Techlife News 10.23.2021

inch models the same love as the Mac mini
and iPad Pro, the wait has undoubtedly been
worth it. Rather than putting the standard M1
chip into the new Pro range, Apple has taken
things to a whole new level, revolutionizing
the Mac experience and demonstrating the
sheer power and capabilities of the range.
It’s the biggest announcement since the
company began to transition to Apple silicon,
with both the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips
applying system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture
for the first time, offering fast unified memory
and increased memory bandwidth which

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will deliver unparalleled performance with cores for up to 4x faster GPU performance than
best-in-class performance per watt. The M1 M1. It also offers up to 400GB/s of memory
Pro takes the architecture of the M1 to new bandwidth — 2x that of M1 Pro and nearly 6x
heights, with an up-to-10-core CPU with that of M1 — and up to 64GB of fast unified
eight high-performance cores and two high- memory. Apple says that the M1 Max is “game-
efficiency cores, along with an up-to-16-core changing for pro workloads, allowing pros to
GPU, which delivers up to twice as fast GPU do things that were previously unimaginable
performance. The M1 Pro also offers up to on a notebook,” and adds that the new
200GB/s of memory bandwidth — nearly 3x MacBook Pro can now “easily work with
the bandwidth of M1, and supports 32GB of extreme geometry and textures in scenes that
fast unified memory. It’s designed to speed pro PC laptops can’t even run.”The M1 Max also
up video workflows, with a ProRes accelerator offers an enhanced media engine that features
added to the media engine to deliver truly fast, two ProRes accelerators, allowing users to edit
power-efficient video editing. It’s setting a new 30 streams of 4K ProRes video or up to seven
standard for laptops in every genre. streams of 8K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro,
and video editors can grade color in HDR on 8K
The M1 Max, on the other hand, takes the most ProRes 4444 video on battery, something that’s
powerful chip to even greater heights. As well never before been possible.
as the 10-core CPU as found on the M1 Pro, the
Max doubles the GPU with up to a massive 32

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Those statistics are truly impressive, but what
do they actually mean in practice? Let’s start
with the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Thanks to a
10-core CPU in M1 Pro and M1 Max, the model
offers up to 3.7x faster project builds using
Xcode, 3x more Amp Designer plug-ins in
Logic Pro, and up to 2.8x faster computational
fluid dynamics performance in NASA TetrUSS.
The 16-core GPU in M1 Pro and the 32-core
GPU in M1 Max allows for up to 9.2x faster 4K
render in Final Cut Pro with M1 Pro, and up
to 13.4x faster with M1 Max, up to 5.6x faster-
combined vector and raster GPU performance
in Affinity Photo with M1 Pro, and up to 8.5x
faster with M1 Max, and up to 3.6x faster effect
render in Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve
Studio with M1 Pro, and up to 5x faster with
M1 Max. The 16-core Neural Engine offers up
to 8.7x faster object tracking performance in
Final Cut Pro with M1 Pro, 7.2x faster scene edit
detection in 1080p ProRes 422 video in Adobe
Premiere Pro, and up to 2.6x faster performance
when selecting subjects in images in Adobe
Photoshop. The 16-inch model is perhaps even
more impressive, offering up to 2.9x faster-
combined vector and raster GPU performance
in Affinity Photo with M1 Pro, and up to 4.5x
faster with M1 Max, up to 2.5x faster render in
Maxon Cinema 4D with Redshift with M1 Pro,
and up to 4x faster with M1 Max, up to 4.4x
faster scene edit detection in 1080p ProRes 422
video in Adobe Premiere Pro, and up to 1.5x faster
performance with M1 Pro and up to 2x faster with
M1 Max when selecting subjects in images in
Adobe Photoshop. These statistics are something
out of an Apple fanboy’s fantasy, and only possible
thanks to Apple’s genuine innovations.

