Another pure maintenance release of the random package for truly (hardware-based) random numbers as provided by random.org is now on CRAN. The random package provides true (physical) random number from sampling atmospheric noise. One possible use case is to seed an (algorithmic) quasi-random number generator for genuine unpredictability.

This release, the first in nine years, updates the package files, URLs, and continuous integration setup. We also ensure all posted URLs in the two vignettes (and other documentation) are reachable.

Courtesy of my CRANberries, there is also a diffstat report for this release.

This post by Dirk Eddelbuettel originated on his Thinking inside the box blog. If you like this or other open-source work I do, you can sponsor me at GitHub.

Apple's unusually timed announcement of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models this week was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise appetite for AI hardware, according to The Information.


Apple normally releases new Mac models in the autumn, closer to October or November, making this week's announcement unusually early, falling just before the anticipated arrival of new iPhone models. The Information says that the AI-driven boom in ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac mini‌ sales is behind the early launch.

Apple noticeably promoted the ability to link multiple Mac Studios together into a single, more capable system for running large frontier AI models, a feature aimed at business and developer customers rather than everyday consumers.

Apple highlighted the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌'s shift toward business buyers in June, with a "Business at the Park" event involving executives from major companies Ford, Disney, and Anthropic. The ‌Mac mini‌ was said to be the "darling" of the event.

Even so, enterprise's rush toward powerful desktop Macs more broadly took Apple by surprise. The company reportedly did not possess an engineering team dedicated to business customers or staff focused on developer relations, and lacked an enterprise AI strategy.

Businesses that approached Apple asking to buy access to the company's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure were reportedly turned down. Apple is instead leaning on partners such as WebAI and Mount Thor, which provide AI tools and execution environments built on Apple hardware.

A surge in demand for Mac hardware to run AI models has coincided with the global memory shortage, leaving many ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations out of stock for months. Some enterprise customers are reportedly turning to other hardware such as Nvidia's DGX Spark, a compact AI desktop launched late last year in a form factor similar to the ‌Mac mini‌'s, as Apple's own high end configurations remain difficult to get hold of.
This article, "Apple Caught Off Guard by AI Demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9.


While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models.

Gurman does expect a ceramic case option to return for the Apple Watch Series 12. Today, he revealed that Apple has tested both white and dark gray ceramic case options, like those offered for the highest-end Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017.

Another sketchy rumor claimed that the Series 12 would have a band with an embedded health sensor, but Gurman did not mention that.

Instead, he expects more ordinary changes, including faster performance and improvements to health and fitness tracking. The Series 11 and Ultra 3 both have the same S10 chip that was used in the Series 10 and Ultra 2, so the S11 chip or newer should provide the first Apple Watch performance improvements in multiple years.

One new feature in testing allows the heart-rate sensor on the Apple Watch to continuously collect data throughout the day, he said. In his newsletter, he added that Apple is also working on revamping its Health and Fitness apps to show more wellness-related metrics "in a similar fashion to increasingly popular app offerings from Whoop and Oura."

An Apple Watch SE 4 is not expected this year.

A "big redesign" is in the works for the Apple Watch, but he said they are unlikely to arrive for another year or two. Even further ahead, he previously said that Apple continues to develop a blood sugar detection feature with a goal of releasing it by 2030.
This article, "New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has internally prototyped, tested, and considered launching an Apple Pencil for the upcoming foldable iPhone, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, he said it is unlikely that the accessory will be released.


In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the Apple Pencil tested for the foldable iPhone is stubbier than the versions for iPads. He said the Apple Pencil for the foldable iPhone was designed to magnetically attach and charge on the side of the device.

Steve Jobs famously mocked smartphone styluses when he unveiled the original iPhone in 2007.

Apple is expected to unveil the foldable iPhone during its September 9 event, and it has been rumored that the device will be named iPhone Ultra.
This article, "Apple Pencil for iPhone Ultra Was Tested" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In his newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that AirPods 5 will be released as early as this September, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, a foldable iPhone, the Apple Watch Series 12, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Apple is holding an event on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

He also reiterated that he expects an iPad mini with an OLED display and other new features to launch by the end of October.
This article, "Beyond iPhone 18 Pro: AirPods 5 in September, iPad Mini With OLED Display in October" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Here’s my monthly but brief update about the activities I’ve done in the FOSS world.

Debian

I barely did anything this month as I was mostly on vacation - summer break. Went to Iceland for 2 weeks and then watched the Dutch GP the following weekend - it was fab!

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Ubuntu

I joined Canonical to work on Ubuntu full-time back in February 2021.

• Vacations mostly.
• Attended and drove a few sessions in the mid-cycle sprints.

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Debian (E)LTS

This month I have worked 0 hours on Debian Long Term Support (LTS) and on its sister Extended LTS project as I was on vacation the whole month.

I’ll follow up with the two packages in September.

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Until next time.
:wq for today.

Email is hard. SMTP was a simple mail transfer protocol except that now it's a relatively difficult mail protocol with things overlaid on top.