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Apple events can sometimes fizzle out. Besides the ceremony of a new iPhone series each year, it’s a little harder to get excited for Macs and iPads with slightly better chips and minor design tweaks. We saw a splash of color and some redesigns in the last year, but this March event was packed with devices for elements of the Apple audience that aren’t always catered for. For them, this might be an important Apple reveal.

I say this in hushed tones as a phone guy, but the Mac Studio could be the standout. It’s a pro-level desktop built to showcase Apple’s most powerful chip, the new M1 Ultra. The company says its new desktop runs up to 60 percent faster than a Mac Pro with its 28-core Intel processor. Also, counter to some of its laptops, it’s filled with ports. There are four Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB-A ports, HDMI and 10Gbps Ethernet. Also! There’s an SD card slot and two additional USB-C connectors on the front of the computer. The bad news might be that it starts at $2,000, but it still isn’t quite the Mac Pro beast some creatives are waiting on. That's "for another day," according to Apple. Oh, and there’s a new display to go with it.

At the other end of the scale, the iPhone SE makes a return. And it’s still got a home button. This means it looks like its predecessor, mostly. However, it’s now got 5G (welcome to 2022) and an updated quad-core A15 Bionic processor — the same processor as Apple’s iPhone 13 series, but now in a phone that costs $429. Finally, Apple’s iPad Air also sticks to its 2020 redesign. It has a new front-facing camera sensor and, like the 2021 iPad Pro, features Apple’s M1 chip.

We go into finer detail below, or if you need a swift overview, we’ve pulled all the bullet points together right here.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Itch.io's $10 bundle with almost 1,000 games will benefit charities helping Ukraine

• Google is buying cybersecurity company Mandiant for $5.4 billion

• Apple discontinues the 27-inch iMac

• The new iPhone SE vs. the competition

• Apple's Mac Studio is a tiny pro-level desktop powered by M1 Ultra

• The new iPad Air gets a big performance boost with Apple’s M1 chip

• AMD vows to fix Ryzen chip stuttering issues on Windows with new update

The new iPhone SE adds 5G but keeps the home button

Apple's budget-friendly phone looks exactly like its predecessor.

Apple

As I mentioned in the intro, there are no major design shakeups here. The new iPhone SE is a more affordable version of the flagship range, now packing an A15 Bionic processor, some new camera tricks (despite the single lens) and a familiar home button. With the upgraded internals (including power efficiencies from iOS 15), Apple says we’ll see better battery life performance compared to the last model. The 4.7-inch screen is covered with what Apple calls the "toughest glass in a smartphone on both the front and back."

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Apple unveils its most powerful chip yet, the M1 Ultra

It's basically two M1 Max chips fused together.

Following the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple is adding a new member to the family: the M1 Ultra. The M1 Ultra is essentially two M1 Max chips put together, making it even better for intensive creative applications like video editing and 3D rendering. Apple says the M1 Max chips feature a die-to-die interconnect, dubbed UltraFusion, and its specs are basically what happens when you sandwich two M1 Max chips: the Ultra features a 20-core CPU (16 high-performance and 4 high-efficiency cores) and a 64-core GPU. Apple says it should offer up to eight times faster graphics than the original M1 chip.

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Apple announces the 27-inch 5K Studio Display for Mac Studio

It starts at $1,599.

Apple

As expected, Apple is adding a new display to its product lineup. The Apple Studio Display is a standalone monitor with a 5K retina panel with 14.7 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut coverage. It’s more for work, less for gaming, topping out at a 60Hz refresh rate. We’re sure Apple thinks it’d go really nicely with a new Mac Studio desktop.

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Gogoro unveils the first swappable solid-state EV battery

Electric scooters could deliver more range without bigger batteries.

Some Apple respite. Gogoro, best known for its scooters and charging stations, has announced what it claims is the world's first swappable solid-state EV battery. Using solid-state batteries, the lithium ceramic prototype is compatible with Gogoro's current scooters but should deliver a much higher capacity — the two companies are targeting 2.5kWh versus the 1.7kWh of existing hardware. The end result is greater range and improved safety.

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Eargo 6 review: Tiny hearing aids that don't scrimp on features

It’s closing in on the incumbents.

Engadget

In the world of hearing aids, Eargo stands out. The company operates more like a technology company than a slow, plodding medical-device provider — it has a rapid annual release cycle more similar to Apple, Samsung and the rest. In version 6, it’s added customizable sound profiles, as well as sound adjustment features to help make the Eargo better fit with your own hearing levels and preferences.

