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After more than a decade with the same design, the iMac finally has a brand-new look, and it’s stunning. The 2021 iMac also has Apple’s super-fast M1 processor, a bigger display with even more pixels, a much-needed update to the FaceTime camera, and some pretty awesome audio capabilities. But is this enough, or would you be better off spending your money elsewhere? 1. PERFORMANCE AND PRICE One thing is clear: The M1 chip is far superior to the 8th-generation Intel quad-core and 6-core options in the iMacs it replaces. If you are just seeking a new iMac to replace an older generation of iMac, then you won’t be disappointed in the speed boost. There is little to distinguish the iMac from the other M1 Macs, though. We have tested all the M1 Macs…

Apple has unveiled macOS 12 Monterey, the first major update to macOS since the big shift in macOS 11 Big Sur. There are a bunch of new features, and we’ll cover everything you need to know about the update before it arrives in the fall: the top features, system requirements, availability, and more. Let’s start with the key features. UNIVERSAL CONTROL Apple users often switch between devices, and with Universal Control, you can now use a single mouse and keyboard between your Mac and iPad. If you’re using a MacBook, you can use its keyboard and trackpad with the iPad. You can even drag and drop files between devices and perform gestures on the MacBook trackpad to navigate the iPad. Additionally, Universal Control can do something that Apple’s Craig Federighi said would appeal…

Of the many different wine regions in Argentina, one stands out for its intensity and breadth of styles – an area where you’re just as likely to find a juicy, characterful Malbec as you are a subtly textured Pinot Noir, where vineyards climb the slopes of glacier-capped mountains: the Uco Valley. Connoisseurs will already be familiar with the name, but it’s also one that regular wine buyers ought to look out for in the supermarket aisles; a safe bet, liable to amply exceed expectations. Among the most exciting wine regions in the world, Uco Valley has redefined the international reputation of Argentinian fine wines. And the producers there know it. ‘The Uco Valley is one of those regions that offers infinite variations of soil and climate types, allowing us to make very…

Odds are good that if you have a desktop computer, you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk, either for business or for pleasure. So why shouldn’t your desk be as comfy and efficient as possible? While upgrading your computer can often take serious dough (especially these days), you can spend a lot less to improve your workstation itself in some surprising ways. Here are ten ways to improve your workstation for under $100, presented in no particular order. Most of these cost less than $50, and many are under $25! 1. A FANCY DESK MAT No matter what kind of mouse you use or what kind of desk you use it on, you need something in between to protect both of them. A $10 mousepad will do just fine, though…

The LG C2 is a mouthwatering update to one of last year’s biggest TV hits, the LG C1. This new version ushers in a new era for the C-series OLED TVs, boosting the brightness with new panel technology and adding the first 42-inch version to the line-up. Here, we dive into exactly what you can expect from the improved OLED panel with its Brightness Booster technology and LG’s most powerful processor yet. All that shiny new tech has seen a sobering increase in the price tag, and the 42-inch and 48-inch versions don’t come with the brightness improvements. It’s only the 55-inch and up models – we tested the 65-inch set – that get the full effect of its image quality improvements. In total there are six C2 OLED sizes available, covering 42…

Fitness trackers have become a lot more attractive over the years, but no matter the design, they tend to stand out. If you’re looking for a more discreet alternative that’s comfortable to wear 24/7, you might be interested in the Oura Ring. It looks like jewelry at a glance, but the Oura is far smarter than your average ring. This water-resistant wearable features heart rate, respiration, and body temperature sensors, as well as a 3D accelerometer to measure your activity, sleep, and recovery, and it works with a companion app to help make sense of your data and offer insights to foster healthy habits. The Oura’s ability to track workouts is pretty basic compared with a wrist-worn model, but it offers comprehensive sleep tracking and is more comfortable to wear…

Apple’s relatively new M1 Macs that rely on Apple silicon have a number of usability differences from previous Intel-based Macs. One difference that’s tripped up some readers is how to start up or boot the M1 Mac from an external drive. Intel Macs generally make this easy. You might want to use a bootable external drive to have a higher-capacity SSD than is offered or affordable via Apple’s pricing. Or you may want one for backup in case something goes very pear shaped with your M1 Mac. Testing indicates that the following are required to start up from an external volume: > A Thunderbolt 3 drive. That’s not just one that uses the USB-C connector, but one that is a native USB 3.1 or 3.2 drive. Nor can you use a Type A…

