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In 2008 Steve Jobs introduced the first ultra-thin, lightweight MacBook Air by dramatically sliding it out of an inter-office envelope. The idea of a dramatically thin, lightweight, and fully functional laptop continues on.

MacBook Air M3 15-inch deals

The MacBook Air is “the default Mac” – the one you should buy if you’re not sure which model you need.

History

The MacBook Air was launched in 2008 as a premium 13-inch model, billed as the world’s thinnest laptop. It was dramatically revealed by Steve Jobs sliding it out of an office envelope.

In 2010, it was joined by an 11-inch model. By 2011, that had become the entry-level MacBook, replacing the plain MacBook in the lineup. Its combination of affordability, portability, cuteness, and suitability for most people’s computer usage saw it become a hugely popular machine with everyone from students to senior business execs.

The 11-inch MacBook Air was discontinued in 2016, leaving only the 13-inch models.

In 2018, we saw the first major update to the then-elderly design. This gave the machine a Retina display, Touch ID, USB-C ports along with a design refresh with smaller bezels, a slimmer form factor, and lighter weight.

In 2020, the MacBook Air was one of the first three machines to make the switch from Intel processors to Apple Silicon in the form of the M1 chip. In 2022, it was joined by an M2 model.

MacBook Air Specs

The 2020 M1 MacBook Air is powered by an 8-core Apple M1 chip, comprising four performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s available in two almost-identical versions, one with an 8-core GPU, the other with a (chip-binned) 7-core one. The machine is available with either 8GB or 16GB of unified memory. SSD storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.

The 2022 M2 MacBook Air has a 10-core GPU option, up to 24GB of unified memory, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Pricing

M1 MacBook Air (2020) pricing starts at $999 for the 7-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

M2 MacBook Air (2022) pricing starts at $1199 for the 8-core GPU with 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD.

The machine can be specced up as far as 16GB unified memory and 2TB SSD for $2,049.

Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.

MacBook Air Review

In our video review of the machine, we described it as game-changing.

There is very little negative to say about these MacBooks. Apple has taken a design like the MacBook Air, which it more or less perfected with the early 2020 refresh, and made it 10 times better. This is no hyperbole. These M1-powered MacBooks are such a huge improvement in performance and battery life with virtually no negative baggage. I can’t see myself ever wanting to go back to an Intel-based laptop […]

If I was using an Intel-based MacBook Air, I wouldn’t even consider using a machine with such little memory to handle my day-to-day creative workflow, but Apple’s implementation of unified memory cannot be compared 1:1 with typical RAM configurations.

Basic day-to-day usage is relatively unaffected by the amount of RAM, or lack thereof. The MacBook Air is competent with only 8GB of RAM even when running lots of apps simultaneously, even with a dozen Safari windows, and even when swapping out to the SSD […]

I can attest to the fact that these MacBooks have incredibly long battery life, so much so that it was honestly hard to believe initially. I was able to use my MacBook Air for a full workday, writing, browsing the web, chatting on zoom, and editing video and photos, and the machine was only at 50% by the end of the day. I woke up the next day, and did several hours of zoom video calls and web browsing, and the machine finally gave me a warning to plug in when it reached 10%

Review: Bowers & Wilkins’ P5 Wireless hits new highs in Bluetooth headphone luxury

Back when white earbuds dominated the market, Beats by Dre proved that mainstream customers were willing to pay $300 for large wired headphones and nearly $400 for wireless versions — even plasticky, overly bassy ones. The subsequent shift towards big headphones nearly killed makers of premium in-ear models, leading many audio companies to mimic Beats’ formula. But there were holdouts: iconic audio companies including Bowers & Wilkins refused to compromise their materials or change their sonic signatures to match Beats. Instead, B&W offered premium-priced headphones made from premium-quality materials, and let customers pick between plastic Beats or metal and leather alternatives.

