Jeff Benjamin

In this hands-on video walkthrough, we show you how to upgrade the RAM in the 2018 Mac mini. If you’re comfortable with opening your machine, you can save a significant amount of money upgrading Mac mini RAM yourself. Watch our step-by-step hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
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Apple recently ushered in its long-awaited refreshes to two product lines that haven’t received a lot of love lately: the 2018 MacBook Air and the 2018 Mac mini (review). Both machines have been updated with new processors, Apple’s T2 chip, modernized I/O, and several other enhancements.

The MacBook Air, though, is by far the more popular machine, and will demand the majority of the public’s attention between the two. This is the portable Mac that lots of people have been waiting for, but does it live up to its namesake? Watch our video review for the details.
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The Mac mini is back for 2018, regaining its rightful place as the most versatile Mac in Apple’s entire computer lineup. The long-rumored update, which was announced during the midway portion of last week’s iPad Pro event, is exciting for a number of reasons.

For starters, the Mac mini 2018 gets brand-new, highly-capable 8th-generation Intel CPUs. The CPU lineup starts with a rather anemic, but still way faster than the last Mac mini, quad-core 3.6GHz Core i3. The mid-tier CPU option is a 3.0GHz 6-core Core i5 with 4.1GHz turbo boost, while the highest configuration adds a 3.2GHz 6-core Core i7 that turbos up to 4.6GHz.

While the CPU upgrades were much needed, the chip enhancements are arguably not even the most exciting thing about the new Mac mini. That award goes to the four Thunderbolt 3 ports on the machine’s rear. This opens up Apple’s smallest Mac to an ever-growing world of expandability, making it seem as if anything’s possible for what was once Apple’s forgotten Mac.

Watch our hands-on video walkthrough as I explain why the Mac mini 2018 is the most versatile and adaptable Mac ever.
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The 2018 iPad Pro is the most compelling new iPad to be released since the original. Whereas all previous iPad models more or less have had notable but incremental refinements and improvements, this new 2018 iPad is the tablet that Apple has longed to make.

Thanks to its flat edges, the 2018 iPad Pro looks vaguely similar to the original version, but that’s where the similarities abruptly end. This machine is an absolute monster in so many areas, from its “all-screen” front panel, to its ludicrously-fast CPU, to the sheer amount of flash storage space and memory.

But performance is only part of the story. The 2018 iPad Pro features many additional refinements and enhancements, and several direct answers to complaints levied against previous hardware releases.

Unfortunately, iOS is still a major thorn in the side of would-be iPad power users. iOS has improved over the last few years, but it still chokes the hardware of much-needed oxygen. The good news is that iOS 13 is less than a year away, and it’s rumored to bring changes and enhancements to the iPad that will remove some of the friction currently hindering the experience.

Watch our full iPad Pro hands-on unboxing and review for more details.
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After months of delays, LG’s 5K UltraWide 34WK95U display is now available for purchase. The availability lines up perfectly with the release of Apple’s new Mac mini and MacBook Air hardware.
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In our hands-on iPhone XR top features post, we discussed twenty of the best features found on Apple’s budget-minded iPhone. The iPhone XR, as it turns out, is a great phone that I think anyone looking to upgrade from pre-iPhone X devices should consider. It features the same A12 processor as the latest iPhone XS, the same enhanced wide angle camera, and comes with high-end niceties like an all-screen display and Face ID.

