Apple is broadcasting an online-only launch event tomorrow night. Pundits see the tech giant delivering spec bumps to existing products at a “Scary Fast” event set for tomorrow evening, the Verge reports. Breaking with its usual pattern, Apple is going head-to-head with Monday Night Football, with the event set to air at 8pm Eastern time / 5pm Pacific (and 2am the next day here in Omm El Donia).

What should we expect? Updated M3 processors in existing Mac product lines, the Verge tells us, even though the M2 chips are still reasonably fresh out of the foundry, having launched just under 1.5 years ago and only completing their rollout earlier this year. Expect the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros to get processor updates.

Mythical beast #1- Chatter on social media has some expecting Apple to bring back the 12-inch MacBook (no Pro, no other descriptor — you remember it? The one with one port and no keyboard travel.

Mythical beast #2- While an updated 24-inch iMac is almost a certainty, there’s no word on whether the much-awaited 27” (or even 32-inch iMac) iMac will debut. (Odds seem good, tech nerds feel, that Apple’s answer to that wish is, “Buy a Mac Studio and an external display.”)

Christmas sales? The event — seen unlikely just a week ago — likely has a lot to do with Apple stuffing channels ahead of holiday sales in Western markets, but the Verg argues that Apple may be looking to make their lineup more competitive after Snapdragon released its X Elite processors, which it claims are 50% faster than Apple’s M2. Look for the M3 to deliver a 15% speed boost and decrease power consumption by up to 30%.

How to watch: Tune in on Apple’s YouTube channel or on their events page.

IN MEMORIAM-

Matthew Perry, one of the six stars of the beloved sitcom Friends, has died at the age of 54. The actor is believed to have diedas a result of an accidental drowning in his Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles Times. Police have yet to say anything about the cause of death, but added there are no signs of foul play, according to the New York Times.

Goodbye, Chanandler Bong: Perry’s career spanned more than 40 years, but he rose to fame for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on Friends, which followed a group of 30-something professionals navigating life, work, and love in Manhattan. Chandler, known for his quick wit and infectious sarcasm, became one of the series’ most beloved characters. Since its pilot in 1994, Friends has been a staple ‘feel-good’ series — a rare Gen-X hit that has since pulled Millenials and, more recently, Gen Z to their screens.

Perry’s filmography includes Fools Rush In, opposite Salma Hayek; Almost Heroes ; and TheWhole Nine Yards, with Bruce Willis. On the small screen, he appeared in Mr. Sunshine and The Odd Couple. He last appeared in Friends: The Reunion which was released on HBO Max in 2021.

Watch tonight: In Egypt, you can still catch Perry and the rest of the cast of Friends on Netflix and Amazon.

AFTERNOON MUST-READ-

One in four humans will live in Africa by 2050, making ours the fastest-growing (and fastest-urbanizing) continent, with the population set to double to 2.5 bn by 2050, according to this New York Times article. At 19, Africa’s median age will be half that of western markets, giving it a workforce larger than those of both India and China (which will both see workforces shrinking by 2050). Twenty years down the road, developing nations will be grappling with an aging population and few people to care for the elderly — all while we look for ways to turn population growth into a net positive.

Africa’s influence permeates music, politics, business and religion. Today, AfroBeats music is blaring in the most prestigious western arenas to a completely international audience. On the diplomatic front, African politicians are being pursued by suitors who want access to our continent’s resources. At stake is nothing less than the green economy — the world’s booming EV and solar businesses. And every year, mns of African consumers are going online for the first time, accessing markets such as FMCGs, bank services, and telecoms, making Africa appear as a continent bursting at the seams with potential…

…but rapid growth might be more overwhelming than beneficial. While some countries are well-positioned to benefit from this demographic wave, others are at risk. Take Nigeria: Already facing high poverty rates, violence, and low life expectancy, it continues to add five mn people annually to its population. Nigerian youth are becoming more educated and connected, but they can’t find work — factors that pundits say express themselves in rising violence, extremism, and illegal migration.

The climate crisis poses its own challenges: Africa has been hit by floods, droughts, and storms. Still, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa tells the New York Times that despite the complexities of predicting population trends, Africa’s current demographic projections are the “mother of all megatrends.”

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