Getting hold of boats to test can be a complicated business because there are many factors at play. Production at a shipyard like Princess is a well oiled machine with every boat on a drum-tight deadline to make it through the build and testing process before being shipped off to a dealer or customer. There sometimes isn’t enough slack in the system for a boat and chase boat to be ready with the correct crew all at the same time. That is why, even though the F45 was launched at Düsseldorf in 2019, we only managed to test one in early 2021 when Boats.co.uk had a spanking new stock boat delivered to Poole and extended an invitation for us to have a go. Invitation accepted. Why is the F45 such an…

THE DECISION by a Swedish court to back Jaguar Land Rover’s bid to shut down a C-type builder has thrown the world of replicas into turmoil, with many fearing widespread and long-lasting repercussions. The ruling could spark a global clampdown, not only on Jaguar replicas and the people who build them, but all replicas. Technically, it could even sound the death knell for cars that were built decades ago. The case for copyright infringement was brought against Karl and Ann-Christine Magnusson in 2018 and the verdict was recently handed down by the Intellectual Property Division of the Swedish High Court. As well as ordering a replica C-type to be destroyed, the ruling gives copyright protection to the shape of the Jaguar C-type in a similar fashion to works of art. If…

CAR OF THE YEAR WINNER A utomotive progress usually happens slowly, like a white oak sapling growing in a forest. But every now and then a new car jumps off the forest floor like a rainbow eucalyptus, advancing like crazy while making a colorful splash. The Air sedan from startup EV-maker Lucid is just such a car, and its levels of innovation and sophistication are as unexpected as multicolored tree bark. A year or two ago, most of you and many of us might have said, “Lucid? Is it still going? I thought it was foundering like Byton, Faraday Future, Dyson, Nio …” Lucid is very much still going. It’s helmed by experts cherry-picked from various successful automakers, and it’s funded sufficiently to launch this Air sedan while developing its next model, the…

The Apple rumor mill has been churning lately with reports that Apple is readying a new consumer laptop that’s thinner than the MacBook Air, available in various colors, and possibly equipped with the next generation of Apple silicon. Of course, it could very well be an update to the MacBook Air, but it seems to me that Apple is likely taking another crack at replacing its iconic notebook. Apple has tried to replace the MacBook Air before—a disastrous attempt that ended up with the cancellation of both of its potential replacements and the revival of the Air. If Apple is indeed trying again, will this time be different? Will Apple’s customers, who appear to adore the MacBook Air, follow the company’s lead? It all depends on how Apple approaches the transition—and…

Be saw lots of new 8K TVs at CES in January, with some coming from vendors known for making affordable models, such as TCL. That means 2021 is likely to be the year we start seeing 8K TVs hit the market at prices that far more people can realistically consider—we’re talking under five digits! Don’t freak out about replacing your still-new 4K TV just yet, though. 8K AT CES TCL’s announcement that its 2021 6-Series TVs will be entirely 8K is one of the more notable pieces of news from this year’s show, as the 6-Series has long been a PCMag favorite for offering high quality at a reasonable price. That said, TCL hasn’t yet announced pricing for its 6-Series TVs, and it noted that 2020 models will still be available this…

A pple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote, on 7 June 2021, featured no new hardware, to the disappointment of anyone hoping for a new MacBook Pro or an AirPods redesign. But that doesn’t mean it was totally devoid of interesting news – as we discuss in MacFormat Investigates on page 14, it was full to the brim with new software features. Some of those updates weigh in on what's becoming an age-old question: can you now replace your MacBook with an iPad? Ultimately that depends on how you use both devices, but the new features in iPadOS 15 will certainly have an impact on that. At WWDC, Apple spent a lot of time talking about iPadOS 15’s new multitasking abilities, which are a step up from what was possible before. For instance,…

With COVID-19 still keeping so many people working from home, Wi-Fi routers are doing a lot more than streaming movies and games. Not only are home Wi-Fi routers keeping millions of people working, but they’re also connecting an ever-growing range of smart home devices. That means picking one that does the best job for you and fits your budget is trickier than ever, especially now that we’re seeing more Wi-Fi 6 devices becoming available. When you’re shopping for a new router, start by considering the size of your coverage area and the number of clients you need to support as well as the types of devices that you’ll be connecting. Not everybody needs the kind of performance that you get with the latest and greatest models, and there’s no reason to…

Tyler Jones, CEO and founder of Las Vegas–based Blue Heron, is an architect and developer with a passion for designing homes that make his clients feel good. He believes in the concept of biophilic design—connecting people to their environment and helping them focus on the natural world. “This design impacts everything we do. As you enter the home, we wanted to invoke an immediate emotional response from how the architecture flows with the surrounding landscape,” he says. Founded in 2003, Blue Heron developed its signature Vegas Modern™ design philosophy to do precisely that. Its newest iteration is the Ora House—not in Las Vegas, but in the Bird Rock Waterfront enclave in San Diego’s La Jolla area. “What I learned in Las Vegas, I applied to this home in California,” he says. “This…

