Should You Buy Apple’s Wireless Keyboard with Touch ID?

Apple has finally made the accessories it introduced with the M1 iMac this spring available for standalone purchase. These accessories include the first Magic Keyboards with Touch ID ($149+), an updated Magic Mouse ($79) and an updated Magic Trackpad ($129). Previously, you were only able to get your hands on these accessories with the purchase of an M1 iMac, but now you can buy each individually from Apple.

There are few caveats, however, and because of them these new accessories might not be a good fit for you.

You can’t buy these new Mac accessories in colors.

One of the big selling points with all these accessories was color — when you bought an M1 iMac in one of its seven colors, you got a Magic Mouse (or Magic Trackpad) and a Magic Keyboard that matched — but Apple is only selling its new accessories are only available in one color: silver.

If you were hoping to buy a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad in the one of the other colors, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple or blue, those aren’t available at this time (and we don’t know if Apple will ever sell them).

The new Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad aren’t much different.

Second, the updated Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad are very similar to models that Apple has previously been selling. The big difference is that all the new accessories come with a USB-C to Lightning cable instead of a Lightning to USB cable. The new cable also has a new woven design. The only design difference is with the new Magic Trackpad, which has a refined shape to perfectly match the new Magic Keyboard.

All in all, there’s very little reason to upgrade to a new Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad if your current Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad is working just fine.

Touch ID won’t work on non-M1 Macs.

The new Magic Keyboards are the most different from their predecessors for a few reasons. They have new dedicated Function keys for Spotlight, Dictation and Do Not Disturb. They also come with a USB-C to Lightning cable with a woven design (just like Apple’s other new accessories). And they are the first Magic Keyboards to have a dedicated button for Touch ID.

Touch ID is the big upgrade because is it allows you to unlock your Mac with your fingerprint (rather than having to type in a password). You can also quickly verify purchases with Apple Pay. It’s a huge selling point for these new keyboards — but it won’t work with non-M1 Macs.

The reason for this that M1 chip allows the keyboard and Mac to communicate wirelessly in a really secure way, but can only be done a computer that has Apple’s M1 chip — so, the newest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini or even iPad Pros. If you have a Mac with an older Intel chipset, these new accessories will still work, but you won’t be able to use Touch ID.

All of Apple’s new accessories are available for purchase now on Apple’s website.

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Why a Discontinued Sonos Speaker Is Still in Absurdly High Demand

The Play:5 — specifically the 2015-“Gen-2” model — is one of the most beloved Sonos speakers of all time. For years, it was the company’s biggest and best-sounding standalone speaker (and the only one with a line-in connection to hook up a turntable). The problem is that, today, it’s really difficult to buy.

There’s a very sensible reason Sonos doesn’t make the Play:5 (Gen 2) anymore. Instead, it makes a version that looks and sounds virtually identical, and goes for the same $500 price, the Five. So what’s the problem? Nothing for new buyers. But it’s a major headache for anyone, like me, who owns a Play:5 (Gen 2) and wants to turn it into a larger system by making a stereo pair.

Gear Patrol

Sonos Five

Sonos sonos.com

Sonos says the upgraded internals of the Five are more future-proof, but that’s at the cost of being past-compatible: The Play:5 (Gen 2) and the Five can’t be stereo paired together. And, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s just no way around it.

This wouldn’t be such an issue if the Play:5 (Gen 2) speaker was easy to find and buy. But it isn’t. At all. A dwindling supply plus a growing demand for completing stereo apirs means these speakers are very much and even increasingly in demand. After all, until their resale price exceeds $1,000, it’s still cheaper to buy one at a markup to complete your stereo pair than it is to buy two new Fives.

There is one silver lining: The difficulty of buying a new Play:5 (Gen 2) prevents you from doubling down your investment on aging hardware. Though speakers are typically timeless (vintage units still sound incredible), the digital guts in Sonos speakers means that, eventually, they are all but certainly going to be left behind by new software. That’s a price you’re paying for conveince. And while getting rid of your Play:5 now is a headache, it may put the pain of obsolecense a little further off into the future.

Meanwhile, if you have a Play:5 (Gen 2) speaker and you really want a true stereo sound, you have a few options — but none of them are great.

Gear Patrol

Look out for a refurbished Play:5 (Gen 2) from Sonos.

