If you’re tired of being just another drab presence on conference calls or online gaming tournaments, maybe it’s time to bring the party. No, we’re not saying you should send everyone jello shots beforehand. But you might try a sassy RGB microphone like the one in today’s featured MacBook Pro and Studio Display setup.
And it’s not just for fun. The product designer who uses it said it’s perfectly loud and clear on Zoom and Discord calls.
★★★☆☆
After trending toward fewer and fewer ports for a while, Macs have added some back lately, offering better connectivity for the latest laptops and desktops. But it never hurts to have a dock to connect additional devices, share files and distribute power — and now you can get one with an informative display.
DockCase has shaken up the fairly boring world of USB-C docks with its new series. The company sent me its 7-in-1 USB-C Smart HD Display Dock Pro to take for a spin. DockCase said it’s the first to offer such a dock with an HD display.
When Apple TV 4K launched last year, it had fans salivating. But not for the sharper picture or faster processor. It was the new Siri Remote that caught everyone’s eye. Had Cupertino finally made a TV remote control that didn’t suck?
With its iPod-style scroll wheel, the second-generation Siri Remote promised to make scrolling through content effortless. In reality, the scroll wheel turned out to be hard to use, and lacked support from third-party apps like YouTube.
But don’t throw your remote at the TV just yet. When you get the hang of its quirks, the Siri Remote scroll wheel works surprisingly well. And you can use it with loads of essential apps, including Netflix, HBO Max and, of course, Apple TV+.
Apple trotted out a new list of free iPad-based virtual conferences this summer in its Professional Learning series. Topics cover subjects like photo storytelling, making music and learning the Swift programming language.
And best of all, they’re free. All you need to participate, once you register, is an iPad.
Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon – Golden Edition adds new enemies to the dungeon crawler, along with new levels, special items, power ups, legendary weapons and more.
The update released by Cornfox & Brothers on Wednesday even includes the town of Nexus – previously the game took place entirely in the dungeon.
Dads work really hard to take care of their families. This Father’s Day, why not give your dad some software that could make his professional and home life a little easier?
For example, check out this deal on a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It’s on sale now for only $59.99 (regularly $947). Plus, it comes bundled with finance courses from author and entrepreneur Chris Haroun.
That’s the full MS Office suite for life, plus 51 courses that thoroughly explain investing, taxes and key business concepts.
WhatsApp is finally adding the ability to transfer your chat history from Android to iPhone.
If your WhatsApp conversations were holding you back from switching to an iPhone, that should no longer be a cause for concern.
Apple will start shipping repaired iPhone 12 units in environment-friendly packaging starting this week. Made from bleach-free paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the new brown box will replace the white boxes used so far.
Apple promises to eliminate the use of plastic in its packaging by 2025.
The budget iPad will reportedly be the next Apple device to dump the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. The tenth tablet in this series might also have a larger screen, a faster processor and optional 5G.
The upcoming device is expected to debut this fall.
Following launches of other interesting mechanical keyboards in its customizable Q series, Keychron recently made the Q5 available.
The “almost full-size,” 96% layout custom mechanical Mac keyboard features an aluminum build, RGB backlighting, Gateron G Pro switches and more.
Looking to buy the Apple TV 4K? Amazon currently has an irresistible deal that drops the streaming box to its lowest-ever price of $129.99. That’s a massive $49.01 discount off its MSRP.
The deal is unlikely to last for long, so pull the trigger on it as soon as possible.
Cupertino unveiled a major new sports deal Tuesday, saying Apple TV will be the exclusive streaming destination for all Major League Soccer (MLS) games for 10 years, starting with the 2023 season.
Unlike Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+, watching many soccer games will require a separate subscription to an MLS streaming service, available exclusively through the Apple TV app. But some of the biggest matches will air on Apple TV+, as well.
Surprising details leaked out about the rumored 14.1-inch iPad. Aside from its large size, the display might not include top-tier features offered by other iPad Pro models, like a very fast refresh rate.
These might be an attempt by Apple to control the price of the extra-large tablet.
The people who invented the iPhone are trying to invent what comes after the iPhone, and it sounds bonkers.
A secretive San Francisco startup called Humane appears to be developing a wearable, screen-less device that uses low-powered lasers to project information out into the wearer’s environment. And there’s not an AR/VR headset in sight.
It might look glamorous, but actually making videos is challenging. Once you get past the writing and the filming, you still have to get through the editing.
Usually, video editing proves incredibly time-consuming and tedious. But Wondershare Filmora is a quick, simple video editor that makes content creation a breeze. And perpetual licenses for Filmora are on sale for $69.99 (regularly $109) for a limited time.
The German government is looking into whether Apple’s App Tracking Transparency system is designed to give Apple an unfair advantage in advertising.
The Bundeskartellamt doesn’t object to the iPhone-maker blocking tracking. But the agency points out that ATT doesn’t block Apple’s own advertising tracking system.
Stage Manager is undoubtedly one of the key new features in iPadOS 16. However, its M1 iPad exclusivity has irked a lot of users despite Apple explaining the technical reason behind this.
Craig Federighi, SVP of Apple’s software development efforts, has shared more insight into Stage Manager limitations.
The PDF is one of the most popular file formats in the world. Yet somehow, a good PDF editor is still hard to find.
Wondershare PDFelement Professional is a simple PDF editor loaded with features. It caters to everyday users as well as professionals who need advanced tools. And you can get a perpetual license on sale for $119 (regularly $159) for a limited time.
Although one reliable Apple tipster recently said a 12-inch M2 MacBook is on the drawing board, another is skeptical that any such device is in development.
If released, the small notebook would be a change of strategy for Apple.
Anker recently launched its new Anker 625 Solar Panel, which coverts 23% of sunlight into energy and outputs a maximum of 100W.
It folds up to carry easily by a handle and it keeps Anker’s portable power stations and other gadgets going.
There’s more to iPadOS 16 than floating app windows. The Files app gets some significant improvements in the upcoming upgrade. There’s a Weather app and great new features in the Mail and Messages apps. Plus, you can hand off a FaceTime call between your Apple computers.
These enhancements are available to every iPad that supports iPadOS 16, which is currently in developer beta. So don’t think there’s nothing coming this fall for tablets without an Apple M1 processor. That’s just not true.
Everybody knows Macs don’t set the gaming world on fire, though Apple silicon has made some inroads. So while plenty of Mac users enjoy Apple Arcade and use Apple hardware to play games, many turn to other means. We’ve seen plenty a hybrid Mac – PC computer setups out there.
But today’s featured setup takes another course to gaming satisfaction. It’s owner, who describes himself as an “old gamer,” divides his time between work via an M1 MacBook Pro and gaming on a Valve Steam Deck.
A smart plug that takes up just a little space on your electrical outlet is great. But it’s even better when it lets you monitor your energy use. Such is the case with TP-Link’s new HomeKit-enabled Kasa Smart Wifi Plug Slim.
And at about $12.50 per plug in a four-pack, it’s a good deal on Amazon, too. It’s the only smart plug priced that low that works with HomeKit and monitors energy usage.
Apple’s expensive but impressive AirPods Max is discounted by a whopping $120 on Amazon. The 22% discount brings the price of the over-ear headphones down to just $429 from its MSRP of $549.
This is the lowest-ever price we have tracked for the AirPods Max so far.
The first season of the alternate-history sci-fi series For All Mankind is now available to enjoy without an Apple TV+ subscription. Watching also doesn’t require an Apple device.
The promotion coincides with the launch of season three of the series.