Why the notch on the new Apple MacBook is a TERRIBLE idea from a User Interface perspective…

Posted on 18/10/2021 by Sarang Sheth

The upper part of a laptop screen is often reserved for mission-critical digital elements like menus and toolbars, search bars, filenames, internet browser tabs, and other crucial information. Putting a notch there is just counterintuitive and downright senseless.

The notch was supposed to be temporary. It was supposed to eventually be replaced by a hole punch camera, or by a transparent display, but it was never supposed to stick around for so long that it manifested itself onto another range of products. Putting a notch on the iPhone could be classified as innovation back in 2017 (complex facial mapping and recognition on a handheld device… pretty impressive), however, carrying it to the laptop feels lazy. Moreover, the notch on Apple’s M1 Pro MacBooks doesn’t even do FaceID, there’s a TouchID Key on the Keyboard for authentication. It’s there because someone at Apple thought slimmer bezels would look nice, echoing a rare Jony-Ive-level of narrow-minded thinking that gave us the iPhone Bendgate, the odd Magic Mouse charger, and the lightning connector on the backside of the 1st Gen Apple Pencil.

Now Apple’s most obvious solution was to simply turn the upper bar into a black no-go zone while using programs in full-screen, so the notch doesn’t eat into the software’s interface elements. You don’t need viral internet star bastion-of-human-sensibility Khaby Lame to tell you that this basically proves that the notch wasn’t necessary to begin with. Through the duration of the keynote, Apple’s team spent a grand total of 9 seconds highlighting the notch (without ever using the word ‘notch’), and even in those 9 seconds, all that VP of Product Design Kate Bergeron ever mentioned was that the upper bezel was made 60% thinner… a feature that’s only purpose was to make the overall screen on the MacBook Pro bigger. Nothing else.

So what’s inside that notch? Well, just a camera. One single 1080p camera. This means the MacBook Pro has a notch, but doesn’t have the benefits of it, i.e., FaceID or Memojis. One can’t help but feel baffled and slightly short-changed here. From what I can tell, the notch is visible ONLY on your desktop and when you have multiple windows open… but when you maximize a task or program, the top of your display turns into a black bar, making that entire strip of screen useless for 99% of your time using the laptop. Apple does this with its own apps too – Safari, Logic, Facetime – going to show that even its own apps can’t account for the notch.

It’s a shame that the notch is the only glaring problem I have with the laptop. It sits there continuously triggering me like talking to someone who is blissfully unaware that they have spinach stuck in their teeth. If you can look past the notch, the laptops are great. The new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips push the laptop’s performance and efficiency off the charts, giving you a laptop that’s VOLUMES faster than even its older iterations. The new laptops use Liquid Retina XDR displays and come with powerful speakers that fire both upward and downward for stellar audio. The ports finally make a comeback too, and the TouchBar’s gone the way of the dodo, being replaced by a row of function keys. The laptops come with up to 8 mind-numbing terabytes of storage and 64 GB of memory, with the M1 Max chip having 10 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores, making the laptop an absolute beast of a machine while still having a respectable 21 hours of battery life thanks to how efficient the new chips are. If you can look past the notch… the new Apple MacBook Pros have a lot to offer. I for one, am patiently waiting for the notch’s demise.

Watch the 2021 MacBook Pro introduction video below.

Innovative Laptop Designs that are better than the MacBook!

Posted on 08/10/2021 by Srishti Mitra

Today, most of us are wholly dependant on our laptops, and to be honest, I could not survive without mine as well! It stores almost everything I hold sacred, and I need it for various purposes – from work to leisure! And most of us do spend the majority of our day working on our laptops and are able to maintain a consistently high level of productivity and efficiency, thanks to them. There’s no doubt that Apple’s MacBook is hands down one of the most popular laptops there is! I mean I own one myself and I am a hardcore MacBook fan. But there does come along a super cool and innovative laptop design once in a while, that makes me question my commitment and loyalty to Apple. And we’ve managed to curate a whole collection of such designs! From a maverick laptop concept that lets you adjust the height and angle of its display to a flexible laptop that could revolutionize the computer category – these inventive laptop designs might just be the perfect replacement for your beloved MacBook!

Meet the Paysage, a conceptual computing device that targets both laptop and desktop users with a unique hybrid design. Its design features a two-part construction – the main CPU, which sits within the keyboard-unit (like most laptops), and the screen, which rather than resting on the top of the keyboard, comes with a flexible construction that wraps around the top and the bottom, sandwiching the keyboard in between. This unique build is what sets the Paysage apart. Flip open half the screen and you’ve got yourself a standard laptop/netbook, equipped with a keyboard, trackpad, four USB-C ports, an Aux input, and its dedicated speakers.

