell During the Holidays Amid Supply Struggles
After Mass Layoffs, Zuckerberg Says Meta Focused on ‘Efficiency’
Facebook parent Meta had a rough 2022. The social media giant laid off thousands of workers , reported its first revenue drop and saw a decline in daily active users on Facebook . Now Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company is focusing heavily on efficiency in 2023 as it continues to invest in the metaverse and artificial intelligence. For the last 18 years, the social network has grown rapidly, but it's entering a new phase, Zuckerberg said. "It's very hard to really crank on efficiency while you're growing that quickly and I just think we're in a different environment now," he said during a call with analysts on Wednesday after Meta reported better-than-expected revenue in the fourth quarter. If the company becomes more efficient, he said, Meta will be able to do better product work and become a more fun place to work because employees will get more done. The focus shows how Meta is responding to economic uncertainty as advertisers pull back spending. Meta has … [Read more...] about After Mass Layoffs, Zuckerberg Says Meta Focused on ‘Efficiency’
Apple’s Pandemic Boom for iPhone and Mac Sales Hit a Snag
The tech industry was already large before the COVID-19 pandemic began upending lives around the world three years ago. But it continued to grow, as we all became ever more reliant on our smartphones, computers and videoconference calls. Now Apple is the latest tech giant to signal that this period of growth may be coming to an end. The company reported that sales of its most important product, the iPhone, fell more than 8%, to nearly $65.8 billion. The reason, Apple said, included several factors, such as the fluctuating price of the US dollar across the world and especially strong sales of its products in the prior year. But the real crunch came from COVID-19 shutdowns late last year across the Chinese manufacturing centers Apple relies on . The results led to protests in China , and supply shortages for Apple's iPhones, in particular its $999 iPhone 14 Pro series. Apple CEO Tim Cook said many of those manufacturing problems have been resolved, for now. All told, … [Read more...] about Apple’s Pandemic Boom for iPhone and Mac Sales Hit a Snag