David Snow - page 102

The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is a powerful, portable outdoor speaker you might want to nab before summer’s over. The boombox-style Bluetooth speaker brings the brawn — 80 watts of power — along with a bit more heft than some competitors.

When you factor in the excellent sound quality, some sporty features and the relatively low price of $179.99, it’s a worthy choice for outdoor use. Some folks might even use it indoors, but many never would because of its black plastic design. It might look at home in a college dorm, but probably not in most living rooms.

Apple first said it would transition from Intel chips to Apple silicon more than 2 years ago. Then Cupertino launched the first M1 Mac in November 2020. And, finally, today Microsoft said its Teams app will now run natively on M1 and M2 Macs.

So it’s about time.

But don’t get greedy and expect the upgrade immediately. The Redmond tech giant said the rollout to users will be incremental.

Some computer setups will make you green with envy, considering their gear’s quantity as well as quality. Take today’s featured setup, a delight for both gamers and podcasters.

It sports not just a new M1 MacBook, but also a powerful custom gaming PC. It boasts not just a solid 27-inch full HD display, but a monster 49-inch super-ultra-wide screen. And it relies on not just a good webcam, but a premium mirrorless digital camera.

And the list goes on, extending to audio and even a new mechanical keyboard. Read on.

It might be time to get a new backpack. The British company Troubadour Goods makes just just what you need. It recently released four of its sustainable bags in a limited-edition color, a dark khaki.

They sent me the Troubadour Pioneer Backpack to try out. And it’s a stunner, fit for taking to work or outdoor hikes and trips to the gym in between.

If you ride a bike, now you can now get turn-by-turn navigation from Apple Maps in all 50 states. That’s because cycling directions recently arrived in Hawaii.

If you get rolling now, there’s just time to bike through the whole country in … never. Not gonna happen.

But it’s nice to know directions are available all over if you ever need them.

Nomad’s refined and costly Base One and Base One Max MagSafe chargers are widely considered to be of excellent quality,  even “high-end” status. But now you can feel even more like a king — maybe King Midas — by snagging one with a rich golden hue.

That’s right, Nomad just rolled out golden gear for you, the Gold Base One and Base One Max.

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It’s not easy to get super-excited about chargers. But the current wave of ever-smaller and ever-more-potent gallium nitride (GaN) chargers gets the heart pumping a little faster than that or your average sleeping person, at least.

And if anyone’s keeping us awake and watchful regarding the charger market, it’s Anker.

The company recently held a special event to release six chargers in its new GaNPrime line. The first to arrive in my hands is the Anker 747 GaNPrime Charger, which pumps out 150W of power through four ports. But it’s just small enough to toss in your computer bag or knapsack without a second thought.

Eve Systems rolled out a redesigned version of it Eve Aqua Smart Water Controller for HomeKit Tuesday that should help you keep your lawn or garden green.

The gadget sports a new look and improved mechanics for better durability, the company said.

Apple killed the Beats Pill+ portable speaker in January, and yet it lives on. In March it saw a special-edition release through a partnernship with Stüssy. And now it rises from the dead once again.

This time, a collaboration with Devin Book and Book Projects will result in a customized Beats Pill+ exterior design that takes its cues from the Sonoran Desert.

There are few things more classic than a watch band made of supple Italian leather. And the Cult of Mac Store has a great one on sale right now for your Apple Watch, at 35% off (that’s a savings of $26).

The Italian Leather Band by Olpr is not only a classic leather band, it’s also colorful. You can get it in red, teal, yellow and orange.

Apple aimed a new video Monday at Android users who might want to switch to iPhone. The video answers the most common questions switchers ask, from transferring contacts to trading in handsets and much more — all in about 4 minutes.

The video comes as Apple prepares the iPhone 14 series for release and follows Cupertino’s surprisingly positive earnings results Thursday in which the company mentioned a record numbers of switchers from Android to iPhone.

Many computer setups complete their dazzling looks with great lighting, like RGB light strips or light bars hidden behind monitors or under desks. And while lighting goes a long way towards setting moods and helping you see things, it’s not the whole story.

Another element that can make the most of lighting would be 3D wall panels. Full of raised surfaces, they catch the light and make a wall or other space come alive. Today’s featured setup uses 3D wall panels beautifully.