Today, Bowers & Wilkins is debuting P5 Wireless ($400), a Bluetooth version of last year’s luxurious P5 Series 2 (and the since-discontinued original P5). Mixing chrome, brushed aluminum, and ultra-soft sheep’s leather, P5 Wireless is virtually indistinguishable from P5 Series 2 apart from its ability to operate with or without a 3.5mm audio cable. Classy in ways that even the top-of-line Beats Pro can’t match, P5 Wireless is the first Bluetooth headphone I would recommend to fans of classic premium audio gear…


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9to5Toys Last Call: $50 iTunes Gift Card for $40, Owen & Fred giveaway, M-Audio Monitor Speakers $80, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

$50 iTunes gift card for $40 w/ email delivery from PayPal (20% savings)

Giveaway: Owen & Fred’s Desk Essentials collection ups your work game while looking good, $250+ value

M-Audio Studiophile 4-inch Powered Monitor Speakers $80 shipped (Reg. $149)

Quick Review: Eton Scorpion II is a rugged solar electronic survival kit for $50

11.6-inch MacBook Air (previous gen) 1.7GHZ/8GB/512GB + freebies: $1,000 shipped (Reg. $1,200+)

More new gear from today:

JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones for $110 shipped (Reg. $170)

Daily Deals: Sony Cyber-shot 20MP Camera $600 w/ Free $50 Gift Card, iPhone 6 sweat-proof armband $7, more

More deals still alive:

App Store Free App of the Week: Halftone 2 Comic Book Creator ($2 value)

Free McGraw-Hill educational iOS apps for your kids: Monster Squeeze, Beat the Computer, more (Reg. $2 ea.)

New products & more:

Molson and Google team up on voice activated fridge that dispenses free beer

Amazon’s Treasure Truck brings daily deals to the streets

9to5Toys Last Call: top-of-the-line previous gen 11″ MacBook Air $1,000, Monoprice Action Camera $60, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

11.6-inch MacBook Air (previous gen) 1.7GHZ/8GB/512GB + freebies: $1,000 shipped (Reg. $1,200+)

Monoprice MHD 2.0 1080p Action Camera: $60 shipped (Reg. $90)

App Store Free App of the Week: Halftone 2 Comic Book Creator ($2 value)

Amazon’s Treasure Truck brings daily deals to the streets

Giveaway: Grovemade’s latest wooden creation provides a luxurious home for your Magic TrackPad

More new gear from today:

Free McGraw-Hill educational iOS apps for your kids: Monster Squeeze, Beat the Computer, more (Reg. $2 ea.)

Games/Apps: BioShock, Civ Rev 2 & XCOM go 50% off on iOS, Rayman Legends $20, iOS freebies, more

Firebox’s new WTF section has a $236K Apple Watch and a full-size Delorean

Daily Deals: Canon Multifunction Laser Printer $95, Insignia 65-inch LED 1080p HDTV $700, more

More deals still alive:

LG 49-inch 4K 60Hz Smart LED UHDTV: $600 shipped (Reg. $900)

Verus iPhone 6/Plus cases in multiple styles & colors starting at $2 shipped

New products & more:

LEGO unveils the highly detailed new Ferrari F40 Creator series set

The Luzi Smart Lamp has Siri-like powers with charging options for Apple Watch

E3:

The best Mac desk, chair, decor, and peripherals for your home office

Like Apple Watches, home offices are “personal” — the look and furniture that work well for one person might not seem “right” to another. But the unified metal and glass aesthetic of Apple products works really well with modern office furniture, and there are also some iconic decor items Apple lovers can incorporate into a home office.

I spend a lot of time working from my home office, and have considered it a work in progress ever since I started building it around an aluminum PowerBook many years ago. Below, you’ll find a collection of items that will help you build a beautiful, practical home office that really spotlights your Apple gear, based on a mix of affordable and small investment-worthy choices…


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Review: blueLounge’s Portiko + Pixi bring elegance to Mac / iOS / Apple Watch charging + cable management

blueLounge isn’t a typical Apple accessory maker. If you look through its 15-year backcatalog of releases, you’ll notice that its products are markedly different from somewhat overlapping alternatives produced by rivals — intensely practical and cleanly-designed, yet sometimes so conceptually minor that they’re hard to review. Take CableDrop and CableDrop Mini, for instance, circular adhesive pads that each do nothing more than hold one cord in a fixed position wherever you want it. I use CableDrop Mini every day with my MacBook Pro’s power cable, but can’t justify a full review of something so utterly basic.

