Apple, Panasonic, Sigma, and Aputure headline this week’s tech roundup, spanning F1 streaming strategy, TV manufacturing shifts, lighting firmware updates, battery breakthroughs, and unusual corporate diversification news. With added England Rugby trolling!
Plenty from Cupertino this week, including the news that Apple is going to start making the Mac mini in the US (above), and even more coming next week. Tim Cook has confirmed that rather than a stack of announcements dropping on March 4, the company will actually drip feed releases over next week starting from Monday.
Next week also sees the start of the 2026 F1 season. Apple, of course, has the rights to this in the US, doubling down on its sporting strategy that backed F1: The Movie to such commercial success. It's making the most of this with a series of what marketing people call activations, including a content deal with Netflix that sees Apple show the latest season of Netflix F1 reality juggernaut Drive to Survive on Apple TV and the streamer show the Canadian GP later this year. All this is US-based, but more globally Apple Maps has also been overhauled to show detailed F1 track maps down to the kerbing.
Below is a close-up of Turn 3 of Melbourne's Albert Park circuit, where a lot of pre-season chickens may rapidly come home to roost at about 180mph or so next Sunday.
Apple might need as much going for it as possible. With the ongoing Ramageddon crisis showing no sign of abating, analyst IDC reports that sales will drop an alarming 12.9% this year — the largest drop ever — while prices rise 14%. The worldwide average smartphone price will be $523 by the time we get to the end of the year as a result. And sales won't be back at their 2025 peak till after 2030, if then.
So, what do the 2026 BAFTAs tell us about the Oscars race? To be honest, very little. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts had an outbreak of major parochialism this year and awarded homegrown talent more than the visiting Hollywood stars. Robert Aramayo won in the best actor category for I Swear. And, as the man himself said, it was not to be believed that he’d be heading to the podium while the likes of DiCaprio, Chalamet and Ethan Hawke kept their seats. Editing and many other gongs, including Best Film, went to One Battle After Another. Then again, maybe that is a bit of a steer for the 98th Academy Awards on March 15.
Plenty of tweaks and improvements too. Head here to update.
Panasonic is getting out of the TV business, announcing that it will no longer make its own sets. In a similar move to Sony that has outsourced a controlling stake of its television and home audio business, including the BRAVIA TV lineup, to TCL, Panasonic says that Chinese company Skyworth will take over manufacturing, marketing, and selling Panasonic-branded TVs. That means there is little or no TV manufacture happening in Japan any more, which is one hell of a reversal from the picture a few decades ago.
Designed exclusively for the new Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice says that its latest SNAPBAG Round maintains a compact footprint both when packed and fully set up. Despite its small size, it instantly shapes the output into a larger round surface, creating flattering, natural-looking illumination ideal for interviews, closeups, and eye light. Silver reflective fabric interior maximizes brightness and efficiency, which should ensure impressive output even when diffusion is applied. No word yet on pricing
As well as releasing new lenses at CP+ 2026+, Japan's Sigma is also planning on putting something back into the community with the establishment of the Sigma Aizu Farm Corporation. "Sigma's Aizu factory has served for many years as the company's sole production site, supported by local communities and Aizu's rich natural surroundings," writes the company. "The skills and spirit cultivated here have shaped Sigma's quality and remain the driving force behind delivering "Made in Aizu, Japan" products to customers worldwide.
"At the same time, Aizu―like many regions across Japan―faces growing challenges, including a shortage of agricultural successors and an increase in abandoned farmland. As a result, satoyama landscapes, ecosystems, and local cultural heritage are gradually being lost, beginning with rice paddies that have long retained abundant water and supported the region's natural cycles. In response to these changes, Sigma believes that protecting the natural environment and supporting local livelihoods is an important responsibility for a company that continues to manufacture in this region. Starting rice cultivation through Sigma Aizu Farm is a concrete initiative aimed at sustaining Aizu's culture, landscapes, and ways of life for the future by maintaining and cultivating rice paddies and farmland."
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And finally, the video below shows how the England Rugby Performance Analysts use Apple technology to help them gain important tactical advantages on match day. A colossal amount of live data is collected, processed and analysed at speed — with the coaches’ box, touchline and changing room all seamlessly connected. As an Ireland Rugby supporter, it's only fair to point out that they might need to work on an upgrade to something as quick as Stuart McCloskey hunting down Marcus Smith 💀.