Will Apple increase the MacBook Neo’s price? I’m invoking Betteridge’s Law in my piece for Stuff. My take: much of the attraction of the MacBook Neo is its low price. Getting rid of that would be a massive risk and a very bad idea, unless Apple has no alternative.

Blind bags and boxes are awful. Lego sells minifigs in blind boxes, which is awful. What’s not awful: Lego minifig scanner apps that let you see what’s inside. (Speaking of Lego, I also wrote 10 of the best sets you can buy today.)

Want new Apple Watch apps? I updated my Apple Watch apps and games roundup, which now includes the shiny new Pedometer++.

Kenny Who? Is the subject of the latest 2000 AD podcast. It uses as a launchpad a Dredd story that was satirical sci-fi pushback on exploitative publishing but that now feels like an on-the-nose critique on GenAI. It then goes deep into morals, practicalities and concerns surrounding GenAI in creative industries.

Comics are great. So I was very happy to see The Times writing positively about the success of The Phoenix, which has now overtaken The Beano in terms of subscribers. However, the numbers themselves are a far cry from the heyday of comics. Moreover, the two comics I mention are the only two British anthology weeklies for kids left in the UK. (2000 AD also soldiers on, but is very much teen+ these days.)

It’s a shame. Weeklies let publishers try new things and take way more risks. And comics in general are pretty awesome for a whole range of reasons. They are imaginative. They can be good for reluctant readers (but should not be considered ONLY a stepping stone to ‘proper’ books). They can encourage creativity. Graphic novels and manga remain popular, but it seems relatively few parents buy a subscription to a weekly for their kids. In part, that’s down to changing habits and cost. But awareness also plays a part. As Jamie Smart says: “We’ve always held on, pig-headedly, to the belief that children love comics. But they need to know they exist.”

So if you’re in the UK and in the position of having a youngling with no comics and the means to buy them some, do consider a Phoenix sub (first 6 issues for a ridiculously cheap £1) and/or The Beano (first 5 issues for £5). And if you’re an adult… read some comics too.