Mac OS 15.5.5 update introduces Battery Health Management for MacBooks

The latest update to Mac OS 10.5 Catalina has a new Battery Health Management setting that will enhance how MacBooks manage battery life specially for laptops that are often plugged in and docked for extended periods of time daily.

Granular battery management ensures that batteries last longer through time. From what we understand, this feature prevents batteries from charging to 100 percent, which increase temperature and shorten battery life. You might want to turn this off if you're going on a longer trip and need to max out your charge. Only a company like Apple, who creates the hardware as well as the OS and software integration can offer this level of control.

Apple said that the Battery Health Management feature will be available on all MacBooks that are equipped with Thunderbolt 3, so that means all MacBook Pro models from 2016 and later, and the 2018 or later MacBook Air. 

Samsung launches DeX app for Windows and Mac

If you have the new Samsung phones and want to use DeX app, you can now use it. The app is now available for Windows 7 and 10 and Mac systems. You can now connect your Galaxy phone to your computer, helping turn your smartphone into a computer. Aside from being able to play games, access local files for a presentation, DeX makes it possible for you to use your computer's keyboard and mouse to control your Galaxy smartphone. There are also apps that are optimized to provide you with a good experience on Samsung DeX, including Microsoft Office, YouTube, Adobe Premiere Rush, and Twitch.

Source: PocketNow

mac OS High Sierra to ship on September 25

Apple will release the latest version of the mac OS operating system, called High Sierra on September 25. Available for free and compatible with Macs from 2009 onwards, High Sierra introduces a new space saving file system (APFS), a new video codec, compatibility with external GPUs plus improved VR support to work well with newer hardware. Safari, Photos and other native and included applications will receive a visual and functional upgrade as well.

New Logitech keyboard introduces smart, customizable dial

The new Logitech keyboard has a bit of magic going on for it—or at least it seems like it. The aptly called Craft keyboard brings with it a “creative input dial” similar to what we see on the Surface Dial. The great thing about this is it work with Windows and Mac. The Craft’s dial comes with built-in integration for seven apps at the moment: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, and InDesign as well as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. However, the Microsoft programs are currently limited to Windows use. On top of that, the dial can also be used for more generic functions like volume control or forward or back on pages—if the program supports that. The dial itself is touch sensitive so when you tap on it, it’ll bring up contextual options, which you can see in the video above. It shows, for example, if you select the brush tool, you just tap on the dial and show you different brush tool options like size, softness, etc.

The keyboard itself is built with the same Flow technology used in the MX series of mice, which means you can switch from up to three devices by just moving the mouse over or with a press of a button. And since it’s designed to work with both Mac and PC, you get keys listing for both systems and have specialized function keys work the same on whatever system you are on. The Craft connects to your computer via Bluetooth, Logitech’s Unifying Receiver, or a wired USB-C port. Don’t worry there is a USB-A to USB-C cable in the package. The keyboard is made with soft matte black plastic mixed with an aluminum bar to give some heft and stability to the top of the accessory. The Craft will be available in October for US$199.99 (around CA$250).

Source: The Verge