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IMPRESSIVE BATTERY LIFE

With so much extra power, this year’s MacBook
Pro models take a different approach: for too
long, Apple has focused on making its devices
thinner and more attractive, but this year it’s
actually increased the size of the models. It’s
clear to see why. The new MacBook Pro delivers
remarkable power efficiency for breakthrough
performance, with the 14-inch model offering
up to 17 hours of video playback, which is
seven additional hours, while the 16-inch
model gets up to a remarkable 21 hours
of video playback, which is 10 additional
hours — the longest battery life ever on a

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Mac notebook. Apple says that developers
can compile up to four times as much code,
photographers will get twice as much battery
life when using Adobe Lightroom - ideal for on-
the-go creatives who are ready to get back out
into the world.

What’s particularly exciting about this year’s
models is that, unlike other notebooks that can
lose performance when they’re not plugged
in, Apple allows the new MacBook Pro to offer
the same level of performance whether it’s
plugged in or using the battery, so you never
have to worry about saving the more resource-
intensive tasks until you’re back at home.

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PUTTING CONNECTIVITY FIRST

Another controversial decision on the MacBook
Pro in recent years was the removal of the
MagSafe charger, replaced by a USB-C charger.
Apple reversed some of its wrongdoing last
year when it announced MagSafe would be
coming to the iPhone, and perhaps sealed the
fate that the same would be true of the Mac.
Both models feature three Thunderbolt 4 ports
to connect high-speed peripherals, as well
as an SDXC card slot for fast access to media,
an HDMI port for conveniently connecting
to displays and TVs, as well as an improved
headphone jack that supports high-impedance
headphones. MagSafe 3 offers a new design
and allows for more power to be funneled into
the system than ever before, and also allowing
for Fast Charge on the Mac. Users can see their
MacBook Pro models charge up to 50% in just
30 minutes, and for the first time, users will be
able to connect up to two Pro Display XDRs
with the M1 Pro, and up to three Pro Display
XDRs and a 4K TV, with the M1 Max. Apple
offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 on both new
MacBook Pro models, too.

STUNNING PRO DESIGN

Although the new MacBook Pro design is
perhaps not as big of a jump as the iMac, which
was announced earlier in the year, the models
we all know and love have been tweaked
for a new generation. An all-new aluminum
enclosure has allowed Apple to maximize
internal space and improve performance,
allowing for an advanced thermal system
that can move 50 percent more air than the
previous generation. The Magic Keyboard has

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a double-anodized black well, which highlights
the backlit glyphs on the keys, and the
controversial Touch Bar has been replaced by
a full-height function row, which Apple freely
admits helps to “bring back the familiar, tactile
feel of mechanical keys that pro users love,”
and the industry-best Force Touch trackpad
is familiar, with an optional Magic Mouse for
those who prefer one.

Apple has also brought a Liquid Retina XDR
display to the MacBook Pro, which uses the
same mini-LED technology used in iPad Pro
to offer up to 1,000 nits of sustained, full-
screen brightness, as well as 1,600 nits of peak
brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
Apple says that the screen “brings HDR content
to life with unbelievable detail in shadows,
brilliant specular highlights, deeper blacks, and
more vivid colors than ever before.” ProMotion
technology also comes to the Mac on this new
display, and a 120Hz refresh rate is ideal for
photographers and videographers who want
to see their new films and content come to life
in real-time. Both models come with a larger
display than their predecessors, with the 14-
inch model offering a total of 5.9 million pixels,
and the 16-inch model offering 7.7 million
pixels - and, whether you like it or not, there’s a
notch on the MacBook Pro for the first time.

Speaking of the new notch, Apple has
added a 1080p FaceTime HD camera to both
models, which it says is the best ever in a
Mac notebook. It’s doubled the resolution
and low-light performance when compared
with the predecessor, but the chances are
that other laptops on the market will still beat
the performance of the FaceTime camera.

