The new features of macOS Monterey may be tempting. However, you should know the update reportedly bricks older Macs in many cases.
MacBook Air
Plugable Launches New Universal Docking Station
If you split work hours between home and office, plugging in everything cuts into productivity. This universal docking station cures that.
Battery Buddy Makes Charging Your MacBook More Fun
Let’s face it, the default battery indicator on MacBooks is pretty boring. If you want to liven it up a bit, consider the terminally cute (and free) app Battery Buddy by Neil Sardesai. This indicator shows your MacBook’s battery charge using cute smiley faces. Fully charged, the indicator smiles at you, but he grows less happy and more sad as your battery drains. When you plug in, your little battery buddy gets a charging icon next to him.
MacBook Air With M2 Chip Arriving 2022, According to Leaker
Rumors are swirling about future Apple Silicon and the devices that updated chips will go in. MacRumors picked up on one leak that suggested an M2 going into Macbook Air, which will be released next year.
On Twitter, Dylandkt claimed that a new MacBook Air model is “on track” to launch in the first half of 2022, featuring an M2 chip and a more colorful design. They also claimed that the “M1X” chip is being reserved for high-end “Pro” Macs, which could include the MacBook Pro and a larger, more powerful iMac model. Dylandkt’s claim is not entirely new, given that Jon Prosser has previously said that the next-generation MacBook Air will feature a complete redesign, a range of iMac-like color options, and an M2 chip. Dylandkt has been resolute in previous comments about the “M1X” being destined for the next-generation MacBook Pro, while the “M2” will apparently be a lower-end chip for the MacBook Air, but it is worth noting that this does not seem to fit very well with the specific thoughts of reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman about Apple’s upcoming custom silicon chips for the Mac.
Cool Stuff Found
Future MacBooks Could Offer Multiple Haptic Areas, Patent Suggests
Upcoming MacBooks could incorporate multiple discrete haptic areas. That’s according to a new patent, spotted by Patently Apple.
Apple’s granted patent generally relates to electronic devices with one or more input areas that also function to provide spatially localized haptics via the Taptic Engine. “Spatially localized” haptics (or haptic output) generally refers to any haptic signal, e.g., haptic output, that is tactilely perceptible to a person touching a particular active region of the electronic device, but imperceptible outside that region. The surface area over which a single haptic output is perceptible is referred to as a “discrete haptic region.” There may be any number of discrete haptic regions in an input area of a laptop computing device. The discrete haptic regions may be separated from each other, or they may overlap. Either way, they remain discrete haptic regions each associated with an individual haptic actuator. An “input area” is a structure or surface configured to accept a user input.
Latest Rumors - Updated MacBook Air With MagSafe
Apple is working on a thinner, lighter, higher-end version of the MacBook Air, and it might even be available this year.
I've Seen the Future of Macintosh
Dr. Mac intended to kick of 2021 with a “year in review” column, but it bored him and would have bored you, so instead he named Apple Silicon as the “Best Technological Achievement of 2020.”
Looking Back At Apple's 2020 – TMO Daily Observations 2020-12-30
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the year in Apple software and hardware. Tune in to see what stood out!
Apple Black Friday - Cyber Monday Shopping Event Closes Today - Offering Gift Cards Worth up to $150
Apple is offering gift cards worth up to $150 with the purchase of various products from Black Friday until Cyber Monday.
Cool Stuff Found
Apple's M1 MacBook Air: One Week In, It's the Little Things
I was fortunate enough to receive my built-to-order M1 MacBook Air (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 8-core GPU) last Tuesday, and I’ve had a week to truly experience it. We’ve all read the early reviews (Snell, Gruber, and Bohn are the highlights), and they’ve focused on the specs and the highlights, so I won’t rehash (much of) that here. What I want to focus on are the little things.