Sonos doesn’t sell new Play:5 speakers anymore, but it does occasionally sell refurbished models from the “Certified Refurbished” section of its website, which normally go for $399. The problem is that they’re very rare. At the time of writing, the Play:5 (Gen 2) is the only new-ish Sonos speaker that you can’t buy a refurbished model of. You buy refurbished models of the Play:1, One, One SL, Arc, Beam, Playbar and Sub — but not the Play:5. And when Sonos does make refurbished models of the Play:5 (Gen 2) available, which is almost exclusively during the holidays, they sell out fast. Like, almost instantly.

Best Buy also occasionally sells refurbished Play:5 speakers but I can’t remember the last time they were available. (I’ve been looking for months.)

Buy a wicked expensive Play:5 (Gen 2) from Amazon.

If you go on Amazon, you can buy a new Play:5 (Gen 2) speaker — but it’s so expensive that it’s hardly justifiable. At the time of writing this, Amazon is currently selling them for $690 a pop, and that’s down from a peak price of $750 earlier this year. It’s an extremely hard sell considering that you can buy a Five, a newer version of that speaker, for several hundred bucks less. Or two Fives that you can actually pair for just a few hundred bucks more.

Buy a preowned Play:5 (Gen 2) from eBay.

The “best deal” you can get on a used Play:5 (Gen 2) speaker is if you were to buy one on eBay or from some other third-party seller. You can sometimes find them on eBay for less than $300. The problem that they aren’t certified refurbished by Sonos or Buy Buy’s Geek Squad, so you’re wading into unknown territory. Most third-party sellers have pretty good return policies, but you’re going to have to watch your step and be prepared for the possibility of an adventure if you take this route.

Bite the bullet and buy two new Fives.

Even if you don’t want to buy on eBay, you can try to get rid of your own used Play:5 (2nd Gen) by selling it on eBay, Craigslist, or elsewhere, and use that money to fund the purchase of a new pair of current-gen Fives.

You can’t trade in your Play:5 (Gen 2) speaker to Sonos which got rid of its controversial trade in program in 2020 and replaced it with an Upgrade Program. Instead, you can get a discount of up to 15 percent on new speakers if you provide proof of purchase for older ones. If you qualify for 15 percent discounts on both speakers (which you need to have two older Sonos speakers to be able to do), you’re going to get $150 off ($75 off each), bringing your total to around $850.

Maybe, just maybe, if you get lucky with your own Play:5 resale, you can come out having spent nothing more than a chunk of your time.

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7 Things You Didn’t Know Google Maps Could Do

Google Maps is by far the most popular navigation app with millions and millions of active users who love it for its simple-to-use interphase, robust features (such as real-time GPS navigation and integration with public transport schedules, like buses, trains, ferries and subways) and the fact that it works on basically any device you have, be it an iPhone or Android, Mac or PC. And Google added a bunch of new features.

Here’s what you need to know.

How to measure distance on Google Maps

It’s actually pretty easy to find the exact distance between locations when using Google Maps. If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, all you have to do is open the Google Maps app and drop a red pin by tapping and holding a spot anywhere on the map.

Then, look at the bottom of your screen which will now indicate the address of the pin you just dropped. Click on that address and you will see an option labeled “measure distance” just underneath the icon for “Directions.”

From here, you can scroll anywhere using the black crosshairs and it will tell you the distance of that location to your red pinned location. You can select the “+” icon to drop multiple points on the map and get the distance between all of them. (

If you’re using your computer, you can do the same thing by right-clicking anywhere on Google Maps and choosing “measure distance.”

How to navigate indoors with Google Maps

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Google recently introduced a new feature to Maps called Indoor Live View that essentially works the same way as Street View for outdoor locations (like streets, buildings or intersections), but for well-trafficked indoor locations. When inside the Maps app, you can switch to this Indoor Live View and your 2D map will turn into a 3D map and you’ll be given augmented reality directions to help you stir towards a specific shop in the mall, the baggage claim of an airport, or a specific bus or train terminal. The idea is that you can better find your way while in those crowded and tricky locations.

Indoor Live View isn’t available in every airport, mall or transit station, but Google has rolled out the feature across select cities, such as Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle.

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How to see the weather at your destination in Google Maps

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Google has added two “layers” to Maps that help people better prepare for the location that they are arriving in. First, there’s a new weather layer that, after you set a location, you’ll be able to quickly see the current and forecasted temperatures and weather conditions in that area; this way, you’ll know if it’s going to be raining or really hot before you get there and without having to open a separate app.

