Apple’s Studio Display is found to be running iOS 15.4 – is this the 27-inch iMac?

It's been discovered that Apple's Studio Display runs on iOS 15.4, making us wonder if the display may see some additional improvements in the future.

According to Daring Fireball, if you go to Applications > Utilities > System Information and find your Studio Display, you'll see the software version as 15.4.

This isn't groundbreaking information, as the display is powered by an A13 chip, the same that powered the iPhone 11 series and iPad (ninth generation). But it's telling that instead of a software driver that's usually present in monitors, it's an operating system that powers Apple's iOS devices.

It makes us wonder whether we already have a 27-inch modular iMac running on Apple Silicon, and what this could mean for the iPad going forward.


Analysis: A display that also rivals Apple TV

The first SoC (System on a Chip) by Apple first debuted with the iPhone 4 back in 2010, called the A4. Since then, we've seen different types of Apple chips on wearables, tablets, Macs, and now displays.

But it's an interesting prospect that we're now seeing another version of iOS loaded onto the Studio Display. A tweet over the weekend also spotted that it has 64GB of storage loaded on.

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Even though we already have an iMac with an Apple Silicon chip, it's the first time that we've seen iOS 15.4 appear on a new Apple product that doesn't run iOS, or the Apple TV, where the latest model runs on an older A12 chip.

Software updates for the display could improve its features, especially with its camera which had a polarizing opinion in terms of its image quality.

We're at a point where we're already seeing a 27-inch iMac running on Apple Silicon, but not with macOS. It blurs the line as to what we could see from Apple in the coming years in more shapes and sizes than what the Mac Studio offers.

Instead of a bigger iPad Pro, we could see a monitor solely running iPadOS, tailored to a 27-inch display. An 'iPad Studio' suddenly doesn't seem too outside the realms of possibility.

As there's a good chance we'll see iPadOS 16 at WWDC this year, Apple's yearly developer conference, users have been clamoring for better external display support for the iPad.

It seems as though it's the perfect time for both products to see an improvement in how the iPad is perceived, especially for pros. But while I'm happy with my MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), the potential of iPadOS is there, it just needs a push. And with the Studio Display running on iOS 15.4, it seems as though worlds are about to collide.

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Apple’s Studio Display is found to be running iOS 15.4 – is this the 27-inch iMac?

It's been discovered that Apple's Studio Display runs on iOS 15.4, making us wonder if the display may see some additional improvements in the future.

According to Daring Fireball, if you go to Applications > Utilities > System Information and find your Studio Display, you'll see the software version as 15.4.

This isn't groundbreaking information, as the display is powered by an A13 chip, the same that powered the iPhone 11 series and iPad (ninth generation). But it's telling that instead of a software driver that's usually present in monitors, it's an operating system that powers Apple's iOS devices.

It makes us wonder whether we already have a 27-inch modular iMac running on Apple Silicon, and what this could mean for the iPad going forward.


Analysis: A display that also rivals Apple TV

The first SoC (System on a Chip) by Apple first debuted with the iPhone 4 back in 2010, called the A4. Since then, we've seen different types of Apple chips on wearables, tablets, Macs, and now displays.

But it's an interesting prospect that we're now seeing another version of iOS loaded onto the Studio Display. A tweet over the weekend also spotted that it has 64GB of storage loaded on.

See more

Even though we already have an iMac with an Apple Silicon chip, it's the first time that we've seen iOS 15.4 appear on a new Apple product that doesn't run iOS, or the Apple TV, where the latest model runs on an older A12 chip.

Software updates for the display could improve its features, especially with its camera which had a polarizing opinion in terms of its image quality.

We're at a point where we're already seeing a 27-inch iMac running on Apple Silicon, but not with macOS. It blurs the line as to what we could see from Apple in the coming years in more shapes and sizes than what the Mac Studio offers.

Instead of a bigger iPad Pro, we could see a monitor solely running iPadOS, tailored to a 27-inch display. An 'iPad Studio' suddenly doesn't seem too outside the realms of possibility.

As there's a good chance we'll see iPadOS 16 at WWDC this year, Apple's yearly developer conference, users have been clamoring for better external display support for the iPad.

It seems as though it's the perfect time for both products to see an improvement in how the iPad is perceived, especially for pros. But while I'm happy with my MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), the potential of iPadOS is there, it just needs a push. And with the Studio Display running on iOS 15.4, it seems as though worlds are about to collide.

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Windows 11 set to warn users if their PC shouldn’t be running the OS

Windows 11 can currently be installed on PCs which don’t meet the official system requirements, but Microsoft doesn’t recommend this course of action – and has taken fresh action in a preview build to add a further warning against doing so.

To recap, Windows 11 can be run on a system which doesn’t officially support the OS, but Microsoft has previously cautioned about possible ‘damage’ to a system in this scenario, and noted that vital security updates may not be provided to such PCs either – even though said updates are still delivered to these devices.

But now, Microsoft appears to be getting more serious about letting folks know that their PC shouldn’t be running Windows 11 if it’s not up to scratch regarding the OS requirements. Windows Latest spotted that Albacore, a well-known Twitter leaker and reliable source for Microsoft spillage, tweeted about a new reminder which is in testing for Windows 11.

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As you can see, it’s in System Settings, and imparted with the details at the top of the panel. The message lets the user know that the requirements haven’t been met by their PC, with a link to find out more about why this is the case.


Analysis: A hint of stricter enforcement to come?

