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Holograms at CES? Samsung shows off world’s first transparent microLED displays.

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Samsung transparent micro LED display
A screenshot from a video posted on X shows the transparent display in action.
Photo: Dave Snelling, @snellingD on X

Samsung showed off three transparent microLED displays at its First Look event Sunday just ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas, according to reports. Two of them are tinted, but the totally clear one can have an especially hologram-like effect.

Don’t get too excited, though. With no availability or pricing information available yet, it might be a while before even any rich people you know can buy these.

Amazon lops $531 off Samsung’s 5K ViewFinity display

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Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K monitor
Don't sleep on a deal like this one.
Photo: Samsung

If you’re ready to graduate from a 4K to a 5K external display but the high prices have held you back, here’s your chance. Right now you can take  off the regular price of Samsung’s direct competitor to Studio Display — the 27-inch Samsung ViewFinity S9 monitor.

This beauty is going for $1,068.61. That’s 33% off its regular price, which is the same as Studio Display’s steep cost (about $1,600).

You won’t see a vertical display more nuts than this one [Setups]

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Mac Pro setup with 55-inch curved Samsung display in portrait mode
Can you imagine working on that screen?
Photo: [email protected]

Curved ultra-wide gaming displays have been making their way into Mac setups for quite some time now. But some people want to experiment, maybe push the envelope a bit, so they mount them on top of other displays or sometimes in portrait mode (vertical). But today’s Mac Pro setup takes the cake in that regard.

The user nixed a Studio Display with a high-quality external webam in favor of a truly massive, 55-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung gaming display — mounted vertically. It towers over everything with a pronounced stoop.

‘Winter edition’ MacBook Pro rig boasts fine 5K display and top-shelf scotch [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with scotch
"The whiskey bottle adds a lot to it," a commenter noted.
Photo: [email protected]

As we ring in the first day of December, let us toast winter. More specifically, let us toast what a user calls their “winter edition” computer setup in Berlin, Germany, featuring a powerful MacBook Pro, a gorgeous 5K display, a cool mechanical keyboard and the best tool of all for toasting — a bottle of extremely good, peat-forward scotch from Islay, Scotland.

Snag up to 48% off Samsung displays in Black Friday deal

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Samsung G9 ultra-wide display
Here's your chance to add a 49-inch curved ultra-wide display to your computer setups, or any of dozens of other choices.
Photo: Samsung

If your computer setup could use a new external display, don’t sleep on Amazon’s Black Friday bargains on Samsung monitors. You can nab steep discounts of up to nearly half off regular prices on a few items, with more like a third off on many others.

And the selection is as wide as some of those ultra-wide displays! If you want to spend less, you can skip 4K-resolution screen and find choices with 1080p resolution.

Samsung T5 EVO portable SSD offers a whopping 8 terabytes of storage

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Samsung T5 EVO SSD in use
There's room for years of images and videos on the new Samsung T5 EVO solid state drive.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung just launched the T5 EVO, a consumer-oriented solid state drive that provides up to 8 terabytes of storage, the most currently available in a portable SSD.

And the lower-capacity versions cost less than the equivalent Samsung T9 pro-grade drives that also hit store shelves recently.

Stunning Mac mini streaming rig took 2 years to perfect [Setups]

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Setups RetroGameCollector-Reddit
Check the links list below to explore all the gear here.
Photo: [email protected]

It might seem unlikely that a computer setup could take 2 years to build and idealize — until you see just how loaded and beautiful it is. Today’s M2 Pro Mac mini went through many iterations in the past couple of years, its user said, and now they’re finally happy with it.

And they should be. The setup rips through gaming and streaming tasks using an awesome lineup of gear. Read more below and check out that gear list.

Update to Matter standard makes your fridge smarter

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Matter standard logo
The Matter 2.1 update adds support for 9 new kinds of appliances and more.
Photo: Connectivity Standards Alliance

The Matter connectivity standard helps different devices and smart-home platforms like Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa work together. And with an update Monday, it added nine home-appliance types and got other improvements, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) behind it said.

Matter specification 2.1 adds support for refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry washers, robot vacuums, air-quality sensors, air purifiers, fans, stand-alone room air conditioners, and smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.

Samsung T9 portable SSD offers big, fast storage in a tiny package [Review] ★★★★

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Samsung T9 portable SSD review★★★★
The Samsung T9 puts terabytes of storage in your pocket.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Samsung T9 solid-state drive is small enough and tough enough to go almost anywhere. And it’s available in capacities up to 4 terabytes.

I put the recently launched SSD to the test with a range of Apple devices and came away pleased with the design and performance. That said, Mac users can’t take advantage of one of its best features.

Separating work and personal life with 2 MacBooks and 3 displays [Setups]

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That desktop wallpaper is distracting, to say the least.
That desktop wallpaper is distracting, to say the least.
Photo: [email protected]

A problem users face with home computer setups is how to separate work from personal use. Today’s setup brings work and personal laptops to the mix — both M1 Max MacBook Pros, coincidentally — along with three displays, including a massive OLED smart TV.

And as is often the case on social media, solid advice sounded loud and clear above the noise.

Meet the amazing disappearing workstation [Setups]

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Where did it go? Hint: The display is hiding in plain sight.
Where did it go? Hint: The display is hiding in plain sight.
Photo: Nick Howard

Cult of Mac reader Nick Howard sent us his clever M1 Mac mini computer setup. It’s clever because it pulls a disappearing act, with very little effort on Howard’s part, whenever it’s not in use. Almost like magic.

“I love this setup as it’s completely unobstrusive when not being used and, in use, it offers the perfect combination of screen size and display of information for me, [while] remaining minimalist,” he said.

Samsung ad urges Apple to end blue and green bubbles in iMessage

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Samsung ad urges Apple to end blue and green bubbles in iMessage
The real message: Samsung wants more iPhone users to switch to Android.
Screenshot: Samsung

Samsung used a short video to join Google in urging Apple to add support for Rich Communication Services to iMessage, which would end the blue bubble vs. green bubble divide.

The reason for their campaign is obvious: if Apple made the change, people would be more likely to switch from iPhone to Samsung’s Androids.

‘My setup would make Steve Jobs roll in his grave’ [Setups]

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That's an HP Pavilion desktop machine running macOS.
That's an HP Pavilion desktop machine running macOS.
Photo: [email protected]

The quote in the headline above may be overly dramatic. Steve Jobs might not give a hoot that someone’s running macOS on an HP desktop machine. But the discussion on social media about whether it’s even worth it to bother with a hackintosh anymore is pretty interesting.

And if you’re into gaming, check out this guy’s mechanical keyboard and mouse.

Speedy new Samsung T9 portable SSD puts 4TB in your pocket

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Samsung T9 portable SSD
The Samsung T9 SSD is small but holds terabytes of data.
Photo: Samsung

The just-launched Samsung T9 solid-state drive is small enough and tough enough to go almost anywhere. And it’s available in capacities up to 4 terabytes.

The USB-C drive offers high-speed data transfers, and support for USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 allows files to move even faster … but not for Mac users. If you’re considering alternatives, the Samsung T7 is another excellent option known for its reliability and speed.

Could this be a top Apple-display alternative for gamers? [Setups]

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This Mac mini setup's user is over the moon about his new Samsung Odyssey G8 series curved gaming display.
This Mac mini setup's user is over the moon about his new Samsung Odyssey G8 series curved gaming display.
Photo: [email protected]

Quite a few excellent alternatives to Apple’s pricey Pro Display XDR and Studio Display exist for those in need a good external monitor to go with their Mac. Today’s featured Mac mini setup brings up another one — the 34-inch Samsung Odyssey G8 series curved gaming display.

If you like curves and especially if you like gaming, read on the see if the display might be a good choice for you.

Mac Studio makes most of new super-ultra-wide display [Setups]

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Lights, camera, action! This Mac Studio rig is ready for videoconferencing and more.
Lights, camera, action! This Mac Studio rig is ready for videoconferencing and more.
Photo: [email protected]

Version:
Some computer setups are bare-bones but functional, others are swanky as all-get-out. Leaning toward the latter, today’s setup rocks a powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio desktop computer driving a new, 49-inch Samsung G9 super-ultra-wide display. If you’re looking for a mac mini monitor, check out this impressive Samsung ultra-wide monitor setup.

But that’s not all the finery the solid standing desk supports. Festooned with key lights, it’s also a great videoconferencing station, with a premium webcam, a mounted USB microphone and killer speakers.

New Samsung ViewFinity S9 takes on Studio Display

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A new competitor to Apple's 5K Studio Display arrives.
A new competitor to Apple's 5K Studio Display arrives.
Photo: Samsung

The new 27-inch Samsung ViewFinity S9 Monitor with 5K resolution started shipping to addresses in the United States Monday, the company said. It comes along with specs and price very similar to Apple’s popular Studio Display.

