MacBook Air

Apple rumored to launch 12-inch MacBook alongside MacBook Air refresh

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

According to a forum post made by a reputable user on the Chinese website WeiPhone, Apple could release a new 12-inch MacBook in the near future. The slim notebook is expected to be released without a fan, and will feature a redesigned trackpad and Retina display. The all-new trackpad will lack a mechanical button for tactile clicking, leaving multi-touch gestures as the sole method of input.

This is the same user that leaked the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display in the past, making this rumor slightly more credible. It also helps that well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo already predicted last October that Apple will be launching a 12-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display at some point this year. The notebook will combine portability and productivity into one…

Poll: will Apple launch Retina MacBook Air in 2014?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

After transitioning its MacBook Pros to high-resolution Retina screens, the ultra-portable MacBook Air - my favorite Apple notebook of all time - has remained hopelessly stuck in the past with that normal-resolution display. I don't want to trade portability for power, but non-Retina computing just doesn't cut it for me anymore, simple as that.

I guess you could say I'm ready to upgrade to a Retina MacBook Pro, unless - unless Apple brings out a Retina Air at some point this year. Of course, it's always easy to argue that a Retina-fied MacBook Air is going to remain wishful thinking until all the technological pieces have fallen in place. After all, aren't Retina screens known as power and GPU hogs?

Yes, but fourth-generation Intel Core processors have made some great strides in power efficiency and graphics performances, as evidenced by the mid-2013 MacBook Air refresh: these systems now rock up to twelve-hour battery on the 13.3-inch model, or nine hours for the 11.6-inch version.

The bigger problem: Retina needs a powerful backlighting to push more light between those densely-packed pixels, in turn requiring a larger battery inside the Air's already ultra-thin enclosure.

Me, I'm willing to sacrifice battery performance and be back at six hours of runtime in exchange for that ultra-sharp Retina screen. Which brings me to my question of the day: is Apple going to give the MacBook Air a Retina treatment this year, do you think?

How to keep your MacBook awake while its lid is closed

Jeff Benjamin ∙ December 3, 2013

NoSleep is a handy menu bar utility that I use each and every day to keep my MacBook Air awake. It’s like speed for your Mac. Even with the lid on the MacBook closed, it stays awake.

The best thing about this utility is that it can be easily toggled on or off by means of a single click on its menu bar icon. NoSleep is a simple tool, yet it does feature a few options to customize the way it works. Have a look inside as I showcase NoSleep on video.

Show Us Your Setup: Sebastien Page’s work space

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 15, 2018

Following Jeff’s lead, I will be the one walking you through my set up today. Many people have this image of us having amazing set ups with top of the line everything, but as you’ll be able to tell from this post, my set up will probably look incredibly low tech, borderline outdated.

Sharing my hardware set up with you wouldn’t make much sense if I didn’t first explain what my daily work activity consists in. In any given day, all that will be running on my machine is Twitter, an email client, iMessage and of course my web browser. Because the browser is where I spend most of my day, I do not feel like I need the computing power of a supercharged computer.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at my setup...

Why I love the 11-inch MacBook Air

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 30, 2013

If you follow my rants on Let’s Talk iOS then you know that there’s a running joke about how many times I change my mind. In the last 2 years, I’ve switched from an iMac, MacBook Pro, another iMac, a MacBook Air, a Retina MacBook Pro and another MacBook Air. I don’t have to tell you that that’s insane, and probably not a healthy way to go about living your life.

But I’ve settled. I’ve settled on the machine for me. That machine is the 11" MacBook Air. It’s the MacBook with the exceptionally long battery life due to its Haswell processor. This — and trust me I would know — is the perfect computer for me. It’s probably the perfect computer for you as well; you just don’t realize it yet.

Show Us Your Setup: Jeff Benjamin’s work space

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Every so often, we'd like to showcase the work space of an iDB writer. We want to give you a behind the scenes look at our work spaces so that you can get to know us better.

A lot of people have asked me about my setup over the years, so I thought it would only be right if I'm the guinea pig in this test. In this edition of Show Us Your Setup, I showcase my writing, blogging, and video editing work space. In a later edition, perhaps I'll show you my entire video setup.