The appearance of a warning for those actually running Windows 11 on an unsupported machine in this manner – as opposed to during installation – indicates that Microsoft may be tightening loopholes concerning PCs which have been pushed onto the new OS without having the hardware goods to do so officially.

As Microsoft takes more steps like this, it makes us believe that eventually, further moves will be made to ensure PCs that aren’t officially up to spec can’t run the OS fully. The software giant has always said that updates won’t come to these devices, and even though they have been provided up to now – and still are – this is another signal that this will eventually change.

In other words, at some point down the line, security updates will no longer be served to unsupported PCs, which would be a big problem, potentially leaving these systems open to exploit. Or at the very least, more prominent and intrusive warnings may be introduced to ensure that folks running Windows 11 in this way know they shouldn’t be pursuing such a route for the long-term with their device.

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This Microsoft Edge update will help you spot why your browser is running so slowly

Spotting potential browser slowdowns in Microsoft Edge could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new tool that will allow users to debug memory leaks.

Memory leaks occur when an application's JavaScript code retains more and more objects in memory that it no longer needs instead of releasing them for garbage collect (GC).

For apps that run for a long time without being closed, small memory leaks of only a few kilobytes can add up to noticeably degrade performance over time according to a new blog post from Microsoft.

Detached

React, the open source JavaScript library for building front end user interfaces, maintains a virtualized copy of the DOM (Document Object Model). However, failing to properly unmount components can lead to an application leaking large parts of the virtual DOM.

For this reason, the Microsoft Edge team worked together with Microsoft Teams to build the browser's new Detached Elements tool that allows users to investigate and resolve DOM memory leaks.

Although there are valid reasons for detaching elements, DOM memory leaks occur when an application keeps references to more and more detached elements without actually reusing them later. As the code used in applications grows in size and complexity, it becomes easier to make mistakes and forget to clean things up which could unknowingly lead to keeping DOM elements in memory. 

This is particularly a problem for long running applications. For instance, if an email client detaches DOM elements every time an email is opened and closed and a user keeps the app running for a whole week, it could amount to really high memory usage and slow down a user's business laptop or workstation over time.

While Microsoft's new Detached Elements tool has been available in Edge Canary since version 93, it will roll out to the stable channel of Microsoft Edge when version 97 of the browser launches this month.

To access this new tool early though, you'll first need to open DevTools in Edge by pressing F12 and click on the gear icon to open the DevTools Settings. From here, navigate to Experiments on the left side of the Settings pane, type in Detached Elements and click on the tool to enable it.

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Windows 11 running slow? Microsoft’s ongoing SSD problems could be to blame

Windows 11 continues to suffer from a problem where some NVMe SSDs are running more than 50% slower, and Microsoft still hasn’t fixed it. The issue has been plaguing some Windows 11 users since the operating system was in beta earlier this year, so the fact that several months later the problem persists has led many people to wonder when Microsoft will release a fix.

As MSPoweruser reports, a user ran CrystalDiskMark benchmark tests for the Samsung 980 Pro SSD and found that random write speeds are drastically cut.

So, if your Windows 11 PC appears to be running slowly and you are using an NVMe SSD, this could be the culprit.


Analysis: Where’s the fix?

When this issue was first identified in the Windows 11 beta, Microsoft acknowledged the problem. However, no fix has been released, and it’s not entirely clear what’s causing the problem, though some people suggest it’s the virtualization-based security of Windows 11 that’s to blame.

Whatever the cause, this is one of the more serious Windows 11 problem we’ve seen, and the fact that there has yet to be a fix around three months after it was discovered is concerning. It could mean that a fix is harder to implement. This won’t be welcome news for anyone affected by this problem.

It’s not a good look for Windows 11, either. Microsoft wants more people to upgrade to the new operating system, but ongoing problems like this are just going to put people off. Microsoft will need to come up with a fix, and fast.

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Need some running earbuds? Beats Powerbeats 3 deal sees price cut by over 50%

If you're on the hunt for some new running headphones, the Beats Powerbeats 3 are a great choice – and they're currently reduced by over 50% in both the US and the UK. 

In the US, you can get these workout-friendly wireless earbuds for just $ 89, representing a huge saving of $ 111; meanwhile, UK buyers can save £92 on the Powerbeats 3.

Today's best Beats Powerbeats 3 deals

The PowerBeats 3 are well-made and long-lasting, with great audio for fitness headphones; with this deal, they're easy on the wallet, too.

With 12 hours of battery life, and ear hooks to ensure a secure fit, they should stay switched on and comfortable no matter how long or how vigorous your workouts are.

An inline remote means you can click to change the volume of your music, skip tracks, and take calls without reaching for your phone.

These buds have a great bass response, though audiophiles may find the lowest frequencies a little overwhelming; either way you'll enjoy a good level of detail in your music, and that powerful bass is ideal for pushing you through even the toughest workout. 

What about the Powerbeats 4?

That's why we awarded them 3.5 out of 5 stars in our Powerbeats 3 review – they're not perfect, but these buds are brilliant for runners.

We saw similar price drops over Black Friday and the early Christmas sales; they're a little long in the tooth now, which is likely why more retailers are dropping their Powerbeats 3 prices. If you're looking for something a little more contemporary, check out the Beats Powerbeats Pro, which launched last year and come with Apple's most recent headphone chip.

Furthermore, with rumors of a Powerbeats 4 launch on the horizon, it's little wonder that prices for the Powerbeats 3 are starting to drop – we're not expecting these prices to fall much lower in the near future though (unless we see them return to their all-time low of $ 79 in the US), so we'd recommend snapping up this fantastic deal in the meantime.

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