Computers

macOS Monterey now available

Time to upgrade!

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macOS Monterey

If you’re feeling left out with the release of the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros equipped with M1 Pro and M1 Max, the next best thing is here and it’s free. macOS Monterey, the OS that comes with the aforementioned MacBooks, is now available as a free update for selected Mac models.

If you’re wondering which Macs are compatible, then we got you covered. This way, you know if you’re really already due for an upgrade.

  • iMac — Late 2015 and later
  • Mac Pro — Late 2013 and later
  • iMac Pro — 2017 and later
  • MacBook Air — Early 2015 and later
  • Mac mini — Late 2014 and later
  • MacBook — Early 2016 and later
  • MacBook Pro — Early 2015 and later

To find out if your Mac still qualifies, simply click on the Apple logo on the top-left corner of your device, and select ‘About This Mac’. From there you’ll know what kind and what year your Mac falls on. There are also other ways to check which you can look at here.

As for what exactly you’re getting with macOS Monterey, watch this video for the best features!

Can’t watch? Here’s a quick rundown.

Shortcuts

Initially introduced on iOS, Shortcuts is essentially a way to cut down the time you spend to execute tasks you repeat regularly. There’s a rich gallery of pre-built actions designed just for Mac like being able to instantly share files, make animated GIFs, and more.

Shortcuts is integrated throughout macOS, including the menu bar, Finder, Spotlight, and even hands-free with Siri. What happens to automator now? Users can easily import existing Automator workflows into Shortcuts and be up and running right away.

Universal Control

For Apple users with multiple devices, Universal Control will be a godsend. This lets users work with a single mouse and keyboard and move between Mac and iPad for a seamless experience, with no setup required. Users can drag and drop content back and forth between devices like it’s nothing.

New Safari

Safari adds a new tab design, including a redesigned tab bar and Tab Groups, so users can browse the web in new ways.

A new tab bar takes on the color of the webpage and combines tabs, the tool bar, and the search field into a single compact design.

Tab Groups offer a new way to easily save and manage tabs. They also sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad, so users can continue their project from anywhere and easily share tabs with other Apple users.

Other improvements and features

SharePlay — Works similarly to the one on iOS where you can have a listening or watch party via Apple Music and Apple TV with people you’re in a FaceTime call with.

Shared with You — Makes it easy to locate and enjoy all the great content that’s shared through Messages, including photos, videos, articles, and more, right from a Shared with You tab within various Apple apps.

Live Text — Uses on-device machine learning to detect text in photos, including phone numbers, websites, addresses, and tracking numbers, so users can copy and paste, make a phone call, open a website, and easily find more information

Privacy — Mail Privacy Protection let users choose whether emails can collect information about their Mail activity, and the Mac recording indicator now shows which app is accessing the Mac’s microphone.

Accessibility — Lets anyone add alternative image descriptions right from Markup, and improved Full Keyboard Access and new cursor customization options provide more flexibility when navigating Mac.

Computers

3D printing made accessible: Bambu Lab moves closer to everyday consumers

Empowering consumers to create tangible objects

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Photos from Rodneil Quiteles

China-based brand Bambu Lab makes an effort to move closer to everyday consumers in the Philippines with a new retail partner by holding a media and creators roundtable in the Philippines. This was a bid to reshape how consumers perceive and use 3D printing technology.

Established in Shenzhen, China in 2020, Bambu Lab aims to make 3D printing more accessible, practical, and relevant to daily life through printers and other supplies.

The goal is to support practical home use, creative hobbies, product design, and even specialized tools, while putting emphasis on ease of use.

With such optics, Bambu Lab is trying to make consumers feel that there is less deep technical knowledge required and that they can actually create physical objects with 3D printing.

One of their products is the entry-level Bambu Lab A1 mini, which is compact enough to fit on a small desk.

The brand also has more advanced models which are capable of printing multiple colors and materials on a single run.

