Apple is opening a new development base in Israel to develop new Apple silicon chips for future Macs. Elad Wertheimer, who oversees Apple’s chip talent recruitment, made the announcement in a LinkedIn post. According to Wertheimer, Apple’s new development base will be involved in several Israeli-led flagship projects, including cutting-edge “future Mac chips“. Apple already operates two R&D bases in Herzliya and Haifa, Israel. Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technology, Johny Srouji, is from Israel and was responsible for establishing the Israel Development Center. At the moment, the centre employs about 2,000 people.
Johny Srouji said last month: “Through Israel’s development, Apple manages and simplifies data storage technology in a range of devices, including the Apple Watch’s wireless communication components, and integrated circuits developed in Israel. The Israeli team is also developing the company. It plays a central role in advanced versions of the flagship M1 chip, including the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips designed to power high-end Mac computers such as the MacBook Pro and MacBook Studio. The manufacturing of these Mac chips will take place in Isreal. The company will also collaborate with other teams around the world, including Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino.”
Since 2011, Apple has significantly expanded its presence in Israel, focusing on semiconductor design, testing and engineering. Earlier this year, The Times of Israel reported that Apple’s Israeli team directly supports the development of the M1 chip.
Israel will build the country’s first quantum computer with an investment of over $60 million
According to Israeli media, CTech, the Israel Innovation Authority and the Israeli Ministry of Defense – Defense Research and Development Agency (IMOD DDR&D) will fund the establishment of Israel’s first quantum computer with a budget of about NIS 200 million (about $63 million dollars).
Investments in quantum computers will be in two parallel and complementary directions. The Israel Innovation Authority will focus on building and developing quantum computing infrastructure. This will be for running computations directly or via cloud access and primarily for optimization purposes. Initially, in order to build and operate the infrastructure, some overseas technology may be used. IMOD DDR&D will establish a national centre with quantum capabilities. The centre will work with academia, industry, and all national research and development infrastructure (TELEM).
Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki has revealed that the company’s efforts in making a full-frame Foveon sensor are on track to be finished by the end of the year.
In an interview published on Sigma’s YouTube Channel, spotted by Mirrorless Rumors, Yamaki was asked if there is any news on the progress of the sensor’s development since the update provided earlier this year.
“We are still working on it, and now we are working on the prototype of the three-layer X3 sensor,” he responds. “This sensor should be available sometime this year.”
Yamaki and Sigma have previously said that the process of making a full-frame Foveon sensor has been difficult, and he reiterates that here.
“The Foveon X3 sensor is not a very versatile sensor,” Yamaki says. “There are some ‘cons’ like performance in low light, but if there is a good amount of light, that camera can create very beautiful and impressive photos.”
Foveon’s Troubled Development History
Sigma’s Foveon sensors use a proprietary three-layer structure in which red, green, and blue pixels each have their own full layer. In traditional sensors, the three pixels share a single layer in a mosaic arrangement and the camera “fills in” missing colors by examining neighboring pixels.
Since each pixel of a photo is recorded in three colors, the resulting photo should be sharper with better color accuracy and fewer artifacts.
But Sigma has been struggling to bring a full-frame Foveon sensor to market for years. Originally announced in September of 2018, the full-frame Foveon sensor has seen multiple delays. IN February of 2020, the company announced that the development had been sent “back to the drawing board” and delayed for an unspecified amount of time.
A year later, Yamaki revealed that the sensor had been delayed again and could not go into mass production due to a critical flaw.
In February of 2022, SIgma announced that it had reached the second of three stages in prototyping the sensor and said that if stage three went well, it could start to verify its mass producibility.
“When we proceed to Stage 3, we will verify the mass-producibility of the sensor with research institutes and manufacturing vendors based on the evaluation results, and then make a final decision on whether or not to mass-produce the image sensor,” Yamaki said at the time.
“Although we have not yet reached the stage where we can announce a specific schedule for the mass production of the image sensor, we are determined to do our best to realize a camera that will truly please our customers who are waiting for it, as soon as possible.”