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You can get a Google Nest WiFi with one or two access points at a discount right now on Best Buy, Adorama and B&H. A two-pack bundle with the Nest router itself and a single access point will set you back $189 across all those websites. That's only $10 more than its price during Google's pre-Black Friday sale last year and $80 less than its retail price of $269. 

The three-pack Google Nest WiFi is also on sale for $249 at the moment. That's $100 off for the bundle that typically costs $349, which includes the router and two access points. Google's Nest WiFi router has a range of around 2,200 square feet, and each point adds 1,600 square feet to that. You'll definitely want to grab a multipack instead of a lone router if you have a big, multi-story house.

We gave the Google Nest WiFi router a score of 84 in our review, where we praised it for being simple to install and use. It barely requires any setup, and its wireless radios are twice as powerful as the ones inside the old Google WiFi router. We also praised both the router and the access points for having unobtrusive designs that wouldn't clash with most home decor. 

The access points don't just boost the router's range, as well. They also work as speakers with built-in Google Assistant that you can use to issue voice commands. While we found that it can't quite replace a proper speaker when we tested it, its sound quality was no different from a standalone Google Home Mini. The router and its access points don't support WiFi 6, which could be a dealbreaker if you're looking for something that'll last for the next few years or so. But in all, we found the Google Nest WiFi devices fast and reliable with a painless setup process that's certainly a plus. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

HBO is facing a class action lawsuit over allegations that it gave subscribers' viewing history to Facebook without proper permission, Variety has reported. The suit accuses HBO of providing Facebook with customer lists, allowing the social network to match viewing habits with their profiles. 

It further alleges that HBO knows Facebook can combine the data because HBO is a major Facebook advertiser — and Facebook can then use that information to retarget ads to its subscribers. Since HBO never received proper customer consent to do this, it allegedly violated the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), according to the lawsuit.

HBO, like other sites, discloses to users that it (and partners) use cookies to deliver personalized ads. However, the VPPA requires separate consent from users to share their video viewing history. "A standard privacy policy will not suffice," according to the suit. 

Other streaming providers have been hit with similar claims, and TikTok recently agreed to pay a $92 million settlement for (in part) violating the VPPA. In another case, however, a judge ruled in 2015 that Hulu didn't knowingly share data with Facebook that could establish an individual's viewing history. The law firm involved in the HBO suit previously won a $50 million settlement with Hearst after alleging that it violated Michigan privacy laws by selling subscriber data. 

Facebook has updated its Community Help section in Ukraine to add resources from local UN and Red Cross agencies. The information Facebook has added will make it easier for users to find medical help and other kinds of assistance not just in Ukraine, but also in neighboring countries. In addition, Community Help now contains the WhatsApp helpline for Ukraine's State Emergency Services to connect people with critical updates and vital services.

To make sure that people who need it can quickly access the section, Facebook is putting a link to Community Help at the top of its feeds for Ukrainain users, even if they've already left the country. The link will also appear at the top of the results for relevant searches on Facebook, as well as at the top of users' Instagram feeds. 

Facebook has updated its Emotional Health Center, as well, adding mental health tips (such as how to support children during a crisis) from the WHO and other organizations in Ukrainian, Russian and English. Users in Ukraine might also start seeing more ads connecting them to organizations providing aid, because Facebook is giving those groups access to free ad campaigns to get critical messaging out to those who need it. The World Health Organization, for instance, has put out ads promoting information on breastfeeding for displaced mothers. 

Finally, those who need to get in touch with the WHO's Health Alert helpline for mental health in Ukraine and neighboring countries can add the number +41 79 893 18 92 to their WhatsApp contacts. They simply have to message "hi" to that number to get the process started. 

Facebook made several other moves over the past couple of weeks in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The social network previously demoted Russian state media across its entire platform and took down fake accounts boosting Russian information in Ukraine shortly after the attacks started. It also enabled a "lock profile" tool for people in Ukraine, giving them a one-click solution to ensure that nobody outside their friends list can see their posts, photos and information. 

In the Internet age, nothing is gone forever, and everything can be resurrected time and again as an easy way to sell products. Sadly, whatever residual affection our parents’ generation had for brands like Polaroid and Atari has been strip-mined to sell, well, whatever their new owners choose. Consequently, it’s time for a newer, fresher name to return from the dust and remind everyone over the age of 34 that our childhoods are now something that people can feel nostalgia towards. Oh, and apropos of nothing, LimeWire is coming back as an NFT marketplace.