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However, Apple uses the powerful image signal
processor (ISP) and Neural Engine of M1 Pro
and M1 Max to enhance the video quality,
which should go some way in appeasing
professional users. The company has also
added industry-leading, studio-quality mics
to the MacBook, which offer lower noise floor,
resulting in clearer calls and voice recordings.
The high-fidelity six-speaker sound system
comes with two tweeters and four force-
canceling woofers, offering up to 80% more
bass. The sound system also offers spatial
audio for the first time on the Mac, offering
a sophisticated, three-dimensional listening
experience, ideal for playing back new content.

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THE POWER OF macOS

As you’d expect, the new 14- and 16-inch
MacBook Pro models ship with macOS
Monterey, the next-generation version of
macOS, which also releases October 25. When
combined with M1 Pro and M1 Max, macOS
Monterey offers breakthrough performance
and productivity for users, with Continuity
tools like AirPlay to Mac so that devices work
together in new ways. Live Text and Visual
Lookup make it easier than ever to work with
multimedia content, and Safari has added new

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productivity tools like Tab Groups. SharePlay
allows users to enjoy shared experiences
together through FaceTime, whilst Universal
Control allows users to extend their screen
using their iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini.
Apple says that there are now more than
10,000 Universal apps and plug-ins available
such as Lightroom Classic, Cinema 4D, and
Capture One, and with significant updates to
Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, editing has never
felt so good using your MacBook Pro.

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Apple’s new MacBook
Pro models set a
new standard for

computing and prove
that the Cupertino

company is once again
putting professional
users at the fore, after
years of pandering
to consumers with
updates centered on
aesthetics. The only
way is up for Mac.

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BITCOIN-MINING
POWER PLANT
RAISES IRE OF
ENVIRONMENTALISTS

An obstacle to large-scale bitcoin mining
is finding enough cheap energy to run the
huge, power-gobbling computer arrays that
create and transact cryptocurrency. One
mining operation in central New York came
up with a novel solution that has alarmed
environmentalists. It uses its own power plant.
Greenidge Generation runs a once-mothballed
plant near the shore of Seneca Lake in the Finger
Lakes region to produce about 44 megawatts
to run 15,300 computer servers, plus additional
electricity it sends into the state’s power grid. The
megawatts dedicated to Bitcoin might be enough
electricity to power more than 35,000 homes.
Proponents call it a competitive way to mine
increasingly popular cryptocurrencies, without
putting a drain on the existing power grid.

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Environmentalists see the plant as a
climate threat.

They fear a wave of resurrected fossil-fuel
plants pumping out greenhouse gasses more
for private profit than public good. Seeing
Greenidge as a test case, they are asking the
state to deny renewal of the plant’s air quality
permit and put the brakes on similar projects.

“The current state of our climate demands
action on cryptocurrency mining,” said Liz Moran
of Earthjustice. “We are jeopardizing the state’s
abilities to meet our climate goals, and we set
the stage for the rest of the country as a result.”

The former coal plant, in a touristy region
known for its glacial lakes and riesling wines,
was converted to natural gas by Greenidge and
began producing electricity in 2017. Bitcoin
mining at the plant, which has a 106-megawatt
capacity, started in earnest last year. The
company said it was “bringing a piece of the
world’s digital future” to upstate New York.

“For decades, this region has been told it
would see new industries and opportunities,”
Greenidge said in a prepared statement. “We
are actually making it happen, and doing it
fully within the state’s nation-leading high
environmental standards.”

Bitcoin miners unlock bitcoins by solving
complex, unique puzzles. As the value of Bitcoin
goes up, the puzzles become increasingly more
difficult, and it requires more computer power
to solve them. Estimates on how much energy
Bitcoin uses vary.

Greenidge said it mined 729 bitcoins over
three months ending Sept. 30. The value of

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cryptocurrency fluctuates, one bitcoin was
worth over $60,000.

Opponents are frustrated that Greenidge
applied to run a power plant but are now
operating a mine that is taking up more of the
plant’s power.

Greenidge says mining was not part of the plan
when the plant came back online and note they
continue to provide power to the grid. From
January through June, Greenidge said it used
58% of its power for mining.