The iPhone XR is a compelling new hardware release for Apple, and it starts at $749, which is much less than the $999 entry-level price of the flagship iPhone XS. Yet, the iPhone XR isn’t perfect. Compromises needed to be made to meet such a price point, and some of those compromises are relatively glaring. Watch our hands-on video as we consider some of the worst iPhone XR features.
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If you don’t have an hour and a half to dedicate to watch Apple’s new iPad Pro/MacBook Air event, we’ve got you covered. In this post, you’ll find a condensed version of the event, featuring all of the important technical tidbits in under 9 minutes.
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Alongside the brand new Mac mini and MacBook Air, Blackmagic Design has launched a new external graphics chassis with a faster Radeon RX Vega 64 inside. The Blackmagic eGPU Pro provides a significantly faster GPU than its non-‘pro’ predecessor, along with the addition of DisplayPort connectivity.
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Apple’s relatively budget friendly iPhone XR launched yesterday, and we’ve got a hands-on look at the colorful device’s top new features. Starting at $749, this 6.1-inch iPhone is significantly cheaper than the iPhone XS, yet comes with many of the same features. Is the iPhone XR the iPhone you should consider purchasing? Watch our video walkthrough as we explore the top iPhone XR features.
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Next Tuesday, Apple executives and invited media venture to New York City for a rare east coast event for a major Apple product launch. The end of October event, which begins at 10 AM EDT, is expected to be where Apple reveals long-awaited new iPad Pros along with new Mac hardware.

In a previous video, we examined the possibilities of what we might see on the iPad front. In today’s video, we conjecture about what Mac fans might see unveiled next week.
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We’ve covered how to use simple terminal commands to create a macOS Mojave USB installer in the past, but understand that not everyone is comfortable fooling around with the Terminal. With this in mind, we’ve created a brief tutorial highlighting an alternative method that’s as simple as it gets. Watch our hands-on video for the details.
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The iMac Pro comes with 10 Gigabit Ethernet out of the box, which is great for connecting to high speed networks and devices like NAS boxes. But what if you have a regular iMac or MacBook Pro? You can use Akitio’s Thunder3 Dock Pro (review), which provides 10 Gigabit Thunderbolt 3 Ethernet, but that may be overkill if you just need to upgrade your network connection.

If that describes your situation, you’ll be happy to know that the prolific Thunderbolt 3 hardware manufacturer has the T3-10G, a much smaller bus-powered 10 Gigabit Thunderbolt 3 Ethernet adapter. Watch our hands-on video review for the details.
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With the current state of the Apple AirPods still uncertain, the HyperJuice Wireless Charger adapter presents an alternative method that lets your wirelessly charge AirPods. Yes, indeed, it’s a wireless charging case for your charging case. Absurd? Slightly, but nonetheless, it may prove to be convenient for those that have gone all in on wireless charging.
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Yesterday in New York City, Synology took the wraps off its latest consumer product, the MR2200ac mesh router. Like other popular mesh router systems, Synology’s MR2200ac allows users to fill their home with Wi-Fi in an effort to eliminate the so-called dead zones in coverage.

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If you’ve recently upgraded from a device like an iPhone 8, iPhone 7, or older iPhone, you’ve likely noticed how different it is to use a phone that lacks a physical Home button. But what about basic iPhone reset functions like how to force restart iPhone XS, or even more advanced functions like entering Recovery or DFU mode? All of these functions previously required Home button input, so methods have changed with the latest crop of new iPhones.

In this post and hands-on video walkthrough, we show you everything you need to know about performing these functions on your iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.
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Along with a new screenshot utility, another tentpole feature found in macOS Mojave are stacks. Designed especially for the desktop, stacks allow you to instantly clean up a cluttered desktop work space with just a few mouse clicks. Watch our video for a hands-on walkthrough on how to use stacks in macOS Mojave.
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The Apple Watch Series 4 (read Zac’s full review) is the biggest upgrade to the Apple Watch since the product launched back in the spring of 2015. New features include an all new design, stainless steel gold color, faster internals, brand new watch faces, and more. Watch our hands-on unboxing and overview, as we discuss the top Apple Watch Series 4 features.
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As someone who produces written and video tutorials for the Mac, taking screenshots is a natural part of my day-to-day workload. I’ve long relied on keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots in previous versions of macOS, but macOS Mojave screenshots offer new utility with a graphical user interface. Watch our hands-on video for a walkthrough of macOS Mojave’s new screenshot features.
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Yesterday Apple released its second developer beta for iOS 12.1, and it includes over 70 new emoji. Watch our video walkthrough for a hands-on look at new changes and features in iOS 12.1 beta 2.
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