In May, LimeWire is relaunching as a “mainstream-ready, digital collectibles marketplace for art and entertainment, initially focusing on music.” Its backers believe that it will be a place for artists and fans to create and sell digital trinkets without the “technical hurdles of the current NFT landscape.” It is hoping to partner with a raft of high-profile musicians in the hope of spreading word about LimeWire’s resurrection in the hope of getting a million willing buyers signed up before the first year is done.

The phrase of the day is ensuring that “NFT newbies” are well catered-for, offering easy signup, pricing in US dollars and a lack of any crypto-based gatekeeping. Users will be able to buy straight from their credit cards (or any other regular money) via Wyre’s payment platform, which is also used by OpenSea. The company added that it is working with “top-tier artists” from the music world who will create content for the platform and also open lines of communication with willing fans.

LimeWire’s resurrection is being handled by Julian and Paul Zehetmayr, who are also both co-CEOs of the company. The Zehetmayrs are the figures behind Eversign, as well as b2b-software companies Currencylayer and Stack Holdings. Julian, in a statement, said that “it’s important to note that we are not relaunching LimeWire as an alternative to streaming platforms, but rather as an additional channel for artists to sell exclusive music and art directly to collectors.”

Of course, it’s not clear if the folks who really loved LimeWire had much affection for the platform itself back in the day. After all, LimeWire’s ability to let you illegally pirate music from your friends and enemies came with the added inclusion of some spyware. But with LimeWire back and Napster lurking in the background as some sort of VR thing these days, maybe we can club together to get Kazaa revived so we can once again feel the delight at hearing Corky and the Juice Pigs’ Eskimo Song even though we’d tried to download the Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way.

Amazon is known for its heavy use of gig workers, but it's reversing that calculus a bit of late, according to a letter to contractors seen by CNBC. The company has offered Whole Foods jobs to a number of its grocery "shoppers," who pick products from shelves to help fulfill delivery orders. 

"To help continue to offer the best experience for our team and customers, we are transitioning online grocery-fulfillment operations currently operated by Amazon to Whole Foods Market by the end of the year,” the letter reads. "This transition will happen slowly for the majority of stores." A spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that shoppers would become Whole Foods employees by the end of 2022.

The jobs don't offer the benefits seen by Amazon's warehouse employees or full-time Whole Foods employees, like medical benefits and 401K contributions. In fact, workers would appear to get longer shifts, less flexibility, and keep their existing status levels and pay rates — but there would be some opportunities for promotion, according to a job listing. 

Amazon said that it's aiming to "create a more unified team culture," with the changes. It is promising flexibility, but schedules would be made up to three weeks in advance and cover two-week periods. By contrast, gig shoppers can currently work "as little as four hours per week" and have "shift flexibility," according to a recent job posting.

Amazon recently announced that it was closing all of its bookstores, pop-up shops and 4-star stores in a shift in its retail strategy. It's not clear why it's shifting shopper contractors to Whole Foods employment, but not all workers are happy. "This is supposed to be a side gig for a lot of people," a gig worker told CNBC in an email. "If there are changes in terms of shift scheduling/length, I can easily see a lot of people leaving."

Rivian is facing a shareholder lawsuit after raising the price of its electric pickup and SUV and subsequently reversing course, Protocol has reported. The action alleges that Rivian failed to disclose that it would hike the base price of its vehicles by around $12,000, nor the potential damages that would cause. An individual shareholder brought the complaint, but is seeking class-action status.

On March 1st, Rivian unveiled the higher pricing that applied to everyone except those who placed the earliest orders, including most reservation holders. The company did give potential buyers another option, as it also introduced dual-motor versions of the R1T and R1S EVs, with both starting at the original $67,500 and $72,500 prices. However, neither of those vehicles will be available until 2024, and both will have smaller "standard" battery packs that deliver less range than the large packs (260 instead of 310 miles).

Two days later, the company reversed the price increases. Anyone who reserved before March 1st will pay the original price, and those who cancelled because of the increase can reinstate their orders with the same price and delivery date. The company's CEO RJ Scaringe also apologized. "I have made a lot of mistakes since starting Rivian more than 12 years ago, but this one has been the most painful," he said. "I am truly sorry and committed to rebuilding your trust."

Rivian gained a massive $10.7 billion in funding with investors including Ford and Amazon, which owns the largest stake (22 percent). The company went public via a regular IPO and not a SPAC merger. It had a "blockbuster debut," according to CNBC, with an initial valuation of $86 billion. Early reviews of the R1T electric pickup, including by Engadget, have been positive. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is preparing a bill in response to fears that Russian nationals may be using cryptocurrency to evade sanctions. The draft legislation, first reported by NBC, would require banks and other financial institutions to both identify customers and transfers to private wallets, and regularly report information to the Treasury Department. But crypto firms insist that there’s no evidence of sanctions evasion on their exchanges.