Yamaki’s new statements and 2022 timeline seem to indicate that the company has successfully completed that third stage, renewing hope that the full-frame Foveon sensor will see the light of day.
Adobe has released a free 140-page “Best Practices & Workflow Guide” for Premiere Pro. Adobe’s editing software has continued its steady rise and has been one of the de-facto industry standard for years. More recently, Adobe has added features like Productions, Multi-Camera-Editing and integrations with cloud services like Frame.io, making the software all the more compelling for larger production houses. Does the “Best Practices & Workflow Guide” give a comprehensive enough overview? Let’s find out!
Adobe has indeed done a solid job in its stewardship of Premiere Pro. Turning back time to the film-to-digital transition, the industry seemed to be firmly divided between Final Cut Pro editors and Avid Media Composer(s) ruling major production houses.
After Final Cut’s very divisive version 10 release and Avid’s years of arguably over-conservative handling of updates to Media Composer, Premiere Pro, at that time still the underdog, began to gain ground.
The best Premiere Pro course was recently released
Nowadays, we face a different landscape. Despite a minor resurgence of usage in the Final-Cut-camp and Avid still being used in very complex production workflows, Premiere Pro has taken over parts of the industry. Of course, there are other solutions out there, such as DaVinci Resolve (version 18 just went final) and others, but Premiere Pro still seems to be quite popular amongst filmmakers and editors.
Due to its integration into Adobe’s Creative Cloud, packaging and integration with After Effects and the addition of new features like the already mentioned Productions, everything ranging from the one-person so called “preditors” (producer-editors), to productions like Paramount Pictures’ “Terminator: Dark Fate” and A24’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once” seem to be using Premiere Pro.
Behind The Scenes for Premiere’s Productions feature being used on “Terminator: Dark Fate”. Source: Adobe.
The latter two productions were even involved in battle-testing an early version of the feature. But the addition of ever more features has also seen Premiere Pro become more complex. That is where the new “Best Practices & Workflow Guide” for Premiere Pro comes in.
The New “Best Practices & Workflow Guide”
The “Best Practices & Workflow Guide” aims to provide a comprehensive overview over the ins and outs of Premiere Pro’s current workings. The full title adds “For Long Form and Episodic Post Production”. All those new features that have been added over the years, might necessitate some editors to update their workflows and offer chances at improving their efficiency.
Sample from the guide, showing how to work with Productions. Source: Adobe.
Apart from the Productions feature, it goes into much detail in regard to other key topics including hardware and settings, dailies and proxy workflows, Multi-Camera editing, Dynamic Link with After Effects, Turnovers, as well as cloud workflows with for example Frame.io and more.
Additionally, Adobe’s video evangelist Jason Levine will be giving an inside look into the “Best Practices & Workflow Guide” in his livestream series in August 2022 on his channel.
What do you think about Adobe’s guide? Does it provide real value to you, or would you rather try to learn the new features on your own? Do you think Adobe’s guide will become a new best practices standard? Let us know in the comments!
Fibre-optic cables could be used to eavesdrop on people over half a mile away by detecting changes in light that occur when they speak, a new study shows.
Researchers in China have developed a system that picks up sound at one end of a fibre-optic cable and transmits the audio at the other end.
Fibre-optic cables use pulses of light to transmit data and are used to deliver full fibre broadband to people's homes.
But they're sensitive to changes in environmental pressure, which could be caused by acoustic waves, such as sound from someone speaking – a potential security risk.
The new study was conducted by researchers at Tsinghua University, Beijing and published on the pre-print server arXiv.
'Optical fibre networks are widely deployed all over the world, which not only facilitates data transmission but also provides an opportunity to obtain additional information,' they say in their paper.
WHAT ARE FIBRE OPTIC CABLES?
Fibre optic cables involve tiny tubes that are about as thick as a human hair and are reflective on the inside.
They transfer information by sending flashes of light through the tubes.
This bounces off the reflective walls and along the cable.
These flashes of data are then received and interpreted at the other end.