The other layer does the same thing but for air quality. After you set a location, you’ll be able to quickly see how healthy (or unhealthy) the air in that area is. You can use this information to remind yourself to bring a mask or your inhaler, or prevent you from even going to a place if the air quality is so bad.

How to find eco-friendly travel routes in Google Maps

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Google Maps is introducing a feature that will guide you (when driving) along an eco-friendly route, or a route with the lowest amount of carbon emissions, so long as it doesn’t affect the ETA of your journey too much. This feature will be on by default (although Google isn’t expected to roll it out to all Androids and iPhones until later this year) as its part of Google’s big initiative to fight climate change.

However, if you’re a speed demon who always wants to get to your location as fast as possible, you’ll have to opt out of it.

How to find eco-friendly restaurants in Google Maps

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If you’re looking to order from or go out to a restaurant, but you also want to make sure the restaurant is composting, recycling and just proactively being environmentally friendly, Google Maps recently rolled out a feature just for that. When researching a restaurant or shop, you’ll now be able to see an attribute for recycling (just click on the business, go to the About section and scroll down to Recycling).

If you’re a business, you can add an icon to your profile if you offer recycling (Here’s how). You can even specify which things you recycle, such as plastic bags, plastic household products, glass and even electronics. This way you can ensure that nothing you use at that business will end up in a landfill.

How to find the best biking route in Google Maps

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You know how ski mountains have different trail markings (like green circle, blue square or black diamond) depending on difficulty? Well, Google is doing something kind of similar for its biking routes. Specifically, after you type in your route, Maps uses machine learning to find you the smoothest route (it basically just takes into account the flatness or steepness of your route). This way, if you’re not a skilled biker or maybe you’re transporting something fragile (like groceries), you can choose the path with the least amount of peril.

How to avoid crowds on public transit with Google Maps

Google

Google is updating Maps with more crowdedness information, so that commuters using certain public transit can see how crowded a train or bus is at a particular time. The information, which is a mix of historical data based as well as real-time reporting from people using Maps, has been available for roughly 200 cities, but as of July 2021, Google is bringing it over 10,000 locations across 100 countries. To access this crowdedness information, all you have to do is navigate to a certain place using Maps, scroll down to see the Transit Details, and then scroll down to find crowdedness predictions.

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Thinking About Buying an iPad Mini? Here’s Why You Should Wait

Apple hasn’t updated the iPad mini in nearly two-and-a-half years, but that’s set to change since it’s expected to announce a refreshed version of its tiny iPad this fall. So, if you’ve been thinking about buying a iPad mini (which are frequently discounted on Amazon), you might want to hold off for a few months.

When Apple last refreshed the iPad mini in March 2019, it gave it a bunch of new features — an upgraded processor, a new Retina display and support for the first-generation Apple Pencil — but not a design overhaul; it still looked identical to the iPad mini from 2016. With the upcoming sixth-generation iPad mini, Apple is expected to give it a much needed design refresh.

Here’s what we know so far.

No more Home button

Like the recent iPad Pros and iPad Air, the upcoming iPad mini is expected to ditch the Home button to make room for a bigger display. According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the mini’s new design is expected to more closely resemble that of the recent iPad Air (but smaller, obviously, because we’re taking about the mini), meaning that Apple will likely integrate Touch ID into the side power button rather that upgrading the front-camera system so that it supports Face ID.

An edge-to-edge display

The current iPad mini has a 7.9-inch display. Thanks to the removal of the Home button and the slimming down of the bezels, Bloomberg‘s Gurman is predicting the next-generation iPad mini will have a slightly larger 8.4-inch display. The overall size of the new mini should remain be about the same.

A USB-C charging port?

As it stands, the iPad Air and the two iPad Pro models are the only current iPad models with a USB-C charging port; the current iPad mini and 10.2-inch iPad both still have Lightning charging ports. It seems odd that Apple would add a USB-C charging port to the upcoming mini considering that it’s still going to be an “entry-level” tablet, but that’s exactly what Jon Prosser, a known Apple leaker, is predicting.

No M1 chip

The upcoming iPad mini isn’t expected to get the M1 treatment. Instead, Prosser is predicting that Apple will give it an A14 chip, which is the same processor that it uses in the latest (fourth generation) iPad Air and the iPhone 12 models. This should still give the new mini quite the performance bump over its predecessor, which has Apple’s A12 Bionic chip (also found in the 2018’s iPhone XS).

