Apple unveiled a host of products, including a new iMac and the latest line-up of the MacBook Pro at its live-streamed Scary Fast event in the US on Monday.
“We’ve got something special for you tonight. No tricks, just treats,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, before the event.
The National looks at the major announcements made during the pre-recorded presentation.
New family of chips to bolster position in semiconductors
Apple released its first in-house M1 chips in November 2020 to reduce its reliance on other chip makers such as Intel. It launched its latest line-up of chips on Monday.
It announced the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips featuring technology that aims to improve performance and add new capabilities for Mac.
“M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technology.
“Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency.”
Each chip in the M3 features a unified memory architecture. Having a single pool of memory within a custom package means all of the technology in the chip can gain access to the same data without copying it between several pools of memory.
It reduces the amount of memory a system requires for the majority of tasks.
Apple’s first in-house M1 chip was followed by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in October 2021. In March and June last year, Apple unveiled the M1 Ultra and M2 chips. In June this year, it launched the M2 Ultra chip.
The revenue of the global semiconductor market, which was upended by coronavirus-induced supply chain problems over the past few years, is expected to drop 3.6 per cent in 2023 on poor consumer demand and a weakening world economy, a report has found.
Semiconductor revenue is forecast to reach $596 billion in 2023, down from the previous prediction of $623 billion, US research company Gartner said.
Semiconductors are vital in electronic devices, particularly in electric and self-driving vehicles.
New iMac
The iPhone maker announced the new 24-inch iMac that comes with the latest M3 chip. It is about two times faster than the previous generation with the M1 chip.
It comes with a better display quality with 11.3 million pixels and more than a billion colours, faster wireless connectivity and a seamless connectivity experience with iPhone and other Apple devices, the company said.
“We are excited to give iMac a big boost in performance with the M3 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.
“The new iMac with M3 is incredible for anyone, especially those who have not yet upgraded from Intel, providing a giant leap in performance and capabilities.”
Apple said customers can place online pre-orders for the new iMac from October 30, with deliveries expected to start from November 7.
The iMac with 8-core graphics processing unit nd 10-core GPU will start at $1,299 and $1,499, respectively.
Latest MacBook Pro line-up
The company also announced a new MacBook Pro line-up featuring M3 chips.
The new 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip offers “phenomenal sustained performance” in pro apps and games.
The 14-inch and 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip provides better performance and additional unified memory support to enable more demanding workflows for users.
Both MacBook Pro models with M3 Max can handle multitasking across pro apps for users such as machine learning programmers, 3D artists and video editors.
The latest MacBook Pro series “empowers users to do their life’s best work”, Mr Ternus said.
Starting at $1,599, the new MacBook Pro is available for online order from October 30. Customers will begin to take delivery from November 7, the same time it will be available in Apple's physical stores.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip starts at Dh6,899 ($1,878) and Dh6,499 for students and pupils; the 14‑inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro starts at Dh8,499 while the education price is Dh7,899; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at Dh10,499 and Dh9,699 for students and pupils.
Entire event shot on iPhone
At the end of the presentation, a message was displayed on the screen, indicating that the event had been filmed with an iPhone and edited on a Mac. There was a disclaimer stating that all presenters, locations, and drone footage were captured using an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
While Apple has consistently touted the iPhone's camera as capable of capturing “Hollywood-quality” footage, it marked the first occasion where an entire Apple event has been filmed exclusively using an iPhone.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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more from Janine di Giovanni
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
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Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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