The simultaneous release of two new blueLounge accessories — Portiko ($25) and Pixi ($10) — gives me the rare opportunity to cover one of the company’s minor but practical items alongside one that’s more gadget-like. Portiko (shown above) is a wall- or table-mountable power source attractive enough to put on display between the four devices it can charge at once. It has enough USB and AC power outlets to handle a MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch at the same time, or other combinations of devices. Pixi is blueLounge’s latest cable management solution, a set of elegantly-built elastic and plastic bands that wrap around bunches of cables, tidying up your desk. Read on for more details and pictures…


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9to5Toys Last Call: New Gold MacBook in-stock, iPhone 6 armband $7, Sony Bluetooth/NFC speaker $50, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Save 20% on GoPro’s HERO4 Black Action Camera: $399 shipped (Reg. $500)

Get ready for a workout w/ this Mpow Armband for iPhone 6 or 5/s: $7 Shipped (Reg. $12)

Sony SRSX3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker w/ hands-free calling (refurb) $50 shipped (Orig. $150)

Amazon now ships some smaller items for free even if you don’t have a Prime membership

The Summer Mac Essentials Bundle: Unibox, Noiseless, Hider 2, Jump Desktop and more for $19.99 ($204 value)

Father’s Day Gift Guide: top picks, exclusive discounts and a $482 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: DmC Devil May Cry, XCOM, Remember Me $4 ea, Slingshot Racing & Alpha Omega go free, more

More deals still alive:

Keep tabs on anything with Tile Bluetooth item tracker: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)

New products & more:

Game Boy turns into a giant, Raspberry Pi-powered console that can play NES/SNES games

Grovemade’s new desk accessory wraps your Apple Magic Trackpad in a handcrafted tray

9to5Toys Last Call: 11″ MacBook Air (newest version) $800, 4x 16GB Flash Drives $16, Splatoon for Wii U, much more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Daily Deals: 13″ 256GB Retina MacBook Pro w/ Force Touch $1,300, 11″ MacBook Air $800, Dual USB Car Chargers from $6, more

4-pack of 16GB PNY Attaché USB 2.0 Flash Drives $16 shipped (Reg. $28)

$75 Staples Gift Card for $60 w/ email delivery (20% off)

App Store Free App of the Week: Hyper Square puzzle game ($2 value)

30 discounted iTunes movie bundles: Jurassic Park $20, Godfather & Lord of the Rings Trilogy $15 ea, more

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle $300 (Reg. $350), Stunt Star goes free, Machine World $1, freebies, more

More deals still alive:

iPad Air 2 64GB Wi-Fi in all colors for the same price as 16GB: $500 shipped (Reg. $599)

iPad mini 3 for the same price as the second gen model: $300 shipped (Reg. $399)

New products & more:

Bluelounge’s new extension cord brings style and USB power

Amazon Prime adds free same day delivery in select markets across the United States

The Best Mac Accessories and Upgrades

Over the past six months, I’ve published quite a few tutorials to help Mac users improve the performance of older computers, as well as some great guides to the best Mac accessories across a variety of categories. Today, I’m tying them all together in this handy, one-stop roundup of the best Mac accessories and upgrades.

This guide walks you through everything: in one place, you can learn about the best Mac hard drives, RAM upgrades, docks, keyboards, trackpads, stands, bags, and travel accessories out there. And you can also get free apps to improve your Mac’s storage and responsiveness, find plain English explanations of your Mac’s technical specs, and learn about the little security screws Apple uses to tamper-proof its machines. There’s a lot inside, so you may want to bookmark this piece for future reference!…


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 6 battery cases from $30, 11″ MacBook Air $750, 3-Pack Lightning cables $20, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

 

iPhone 6 MFi battery cases: UNU DX 3,000mAh $50 (Orig. $70), Anker Premium 3,100mAh $30 (Orig. $70), more

Apple 11-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (newest): $750 shipped (Reg. $899)

Apple 13” Retina MacBook Pro w/ Force Touch: 128GB $1,100 or 256GB $1,300 ($199 off)

Stock up on MFi Lightning cables w/ Monoprice’s discounted bundles: 3-Pack for $20 shipped, more

Spotify reboots its popular 3-month $0.99 Premium plan for new subscribers

T-Mobile is once again dishing up free MLB At Bat access to its customers ($20 value)

Wireless EarPod-style Bluetooth 4 headphones (compatible w/Apple Watch): $12 shipped

Spigen iPhone 6/Plus cases in multiple styles & colors from $4 Prime shipped (up to 80% off)

Poweradd iPhone 6/6Plus & Galaxy S6 cases (variety of styles/colors) $2 shipped (Reg. $8)

9to5Toys Specials currently has a VPN Unlimited Lifetime Subscription for $39 and ibVPN Total Plan 4 year subscription for $59. Either way you won’t have to worry about hackers for a long time.

