Although Apple refuses to make a touchscreen Mac, the Espresso Display V2 is ready to fill in the gap. There are 15.6-inch and 13.3-inch versions of the very slim external display, and both support touch and an optional stylus.
I tested the screen with a MacBook and iPad to see how well it performs in ordinary use. And I also tried out the stylus as well as the stand for desktop use and the case for taking the display on the go.
As we know from looking at lots of computer setups, having at least two monitors is popular, and so is having at least one of those in portrait mode (vertical). But what if you have dual displays and both are ultra-wide screens? Turned on end, isn’t the one in portrait mode going to be awfully tall?
Today’s featured setup provides an answer to those questions. Here the MacBook Pro-centered setup features two 34-inch displays in different orientations.
When you need to scan a line of text, or even whole paragraphs, the pen-shaped Scanmarker Air gets the job done quickly and efficiently. Its optical character recognition quickly and accurately digitizes text. Then, the portable scanner sends the captured data to your iPhone, Mac or other device via Bluetooth.
Nintendo on Sunday rolled out a somewhat significant update to its Switch Online app that makes it a lot less rubbish than it was before. The version 2.0.0 release brings a refreshed design and the ability to see which friends are online.
Switch Online, which is required if you want to use voice chat inside some Nintendo Switch games, is still nowhere near as useful as its counterparts for PlayStation and Xbox. But it is at least better than it was.
Apple has a whole bunch of exciting Mac upgrades planned for 2022, according to recent rumors. But if it’s a new Mac Pro or iMac Pro powered by Apple silicon you’re after, you could be waiting until next year.
One analyst, who has proven reliable in the past, doesn’t expect to see refreshes to Apple’s high-end desktops until 2023. But he does believe a more powerful Mac mini and a new 27-inch Apple display are coming this year.
Want to get into software development? The Software Development Processes Bootcamp Bundle is a four-course package that introduces key concepts you’ll need to succeed in the industry. And right now, it’s on sale for $19.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We can’t stop speculating about what new Apple gear we’ll see at Tuesday’s big “Peek Performance” event. Best bets are iPhone SE, iPad Air and … some kind of Mac?
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
Between air raids and missile strikes, Julia Petryk works in her bathtub in Ukraine. It’s the safest place in her Kyiv apartment.
“The last interview I gave for media was in the bathtub,” she told Cult of Mac in an email. It’s “the safest place in the apartment during bombardment.”
You aren’t stuck with a small keyboard just because you’re working on a small screen. This Multi-Platform Wireless Keyboard can connect to your iPhone, iPad or other Bluetooth-enabled device to give you a legit typing experience.
It’s got a groove that holds a smartphone or tablet in place during use. And the Bluetooth keyboard is on sale now for just $50.
Among the various calls for help on behalf of Ukraine during the Russian invasion, software company Skylum offered a way for you to donate a surveillance drone that could help safeguard Ukrainian civilians from the ravages of war.
“You can help Ukrainians to protect themselves as your drone will provide real-time pictures of the situation on the ground,” Skylum said in a blog post Thursday.
Reached for comment via email from Western Ukraine, Skylum Marketing Manager Sabina Iliasova told Cult of Mac how drone deployment will work and why it’s so crucial. She is the contact who will handle donations.
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.
Dorothy is getting fed up with Leanne and her followers on this week’s installment of Apple TV+ thriller Servant. The cultish mischief is ramped up as Leanne starts to exercise more overt and dark power over the goings on in the Turner household. And Dorothy realizes she’s no longer the one in control in a chaotic climactic vignette.
The endgame now looks like it’s going to be Dorothy and Leanne fighting for the soul of baby Jericho.
Rize helps you improve your productivity by identifying distractions, improving focus, and keeping you moving at a healthy pace. If you could use a boost in those areas, don’t hesitate to score a deal on this productivity app for Mac and Windows.
For a limited time, a three-year subscription to Rize intelligent time tracker software is on sale for $99 (regularly $539).
As the Russian armed incursion into Ukraine continues, several developers have pulled their apps from the Russian App Store. Companies that have done so to date include Ukraine-based Readdle, MacPaw and Ajax Systems, as well as Grammarly and Epam, sources have told Cult of Mac.
