MacBook Air

700 'MacBook Air' stories October 2010 - March 2014

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.

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

History
MacBook Air Specs
Pricing
MacBook Air Review

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%

f.lux for Mac gets smarter with screen-dimming based on daily schedule, Movie Mode and more

Benjamin Mayo Mar 8 2014 - 6:06 am PT

3 Comments

f.lux, the popular utility that changes the color temperature of your Mac’s display to reflect the sun’s daylight cycle, has received a major update. Whilst still being in beta, the app can now calibrate your screen based on your actual schedule, not just sunrise and sunset times.

This means the app is now useful for people who have non-standard schedules, such as people who work night shifts. The app smoothly transitions between ‘daytime’,’sunset’ and ‘bedtime’ presets based on the schedule information provided. You tell the app when you wake up and it automatically calculates the color temperature levels for every hour of the day.

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Nuance announces Dragon Dictate 4, with pre-recorded transcription features and Gmail integration

Benjamin Mayo Mar 4 2014 - 5:22 am PT

7 Comments

Nuance has just announced the next major version of its Mac dictation software, Dragon Dictate 4. The new version improves recognition accuracy as well as several new features, including the ability to machine transcribe from a pre-recorded audio file. You no longer have to be recording a voice live to get transcription.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRfbZ0h4yBo]

We’ve had a quick play with the software and the accuracy is almost scary good compared to older versions of the software. Speaking in a normal voice gives you almost 100% accuracy and even mumbling seems to work. While Mavericks uses the same Nuance speech engine, Dictate 4 has a better interface for transcription and tons of extra features as outlined in the videos above and below.

Dragon Dictate software has also been updated for modern system architectures — it is a 64-bit app now. This results in better performance and better memory management over its predecessors. The company says it has drastically reduced latency when interpreting speech.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnGKb854CNI]

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Ending today! Get SnagIt, Flux 4, Tunes Cleaner, Boom, Mariner Write, Elite Keylogger Pro and more for $10

9to5 Staff Feb 18 2014 - 4:51 am PT

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From 9to5toys.com:

Stack Social’s ‘Name your own price bundle’ with some solid offerings starting at $10.31 and an email address ends today.

The bundle includes:

Snagit For Mac ($50) – The #1 Rated Screen Capture tool for Mac
Flux 4 ($140) – Powerful Mac Web Design Made Easy
Jump Desktop ($30) – Connect and Share With Any Computer in the World
Boom For Mac ($7) – System-Wide Volume Booster
MacX Video Converter Pro ($50) – Convert Any Video Format (including YouTube) for
Playback Across All Apple Devices
Tunes Cleaner ($30) – Easily Delete Duplicate Songs to Revitalize Your iTunes
Mariner Write ($50) – A Streamlined, Simple Editor for your Mac
CameraBag 2 ($20) – Ultimate Desktop Photo Editing
Chronicle 5 ($15) – Never Worry About Your Bills Again
Folx Pro ($20) – An Easier and Faster Way to Download Files & Torrents
Elite Keylogger Pro ($49) – The Undetectable Keystroke Logger for Mac

If you are feeling generous, 10% of all sales go to a charity of your choice, and get on the leaderboard (which qualifies you to enter a drawing for a MacBook Air).

Opinion: Why I love Apple products, and am just a tiny bit embarrassed to be seen using them

Ben Lovejoy Feb 17 2014 - 6:47 am PT

175 Comments

I love my Apple products. I’ve used Macs since day one. My desk right now has on it my MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Air, Thunderbolt Display and iPhone. Oh, and an Apple Bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad, of course.

My friends are convinced that I’m incapable of leaving the house without my iPad, and I have to confess that the evidence is on their side. My car has an iPhone dock so I can listen to music and podcasts. If I’m on a plane, train or tube, it’s a near-certainty that I’ll be using my iPad or listening to music on my iPhone – or both.

I love Apple hardware design. Sleek, minimalistic, beautiful. There aren’t that many other really attractive laptops out there, and most of the ones that are have essentially copied Apple’s designs …
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How-to: Use Preview to put signatures on PDF’s, Pages Documents, and Mail messages

Feb 15 2014 - 12:00 pm PT

26 Comments

As we have written about in previous articles, Preview is a valuable tool in OS X that does not get a lot of press. In this article, we will review how you can use Preview to capture your signature using the iSight camera on a Mac, then use it in Pages documents, to sign PDF documents, and as an image in your signature in the Mail app.

