Eliana Willis

June Wan/ZDNETTwo years after settling a class action lawsuit over faulty MacBook keyboards, Apple is finally sending payouts to qualifying individuals. The latest update to the MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement website says that payments would be issued for approved claims by August 2024. Based on a report from 9to5Mac and other sites, some people have already received checks for as much as $395.To cash in on the settlement, you must have purchased a MacBook with a butterfly keyboard between 2015 and 2019. You also must have gotten keyboard repairs or service for your system.If you had at least two topcase replacements within four years of purchase, you could get up to $395. If you had just one topcase replacement, you may be due as much as $125. A topcase consists mainly of the battery, keyboard, and a few smaller components. If you only ordered keycap replacements, your payout would be no more than $50.Also: Sorry, Apple: This Logitech keyboard is my new go-to for the MacWhatever types of repairs you received, you must have already filed a claim by now, as the deadlines all passed on March 6. In the claim, you would’ve had to assert that the repairs didn’t fix the keyboard issues. If you did file a claim, then there’s nothing more you need to do. Apple will notify you via email when your check or electronic payment has been sent.The entire process has dragged on for quite a while. Although Apple settled the case in July 2022, the court didn’t approve Apple’s settlement until May 2023 and took until June 27, 2024, to issue the payment order. More

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Jack WallenZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysVanilla OS “Orchid” is available now to install and use for free.Vanilla OS supports several installation package types, offers a clean GNOME desktop, and offers a very shallow learning curve to appeal to any user type.Some user types might not love the GNOME desktop environment.In the land of Linux, there are a few distributions that go out of their way to set themselves apart. One such take on the open-source operating system is Vanilla OS. I’ve previously covered Vanilla OS to discuss its take on security, which (of course) is a key factor.Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learnHowever, the developers of Vanilla OS have spent the last year completely rewriting the operating system to redefine simplicity and performance. The end goal is to provide a seamless and intuitive experience for users of any type.They succeeded.By a mile.Also: 5 reasons why Linux will overtake Windows and MacOS on the desktop – eventuallyVanilla OS offers a few features that make it stand apart from other operating systems and the end result is simplicity, cleanliness, freedom, and an obstruction-free experience.Even the new installer is impressive. For example, during the installation wizard, you can select what you’d like installed. You can enable the installation of LibreOffice and common utilities (to go alongside the core utilities and web browser).  More

PM Images/Getty Images Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) developers continuously push the boundaries of what’s possible, such as Google’s Gemini 1.5, which can take in a million tokens of information at a time.  Still, even this level of development is not enough to make real progress in AI, say competitors who go toe-to-toe with Google. […] More

Whether you bought your PC ready-made or built it yourself, your PC likely came with information about the motherboard and other components. If you built it yourself, you will have a manual with the motherboard (either a physical one, an electronic copy, or information on where to find an electronic copy).The motherboard’s manual is a veritable treasure trove of information about your PC. It’s one of those manuals that’s worth keeping. Beyond just telling you what motherboard you have, the manual says what RAM and CPU it supports, explains what error codes or beeps mean, and how to update the firmware.Also: How to get a free Windows (or Linux) recovery image for your Dell, HP, Lenovo, or Microsoft Surface PCWhile I generally put manuals straight into the recycling bin, I always keep motherboard manuals for future reference.If you know what motherboard you have and need a manual, type the name into a search engine and go to the manufacturer’s website — the manual should be available there. More

Hiroshi Watanabe/Getty Images It has become difficult to set realistic expectations about artificial intelligence — and this could ultimately confuse efforts to understand the actual value of AI efforts. As the use of technology increases, it means changes in the career landscape for technology professionals, favoring more creative thinkers. That’s the word from Ajay Malik, […] More