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Drawing some conclusions — What to expect amid the bevy of conflicting iPad rumors Will we see an iPad Air refresh, a new Pencil, or nothing this fall?

Samuel Axon – Oct 16, 2023 10:37 pm UTC Enlarge / The 2022 iPad Air.Samuel Axon reader comments 74 with

Over the past few days, there have been many conflicting rumors and reports, some from usually reliable sources, about Apple’s plans for the next wave of iPad updates. But on close examination, the rumors may not be as contradictory as they seem.

First up was an email blast from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Sunday. Noting that he had written in July that we would see iPad refreshes before the end of the year, he appeared to walk that back, writing, “a new entry-level iPad, iPad Air and iPad mini are all in development with faster chips, but I dont believe updates of any significance are imminent.”

Further Reading2022 iPad Air review: M1, other tablets 0He pointed to his prior reporting that Apple plans a major iPad Pro update with an OLED screen next year, but not before 2023’s end.

Then on Monday, Supercharged published an article citing “sources familiar with Apple’s media plans” stating that Apple plans to launch refreshes to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad this week, possibly as soon as Tuesday, October 17.

The iPad Air would reportedly get a bump from an M1 chip to the M2, the iPad mini would upgrade from the A15 to the A16, and the iPad would also get a bumppresumably from the A14 to the A16, though the report doesn’t specify about that chip.

There was an early rumor that also said that Apple plans to introduce a new display controller to address the “jelly scrolling” issue some have complained about on the current model of the iPad mini. Supercharged suggested those would be the only changes to the new iPads and said that they would be announced via press release and media briefings rather than a keynote event. (That wouldn’t be a first; several smaller refreshes to Apple products have been announced that way, such as the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro.) Advertisement

9to5Mac went on to first corroborate Supercharged’s claims but shortly later walked that back and stated that what it was hearing about was a new version of the Apple Pencil, pointing to the fact that Japanese site Macotakara reported the Pencil 3 is coming instead of an update to the iPad.

The new Pencil would reportedly come with different pointer attachments suited for various use cases, like one for painting and another for drawing, for example. Enlarge / The first-generation (left) and second-generation (right) Apple Pencils.Samuel Axon

Gurman and 9to5Mac have been right about some Apple predictions in the past, though either they or their sources have sometimes misunderstood specific details or seen timelines change.

Though at first glance, it sounds like some people are saying iPad refreshes are coming this week and some aren’t, it’s not far-fetched to imagine that we will get refreshes to the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad alongside a Pencil refresh.

Further ReadingiOS 17 review: StandBy for more featuresIt seems unlikely Apple would introduce a new Pencil separately from a new iPad launch. (The first-generation Pencil arrived at the same time as the first iPad Pro, and the second-generation Pencil was announced at the same time as the third-generation iPad Pro.)

The Air and the mini support the second-generation Pencil, so a refresh of both could be just as good a time to announce a new Pencil as an iPad Pro refresh. This wouldn’t necessarily contradict Gurman’s prediction; he wrote that he doesn’t think “updates of any significance are imminent.” Chip refreshes and a new Pencil aren’t exactly groundbreaking for most iPad users.

In any case, the iPad Air and iPad mini haven’t been updated in a long time, and they’re due for a refresh. Apple has often introduced new products around this time of year, too, as the initial buzz around the new iPhones and Watches slows down.

We’ll have to wait and see, but it does seem plausible that something mildly interesting will happen in iPad territory in the next few days. reader comments 74 with Samuel Axon Samuel is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He primarily covers software development, gaming, Apple, consumer technology, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for 15 years, and is a Chicago-based game developer. Advertisement Channel Ars Technica ← Previous story Related Stories Today on Ars

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Astros’ Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

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Astros' Paredes to forgo season-ending surgery

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo season-ending surgery on his strained right hamstring and instead will rehab the injury in an effort to return this season, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday.

The 26-year-old Paredes, who is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season, was placed on the injured list on July 20 after he was hurt while running to first base. Brown said the injury was “severe.”

Paredes has received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has had multiple rounds of imaging. His rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, will begin after a “long period” of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise, Brown said.

If Paredes undergoes surgery, he likely wouldn’t be able to return for at least six months.

“His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season,” Brown said Monday. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

The Astros were proactive at the trade deadline, acquiring infielder Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Correa, a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, has agreed to move from shortstop to third base while Paredes is out of the lineup.

The Astros (62-50) currently lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season.

“He’s doing well and he’s working hard,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Paredes. “He’s in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Braves’ Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

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Braves' Riley on IL; Holmes passes on TJ surgery

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Monday was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle.

Right-hander Grant Holmes, meanwhile, has opted to rehab his injured right elbow rather than undergoing Tommy John surgery, manager Brian Snitker told reporters.

Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.

The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.

Snitker said Holmes, who has damage to his UCL, made the decision to not have surgery at the present time after consulting with two doctors. The pitcher could also reconsider and have surgery after the season.

Snitker did not give a timeline as to when Snitker, who was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 27, will begin throwing again. He is not eligible to be activated until Sept. 26.

Holmes is 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season. He had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Colorado Rockies in June.

The Braves’ other Opening Day starters also are all on the injured list, with AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.

Snitker said All-Star left-hander Chris Sale threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from a fractured rib. He is next scheduled to throw live batting practice.

Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on the IL on March 29 with shoulder inflammation after one start, is playing catch, but Snitker said there is no timetable for his return.

Spencer Schwellenbach, who is recovering from a fractured elbow, has not resumed throwing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bristol races to return to NASCAR shape after MLB

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Bristol races to return to NASCAR shape after MLB

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The instant the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds cleared the baseball diamond inside the infield at Bristol Motor Speedway, a new clock started.

“The Last Great Colosseum” has to switch from hosting the MLB Speedway Classic and be ready for NASCAR’s return to the historic racetrack for a playoff race Sept. 13.

The first MLB regular-season game in the state of Tennessee set a record with a paid attendance of 91,032, but now it must get back to its racing roots.

“It is difficult, but it’s things that we like,” said Steve Swift, Speedway Motorsports’ senior vice president of operations. “It gives us a challenge and we like challenges.”

Major League Baseball used BaAM to create everything from clubhouses for the Braves and Reds, complete with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coach and trainers’ offices and batting cages. They constructed grandstands down both base lines with broadcast booths.

Pit walls were taken down and now have to be rebuilt. The transformation to a baseball diamond in the infield required 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield, then 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface.

Swift said pouring concrete walls takes time — and then more time to cure properly.

“As soon as the last pitch is thrown, the last hit’s hit, teams do their thing, postgame’s taken care of, pads will start coming off the wall, and they’ll work through the night to basically start disassembling so we can reassemble for the NASCAR race,” Swift said.

Some of the gravel will be used in Bristol’s parking lots. Swift said they have found groups to help use some of the materials to help people still recovering from the damages left by Hurricane Helene. That includes 2x4s and plywood used for the grandstands.

“A lot of stuff is going to go to good use as far as the rebuild portion,” Swift said. “We just need to get it out of the way so we can put back asphalt and concrete.”

This new renovation schedule has a couple of days built in for protection. The target date for being finished is Sept. 7.

“There may still be some paint drying whenever they roll in with the Goodyear haulers, but we’ll definitely shoot for (Sept. 7),” Swift said.

Bristol hosted a college football game in 2016 that drew 156,990. Now the NHL might be in Bristol’s future after Sportico reported Friday that league officials would be checking out how the racetrack handled Major League Baseball.

“We’ve shown with football and now baseball being here, that things can take place and we can do the things that nobody would even think about,” Swift said.

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