'These applications of optical fibre networks, including earthquake detection, urban traffic flow monitoring, underground geological structure exploration, have positive impacts on people’s production and life.
'However, it also brings some potential security problems, which should be considered carefully.'
One type of broadband network architecture using optical fibre is known as fibre to the premises (FTTP).
As the name suggests, this is where fibre-optic cables run all the way to a premises, whether it be a house, flat building or office.
According to the current layout mode of FTTP, fibre up to several meters will be installed in residents' homes.
But sound signals could be modulated onto the light wave that the fibre transmits, without installing any additional equipment in the resident's home.
This would allow other people to eavesdrop and recover them at remote places along the fibre link.
'Optical fibres are very sensitive to vibration,' Luc Thévenaz at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, who wasn't involved in the study, told New Scientist.
'So any fibre placed in a building is actually a sort of microphone that can tap any kind of conversation.'
For their study, the Chinese team created a system that detects changes in light that occur when someone speaks near optical fibre.
The system picks up sound at one end of the fibre and emits sound at the other end, based on changes in the transmitted light.
In lab experiments, the audio at the end wasn't perfectly clear, but it could be made easier to understand with existing computer speech enhancement methods, the researchers claim.
They say the eavesdropping method requires 'complicated equipment and strict conditions', but add that 'secret stealing behaviour will always done regardless of cost'.
Such a method could be disastrous for company headquarters fitted with fibre optics, as they could have confidential information leaked from snooped conversations.
The researchers have suggested several ways to prevent eavesdropping, including materials such as metal and glass to coat the fibre, which would reduce changes in light caused by sound.
FIBRE OPTIC TECHNOLOGY: A PRIMER
Everywhere on Earth, hair-thin optical fibres carry large amounts of information from different places.
Optical fibres are a technology that uses glass or plastic threads (fibres) to transmit data.
A fibre optic cable comprises a bundle of these threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulate onto light waves.
Fibre optics enable more information to be carried due to some of its properties which include low cost, immunity from disturbances that can affect electrical wires and wireless communication systems, and the fact that they are much thinner an lighter than metal wires.
Optical fibres have played an important role in the rapid growth of world-wide communications in the last 25 years, and are important in enabling the growth of the internet.
One type of broadband network architecture using optical fibre is known as fibre to the premises (FTTP).
As the name suggests, this is where fibre-optic cables run all the way to a premises, whether it be a house, flat building or office.
According to the current layout mode of FTTP, fibre up to several meters will be installed in residents' homes.
Full-fibre broadband, which offers speeds of up to 1000Mbps (megabits per second), allows for better quality video calls and higher resolution movie streaming.
Full-fibre broadband is currently available to around one quarter of Brits but it will take at least two decades before it reaches every home in the UK.
Full fibre means that the fibre optic connection goes all the way to the property, rather then just to the local telephone exchange, with copper cable completing the 'last mile' connection.
Full fibre will provide the fastest broadband speeds to date – around one gigabit per second (Gbps) – capable of downloading TV shows or movies in seconds.
According to Broadband Compared, 25Mbps is the minimum download speed for steaming a 4K movie on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
We have found a great selection of deals for you today, and we start over at Amazon.com, where the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED Ultra Slim 2-in-1 Laptop is receiving an 11 percent discount, which brings it down to a more affordable $1,020 price tag, which will let you save $130 if you choose to buy one.
This will get you a new convertible laptop with a 13.3-inch OLED FHD touch display, an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB storage space, and other great features.
However, you can also head over to eBay, where you will find a cool deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14 that’s receiving a 21 percent discount, which leaves it available for $1,100. This model will get you a larger 14-inch FHD display with 144Hz refresh rates, an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 512GB storage space, 16GB RAM, a potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, and $300 savings.
And if you don’t need that much power, you can also check out the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook that comes with a 13.3-inch OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon SC7180 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, Qualcomm Adreno Graphics, and a $385 price tag. This model usually arrives with a $430 price tag, which means that you will be scoring around 45 savings.