For someone who is used to multi-monitor setup and using a laptop is for mere portability, the Compal Airttach is reason enough to rethink the traditional setups. The Taiwanese manufacturer reimagines the general perspective of a multi-monitor setup and gives you the freedom for enhanced productivity. This laptop has a 13-inch main screen having canted edges with the option to join the other two 13-inch displays for a 48: 9 aspect ratio wide-screen real estate. When not needed the screens can be removed for a seamless workflow.

The NeckBook, as its name should rather aptly suggest, is a laptop that has a display with a ‘neck’. Unlike conventional laptops that connect their displays directly to the base using a set of hinges, the NeckBook adds a sliding rail (or a neck) between them. Once you flip open your lid, as you would with any conventional laptop, the NeckBook lets you pull the display upwards, adjusting its height. The display slides up and down the neck, and can swivel left and right too, giving you an infinite amount of control over your viewing experience – something a regular laptop can’t.

Meet the Cubitus, a concept unique in its own right because it merges the portability of a laptop while still bringing the elevation of a laptop stand. The name Cubitus comes from the Latin word for elbow, which is an ancient unit of length. So in a way, this portable machine replicates the flexibility of human arm movement. Adding to the premise of an all-in-one design, the Cubitus includes a digitally displayed keyboard and trackpad. In addition, these accessories will be customizable according to the user’s needs, making the setup more individualized.

AIO Phone-Book with Detachable Smartphone Trackpad

The AIO Phone-book does a bunch of incredibly radical things, let’s count them down. Firstly, it comes with a built-in smartphone that detaches when you need, and docks back to turn into a trackpad. Secondly, to account for the size discrepancy between smartphones and conventional trackpads, the phone sports a rolling display that allows it to not just expand, but bend too, turning into a mouse. If that wasn’t enough, the empty docking region on the laptop even acts as a wireless charging zone, for items like your AirPods. It’s possible that the AIO Phone-book, even as a concept, bites off more than it can chew… but hey, being creative and innovative ain’t a crime, right?

The way the Framework laptop is built reminds me of Phonebloks – a video that went viral in 2013, outlining a modular phone with swappable components. Phonebloks would present the holy grail of consumer electronics by putting the power right in the hands of the consumer. The block-based smartphone would allow you to change batteries, upgrade storage, or replace an old camera or broken screen by simply sliding the old part out and putting the new one in. The idea seemed simple, and Google even tried their hand at building it, but complications arose midway (I suspect it also had something to do with the marketing team saying it was bad for business)… however, Framework is bringing that idea to laptops, which could really use modularity given how expensive laptops can be, and how people tend to hold onto one laptop for at least 3-5 years, if not longer.

Meet the Aurora 7, a seven-screen real estate space to expand your productivity, and that too with the promise of packing it up in an instant and carrying it to your living room or even to your pal’s place. The company is in its infancy stage and has created the Aurora 7 laptop prototype that it plans to sell to enthusiasts already – moving into the future. The company plans to have the commercial version ready as soon as possible. Speaking of the design and its form, the laptop looks more like a Swiss Army Knife of the PC world has a 17.3-inch main screen. Then three other 17.3-inch display panels swivel out – one in landscape orientation that sits above the main display and the other two on either side in portrait configuration. All of them have a resolution of 3840×2160, running at 60Hz.

Equipped with an 8″ touchscreen display, the Lavie is slightly larger than the iPad Mini. The convertible laptop comes with an Intel Iris Xe graphics card and an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 mobile processor built into it (you could say that the LaVie presents Intel with its Hail Mary moment after a series of commercial failures), along with 256Gb of SSD storage and 16Gb of RAM. This pretty much makes it a good portable laptop to have on you for quick work sessions and presentations (and a neat alternative to Chromebooks), but fold the laptop’s keyboard all the way back and the LaVie Mini is a completely new beast.

Charley Bircumshaw designed a modular hybrid of a laptop-tablet so that creatives who feel inspired by more than one artistic outlet will always have their very own ‘one-stop-shop.’ By inserting bespoke hinges to the tablet, the purpose, structure, and facade of the overall design changes in order to provide alternative forms of usage. By simply removing the laptop’s keyboard and attaching a music-making unit, the product turns into your very own DJ module. Making up the design are some key components: two, fullscreen tablets, a music module, a computer keyboard, a couple of bespoke hinges, and electric grooves. Each part comes to comprise the mutability that transforms this particular design into something special.

