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Mac Studio Gets an Ultra Upgrade

Mac Studio Gets an Ultra Upgrade

Perplexity's $1000 AI Phone, OpenAI's $20K/mo Plan

March 08, 2025

In partnership with

Apple's Mighty Studio Gets Mightier

Apple's newest Mac Studio introduces M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, delivering unprecedented performance for creative workflows.

Starting at $1,999 for the M4 Max model and reaching $14,099 for a fully-loaded M3 Ultra configuration, this compact powerhouse offers up to 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and 512GB of unified memory, making it Apple's most powerful desktop to date.

M3 Ultra configuration delivers up to 32-core CPU and 80-core GPU, ideal for complex VFX and 8K editing
Revolutionary Thunderbolt 5 ports enable 120 Gb/s transfer speeds - perfect for data-heavy productions
Supports up to eight 6K Pro Display XDRs simultaneously
Expandable to 512GB unified memory and 16TB storage
Enhanced Neural Engine accelerates AI-powered creative tasks (users have already pointed out that you can run DeepSeek R1 on this with room to spare)

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Perplexity Eyes Making $1000 AI Smart Phone

Deutsche Telekom and Perplexity AI are launching an 'AI Phone' priced under $1,000. The phone combines voice-driven interactions with advanced AI capabilities from partners including Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart.

The Perplexity Assistant handles everyday tasks from taxi booking to email writing through voice commands or simple taps
Real-time translation powered by Google Cloud AI's Gemini Multimodal Live API enables instant conversation translation
Integration with Mein Magenta app means AI features will be available beyond just phone owners

iPhone competitor or the next Fire phone?

OpenAI Plans Premium AI Agents at $20K a Month

OpenAI is developing specialized AI agents capable of PhD-level research and complex software engineering, with pricing reaching $20,000 per month. The move signals a significant pivot toward enterprise-level AI solutions, backed by a $3 billion investment commitment from SoftBank.

These AI agents will be capable of PhD-level research synthesis, advanced software engineering, and sales lead optimization
Built on an enhanced version of GPT-4.5, the agents can operate continuously without breaks, potentially replacing entire research teams
The high price point positions these tools for enterprise clients and major academic institutions
SoftBank's $3 billion investment suggests strong confidence in the market potential for premium AI solutions

Image Source: Tibor Blaho @ X

Creatives who are embracing AI have such a massive advantage.
It's not replacing their work - they're using it to get much further and do things that would've been too expensive with traditional methods.
This ad was made by a creative agency using AI alongside a live actor. x.com/i/web/status/1…
— Justine Moore (@venturetwins)
6:26 PM • Mar 5, 2025

Stories, projects, and links that caught our attention from around the web:

🔲 Atomos' new Shinobi GO delivers 1500 nits of brightness at $249, brighter than most high-end monitors at half the price.

🏟️ Door G's new Rhode Island facility features a 56-foot LED wall and brings major virtual production capabilities within driving distance of three major markets.

🔀 MASV’s fast file transfer tech meets Qumulo’s scalable cloud storage, creating a seamless pipeline for handling massive files.

🌆 Sony's move to make its content authenticity system more accessible means media professionals can better safeguard against manipulated images, even when using non-professional equipment.

📚 Blackmagic offers free DaVinci Resolve training books to level up your editing, color grading, and VFX skills.

🏀 The Bulls practiced on a high-tech LED glass court that displays plays in real-time, thanks to ASB GlassFloor.

📺 YouTube has introduced a $7.99 per month Premium Lite subscription, offering ad-free viewing for most videos, which could be an attractive option for viewers who want to avoid ads without the full features of YouTube Premium.