Built-in laptop speakers suck. Even the best we’ve tested barely manage to cough up enough volume for the occasional YouTube video, much less playing real music with any appreciable volume. And getting even a murmur of bass? Forget about it.
Asus, a company not unfamiliar with the notebook sound issue, has its own take on a solution. Rather than launching the typical pair of bland desktop stereo speakers, the company took a cue from recent trends in the home theater world in introducing the uBoom – a pair of aftermarket notebook speakers packaged neatly into a soundbar.
As the name suggests, the uBoom takes on a stick-like form factor with dual two-inch drivers mounted in nozzle-like enclosures at each end. A separate 2.5-inch subwoofer makes itself at home in the center. To make the uBoom double as a notebook dock, its full aluminum enclosure has a shelf-like edge to prop up a notebook on when it’s in use. Since it delivers a full 24 watts RMS, the uBoom requires its own 12V DC power supply. A smaller version of the uBoom, the uBoom Q, will tap the notebook itself for power using only a USB connection. Both use USB connections (rather than analog jacks) for audio data, allowing them to pull 2.1-channel sound from a notebook regardless of its sound outputs, and effectively replacing a notebook’s onboard sound processing. Auxiliary analog inputs also make it possible to connect non-notebook sources (like MP3 players), and the full-size uBoom even has a built-in microphone.
At 6.6 pounds and 23.4 inches long, the uBoom could hardly be called portable, but the uBoom Q, which weighs less than a pound, certainly fits that description. Asus has formally announced both models, but they still lack ship dates and prices. More information is available directly from Asus.
Apple has just introduced a redesigned MacBook Pro with a few bells and whistles. The focus this time around is on a thinner and lighter build, and an upgrade to a touch-sensitive OLED screen without any ugly notch. And, in case you were wondering, there is definitely a price premium to pay for these niceties, which also include a glowing Apple logo at the back. What if you wanted to get the best that Apple has to offer? Well, the numbers are finally here.
For a mere $14,549, you can get yourself the fully kitted 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR with the beefiest laptop chip that Apple has to offer, and the best memory configuration in tow. For nearly $15,000, you treat yourself to the 16-inch version of the laptop with a nano-texture glass layer on the screen to reduce reflections and glare.
Apple has unveiled its first-ever touchscreen MacBook Pro. The company seems a bit confused about the naming, calling it the "MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display," which is tough to remember. If you look past that and review the full spec sheets, you might ask a genuine question: what are the differences between the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions?
Given that Apple continues to sell both variants together, that's a genuine question. Luckily, you don't have to spend more time lining up the spec sheets side by side and hunting for differences hidden in the fine print. I took that bullet for you. Here's everything that's different between the PROLED XDR Display and the regular MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro you can touch is genuinely exciting. We've been talking about it for more than a year. All the pent-up anticipation has finally ended. But now there's a new headache: pricing.
The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is available in two screen sizes: 14-inch and 16-inch. Pre-orders open today, October 28, 2026, and deliveries and store stock follow on Friday, November 6, 2026.