Apple final iPod nano and iPod shuffle are now obsolete

Photo: Apple

Apple has added the final iPod nano and iPod shuffle models to its obsolete products list, marking the end of Apple's iconic music players. The company last added new colour options for the seventh-generation iPod nano and fourth-generation iPod shuffle in 2015. And those are the models that are now considered obsolete. Apple discontinued its iPod nano and shuffle line in 2017.

Apple considers products "obsolete" once seven years have passed since they stopped distributing them for sale. When these devices become obsolete, they are no longer eligible for repair at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. (The only exceptions are MacBook battery replacements for up to 10 years.)

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New MacBooks expected at WWDC 2023

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Aside from its rumoured mixed reality headset, Apple is reportedly introducing new MacBook models during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this year. While WWDC is typically a software- and developer-centric event, hardware has also appeared frequently. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims new MacBook laptops are coming to the conference.

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Foxconn tipped to start manufacturing MacBooks in Vietnam as early as May 2023

Source: Apple

Apple has been looking to diversify its supply chain, and one of the new major product lines is in Vietnam. Rumours have it that Foxconn will begin producing MacBook models in Vietnam as early as May 2023. The Taiwanese company was granted a license in January 2021 to build a US$270 million plant in Vietnam for manufacturing MacBooks and iPads. 

This new plant is developed by Fukang Technology and will be located in the northern Vietnamese province of Bac Giang. The factory is projected to produce eight million laptops and tablets annually. Aside from the Apple MacBook, the Vietnam plant is expected to produce the Apple Watch and HomePod as well.

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Anker's new USB-C hub allows M1 MacBooks to connect to up to 3 external monitors

The Apple M1-powered MacBooks, by default, can only output to a single external monitor. Anker saw this issue and unveiled a new 10-in-1 USB-C hub that can allow the MacBook to support up to three external displays. The Anker 563 dock retails for US$249.99 (around CA$321) and includes USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm audio, and Ethernet. Of course, you'd want to learn more about the HDMI ports. One can go up to 4K but only up to 30Hz, a second HDMI port can support 2K at up to 60Hz, and a DisplayPort can support 2K at 60Hz. 

That 4K at 30Hz wouldn't feel particularly smooth to use. But as The Verge pointed out, if you're just watching video content or have productivity software opened there, you might not have an issue with that. Another limitation is that you'll need DisplayLink software to get the M1 MacBook to output to these many monitors, which could be a troublesome experience.

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