Supporters see it as an economic boon in a part
of upstate New York that could use the help.
Douglas Paddock, chairman of the Yates County
Legislature, testified at a public hearing this week
that the plant has brought 45 high-paying jobs
and made a“significant contribution”to the area
through tax payments and capital investments.

Some opposition to the plant centers on the
potential effects of its water withdrawals
from Seneca Lake. But air quality issues have
taken center stage as the state Department of
Environmental Conservation reviews the plant’s
air emission permits.

Greenidge has said it’s in compliance with its
permits and that the plant is 100% carbon
neutral, thanks to the purchase of carbon offsets,
such as forestry programs and projects that
capture methane from landfills.

Opponents claim the plant undercuts the state’s
efforts to dramatically slash greenhouse gas
emissions in the coming decades under its 2019
climate law.

A large coalition of environmental groups and
other organizations this week asked Gov. Kathy

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Hochul to deny the air permit for Greenidge
and to take a similar action to keep an existing
plant near Buffalo from becoming a mining site.
The coalition wants Hochul to set a “national
precedent” and enact a statewide moratorium
on the energy intensive “proof-of-work”
cryptocurrency used by bitcoin miners.

Environmentalists estimate that there are 30
plants in New York that could be converted into
mining operations.

“I really think more than anything, this plant is a
significant test for whether the state’s climate law
is really worth anything,”said Judith Enck, who
served as the EPA’s regional northeastern U.S.
administrator under President Barack Obama.

Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand
have separately asked the federal Environmental
Protection Agency to exercise oversight.

Around the country, there are other power
plants being used for cryptocurrency mining
under different types of arrangements.

In Venango County, Pennsylvania, a generation
plant that converts coal waste into power is
being used to mine bitcoins and can provide
electricity to the grid when needed. Stronghold
Digital Mining has plans to replicate that kind
operation at two other sites in Pennsylvania.

And in Montana, a coal-fired generating station
is now providing 100% of its energy to Marathon
Digital Holdings for bitcoin mining under a
power purchase agreement.

“We had previously done what many miners do,
which is you find an industrial building, set it up
for mining and then you contract for power from

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the grid,” Marathon CEO Fred Thiel said. “And we
wanted to flip that model upside down because
we knew that there are lots of underutilized
energy generation sources in the U.S.”
Thiel said that harmful emissions are low
because of the quality of the coal and
pollution controls, and that the plant would
be carbon offset by the end of next year. He
said his company is focused on moving toward
renewable energy, saying cryptocurrency miners
can provide crucial financial incentives to build
more clean energy projects.
New York state has yet to make a determination
on Greenidge’s permits.
Greenidge said that even if the plant ran at
full capacity, its potential emissions equate to
0.23% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions
reduction target for 2030.
However, state Environmental Commissioner
Basil Seggos tweeted last month that
“Greenidge has not shown compliance with NY’s
climate law” based on goals in that law.
“New York state is leading on climate change,”
Seggos said in a prepared statement, “and
we have some major concerns about the role
cryptocurrency mining may play in generating
additional greenhouse gas emissions.”

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AS BITCOIN GOES
MAINSTREAM,
WALL STREET
LOOKS TO
CASH IN

Love cryptocurrencies or hate the very idea of
them, they’re becoming more mainstream by
the day.
Cryptocurrencies have surged so much that
their total value has reached nearly $2.5 trillion,
rivaling the world’s most valuable company,
Apple, and have amassed more than 200 million
users. At that size, it’s simply too big for the
financial establishment to ignore.
Firms that cater to the world’s wealthiest families
are increasingly putting some of their fortunes
into crypto. Hedge funds are trading Bitcoin,
which has big-name banks starting to offer them
services around it. PayPal lets users buy crypto
on its app, while Twitter helps people show
appreciation for tweets by tipping their creators
with Bitcoin.

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And in the latest milestone for the industry, an
easy-to-trade fund tied to Bitcoin began trading
on Tuesday. Investors can buy the exchange-
traded fund from ProShares through an old-
school brokerage account, without having to
learn what a hot or cold wallet is.