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How to Use AirPods As a Gaming Headset

Yes, it’s possible to use your AirPods as an Xbox One gaming headset — in fact, you can use any pair of wireless earbuds or wireless headphones — and it’s pretty simple to do. But it’s far from perfect.

However, there’s a big caveat to using your AirPods (or any Bluetooth headphones) as a gaming headset — you’ll need to decide if you want to talk to friends or if you want to hear the in-game audio. Unfortunately, you can’t do both. This means that no competitive gamer should use AirPods as a gaming headset.

The reason why AirPods won’t play in-game audio is that the Xbox One (and Xbox Series consoles) don’t support Bluetooth. Microsoft has its own proprietary technology that allows a select few wireless headsets to work properly as gaming headsets, like its own Xbox Wireless Headset ($100) or the SteelSeries Arctis 9x ($200), but most wireless headphones don’t support that. That includes Apple’s AirPods.

If you want use your AirPods to hear the in-game audio and you’re OK with not talking to friends — maybe you’re not playing live and just trying to be quiet — you can buy a Bluetooth dongle, like Twelve South’s AirFly Pro ($55), and use its 3.5mm jack to connect to your Xbox controller.

But if you want to talk to your friends on Xbox Live using your AirPods and you’re OK with not hearing the in-game audio, you can do so without buying a dongle. All you need are a pair of AirPods, an Xbox and an iPhone (or Android) with the Xbox app. Here’s what to do:

1. Turn on your Xbox One.
2. Put on your AirPods and pair them with your iPhone.
3. Open the Xbox app on your iPhone.
4. Make sure you’re logged into your Xbox Live account.
5. Select the social tab (second from left) at the bottom of your screen.
6. If your friends are already online, select one of them and hit the headset icon.
7. (If you wish to start your own party, select the headset icon in the top-right corner.)

From here, you should be able to talk to your friends just like you would with a normal gaming headset. Just remember that you’ll want to have your iPhone nearby while you’re gaming, as that’s what your AirPods are connected to (not the Xbox or your controller). When finished, the easiest way to leave the party is to close the Xbox app on your iPhone.

For those wondering if it’s easier to use your AirPods as a gaming headset with your PlayStation, the answer is no. In fact, there’s not even a workaround using the PlayStation mobile app like there is with Xbox. Your only option is to get a Bluetooth adapter and connect to your controller; you’ll be able to hear the in-game audio, but won’t be able to chat with friends online.

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How to Download Spotify Music and Podcasts onto Your Apple Watch

If you wear an Apple Watch and you’re a Spotify Premium subscriber, the feature that you’ve long been waiting for is finally here. That’s right, you can finally download playlists, albums and podcasts from Spotify onto your Apple Watch for offline listening. Spotify announced the feature in late May, and it’s slowly been tricking it out to Apple Watch running the latest watchOS.

Hallelujah.

This is a huge deal because for years, you were only able to download music onto your Apple Watch for offline listening if you were an Apple Music subscriber. It was a great selling point for runners, for example, because it allowed them to leave their iPhone at home and still listen to music via their Apple Watch and wireless earbuds. (If you subscribe to Deezer, you also recently gained the ability to download music to your Apple Watch.)

Previously, the Spotify app on your Apple Watch had been incredibly limited, allowing you to play/pause, switch songs and adjust the volume of tracks playing on your iPhone. But without your iPhone nearby and tethered to your Apple Watch, it was basically useless. Thankfully that’s changing.

Spotify did make a small improvement for Apple Watch wearers last November. It rolled out an update that let them stream music from the Apple Watch without having their iPhone nearby so long as their Apple Watch was connected to Wi-Fi or LTE (the latter meaning they needed a cellular model). Unfortunately, since most people own the more affordable Wi-Fi-only Apple Watch, this didn’t drastically change their experience.

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Can I download Spotify Music to my Apple Watch?

The answer is yes, but there are two caveats. First, you need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber (meaning you have to be a paying subscriber). And secondly, you will need to have an Apple Watch that’s running watchOS 6.0 or later, meaning older Apple Watch models like the Series 2 and Series 1 won’t get this ability. Finally, you need to have the latest updated Spotify app on your Apple Watch.

How to download Spotify songs, albums and playlists to your Apple Watch

Downloading Spotify music onto your Apple for offline listening is very simple — and it can be done either on your iPhone or your Apple Watch. Before starting, make sure that your Apple Watch or iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi or LTE.

We recommend downloading when your Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi, otherwise it’s going to rely on your iPhone’s LTE connection, which is obviously going to drain data.

