The Anker 737 MagGo MagSafe charger comes with a USB-C adapter and cable. Photo: Anker
Anker rolled out its latest 15W MagSafe charging stand Tuesday, introducing the 3-in-1 Anker 737 MagGo Charger. It adopts a triangular shape, juicing up iPhones at a full 15W and AirPods and Apple Watch at 5W apiece.
This follows the company’s first 3-in-1 MagSafe fast-charging stand, the Anker Cube, released in October 2022.
The bass player running this rig said the mount's gas arm is a little over-eager. Photo: [email protected]
We recently talked about what a boon to computer setups stands and mounts usually are — but not when they cause problems. Today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro setup is an interesting example. The bass player who runs it said the gas-powered arm of the mount where the laptop sits is so hair-trigger it can “randomly launch it into the air.”
That’s not ideal when you have $2,000 laptop not designed for flight. The user also has a PC laptop for work, a massive 4K display and a compact mechanical keyboard and badass speakers we haven’t seen elsewhere.
A tiny charger that can push 20W+ to two devices is pretty potent. Photo: Anker
Anker introduced a new potent-but-weenie little GaN charger to it lineup Wednesday, the Anker 47W Nano 3. It packs more power than the company’s 30W Nano chargers, adds a most-welcome second USB-C port and comes in three colors.
And it also comes with a 15% off launch discount — $34 instead of the regular $40, a savings of $6.
All those smartphones are for testing apps using different OS versions and screen sizes. Photo: [email protected]
It’s always nice to hear from professionals relying on Apple gear and finding it meets or even exceeds their expectations. That’s a good indicator that Cupertino is going in the right direction.
Today’s featured computer setup shows that enthusiasm. A mobile app developer offers high praise for his M1 MacBook Pro. And his stacked displays and raft of AV gear aren’t bad, either. Let’s take a look.
Soundcore A40 wireless ANC earbuds sound great, but their noise cancellation is epic. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
I’ve reviewed quite a few active noise-canceling wireless earbuds for Cult of Mac, including the magnificent new second-gen AirPods Pro. And while the high quality and excellent features of Apple’s updated ANC buds make them a favorite as well as a benchmark, there are great alternative earbuds that do a nice job for a much lower cost.
What follows isn’t a “top 5 in the world” list, which would be an assortment of mostly super-pricey earbuds. It’s my favorite earbuds among those I’ve reviewed in the past year or so, mostly focused on high-value products, considering the quality you get for the cost.
Anker's Cube charges up to three devices at one and reverts to a small cube for storing or traveling. Photo: Apple
If you like buying popular third-party accessories straight from Apple, take heart. The Cupertino tech giant added three new products to its online store Friday from Anker, Mophie and Twelve South.
They are the new Anker 3-in-1 Cube MagSafe charger, the Mophie Powerstation Plus 10K power bank and the Twelve South Hoverbar Tower for iPad floor stand.
This setup just added an LG UltraFine display, but it's the pegboards behind it everybody's raving about. Photo: [email protected]
Sometimes the hero of a computer setup isn’t the computer itself. And it may not be a slick external display or other peripherals, either. In today’s featured MacBook Pro setup, a newly added LG UltraFine display gets some attention, but the real star is something a bit more pedestrian mounted on the wall behind it.
Pegboards may have no world-changing technology built into them, but they can radically change your setup for the better as an inventive storage and charging solution.
The new Soundcore Liberty 4 wireless ANC earbuds feature heart-rate tracking. Photo: Soundcore by Anker
Soundcore rolled out its new flagship Liberty 4 wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) on Friday with some upgrades.
And one of those upgrades might get under Apple’s skin a little bit. That would be heart rate monitoring via an in-ear sensor, which has so far failed to materialize in Apple’s AirPods line despite persistent rumors.
Anker's new bio-cables and Nano 3 charger come in a variety of colors. Photo: Anker
With the iPhone 14 series imminent, Anker rolled out its tiny new Nano 3 wall charger Tuesday along with an “industry-first” set of eco-friendly, bio-based charging cables.
The gallium nitride-based Nano 3 is even smaller than before and packs 30W of power. But the real headliner may be the two sizes of plant-based USB-C charging cables for USB-C and Lighting devices.
And you can get the charger and cables in a choice of fanciful matching colors and at 10% off for two weeks, Anker said.
★★★★☆
The Anker 727 Power Station, left, and Anker 733 Power Bank have your special needs covered. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Anker deployed a whole squad of six new, compact and capable high-speed GaNPrime chargers to the charging accessory battlefield a few weeks back. They seem equipped to cover pretty much any need, taking different forms and offering different charging capacities and numbers of ports.
The company sent me a few to try out. I already reviewed the impressively potent and portable Anker 747 150W GaNPrime Charger, an adapter. Now I’ll take a look at two other forms — the Anker 733 Power Bank and the Anker 727 Power Station, which is a compact power strip.
They each address specific capabilities a lot of people might look for in a charger. You might want one of each.
Spoiler alert: The Apple car probably won't look like a Lamborghini. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s electric self-driving car project apparently just landed a bigwig from Lamborghini. Does this mean the hiding-in-plain-sight Apple car is back on track?
Also on The CultCast:
Why we didn’t see an M1 Mac Pro — and why we never will.
Saudi Arabia’s crazy glass building sounds unbelievable.
Anker makes GaN charging even faster and more efficient.
The EU’s new Digital Markets Act could bring big changes for Apple and the App Store.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
Anker launched a new range of advanced GaN chargers Monday. Photo: Anker
Anker Innovations said Monday at a special event that new partnerships have birthed a new lineup of Gallium Nitride (GaN) fast chargers for use at home and on-the-go.