It’s all part of a movement across big businesses
that see a chance to profit on the fervor around
the world of crypto, as a new ecosystem further
builds up around it, whether they believe in it
or not.

“The one thing you can say for certain is that
the advent of the era of the Bitcoin ETF opens
up the opportunity for Wall Street to make
money on Bitcoin in a way that it hadn’t been
able to previously,” said Ben Johnson, director of
global ETF research at Morningstar. “The winners
in all of this are the exchanges and the asset
managers and the custodians. Whether investors
win or not is a big, bold question mark.”

Bitcoin has come a long way since someone or
a group of someones under the name Satoshi
Nakamoto wrote a paper in 2008 about how to
harness computing power around the world to
create a digital currency that can’t be double-
spent. The price has more than doubled this year
alone to roughly $66,000. It was at only $635 five
years ago.

Supporters of cryptocurrencies say they offer
an ultra-important benefit for any investor:
something whose price moves independently of
the economy, rather than tracking it like so many
other investments do. More high-minded fans
say digital assets are simply the future of finance,
allowing transactions to sidestep middlemen

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and fees with a currency that’s not beholden to
any government.

Critics, meanwhile, question whether crypto is
just a fad, say it uses too much energy and point
to all the stiff regulatory scrutiny shining on it.
China last month declared Bitcoin transactions
illegal, for example. The chair of the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary
Gensler, said in August that the world of crypto
doesn’t have enough investor protection and
“it’s more like the Wild West.”

That hasn’t been enough to halt the immense
momentum for crypto, as it’s gone from an
online curiosity to a bigger part of the cultural
and corporate landscape.

U.S. Bank earlier this month said it has begun
offering a cryptocurrency custody service for big
investment managers. That means it essentially
holds their Bitcoin in safekeeping for them, and
it expects to offer support for other coins soon.

Other name-brand banks have also announced
intentions to offer custodial services for crypto.

“It’s not just in the fringes and dark corners
of the Web that it’s happening,” said Kashif
Ahmed, president of American Private Wealth in
Bedford, Massachusetts.

Ahmed doesn’t recommend his clients invest
in crypto. Before then, he said he’ll need to be
able to “go to my local supermarket and buy
things for my family and offer crypto and not be
laughed out of the store.”

But others are more willing to try it.

In a survey by Citi Private Bank of family offices
around the world that manage money for
wealthy people, roughly 23% said they have

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made some investments in crypto. Another 25%
said they are researching it.

The growing acceptance of crypto on Wall Street
has created a new crop of darlings that help
people buy it. Crypto trading platform Coinbase
has a market value of roughly $64 billion, for
example, putting it on par with such established
companies as Colgate-Palmolive, FedEx and
Ford Motor.

At Robinhood Markets, meanwhile, the company
that became famous for getting a new generation
of investors into the stock market is increasingly
becoming a place for crypto trading. This
spring was the first time when new Robinhood
customers were more likely to make their first
trade in cryptocurrencies rather than in stocks.

In the end, what many on Wall Street see
lasting may not be as much Bitcoin and other
cryptocurrencies as the technology that
underlies them.

Called the blockchain, it allows for a public
ledger that everyone can check and trust,
and many expect it to lead to a wealth of
innovations. It’s akin to today’s Netflix, Facebook
and other services that sprung out of the
infrastructure built during the boom and bust of
the dot-com bubble.

“The applications built on this new software
architecture appear to be growing more quickly
than past technologies,” Bank of America
strategists Alkesh Shah and Andrew Moss wrote
in a recent research report positing digital
assets are only in their first inning of growth.
“New companies are likely to emerge and
poorly positioned companies will exit, creating

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significant upside potential for some and
downside for others.”
JPMorgan Chase, for example, is already
using blockchain technology to improve fund
transfers between global banks. That’s the same
JPMorgan Chase run by CEO Jamie Dimon, who
said in an interview with Axios this month that
bitcoin has “got no intrinsic value.”

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