Through a steady London rain on the morning of May 6, the pomp and ceremony of King Charles III’s coronation began with a ride in the Diamond Jubilee State coach. The carriage, first used in 2014 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the accession of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, departed from Buckingham Palace at 10:20 a.m. Escorted by more than 150 members of the British armed forces and cheered on by thousands of damp but decidedly enthusiastic well-wishers, the enclosed horse-drawn coach rolled its way to Westminster Abbey. For Charles, 74, accompanied by his wife of 18 years, Queen Camilla, 75, the ride followed a carefully charted course, winding past landmarks like Trafalgar Square, the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. At only 1.4 miles, the King’s procession…

1 PHILIPS 9636 PREMIUM • £TBC, philips.co.uk Philips’ TV division has been growing fast in recent years. The company’s patented Ambilight tech allows it to offer something completely unique to the market, its partnership with Bowers & Wilkins adds solid audio offerings to its TV lineup, and there’s no shortage of exploration in the design department, which is something of a rarity in a sea of black rectangle TVs. Now Philips seems to be placing itself directly ahead of the curve: its latest LCD TV salvo, due in the summer alongside a raft of OLEDs, totes mini LED tech. Dropping at two sizes, really big (65-inch) and probably too big (75-inch), the top-end 9636 Premium (to be released alongside the same-sized but slightly downgraded 9506 Premium) certainly packs in the features, pairing the…

Garnacha is an increasingly popular choice for ambitious winemakers in Rioja. ‘It reflects the specific character of an area better than Tempranillo,’ says Juan Bautista García of Bodegas Paco García, who discovered that most of the old vineyards in Murillo de Río Leza – the village southeast of Logroño where he is based – were planted with Garnacha. ‘Tempranillo is fairly homogenous; Garnacha is prone to coulure [poor fruit set after flowering] and production can vary widely, but it offers far more diversity and fun,’ adds García. He produces a varietal wine from a 2ha plot with alluvial soils and has also purchased an old vineyard dating from 1880 to make a wine conforming to the Viñedo Singular, Rioja’s new single-vineyard category (see ‘Panel tasting’, p66). Never has Garnacha held such…

1 HOUR In this project we’re going to combine the out-of-focus fairy lights with glowing city lights in the background to accentuate the dreamlike effect. To capture the city lights we had to wait until after sunset and shoot in the ‘blue hour.’ This is the period before it gets truly dark, when the landscape is bathed in a cool, blue light. The combination of the blue light of the sky, the background street lights and the orange glow of the fairy lights will complement each other wonderfully in the final shot. You’ll need a lens with a wide maximum aperture – we used a 50mm f/1.4 – but any lens with an aperture of f/4 or wider will work fine; you can use a narrower aperture, but the bokeh won’t appear…

For this month’s DX column, I’ve asked Gary Dixon, K4MQG, and a couple of friends to introduce us to one of the premier DX clubs in the eastern US, the Carolina DX Association. – N2OO Back in the 1970s and 1980s, a large number of DXers in North and South Carolina were very active on the bands. Many of them chatted and exchanged DX info on a 2-meter repeater in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The repeater was located on top of a multi-story hotel right on the state line. The Internet was not invented or in use at the time, so the repeater was the information link for spotting DX and other information. There was no DX club in the area and, through the repeater, a large group decided to meet at…

A half-dozen companies are potentially ready to spend $80 billion for C-Band, a new set of airwaves that promise to fix the perilous state of American 5G, at an FCC auction. That’s a vast amount of money, and it shows how important C-Band is. But what is C-Band, and what does it mean for 5G? Do you need a C-Band phone? Is C-Band a new frequency? Should you be scared of C-Band? I can explain. RECOVERING THE SATELLITES According to wireless testing firm Rohde and Schwarz, the C-band is all frequencies between 4GHz and 8GHz. When US wireless geeks talk about C-Band, though, they’re talking about 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz—and specifically, in this case, the range from 3.7GHz to 3.98GHz. This frequency had been used for satellite TV since the 1970s, but as C-Band…

DIY devices 1 DEWALT 18V XR DCD795D2 There’s a reason tradespeople use DeWalt tools: they’re built tough and last forever. This particular drill driver is smaller than most, making it ideal for awkward or tight spaces, and 15 different torque levels enable it to drill or screw into all kinds of materials. DeWalt’s XR range uses the same batteries across multiple power tools. £123, diy.com 2 SOG POWERLOCK Like a Leatherman but for serious DIYers, the PowerLock is even recommended for explosives experts and soldiers in the field. SOG says its saws cut faster and its knives cut better than any rival, and its compound leverage makes use of multiple pivot points to amplify your hand strength. That means it’s twice as powerful as similar-looking but lesser multi-tools. £94.99, sogknives.co.uk 3 BOSCH CROSS LINE LASER QUIGO GREEN Putting…

