Apple made much ado of its redesigned MacBook Pro's creative prowess during its "Unleashed" event, and it's updating its flagship media editing software to take full advantage of the improved hardware. The company has released new versions of Final Cut Pro (10.6) and Logic Pro (10.7) that make the most of the M1 Pro and M1 Max, particularly in video processing and machine learning. FCP editors can play up to seven streams of 8K ProRes at once, and export in the format over five times faster — no mean feat for a laptop, as Apple was keen to point out. You can even color-grade 8K HDR footage using only the MacBook Pro's built-in screen.

There's also a new Object Tracker you can use to link animated effects to faces and objects. You can easily edit Cinematic Mode video from the iPhone 13 series, too. Motion now renders visual effects work up to two times faster, and can play two 8K video streams at five times the previous frame rate. Compressor, meanwhile, transcodes HEVC video up to twice as fast, and ProRes up to ten times as quickly. And if you live in Canon's world, you can transcode Cinema RAW Light videos to other formats for the first time. There's even a Watch Folders feature that will automatically encode content when it reaches a given folder — helpful for streamlining a workflow, particularly among teams.

The Logic Pro update, meanwhile, is focused on spatial audio creation — just in time for the new AirPods, of course. New mixers, panners and plugins let you author Dolby Atmos tracks, and the new MacBook Pros can use their added performance to create particularly advanced mixes. The music editing tool now comes bundled with the Producer Packs you saw in GarageBand, too, so you can integrate royalty-free beats and samples from the likes of Boys Noize, Mark Ronson and Trakgirl.

Both updates are free for existing users. Final Cut Pro normally costs $300 for new users, with Motion and Compressor costing $50 each. Logic Pro is priced at $200. The upgrades make the most sense if you're deeply invested in ProRes or intend to publish on Apple Music. Still, it's easy to see the appeal, at least for FCP. You could quickly turn around certain video projects using only your MacBook Pro, even if you're working primarily with 8K footage.

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Apple thinks it has a simple way to boost Apple Music adoption: limit control in return for a lower fee. The company has introduced an Apple Music Voice Plan that offers access to the full catalog for just $5 per month, so long as you're willing to rely solely on voice assistant control. It's pitched as ideal for HomePod owners and others who are more likely to use Siri than tap their phone.

The new tier will be available later in the fall in 17 countries, including the US and Canada.

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Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

Apple's second event of the fall is about to begin, and like before you can tune in to see it unfold. The company will offer a live stream of its "Unleashed" event starting at 1PM Eastern. It's available below, but you can also watch through Apple's website, the Apple TV app or the company's YouTube channel. Engadget will also have an after-event stream on YouTube with insightful commentary and a dash of witty banter.

Many expect the event to have one main star: a redesigned MacBook Pro lineup with 14- and 16-inch mini-LED screens, new Apple Silicon and the return of favorite connectors like MagSafe, HDMI and an SD slot. You can expect to hear more about macOS Monterey's release date, too. There's also a chance Apple will introduce third-generation AirPods, other Mac upgrades (such as a high-spec Mac mini) and new or expanded services. No matter what, you'll probably get a surprise or two.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

If Facebook is going to become a "metaverse company," it's going to need talent — and more of that talent is on the horizon. The social network has unveiled plans to add 10,000 "high-skilled" jobs across the European Union over five years to build its virtual and augmented reality experiences. The recruiting drive will hire workers in countries including France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain.

Facebook characterized the move as a "vote of confidence" in the European tech sector. It has a large customer base, of course, but the social media company also pointed to bleeding-edge teams in multiple fields as well as "first class" university education. Facebook even touted the EU's "leading" policies on issues like freedom of speech, privacy and transparency despite the firm's run-ins with regulators.

The tech giant already has a Reality Labs office in Cork, Ireland, and has opened an AI research lab in France. In 2019, Facebook partnered with the Technical University of Munich to create an AI ethics research center.