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How to: Get Spotlight processes back under control when CPU usage goes crazy

Ben Lovejoy Feb 11 2014 - 7:04 am PT

5 Comments

If you’re finding that your Mac fans are running a lot more than they used to, you might want to check out whether a couple of Spotlight processes are consuming more than their fair share of CPU cycles.

Ever since the latest Mavericks update, I found that my MacBook Pro seemed to be running hot a lot of the time, with fans ramping up to high levels to cool it. Checking Activity Monitor didn’t seem to be shedding much light on things at first glance. The only two processes using an unusual amount of CPU were mds and mds_stores. These are two processes used by Spotlight when indexing, so I didn’t think too much of it – Spotlight has to do its indexing sometime, right?

But several checks later, these two processes seemed to be helping themselves to significant chunks of CPU on a regular basis, at which point I did some Googling.

I started by disabling Spotlight altogether to confirm that it was the culprit. To do this, I went into Terminal and entered:

sudo mdutil -a -i off

The fans spooled down and all was back to normal. Spotlight was indeed the culprit.

I briefly considered leaving Spotlight off until the next OS X update, but that proved too much of a pain. I keep my most-used apps in the dock, but everything else I habitually launch from Spotlight. CMD-space plus the first letter or two of the app is just too convenient to give up. So I did some more Googling – after switching Spotlight back on with:

sudo mdutil -a -i on

The first tip I found was here, where it suggested deleting the Spotlight database and forcing it to re-index. You can do this in Terminal again:

 sudo rm -rf /.Spotlight-V100/*

Top tip: set this going overnight, as the re-indexing takes a while.

This helped quite a bit, but the mds process still seemed a little greedy. More Googling led me to a suggestion to remove from Spotlight’s indexing any directories with frequently-changing content, especially those used for online backup. You can do this by going into System Preferences, clicking the Privacy tab and then drag-and-dropping onto it any directories you don’t want it to index.

I added my CrashPlan, MobileSync and Dropbox folders – three specific suggestions I’d found – and then for good measure added some others with frequently-changing content.

This did the trick: my fans stayed on low, and Activity Monitor showed the mds processes consuming only tiny amounts of CPU.

I’m not sure how general an issue this – hence making this an aside – but if you’re finding your Mac running hot, it may be worth checking out.

Offers you can’t refuse: $100 off all MacBooks, up to 70% off 2K iOS games, Samsung 3D BR player $55, more

Jan 31 2014 - 11:58 am PT

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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Best Buy 2-Day Doorbusters: $100 off all Apple MacBooks and 21″ iMac for $1,150 ($150 savings)

Game/App Deals: Up to 70% off 2K iOS games, Tilt to Live: $1 (Reg. $3), 100 Rogues: $1 (Reg. $3), iOS freebies, more

Samsung Smart 3D Blu-ray Wifi BluRay player (refurb): $55 shipped. Add Godfather series Blu-ray for an offer you can’t refuse

Today’s your last chance to get a free copy of Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour for iOS http://t.co/dwzk8CQ1ue

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 31, 2014

Other great deals from today:

New! Microsoft Surface Pro: $500 shipped, Surface RT (pre-owned): $220 shipped
New! Seagate Backup Plus 3TB desktop hard drive $100 shipped (Reg. $135)
New! Google Nexus 7 tablet (2nd gen) 16GB $189 (Reg. $229), 32GB $229 (Reg. $269)

More great deals still alive:

Hitachi 4TB 3.5-inch Coolspin internal drive: $152 shipped (Reg. $190)
Bose OE2 on-ears: $100 shipped (both Reg. $150), Denon over-ears: $29 shipped (Reg. $80)
Bose AE2 fold-flat headphones $99 shipped (Reg. $150)
HooToo USB 3.0 Hubs: 7-port $27 (Reg. $65), 4-port slim bus-powered $11 (Reg. $15)
iOttie Easy View Universal iPhone car mount $13 shipped (Reg. $23)
Google Chromecast $25 for .EDU emails or $30 for everyone else
LifeProof Fre case for iPhone 5 (black): $30 shipped (Reg. $80)
Monitor Deals: Dell 24″ w/DisplayPort (refurb): $165, Viewsonic 24″ monitors (refurb): $125
Samsung 840 EVO Series 750GB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $400 shipped (Reg. $530)
Virgin Mobile cuts unsubsidized iPhone 5s to $440 or iPhone 5c for $360 shipped (Update)
Seagate 2TB Backup Plus Slim USB 3.0 portable drive: $120 shipped (Reg. $200)
JBL Micro II ultra-portable speaker in black or white: $21 shipped ($30 off)
Anker 5-port Family iPad/tablet/iPhone USB charger: $16 shipped
Apple TV 3rd gen. 1080p streaming media player $84 shipped (Reg. $99)