Nobody needs to convince me that Apple is at the top of its game when it comes to designing iPad hardware. The 2018 iPad Pro was so fast that more than two years later, it can still handle more or less anything that you can throw at it. The 2020 iPad Pro essentially operated at the same speed—and that was so fast it didn’t matter. So here comes the 2021 iPad Pro (see page 39), which is an even more extreme dunk in terms of features. Adding an M1 processor isn’t going to add the same boost as it did on the Mac side, because the iPad Pro was always powered by an energy-efficient Apple processor. But it’s still an upgrade of two processor generations, and that matters. A revamped display…

2020 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 PRO Chassis to match power, steel brakes, intimidating power CON Drives big, stiff on back roads, intimidating power Often, history is made simply by breaking a cycle. Sounds easy enough, but sometimes a thing hasn’t been done for a good reason. The GT500 has never been the best Mustang, just the one with the biggest engine. Not anymore. The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has changed history. “This car is the ultimate expression of what the American pony car can be,” pro racer Randy Pobst said after only driving it on the street. After driving it on the track: “God, that thing pins you to the seat running from corner to corner. It hooks up very, very well. That impresses me tremendously. Ford Performance has done a terrific job of…

I’ve never felt the need to choose between the iPad and the Mac. I use and value them both. But over the last few years, it’s started to feel like both the Mac and the iPad are increasingly limited by an artificial barrier that Apple has placed between them. The iPad has slowly become more Mac-like without ever really reaching the promised land. The Mac, meanwhile, has failed to pick up many desirable features from the iPad. I admire the discipline Apple has had in keeping its product lines separate, but it feels like that decision is starting to harm the futures of both products. The Mac and the iPad are on a collision course, and I’m concerned that they’re both about to run into the brick wall Apple has erected between…

PROS • Slick EV integration • Crushingly normal, unlike most EVs • Channels core BMW traits CONS • Eco-minded tires can be loud • Awkward ingress/egress • Limited center-console storage space eDRIVE40; M50 VEHICLE LAYOUT Rear-motor, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback; front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback MOTORS, TRANSMISSIONS Brushed synchronous electric, 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,708 lb (45/55%); 5,012 lb (48/52%) WHEELBASE 112.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 188.5 x 72.9 x 57.0 ON SALE Now Look at the BMW i4, then look at a current BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The two four-door hatchbacks are virtually identical, their shared platform flexible enough to support both electric and gas-powered models. Cover the i4’s badges, and it’s tough to identify as an EV—save for the lack of exhaust pipes and its blocked-off kidney grilles. Typically, gas cars converted to EVs don’t feel…

Hennessey has released final photos, specs, and information of its all-new Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar. And although we may have become jaded after the numbers put out by the likes of the Bugatti Chiron, SSC Tuatara, and vehicles hailing from Italy and Germany, you have to admit Hennessey is making a pretty strong statement. The basic ingredients make for astounding reading. The 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-8 produces—wait for it—a claimed 1,817 hp at 8,000 rpm and 1,193 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. Hennessey calls its mighty motor the Fury and says it’s the most powerful production road car engine ever produced. MotorTrend was recently granted exclusive time with the new monster to see it in the raw carbon and to hear the, ahem, fury of its mighty twin-turbo V-8 blasting into life. Those…

The Wi-Fi Alliance, a group of Wi-Fi platform vendors that work with the FCC and electronics manufacturers to set standards for Wi-Fi technology, announced the Wi-Fi 6E designation in 2020 for any IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) products that support 6GHz wireless spectrum. Essentially, this means Wi-Fi 6E enables faster speeds and lower latencies than Wi-Fi 6 and earlier iterations. WI-FI 6 VS. WI-FI 6E When the IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standard was first announced, it was limited by law to a wireless spectrum that only covered the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Now, in a 2.4GHz band, you really have only three non-overlapping channels—and that bandwidth is shared by you, your family members, and your neighbors. If you’ve ever had problems staying connected to a Zoom call or had the latest episode of The…

Early on in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise hops on his sleek motorcycle, wearing Aviator sunglasses and a leather jacket with patches, and speeds into a time machine. No, that’s not right. It’s actually us who take a trip back. More than 30 years after Cruise smirked his way to the cocky heights of the ’80s as the maverick Navy pilot codenamed Maverick, he effortlessly picks up the character in a new chapter of “Top Gun” that is an absolutely, thoroughly enjoyable ride — a textbook example of how to make a sequel. “Top Gun: Maverick” satisfies with one foot in the past by hitting all the touchstones of the first film — fast motorcycles, the song “Danger Zone,” military fetishisms, humorless Navy bosses, shirtless bonding sports, “the hard deck,” bar singalongs…

