When it comes to so-called “computer speakers,” it’s hard to know which brands to trust. For whatever reason, it’s rare to see recognized audio manufacturers producing computer speakers. Rare exceptions would include Harman Kardon, Bose, and B&W, but there’s always room for one more seat at the table. Now, Cambridge Audio has come to the party with a new 2.1 audio system called the Minx M5 which features a subwoofer and two satellite speakers with a desktop control hub.
The system has a USB audio input and its own digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that Cambridge Audio says can process digital audio “much purer” than a computer’s soundcard can. This is one of the system’s best features, the company says, particularly because it makes everything from streaming audio, video and video games sound better than they normally would.
Each satellite has a 2-inch driver powered by 15 watts. They’re also quite small, measuring no more than 3-inches in height, width or depth.
The subwoofer is small enough to be hidden from sight completely, measuring about 8-inches in height, width and depth. It includes an integrated digital amplifier that can pump out enough juice to fill a room with high-quality sound. The adjustable bass control lets users tune the Minx M5 based on the woofer’s location.
The desktop control hub takes care of power and volume adjustment, with a 3.5 mm auxiliary input for plugging in any audio playback device, plus a headphone jack for private listening. The system’s speaker stands and cables all come included in the box.
The Minx M5 is available now direct from Cambridge Audio and select retailers for $230.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.