1. Open the Spotify app on your Apple Watch.
2. Find the music and podcasts you want to download.
3. Select the playlist, album or podcast and press the three dots (…) and choose “Download to Apple Watch.”
4. Once playlists, albums, or podcasts in your library are downloaded, you’ll see a little green arrow next to their names.
5. Connect your headphones and start listening.

Please note that Spotify is updating its app and rolling out this feature as we speak. So if you go to your music and don’t see the “Download to Apple Watch” option just yet — don’t worry. Give it a day or two and make sure your Apple Watch and iPhone are running the latest operating systems.

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5 New Gadgets to Have on Your Radar

It was a short week thanks to the July 4th holiday, but that didn’t stop the new tech gadgets from rolling out. From a Nintendo announcing an upcoming Switch console to DJI’s latest handheld gimbal — here’s what you need to know.

Nintendo Switch (OLED Model)

Nintendo

Nintendo announced that will be releasing a new Switch console on October 8. It’s not the Switch Pro that many fans were hoping for, unfortunately, as it’s not going to output 4K when docked to a 4K TV. Instead, the new Switch is going be the first with an OLED display, so its picture should be a little better (specifically, it should produce deeper blacks and have better contrast). It’s expected to have better speakers and a more adjustable kickstand. Other than that, the OLED model will be the same as regular Switch — just $50 more expensive.

Price: $350

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Plugable USBC-HUB7BC hub

Plugable

This is a first-of-its-kind of docking station. It has seven USB-A ports, all of which can charge and transfer data (up to 5Gbps) at the same time. It comes with USB-A (3.0) and USB-C adapter cable, too, so it can work with a newer USB-C laptop or older laptop with a USB-A connection. And its stackable design means you can add two (or three) in case you (or a classroom) need to charge a bunch of devices simultaneously.

Price: $49

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DJI Pocket 2 Sunset White

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DJI released the Pocket 2 back in late 2020. It was the second-generation version of the company’s popular handheld gimbal that was designed for vlogging. The new model still shot 4K video, but DJI gave it several meaningful upgrades, including a bigger sensor, a better lens (with a wider field-of-view and more zoom) and an improved microphone array. But whereas you could only get the Pocket 2 in black, the company has released a “sunset white” version.

Price: $439 (sold withe combo kit)

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Kensington StudioCaddy

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The StudioCaddy is neat little charging dock for your various Apple devices. It plugs into the wall for power, and has an integrated charging stand for your iPhone and a wireless charging pad for your AirPods Pro (or AirPods, should they support wireless charging). There are USB-C and USB-A ports on the side of the device to simultaneously charge your MacBook and iPad. And, thanks to its modular design, you can add vertical stands to hold said MacBook and iPad without taking up much desk space.

Price: $179

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Nothing Ear (1)

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Nothing, a tech company started by one of the co-founders of OnePlus, revealed this week that it’s gearing up to release its first hardware product on July 27. It’s going to be a pair of wireless earbuds called the Nothing Ear (1) — and people are hyped about them. According to a TechCrunch exclusive interview, the new earbuds will cost $99 and deliver active noise-cancellation and other “leading features.” Not only that, but are expected to be tiny and transparent, as you can see in the above picture (which was shared by Nothing’s Instagram account).

Price: $99

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This $50 USB-C Dock Is a Productivity Beast

Plugable just announced a beast of USB-C charging hub that’s also pretty darn cheap. It’s called the USBC-HUB7BC ($49) and it has seven different USB-A ports, all of which can charge and transfer data (up to 5Gbps) at the same time, which very few charging hubs that are this cheap can do.

The 7-in-1 hub comes with USB-A (3.0) and USB-C adapter cable, too, so you can easily hook it up to your newer USB-C laptop or older laptop with a USB-A connection. Basically, it can work with any Mac or Windows laptop.

Plugable

It might be overkill for most people, but the other cool thing about the USBC-HUB7BC hub is that it’s designed to be stackable with other USBC-HUB7BC hubs. So you can easily buy two or three of these hubs to get an extra 14 or 21 extra USB-A ports, meaning you can charge a lot of devices simultaneously.

The only real downside of Plugable’s new 7-in-1 charging hub is that there’s no ports other than USB-A, so you’ll need an adpter if you want to connect a special peripheral such as a SD card reader.

The Plugable USBC-HUB7BC is available on Amazon right now for $49, but there’s a special $10-off deal at launch so you can pick one up for even cheaper.

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