David Snow - page 99

This post on portable power stations is brought to you by Bluetti.

Bluetti, a leader in clean-energy storage, will debut its latest power stations — including the game-changing EP600 Solar Power Station planned for 2023 — at the IFA 2022 consumer electronics show in Berlin. The event takes place September 2 through September 6.

Bluetti’s ongoing research and development enables it to offer advanced energy-storage products that can do everything from making your next camping trip memorable to powering your home after a natural disaster.

Check out the latest power products, and how you can see them, below.

When you look at a lot of computer setups showcased on social media, it’s not difficult to see that many of them are staged. They’re so well put together and photographed, you just can’t see normal slobs owning them.

But sometimes the internet tricks you with a surprisingly slick photograph of a real person’s setup. That seems to be the case in today’s featured dual-display MacBook Pro setup, photographs in a cool-gray wash.

“This looks like a render advertising the mouse or something,” one commenter said. “Tron vibes,” added another, referring to the 1982 sci-fi film known for its then-cutting-edge computer animation.

Got a big camping trip coming up? Or maybe you worry about power outages at home? EcoFlow launched its new Delta Portable Power Station Friday.

The company said it fully charges in 1.3 hours, has a 10-year lifetime and powers 90% of devices and appliances.

The new station serves as an upgrade of the Delta Portable Power Station. EcoFlow noted the new one charges seven times faster than the industry average, has expandable capacity and features a battery that should keep it going for a decade.

Apple’s new iPhone 14 series may be on the way, but many people won’t switch if they have a recent iPhone already, though they may feel like they’re missing out on all the fun. If you have an iPhone 11, 12 or 13, why not change it up with a new case?

That’s much cheaper than getting a new iPhone. And this week, it’s cheaper still. You can grab any of 41 different cases for iPhone 13, 12 and 11 for 20% off in the Cult of Mac Store. But don’t wait around: This sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on September 2, 2022.

OtterBox released its Premium Pro Power lineup of chargers Wednesday, including wall chargers, car chargers and MagSafe charging stands.

With the release, OtterBox steps further into the market for smaller charging accessories, including potent-but-compact gallium nitride (GaN) chargers.

Buying an iPad doesn’t usually mean just buying an iPad. Many people want useful accessories, like a stylus that lets them write and draw more precisely than they can with their fingers. But Apple Pencil 2 usually goes for a fairly steep $129.

If you’d like to get an advanced stylus with most of Apple Pencil 2’s features for much less, you have options. A good one is the SwitchEasy EasyPencil Pro.

You can get the fourth-gen version of it in the Cult of Mac Store for just over half the cost of Apple Pencil 2, plus a supply of extra tips for different uses. Or you can nab the third-gen EasyPencil for a little less. See more information below.

Apple has said many times it won’t produce a touch-screen Mac because that’s what iPads are for. But Sidecar functionality can make an iPad a touch-screen extension of a Mac, where you can drag and drop elements and work with them using Apple Pencil or your fingertips.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup mounts a big 5K display and an iPad Pro right next to each other. In the photograph, you can see the desktop wallpaper running right onto the tablet’s display through Sidecar (more on that below).

And who doesn’t love an all-Apple audio arsenal? This setup rocks paired OG HomePods, AirPods Max on a cool charging stand and AirPods, too.

Noise-cancelling wireless earbuds that cost under $100 jostle in a competitive field. One company that consistently stands out from the crowd with high-quality goods that are a great value for what they cost is Edifier.

And the company, based in China, has done it again with the Edifier W240TN true wireless earbuds. They launch Thursday for a price of $79.99. Edifier sent me a pair to try out.

There really aren’t many reasons not to buy these if you want good earbuds for well under $100. But there are a couple of potential reasons, depending on your priorities.

Belkin trotted out two new Boost Charge Pro GaN wall chargers Tuesday in 65W and 45W versions. Both adapters feature dual USB-C ports and programmable power supply (PPS).

The compact chargers are designed for fast charging. You can use them to power up an iPhone 13 to half-full in 28 minutes, the company said.

HP rolled out a new 4K monitor at its Amplify Executive Forum Thursday, calling it “the world’s first IPS Black display with Thunderbolt 4 technology.”

The HP Z32k G3 4K USB-C Display, “coming soon” at an unspecified price, should appeal to creators and product developers, the company said.

That’s because it will offer strong color accuracy and high contrast in addition to the speed and versatility of Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

Apple TV+ listed its fall slate of kids and family fare Monday. It includes new animated series Sago Mini Friends, Slumberkins and Interrupting Chicken, plus live-action series Circuit Breakers.

And in addition to those, kids and their families can enjoy returning favorites plus a new lineup of classic Peanuts specials.