By and large, this is where I do 90% of my writing for iDB. It's also where I sit when recording and editing Let's Talk iOS. I also sit in this exact spot when editing videos, or doing any of the other day to day activities to help Sebastien keep iDB running smoothly. Inside, I'll explain some of features of my setup, the products I use, and my mindset when choosing this setup.

22 hours of battery life from a laptop? Toshiba says so

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

I've been tripping over my own words in order to find the right phrase to express my satisfaction with the new MacBook Air. At well over 10 hours of battery life from a single charge, it's been an absolute game changer for me.

I have the 11" variety of the MacBook Air, and while Apple's officially stated battery life is 9 hours, I've always done a bit better than that. The 13" variety officially gets 12 hours of battery life, but it wouldn't surprise me to see it get somewhere in the 13-14 hour range.

Apple is famously bearish when it comes to battery life predictions, which means users generally end up with the pleasant surprise of even higher numbers than Apple's company line. But now, out of seemingly nowhere, Toshiba is claiming that its upcoming 2.5 pound ultra book will get an insane 22 hours of battery life.

Unless those estimates are egregiously overstated, this could be very good news for the next generation MacBook Air.

Boston University could reap $75M in Apple patent infringement suit

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 3, 2013

Boston University (BU) could reap $75 million in a patent-infringement lawsuit filed against Apple Tuesday. The lawsuit centers on a patent filed in 1995 by a university professor which the school charges is used by the iPhone 5, iPad and MacBook Air.

The university has filed eight "identical" lawsuits against other device makers, including Samsung and Amazon. To bolster its argument that Apple should pay, the school is set to claim it is already receiving licensing fees for using the patent, according to a local report...

Wi-Fi Alliance launches 802.11ac certification

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

The so-called Gigabit Wi-Fi, better known as 802.11ac, has yet to be officially ratified but that hasn't stopped Apple from implementing the technology on the refreshed MacBook Air lineup and the redesigned AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule base stations, which were both announced during the WWDC keynote earlier this month.

That said, it's fairly safe to assume that Apple will also roll out 802.11ac across the upcoming iPhone 5S, iPad 5, iPad mini 2 and a next-gen Mac Pro, Apple TV and MacBook. For what it's worth, Apple reportedly partnered with chip maker Broadcom to outfit all Macs with 802.11ac chips.

Apple is usually among the first companies - if not the first - to implement each new major revision to the Wi-Fi standard. And while this allows Apple's customers to live on the bleeding edge of technology, it also exposes early adopters to their fair share of teething issues...

Apple introduces new MacBook Air, previews stunning new Mac Pro

Cody Lee ∙ June 10, 2013

We had a feeling that Apple was going to be showing off some new Mac hardware today. And it did. After giving a preview of the new OS X Mavericks update, Craig Federighi brought up Apple's marketing head Phil Schiller to talk about some new Macs.

First up, Schiller showed off some updated MacBook Airs. As expected, they're sporting Intel's new Haswell processors and other internal improvements that Apple says give it "all-day" battery life. Details on the Air and the stunning new MacBook Pro coming up...

X-Doria adds a puff of color to otherwise dull accessories

Jim Gresham ∙ May 14, 2013

Recently, a slew of my reviews focused around connections made at CES 2013. In a predictable unchanging fashion, X-Doria is a company I bumped into during my travels in Vegas. Fairly new to the accessory scene, I like the high density color schemes and puffing ink used to give texture to many items of the X-Doria product line.

A friend from the company recently sent over the Dash Icon hardshell for MacBook Air. The shell is currently only available for the 13" model and also includes the standard puffing ink design. With a slightly raised surface and bold color options, X-Doria's mission is to place their products between technology and fashion...

Bluelounge releases Mika, one stand to rule them all

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated September 30, 2013

It is almost redundant for me to begin another article expressing my love affair with quality iOS device stands, but, for the sake of tradition, allow my introduction sentence to lend credence to my lust. Bluelounge announced today, their newest product, the Mika, which is a simple stand for iPad, but strong enough to hold a full size MacBook. Thanks to a buddy at Bluelounge, I was able to get my hands on one for review prior to the announcement...