As a refreshing approach to what a laptop could be – designer Heesung Choi from Seoul has come up with the concept idea he calls “Clutop”. A laptop that has a swanky design, since it folds into itself to become a clutch bag for stylish portability. The “normcore” design adaptation means you’ll have a lightweight laptop that matches your fashion quotient. Heesung claims it to be the world’s smallest laptop which is eye-popping in its own rights. Clutop has a screen aspect ratio of 16:9, and when closed, the 1:2 body ratio makes it fairly easy to carry along. Open it up for your tasks and you get a widescreen display that looks beautiful.

Sleek MacBook Stands that are the ultimate sidekicks designed to perfectly support your laptop

Posted on 01/10/2021 by Srishti Mitra

To be honest, I could not survive without my MacBook! It stores almost everything I hold sacred, and I need it for various purposes – from work to leisure! And most of us do spend the majority of our day working on laptops, and hence maintaining a consistently high level of productivity and efficiency is extremely integral for our work routines. However, spending hours on our MacBooks can cause immense strain to our hands and neck. And this is where laptop stands come in! The right laptop stand offers ergonomic angle adjustments and helps us work in a posture that does not cause physical pain and strain on our bodies. And hence, we’ve curated a collection of ergonomically designed and highly functional laptop stands that help you work in the most comfortable position possible, in turn boosting your work productivity and efficiency! These are the ultimate sidekicks to your MacBook!

FLIKK Laptop Stand by Jexter Lim

The designer came up with this idea after observing the irking drawbacks of traditional laptop stands. Most of them don’t provide the desired elevation and the right viewing angles. Also, they are very complicated to deploy which mars the whole purpose. This prompted Jexter Lim to plug all the gaps that spoil the user experience and function of the accessory. The laptop stand gives you the desired viewing angle for a comfortable working regime anytime, anywhere. The goodness doesn’t end there, as it seamlessly transforms into a laptop sleeve to head to your next destination without all the bulk of a traditional laptop stand.

The RLDH Alto Standing Desk is a thoughtful flat-pack accessory designed keeping in mind your multiple needs if you can’t invest in a height-adjustable desk. It is simple to carry and disassemble, with the option to adjust the height of your keyboard and mouse tray, giving it the flexibility of use with your laptop. Yes, this stylish yet functional standing desk is tailored for use with your laptop – virtually transforming your table into a standing desk when the need arises. Its flat-pack and lightweight (weighing just 6.5 lbs) nature give you the freedom to tuck it away when not needed or even to take it along during travel for remote work regimes.

The MOFT Z was designed keeping the original MOFT brief in mind but was made to push limits. It does come with the ability to prop your laptop at three angles, but that’s not all. The MOFT Z even transforms your sitting setup into a standing one, elevating your laptop up by as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters). The MOFT Z does this using an innovative Z-shaped folding system along with its signature PU and fiberglass material which allows the laptop stand to have a high strength to weight ratio while being thin enough to slide right into a Manila envelope. The MOFT Z was designed to be used independently, without being stuck to the back of your laptop (like the original MOFT). Slightly larger than a sheet of A4 paper, and at nearly half an inch thick, the MOFT Z can be kept on your desk, stored in a drawer, or a shelf, among folders.

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The durable stand has multiple height adjustable angles and forward and backward position adjusting liberty for laptops or even tablet – tested for over 20,000 uses. This adjustability gives you the ability to orient the laptop/tablet screen position in more ways than not. Adding to the inherent feature of keeping the device sturdy in place without any lateral movement and the intuitively positioned ventilation holes, Maotoam’s offering has something more! The world’s first ergonomic laptop stand with an integrated 13-in-1 USB-C hub, making it a one-stop solution for connectivity to all your gadgets.

With a minimal, sculpture-esque design, PILLR looks pretty darn good even without the laptop on it. Its strong presence gives it the appeal of a desk sculpture, and once you place a laptop on it, the PILLR enters a functional mode, elevating your laptop to reduce neck pain and boost productivity. PILLR’s 3-part design comes together to create its minimal, simple form factor. Made from three individual anodized aluminum pieces, PILLR is light and minimal, with clean lines and basic shapes, giving it an appeal that matches the expensive laptop that rests on it. Designed to support (both physically and visually) any laptop you put on it, PILLR was designed keeping the MacBook in mind… which makes sense considering it’s the world’s most popular portable computing device.

With minimal material and maximal robustness, the Curve SE elevates your laptop 6.5 inches from your desk, allowing your neck to rest at a much more comfortable angle. Made from a single curved piece of anodized aluminum, the Curve SE’s clean design complements your MacBook perfectly although it works universally with all laptops. Silicone grips ensure your expensive machine is held well in place so any accidental nudges don’t knock it over. The Curve SE’s elevated (in the literal sense) sense of design even helps keep your laptop ventilated, promoting proper airflow so your machine doesn’t heat up. In the event that it does, though, I imagine the metal body serves as some sort of heat sink to help dissipate heat and cool your machine down faster.

