News items you should check out: Oct. 26

Since I can’t cover everything, I’ll often direct your attention to articles from various other sources worth your time.

° From PCMag: PCMag hardware analyst, Tom Brant, runs hands-on tests with Apple’s new MacBook Pros. The 14-inch and 16-inch models are truly impressive with the M1 chips, but their “workstation” power best suits content creators, and is not necessary for everyone.

° From The Information: Apple so far has avoided the worst outcome in its U.S. legal battle with Epic Games, but its antitrust woes remain. In the last several months the U.S. Department of Justice has accelerated its two-year-old antitrust probe of the iPhone maker, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation, increasing the likelihood of a lawsuit.

° From AppleInsider: Customers who ordered third-generation AirPods are beginning to see their orders ship out ahead of the accessory’s official launch on Oct. 26.

° From MacRumors: The Apple TV 4K set-top box will launch in Korea on November 4 in tandem with the availability of the company’s TV+ video streaming service.

° From DigiTimes: Ennostar and Taiwan Asia Semiconductor (TAS, formerly Opto Tech) are developing short-wavelength (over 1,000nm) infrared (IR) LED devices for use in biosensing including heart rates, SpO2, blood glucose, and expect such devices to be use in smart wearables such as the Apple Watch.

° From MacVoices Live!: In a wide-ranging conversation, Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus provides some thoughts on how Apple has come through the pandemic, how augmented reality and virtual reality might affect our lives, and how business is evolving from both the human and tech standpoints. He also offers some advice to young people who are starting to enter the working world…and it might surprise you. (Part 1)