Computers

macOS Monterey now available

Time to upgrade!

Published

October 26, 2021

GadgetMatch

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.

Related Topics:Apple Mac MacOS macOS Monterey

Accessories

Acer PA100 portable SSD brings fast, flexible storage on the go

Up to 2TB

Published

September 4, 2026

GadgetMatch

Acer is expanding its storage lineup with the PA100 Portable SSD. It’s a compact external drive designed for users who need faster storage across multiple devices.

The PA100 uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity. It reaches sequential read speeds of up to 560MB/s and write speeds of up to 430MB/s. This makes it suited for everyday tasks such as transferring large files, backing up content, managing documents, and moving media between devices.

Up to 2TB of portable storage

The PA100 comes in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. This gives users options depending on whether they need extra space for documents and schoolwork or larger collections of photos, videos, and project files.

Acer also designed the drive with mobility in mind. The PA100 has a slim 9mm profile and a lightweight build, while its reinforced construction is designed to withstand everyday travel and handling.

The drive comes with a 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C and USB-A cable. This allows it to connect to compatible PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other devices without requiring a separate adapter. It also supports major operating systems and USB-C mobile platforms.

Designed for everyday use

Power efficiency is another focus. Acer says the PA100 uses less than 3W during operation, while idle power consumption can drop to as low as 0.62W.

The drive also features an optimized thermal design to help maintain stable performance during extended transfers and daily workloads.

The Acer PA100 Portable SSD is backed by a three-year limited warranty. Pricing and availability may vary by market.

Computers

New Mac mini starts at a whopping $899, only 256GB of storage

It comes with the M6 or the M5 Pro.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Almost two decades ago, Apple was infamous for being an anti-gamer brand. Though the company’s devices touted superior protection against viruses, they couldn’t play video games, alienating a significant chunk of the population and forcing them onto PCs. For a while now, the Mac has changed the status quo, bringing in more powerful hardware that can play games. Today, Apple is championing that cause further through the newly launched Mac mini.

Compared to the chunkier Macs, the Mac mini has a lithe 5” x 5” profile, emphasizing the “mini” in its name. Despite the size, the new mini will tout two flavors of Apple silicon: the M6 and the M5 Pro.

The M6 variant delivers with up to two times faster gaming performance with ray tracing when running Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, compared to the previous M4 version. Meanwhile, the M5 Pro version touts up to 4.5 times faster rendering performance with ray tracing in Blender, compared to the M2 Pro. It will come with macOS 27 Golden Gate out of the box.

You won’t have to worry about connectivity, either. The Mac mini comes with compatibility for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet (going up to 10Gb in upgraded versions). It will also have two USB-C ports, three Thunderbolt 5 ports (but only Thunderbolt 4 for the M6 version), and HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a headphone jack.

Unfortunately, price seems to be another thing that it’s getting from PCs. The new Mac mini has an increased starting price. Specifically, the M6 version starts at US$ 899 (with only 256GB of storage), and the M5 Pro version starts at US$ 1,699 (for 512GB of storage). Preorders are open now, but they ship out on September 22.

Computers

ASUS unveils TUF Gaming T700, T700 Mini

Built for extreme operational demands

Published

August 21, 2026

GadgetMatch

ASUS has announced the arrival of its latest TUF Gaming desktop lineup models: the TUF Gaming T700 and TUF Gaming T700 Mini.

These new offerings bring heavy-duty performance and military-grade durability to gamers, engineered to endure extreme operational demands while delivering rock-solid stability.

The new ASUS TUF Gaming T700, in particular, is engineered to take on modern AAA titles with its uncompromising performance.

It has an aggressive mecha-inspired MIL-STD chassis, including a transparent side panel to put powerful components on display. Vibrant orange ambient lighting also adds a bold finishing touch.

Inside is an AMD Ryzen 7 8700F processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU for high-frame rate gaming.

The T700 also features a robust thermal solution equipped with quad 65 CFM fans and a 240mm liquid cooler.

Meanwhile, the TUF Gaming T700 Mini is tailored for competitive gamers while maintaining a compact, battle-tested chassis.

It has an Intel Core Ultra 5 225F desktop processor, paired with with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics.

This combination provides seamless multitasking, crisp visuals, and reliable frame rates across today’s popular titles.

The internal hardware is cooled by a custom thermal matrix featuring dedicated copper heat pipes and a heavy-duty 90mm cooling fan.

True to the TUF Gaming legacy, the T700 Mini is likewise MIL-STD tested to endure extreme operational demands.