Apple has fired Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager who's been outspoken about her experiences working for the tech giant. Gjøvik said she has experienced sexism and a hostile work environment while working for Apple and spent months talking to the company about it. According to tweets from Gizmodo's Dell Cameron, Apple asked Gjøvik for a talk this afternoon. When she asked for the conversation to take place via email so there would be a written record, though, Apple replied that she had "chosen not to participate in the discussion." She was then fired hours later.

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Xbox is rolling out a controller firmware update to Insiders, with the biggest new feature being the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy for supported devices. That will make it easier to pair with and switch from Xbox One consoles to different systems including Windows 10, iOS 15 and Android devices, the company announced. Microsoft has also introduced DLI (Dynamic Latency Input) to reduce console input latency on older controllers. 

Most of Microsoft's existing Xbox One controllers, including the latest low-latency Xbox Series X model, use Bluetooth for PCs or smartphones, and the Xbox Wireless protocol for Xbox consoles. Up to now, switching between them has been clunky, but with the new firmware, controllers will remember your phone or PC and let you quickly switch over to them from a console. To do that, you'll simply need to double tap the "pair" button. 

Another key update is DLI, designed to cut the input latency on controllers paired with the latest Xbox Series X/S consoles. The new firmware means that older controller will react as quickly as the latest models that ship with consoles, making gaming more responsive. "We believe it’s important to maintain backward compatibility with Xbox accessories people already have in their collection and to ensure we deliver the best gaming experience no matter how you choose to play," the Xbox team wrote in a blog post. 

Microsoft is testing this feature with Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha Xbox Insiders today, but it should come to all users in the coming months. 

Back in January, Moog updated its Model 15 app to support Macs running Big Sur, marking the first time one of the company’s soft synths had come to desktop. It was a significant step forward in terms of accessibility. However, the synth ran as an Audio Unit v3 plugin, meaning you couldn’t use it in conjunction with non-Apple digital audio workstations like Abelton.

That’s changing today with the Model 15 app now available within a VST wrapper. Short for Virtual Studio Technology, VST is the most widely supported standard for DAW synthesizer and effect unit plugins. As such, you’re no longer limited to GarageBand, Logic and MainStage if you want to dabble with the modular synth. Unfortunately, if you're a Windows user, you still can't install the software on your computer. You will have to look to either Moog's iOS app or one of the many other modular synths you can download online.

Google is keen to make Gmail your go-to hub for more than just messages. As The Vergenoted, Google is rolling out a larger Workspace update (more on that shortly) that will add direct calling via Google Meet to the Gmail mobile app. You'll get to ring up your coworkers and other contacts for a quick one-on-one when email or a scheduled meeting won't do. The feature will also send a "chip" to your computer if you'd rather answer on the larger screen.

The company has pitched the feature as a rough equivalent to "spontaneous" office chats in a hybrid work environment where some staff are at home. And before you ask — yes, the Meet app will eventually add this calling feature as well.

Google

The Workspace changes also include a broader redesign of Gmail that makes it a hub for other activities. You'll now see Google's promised "spaces," a renamed and expanded version of Rooms chat channels with full threaded messages and the option of making spaces visible in search. You can accordingly expect easier navigation between email, chats, spaces and Meet, not to mention improved admin and security tools to help manage communications. Enterprise users should see these changes starting today, but everyday Gmail owners will see updates later on.

Other tweaks include options to specify whether you're in-office or virtual on a given day (important for planning meetings) and a Companion mode for Meet that lets you use a conference room's audiovisual hardware. Google is expanding its Meet hardware ecosystem, too. There are two new Series One devices (third-party equipment made to fit Google's goals), including the Series One Desk 27 all-in-one and Series One Board 65 4K collaborative board. More gadgets are Meet-certified, too, such as Logitech's Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini room solutions as well as the Rayz Rally Pro speaker dock.

Google's ambitions for Gmail are fairly clear. Much like Microsoft Outlook, it's becoming a gateway for all office communication, not just email and the occasional meeting. That's not surprising when Google is directly competing with Office. At the same time, it does raise questions about support for dedicated apps. What need is there for other clients when Gmail theoretically does it all? Still, you might not mind if it saves you from switching apps and potentially losing focus.

Attackers are actively exploiting a Microsoft remote code execution vulnerability using malicious Office files, the tech giant has warned. The vulnerability known as CVE-2021-40444 affects Windows Servers from version 2008 and Windows 7 through 10. What attackers are doing is sending potential victims an Office file and tricking them into opening it. That file automatically opens Internet Explorer to load the bad actor's web page, which has an ActiveX control that downloads malware onto the victim's computer.

Several security researchers reported the zero-day attacks to Microsoft. One of them, Haifei Li of EXPMON, told BleepingComputer that the method is 100 percent reliable — all it would take to infect a system is for the victim to open the malicious file. In Li's case, the attack they came across used a .DOCX document. Microsoft has yet to roll out a security patch for the vulnerability, but it has published mitigation methods to prevent infection. 

The tech giant says Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can both detect the vulnerability and prevent infection, so users need to keep them updated and running. Further, it advises disabling all ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer to render it inactive for all websites. Microsoft's security warning contains information how to do that, which involves updating IE's registry and rebooting the computer.