More new gear from today:

HBO NOW free trial offer drops to one week after initial promo period, sign up now on your Apple TV, iPhone or iPad

More deals still alive:

iTunes Free App of the Week: Mighty Switch Force! Hose It Down! ($2 value)

Ring Wifi Video Doorbell w/ iPhone/Android app: $189 Shipped (Orig. $229)

New products & more:

IKAWA’s coffee roaster brings the experience home w/ iOS connectivity and custom recipes

Connected Cycle’s smart pedals will track your riding and help you find a lost bicycle

Pixelmator for Mac adds Force Touch pressure-sensitive painting, even better Repair Tool, more

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The developers behind Pixelmator have just released another free update to the Mac app, available in the Mac App Store ($29.99). Despite the bug-fix identifier, Version 3.3.2 packs some cool enhancements to support Apple’s latest technologies and hardware.

For one, as demoed in the screenshot above, Pixelmator brushes now support Force Touch so you can draw with multiple levels of pressure by pressing harder on the touchpad of your new Retina MacBook (or early 2015 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro). This is useful for quick adjustments although serious painters will still want to use dedicated drawing tablets. The update also adds support for the Photos app and a revamped Repair Tool …


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The best travel accessories for your MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Retina MacBook

Traveling with any MacBook is a lot easier today than it was five or ten years ago. Apple’s latest laptops consume much less space than their predecessors, and last much longer when they’re in active use. Whether it’s on a seat-back tray or resting in your lap, your MacBook can deliver quite a few hours of productive work time, video viewing, or even gameplay without assistance. But it can do even more if you bring the right accessories along.

My goal is to help you choose the best items to carry with you on the road — the type of items I’ve spent years testing. The picks below are highly practical and focused to make good use of space and address real-world concerns that many travelers have. Read on!


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air 128GB WiFi+Cell $529, Bluetooth speaker $19, newest 13″ MacBook Air $830, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 128GB in Gold or Space Gray $600 shipped ($99 off)

iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB in Space Gray $529 shipped (Orig. $929)

Choice of 2 rugged, highly-rated Bluetooth speakers from Lumsing: $19 Prime Shipped

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB: $830 shipped (Reg. $999)

Apple AirPort Express Wireless Router w/ AirPlay and Wireless Printing $79 or refurbished $65 (Reg. $99)

Review: SOL REPUBLIC’s Shadow wireless headphones w/ Bluetooth 4.0 offer an upgraded audio experience, $100 giveaway

More new gear from today:

iOttie Easy View iPhone 6 windshield car mount $10 Prime shipped (Orig. $23), more


Fleksy customizable keyboard app w/ GIF support goes free for iOS (Reg. $1)

More deals still alive:

Sennheiser HD600 Over-Ear Headphones $239 (Reg. $320)

New products & more:

VIZIO introduces new 4K UHDTVs starting at $600, expands its audio lineup

How-To: Choose the best stand or desktop mount for Apple’s iPads and Macs

Apple currently sells more “laptop” than “desktop” Macs, but in reality, most Macs will be used substantially on flat surfaces — desks, tables, and sometimes nightstands. iPads are more lap-friendly, but also tend to get used upright, particularly for watching videos and access in the kitchen. Since I’ve spent a lot of time testing Apple device stands and mounts, I wanted to share what I’ve learned with you, so you can choose the solution that best suits your Mac, iPad, or both at the same time.

Below, I’ve hand-picked options for different types of users, starting with passive MacBook stands such as Twelve South’s BookArc for MacBook Pro ($50). Made from Mac-matching aluminum with gray rubber inserts, BookArc is designed to safely hold a MacBook Pro upright so that its ports and SD card reader are easily accessible. Twelve South also sells a smaller version of BookArc for the MacBook Air, a bigger BookArc for the Mac Pro, and an earthy version called BookArc mod for fans of wood. That’s a rarity, as most Mac and iPad stands are designed to match Apple’s products, as you’ll see inside…


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9to5Toys Last Call: MacBook Air (2015) $99 off, iPhone 6 Plus Game Boy case, 4K AirPlay A/V Receiver $200, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Here’s the first real discount for Apple’s 2015 MacBook Air lineup