ASUS ZenBook Flip S13
The ASUS ZenBook Flip S13 comes with a 13.3-inch 4K touchscreen, an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and other great features
Mac Studio
Source: Apple
Next up, we head over to Expercom, where we have found some cool savings on the Apple Mac Studio. This powerful Mac comes with Apple’s M1 Max processor with a 10-core CPU and a 24-core GPU, 32GB unified memory, and 512GB storage space for $1,849 after a $150 discount. This model isn’t the only one getting some love, as you can also get yours with a 32-core GPU if you’re willing to pay $2,090, but you will also get 32GB RAM, 512GB storage, and $109.95 savings.
And if you’re interested in a more portable option, remember that Apple’s M1-powered MacBook Air is still selling for $900 on its 256GB storage option. However, if you’re lucky, you may still find the 512GB storage model in Space Gray selling for $941. These models pack 8GB RAM and more than enough power to handle a decent workload.
Mac Studio
Apple’s Mac Studio is a remarkably compact powerhouse that will take on anything you may want to throw at it. It comes with an Apple M1 Max or an M1 Ultra chip, making it one of the most potent Macs on the market.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Source: Sony
Next on our list, we have the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Headphones that are now available for $259 after scoring a 35 percent discount that translates to $140.99 savings. This killer deal comes with a catch, as you won’t be getting a brand new pair of headphones. Instead, you would be receiving a pair of refurbished headphones, which means that you would still manage to receive the same great audio quality with a little extra love. Just remember that eBay’s refurbished products will work like new and show minimal, if any, signs of wear. You will also get all standard accessories which will be placed in non-retail packaging to safeguard their condition better.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 features a refined design and audio hardware that promises more detailed audio partnered with Noise Canceling performance that's hard to beat!
Logitech G920 Driving Force Racing
Source: Logitech
Entering the gaming section of our deals selection, we have spotted some great savings on the Logitech G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel and Floor Pedals, which are now available for $289. This product doesn’t seem to include any kind of special savings. However, you must know that it’s usually found selling for $347, which means that you would be taking advantage of a very compelling 36 percent discount. The best part is that the Logitech G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel and Floor Pedals is compatible with the latest Xbox models, your PC or Mac, and it features real force feedback, stainless steel paddle shifters, leather steering wheel cover, and more.
The Logitech G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel and Floor Pedals is compatible with the Xbox Series S|X, PC, or Mac, and it features real force feedback, stainless steel paddle shifters, leather steering wheel cover, and more.
HyperX Cloud Stinger
Source: HyperX
Finally, one of today’s best deals comes as the HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset, which now sells for $30 after receiving a $20 discount on its Black color option. This model features a lightweight design with comfortable memory foam, making it perfect for prolonged gaming sessions. And the best part is that it is compatible with your PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Mobile.
You can also choose to spend a bit more on your gaming headphones and try the ASTRO Gaming A40 TR Wired Headset that now sells for $100 after scoring a more compelling $50 discount that represents 33 percent savings. Or check out the Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 Performance Gaming Headset that currently sells for $60, which will get you an insane 54 percent discount, as it usually sells for $130.
HyperX Cloud Stinger
The HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset features a lightweight design with comfortable memory foam, making it perfect for prolonged gaming sessions.
Laptops and backpacks may dominate back to school shopping, but student discounts on streaming services can also help you save money. Some of the best streaming services like Hulu and Prime Video offer compelling student discounts on streaming services that can knock up to 75% off the price of a full subscription.
Each streaming provider will have its own criteria for student eligibility, but most of the time, any student with an edu-based email address can qualify. Many of these discounts are valid for as long as you're enrolled, so it's easy for the savings to add up over time.
One of the best student discounts on streaming services comes courtesy of Amazon. The e-comm giant offers a free 6-month Amazon Prime trial if you're a student(opens in new tab). In addition to fast delivery, Amazon Prime Student includes access to Prime Video, Amazon Music Prime, and Prime Gaming. After your trial period is up, you can cancel or opt to pay $7.49/month or $69/year. That's half the price of a traditional Prime membership.