Apple may be gearing up to launch four new iPhones at its next event that's expected to happen sometime this month. 9to5Mac and MacRumors have spotted an FCC filing for a revised MagSafe charger, and while it doesn't say how the new version improves upon its predecessor, the document includes the device's testing information. Apparently, the tech giant tested it on four "New Phone" items, as well as on four "legacy" devices.

The company listed models A2176, A2172, A2341 and A2342, in particular, which correspond to the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, respectively. As MacRumors notes, Apple revealed the upcoming iPhones' model numbers when it registered them in the EEC database. Unfortunately, this FCC filing doesn't identify the four "New Phone" items it used for testing, but it's very much possible that they're the current generation's direct successors.

A rumor about the iPhone 13 that went around earlier this year said the device will have a stronger set of magnets in the back for the MagSafe charger. We'll find out within the month if that's true — Apple's next iPhone event could take place next week, and it's expected to announce the exact date for it as soon as today.

Apple's AirPods Pro are some of the best true wireless earbuds that an iPhone user can buy, and they're on sale for $180 again, at both Amazon and Best Buy. We scored them an 87 in our review when they were released almost two years ago, and while there have been a host of true wireless earbuds released since then, these are still worth a look.

Naturally, these headphones offer some notable upgrades over the standard AirPods, which typically cost $160 (though they're often on sale, too). Their in-ear design means you'll get a better seal, and they have active noise cancellation to block out more sound. They also support Apple's spatial audio technology, which means that they can stream Apple Music's new Dolby Atmos format. They also come with a wireless charging case, while you need to pay extra to get that with the standard AirPods. 

It's worth noting that Apple's fall events are coming soon, and some rumors point to new standard AirPods coming out in the next few months. As for new AirPods Pro, the latest rumors indicate that they'll have some fitness-tracking features on board. If that's of interest to you, it might be worth waiting, but at $70 off, the current AirPods Pro are still worth a look.

The wearable market as a whole grew 5.6 percent last quarter, largely due to sales of smartwatches at the expense of basic bands, according to research firm Canalys. The boost was driven by Apple, which continues to dominate the market with its Watch models. 

As Canalys noted, smartwatch sales took over from basic bands (sports bands, etc.) back in Q4 2020 and now account for 62 percent of all wearable band shipments. Apple now accounts for 31.1 percent of the smartwatch market and 19.3 percent of the wearable band market overall, second only to Xiaomi in number of shipments.

Engadget

Samsung also notably grew by 114 percent in terms of smartwatch shipments year-over-year, and could see further success with its latest Galaxy Watch 4 now powered by Wear OS 3, jointly developed with Google. Fitbit also saw a 20.6 percent boost in smartwatches over sales this time last year, powered by its Versa 2 and Sense models. 

In the basic band arena, Xiaomi now leads the way in sales with a 19.6 percent share — just ahead of Apple — led by its Mi Smart Band 5 and 6 models. However, those products are significantly cheaper with retail prices of around $35 and $55, respectively. 

Overall, consumers are most interested their health regardless of the product category. "Health tracking is the most prominent use case for smartwatches," said Jason Low from Canalys. "The ability to deliver cutting-edge health-tracking features and to offer users meaningful data and actionable health insights will set winners and losers apart."

Apple's Mac Mini M1 is a good option for those eager to replace an aging desktop but also want to conserve space. We've seen the machine go on sale a number of times this year, and now it's back down to a record low of $600. Amazon has the Mac Mini M1 for $659 right now, but an automatically applied coupon for $59.01 will bring the final price down to just about $600.

We haven't tested the Mac Mini fully, but we have tested Apple's M1 laptops and we've been mostly impressed. Designs haven't changed much across the board with Apple's latest computers, so the M1 chipset really is the star of the show. Using an eight-core CPU and an eight-core GPU, it makes everything run more smoothly and quickly, and there's an additional 16-core Neural Engine that handles machine learning tasks. The base Mac Mini M1 includes 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which should be just fine for most people, but keep in mind that neither RAM or storage are upgradeable.

All of the new stuff is inside the desktop, so the Mac Mini M1 will look very familiar to those that have used the machine before. It's a small box that will fit neatly in most desk setups, and it includes two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A connectors, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Even at its normal price, the Mac Mini M1 is the cheapest device you can get with Apple's latest chipset, making it a cost-efficient option if you're itching to get a new desktop. However, there are rumors that Apple could debut a redesigned Mac Mini soon. However, there's no guarantee we'll hear about that if and when Apple announces the latest iPhones later this month.

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Microsoft will hold its next event on September 22nd, where it will show off the latest Surface hardware. The event starts at 11AM ET.

The company didn't explicitly say this is about Surface, but the signs are clear. A teaser image shows a side-on look at what appears to be a Surface Pro. Microsoft usually holds a hardware-centric event in the fall. On top of that, the event takes place two weeks before Microsoft releases Windows 11, and what better way to showcase the latest OS than on shiny new hardware?

As for what to expect, we might see a refreshed Surface Duo. Recent leaks suggest the Surface Duo 2 will have an upgraded camera system and it may be available in black. The Surface Book lineup is due for an upgrade, and, given the teaser image, it won't be surprising if we learn what's next on the Surface Pro front. In any case, Engadget will cover all the big news out of the event.