Apple takes over its homepage to celebrate 30 years of Mac, with accompanying video, timeline and poll

Benjamin Mayo Jan 24 2014 - 2:28 am PT

5 Comments

In addition to interviews with the press, Apple is celebrating 30 years of Mac with a full-bleed graphic on its homepage, which links to a minisite that plots how the Mac evolved over the years. The message says that Apple made the Macintosh with a promise to get “the power of technology .. in the hand of everyone”. “This promise has been kept.”, it reads. The dedicated minisite depicts a (scrollable) timeline of the major models of Mac since 1984, spanning the PowerBook, the iMac and ending with the Retina MacBook Pro and the brand new Mac Pro.

See the accompanying video after the break.

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‘Name Your Own Price’ Mac Bundle: Snagit Screencapture, Flux 4, Boom, Mac X Video Converter, Elite Keylogger Pro, more

9to5 Staff Jan 21 2014 - 9:53 pm PT

11 Comments

From 9to5toys.com:

(also don’t forget the Parallels Bundle!)

Stack Social is running another ‘Name your own price bundle’ with some solid offerings starting at $1 and an email address (Update: Now over $3 and rising!). The price goes up as people buy it so it is best to get in early.

The bundle includes:

Snagit For Mac ($50) – The #1 Rated Screen Capture tool for Mac
Flux 4 ($140) – Powerful Mac Web Design Made Easy
Jump Desktop ($30) – Connect and Share With Any Computer in the World
Boom For Mac ($7) – System-Wide Volume Booster
MacX Video Converter Pro ($50) – Convert Any Video Format (including YouTube) for
Playback Across All Apple Devices
Tunes Cleaner ($30) – Easily Delete Duplicate Songs to Revitalize Your iTunes
Mariner Write ($50) – A Streamlined, Simple Editor for your Mac
CameraBag 2 ($20) – Ultimate Desktop Photo Editing
Chronicle 5 ($15) – Never Worry About Your Bills Again
Folx Pro ($20) – An Easier and Faster Way to Download Files & Torrents
Elite Keylogger Pro ($49) – The Undetectable Keystroke Logger for Mac

If you are feeling generous, 10% of all sales go to a charity of you choice – so get in early, and get on the leaderboard (which qualifies you to enter a drawing for a MacBook Air).
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Stylish screensaver recreates the iOS 7 lock screen experience on your Mac

Benjamin Mayo Jan 14 2014 - 1:18 pm PT

13 Comments

Want to bring iOS and OS X even closer together than they already are?
Christian Heudens has recreated the iOS 7 lock screen to your Mac as a free downloadable screensaver. The thin fonts look great on a Retina Display. It’s a neat way to give your Mac a bit of individuality and make your experience across your Apple devices even more consistent.

The developer has done a good job of replicating the feel of iOS 7, using the same starry wallpaper by default and font style. The screensaver adds a zoom effect to the background too, which is a sophisticated yet subtle addition.

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How-to: Use Apple Mail rules to automatically filter out unwanted messages

Jan 11 2014 - 12:00 pm PT

23 Comments

Preventing unwanted messages from showing up in your inbox can be integral to enjoying email. In this article we will walk you through the process of creating mail rules that will direct messages to other folders or the trash based on conditions you specify. We will also discuss how to update rules to include additional senders or other criteria, and provide some common-sense guidance about effectively using mail rules in general.

Mail rules allow you to direct messages out of your inbox into another folder or trash automatically, based on their sender or other conditions. Rules can be set up on iCloud.com if the email address is the one you use for iCloud (it can end in either @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com).

For your other email addresses, rules can be set up in the Mail app on a Mac. If you set up rules using iCloud.com they are very effective, immediately directing messages to the specified folders on all your devices. If you set up rules using the Mail app, they are effective only after you start up your Mac and open the Mail app. At the end of this article, I will make some practical suggestions about how to address that, and other aspects of using mail rules.

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Editors Keys turns Apple’s wireless keyboard into the first Logic Pro X shortcut keyboard

Jordan Kahn Jan 6 2014 - 8:39 am PT

9 Comments

Editors Keys today announced the first ever wireless shortcut keyboard for Apple’s recently released Logic Pro X audio suite. The keyboard sports 150 shortcuts and the company notes it was also able to fit in some extra shortcuts as icons sitting behind the text on each key. Perhaps the best part of the new Logic Pro X keyboard is the fact that Editors Keys used an actual Apple wireless keyboard for the product, which means you’ll be able to swap out your current Apple keyboard without sacrificing the look and feel. The company says it worked with the Logic Pro X community to develop the best experience possible for users:
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Tons of iOS/desktop game deals, Airbender BT iPad Air keyboard $37, iTunes 15% off, more

Dec 19 2013 - 9:47 am PT

2 Comments

Take a few minutes out of your lunch break to cash in on limited time deals. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Game/App Deals: Digital games sale up to 80% off, Disney/Warner Bros. iOS apps, Angry Birds Star Wars FREE, iOS freebies, Blu-rays, more

Airbender Bluetooth Air Keyboard in Matte for iPad Air: $37 shipped

$50 iTunes gift card for $42.50: Save 15% on future apps, music, movies, more

The winner of the Dropcam giveaway is Greg H. (@ghomyak) Congratulations!

Jolly deals on holiday music: 280 Xmas songs for $0.99 http://t.co/2UpsBPNdVs and Michael Buble’s Christmas for $2.99 http://t.co/QuagIIWhoR

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) December 19, 2013

Other great deals from today:

New! Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR Camera $369 shipped (Reg. $449)
New! Klipsch HD300 Compact Home Theater Speaker System $170 shipped (Reg. $250)
New! AVPower 2800mAh External Battery Charger with Built-in Wall Charger: $12.49 shipped (50% off)
New! TDK Life on Record A33 Wireless Weatherproof Speaker $108 shipped (Reg. $250)
New! Get 75% off Borderlands 2 GOTY for Mac from 9to5 and GameAgent: $15
New! ~~LifeCHARGE Battery Case for Apple iPhone 5/5s $28 shipped (Reg. $100)~~

U: Back in stock!

RT @9to5toys: Apple TV 1080p HD Media Streamer $84 shipped (Reg. $99) http://t.co/wM12LdOV0j

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) December 19, 2013

The best deals that are still alive:

Apple Computer Deals: Apple MacBook Air $100 off ($150 for .edu emails), iMac $160 off
4TB Western Digital USB 3.0 HD: $130 shipped (Reg. $200), 3TB Toshiba Canvio USB 3.0 HD: $90 shipped (Reg. $140)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 for PC/Mac $60 shipped (Reg. $100)
Logitech UE Mobile Boombox Bluetooth Speaker $50 shipped (Reg. $80)
PNY 64GB Micro SDHC Card $40, PNY Compact Attache 64GB Flash Drive $40 shipped
EA massive iOS games sale
Olloclip 3-in-1 iPhone lens kit $56 (Reg. $70), Telefoto lens $80 (Reg. $100)
Pebble Smartwatch in Red or Black: $90 shipped ($60 off) with .edu email ($120w/o)
Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player $30, $25 for Amazon Students (Reg. $35)

9to5Toys Last Call: 1Password for Mac 30% off, MacBook Air $150 off, iMac $160 off, rechargeable batteries $5, more

Dec 18 2013 - 10:09 am PT

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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

4TB Western Digital USB 3.0 HD: $130 shipped (Reg. $200), 3TB Toshiba Canvio USB 3.0 HD: $90 shipped (Reg. $140)
D-Link Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Cloud Router w/ 4x Gigabit Ethernet Ports $70 shipped (Reg. $160)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 for PC/Mac $60 shipped (Reg. $100)

Game/App Deals: 1Password for Mac: $35 (Reg. $50), Deus Ex: The Fall: $1 (Reg. $7), iOS freebies, more

Apple Computer Deals: Apple MacBook Air $100 off ($150 for .edu emails), iMac $160 off

Save up to 54% on select AA and AAA AmazonBasics rechargeable batteries

Up to 65% off Sony Flash Memory and Sales on Stocking Stuffers

Belkin WeMo iOS/Android enabled light switch $40 shipped (Reg. $50)

Giveaway: Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi video monitoring camera ($200 value)

Other great deals from today:

New! PNY 64GB Micro SDHC Card $40, PNY Compact Attache 64GB Flash Drive $40 shipped
New! Logitech UE Mobile Boombox Bluetooth Speaker $50 shipped (Reg. $80)

The best deals that are still alive:

EA massive iOS games sale
Logitech UE 4000 On-Ear Headphones w/ In-Line Mic & Controls $30 shipped (Reg. $100), Beats Studio over-ears: $175 (Reg. $300)
Logitech UE Mini Boom portable Bluetooth speaker $72 shipped (Reg. $100)
Olloclip 3-in-1 iPhone lens kit $56 (Reg. $70), Telefoto lens $80 (Reg. $100)
Pebble Smartwatch in Red or Black: $90 shipped ($60 off) with .edu email ($120w/o)
Beats Speakers/headphones combo w/$50 Amazon/Best Buy Gift Card starting at $398 shipped
Bluetooth Speaker: JLab Bouncer $100 (Reg. $250)
Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player $30, $25 for Amazon Students (Reg. $35)
Take $75 off any iPhone 5s when you sign a new 2-year agreement (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint)
IGN’s FREE iOS game of the month: Infinity Blade II ($7 savings)

9to5Toys Last Call: EA iOS games mega sale, $49 Kindle eReader, iTunes 15% off, WeMo light switch $40, more

Dec 17 2013 - 9:51 am PT

0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Game/App Deals: Up to 90% off 50+ EA iOS games: $1 each, 75% off Civ V + DLC for Mac, iOS freebies more

Amazon Kindle Wifi 6-inch eReader: $49 shipped ($20 off)

$100 iTunes gift card for $85: Save 15% on future apps, music, movies, more

Belkin WeMo iOS/Android enabled light switch $40 shipped (Reg. $50)

Giveaway: Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi video monitoring camera ($200 value)

Other great deals from today:

New! Pioneer 50W x 4 MOSFET iOS/Android enabled car stereo $50 shipped (Reg. $100)
New! PNY Polaroid 64GB SDXC Card $19 shipped ($10 off)
New! Logitech UE 4000 On-Ear Headphones w/ In-Line Mic & Controls $30 shipped (Reg. $100), Beats Studio over-ears: $175 (Reg. $300)

Save $200 on a current gen.13” MacBook Air if you’re near a Micro Center retail store. http://t.co/9hgkutssHP

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) December 17, 2013

The best deals that are still alive:

Logitech UE Mini Boom portable Bluetooth speaker $72 shipped (Reg. $100)
Olloclip 3-in-1 iPhone lens kit $56 (Reg. $70), Telefoto lens $80 (Reg. $100)
Pebble Smartwatch in Red or Black: $90 shipped ($60 off) with .edu email ($120w/o)
Beats Speakers/headphones combo w/$50 Amazon/Best Buy Gift Card starting at $398 shipped
Bluetooth Speaker: JLab Bouncer $100 (Reg. $250)
Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player $30, $25 for Amazon Students (Reg. $35)
USB Hub Deals: Anker 7-port hub w/ charging: $30 (Reg. $70), Satechi 4-port Apple-style hub: $17 (Reg. $40)
Klipsch S4 II in-ear headphone in black or white: $30 shipped (63% off)
Logitech K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard in Black or White for $20 shipped
Take $75 off any iPhone 5s when you sign a new 2-year agreement (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint)
Dell UltraSharp 32″ Ultra HD 4k Monitor $3,000 shipped (Reg. $3,500)
IGN’s FREE iOS game of the month: Infinity Blade II ($7 savings)

How-to: Create customized ringtones for your iOS devices using GarageBand for Mac

Dec 14 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

15 Comments

Using GarageBand, you can create a custom ringtone out of any portion of any track you have in iTunes. This article will walk you through the process of making a custom ringtone and syncing it to your iOS devices, as well as assigning it to a certain contact or as your default ringtone.

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How-to: Take advantage of Zoom and Large Text in OS X Mavericks

Dec 8 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

1 Comment

OS X Mavericks has numerous features and settings that make text and images more visible. In this article, I will discuss many options and methods to take advantage of those features in different ways. In pointing out many different ways, I hope to help you find a method that will be a good fit for you.

Use System Preferences, Displays Settings:
Access System Preferences from the dock or the Apple on the menu bar, and click on Displays. Then click on the Display tab. Choose Scaled, and the different resolution settings available are displayed. The options available vary, depending upon what resolution your model of the computer is capable of displaying. Adjust the settings by choosing different options—the lower the numbers are in the setting, the larger objects will be displayed. Below are examples of the display setting options you will see on a white MacBook, an older iMac, and a MacBook Pro with Retina display …
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Filemaker releases new version for 2013 with HTML5 data entry, new iOS features and tightened security

Benjamin Mayo Dec 3 2013 - 6:00 am PT

5 Comments

Filemaker, a subsidiary of Apple, has just announced its 2013 version of its popular database application. The new version focuses on bringing desktop database solutions to the browser. New in Filemaker ’13, projects can now be managed through a centralized web dashboard, with options for partner portals and file hosting. More importantly, data entry can now be taken in a web interface — HTML5 powered forms enable businesses to manage their deployments on any PC or Mac, as there is no longer a reliance on having the native applications installed.

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9to5Toys Cyber Monday: ZAGG 50% off, Logitech UE BT speakers, Belkin Lightning dock $18, Adobe Lightroom $70, MacBook Airs, more

Dec 2 2013 - 9:48 am PT

0 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXca4WcCzlo]

Take a few moments out of your Cyber Monday to cash in on some terrific deals! Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+

Update: Pad and Quill is taking: 20% off iPhone cases, 25% off MacBook cases for 9to5 readers

Update2: Adobe Lightroom: under $70 shipped.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

ZAGG Cyber Monday: 20% off tablet keyboards, 50% off everything else (InvisibleSHIELD, Lightning cables, more)

Logitech UE Mini Boombox Speaker: $55 shipped, UE 4000 On-ear Headphones: $30 shipped
Logitech UE Wireless Boombox Bluetooth Speaker $129 (50% off), UE Mini Boom $90

Belkin Charge and Sync Lightning dock w/ built-in USB cable $17.50 (Reg. $35)

Apple MacBook Air 11.6″ $870 shipped (Reg. $1,060), MacBook Pros $100-$200 off

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 for Mac/PC or Photoshop/Premiere Elements: $70 shipped

SanDisk MicroSD Cards: 16GB: $10 (50% off), 32GB: $17 (76% off), 64GB: $35 (65% off)

The best Cyber Monday tech deals from around the web

Other great deals from today:

New! Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd generation) with FREE $40 Amazon credit $249
New! Pad and Quill: 20% off iPhone cases, 25% off MacBook cases for 9to5 readers
New! Game/App Deals: Xbox One Day One Ultimate Bundle: $70 off, Amazon Cyber Monday game sale, iOS freebies, more
New! OtterBox Cyber Monday: 20% sitewide discount on orders of $35 or more
New! Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case: iPad Edition $18 (50% off)
New! $50 Brookstone credit for $25 (online and in-store)
New! Gadget Trade-In Bonuses: NextWorth extra 20% sitewide, Gazelle $10 for new customers
New! Cyber Monday magazine blowout as low as $3.60: Wired, Popular Science, GQ, Popular Photography, many more
New! Amazon slashes Kindle Fire HD and HDXs $50 for Cyber Monday, now start at $99
New! Cyber Monday HDTV Sales: LG 39″ LED HDTV, VIZIO Razor 39″ WiFi LED SmartTV: both $300 shipped (Seiki 39″:$229)
New! Cyber Monday special on eBay offers 2013 Nexus 7 for $169, $229

The best deals that are still alive:

SONOS Playbar TV soundbar and wireless speaker + $100 Amazon credit + FREE bridge $699
Incase Apple accessories mega sale from Tanga: Deals start at $5 w/ free shipping
Save 44% on 1Password for iOS, the gold standard in mobile password security
Anker Black Friday/Cyber Monday: A4 13000mAh power bank $35, 25W 5-Port USB charger $16, more
Virgin iPhone 5 16GB with Free Activation and No Contract: $360 shipped
Dragon Dictate for Mac 3 is the World’s Best-Selling and #1 Speech Recognition Software $99 (Reg. $200) – Ends in 1 day
Parallels Desktop 9 Black Friday Bundle $80 (with $436 in savings): Snagit, CleanMyMac 2, Boom, more

Opinion: Will Apple return to a single MacBook range next year?

Ben Lovejoy Dec 2 2013 - 6:22 am PT

108 Comments

Photo: anandtech.com

I guess you could call me something of a fanboy where Apple laptops are concerned. I bought the very first one, the Macintosh Portable, in 1989 (and actually still have it tucked away in a cupboard even now). This was followed by a series of PowerBooks before the MacBooks came along, and I currently have both a MacBook Pro 17 and MacBook Air 11.

The split between the Air and Pro ranges made sense for a whole bunch of reasons up to now. The Air has performed two important roles for Apple. First, the cachet of producing the world’s slimmest notebook further boosted Apple’s style credentials. Even today, after it lost the slimmest notebook crown and has seen the wedge design copied by others, it remains a style icon, getting admiring glances every time you pull it out in a coffee shop …
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How-To: Start using Maps in OS X Mavericks

Nov 24 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

16 Comments

Apple has finally implemented a maps app in the OS X platform, and it seems to have been worth the wait. After being noticeably missing from the system, Maps (and iBooks) are helping achieve a greater consistency between the iOS and OS X platforms. After running the free Mavericks update, the Maps app icon will automatically be added to your dock.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use the new app for everything from searching for locations to getting turn-by-turn directions set directly to your iPhone.

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9to5Toys Last Call: TYLT power bank giveaway, Walmart BF ads match, LifeProof Nüüd, hard drive deals, Mac games, more

Nov 19 2013 - 10:00 am PT

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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Giveaway: TYLT Powerplant 5200mAh power bank w/ 30-pin cable ($75 value)

Walmart changes the game, will match Black Friday prices from competitors a week before Thanksgiving

LifeProof Nüüd case for iPad $75 shipped (Reg. $130)

USB 3 Hard Drive roundup: 1TB Toshiba/Seagate $60, 3TB Seagate $100, 4TB $150, more

Game/App Deals: BioShock Infinite (PS3) $25 shipped, COD: Black Ops (Mac) $12.50, iOS freebies, more

Anker Dual-USB 24W car charger: $9 (quick charge 2 iPads at once)

Other great deals from today:

New! Versatile Low-Profile IN1 multi-tool iPhone 5/5s case $36 shipped (Reg. $50)
New! 32″ Vizio 2.0-channel sound bar (Refurbished) $40 shipped (Reg. $100 new)
New! ViewSonic 22-Inch LED-Lit 1080p Monitor $110 shipped (Reg. $190)
New! Up to 80% off Software at Amazon: Dragon Dictate for Mac $75, Manga Studio 5, AutoCAD, Vidbox, much more

The best deals that are still alive:

13″ Haswell MacBook Air: $975 shipped, $925 for .edu email addresses, Apple SuperDrive $70
Seiki 39″ 4K UHDTV $495 shipped (Reg. $700)
3M portable wireless projector w/ Roku streaming stick $150 shipped (Reg. $300)
2 sets of Logitech Ultimate Ears 200vi noise-isolating earphones: $18 shipped (Reg. $38)
Refurb. Logitech protective keyboard folio for iPad mini $33, full-size iPad w/ FabricSkin $25
RCA 32″ LED HDTV with Built-in DVD Player $200 shipped (Reg. $350)
Free voucher to save 50% on Apple accessories from Incase
ASUS RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless N Router $85 shipped (34% savings)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 (Mac/PC) download $50 (Reg. $100)

Black Friday:

Black Friday Deal Frenzy at eBay Deals: iPad mini $239, Target gift card 10% off, COD: Ghosts $40, more
Seiki’s new 55″ 4K UHD TV will drop to $850 on Black Friday ($650 off!) or 39″ for $520 right now at Amazon.
Staples Black Friday: Nexus 7 2nd gen 16GB $199, Toshiba 1TB $50, ZAGGkeys Pro $50, more
Black Friday H.H Gregg ad leaks w/ $249 iPad mini & big deals on TVs, cameras, & smartphones
Walmart will credit YOU $30 to get an iPhone 5c on contract this Black Friday
Best Buy & Walmart Black Friday ads bring the year’s best Apple deals
Target Black Friday Ad: iPad Air w/ $100 gift card $479, iPad mini w/ $75 gc $299, Apple TV $89, HDTVs, games, more
Guitar Center’s Black Friday ad leaks: instruments, Sennheiser headphones, iRig Pro, 15% off store-wide, more
Leaked Dell Black Friday Ad: Windows 8 laptops, monitors, HDTVs, memory, more
Target’s PS4 launch week ad leaks: will offer buy 2 get 1 free on PS4, Xbox One games, others
Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak reveals early start time and ample video game deals
Radio Shack Black Friday ad leak: Beats Pill, Apple TV, Roku 2, PS3/Xbox 360 consoles

New product announcements & reviews:

PlayStation 4 launches tonight at midnight, reviews from around the web
The best gets better: reVOLT 12W + 12W Dual USB Car Charger for iPod, iPhone and iPad $30 shipped