Best Buy 2-Day Sale: 13-inch MacBook Air 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB $900 or $850 w/ .edu, much more

Mac/iOS App Store promo discounts 35 Photo + Video apps by 50% or more

iTunes Free App of the Week: Back to Bed ($4 value)

Pixelmator – the best photo editor for Mac – cuts its price in half to $15 (Reg. $30)

Pioneer 5.2-ch. Network AirPlay 4K A/V Receiver $200 shipped (Reg. $320)

LAST CHANCE – Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

AmazonBasics Apple-certified MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)

More deals still alive:

Apple iPad 4 Retina 16GB 4G GSM/LTE Unlocked: $300 shipped or $50/mo for 6 months

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Philips’ Hue Go puts smart lighting everywhere so you’ll never have to rough it again

Nostalgia runs high w/ the iOS release of DuckTales: Remastered

9to5Toys Last Call: 11″ MacBook Air (early 2014) $650 w/ .edu, 50% off iOS & Mac Photo Editing Apps, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple MacBook Air 11.6-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB + Office 365 for $650 w/edu (orig. $899+)

Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series is IGN’s free iOS game of the month ($5 value)

This no fuss cover makes it stupid easy to add USB power to any outlet

Pixelmator – the best photo editor for Mac – cuts its price in half to $15 (Reg. $30)

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

HP X702 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $31 shipped (Reg. $45+)

Seagate Central 3TB Personal Cloud Storage External Hard Drive $80 shipped (orig. $180)

More deals still alive:

Buy Apple TV for $69 and get a free $10 Target gift card, more savings for REDcard holders

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Onkyo’s new portable headphone digital-to-analog converter uses a Lightning cable to boost your iPhone’s sound

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9to5Toys Last Call: Pixelmator for Mac $15, 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $31, 3 ft. MFi Lightning Cable $5, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Pixelmator – the best photo editor for Mac – cuts its price in half to $15 (Reg. $30)

PNY Turbo 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $31 shipped (Orig. $70)

Buy Apple TV for $69 and get a free $10 Target gift card, more savings for REDcard holders

Aukey 3600mAh power bank + free Lightning cable $16 Prime shipped ($26 value), more

Small States Review: TM1985’s Weekend Duffel is the perfect companion for any excursion, $371 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: LG 27″ HD LED monitor $170, MacBook Air 13″ $750 (w/.edu)more

Get your dunk on w/ this mini indoor Basketball hoop for $15 Prime shipped (50% off)

More deals still alive:

Home theater upgrade: Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set $369 shipped (Reg. $400+)

Outsource your house chores to Amazon and get a free $20 gift card

New products & more:

Amazon’s Dash Service brings push button ordering to your washing machine

Review: Swapping MagSafe for SnapFit, BatteryBox adds 60Wh of portable power to MacBook Airs, Pros

Thanks to Apple’s patent on the MagSafe connectors used in MacBook Airs and Pros, the list of third-party external batteries for MacBooks previously began with Hyper’s HyperJuice/HyperJuice 2 and ended with Lenmar’s ChugPlug — not much of a variety. Apple’s legal department chased Hyper for attaching harvested MagSafe connectors to its batteries, and Lenmar chose a workaround, sending ChugPlug’s power indirectly though an Apple wall adapter. Neither solution was ideal. It took until now for a completely different third solution to appear: BatteryBox ($220) from Gbatteries Energy.

BatteryBox is the first MacBook power option I’ve tested that doesn’t require either MagSafe or an Apple wall adapter to function. Since the developers went out of their way to create something that won’t run afoul of Apple’s legal team, there’s absolutely nothing Mac-like about its brick-like rectangular design. And it’s not cheap, priced between the two HyperJuices and higher than ChugPlug, which can now be had for only $100. But it works, adding a 60-watt-hour additional battery to the 38-95-watt-hour cells already inside MacBook Airs and Pros. So if you’re on the road without access to a power outlet and need to add hours of additional runtime to your Apple laptop, this is a viable alternative….


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How-To: Decode Apple’s Tech Specs pages before buying a new Mac, Part 2

As I noted in Part 1 of How-To: Decode Apple’s Tech Specs pages before buying a new Mac, Apple has designed the Mac purchasing process to be easy: pick a model, pick the good, better, or best configuration, hand over your cash, and enjoy your computer. Since most people get confused by tech specs — bullet points filled with numbers and acronyms — Apple downplays them in its marketing materials, leaving customers to sort through the details and figure out what most of them mean.