“Criminals can use cryptocurrency to move money in the shadows, opening a door for Putin & his cronies to evade economic sanctions,”Warren wrote in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. “I want answers from @USTreasury on how they'll ensure crypto doesn’t undermine our response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”

While the bill’s text hasn’t been released yet, NBC reports that one of the provisions is identical to a proposed Treasury Department rule that requires banks to regularly identify suspicious transactions that it believes is linked to sanctions evasion. If passed, the legislation would codify the rule.

Lawmakers are worried that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control lacks the muscle to hunt down crypto criminals. A letter by Warren and three other Senate Democrats asks the Treasury Department to list ways it plans to counter sanctions evasions through crypto platforms, including how it plans to work with foreign governments. The senators also detailed the methods they suspect Russians are using to skirt sanctions, including using the dark web to move funds, ransomware attacks and the Bank of Russia’s new digital ruble.

In the wake of 9/11, the passage of the PATRIOT Act required banks and financial institutions to adopt customer identification programs. Requiring banks to disclose suspicious transactions into private crypto wallets is not without precedent, even if it’s disagreeable to some parties.

The cryptocurrency industry, which largely views anonymity (or at least lack of government intervention) as one of its central tenets, understandably is less than enthusiastic. While Coinbase, Binance and Kraken are cooperating with government officials to make sure individuals targeted by sanctions aren’t using their platforms, they have refused to ban Russian accounts altogether.

Crypto platforms also argue that widespread Russian sanctions evasion simply isn’t happening. One example: Coinbase recently announced that it blocked 25,000 crypto addresses it believed to belong to Russians engaging in illegal activity, but also added that it identified the majority of them before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, the Coinbase said it didn’t notice a surge of new illicit activity following sanctions on Russia.

Blockchain data platform Chainalysis noted a considerable tick in crypto transactions using the Russian ruble and the Ukrainian hryvnia in the last week of February, just as Russia advanced on Ukraine. Still, the platform was quick to point out that the surge in potentially illicit trading could also be due to average Ukrainian and Russians buying crypto in order to preserve their savings while both fiat currencies lose value.

Another important internet player is changing its relationship with Russia due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Over the weekend, Amazon quietly stopped accepting new Amazon Web Services customers in Russia and Belarus, as first reported by The New York Times. The company announced the change in an update on Tuesday to a blog post it published last week.

“Given the current events and the uncertainty and lack of credit available in Russia right now, we’re not accepting new Russian AWS customers at this moment,” a spokesperson for Amazon told the outlet.

In practice, the move is unlikely to have a major impact on Russia. That’s because Amazon already had an existing policy in place that saw it not do business with the Russian government. It also doesn’t have any data centers or offices in Russia. Additionally, of its biggest AWS customers in the country, Amazon notes most are multinational companies with local development teams.

Still, the decision sees yet another major US tech company distance itself from the country. In recent days, Cogent Communications and Lumen, two of the largest American backbone internet providers, pulled out of Russia. That’s a move that’s expected to disrupt and slow down internet connectivity in the country. 

Apple unveiled a new standalone monitor—the $1599 Studio Display—that includes your choice of either a tilt-adjustable stand or a VESA wall mount adaptor. But for $400 more, you can purchase a fancier tilt and height-adjustable version of that stand. In the Apple universe, a 5K retina display monitor and stand aimed at the consumer market priced just shy of $2000 is a steal. Be forewarned: If you're partial to non-reflective surfaces, shooting for nano-texture glass on the Studio Display is another additional $300. 

Even hardcore Apple enthusiasts balked at the Pro Display XDR the company released in 2019, which started at $4,999, not including $999 for the (optional) stand. Back then, we called the smooth, elegantly designed accessory “an expensive gadget no one needs”. It’s due to this type of conditioning that a $400 metal stand— even though it’s roughly the same price as a new iPad with 128 GB of storage or an Apple Watch Series 7—still seems like a bargain. It’s definitely not.

For consumers who opt not to purchase the $400 stand, the stand included with the Studio Display is still tilt-adjustable. If you want to save some desk space, mounting your Studio Display is another good option. But for those who struggle with eye strain or are using a standing desk, a height-adjustable stand is non-negotiable.

Those still recovering from sticker shock induced by the $400 Studio Display stand should also remember the cost of wheels for the Apple Mac Pro, which will set you back $699. Once again, this new mount feels like a relative bargain.