A number of factors contribute to poor battery life on your Android phone. Thinner bodies, brighter screens, faster processors, more background software, and speedier internet connections all take their toll on phone batteries, though manufacturers are incorporating more powerful batteries to compensate. The Motorola Moto G Power has a 5,000mAh battery that can last for over 18 hours. Samsung’s Galaxy S phones, the most popular Android devices, can now last anywhere between 11 and 13 hours, depending on the model. Still, there are ways to get more out of any phone. When it comes to software, Android can be tricky to pin down. Each manufacturer uses a different version of the operating system, so certain settings and features are always going to look different or be located somewhere else. With that…

In February, Microsoft released Windows Insider Build 22557 for the Dev Channel, a massive update that fixed several things users didn’t like about Windows 11 while introducing new experiences, apps, and features to try out. The new build adds folders back to the Start menu, along with folder preview images to File Explorer, and reintroduces drag-and-drop functionality to the neutered Windows 11 taskbar—all criticisms levied at the original release of Windows 11. According to a Microsoft blog post, the new build also adds live captions for recorded video, adds new touch gestures, tweaks Snap functionality, Sleep settings, and applies the Windows 11 UI to Task Manager, as well. Since the release rolled out inside the Windows 11 Dev Channel as part of the Insider preview program, there’s no guarantee that the new…

At this year’s WWDC, Apple lifted the lid on what’s next for the iPhone as it unveiled iOS 16, introducing a whole host of new features designed to make our devices even smarter and more capable than ever before. From customized Lock Screens to the iCloud Shared Photo Library, the update further refines the world’s most advanced smartphone operating system. PUTTING THE POWER IN USERS’ HANDS This year’s iOS changes might not be as significant or dramatic as they have been in previous years, but it’s clear that Apple wants to further refine what it’s already made great, rather than tearing up the rule book with major design changes for the sake of it. Taking to the stage at WWDC, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, said that this…

#32 CANYON STOIC 4 For a mountain bike to come this well equipped as stock is one thing – a super-reactive RockShox Pike Select front suspension, hard-biting SRAM Guide four-piston brakes, and generous and grippy Schwalbe tyres are only a few of the highlights. But for a well-appointed, smooth-riding hardtail such as this to be easily available and come in well under two grand? That’s another thing entirely. Canyon has built one hell of a trail bike here. £1,749, canyon.com #33 GARMIN ENDURO Although Garmin’s PowerGlass tech can’t quite keep the Enduro enduring forever, it’s a telling touch on a watch that really does want to run as long as possible. If you’re set for a long race, it has everything you need to track your progress step-by-step for up to 80 hours in…

Rioja can be a complex region to describe – particularly in relation to other fine wine territories. With many different climates and soils, as well as vineyards with every possible exposure, it does not follow clear geographical guidelines in the way that, say, Bordeaux does. In addition, Rioja producers have traditionally blended several different grape varieties, which puts them far from monovarietal Burgundy. What’s more, there’s no ‘typical’ Rioja producer, but instead a mix of large companies, family-owned wineries, cooperatives and small growers that moved into winemaking. All of them operate across almost every price segment, which is idiosyncratic. Wine lovers can find Rioja at a wide spectrum of prices, from everyday bottles at £5 to exclusive jewels costing more than £200. And all of them share the name, Rioja –…

iPads and iPhones don’t have expandable storage – but you can use external USB sticks and memory cards to transfer files or store things you don’t need to keep on your device. Things are easier if you own an iPad Air or iPad Pro equipped with USB-C, since you can connect USB-C sticks directly. However, often you’ll need an adapter, especially when using a memory card, or an iPad or iPhone equipped with Lightning. In that case, to connect USB sticks, you’ll need the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter or the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter; to connect memory cards, the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader or the USB-C to SD Card Camera Reader. While USB sticks don’t use as much power as external hard drives, they still need a…

Apple’s efforts to protect a user’s data are a major selling point for customers. If your MacBook is stolen, it’s extremely difficult for the thief to bypass the laptop’s security measures and access the data as long as you’ve taken advantage of the tools at your disposal to lock down your machine. However, those same security measures can render a Mac useless in a legitimate sale on the second-hand market. A report by Vice highlights the frustrations of an independent computer repair specialist and refurbisher, John Bumstead, who tweeted about the “millions” of MacBooks that have been “condemned…to death” because of Apple’s Activation Lock. This feature associates a device with an Apple ID and is automatically turned on when you activate Find My Mac within the Apple ID settings on your…