This one-piece aluminum laptop stand has a two-fold purpose. It serves as a barrier between your heated laptop base and your lap (or your desk), and its unique slatted design helps it act as a massive heatsink, pulling the heat from your laptop and distributing it across the multiple aluminum ‘fins’ at the base, and then dissipating it into the air. The fins/slats help increase the surface area so the heat gets lost at a faster rate, allowing the laptop stand to effectively cool the laptop without having to be plugged in. They even go as far as helping with wire-separation/segregation. Plus, its machined aluminum design goes together rather well with laptops having an aluminum body (case in point being the Macbook, obviously).

Whether you’re in bed and binging Netflix and simultaneously munching on dinner or spending the workday in bed, using the laptop in bed has probably become the world’s favorite pastime just with this past year’s WFH orders. iSwift Pi was primarily created to help those working from home feel a lot more comfortable when they choose to work from the comfort of their beds. Designed to be compact and portable, iSwift Pi boasts an ultra-thin form when folded or unfolded. When folded, the iSwift Pi is as thin as a small stack of paper, which then unfolds to two different heights, either 7.5 inches or 8.6 inches, depending on your lap situation. Then users can adjust iSwift Pi’s sitting placement to four different angles, so the screen can always meet your eyes.

The Triyards Laptop Stand borrows a clever trick from a product we’ve been using for decades. Inspired by the thin-yet-effective kickstands found in most keyboards, the Triyards Laptop Stand sits flat against your machine, adding a mere 0.2 inches of thickness. Made from durable aerospace-grade aluminum, the stand adheres to the back of your laptop using a non-harmful 3M glue strip and comes with two fold-out legs that allow you to easily prop your laptop up, angling it in a way that helps it stay cool while angling the keyboard in a way that makes it easier to type. It comes with rubber legs too, to make sure your laptop doesn’t slide around or damage the surface you’re working on.

Apple just filed a patent for a new MacBook design with its own integrated Apple Pencil

Posted on 14/08/2021 by Sarang Sheth

Earlier this week, a patent filed by Apple at the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) was discovered that outlined a schematic for a MacBook with a new input device – the Apple Pencil. According to the patent images, the pencil would conveniently sit docked within the keyboard when not in use, and could be easily popped out and used as an input device, either on the screen or the trackpad. Apart from being a mouse-alternative, the patent even mentions that the pencil would provide extra features to the MacBook like F-key functionality.

Based on these patent drawings, I decided to put a 3D model together and take it for a spin. Conceptually, the presence of an Apple Pencil within a MacBook feels confusing but also potentially exciting. The minute you introduce a pencil to the MacBook, you’re singlehandedly killing the iPad Pro’s upper edge, but the more you think about it, the more it feels like it just might work. A Mac”Book” and a “Pencil” just instinctively go together, like a notebook and a pencil, right? Besides, it creates a synergy between the two products, and I can just imagine Craig Federighi dragging files from the iPad Pro with a Pencil onto the MacBook and having them carry over from one device to another, extending the user experience of Apple’s Universal Control feature!

Potentially (at least according to the schematics in the patent), the Pencil or ‘Pencil-like device’ would sit right above the keyboard, replacing the area originally reserved for the largely ignored Touch Bar. At least for the concept, I’ve shrunk down the Touch Bar instead of removing it entirely. For now, it sits in the top right corner, between the Pencil’s docking area and the Touch ID button.

The Pencil or ‘input tool’ would sit within the MacBook’s magnetic docking area, charging while not in use. Pop it out and I’d imagine you could use it on both the screen as well as the trackpad, although Patently Apple’s article doesn’t really highlight usage. It does, however, show that the Pencil is no ordinary stylus. This new input device would have multiple buttons or touch-zones on it, allowing it to double up as a row of Function keys when docked, and even letting you calibrate/control settings like your screen’s brightness, media volume, or more specifically brush sizes as you sketch on the MacBook screen.

However, like all patents, this one should be taken with a pinch of salt too. Most patents serve a singular purpose – of protecting intellectual property. They aren’t indicative of what Apple plans on rolling out to the public, although my gut tells me the Pencil is due for a redesign too, so maybe it isn’t too farfetched to assume that new touch-features could be coming to the Apple Pencil. As for being able to dock a stylus inside your MacBook, the patent document (which can be found below) and these images are all I have to offer!

Visualizer: Sarang Sheth

Patent discovered by Patently Apple

This Apple MacBook Pro concept is the closest we have seen to the design expected in September 2021!

