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D-Link’s new Ultra Performance routers look as bold as they are quick

The routers in D-Link's Ultra Performance series are visually striking and offer 802.11ac speeds ranging from 3.1 to 5.3Gbps — not to mention support for Gigabit Ethernet and network storage over USB 3.0.

D-Link has never been known for its design — I mean, the Taiwanese company manufacturers routers for Christ’s sake. Its reputation may change with the introduction of its powerful Ultra Performance series, however, a trio of powerful routers with bold style.

Dubbed the AC5300 DIR-895L/R, the AC3200 DIR-890L/R, and the AC3100 DIR-885L/R, each showcases an aggressive design of hard angles paired with, in some models, a deep cherry red shimmer. The internal hardware of each device is as striking as the exterior, too, with 802.11ac tri-band beamforming speeds ranging between 3.1 and 5.3Gbps. Each supports Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0, and moreover, lets you control the entirety of your home network via your mobile device. That feature should make setting up parental controls, guest networks, and QoS a breeze, regardless of which router you opt for.

The differences between the three seem minor, but they’re important. The AC5300 DIR-895L/R is poised to be the first tri-band router on the market capable of delivering full Wi-Fi bandwidth of up to 5,300Mbps. Whereas the two 5GHz bands are rated up to 2,165Mbps, the router’s lone 2.4GHz band can deliver up to 1,000Mbps. Although the AC3200 DIR-890L/R is also a tri-band router, its 2.4GHz band can only deliver up to 600Mbps and its dual 5GHz bands each 1,300Mbps. The AC3100 DIR-885L/R only offers two Wi-Fi bands – a 2.4GHz and 5GHz band – delivering a total bandwidth of 3,100Mbps.

What’s more, both the DIR-885L/R and DIR-895L/R routers incorporate the latest multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology, which enables simultaneous transmission to groups of clients and makes the most of the available Wi-Fi network capacity. Newegg is currently offering the six-antenna AC3200 DIR-890L/R for $310, with the other two slated for release sometime next quarter at an unspecified price.

The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.

The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.

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.