Apple recently opened up its Find My network to third-party device makers, but that’s not stopping the company from making its own item tracker. We’ve heard rumors about AirTag since around 2019, and the company has finally released them. They’re pretty simple, really: You add the AirTag to your account and attach the tag to some object, and then the Find My app will tell you where it is in the Items tab. Since nearly all modern Apple products can passively (and privately) use their Bluetooth radios to locate lost devices, you’ll have a pretty good chance of locating something you accidentally leave somewhere. You can locate devices in real time, and also set a device to Lost Mode, which will notify you and display an optional phone number and message…

Wondering why you’re hearing a lot about Clubhouse lately? We can partially blame Elon Musk: By popping up in a Clubhouse room in February, the world’s richest man (for now) brought the service a lot of attention. Here’s what you need to know about the exclusive chat app. Okay, so what is it? Here’s the gist: Imagine you have an app on your phone that lets you listen in on other people’s live conversations. But not in a creepy way; these people want to be heard. They may even be interesting or knowledgeable (no guarantee, though). And you may be given the opportunity to join the chat. Think of it as an audio-chat social network. So there are no pictures or video? No, only profile pics for each user. What platforms are supporting the app? Clubhouse…

Maintaining smooth Wi-Fi performance and throughput for gaming, video streaming, and smart home devices is important, but now that so many folks are working from home with no end in sight, you’ve also got to consider important work applications and different modes of work communication, especially video conferencing. This is where whole-house coverage becomes more than a nice-to-have. Many of the latest wireless routers can provide strong coverage to most rooms of a typical medium-size house, but larger homes and dwellings with dense walls, multiple floors, metal and concrete substructures, and other structural impediments may require additional components to bring Wi-Fi to areas that the router can’t reach. Range extenders do a good job of filling in dead zones but typically provide only half the bandwidth that you get from your…

Describing the 2019 Burgundy vintage, François Labet, proprietor of Château de la Tour in Clos de Vougeot and co-president of the BIVB regional wine board, said: ‘2018 was Arnold Schwarzenegger, but 2019 is Maria Sharapova!’ If the 2018 wines were notable for their (albeit stylish) power and mass, the 2019s bring finesse and elegance without sacrificing concentration. The vintage takes its place alongside other exceptional recent years in Burgundy, carving out a niche for its outstanding balance of intense fruit, firm structure and supple texture. Yields were low, however: 1.2 million hectolitres, according to BIVB, compared to an average of 1.5m hl – and the 1.8m hl harvested in 2018. The reds are generally ripe and forward, with plenty of body and velvety tannic structure. The whites are also rich but show…

Intel’s Alder Lake processor is starting to become available in PC laptops and that means one thing: benchmarks! Macworld’s sister publication, PCWorld, posted a review of one of the first laptops with the Core i9-12900HK processor, code-named Alder Lake, and it inevitably got us thinking about Apple’s M1 Pro and Max. To be clear, PCWorld didn’t include Apple silicon in its review—they are reviewing Windows-based laptops and comparing Alder Lake to its predecessor and a new 8-core Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU. Many of the benchmark programs PCWorld used aren’t even available on the Mac or do not have native M1 versions, but PCWorld did run Geekbench and Cinebench, two benchmarks Macworld also uses. And we learned a lot from them. First, let’s check out the specifications for the laptops: 14-inch MacBook Pro M1…

Apple rarely releases sales figures on particular models of products it offers, but I have to imagine it shipped at least hundreds of thousands of its two Apple LED Cinema Displays (24-inch, 2008 to 2010, and 27-inch, 2010 to 2013) based on the number of people who have reached out and want to connect them to a USB-C–equipped MacBook. I purchased several adapters and cables that can take the LED Cinema Display’s Mini DisplayPort (not Thunderbolt) and convert it into something that passes over USB-C in a compatible chain that allows you to connect to a USB-C equipped MacBook. My testing shows three affordable and viable options, plus a reasonable option for a full-featured USB-C dock that requires just a simple adapter. Apple made multiple generations of its displays: the first used…

Apple launched HomeKit in 2014, and for many users it remains a bit of a mystery—an outlier in the smart home space that is wound up with the iPhone, Siri, and an unintuitive corner of the smart home universe. What is HomeKit, and is it appropriate for your home? Let’s dig in and break down what it is and how it works today. WHAT IS HOMEKIT? While HomeKit is exclusive to Apple and its licensees, it is really just a communications protocol, a framework of technologies that lets your iOS device work with any number of smart home products. Apple currently claims that more than 100 brands of products are now included in the HomeKit universe, including all the usual smart home suspects, such as smart plugs and switches, light bulbs, thermostats,…

This year’s bumper Worldwide Developers Conference focused not only on what was next for macOS, watchOS, iPadOS, and iOS, but also lifted the lid on new hardware from the Cupertino company, with Apple showing off the new MacBook Air, powered by the M2 chip. LEAPS FORWARD FOR SOFTWARE Although Apple typically saves hardware announcements for separate events held throughout the year, the company made the unusual move of announcing two new MacBook products at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference. As well as an all-new MacBook Air, which has been redesigned, the firm also bumped the specs of its entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro. That’s, of course, on top of the major announcements across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, with each operating system given new features and tools designed to make the Apple ecosystem even…

The sleek Corsair TBT100 Thunderbolt 3 Dock ups the game for a Mac laptop, Mac mini, or iMac by providing a full complement of ports for those that lack them and offering additional—and more easily accessible—ports for those that already possess many. The compact dock, which weighs in at a pound (0.5 kg), provides ready access to useful jacks while offering a solid design contrast that doesn’t imitate Apple’s aesthetic. The $259.99 price is right in line with the array of options. The TBT100 has five high-speed data ports: two USB Type-A SuperSpeed (3.2 Gen 1 or 5Gbps), two USB Type-C SuperSpeed+ (3.2 Gen 2 or 10Gbps), and one Thunderbolt 3. That Thunderbolt 3 port, however, is reserved to connect to a Mac, as the 40Gbps throughput is necessary to power all…

2021 PORSCHE 911 TURBO PRO Absolute magic on a back road, wonderful GT car, insanely quick CON Magic replaced by cold competency on the track, street tires only We thought it was gone. Banished. We believed the good people of Stuttgart, with a bit of help from Weissach, had finally cured the Turbo’s one remaining weakness. Charging valiantly into our 2020 Best Driver’s Car field, though, the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S revealed that its Achilles’ heel remains. That one issue, the one that’s deprived 911 Turbos of the past from more than one MotorTrend podium, is the car’s cold, emotionless virtuosity when pushed to the limit. (The 911 Carrera S, last year’s winner, does not have this problem.) It’s a trait that was far more apparent on previous Turbos, showing itself on the…

The other shoe has finally dropped. A year after the release of the first M1 Macs ushered in the Apple silicon era for the Mac, Apple has addressed how it plans to serve the needs of users for whom iPad-level performance, impressive though it might be, just isn’t enough. With the October announcement of the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple has connected the dots and revealed two new chips that propel the MacBook Pro to new heights. Two connected dots make a straight line–and that line points to the future of the Mac. Here’s a look at what might be coming next. PUSHING THE PRO It seems obvious that the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips are destined for computers beyond the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. Even though they’ve been engineered…

Napa Valley and Bordeaux at tipping point on global warming? Fresh concerns about a climate ‘tipping point’ for Napa Valley and Bordeaux red wines have been raised by scientists, after analysing temperature and grape data. Writing in the Oeno One journal, researchers said climate data showed a significant increase in average growing season temperatures in both Napa and Bordeaux, particularly since the 1980s. So far the warmer conditions have generally contributed to better average wine quality, noted the authors, from the University of Bordeaux’s ISVV Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin and UC Davis. However, analysis on five vintages of California Cabernet Sauvignon found that higher sugar levels in grapes could lead to loss of colour. Higher temperatures can also increase grapes’ sugar content during ripening. The authors concluded:…

“OF ALL THE HEAVENLY BODIES, comets are assuredly those whose appearance strikes most forcibly the attention of mortals,” wrote French astronomer Camille Flammarion in his book Popular Astronomy (1894). And, for as long as humans have looked toward the sky, it’s been true. Comets have both terrified and amazed us. This was never more apparent in modernity than in 1910. Comet 1P/Halley, better known as Halley’s Comet, had last been visible in 1836 and would grace the heavens again that spring. The comet’s return was highly anticipated, so imagine everyone’s surprise when a brilliant comet unexpectedly appeared months earlier. The object that would become known as both the Great January Comet of 1910 and the Daylight Comet was first seen Jan. 12 in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s unclear who precisely discovered it,…

ENTERTAINING 1 PRO-JECT E1 BT TURNTABLE What better way to make holidays even more nostalgic than by listening to those classic Christmas carols on vinyl? You’ll need a stylish yet amazing-sounding record player like the Pro-Ject E1 BT. It boasts a built-in phono pre-amp, a cartridge from reputable Ortofon, and an affordable price. It even comes with Bluetooth for the benefit of the zoomers in the family. £399, project-audio.com 2 SONOS ONE Jump on the smart speaker bandwagon, and discover all of Alexa’s holiday offerings. You can play carols, take part in trivia games, and ensure that those cookies in the oven are baked to perfection. All while enjoying the rich sound and deep bass the Sonos One has to offer. Pair it with other equally attractive Sonos speakers to fill your whole house with…

