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Apple unveiled a new MacBook Air today, and apart from the new M5 chip, things don't look remarkably different. Sure, it's getting a mild refresh, but maybe not in the way most people would want. Namely, it's more expensive — a $100 price bump across all models. In exchange, the MacBook Air M5 does get faster performance and double the storage.
If you placed the MacBook Air M4 and the M5 in front of me, I wouldn't be able to tell which was which. The M5 offers an overall CPU/GPU performance boost, along with some extra storage and double the file transfer speeds. Still, I didn't expect a radical change, but I wish we got more for that extra $100.
It's not worth jumping to the MacBook Air M5 if you've got the M4 unit already, but if you're working with an older model, then it may be worth the switch, especially if you're a professional. Like the rest of Apple's new suite of products, pre-orders start at 9:15AM ET on March 4. I'd wait until full reviews are published before committing to spending money, though. Still, if all you care about are the specs and what they mean, we've got a pretty good idea of all that.
MacBook Air M5 vs. MacBook Air M4: Performance and battery lifeNaturally, the biggest difference between the MacBook Air M5 and the MacBook Air M4 is their chipsets. While the price did go up, we also got double the storage in the MacBook Air M5, jumping from 256GB to 512GB at the base configuration for both sizes. Upgraded configurations start at 1TB.
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 With the debut of the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, Apple tweaked the available configurations for the standard M5 ?MacBook Pro?.
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 Elgato's Stream Deck helped popularize using a macro pad among aspiring livestreamers and regular desk jockeys, so it's only natural for the brand to continue to expand on its lineup. After announcing a suite of new Stream Deck devices last year, Elgato is kicking off 2026 with the Stream Deck XL, a larger version of the already big Stream Deck XL, and a collection of new audio accessories that should help improve sound mixing in and out of livestreams.
The Stream Deck XL not only expands on the number of buttons on the regular Stream Deck XL (from 32 customizable buttons to 36 customizable buttons), but also introduces multiple new control options, including a touch strip and six dials. All the controls on the new Stream Deck are customizable, and the presence of the touch strip means you can receive visual feedback about adjustments you're making while you're making them. The new macro pad should still work well as a way to quickly end a live stream or queue up a transition, and Elgato says that paired with its new Wave XLR Pro audio interface, the Stream Deck XL could also become a straightforward tool for sound mixing, too.
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We're at the start of another one of those weeks where Apple announces one or two of its lesser products each day. The first pair to break cover is the iPhone 17e and iPad Air M4, with more due to drop as the calendar rolls forward. The iPhone 17e is by far the more interesting gadget, especially as the price remained the same as for the iPhone 16e. Apple is charging $599 for the 17e, even though the base model storage has doubled to a very welcome 256GB.
The 17e also gains several features that were held back from the equivalent budget handset last year. The most notable is perhaps the addition of MagSafe at Qi2 speeds, enabling users to wirelessly charge their device at 15W. Keen-eyed spec-list nerds will also spot Apple's C1X proprietary wireless chip, which offers comparable speed to the Qualcomm models it will eventually replace, but with far better power efficiency.
The iPad Air, by comparison, is the very model of a modern major iterative spec revision to keep it up to date. The M3 has been upgraded to an M4, and it'll get the same home grown wireless chips (N1 and C1X), blessing it with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. Apple is also adding some more RAM to the iPad Air, boosting it from 8GB to 12GB, but without adding any more digits to the price.
As someone who's still clinging on to an iPhone 14, the generous storage and low cost of the iPhone 17e is intriguing. And it's a far more attractive package than whatever Apple was trying to offer with the
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Commentary: Something that's compact but still lets me shoot pro-grade video sounds like the dream for a YouTuber like me.
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 Alongside the all-new, higher-end Studio Display XDR, Apple has updated the regular version of the Studio Display with some new features.
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This is your step-by-step guide to creating distilled water at home for regular use or emergencies.
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