To help you save on your entertainment, we've rounded up the best student discounts on streaming services you can get right now. If you or your parents are already paying for these services, make sure to cancel them and sign up again via the student discount.
Best student discounts on streaming services
Student discounts on streaming services comparison
Student discounts on streaming services
Regular Price (monthly)
Student Price (monthly)
Free trial
Amazon Prime
$14.99
$7.49
6 months
Hulu
$6.99
$1.99
No
Spotify
$21.98
$4.99
1 month
Paramount Plus
$4.99
$3,74
7 days
YouTube Premium
$11.99
$6.99
1 month
Apple Music
$9.99
$5.99
1 month
What to know about student discounts on streaming services
Eligibility: Practically all streaming services will require that you prove your eligibility before you can sign up for their student services. A lot of times, you'll need to verify your student eligibility via a third party service such as SheerID. These services require that you enroll in an accredited, Title IV higher education institution (college or university).
Duration: Some services require that you verify your student eligibility every 12 months. Other student plans will last for a duration of four years only.
Beware of add-ons: All student discounts on streaming services offer generous savings. However, be careful of adding on too many discounted services to your student plan. Amazon Prime Student, for instance, lets you add Prime Video channels for $1/month.
Which services don't offer student discounts?
Disney Plus, Netflix, and HBO Max are three of the biggest streaming services that don't offer student discounts. Likewise, Sling TV once offered a student discount, but has since discontinued its student program. Make sure to follow our Sling TV deals coverage for other ways to save on your Sling subscription. Alternatively, check out our guides to this week's best Hulu promo codes and Peacock TV promo codes.
Laptops and backpacks may dominate back to school shopping, but student discounts on streaming services can also help you save money. Some of the best streaming services like Hulu and Prime Video offer compelling student discounts on streaming services that can knock up to 75% off the price of a full subscription.
Each streaming provider will have its own criteria for student eligibility, but most of the time, any student with an edu-based email address can qualify. Many of these discounts are valid for as long as you're enrolled, so it's easy for the savings to add up over time.
One of the best student discounts on streaming services comes courtesy of Amazon. The e-comm giant offers a free 6-month Amazon Prime trial if you're a student(opens in new tab). In addition to fast delivery, Amazon Prime Student includes access to Prime Video, Amazon Music Prime, and Prime Gaming. After your trial period is up, you can cancel or opt to pay $7.49/month or $69/year. That's half the price of a traditional Prime membership.
To help you save on your entertainment, we've rounded up the best student discounts on streaming services you can get right now. If you or your parents are already paying for these services, make sure to cancel them and sign up again via the student discount.
Best student discounts on streaming services
Student discounts on streaming services comparison
Student discounts on streaming services
Regular Price (monthly)
Student Price (monthly)
Free trial
Amazon Prime
$14.99
$7.49
6 months
Hulu
$6.99
$1.99
No
Spotify
$21.98
$4.99
1 month
Paramount Plus
$4.99
$3,74
7 days
YouTube Premium
$11.99
$6.99
1 month
Apple Music
$9.99
$5.99
1 month
What to know about student discounts on streaming services
Eligibility: Practically all streaming services will require that you prove your eligibility before you can sign up for their student services. A lot of times, you'll need to verify your student eligibility via a third party service such as SheerID. These services require that you enroll in an accredited, Title IV higher education institution (college or university).
Duration: Some services require that you verify your student eligibility every 12 months. Other student plans will last for a duration of four years only.
Beware of add-ons: All student discounts on streaming services offer generous savings. However, be careful of adding on too many discounted services to your student plan. Amazon Prime Student, for instance, lets you add Prime Video channels for $1/month.
Which services don't offer student discounts?
Disney Plus, Netflix, and HBO Max are three of the biggest streaming services that don't offer student discounts. Likewise, Sling TV once offered a student discount, but has since discontinued its student program. Make sure to follow our Sling TV deals coverage for other ways to save on your Sling subscription. Alternatively, check out our guides to this week's best Hulu promo codes and Peacock TV promo codes.