To complement the hardware ecosystem, Bambu Lab’s open platform MakerWorld lets users browse, select, and print from an extensive library of shared 3D designs directly from their own desktops.

The platform features a wide variety of objects across multiple categories. There’s household items, DIY tools, children’s toys, props, and educational materials.

In the Philippines, Bambu Lab will open its first concept store at One Ayala, Makati City. The concept corner will give mallgoers the opportunity to see the range of 3D printers and consumables firsthand.

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Computers

Next-gen AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D desktop processor out soon

Built for the most demanding titles

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The next-generation AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D desktop processor will be available for sale starting January 29. It has a standard pricing of US$ 499.

Built for enthusiasts, the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 series processor features a +400MHz improvement to the boost clock, building on the legacy of the 9800X3D.

This makes the “world’s fastest gaming processor” even faster. AMD says their offering boasts of an average 27% gaming performance improvement over the Intel Core Ultra 9 285k.

On paper, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D has a maximum boost clock speed of up to 5.6GHz, and a base clock speed of 4.7GHz.

The new 8-core, 16-thread processor is aided by 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache technology, so a high-frequency memory is not required.

Across an average of more than 30 games played, the FPS difference between a DDR5-4800 and a  DDR5-6000 was below 1%.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is ideal for running demanding titles, i.e. AAA games, at maximum FPS. Initial checks also suggest the processor stays efficient in spite of higher speeds.

For connectivity, the processor has two memory channels for a maximum 192GB of DDR5 memory. It can also support four USB 3.2 Gen 2s and a USB 2.0.

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Computers

Acer introduces Ryzen AI Max-powered Veriton mini workstation

Built to support the heaviest workloads

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Acer has officially expanded its lineup of Veriton desktop computers with the release of the Acer Veriton RA100 AI mini workstation.

This Copilot+ PC is powered by AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processors to support even the heaviest of workloads for gamers, creators, and other professionals.

Armed with AMD Radeon 8060S graphics, 50 TOPS NPU, and 60 TFLOPS, the Veriton RA100 delivers up to 120 billion parameters for demanding workloads.

These include running AI models, developing and deploying generative AI applications, 3D design, and content creation at high resolutions.

The RA100 accelerates such tasks, and optimizes design, coding, and even gaming with the help of AI.

In addition, the RA100 also supports ultra-fast and high storage capacity. It has a four channel memory of up to 128GB DDR5 and up to 4TB SSD storage.

The workstation comes with adaptive performance modes to allow users to adjust the power. There’s Silent Mode for general tasks, balanced Mode for lightweight multitasking, and Performance Mode for the extra juice for AI computing and AAA gaming.

For connectivity, the RA100 comes with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, plus an RJ45 port and Kensington lock slot.

Acer Veriton desktops also launched

Acer has also launched new Acer Veriton AIO desktops — the Vero 4000 and Vero 6000 — alongside the RA100.

These all-in-one desktops blend strong AI performance with robust security in a sleek design for modern workplaces.

They are powered by Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 2 processors, with up to 64GB memory and up to 2TB storage.

The Veriton Vero 4000 sports Intel Graphics, while the Vero 6000 comes with Intel vPro for enhanced capabilities.

Both AIOs feature a 23.8-inch 144Hz FHD touch display. The ergo stand and VESA mount support flexible workspace setups as well.

Additional features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, RJ45, and a 5MP infrared webcam.

Acer Veriton 2000 large tower, AIO

Lastly, Acer has also introduced the Veriton 2000 Large Tower and Veriton 2000 All-In-One for further options.

The large tower likewise comes with Intel Core Ultra 9 Series processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 graphics, making it a high-performance desktop PC.

It is designed to streamline AI-assisted content creation and other everyday productivity tasks. With NVIDIA Blackwell, the GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators.

Meanwhile, the Veriton 2000 AIO has Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processors, Intel Graphics, and ample memory and storage.

It has a 23.8-inch FHD display as well, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 250 nits brightness.

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