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Effective presentation tools are crucial these days. macOS has introduced the Presenter Overlay feature, enabling users to project themselves seamlessly over shared content during video calls. This article will explore the functionality of Presenter Overlay, its integration with various applications, as well as an overview of other video and audio features available in macOS that enhance videoconferencing experiences.
TL:DR – The Presenter Overlay in macOS allows users to maintain their presence while presenting on video calls, promoting engagement and interaction. The feature faces integration challenges with popular applications, but its overall functionality is an innovative leap for virtual presentations. Leveraging additional video features such as Reactions, Background Replacement, and mic modes can significantly enhance the videoconferencing experience.
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The process of installing macOS onto an external storage device to use it as a startup disk is straightforward, yet a number of pitfalls lie in wait for the unsuspecting user. In this article, we'll look at some of the new technical intricacies involved with the latest release of macOS. The journey may include technical gremlins, incompatible hardware, and installation dilemmas that might drive one to the brink of madness.
TL:DR – The task of installing macOS on an external storage device is fraught with potential missteps, ranging from format compatibility issues to boot security settings. What seems straightforward is often complicated by hardware considerations and procedural nuances. It’s crucial to verify device formatting, understand the implications of using an Apple Silicon based Mac, and select the correct ports for installation. Proceed with caution to avoid the common traps that could leave your external disk non-bootable.
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Read more: Pitfalls When Creating a macOS External Startup Disk
The macOS Terminal is a powerful interface allowing users to interact with the underlying UNIX-based architecture of macOS. Understanding some essential commands boosts efficiency and opens up new capabilities in managing your Mac. This article covers fundamental commands, file management techniques, network operations, process control, and more.
TL:DR – The macOS Terminal offers vital commands like navigating directories, file manipulation, network troubleshooting, and process management. Mastering these commands can significantly enhance your productivity and control over your system.
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By 2026, the term "enshittification" — popularised by writer Cory Doctorow to describe the slow degradation of digital products as corporate interests crowd out user needs — has moved from tech-Twitter provocation to mainstream vocabulary. Nowhere is that degradation more visible, or more symbolic, than in Microsoft's ongoing transformation of Notepad. What was for four decades the leanest, most honest application in Windows has become a staging ground for AI features, account sign-ins, and a credit-based consumption model that would have seemed like satire a few years ago. This article examines what that shift means for ordinary users, for IT administrators, and for the broader trajectory of Windows as a platform.
TL;DR – Microsoft has embedded GPT-powered AI tools directly into Windows Notepad, requiring a Microsoft account sign-in and, critically, "AI credits" to generate content. Three discrete features — Rewrite, Summarize, and Write — can be invoked via keyboard shortcuts and can be disabled in settings, but the architecture of the system raises serious questions about data governance, user autonomy, and the fundamental purpose of a plain-text editor. Whether you welcome the capability or resent the intrusion, the change is real and its implications are worth understanding before it rolls out to your machine.
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Read more: Why the Enshittification of Notepad on Windows Matters to You
The Google Pixel 8a has been on the market as a notable contender in the mid-range smartphone category for a year now. With its intriguing price and steadfast features, there are several aspects worth revisiting as the 9a is imminent, including its specifications, performance, and potential drawbacks. This article aims to offer a thorough re-examination of the Pixel 8a, comparing its capabilities against competitors while assessing its standing in the quickly moving smartphone marketplace.
TL:DR – The Google Pixel 8a is a noteworthy mid-range phone with appealing features, admirable build quality, and extended software support. However, its camera performance, akin to its predecessors, may leave some users wanting more. Additionally, it faces stiff competition in the market. Proceeding with a purchase requires careful evaluation of individual priorities but Renewed from Amazon the Google Pixel 8a 5G 8GB/128GB Green is £299.95 which is great value.
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Microsoft 365 remains the dominant force in cloud-connected productivity suites, but in 2026 the case for alternatives is stronger than ever. Subscription costs have continued to climb, data sovereignty concerns have intensified — particularly in Europe — and growing unease about confidential information feeding AI training models has pushed businesses and individuals to look seriously at what else is out there. This article evaluates the leading Microsoft 365 alternatives on their real strengths and genuine weaknesses, so organisations can make a clear-eyed choice rather than defaulting to the familiar.
Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive suite covering the full range of productivity needs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for core document work; Outlook with Calendar and Contacts for communications; OneDrive and SharePoint for cloud storage and file management; Teams for messaging and video conferencing; and enterprise-grade tools like Power Automate and Power BI for automation and data visualisation. It is deeply capable, deeply integrated, and deeply embedded in most large organisations. It is also, increasingly, deeply expensive — and the aggressive push of Copilot AI features into every corner of the suite has prompted many users to ask whether they are paying for things they neither want nor trust.
By integrating these powerful tools, Microsoft 365 enhances productivity and supports operational efficiency. But that integration also creates lock-in, and the AI pivot has sharpened concerns about where organisational data ends up. That tension is precisely what makes the alternatives market so active right now.
TL;DR — There are credible, mature routes to productivity beyond Microsoft 365. The right choice depends on your platform, your privacy requirements, your budget, and your tolerance for complexity. It is not simple, but it is genuinely possible.
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Read more: Strengths & weaknesses of Microsoft 365 Alternatives
Which MacBook in early 2026? Apple's M4 MacBook Air has now been available for the best part of a year, and that means the M3 and M2 models have dropped sharply in price — both refurbished and new old stock. The golden rule remains: insist on at least 16 GB of unified memory and 512 GB of storage. Anything less will age badly.
If funds allow, the 16 GB/512 GB MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) is now available at prices that would have seemed extraordinary twelve months ago — check Amazon for the current figure, but expect a very significant discount against its original retail price. If you need to be more frugal, a 16 GB/512 GB MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022) can still be found refurbished at a very competitive price. M1 models are harder to track down in good condition now, and with the M4 generation firmly established, the M2 sweet spot has shifted decisively downmarket. Avoid 8 GB machines for development work or anything demanding — and avoid 256 GB storage models entirely, as they are measurably slower due to SSD architecture constraints and will leave you short on space embarrassingly quickly.
TL;DR — My pick of the month is the 16 GB/512 GB MacBook Air (14-inch or 15-inch, M3, 2024) bought refurbished or as discounted new old stock on Amazon. Prices have fallen considerably since the M4 Air launched. Always compare across Apple Refurbished, Amazon, and John Lewis before committing.
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This note reflects the market as it stands in early 2026. Apple currently sells the M4 MacBook Air as its mainstream laptop, which means M3 models are available refurbished directly from Apple and heavily discounted new from Amazon and John Lewis. M2 models are increasingly found only in the refurbished or second-hand market. You can find good-condition used machines at Computer Exchange (CeX) and through Amazon Renewed, and Costco occasionally stocks specific configurations at competitive prices.
The MacBook Air line was substantially redesigned with the M2 in 2022 — a flatter, more angular body, Liquid Retina display, 1080p webcam behind the notch, MagSafe 3 charging, and two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports. The M3 model (released early 2024) kept that design but added Wi-Fi 6E and, crucially, support for two external displays simultaneously with the lid closed — a genuinely useful upgrade for anyone working from a desk. The M4 MacBook Air, launched in early 2025, refined the formula further with Apple's latest chip generation, improved Neural Engine performance for on-device AI tasks, and a slightly brighter display. All of this means the M3 now occupies the same value position the M2 held a year ago: excellent hardware at a meaningfully reduced price.
Apple Intelligence — Apple's on-device AI feature set — is fully supported on M3 and M4 machines and requires at least 8 GB of unified memory, though in practice the features run noticeably more smoothly with 16 GB. This is yet another reason to avoid the base-spec configurations. Writing tools, image generation, priority notifications, and the expanded Siri capabilities all benefit from headroom, and that headroom is fixed at the point of purchase. There is no upgrading RAM on any of these machines after the fact.
Heavy workload specification — 16 GB memory, 512 GB storage
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Amazon | Renewed / New old stock | MacBook Air (13-inch or 15-inch, M3, 2024) | Mac15,12 / Mac15,13 | A3113 / A3114 | 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU | 16 GB | 512 GB | Check Amazon for current price |
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Amazon | Renewed | MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022) | Mac14,2 | A2681 | 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU | 16 GB | 512 GB | Check Amazon for current price |
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Amazon | