monitor

14 'monitor' stories March 2012 - July 2017

Ben Lovejoy Jul 25 2017 - 7:48 am PT

I wasn’t alone in expressing disappointment when Apple discontinued the Apple Thunderbolt Display without announcing a replacement.

The company did later announce that it does now have some display plans in the works – but possibly only a very high-end one designed specifically for use with a much more powerful (and modular) Mac Pro.

We’re hoping that it will be offering something more mainstream as well. I wasn’t impressed by the LG 5K UltraFine Apple was pushing as its official recommendation, and haven’t yet seen anything else that grabs me. Indeed, the wishlist I posted at the time still doesn’t seem to exist …

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Samsung redefines widescreen monitor with curved model four feet wide, yours for $1500

Ben Lovejoy Jun 9 2017 - 7:10 am PT

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Curved widescreen monitors are all the thing these days, and Samsung has just upped the stakes with a mega 49-inch wide HDR model aimed primarily at gamers. The company says that it’s the world’s largest widescreen monitor.

The Samsung CHG90 is the top end of a trio of new models just announced by the company: 27-, 32- and 49-inch QLED screens – which are LCD panels lit by LEDs …

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9to5Toys Last Call: Apple Watch $49 w/ iPhone purchase, Dell 24-inch Monitor $115, Blue Yeti Mic $100, more

Trevor Daugherty Jun 20 2016 - 9:31 am PT

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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: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on sale from $1,000 shipped w/ .edu ($300 savings)

Protect your iPhone 6/s/Plus or 5/s/SE w/ a Ringke case for as little as $3 shipped
Get an iPhone 5s 16GB (refurb) w/ a month of FreedomPop’s Unlimited for $160
Take the party poolside with the JBL Control One outdoor speakers (refurb) $50 (Reg. $90+)
These new Donkey Kong, Zelda and 8-bit Mario Bros amiibo stands are some of the best
The Voltaire Coffee Grinder will tell you when your beans have gone bad
Green Deals: 12-hr Rechargeable Solar Outdoor LED Light $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $13), more
GAME GOLF tracking system brings live stroke analysis & GPS range to your iPhone for $165

Best Buy will give you an Apple Watch for $49 w/purchase of iPhone 6s/+ plan on AT&T/Verizon/Sprint ($250 off)

Grab a 42mm Space Gray Apple Watch Sport with Black Band (Refurb) for $226 (Orig. $349)

Pebble Steel Smartwatch for iOS and Android $80 shipped, Apple Watches up to $200 off, more

Amazon Gold Box saves tons upgrading your Mac/PC/Network setup: Dell 24″ display: $115, more

LG’s 27-inch 4K FreeSync Monitor brings massive work space to your battlestation: $400 shipped (Reg. $500)

Daily Deals: Blue Yeti USB Microphone in Silver $100, Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime Optical Mouse $25, more

Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/8GB/128GB drops to $830 shipped (Reg. $999)

App Store Free App of the Week: TextGrabber + Translator goes free for the very first time (Reg. $5+)

Yoga Studio: one of the best iOS yoga apps out there just went free for the first time in a year (Reg. $4)

All the iOS Grand Theft Auto titles just went on sale up to 60% off: Liberty City Stories $3 (Reg. $7), more

Rovio’s Bad Piggies for iPhone/iPad goes free for the first time in years (Reg. $1)

How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery)

Giotto’s $10 Rocket Air Blaster is the best way to keep your Mac clean for the money

Review: At just $24, this Leather Loop Band for Apple Watch looks great and won’t break the bank [Gallery]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Smartphone Accessories: OLALA 6000mAh Power Bank with Built-in Lightning Cable $24 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), more

The Logitech Harmony Ultimate Home Remote does it all: $170 (Reg. $250)
Games/Apps: Doom $38, Fallout 4 $20, iOS freebies, more
Acer’s huge Chromebook 15, 1080p HD display, 9 hours of battery life -just $229 ($70 off)
Your HDTV’s speakers are probably terrible, upgrade to Sony’s 300W Soundbar for $199
Get your Anti-Virus software checkboxes ticked w/ Norton Security 10 for $27.99 download
Mercedes of tea kettles, the Ivation 1.7 Liter, 1.5kW stainless has all the bells and whistles for $50
It’s time to get some free money w/ up to 20% off gift cards from Staples, Jiffy Lube and Petco
Bring the Samsung 50-inch Smart HDR Ultra HDTV to your living room for $629 (Reg. $749)
It is time to spoil the kids with Fisher-Price/Power Wheels electric kid cars starting at $55

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

This flash drive adds another 32GB to your iPhone or iPad thanks to Lightning + USB 3.0 connectivity: $36 (Reg. $50)

Ditch that ugly plastic flash drive for an all-metal USB 3.0 Samsung from $7 Prime shipped (up to 60% off)

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Review: LG’s USB-C-enabled 4K Monitor lends single cable simplicity to 12″ MacBook owners, but not without some compromises

Jeff Benjamin Jun 4 2016 - 7:29 am PT

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If you’re looking for a 4K display that can be paired with your 12″ MacBook via a single USB-C cable, then your options are fairly limited. It seems that LG is one of the few display makers that has such a monitor available for sale.

LG’s 27UD88-W is a 27″ USB-C-enabled display. Its USB-C port allows MacBook owners to connect a single cable to drive the display, charge the machine, and facilitate data transfer.

As I alluded to in my recent 2016 MacBook post, the 27UD88-W isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the only games in town if you desire a 4K monitor with USB-C connectivity in tow.

If you’re a MacBook owner, should you consider purchasing one? Have a look inside for the details.
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Review: LG’s 34″ UltraWide curved monitor is great for movies and video editing workflows

Jeff Benjamin Apr 20 2016 - 7:52 am PT

33 Comments

As someone who uses timeline-based apps such as Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X on a regular basis, horizontal display real estate is incredibly important to me. When it comes to editing video and audio, the bigger the monitor the better.

With the recent popularity of extra-wide 21:9 monitors, I’ve come to understand that width can make a major difference in managing timeline-based editing workflows as well. The extra horizontal real estate is also a nice option for watching movies shot with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

With this in mind, I’ve been looking forward to going hands-on with a 21:9 display. LG’s 34UC98 UltraWide IPS monitor is not only extremely wide at 3440 x 1440, but it’s curved as well. How does this new display fit into my workflow? Does having a so-called UltraWide display make a difference?
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9to5Toys Last Call: Kensington iPad Air keyboard case $16, iTunes albums $8 each, 3-pack wireless outlets $17, more

Justin Kahn Jul 15 2014 - 9:30 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 Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

iPad Bluetooth keyboard cases: Kensington Keycover for iPad Air $16, Logitech Ultrathin for iPad 2/3/4 (ref) $20
Media: last chance to watch all South Park episodes for free, dozens of hit iTunes albums for $8 each, more
3-Pack of Etekcity Wireless Remote Controlled Outlets $17 (Reg. $76)

Samsung 28-inch 4K UHD LED 60Hz Monitor $540 shipped (Reg. $700)

Slingbox Pro HD TV Streamer refurb $60 (Orig. $200), Slingbox 350 $100 shipped (Reg. $180)

Kindle Paperwhite e-reader w/ built-in light (cert. refurb) $85 shipped (Reg. $119 new)

Other new deals:

New! Bluetooth sound bars from Yamaha, Philips, and Samsung starting at $70 shipped
New! Daily Deals: AOC Monitors from $100, Logitech UE Headset $15, more
New! Games/Apps: Xbox One games from $6, 10% off Xbox Live GC, iOS freebies, more
New! Activewear: REI up to 35% off, Eastbay 20% off, 2014 Nike Free from $79
New! 1 year magazine subs from $5: ESPN, Macworld, The Economist, more

More deals still alive:

Mpow Dual-Port USB Wall Charger $9, Car Charger $8, MFi lightning cable $10
$100 StubHub gift card for $85 shipped (15% savings)
Nexus 5 (unlocked) 16GB: $335 (Reg. $350)
Roku 3 Streaming Media Player (refurb) $68 shipped (Reg. $100 new)
4TB Samsung D3 Station desktop drive $115 shipped (Reg. $150+)
2TB Western Digital Elements USB 3.0 portable drive $84.99 shipped (Reg. $130)
Raspberry Pi B+ microcomputer now available w/ several enhancements, same $35 price tag
Epson WorkForce All-in-One $190 (orig. $300), more

Twelve South:

15” MacBook Pro BookBook: $70 http://t.co/yPyKpSWrT0

iPad Air Rutledge: $83 https://t.co/WKR9truDZ9 pic.twitter.com/sP2Vxixtq8

— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 14, 2014

Fashion: Levi’s jeans/apparel additional 50% off + free shipping, more
Jabra REVO wireless Bluetooth headphones $115 shipped (orig. $249)
Smart Home:
- $25 off the Wink Hub w/ one accessory purchase or $49 off w/ two accessory purchases
- Free Philips Hue personal wireless lightning bulb ($60 value) w/ purchase of Philips Hue pack
Angry Birds Star Wars II for iOS goes free ($0.99 value)
Samsung 51″ Plasma $400 new (Reg. $500), Sharp 32″w/ $100 Dell GC $250 ($410 value)
Save 25% on all accessories from T-Mobile, including Olloclip, cases, speakers, more

New products/ongoing promotions:

Woot founder’s new daily deal website ‘Meh’ officially opens its doors today
Microsoft is handing out $75 in credit to select gamers for upgrading to Xbox One
UE Boom Bluetooth speaker wins Gold at Design Excellence Awards, now $180 (Reg. $200)
Rayman Fiesta Run available for free on iOS (Reg. $3)
Samsung’s new 850 Solid State Drives pre-order from $129.99 shipped
Save 25% on Nomad’s new carabiner, key & credit card sized MFi Lightning cables

Android/Microsoft deals:

LG G3 (AT&T, Sprint, VZW): $100 w/ 2-yr agreement ($250 value)

Jealous of S5 heart rate monitor? Your iPhone can already measure your heart rate with these apps

Jordan Kahn Feb 25 2014 - 6:54 am PT

17 Comments

When Samsung unveiled its new flagship Galaxy S5 yesterday, the big news was the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner and heart rate sensor. The fingerprint scanning of course brings it up to par with Apple’s TouchID functionality, the standout feature and big selling point for the iPhone 5s. The heart rate sensor, however, is something not included in the current iPhone lineup and something Samsung will spend a lot of time marketing as fitness and health wearables like its new smartwatch lineup become big business in 2014. But did you know you can already measure your heart rate on iPhone using the device’s built-in camera?

A number of apps on the App Store, such the “Heart Rate Monitor” app just launched by PlusSports, allow you to accurately measure your heart rate by simply placing your face or fingertip in front of the camera lens. Another app available on the App Store that we’ve tested and works well is Instant Heart Rate. Popular fitness app maker Runtastic also has its own heart rate monitor and pulse tracker app.

The experience of using these apps is almost identical to the S5, which also forces the user to place a finger over a sensor on the back of the device and wait several seconds for a reading.

It’s possible Samsung would tell you that its built-in heart rate sensor is more accurate or feature-filled, but from our tests and reviews from others, the iPhone apps are remarkably accurate.

Apple’s request to remove court-appointed ebooks antitrust monitor rejected

Mike Beasley Feb 10 2014 - 3:15 pm PT

7 Comments

A motion by Apple to halt the operations of a court-appointed antitrust monitor has been rejected, the Wall Street Journal reports. The lawyer, Michael Bromwich, was appointed by the court to ensure the compliance Apple’s iBook platform with antitrust laws. Apple previously petitioned the court to have Bromwich removed from his post, believing that his $1,100/hour legal fees were leading him to take undue investigative steps solely for the purpose of overcharging the Cupertino company.

Bromwich was temporarily taken off of Apple’s case, but subsequently returned to continue his duties. Apple then accused Bromwich of going beyond his legal authority and requested once again that he be removed from the company’s case. Today the court ruled that Apple’s request would have resulted in Bromwich being unable to execute his legal duties, and thus rejected the injunction.

The full ruling is embedded below:

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OS X Mavericks causing issues for DisplayLink USB displays

Jordan Kahn Oct 23 2013 - 11:23 am PT

25 Comments

As noted by ArsTechnica, following yesterday’s release of OS X Mavericks, some users of USB-powered monitors that use DisplayLink drivers have experienced a variety of problems after updating.

The problems have already been identified by DisplayLink in a knowledge base article published on its website:

The following issues have been found on OS X 10.9 and do not currently have a resolution

Some applications can show severe flickering on DisplayLink screens. Examples of applications that show this issue are Safari, QuickTime and the App store.
Some applications can show corruption and/or missing contents while updating windows contents. Examples are Maps, iBooks and the Dock.
Display arrangement is not kept when using 2 or more DisplayLink displays.
All screens black and unusable after unplugging a DisplayLink screen. This is caused by Apple’s Window server crashing. This can be recovered by replugging the DisplayLink device.
On the Retina Macbook Pro, changing the layout to mirror logs the user out. Again this is caused by Apple’s Window server crashing.

DisplayLink is working on an update for some of the performance issue with Mavericks, but the company explained that the majority of bugs will have to be fixed by Apple:

Unfortunately there appear to be regressions in these interfaces in OS X 10.9 which are exposed when using DisplayLink screens. DisplayLink does not have workarounds to fix these issues and requires Apple to fix these problems in future 10.9 OS X updates.

DisplayLink has raised these bugs to Apple, but if you are a developer and affected by these problems, please also raise these bugs to Apple to help show fixes are required and it is affecting end users using DisplayLink products.

Will the Mac go touch? Unlikely, but here’s what a 32″ 4K IGZO Touch Mac looks like

Jordan Kahn Oct 7 2013 - 9:33 am PT

10 Comments

It looks like Sharp is planning full support for OS X in its upcoming 32-inch 4K IGZO touchscreen LCD LED monitor (PN-K322B) expected to launch in the US this fall. Sharp previously announced the 36 mm thin 4K panel with pen support in July, but Macotakara.jp snapped the photo above of Sharp demoing the display running OS X from a connected MacBook at the Ceatec Japan 2013 show over the weekend.

From the translated report, it sounds like Sharp plans compatible OS X drivers as a download in 1-2 months.

Apart from touch support, the monitor is much the same as the 32-inch 4K IGZO display that we were quite impressed with when Sharp first showed them off at CES in January.

You can get a better look at the display from earlier this year in the video below:

9to5Toys Last Call: Fitbit Flex fitness bracelet w/ iOS integration $82, Batman Arkham City Lockdown: FREE, more

Sep 6 2013 - 3:00 pm PT

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From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

Fitbit Flex fitness-tracking bracelet w/ iOS integration $82 shipped (Reg. $100)

Batman Arkham City Lockdown: FREE (Reg. $6), The Walking Dead + DLC for Mac: $7.50 (Reg. $30), iOS freebies, more

Other great deals from today:

New! ~~Western Digital My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 portable hard drive $100 shipped (Reg. $150)~~
New! iPhone 5 Rechargeable Battery Case $20, 3-in-1 Lightning iPad Media Connection Adapter $9 shipped
New! Anker Astro E4 13000mAh portable high capacity power bank $39 shipped (Reg. $50)
New! Game/App Deals: Cubasis for iPad: 30% off, Cut The Rope: FREE, iOS freebies, more
New! Joby original GorillaPod flexible tripod for point and shoot cameras $15 shipped (Reg. $20)

This week’s best deals that are still alive:

3M portable wireless projector with Roku streaming stick $170 Shipped (Reg. $300) – Limited quantities remain
Great 69 Cent Songs on iTunes (No.1 songs from every decade, genre, more)
Camtasia/Crossover/+8 other Mac apps for $10, AfterShot Pro+10 apps: $49
Game/App Deals: AC4: Black Flag for Xbox One: $43, Readdle’s Calendars+ FREE (Reg. $7), iOS freebies, more
SAMSUNG D3 Station 3TB USB 3.0 Black External Hard Drive $100 shipped
Roku 3 1080p streaming media player w/ private listening mode $85 Shipped (Reg. $100)
Save $50 on any new iPad 2 (starts at $349) or Retina iPad 4th gen (starts at $449) at Walmart
eBook Freebie: 50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age… (Reg. $25)
Logitech T400 Zone Touch wireless optical mouse $15 shipped (Reg. $40)
Game/App Deals: Pacific RIM: FREE, Street Fighter 2 Collection: $1, more
Amazon end of summer digital games sale up to 80% off
Get an extra 1GB of Dropbox space for free

New product announcements & reviews:

Amazon announces the all-new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, now available for preorder starting at $119
Western Digital fills out its NAS-optimized RED hard drive line with new 2.5 inch versions
Review: The Just-Mobile UpStand, a functional iPad stand wrapped in a beautiful design
Sony officially begins serving up 4K Ultra HD video downloads with one big caveat
LifeProof’s new protective nuud case for iPad mini now available
JBL Spark Bluetooth speaker features a fresh design and promises big sound

9to5Toys Last Call: $90 iPod nano 7th Gen (refurb), $150 Seagate 4TB Internal HDD, $60 Philips In.Sight Camera, more

May 22 2013 - 3:48 pm PT

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From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites that feature a couple exceptional deals for just 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second of the day, so we’re going to roundup the best daily deals to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want.

Be sure to follow Follow 9to5Toys so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook

Today’s Featured deals:

16GB Apple iPod nano 7th Gen/Current (refurb): $90 in store or $4 shipping
Seagate Desktop Internal Hard Drive 4TB SATA 6Gb/s NCQ Interface $150 Shipped ($40 Savings)
Philips In.Sight Wireless Home Monitor & Surveillance Camera Refurb. w/ iOS & Android support $60 Shipped
ViewSonic 27″ 1080p LED-Lit Monitor (Refurb) $180, ASUS 22″ 1080p w/ HDMI $128 Shipped, Acer 23″G236HL 1080P $120.99
Free stream of the hit movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Other great deals we love that may not see tomorrow:

Targus Slim Case for Apple iPad 3 and iPad 4th Gen $5 + $4 Shipping
Game Center Deal Roundup: BioShock Infinite $40 (Xbox 360 & PS3), Up to 59% off Wii U games, app deals, more
Zmart Universal Remote Control (via headphone adapter) for iOS and Android Devices: $10 shipped
Philips Fidelio 30-pin iPhone/iPod 30W speaker dock $50+$5 shipping

Also, we spotlighted the new Philips Stunning 29″ Panoramic HD Monitor w/ Simultaneous Dual Input Support. No, it isn’t a deal but we think you’re going to want to check it out anyways.

Best Buy Apple sale: Airs $125 off, 15% off $100 iTunes card, $17 Smart Covers, Bluetooth speakers, Free games, more

9to5 Staff May 9 2013 - 5:56 am PT

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From 9to5Toys.com:

Best Buy is taking $125 off the price of MacBook Airs for the next three days to celebrate Mother’s Day. That yields some of the lowest prices we’ve seen. The retailler knocks off $100 across the board, then using code MOM25 knocks off another $25.

Prices after discount:

Best Buy is also offering a $100 iTunes gift cad for $85. (Free Money!) That is a total savings of 15% off future purchases of Apps Music, Movies and any other content on the the App Store, iTunes, Mac App Store and iBook Store. This is the first iTunes deal we’ve seen in nearly 2 months and a perfect opportunity to surprise Mom on Mother’s Day.

Those interested in an iPhone 4S can pick one up for $50 (half off) with contract.
Best Buy also offers probably the best looking keyboard case out there, Targus – Versavu Keyboard Case for Apple® iPad – Bone White half off for $50.
An 8GB Kingston Keydrive is $5

More at Best Buy’s Mother’s Day sale and Smart Buys & Gift Ideas for every type of Mom in our Mother’s Day Gift Guide

iMac $150 off sale on most current generation configurations, now starting at $1,150 shipped

Just a few weeks ago we saw an unprecedented sale from Best Buy on current generation iMacs and now Amazon has stepped up and surpassed that deal by offering a staggering $150 off 3 out 4 standard configuration iMacs.

Other amazing 9to5Toys.com deals from around the web:

Genuine Apple iPad Leather Smart Cover $17 Shipped
Logitech UE Mini Boombox Bluetooth speaker, “9to5Mac’s best portable speaker you can buy” (Refurb.) $59 (Save 40%) or a Jambox for $90
Free and reduced Apps/Games: Asphalt 7 Free, Tiny Troopers 2 Free, Bastion $.99, Batman Arkham City $.99, MORE
SanDisk – Mobile Ultra 4GB microSDHC Class 6 Memory Card $5 Shipped
IM+ Pro on sale for $1.99 for a limited time (regular $9.99)
Seagate Backup Plus 4 TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive $150 Shipped ($40 Savings)
iLuv iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock with ‘Bed Shaker’ $20 Shipped
4 port USB car charger, 2.1A/5V for quick iPad charging: $8
24″ ViewSonic 1080p LED Monitor With HDMI -Refurbished-$135

Air Display update makes iPad a Retina monitor for Mac, enables HiDPI mode

Jordan Kahn Mar 21 2012 - 9:09 am PT

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Developer Avatron announced its “Air Display” app, which allows iPhones, iPads and Macs to act as a second or third monitor, would be implementing support for the 2048-by-1536 resolution of the new iPad’s 264-DPI Retina display. That means you will soon be able to use your third-generation iPad as a 2048-by-1536 computer monitor.

The update will also benefit the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S with “dramatically better frame rates.” In addition, the upcoming update will allow you to enable HiDPI mode in Lion or Mountain Lion, a “feature in Mac OS X that renders with double-resolution on a double-resolution screen.” The results of turning on HiDPI mode in OS X is viewable in the image to the right. Avatron explained on its blog:

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