The six new compact, efficient GaNPrime chargers range in power output from 150W down to 65W and cover a lot of possible uses. The range includes wall chargers, a power bank and a power strip.
“GaNPrime represents a new era in charging,” said Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “In addition
to delivering a faster and safer charging experience, our new GaNPrime chargers offer significant savings in energy consumption, reinforcing Anker’s commitment to a more sustainable future.”
The new Anker 535 puts five ports on the front of your iMac. Photo: Anker
Anker targeted a pet peeve of some iMac users Friday when it introduced a USB-C hub that puts useful ports on the front of the machine. The desktop’s own hubs are on the back, which not everybody likes.
The company designed the new 535 model, a 5-in-1 USB-C hub made of metal, specifically for the 24-inch M1 iMac, though it also works with other iMacs.
And you can get it at a launch discount. See below.
That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle. Photo: [email protected]
In a world of ever-increasing monitor sizes (and weights), you need a pretty tough, supportive desk — especially if it’s a motorized one for sitting or standing. Otherwise, the whole thing might wobble all over the place under the combined, imbalanced weight of your fabulous gear.
Today’s featured Mac mini computer setup copes with an electric desk that struggles under the weight of a behemoth of a curved ultra-wide monitor.
With the Anker 563 USB-C Docking Station, a MacBook with an Apple M1 processor can handle three external monitors – two more than Apple designed the notebook to support.
And the hub can do more than that. It also packs three USB-A ports and an Ethernet connection.
The Motion Boom Plus is built to stand up to water so you can take your tunes anywhere. Photo: Soundcore
Soundcore’s new Motion Boom Plus boombox is built to blast out the tunes wherever you go this summer. The 80-watt Bluetooth speaker packs an array of new features designed to deliver “punchy bass and detailed high end,” the company said.
“Combining an IP67 rating with its upgraded woofers, newly added tweeters, more power,
and portable carry handle, the Motion Boom Plus is the ideal Bluetooth speaker for the park
or at an outdoor pool or beach party,” said Frank Zhu, general manager of Soundcore’s
speaker division, in a press release Monday. “We’ve also made it two times louder than its predecessor to help keep the party going, all day and all night long.”
Plus, you don’t need to worry about losing it in the pool or the lake. It floats!
The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity. Photo: Anker
If you’re one to suffer charging anxiety while out and about, Anker has your cure. It unveiled its latest portable, MagSafe-compatible charging bank Monday, the Anker 633 Magnetic Battery.
The beastly little brick packs a 10,000mAh battery capacity, Anker’s first product of this kind to do so. Plus it features speedier wireless charging than some previous packs as well as spritely USB-C charging when you just want to pull out a cable and get it over with.
The new Anker 736 USB Charger is compact, powerful and versatile. Photo: Anker
Anker showed off its much-anticipated 736 USB Charger at CES back in January. At long last, now you can buy the powerful-but-compact 100W gallium nitride (GaN) charger at Amazon.
And you might want to do just that. It looks like Anker’s new GaN II charger beats Apple’s 96W charger in three ways. It’s smaller, more powerful and more versatile.
A smart scale sitting on the bathroom floor is never going to replace your doctor — or at least, not yet. But devices like the new Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro do more in the realm of health than just weigh you.
You may not be in a big hurry to find out about things like your bone mass, but at least you can if you want or need to. And you can do it in the comfort of your own home.
Need to live in the woods for a while? This could help. Photo: Anker
Whether you’ve suffered a power outage, decided to go on a camping trip or finally realized you need to ditch civilization once and for all, Anker’s burly new 757 PowerHouse portable power station can help.
With a powerful battery and loads of ports, it’s for anytime you go off-grid.
One of these two displays is not long for this setup. Photo: [email protected]
The Mac Studio desktop computer and Studio Display came out on March 18 to (mostly) good reviews. And they’re showing up all over the place in people’s computer setups — especially the displays, according to our unscientific observations, as we scour the internets for interesting gear.
Today’s featured setup is a dual-display workstation. The owner said he’s expecting a new Studio Display to arrive soon. Sounds like it already shipped.
He said he’s going to stick with two screens, so which one of his current monitors is going bye-bye?
The new AnkerMake M5 3D printer boasts speed and a smart camera to spot mistakes early. Photo: Anker
Anker is well-known for its chargers. In fact, it calls itself “The World’s No. 1 Mobile Charging Brand.” But now the company is charging headlong into the 3D-printer business.
And with its new brand, AnkerMake, and its new 3D printer, the AnkerMake M5, the company makes big claims about beating the competition at its own game.
This is the desktop in unprotected mode. Down, Fluffy! Photo: [email protected]
Anyone with a curious cat knows the desktop can be one of their favorite spots. Sometimes it’s like they’re trying to ensure you can’t work, as they sit or stretch out right on top of the keyboard or in front of the screen. And that’s just when you’re sitting there. Who knows what they do when you’re away. Other than dreaming up other ways to hasten your unemployment.
Lucky for you, today’s featured computer setup shows a simple method for protecting peripherals like input devices — keyboard, mouse, perhaps a trackpad — from pushy pets. And if you’ve got canines, take heart. It also works for dog slobber.
AnkerWork's B600 video bar is a webcam with mics that lights you up on calls. Photo: AnkerWork
Like a lot of companies showing their wares at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Anker is addressing today’s hybrid WFH culture with new gear. Through its AnkerWork division, it rolled out a video bar webcam with sound to help improve your video calls. Through its Nebula brand come a couple of crowd-funded premium laser projectors. And the company had a few other items, as well.