9 great reads from CNET this week
How Apple is reinventing its Mac lineup, what we're looking for from the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, and how people are working to get bias out of algorithms.
Game consoles. Apple hardware and software. Those were the two big themes of the week gone by.
Those of you who've been hankering to dive into the next generation of gaming got your wish. First, after months of teasing, Microsoft made its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S available in stores and online. A few days later, Sony followed suit with the PlayStation 5. Retailers had trouble keeping up with demand.
Meanwhile, Apple held a virtual event -- its third in three months -- to introduce a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini, all built around the company's new M1 chip, designed in house under the label of Apple silicon. Before the week was out, the company also rolled out the Big Sur version of MacOS, and the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max went on sale.
Here are the stories from the past week that you don't want to miss.
Apple wants to remake Mac computers, and it's taking control
The new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini look the same on the outside, but they're getting new tricks that PCs will struggle to emulate.
MacOS Big Sur review: The other half of the Mac's 2020 rebirth
MacOS 11 brings new capabilities and more unity with the rest of your Apple devices.
Why the PS5 and Xbox Series X need to break the video game mold
Commentary: Let's get some new ideas in the mix.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the perfect PS5 launch title
Commentary: Miles' friendly neighborhood adventure is exactly what PlayStation needs to kick off a new console generation.
Coded Bias review: Eye-opening documentary faces up to racist technology
Meet the activists fighting back against the human failings hardwired into the algorithms already ruling our lives.
Follow the iPhone 12 Pro Max on a rugged Lost Coast photography adventure
CNET senior photographer James Martin puts the camera on Apple's new phone through the paces along California's coastline.
Donald Trump ignored the science. Joe Biden must rely on it
Commentary: The president-elect will need to reverse some of the damage done by the Trump administration's attack on science.
Author Anthony Horowitz, creator of teen spy Alex Rider, on why books matter
On CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast, Horowitz discusses his writing career and the TV series about his unlikely teenage spy, which is now arriving on Amazon Prime.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Nordic and English history you need to know
The more you know about the target, the sweeter the victory.