Keychron started rolling out its Q series of custom mechanical keyboards about a year ago, adding to its mainstream K-series offerings. The Q lineup now includes an array of sizes and special features. But until this week it has not offered an “Alice-style,” split ergonomic board.

But now the Q8 65% Alice-style custom mechanical keyboard has arrived to soothe your aching wrists.

Not everyone has a huge desk with ample room for their computer setup and loads of associated gear. But with a few smart moves, anyone can make the most of a small desk in a cramped space.

Today’s featured setup is a good example. It takes advantage of a standing desk, displays mounted on arms and ample wall-mounted storage to maximize limited space.

And the audio gear and lighting don’t disappoint, either.

With a new school year looming, it’s time to celebrate educators. Apple TV+ did just that Friday when it dropped a trailer for Lucy’s School, an all-new Peanuts special that debuts on the streaming service August 12.

For those who grew up with Peanuts, it’s comforting that the classic series based on classic Charles M. Schulz comics lives on. Lucy’s School adds to the growing list of seasonal features following Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy and the rest of the gang.

In partnership with Sony, Backbone said Thursday it’s launching a new PlayStation Edition of its popular game controller for iPhone.

And players will also find a new dedicated section inside the Backbone app for iOS. It includes new releases and updates from PlayStation.

Just about a week after collaborating with Twitch streamer Nickmercs, Apple subsidiary Beats is out with another special-edition release of Beats Studio Buds, this time with design firm Futura Laboratories.

This is the second Beats collaboration for the design firm’s founder, the graffiti artist Futura.

A former Lamborghini executive recently joined Apple to lead design of the company’s long-rumored self-driving car, according to a new report Wednesday.

As Apple works toward releasing an electric vehicle before the end of this decade, the addition of Luigi Taraborrelli, who worked for the fabled Italian automaker for 20 years, could accelerate the project.

Everyone knows leather Apple Watch bands are a timeless class-act, long-popular for a variety of reasons. But which kind of leather matters, too. One type might be quite durable but stiff, needing breaking in. Another type might be incredibly soft and supple from the get-go.

One option for the latter type would be ostrich leather. And while it’s always a premium choice, the Cult of Mac Store has a beautiful band for a surprisingly affordable price.

This post is brought to you by Bluetti.

Do you dream of achieving power independence? Whether that means living off the grid or just keeping your home lit when the power goes out, Bluetti’s got a new, top-of-the-line solar power station for you.

Just last year the company put out its modular AC300 solar station and B300 battery module combo. Now it’s back with a worthy successor — the even more powerful AC500 and B300S combo.

The newest update of the Firefox browser includes a performance boost for computers with displays running at a 120Hz refresh rate or higher. That’s good news for anyone with a 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro model from 2021, which have ProMotion displays.

Those MacBook models feature Liquid Retina XDR displays with ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates ranging from 24Hz to 120Hz.

Today’s featured setup looks, at a glance, like it sports dual mounted laptops. But one’s an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and one’s a MacBook Pro, floating on either side of a 32-inch external Samsung display. Universal Control lets the user work across the screens.

His only problem seems to be that silver Magic Trackpad sticking out like a sore thumb in darker surroundings. Naturally, social media came to the rescue with possible fixes.

When Apple said in July at WWDC22 it would launch Apple Pay Later with iOS 16, it effectively said it would enter the short-term loan business, known for “buy now, pay later” plans.

So it’s no big surprise that the Cupertino tech giant — accustomed to regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and abroad — is now facing it from financial industry regulators.

But what’s somewhat surprising is that regulators are making noise about a host of concerns even before Apple Pay Later comes out.

OtterBox rolled out its new iPhone and Apple Watch charger Tuesday — the 2-in-1 Charging Station with MagSafe. Not just “MagSafe-compatible,” it offers your iPhone a full 15W charge and your Apple Watch a 5W charge.

And if you want to charge your AirPods case instead of your iPhone, you can.

The sleek wireless charging stand, featuring a white-and-silver combo colorway called “Future,” is sold by both OtterBox and Apple.

The new SpyBuster iOS app scans your iPhone for other apps that may be surreptitiously sending your data to Russia or Belarus.

The privacy-oriented app comes from Ukraine-based developer MacPaw, which released a version of SpyBuster for macOS in the spring of 2021, not long after Russia invaded Ukraine.