Posted on 07/08/2021 by Gaurav Sood

As we await the launch of conspicuously distinct MacBook Pros for 2021, which will bring the M1 chip-powered machines in a new chassis, a designer gives us a glimpse of what to expect – and the images are a treat to the eyes.

By the time September arrives, you have the Apple rumors flying all over the place – it’s crazy the amount of time we dedicate to scouring every little detail Apple may have inadvertently leaked. The September 2021 event plans to unleash the full power of the M1 chip by applying it to their heavy-duty range – the 16″ version (the one I have been waiting on for a year now!). Rumors are already out with plans of a new, sleek body, slimmer bezels, the return of the MagSafe charging pin, and the exit of the glitzy touch bar. The render by designer Marc W Avellanet comes the closest to this MacBook Pro we are sure to see in a month!

This year, the new Apple MacBook Pro is expected to feature the biggest design overhaul since the 2016 design. The notebook will feature a flat-edged design, doing away with the curved edges for a more iPhone 12-like form factor. The designer here sways from the thought and envisions the design identical to how we have come to recognize the MacBook Pro in recent years, and it looks splendid nonetheless.

The most notable difference this year is expected to be in the display. The MacBook will have brighter panels, supposedly with mini-LEDs, the first for the MacBook. Mini-LED display means there will be a significant improvement in the screen’s picture quality, contrast, and brightness. Marc’s vision suggests thinner bezels – whereas, I, for one, want Apple to shed the thick bezels to give us more screen real estate and also step up the MacBook Pros case in 2021.

More distinguishing in these design renders are the additional ports on the sides of the machine. This adaptation is in line with the rumors suggesting that Apple could roll out the MacBook Pro with at least an SD card reader and a MagSafe connector with the existing USB-C, Thunderbolt, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. While MagSafe charging will facilitate faster-charging speeds, the card reader will allow people to easily transfer photos/videos captured with drones and cameras to the MacBook.

So far, these renders are on point with the rumors we have been following about the 2021 MacBook Pro models. If you look closely, the designer’s interpretation of the keyboard without the Touch Bar – believed to be left out in the 2021 MacBook Pros – is another fine example of his vision, a true adaptation of how we want the MacBook Pro to be in 2021!

Designer: Marc W Avellanet

USB-C hubs + more MacBook Accessories designed to be the best investments of 2021 for Apple lovers!

Posted on 23/07/2021 by Srishti Mitra

I honestly cannot do without my MacBook, probably because it is one of my most prized possessions! It contains basically everything I hold important in my life – from work documents to memorable pictures from even ten years ago. And not to mention, I do end up spending most of my day, typing away and working on my MacBook. Since it is such an integral part of my daily and work routine, I’m always looking for ways to elevate my MacBook. I love innovative and nifty gadgets that function as the perfect sidekick to my MacBook, helping me boost up my daily productivity and efficiency. Here, we’ve curated a few of our favorite MacBook accessories that’ll promise to level up your already awesome and beloved MacBook. These are must-have accompaniments to your MacBook, and the best investments of 2021 for Apple lovers!

The HybridDrive is a lot like if your external hard drive and your USB hub had a love-child. Think of it as the one, true, all-powerful accessory to your MacBook or your iPad Pro, or even your Android phone. Armed with a two-piece design that can plug into each other, the HybridDrive is like the Yin and the Yang of computing accessories… the Yin being extra ports, and the Yang being extra storage. Compatible with most USB-C devices, the HybridDrive offsets your need for multiple hubs, dongles, and drives. With a multiport on one end, and an SSD on another, and a USB-C interface connecting the two, the HybridDrive bridges the gap between your portable devices (laptop/tablet/phone) and your desktop – in the sense that it gives you extra ports and expandable storage… something most desktops have in common.

Designed to be portable and compact, HUB–OX initially comes as a lightweight, palm-sized USB-C hub, which splits into two halves, both equipped with plenty of charging slots, HDMI connections, and ethernet ports. HUB–OX is compatible with MacBook Pro models that have four USB-C ports, generally any MacBook Pro from 2016 or any of its succeeding generations. When HUB–OX is split in two, users can plug the USB-C chargers into all four of their MacBook Pro’s ports, lifting their laptops to an angle of 7.7° to keep them charged and at eye level for the rest of the day. Working at our laptops for long periods of time often makes us want to crane our necks and spines to meet our screens. The small hoist HUB–OX gives our MacBook Pros is just enough to keep our necks straight and spines against our chairs. In addition to helping our posture while working, the built-in laptop stand allows for better heat dissipation from our laptops’ heat sinks, keeping our laptops cool and their fans low.

This Leather-crafted MacBook case gives your precious $2,000 machine all the protection it deserves but doesn’t get. The case covers both top and bottom, making sure you don’t end up scratching the beauty (after all, aluminum doesn’t stand a chance against your keys), and even forms a lip around the edges and curves so that accidental drops don’t dent the edges of your machine. The case even doubles up as a stand for your laptop, allowing it to tilt upwards and forwards just a little bit to give you the angle you desire (especially for you standing-desk types).

This Dongle truly empowers iPad Pro users into connecting pretty much anything to their iPad Pros. With one USB-C port at one end, and a WIDE variety of possibilities at the other, the latest dongle lets you connect everything from a LAN cable, to a pair of headphones, to memory cards, to even iPods (Hallelujah!) “With the dongle’s multi-purpose design, there’s something for everyone”, says Jonathan Ive, to which CEO Tim Cook adds, “We believe this is truly the best iPad Pro and MacBook accessory we’ve ever built. We can’t wait to see how the dongle helps users in their day to day tasks”. The dongle even comes with a proprietary cable technology that ensures that the dongle’s multitude of wires don’t get entangled, and is available in a wide variety of colors.

You can now keep your entire collection of Apple products super organized with the Kensington StudioCaddy Apple device storage system. The nifty storage system has designated spots for your MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone! It ensures that your devices are always organized, charged, and ready to be used! It helps you maintain a clean and tidy desk, and maximizes your desk space. And it even holds your MacBook in a vertical position. How cool is that?!

The Henge Docks Vertical MacBook Pro Dock holds your MacBook vertically! This helps to make more space on your desk, allowing you to make the utmost use of it and keeping it super organized. Amped with intake and exhaust vents, the dock ensures that your MacBook will not get overheated while standing upright or while being used. This dock is a must for a tidy desk that maximizes productivity!

It’s a shame that the Macbook Pro ditched everyone’s favorite, the light-up Apple logo at the back. It was truly one of the unnecessary yet most loved design details on the laptops (some people even modded their iPhones and iPads to have the glowing logo). Nevertheless, we as a human species have always persevered and in most cases, come up with our own solutions to life’s problems. The Brik Book is one such solution. It ditches the boring metal Macbook back for something more playful. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing” once said the wise George Bernard Shaw, and that’s exactly why we need the Brik Book.

If you want to cover your webcam for safety purposes, then the StopSpy Compact Webcam Cover is the ideal product for you! You can use it to cover the webcam on your MacBook, iPad, or even your iPhone if you like. The super-compact cover is thinner than a credit card and measures 0.3 millimeters. Not to mention, it’s super easy to use and attach to your webcam!

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Boost, as its name says, is a razor-thin case that gives the Macbook a much-needed adrenaline shot, making it powerful in ways beyond Apple’s imagination. The case comes in two halves that cover the upper and lower parts of the MacBook. The upper half of the case comes in a decorative decal that not just ups your mac’s style quotient, it also prevents your laptop’s delicate Aluminum body from scratching or denting. The lower half of the case, however, steals the show. This absolute tech marvel turns your MacBook into nothing short of a performance laptop. With six different ports/readers and not one, but TWO 3300 mAh batteries cleverly hidden inside its sleek design, the Boost has the body of a laptop case, but the personality of a multi-port dongle and a power bank.

Could the Apple MacBook Air 2021 finally come in the iMac’s candy colors?

Posted on 05/07/2021 by Sarang Sheth

After the iMac got a refurbish this year at Apple’s Spring Loaded event, with a new slim 11.5-millimeter design, an M1 architecture, and those beautiful candy colors, it only seems natural that Apple carry that approach to its other Macs. Designer and visualizer, Devam Jangra’s put together a view to show us what candy-colored MacBook Airs could look like, and I won’t lie… I really like it!

If the colorful iMacs were a hat-tip to the candy-colored iMac G3 computers from 1998, these vibrant MacBook Airs most certainly pay a tribute to the old iBook G3s from 1999. It’s certainly been a while since Apple’s experimented with colored laptops – their latest foray was 6 years ago, with the rose-gold MacBook Air. Jangra’s concept video definitely shows why Apple should be less reticent and more open to creating colorful MacBooks… they spark joy, don’t they?!

Rumors of colored MacBooks have been in the air for a little over a month now. In a video back in May, famed leaker Jon Prosser stated that the company would reveal a MacBook lineup “very close if not identical to the shades that you see on the stands for the new 24-inch iMacs.”

Another noteworthy feature that’s rumored to make a comeback apart from the candy colors, is MagSafe charging. Apple ditched the crowd-favorite technology a few years back for Thunderbolt charging, but if the leaks are credible, the wildly loved snap-on magnetic charging port is due to make a comeback. Jangra’s video showcases this too, while also putting two USB-C ports beside the charging port for good measure. The MacBook Air even comes with the iMac Keyboard-inspired TouchID key on the top right corner.

There’s really no saying if and when Apple would launch these. While the rumors DO come from credible sources, we’ve already had 3 Apple keynotes this year, and the only one left is the keynote in September/October, when Apple unveils their new iPhones, AirPods, and the Watch. That being said, maybe we could see this debut sometime next year, along with Apple’s highly anticipated M2 chip! I wouldn’t mind me some candy-colored iPads too!

Designer: Devam Jangra

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MacBook Accessories that are the best investments of 2021 for Apple fans!

Posted on 14/05/2021 by Srishti Mitra

My MacBook is probably one of my most prized possessions! It contains basically everything I hold important in my life – from work documents to memorable pictures from even ten years ago. And not to mention, I do end up spending most of my day, typing away and working on my MacBook. Since it is such an integral part of my daily and work routine, I’m always looking for ways to elevate my MacBook. I love innovative and nifty gadgets that function as the perfect sidekick to my MacBook, helping me boost up my daily productivity and efficiency. Here, we’ve curated a few of our favorite MacBook accessories that’ll promise to level up your already awesome and beloved MacBook. These are must-have accompaniments to your MacBook!

This wearable fitness tracker-looking ring is actually a mouse designed to be as lightweight as possible so there isn’t excess load on your joints. The ring mouse’s design works intuitively, it reacts to the movements of the fingertips and does not interfere with the natural movement of the wrist since it is a wearable ring. Due to its unique shape for a mouse, it makes the experience smoother while reducing the stress on your wrists as it won’t be awkwardly bent at an angle for hours! The ring has sensors that provide the functionality of a mouse such as ‘click’, ‘sweep’, ‘scroll’ through different gestures that are similar to how we use the trackpads on a laptop. You only require two fingers to operate this mouse as opposed to your whole palm and it is more versatile – you can use it everywhere freely like on top of a desk or on your legs, it doesn’t need a specific pad or surface.

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The AirBar is an amazingly thin little beaut is capable of turning your MacBook screen into a touchscreen. It broadcasts invisible light waves to detect movement, allowing virtually anything to become a stylus. Use anything from chopsticks to a paintbrush to even your fingers (with or without gloves) to touch, navigate, zoom, swipe, or even paint on your MacBook! All you got to do is plug the AirBar into a USB port and mount it on the bottom of your screen. The only drawback here is the lack of pressure sensitivity since the AirBar only works in the X & Y axes.

Sixty minutes is all that it takes for the SuperTank to power up and be ready for deployment. This 27,000 mAh portable charger with dual USB-C PD (100W + 60W) and dual USB-A ports, has the potential to quickly charge MacBook Pros and many other devices. What this means to people on the go, is that they don’t have to worry about carrying excess wires, multiple power plugs, and compatible sockets, when they are out of home or office. One supercharge, and this battery pack will last you for seven whole days, making you wish that your lover could last that long! This Power Bank offers full-speed charging for the latest devices in the market. The dual USB-C ports can charge two laptops and the four USB outputs make room for your phones, tablets, cameras, security cameras, projectors, LED lights, etc.

A leather housing for your MacBook, Bluebonnet isn’t just a protective cover, but also a portfolio case and a kickstand! Along with protecting your laptop from accidental bumps and scuffs, Bluebonnet also gives you a neat place to store your planner/notebook/papers and a pen of your choice, freeing your hands up while giving you everything you’d need to carry to a meeting, conference, or a coffee shop, all in one svelte sleeve. The leather construction undeniably gives the MacBook a stylish, professional upgrade, and comes available in multiple colors. The Bluebonnet even features a cutout at the base that gives your laptop an impromptu kickstand, tilting it higher for better viewing/cooling.

The designers of DGRule describe it as an “invisible hub” and I guess we can see why. The DGRule promises to be a convenient alternative to the limited Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports since they aren’t always compatible with all devices. Subtle, discreet, and far from bulky, DGRule snaps onto both sides of the MacBook Pro. The cushion pad ensures it stays glued onto the laptop, no matter which position you work in. Available in Space Gray or Silver, it camouflages with your laptop, appearing to be a natural extension of it. Created from CNC aluminum, this allows the hub to comfortably merge with the MacBook Pro. However the resilient aluminum has other purposes as well, it lends its durability to the hub making it sturdy and reliable.