9to5Toys Last Call: LifeProof iPad mini giveaway, Logitech iPad keyboard cases, Seiki 4K UHDTVs, MacBook Air Haswell, more

Nov 18 2013 - 10:00 am PT

0 Comments

Take a few minutes out of your lunch to cash in on some incredible deals. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Giveaway: LifeProof iPad mini frē case ($100 value)

Refurb. Logitech protective keyboard folio for iPad mini $33, full-size iPad w/ FabricSkin $25

Seiki 39″ 4K UHDTV $500 shipped (Reg. $700), 50″ $722 w/ free pickup (Reg. $1,500)

13″ Haswell MacBook Air: $975 shipped, $925 for .edu email addresses, Apple SuperDrive $70

50% Off Popular AT&T Smartphones: iPhone 5s $100, 5c $50, more

$50 iHop or Applebee’s gift card for $40, perfect stocking stuffers! http://t.co/Mer6Rl1QfB

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) November 18, 2013

Other great deals from today:

New! Black Friday Deal Frenzy at eBay Deals: iPad mini $239, Target gift card 10% off, COD: Ghosts $40, more
New! 3M portable wireless projector w/ Roku streaming stick $150 shipped (Reg. $300)
New! Game/App Deals: $50 GC from Toys R Us w/ 3 Xbox purchases, 2 for $40 3DS games, iOS freebies, more
New! Logitech Bluetooth Wireless Boombox Speaker Refurb. $49 shipped (Reg. $99)
New! 2 sets of Logitech Ultimate Ears 200vi noise-isolating earphones: $18 shipped (Reg. $38)
New! RCA 32″ LED HDTV with Built-in DVD Player $200 shipped (Reg. $350)
New! On-Ear Wired Headphones: Sennheiser HD $25 shipped (Reg. $60), Beats by Dre $175 shipped (Reg. $250)

The best deals that are still alive:

Free voucher to save 50% on Apple accessories from Incase
ASUS RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless N Router $85 shipped (34% savings)
RAVPower Element 10400mAh external power bank $26 shipped (Reg. $38)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 (Mac/PC) download $50 (Reg. $100)

Black Friday:

Seiki’s new 55″ 4K UHD TV will drop to $850 on Black Friday ($650 off!) or 39″ for $520 right now at Amazon.
Staples Black Friday: Nexus 7 2nd gen 16GB $199, Toshiba 1TB $50, ZAGGkeys Pro $50, more
Black Friday H.H Gregg ad leaks w/ $249 iPad mini & big deals on TVs, cameras, & smartphones
Walmart will credit YOU $30 to get an iPhone 5c on contract this Black Friday
Best Buy & Walmart Black Friday ads bring the year’s best Apple deals
Target Black Friday Ad: iPad Air w/ $100 gift card $479, iPad mini w/ $75 gc $299, Apple TV $89, HDTVs, games, more
Guitar Center’s Black Friday ad leaks: instruments, Sennheiser headphones, iRig Pro, 15% off store-wide, more
Leaked Dell Black Friday Ad: Windows 8 laptops, monitors, HDTVs, memory, more
Target’s PS4 launch week ad leaks: will offer buy 2 get 1 free on PS4, Xbox One games, others
Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak reveals early start time and ample video game deals
Radio Shack Black Friday ad leak: Beats Pill, Apple TV, Roku 2, PS3/Xbox 360 consoles

New product announcements & reviews:

PlayStation 4 launches tonight at midnight, reviews from around the web
The best gets better: reVOLT 12W + 12W Dual USB Car Charger for iPod, iPhone and iPad $30 shipped
Onkyo’s new headphones line-up boasts slick metal design, in-line controls and iOS app integration

Review: Studio Credence leather & felt book-style iPad case (and iPhone sleeve)

Ben Lovejoy Nov 18 2013 - 7:20 am PT

4 Comments

While I may be known for my addiction to all things anodised aluminum, I also have a love of natural materials, wood and leather especially. My MacBook Pro and MacBook Air both travel in BookBook leather cases (reviewed here by Jordan), so when Studio Credence announced a book-style case for the iPad, I decided to take a look.

First impressions

Studio Credence is clearly going for a bit of a rustic look. The packaging is undyed cardboard, with the case itself in a muslin-type drawstring bag. Open this, and what you have inside is a very similar approach to the BookBook range …
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MacBook Air

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