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Apple Launches New iPad Mini with AI Features

A view of a signage outside an Apple store in London, Britain, October 11, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a signage outside an Apple store in London, Britain, October 11, 2024. (Reuters)
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Apple Launches New iPad Mini with AI Features

A view of a signage outside an Apple store in London, Britain, October 11, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of a signage outside an Apple store in London, Britain, October 11, 2024. (Reuters)

Apple on Tuesday launched its new generation of the iPad mini packed with AI features including writing tools and an improved Siri assistant, as the iPhone maker races to boost its devices with artificial-intelligence capabilities.

The new iPad mini is powered by Apple's A17 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. With a six-core central processing unit, the A17 Pro would boost CPU performance by 30% compared to the current generation iPad minis and is central to running Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI software.

Apple said it would roll out the first set of AI features in the US version of the English language this month through a software update with iPadOS 18.1.

The features will be available for iPads with A17 Pro or M1 chips and later generations, Apple said, adding it will roll out additional features including image-generation tools, Genmoji and ChatGPT-powered capabilities over the next several months.

Apple in September unveiled its long-awaited, AI-boosted iPhone 16 lineup, but with the AI features still in test mode, the company failed to excite some investors while early sales data raised some questions around demand.

Still, research firm Canalys on Monday said the iPhone 16 would help Apple's sales in the fourth quarter and drive momentum into the first half of 2025, after Apple reached a record high third-quarter shipments.

The iPad mini, starting at $499, is available for pre-orders starting on Tuesday and will begin arriving to customers and Apple store locations next week, Apple said.

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Italy to Test Starlink Satellites to Boost Internet Penetration

A Starlink internet kit sits on the back of a Christian Ranger ATV that is being donated to a remote community after a main road was washed out in Bee Log, Burnsville, North Carolina, on October 6, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP)
A Starlink internet kit sits on the back of a Christian Ranger ATV that is being donated to a remote community after a main road was washed out in Bee Log, Burnsville, North Carolina, on October 6, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP)
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Italy to Test Starlink Satellites to Boost Internet Penetration

A Starlink internet kit sits on the back of a Christian Ranger ATV that is being donated to a remote community after a main road was washed out in Bee Log, Burnsville, North Carolina, on October 6, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP)
A Starlink internet kit sits on the back of a Christian Ranger ATV that is being donated to a remote community after a main road was washed out in Bee Log, Burnsville, North Carolina, on October 6, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP)

Italy is preparing to test the use of satellites produced by Elon Musk's Starlink to offer internet connection services in some remote areas of the country, a government official was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
The Starlink project was being discussed with some regional administrations, Undersecretary to the Prime Minister's Office Alessio Butti said in an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore daily ahead of a Group of Seven ministerial meeting on technology and digital on Lake Como.
"We're assessing with Starlink and other players the possibility of complementing existing infrastructure with satellites for the most remote areas," Reuters quoted him as saying.
"In reference to Starlink in particular, we're currently speaking to some regions - in the north, center and south of the country - to test a 'space based service' for remote areas or areas without terrestrial infrastructure."
Butti said the government had been exploring options such as a satellite-based internet connection service to make up for delays accumulated by companies in charge of fiber rollout plans.
The country is pursuing a broader plan to ensure homes and businesses across Italy have access to fixed-line internet speeds of at least 1 Gigabit per second by 2026.
"The Italy at 1 Giga scheme is a key element of our commitments under the post-pandemic recovery plan, and we're aware of the importance of reaching the target set for 2026," Butti said.