A FIT TING FINISH? Donald blew into the backfield and slung Joe Burrow to the turf on a fourth-and-1, clinching his first Super Bowl victory. The championship parade covered only 1.1 miles. But as Aaron Donald danced, drank, roared, blew kisses and flexed his cartoonish muscles, his mind drifted beyond the raucous celebration. As thousands screamed and chanted at the six double-decker buses carrying the jovial superstar and his Rams teammates, they rolled away from the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, snaking along Figueroa Street, inching toward the Coliseum. Donald bounced and sipped and hugged along the route, his gold chain and diamond-studded “99” pendant flopping from neck to chin. So much had aligned to make the party possible. Stay in the moment, he reminded himself. He wished to remember the details…

HULU | Pam & Tommy That couple, that sex tape, that scandal! COMEDY-DRAMA It’s tough at this point in time to place the marriage of Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee on the spectrum of great celebrity affairs—somewhere between Sid and Nancy and Liz and Dick. Their relationship seems to have been both deeply romantic and highly turbulent. But the story of the couple (played by Lily James and Sebastian Stan, both terrific) has been intractably complicated by the mess over their sex videotape, stolen in 1995 and released to the world by a disgruntled contractor (Seth Rogen). Pam & Tommy devotes eight episodes to unraveling the scandal, which proved impossible to control: The tape was sold over the Internet, then went wider as a download. Despite its bawdy-satiric…

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9 is noteworthy in one particular aspect: You now have a choice between an always-connected version with an Arm processor, or a more powerful 12th-gen Core chip for more traditional use. Essentially, the single Surface Pro 9 represents the merging of two product lines, with the traditional Surface Pro tablet and the Surface Pro X now transformed as the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 9 with 5G, respectively. And that’s interesting, since the Surface Pro 9’s two different versions continue to significantly differ in both their capabilities and even their feature sets: one for performance and one for connectivity. Both versions of the Surface Pro 9 began shipping on October 25, starting at $999.99 for the 12th-gen Core (Alder Lake) and $1,299.99 for the Surface Pro 9 with…

Let’s be clear, electric propulsion is nowhere near a 300-mile range at 6 knots on a 38ft yacht, but I think it is viable for a typical 30 footer in the Solent and crossing the Channel occasionally, as long as you don’t motor long distances against full-bore spring tides, and use the sails most of the time. For example, a 60-mile range under power in a flat calm at 4.5 knots looks achievable. That’s why I have decided to convert my Sadler 29 to electric propulsion. You may need a more traditional approach to cruising, but for me having no noise, no vibration, no smell and no maintenance is worth the compromise. After a season of real-world testing in our Sadler 29 here’s what we found. We fitted a prototype 10kW pod…

The Spark Mini is the latest in Positive Grid’s Spark range of digital modelling practice amps. These are designed to give the player access to a huge variety of emulated amps and effects, covering every imaginable genre and style, and they do that job very well. I recently reviewed the Positive Grid Spark 40, and came away impressed — there’s still one on the desk in front of me — and the new Mini, despite being significantly smaller, offers up all of the same modelling functionality and app integration. To find out how that side of things works, see www.soundonsound. com/reviews/positive-grid-spark-40. Crammed into the Mini’s tiny cuboid cabinet are Bluetooth audio, USB-C audio interfacing, and a built-in battery. Connect the amp with the app on your mobile device and you can use…

In September, Apple announced the new A15 processor in a peculiar way: by comparing its new chip to the Android competition, rather than the A14 that powered last year’s generation of iPhones. We were all left to try to infer the speed of the A15 based on Apple’s claims, wondering if the company was obscuring the performance improvements in the A15 because they weren’t particularly impressive. Recently things have gotten a lot clearer with the first reviews of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, as well as a look at what the iPad mini has to offer. Now we’ve got the cold, hard facts about the A15—and it’s more complicated and interesting than I guessed last week. The net result? Apple is making one chip but using it in three…

In 2021, the iMac got a major refresh with a new design and an M1 processor. At the time, it was a much-needed update to Apple’s iconic line of computers, but now that it’s about a year and a half later, it’s about time for a new model—possibly an even better one. After putting some thought into a new iMac, I concluded that most of the features I’d like to see don’t fit with the current iMac. Instead, I’d like to see a return of the iMac Pro, which was discontinued last year. When it launched in 2017, it was largely seen as a stopgap between Mac Pro models, but it was an important machine that helped separate the iMac into distinct lines—the 21.5-inch model for budget-minded consumers, the 27-inch model…