Mountain biker Ryan McConnaughey took his usual daily ride near San Diego only to find himself going over the handlebars in a steep section. He slammed into the ground, head-first, helmet on.

Sprawled on his back, he soon found he couldn’t move from the neck down. “I knew for sure that I needed to get medical attention as quickly as possible. My brain kind of kicked into survival mode,” he said.

With his iPhone in his backpack, he began talking to his Apple Watch.

This iOS system repair post is presented by Wondershare, maker of Dr.Fone.

Apple devices like iPhones have great reputations for reliability, but nothing’s perfect. And if you find your iPhone stuck on the Apple logo while booting up — often called a “boot loop” — what to do about it can be a real head-scratcher.

Fortunately, there is software designed to help fix that and other problems. One such option is Dr.Fone from Wondershare.

Occasionally a computer setup displayed on social media makes you swoon. Usually it’s a combination of amazing gear, artful arrangement and exceptional photography, like something staged by a pro. But sometimes it’s just a sick amount of awesome Apple computers and displays.

Today’s featured setup, run by a consultant who “works for several companies,” relies on four high-spec Macs, five very-nice-but-not-exceptional Macs and three Apple Displays, including a Pro Display XDR — which goes for $5,000 or more by itself.

Does your wallet hurt yet? We just took ours to the ER.

Shooting on the set of Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake paused Friday afternoon in downtown Baltimore to consider another type of shooting. According to reports, locals threatened that if production didn’t stop, they’d return with guns blazing. Unless producers paid them $50,000.

Taping on the limited crime drama series starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram shut down. But producers refused to pay. They opted to move locations instead.

Who says you need an external display in your computer setup? Some people get by just fine without some big, expensive monitor and whatever hub and cables it might require. Instead, they rely on their devices’ built-in screens.

And doing that, the owner of today’s featured setup takes advantage of Universal Control. That helps him work seamlessly across an M2 MacBook Air and an M1 iPad Air mounted on stands.

The new Soundcore Space A40 True-Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds came out Thursday alongside their sibling Space Q45 over-ear headphones.

Upon release, both products made a lot of noise about strong active noise cancellation (ANC) and massive battery life. And like the headphones, which I already reviewed, the earbuds don’t disappoint.

While their marquee qualities are strong ANC and lengthy play time, the A40 buds also sound good and feature lots of opportunities for audio customization.

Apple introduced its second Impact Accelerator class Thursday. It’s made up of leaders from 16 minority-owned businesses that work in environmental services. They’ll be trained and mentored to help grow the businesses, which may end up partnering with Apple.

And at the same time, they’ll advance “a shared goal of creating a greener world,” Apple said.

Tired of slumming it with just a regular ol’ expensive Apple Watch? Well, you could dress it up a bit if you fork over $15,000 for an Apple Watch case smothered in more than 400 diamonds.

I mean, you deserve a special treat now and again, don’t you? A company called Golden Concept thinks so.

TP-Link just flipped the switch on a new lineup of smart LED light strips and light bulbs, some of which you can use with HomeKit or other home-automation systems.

The main selling point here is budget-friendliness. Prices range from $25 to $50, so you won’t break the bank lighting up your space.

With Thursday’s release of the new Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones and sibling Space A40 earbuds, Soundcore began replacing its Life series of sound products. The company sent me both products to test. This review covers the Q45 cans (my A40 review will appear tomorrow).

I’ve spent a couple weeks with the Q45 over-ear, closed-back headphones. Soundcore pushes two main selling points: strong noise cancellation and long battery life. And with the Q45 headphones, the company has hit it out of the park on both counts.

And they sound good for the price, too.

Users who aren’t ready to to take the plunge into full home-automation system like HomeKit and related accessories have another option to make a dumb lock smarter.

SwitchBot recently launched a new version of SwitchBot Lock. The company said it’s the best way to make a door lock smart without refitting, so users can lock or unlock their door via devices like iPhone or Apple Watch.

Better yet, right now you can get 15% off on Amazon, or about $15 off the $100 price.

Known for camera-rig and lighting hardware, SmallRig released its new, portable Forevala W60 wireless microphone system this week.

That gives podcasters and other content creators a new option for quality audio on the go.

A new interactive website called Design the Next iPhone lets you have a laugh by making whatever monstrosity you want out of Apple’s market-leading handset, due for a major refresh with the iPhone 14 series on September 7.

And each time you make a new design, Apple CEO Tim Cook pops up with some encouraging marketing-speak.

Everybody knows a leather Apple Watch band is a timeless and elegant accessory, just as it has been for watches in general for decades. But not all leather bands are equal.

Laut, for example, offers its Prestige Leather Apple Watch Band made from premium Saffiano leather. It finishes your look in style.

And you can get it right now in the Cult of Mac Store for just $49.99.