The app makers add their voices to numerous other companies taking their business away from Russia amid the conflict.
Severance throws a couple of funerals this week, but only one might be final. Apple TV+’s satirical psychological thriller about the hazards of compartmentalizing runs into a grim cul-de-sac in the episode, with some people giving up and others giving in.
The show’s purposefully lifeless world of corporate culture and suburban malaise find darker territory than ever this week as it becomes clear that each character, in their own way, will stop at nothing to do the job they deem most important.
Spring is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about switching up your wardrobe. Don’t leave your Apple Watch behind; give it a colorful refresh with a brilliant band from Nyloon.
They’re all made from nylon so they’re incredibly durable and ideal for outdoor activities. They’re also comfortable even on the warmest days — and nicely priced at just $40 or less.
Ready to call yourself an audiophile? Sound maven Sennheiser debuts its new IE 600 “audiophile earbuds” on Tuesday. These things are truly wired for sound. As in, they’re literally wired, not wireless. And while they cost less than Sennheiser’s flagship IE 900 earbuds, they’re not cheap.
But at launch you can only get the IE 600s in Europe. The U.S. launch comes in summer 2022.
The first season of Apple TV+ “comedy” The Afterparty draws to a merciful close with its final piece of evidence this week. The show, about the half-dozen witness statements relevant to solving the mysterious death of a pop star, has one more story to tell. This time, the last suspect is no suspect at all, but rather a little girl who happened to see the whole thing.
The Afterparty consistently dragged its feet on the way to this magnificently inessential and perfunctory wrap-up of season one. (Yes, shockingly, Apple TV+ recently renewed this “global hit” for a second season.)
The series’ first season never generated any interest or momentum over the course of eight episodes, so why change now? Let’s put this body in the ground.
People love to put the finishing touches on their computer setups. Some love it so much they just keep doing it. Given the temptations of new gear always coming out and the never-ending allure of the glittering gadgets other people put in their fabulous setups, is the work ever really done?
Nope. For many people, setups are never really finished. People think they’re finished, like the owner of today’s featured MacBook Pro setup. But they usually aren’t.
The suspects are on the move this week on Apple TV+’s terrorism thriller Suspicion. As the five make their moves to leave the United Kingdom, there are loose ends to be tied up and strings they can’t see pulling puppets they can’t identify.
Secret identities and allegiances fall out of the woodwork left and right. And it seems like the next big chase is just around the corner. These people are far from safe.
The show’s thrills are now in the every idle second spent getting the characters from one place to the next, the big picture so fragile that one slip-up could shatter it to pieces.
Samsung on Friday promised smartphone owners that it will release software updates that gives them more control over app throttling.
It comes after the South Korean firm was this week caught reducing performance for more than 10,000 apps and games on most of its smartphones. However, the company denies that it messed with “non-gaming” apps.
Apple’s third-generation iPhone SE will pack 5G connectivity, a super-speedy A15 chipset and up to 256GB of storage, according to last-minute predictions from an analyst who proved reliable in the past.
Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities also provided details on the handset’s predicted design and color options in a rare Twitter post.
Whether you write for work, need SEO-targeted product descriptions, or want to drive more traffic to your website, turning around top-quality content quickly is essential. Now, incredible AI writing software is available to help you eliminate the time it takes to write.
You can generate articles in flash with Autowriterpro — it’s one of the highest-rated artificial intelligence-powered writing apps around. If you’d save a ton of time having your copy generated for you, now’s the time to try it out. A lifetime subscription to Autowriterpro is on sale for just $39.99.
Dear…, the Apple TV+ show about the public figures who inspire millions, returns for a second season Friday with a new roster of guest stars and a renewed purpose.
The filmed segments — during which we see people who write letters to the inspirational celebrities, as well as the celebs themselves — look splashier this time. The stories prove more gut-wrenching, and Lin-Manuel Miranda is nowhere in sight.
This show’s setup is an easy layup, but sometimes there’s satisfaction in that.
Disney+ is said to be exploring a more affordable subscription plan that will be supported by advertisements for viewers in the United States.
Its current $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year) price tag makes the service more affordable than Netflix but more expensive than Apple TV+, while rivals like Discovery+ and Paramount+ already offer ad-supported plans from $4.99.