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By 2026, the refurbished Mac market has matured into a genuinely compelling alternative to buying new — and the 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro or M1 Max remains one of the smartest picks on the second-hand shelf. Launched in October 2021 as a landmark redesign, the 14-inch and 16-inch models introduced Apple's first purpose-built pro chips, a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, MagSafe 3, and a proper port selection. Four years on, these machines still handle demanding creative and professional workloads without breaking a sweat, yet refurbished prices have dropped to a point where the value proposition is difficult to argue with.
TL;DR — The 2021 MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch are exceptional refurbished buys in 2026. The M1 Pro and M1 Max chips remain genuinely capable for video editing, design, and software development, and quality-graded refurbished units with strong warranties are widely available. This guide covers what to look for, which model suits which user, and how to buy with confidence.
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Read more: 2021 Apple MacBook Pro M1 - the Best Choice Refurbished Mac
Apple's MacBook Pro range is the benchmark for performance in both creative and professional workloads. This article provides a thorough comparison of the M1 Max, M2 Max, M3 Max, and M4 Max processors found in Apple's 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models since October 2021. The Max moniker denotes the most powerfully equipped MacBook Pro that can be found, so this isn't about lower end bargain MacBooks, instead the focus of this article is on differences in performance, specifications, features, pricing, and suitability for various user needs of these top-end MacBook Pro computers.
TL;DR – The newly released M4 Max outshines its predecessors—the M1 Max, M2 Max, and M3 Max—in multiple performance aspects, including CPU and GPU power, SSD speeds, sustainability credentials and application efficiency, though it comes at a much higher price than a user or refurbished model. Users looking for peak performance and newer features without budget constraints should go for the M4 Max, while those on a budget can still find excellent value in the refurbushed market for M3, M2 or M1 Max models. The M1 Max is particularly noteworthy, delivering much of the compute power and most of the features that current new model has, at a fraction of the price, with software updates guaranteed for years to come! My pick would be a 14-inch M1 Max (MacBookPro18,4) or M2 Max (Mac14,5), maxed out as much as my budget and reputable refurbished availability allows! I ended up with a 16-in M1 Max with 64 GB 10-Core CPU/32-core GPU and 1 TB SSD. It is a rugged rocket ship and the battery lasts for days.
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Read more: Deeply Comparing the MacBook Pro M1 M2 M3 and M4 Max
Home routers supplied by UK cable providers have long been a source of frustration for anyone wanting to do more than browse the web. Virgin Media's Hub 5 — still the standard-issue device for most Virgin Media broadband customers in 2026 — is a meaningful step forward from its predecessors, and it does support port forwarding properly. Whether you're self-hosting a service, running a home lab, accessing a NAS remotely, or exposing a local API to the outside world, understanding how to configure the Hub 5 correctly is worth your time. This article covers TCP port forwarding, DMZ configuration, DHCP reservations, modem mode trade-offs, and the security considerations that come with punching holes through your router.
TL;DR — Port forwarding on the Virgin Media Hub 5 works, and the interface is straightforward. The main pitfalls are DHCP address drift (solved with a reservation), Virgin's own port blocking in standard router mode (relevant if you need ports like 25 or 80), and the temptation to use DMZ when targeted port forwarding would be safer. Read on for the full picture.
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Read more: How set up Port Forwarding or a DMZ with a Virgin Media Hub 5
Secure Shell (SSH) keys provide a method of authenticating connections to various services which is particularly useful with virtual servers like Amazon EC2 instances where it is often the best or only way to connect to the server in the AWS console. This guide details the process of creating and adding an SSH key from a local computer with Ubuntu Linux to the authorized_keys file of an AWS EC2 instance. It covers the creation of SSH key pairs, the procedure to access the instance and update the authorized_keys file, and considerations to ensure the continued accessibility of the instance.
TL:DR – The process of adding or replacing an SSH key on an AWS EC2 instance allows secure access management for different users. This includes generating a new SSH key, connecting to the instance via SSH, updating the authorized_keys file, and testing the connection. Regularly updating SSH keys is good practice to maintain security, especially in collaborative environments. Additionally, proper management of the authorized_keys file is crucial to prevent accidental lockouts.
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Read more: How to create and add SSH Keys to AWS EC2 Authorized Keys
Ammazon Coins are no longer available for purchase as of February 20, 2025. You'll need to use any unused Amazon Coins in your account before August 20, 2025. After August 20, 2025, Coins can no longer be used in the Amazon Appstore, and any Coins you have purchased that remain in your account after August 20, 2025 will be refunded.
TL:DR – The deprecation or sunset of the Amazon Coins product means you need to act now to use any you may have accumulated.
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Read more: Grab some useful apps with Amazon Coins before they expire!
While initially appearing to be a minor configuration change, integrating Microsoft Remote Desktop Dervices (RDS) licensing via AWS Licence Manager with Windows Server in an Amazon EC2 environment with AWS Managed AD necessarily requires a quite complex Windows Server and AWS setup.
It demands precise configuration across both AWS services and Windows Server environments. A pre-requisite for attemting this is a deep understanding of the points at which these services from different vendors intersect. Proper configuration of AWS License Manager and adjustments in EC2 at the instance level and within AWS Managed Active Directory are critical to success. The end result is a robust and properly licensed installation of Remote Desktop Services for your Windows Servers which supports Microsoft Remote Desktop access, conveniently billed through AWS billing.
TL:DR – This is, I would say, moderately to very difficult. You'll need all the credentials for Windows and AWS. And patience. It took me quite a while, several days to make it work, and to document and test it for a client. Note: All the screenshots here are from my own AWS environment and the values are dummy values.
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Read more: Microsoft RDS via AWS License Manager in EC2 with Managed AD
Digital security is so important today to your digital well-being today. Transitioning from one two-factor authentication (2FA) application is a royal pain in the ass, but necessary for Microsoft Authentictor users. This article explores why you need to switch from Microsoft Authenticator to Authy, an alternative that offers synchronisation across multiple devices added functionalities and a roadmap not a sunset. We will address the steps for a smooth transition, and discuss both the benefits and potential concerns associated with using Authy.
TL:DR – The switch from Microsoft Authenticator to Authy is straightforward, involving the temporary disabling of 2FA on your accounts, re-enabling it with Authy, and understanding how to manage device synchronisation. You need to move because Microsoft Authenticator is going away. Act now, before its too late and you are in a world of pain. "After August 2025, your saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator and any generated passwords not saved will be deleted" - Microsoft web site.
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Read more: Why You Should Switch from MS Authenticator to Authy Today