The new monitor, which won a CES Innovation Award earlier this year, costs $1,599 — just like Studio Display. But Samsung’s comes with a tilt- and heigh-adjustable stand while Apple charges $400 for one.

Is Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad too heavy? [Setups]

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A big Samsung smart TV dominates this Mac Studio rig.
A big Samsung smart TV dominates this Mac Studio rig.
Photo: [email protected]

We look at a lot of computer setups on social media, but sometimes what drives conversation among commenters surprises us. With today’s Mac Studio rig with an odd couple of mismatched displays, the main debate concerned … keyboards for iPad.

Specifically, when an iPad is so wonderfully light, what keyboard case doesn’t weight it down too much?

Fab office remodel suits MacBook Pro and massive display [Setups]

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The accent wall and solid-wood DIY standing desk steal the show from the M2 MacBook Pro and 49-inch curved display.
The accent wall and solid-wood DIY standing desk steal the show from the M2 MacBook Pro and 49-inch curved display.
Photo: [email protected]

When you remodel your home office, isn’t that a great excuse to revamp the ol’ computer setup? That’s what happened with today’s featured rig, which relies on a new MacBook Pro and a Samsung super-ultra-wide display.

But all commenters wanted to talk about was the accent wall and the solid-wood DIY standing desk. And the killer Klipsch audio got some love, too.

iPhone shines as relative bright spot in weak global smartphone market

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iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus now come in yellow as well as a rainbow of other colors.
iPhone didn’t have a great Q2, but other handset-makers did worse.
Photo: Apple

iPhone pulled in its highest-ever Q2 share of the global smartphone market, according to an analysis firm. Apple’s total shipments were down, just not down as much as shipments of Androids from rival handset-makers.

The good news for Apple is that consumers around the world are more interested in premium smartphones than ever before.

Can using a huge smart TV as a display harm you? [Setups]

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That 55-inch OLED smart TV may be far enough away because the desk is 40 inches deep and the user said he tends to lean back a bit.
That 55-inch OLED smart TV may be far enough away because the desk is 40 inches deep and the user said he tends to lean back a bit.
Photo: [email protected]

Increasingly, gamers and other users replace traditional computer monitors with large smart TVs or ultra-wide monitors that eclipse screens like Apple’s 27-inch Studio Display and 32-inch Pro Display XDR in size. Today’s featured M2 Max Studio Display setup sports a 55-inch Samsung 8K OLED smart TV, for example.

Everybody loves plenty of screen real estate, but ergonomically speaking, is it healthy? Today’s setup represents the debate, offering pros and cons.

How would you fix this MacBook Air workstation? [Setups]

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How would you improve this setup? See others' advice below.
How would you improve this setup? See others' advice below.
Photo: [email protected]

On social media we see plenty of people flaunting pristine computer setups, and even completely staged ones. But plenty of them are “lived in,” and some aren’t necessarily complete. People sometimes call out for help: “How do I make this better?”

Today’s featured M1 MacBook Air setup is example of the latter. The user asked for advice and got it. But he didn’t agree with some of it. See below.

Programmer loves his Logitech peripherals [Setups]

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The programmer likes his Logitech Mini mechanical keyboard.
The programmer likes his Logitech Mini mechanical keyboard.
Photo: [email protected]

Before reading past the jump, take a look at today’s featured M1 Mac mini computer setup in the photograph above and see if you can quickly identify the two items that aren’t from peripherals giant Logitech — other than the main computer, display and furniture.

Both items are on the small side, so it might take a hard look to spot them. Answers below in the post and at the bottom just above the gear list.

Apple shines bright in a struggling smartphone market

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Want an iPhone 13 on the cheap? Here's your chance.
Apple dominated the smartphone market in Q1 2023.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Shipments in the global smartphone market declined by 14% YoY in Q1 2023 to 280.2 million units. Despite the slowdown, Samsung replaced Apple as the world’s largest smartphone maker during the period.

Apple, however, continued its dominance, with iPhones accounting for nearly half the revenue generated by the smartphone market in Q1 2023. The company also took the lion’s share of the market’s profit.

Pick up Samsung’s rugged external SSD for half price

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Rugged Samsung SSD expands to 4TB of storage
The Samsung T7 Shield SSD is on sale with significant savings.
Photo: Samsung/Cult of Mac

The Samsung T7 Shield is a credit-card-size external SSD designed to survive drops, rain and dust. The 1TB version is currently down to $79.99 on Amazon — half the cost it was when the solid-state drive launched a year ago.

And there are deals on the 2TB and 4TB versions, too.