As with many jobs announcements, this is as much a public relations move as it is a practical investment. It may 'remind' the EU of Facebook's economic contribution and influence relevant policies. Nonetheless, the move hints at the long-term scale of the metaverse transition — Facebook is changing its overall direction, not just shuffling a few resources.

Facial recognition may soon play a role in your child's lunch. The Financial Timesreports that nine schools in the UK's North Ayrshire will start taking payments for canteen (aka cafeteria) lunches by scanning students' faces. The technology should help minimize touch during the pandemic, but is mainly meant to speed up transaction times. That could be important when you may have roughly 25 minutes to serve an entire school of hungry kids.

Both the schools and system installer CRB Cunningham argued the systems would address privacy and security concerns. CRB Cunningham noted its hardware wasn't using live facial recognition (actively scanning crowds), and was checking against encrypted faceprint templates. Schools were already using fingerprint readers, too, so this was more of a shift in biometric technology than a brand new layer of security. There were also concerns about fraud using conventional PINs — facial recognition is theoretically safer. North Ayrshire's council added that 97 percent of children or parents had offered consent.

That won't satisfy some critics, though. Big Brother Watch and England's Biometrics Commissioner both maintained that facial recognition was arbitrary. There was a concern that school rollouts might normalize face scanning and numb students to privacy concerns. If you grow up with this technology, you might not object when it crops up at airports or music festivals.

You might not see this spread to the US and other countries given mounting opposition. However, it's safe to say many will be watching the UK school rollout to gauge both the viability of facial recognition and its real-world pitfalls.

Tesla delivered its redesigned Tesla Model S interior in early 2021, and now Model X buyers are finally getting their turn. Electrek and TMC forum member Sunnyvaletree report that Tesla has started delivering the revised Model X to customers, holding at least one event to mark the occasion. As you might guess, this effectively drags the electric crossover into the modern era with a landscape touchscreen display up front, a smaller display in the back and overall interior quality improvements that are more befitting a nearly $94,000 vehicle.

The EVs at the event were six-seaters, although it's not clear if that's the only configuration shipping first. There appear to be Model X Plaid units driving near Tesla's Fremont factory.

The deliveries are good news for buyers who've wanted the space and luxury of the Model X over the 'frugal' Model Y. However, they also underscore the effect of chip shortages on Tesla's production. On top of the late arrivals for early adopters, new shoppers will face very lengthy delays. Order a Model X Plaid as of this writing and you'll have to wait until July 2022; spring for the lower-cost Long Range variant and you'll wait until September 2022. It could be a long, long while before you can simply buy the current Model X design and expect to receive it in a timely fashion.

Facebook is responding to whistleblower Frances Haugen's testimony by attempting to shift the narrative on hate speech. Integrity VP Guy Rosen has posted a defense of the social network's anti-hate measures where he argued the declining visibility of hate speech mattered more than the mere existence of that content. The "prevalence" (aka visibility) of hate on Facebook has dropped nearly 50 percent in the past three quarters to 0.05 percent of content viewed, Rosen said, or about five views out of every 10,000.

The executive contended it was "wrong" to focus on content removals as the only metric. There were other ways to counter hate, Rosen said, and Facebook had to be "confident" before it removed any material. That meant erring on the side of caution to avoid mistakenly removing content, and limiting the reach of people, groups and pages that will probably violate policies.

There is a degree of truth here. Facebook has occasionally run into trouble for mistakenly flagging content as hate speech, and an aggressive removal system might lead to further accidents. Likewise, hate will only have limited impact if few people ever see a given post.

However, there's little doubt Facebook is engaged in some spin. Haugen in her testimony asserted that Facebook can only catch a "very tiny minority" of offending material — that's still an issue if true, even if only a small fraction of users ever see the material. Rosen's response also doesn't touch on Haugen's allegations that Facebook resisted implementing safer algorithms and other efforts to minimize hateful and divisive interactions. Facebook may be making significant strides in limiting hate, but that's not Haugen's point — it's that the social media firm isn't doing enough.