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Built by the true geniuses at Twelve South, the Plug Bug Duo simply connects to your MacBook Charger, supplying power to it while also giving you two extra USB ports to plug other devices/cables into it. The red adapter is compliant with all MacBook chargers and even works as a travel adapter, allowing you to use your MacBook charger with international sockets. It comes with 5 different snap-on plugins that let you plug your MacBook into any international socket you may be subjected to. Besides giving your MacBook charger international compatibility, the PlugBug Duo’s two USBs are heaven-sent, since they let you run your MacBook as well as power your iPhone and iPad simultaneously.

Pairing perfectly with the slim perfection of Apple’s MacBook, Woolnut’s laptop sleeve aims at adhering to the highest Scandinavian design standards too, with its precisely designed sleeves that fit the MacBook like a glove. Measured to the nearest millimeter, Woolnut’s sleeves are made specific to each MacBook model, given their thickness and dimensions over the years. This precision results in a sleeve that absolutely hugs your laptop, protecting it with a sheep wool interior, while giving it the sheer class of a premium cognac leather outer clad. Woolnut’s sleeves even allow you to charge your laptop inside them, giving you functionality and protection in one cover case… And the slim design is perfect for carrying either under your sleeve or even in your bag. Custom-built for each MacBook model, Woolnut’s sleeves age over time, as the leather develops a signature patina with use, giving the outer sleeve an antique finish, while your laptop remains as good as new!

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You see, MacBooks are built with rather advanced sound cards. Almost every music producer you find uses a MacBook for production. It’s a great machine. But it’s also a great machine backed by speakers that don’t do it justice. Thin laptops mean thin speaker modules, which usually result in thin-sounding audio. The Bassjump 2, however, is a clever little accessory. Instead of replacing the speakers on your laptop, it empowers them. Designed as a portable subwoofer, the Bassjump 2 adds a low-end to your laptop speakers, making them sound fuller. The Bassjump 2 is nothing but pure subwoofer power, designed solely to play alongside your laptop’s inbuilt speakers, to the MacBook’s strengths. Calibrated to perfectly add low-end notes to your MacBook’s audio, the Bassjump does one job and does it well. Combining powers with your laptop speakers to push out great-sounding audio, the Bassjump is designed to be portable too(it even comes with a carrying case).

How to Speed up a MacBook: The Ultimate Guide

Posted on 04/05/2021 by Al Hilal

The Apple M1 chip is faster than 98% of those in PC laptops. As of 2021, there are three Mac models with this technology—the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Mini. Like all computers, however, they can slow down over time. For example, malware can steal resources to do other things in the background, which can result in a slow MacBook. Are you dealing with something like that? Looking for some tips on how to speed up a MacBook? If so, you’re on the right page. We’ll be going over a few things that you can do to make it…

The post How to Speed up a MacBook: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Trendy Gadget.

Add a Touchbar to your keyboard with this sleek, infinitely customizable touchscreen gadget!

Posted on 24/03/2021 by Sarang Sheth

The Touchbar on the MacBook honestly felt like a solution without a concrete problem. It was designed to be a highlight feature without a highlight purpose, and was probably reduced to being something that people used just as a volume slider while watching videos. The Touchbar, in my opinion, failed because it lacked the two C’s – Context, and Customizability. CORSAIR’s iCUE NEXUS fixes that with its infinitely customizable little keyboard attachment that does anything from work as a miniature app launcher to a control panel, to even an always-on ticker tape that lets you see your computer stats or the GameStop stock price!

The CORSAIR iCUE NEXUS forms a modular add-on to CORSAIR’s line of high-end performance and gaming gear. The nifty little gadget can be used independently or snapped right to the top of a selection of CORSAIR keyboards, turning them into command-centers. Powered by the company’s iCUE software, the gadget’s screen can be entirely customized, fitting as many as 6 different buttons or modules into it to suit your needs. You can create custom layouts that change based on the program you’re running, and the capacitive-touch display lets you do everything from tapping to sliding. The screen measures 5-inches diagonally, and comes with a resolution of 640×48. The iCUE NEXUS’s power, however, lies in its contextual flexibility, letting you control practically any aspect of your computer with it. As mentioned earlier, you could use it to launch programs, but you could even control options within each program, changing features, display settings, or even controlling your computer audio with it. Moreover, it ties in with CORSAIR’s other equipment too, letting you customize and change color layouts on your keyboard, mouse, and desktop, activate or mute your headphone’s microphone, or even monitor your machine’s performance and control aspects like fan-speed, etc. With the ability to customize up to 256 screens at once, the iCUE NEXUS promises to do what the Touchbar could not. It focuses heavily on context, while giving you an infinite world of customizability.

Designer: CORSAIR

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