| Cult of Mac

An overpowered gas arm is ready to launch this MacBook Pro [Setups]

By

The bass player running this rig said the mount's gas arm is a little over-eager.
The bass player running this rig said the mount's gas arm is a little over-eager.
Photo: stephotosthings@Reddit.com

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.

Here’s how you gut a whole office and start over [Setups]

By

De Jong gave his computer setup -- and his whole office -- a makeover.
De Jong gave his computer setup -- and his whole office -- a makeover.
Photo: Michael De Jong

How refreshing it must be to make over your computer setup and, while you’re at it, gut and refresh your whole home office. That’s what Michael De Jong did recently. And he shared his transition with Cult of Mac.

First, he tinkered with the setup, going with dual displays and adding a soundbar and a slick gaming chair. Later he gutted the whole office and added a whole raft of upgrades. Take a look at his photos and gear, new and old, below.

MacBook Pro and PC rig features designer’s own folding MagSafe stand [Setups]

By

This moody shot doesn't show the folding MagSafe stand well, but you can see it in the images below.
This moody shot doesn't show the folding MagSafe stand well, but you can see it in the images below.
Photo: galileogear@Reddit.com

Once in a while a computer setup comes along that shows off its owner’s invention. Sometimes it’s something perfectly utilitarian and sometimes it’s something weird and wonderful (examples below).

In today’s featured MacBook Pro and Intel NUC PC setup, we find a nifty folding MagSafe charging stand just about to go on the market.

Sleek, dual-display MacBook Pro rig gives off serious Tron vibes [Setups]

By

This is how you take a picture of a setup if you want people to think it's an ad.
This is how you take a picture of a setup if you want people to think it's an ad.
Photo: DylanAN4@Reddit.com

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.

Hey streamers, Razer wants you to look and sound better

By

Razer's new Key Light Chroma offers adjustable colors and temperatures.
Razer's new Key Light Chroma offers adjustable colors and temperatures.
Photo: Razer

If you want to kick your streaming or vlogging up a notch, Razer has a trio of new products designed to help you look and sound better to your online audience.

On Friday, the gaming peripherals company rolled out the Razer Key Light Chroma, the Razer Seiren BT lapel microphone and the Razer Audio Mixer.

Razer’s tiny new keyboard could be a must for gamers

By

Razer's new Huntsman Mini has analog optical switches you can customize like crazy.
Razer's new Huntsman Mini has analog optical switches you can customize like crazy.
Photo: Razer

Gaming giant Razer rolled out a tiny new mechanical keyboard Friday that could be a boon for gamers. It’s a new-and-improved version of the first 60% keyboard released by a major brand. And it’s the first one to use Razer’s proprietary, super-sensitive “analog optical switches” that can be customized in multiple ways just by the force used to press the key.

It’s the updated Razer Huntsman Mini Analog. And if you’re a competitive gamer, you might want to get it before your opponents do.

Say cheese: Albert Einstein, Dr. Fauci and RBG welcome new M1 Pro MacBook [Setups]

By

That's not just any webcam perched above the monitor.
That's not just any webcam perched above the monitor.
Photo: PunctiliousCasuist@Reddit.com

On Fridays it’s fun to focus on computer setups with entertaining features whenever possible. Sometimes it’s seriously vintage gear. Or it could be wacky decor. Once in a while, an exotic location pops up. Today we found one where a brand new M1 Pro MacBook meets a kooky crew of bobbleheads and other figures under a really over-the-top camera rig used as a webcam.

‘Death Star’ Mac Pro and ‘worst’ MacBook power global IT ops [Setups]

By

Another trash can Mac Pro is still doing its thing.
Another trash can Mac Pro is still doing its thing. Here you see it elevated to help with cooling.
Photo: Andrew-UK

Reader and technologist Andrew (last name redacted, so to speak) runs a “boutique AV, IT [and] cyber systems integration company from a home office” in London — though he supports sites worldwide. Clearly, he has a lot to do.

And he does it using a late-2013 Mac Pro he fondly said should be on the Death Star from Star Wars, plus a 2017 MacBook Pro he described to Cult of Mac as “perhaps the worst-constructed laptop I have ever owned.”

Trash can Mac Pro bathes in vintage Apple posters’ glory [Setups]

By

The one harkens back to 1984.
The one harkens back to 1984.
Photo: Michael De Jong

For the first computer setup featured in the new year, we look backward. Not to the recently subsided and mostly loathed 2021, but further back to a controversial Apple product launch from nearly a decade ago. And deeper into Apple’s storied history. Cult of Mac reader Michael De Jong shared some interesting older gear and some iconic imagery with us in his setup photographs.

Razer’s colorful cooling fan keeps iPhone cool when the gaming gets hot

By

Razer Phone Cooler Chroma keeps iPhone cool when the gaming gets hot
The Razer Phone Cooler Chroma blows away the heat that can build up during long gaming sessions.
Photo: Razer

The Razer Phone Cooler Chroma is a fan designed to cool smartphones that heat up when playing demanding games. And it has colorful LEDs to make it look even cooler.

An iPhone version uses MagSafe. There’s also one for handsets without built-in magnets.