Want some wireless earbuds to help you study or get in some cool-weather exercise? Here's your chance to get some at a good price. Jabra's earbuds are steeply discounted as part of a one-day Amazon sale, with some models up to 40 percent off. The best values are among the most recent buds, however — the Elite 75t is at an all-time low of $100 ($50 off), while the newer Elite 85t is on sale for $180 (also $50 off). This applies across multiple colors, charging case options and Active variants.

The Elite 75t and 85t share a common recipe for success: they're comfortable, offer solid (though not always stellar) sound quality and last a long while on battery. These may be your picks for lengthy studying sessions and arduous hikes. The 75t is a relatively no-frills design, while the 85t adds perks like active noise cancellation and optional wireless charging.

They have their catches. The Elite 75t is relatively plain at a time when many $100 earbuds offer ANC, and their on-bud controls take practice. The Elite 85t is feature-packed, but it sounds merely average for the money. Don't overlook the importance of comfort, though — and Jabra's platform independence might be a plus if you aren't tied to any one device ecosystem.

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Leaks are still pouring in just a day before Apple's "Unleashed" event kicks off. According to MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman understands the chips for the widely expected 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models have surfaced in developer app logs under the names "M1 Pro" and "M1 Max." It's not certain Apple will use these names for its high-end silicon, but they suggest Apple won't go with M1X or otherwise echo the naming scheme used for souped-up A-series chips. 

Earlier rumors have hinted at two processors destined for the new MacBook Pros. Both would include 10 cores (eight high-performance, two high-efficiency). An 'entry' version would include a 16-core GPU, while the higher-end model would pack a 32-core GPU. This roughly lines up with the M1 Pro and M1 Max naming schemes. Other rumors have pointed to a direct sequel to the base M1, the M2, arriving sometime in early 2022 alongside a new MacBook Air.

Gurman also reiterated the changes he and others expect from the MacBook Pro redesign. Both laptops would include mini-LED displays with higher resolutions. They may bring back welcome connectors like a MagSafe power port, HDMI and an SD card slot. You might also see support for up to 64GB of RAM and the death of the Touch Bar.

It wouldn't be shocking if Apple brought its Pro and Max naming schemes to computer CPUs. If Apple is going to replace all Intel chips with in-house processors, as planned, those clearer names might be necessary to help buyers understand performance differences between models. If Apple does use the M1 Pro and M1 Max names, that will speak volumes about its likely chip name strategy going forward.

Shooting for the first feature-length movie in space has wrapped. Space.comreports Russian actress Yulia Pereslid, producer Klim Shipenko and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy have returned to Earth after the first two spent 12 days filming their movie The Challenge aboard the International Space Station. The three left the ISS in a Soyuz spacecraft at 9:14PM Eastern on October 16th and landed in Kazakhstan just a few hours later, at 12:35AM.

Pereslid and Shipenko arrived on October 5th through an agreement between the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the TV network Channel One and the production studio Yellow, Black and White. Novitskiy had been there since April 9th as part of his regular duties, although he also played a key role — the movie has Pereslid play a surgeon who makes an emergency visit to the ISS to operate on the cosmonaut.

The filming required significant sacrifices for some of the ISS crew. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov were originally slated to return aboard the Soyuz capsule, but both have had their stays extended by six months to accommodate the film producers. Vande Hei will set a record for the longest spaceflight by a US astronaut as a result, spending exactly one year in orbit. Pereslid also broke ground as the first professional actor to visit space, beating William Shatner by roughly a week.

It will be a while before The Challenge is ready to watch, and it's safe to say the production is aimed primarily at a Russian audience. It's a major milestone for private uses of space, though, and hints at a future when Tom Cruise and other stars are frequently blasting off to produce shows in orbit.