But these specs are really important when you’re shopping for the right Mac for your current and future needs. So I’ve created this How-To guide to walk you through each of Apple’s Tech Specs pages using clear explanations, hopefully enabling you to properly understand what you’re about to buy. Part 1 focused on the “big 5″ Mac specs you really need to know about, and this Part 2 looks at the rest — generally things that remain the same in a given model, regardless of the configuration you choose…


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How-To: Decode Apple’s Tech Specs pages before buying a new Mac (Part 1)

Buying a Mac is designed to be easy. Apple has a handful of different models, each generally available in good, better, and best configurations. You’re supposed to start with the specific Mac model that fits your needs, pick a configuration that has the price and features you want, and walk away happy with your purchase. (Better yet, do your research online and save money after ordering from Amazon, or use the product guides off to the bottom right of this page.)

One thing Apple tends to downplay are tech specs — important numbers and acronyms that nonetheless confuse many people. Look carefully on Apple’s web site and you’ll find that there’s a Tech Specs page for every Mac Apple sells; they’re the keys to making an informed Mac purchase that will be right for your current and future needs. My latest How-To is here to walk you through each of Apple’s specs with clear explanations, so you can understand what you’re about to buy. This Part 1 discusses the “big 5” Mac specs you need to know about, and Part 2 tackles the rest


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Mini-review: Oneadapter Twist/Plus World Charging Station (Video)

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Standardizing on USB was arguably the best thing ever to happen to gadget lovers. Instead of having an unholy mess of chargers cluttering up your home, you just need a few USB cables and something to plug them into. I’ve previously reviewed the Lightning Rabbit Triforce and Truffol Station 5 USB chargers, which offer stylish options for the home or office. We’ve also reviewed a bunch of others.

When travelling, though, I pack light. I tend to just charge everything from my MacBook Pro, which is convenient but doesn’t offer the fastest of charging speeds. The Oneadapter Twist and Twist Plus World Charging Stations are designed to overcome that issue, offering a combined USB charger and international plug adapter … 
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Pixelmator 1.1 for iPad adds realistic watercolor painting, new Color Picker, more

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Pixelmator has today released a new update for the iPad version ($9.99) of its popular image editor. Version 1.1 includes a brand new watercolor painting feature, which can be used to create brand new pieces of art from a blank canvas or add stylistic additions to existing images and photos. Brushes overlay new colors additively with soft radiuses to create beautiful blends and shading. Pixelmator says they spoke to real artists to help design the brush strokes. It feels really nice to use.

Although watercolor painting is the headline addition, Pixelmator 1.1 also includes a new Color Picker with a swatch of previously selected colors, an updated rendering engine for better performance and much more. You have to see it in action … (video below)


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Brace yourself – Core M benchmarks illustrate likely low-end performance from new MacBook

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Lenovo’s Yoga 3 Pro convertible laptop–which uses the same Broadwell Core M processor as Apple’s new ultraportable MacBook–has provided the first look at its likely performance. AnandTech‘s numbers show that in overall performance terms, the Yoga 3 Pro was delivering a little over 90% of the performance of the early 2014 MacBook Air which has far fewer pixels than the Retina MacBook…


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Apple’s 2015 MacBook Pro and Air models now at US retailers Amazon, Best Buy, MacMall, B&H and others

Refreshed 2015 MacBook Air and Pro models are now available at major US retailers following their announcement at Apple’s Spring Forward event on March 9th.

Currently, Amazon has all of the new MacBook Air models in stock and ready to ship, from $899. The new MacBook Pro models are also listed on Amazon as well, although supply is currently more limited. 2014 versions are discounted.

B&H offers $5 off and no tax at the time of purchase outside of New York on the new MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros as well as a free copy of Parallels. 2014 versions are discounted.

MacMall also offers $5 off the new MacBook Airs and Pros and tax only in a few states. 2014 models discounted.

Meanwhile if you want to get your hands on one today, Best Buy offers free site to store on the new MacBook Pro/Airs which will have stock varied by location. 2014 models discounted.

If you want to save some real money, 2014 models are seeing deep discounts at 9to5toys. At the Apple Refurb store you can pick up some heavy discounts on previous models while extraordinary savings are available at B&H and Best Buy on 2014 models including a student deal that chops the 2014 models down to $750 .


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