Technology - Google News

Google finally succeeds in killing YouTube Vanced - Android Police
Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro Models to Get 'A16' Chip, Standard Models to Retain A15 - MacRumors
New MacBook Air design with M2 processor is coming soon - BGR

Google finally succeeds in killing YouTube Vanced - Android Police

Posted: 13 Mar 2022 02:35 PM PDT

If you weren't too fond of the official YouTube app, there were many alternatives at your disposal. One of them was YouTube Vanced — a modded version of the original app that added features like ad blocking, background playback, and many more without charging users like YouTube's Premium tier. We even put it on our list of the best indie apps you can get. It further gained popularity by bringing back dislike counts in videos just as Google removed them from their service. Note that we've been telling you about the mod in the past tense. That's because we're here to mourn the passing of YouTube Vanced.

The folks behind the project announced Sunday in the app's official Telegram channel and on the Vanced Twitter account that it will be discontinued. No clear reason was given as to why it was killed off, so we can only speculate — but it's likely due to Google's legal department taking notice of Vanced. The tech giant has been cracking down on unauthorized clients lately, such as a pair of popular Discord bots for listening to music on a server, Groovy and Rythm. Those were taken down after YouTube sent cease and desist letters to the developers. It's not much of a leap to imagine something similar happened here.

The convenience of YouTube Vanced earned some passionate backers. The app unlocked or circumvented many Premium features like background playback and ad blocking, and it added features YouTube didn't like at all, like those pesky dislike counters. Recently, the app had even rebranded to change its name to just "Vanced," and it removed most mentions of YouTube from its website — possibly an attempt to avert legal drama with Google.

Vanced was never the only alternative YouTube app. Others include open-source NewPipe, which is more lightweight than the official app. But YouTube Vanced had a huge user base, and we'll miss it. It won't be updated anymore, but you can still get the last version. Do it quickly, though — the download links will soon be gone.

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About The Author

Arol Wright (300 Articles Published)

Arol is a tech journalist and contributor at Android Police. He has also worked as a news/feature writer at XDA-Developers and Pixel Spot. Currently a Pharmacy student, Arol has had a soft spot for everything tech-related since he was a child. When not writing, you'll either find him nose-deep into his textbooks or playing video games. Reach him at arol@androidpolice.com.

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Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro Models to Get 'A16' Chip, Standard Models to Retain A15 - MacRumors

Posted: 13 Mar 2022 08:49 AM PDT

Only the iPhone 14 Pro models will have the "A16" chip, while the standard iPhone 14 models will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, according to insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a tweet, Kuo said that the 6.1-inch "‌iPhone 14 Pro‌" and the 6.7-inch "‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max" will get the A16 chip, while the 6.1-inch "‌iPhone 14‌" and the 6.7-inch "‌iPhone 14‌ Max" will retain the same A15 chip from the ‌iPhone 13‌ lineup.

Only two Pro models would upgrade to the A16 processor, while the 14 & 14 Max will remain the A15. All four new models will likely come with 6GB RAM, with the difference being LPDDR 5 (14 Pro & 14 Pro Max) vs. LPDDR 4X (14 & 14 Max). https://t.co/tHcszIz6gX — 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 13, 2022

The two more affordable iPhone models retaining the same chip as the previous year could be a major new point of differentiation between the standard and "Pro" ‌iPhone‌ models. Going forward, it seems plausible that Apple could only offer a new chip with the "Pro" models, before it subsequently trickles down to the two cheaper ‌iPhone‌ models the following year.

Kuo added that all four of the ‌iPhone 14‌ models are likely to come with 6GB of memory, with the standard ‌iPhone 14‌ models having LPDDR 4X memory and the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ models having LPDDR 5 memory.

Currently, the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini and ‌iPhone 13‌ feature 4GB of memory, while the iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max feature 6GB of memory. These amounts are unchanged from the iPhone 12 lineup. For the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup, Kuo suggests that all models will feature 6GB of RAM, but the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max's LPDDR 5 memory will be up to one and a half times faster and up to 30 percent more power efficient.

Kuo's claim stands in contrast to a rumor from Haitong International Securities' Jeff Pu, which suggested suggested the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ models will feature 8GB of RAM, the same amount as the Samsung Galaxy S22 models. That being said, Pu has a mixed track record with Apple rumors. For example, he accurately claimed that 16-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models with mini-LED displays would launch in 2021, but he was incorrect about HomePods with 3D sensing cameras launching in 2019. This may bring the 8GB RAM rumor into question now that Kuo, a more established analyst in the Apple space with a better track record, is claiming otherwise.

When is Apple's M2 coming out?

According to a recent report from 9to5Mac, the new M2 processor will arrive in late 2022. Specifically, the M2 will first ship with an updated 2022 MacBook Air and with a revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro.

"The M2 chip (internally known as "Staten")," the report notes, "is based on the A15 chip. Although it has an eight-core CPU just like M1, M2 will bring a more powerful 10-core GPU."

This specific roadmap adds up given that the M1 MacBook Air is nearly two years old at this point. Further, seeing as how the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are still relatively new, it makes sense Apple might release a budget 13-inch Macbook Pro with an M2 processor later on in the year.

Now before you get too excited, reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently tweeted that Apple's 2022 MacBook Air would still boast an M1 processor. Kuo has a steller, though not spotless, track record when it comes to Apple rumors, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Predictions for new MacBook Air in 2022:
1. Mass production in late 2Q22 or 3Q22
2. Processor: M1 chip
3. No mini-LED display
4. All-new form factor design
5. More color options
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 9, 2022

Apple's brand new MacBook Air

Apple's M2 processor aside, we can expect to see a brand new MacBook Air design this year. While I think the current design is great, Apple reportedly thinks it's time for a change.

According to credible reports, the 2022 MacBook Air may do away with the wedge design entirely. The new design may be thinner overall and may also include MagSafe. Additionally, the new MacBook Air may feature a notch-based design similar to the brand new MacBook Pro models. And lastly, the upcoming MacBook Air may be available in a variety of different and new colors.

Kuo anticipates that mass production on Apple's upcoming MacBook Air will begin as early as April or as late as September. If history is any indication, Apple will likely unveil its new MacBook Air lineup at a special Mac-themed event sometime in October or November.

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