ICYMI: The 7 Biggest Tech Stories of the Week, From Apple’s M4 Mac Teaser to Alien Romulus Coming to VHS in 2024
Things are getting spooky on Ny Breaking as we’ve kicked off our Halloween Week event, but that hasn’t deterred these important announcements from the tech world.
In fact, far from it. After all, this was the week Apple teased its M4 Macs, the fantastic ones Disconnection returned to our screens (sort of) and Alien Romulus announced a VHS release. Yes, really.
Read on for details on all these stories and more as we recap the week’s biggest news, and be sure to check back next week for details on those M4 Macs once they’re officially unveiled.
And once you’re done, why not read our guide to the seven new movies and TV shows you can stream this weekend?
7. Alien Romulus has been given a release date for Blu Ray… and VHS
Here’s a story from 2024 you didn’t expect: Alien Romulus coming to VHS.
This isn’t just some gimmick prop with a download code either, with the Alien: Romulus tape is described as a “fully functional VHS” launching in December with a 4:3 aspect ratio and a vintage-style protective sleeve.
There are a few important questions to be answered – like how much it will cost and how many will be made – but if you’re longing for that vintage horror movie experience, then it’s time to dust off (or buy) your old VHS player. one on eBay) and pay attention Alien Romulus‘VHS tape when it comes out.
6. Samsung has released a new foldable tablet
Samsung gave us the new Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition this week – well, those of us living in South Korea. It comes with a handful of upgrades, like a 200MP main camera, but will cost you: 2,789,600 won to be exact (or about $2,000 / £1,550 / AU$3,000).
The base model already costs a fairly high price of $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749, so fans were hoping that Samsung would instead launch a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold Fan Edition (or FE) to match the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and its other more affordable phones.
However, this was shot down by Samsung itself when it announced it has “no plans” to launch a cheap Galaxy Z Fold phone, even though it certainly should.
5. Garmin’s all-new beta update has arrived for Forerunners
Owners of recent Garmin Forerunner watches – specifically the Forerunner 965, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 165, Forerunner 955 and the Forerunner 255 – will get new features as part of Garmin’s public beta program. The main new skills center around swimming (with “improvements to support pool swim training with pace alerts and critical swim speed” and “improvements to the swim rest screen and alert tones”), as well as a brand new meditation functionality.
While you’ll need to sign up for the public beta to take advantage of it, Garmin’s rollout of these features as part of the public beta means it’ll be coming to everyone else’s Forerunners in the near future. These changes make the Forerunners not only top running watches, but also excellent swimming watches. Ideal for triathletes and all-rounders.
4. Things got spooky when Ny Breaking’s Halloween week started
Ny Breaking’s Halloween Week runs from now until October 31, and there’s plenty of fun stuff to sink your teeth into. Whether you want the latest horror movie recommendations, soundbars for an immersive experience, or animated seasonal movies for the squeamish, it’s all here. Over the coming days you’ll see articles from our Streaming, Gaming, Homes and AI channels, with our experts giving you the best tips to help you have the best Halloween yet.
A number of these recommendations have been incorporated our latest podcast episode too, so be sure to check that out for even more thoughts on the spookiest time of year.
3. Apple is gearing up to launch Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence launches next week and we can’t wait to get our hands on Apple’s AI-powered features for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Expect iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 to launch within a few days, alongside a massive AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid upgrade. The first wave of Apple Intelligence features will introduce the world to “AI for the rest of us,” as Apple calls it, and will include writing tools, photo editing via Clean Up, notification summaries, and a new design of Siri.
We’ve been using the iOS 18.1 beta for a few months now and can’t wait to see what the public perception of Apple AI is when it officially arrives. However, if you’re waiting for image generation tools like Genmoji and Image Playground, you’ll have to be patient; they won’t be available to us until iOS 18.2 later this year. Let’s hope iOS 18.1 has enough meat on its bones to keep you busy until then.
2. Severance Season 2 got its first trailer
It was an agonizing wait, but we have finally been treated to the first official images Disconnection season 2. Just 24 hours after Apple invited us all to a big one Disconnectiontheme meeting, the tech giant unveiled the inaugural teaser for Severance season 2. Suffice it to say, the second season of Apple TV Plus’ sci-fi thriller series looks every bit as weird, crazy, and wild as its predecessor was. Roll on January 17, 2025, we say, and that’s when the highly rated show will make its long-awaited return.
1. Apple told us to ‘Mac’ our calendars
We expected Apple to launch M4 Macs this month, and right as the buzzer sounded, Apple seems ready to do just that. In a teaser, Greg Joswiak – Apple’s SVP of Marketing – has all but confirmed that new Macs are on the way, with a social media post telling us to “Mac your calendars!” as Apple faces an “exciting week of announcements” starting Monday.
We expect this to mean new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, a redesigned Mac mini, and an update to the iMac, all with M4 Apple silicon. The glowing apple image Joswiak shared reminds us of the look of Siri with Apple Intelligence, so we can apparently also look forward to the long-awaited iOS 18.1 update and mac OS Sequoia 15.1 with that feature coming next week as well.
In addition, new Magic accessories (the keyboard and mouse) will likely appear, and we may get an update or two for even more Apple TV shows. Check back next week to see everything announced.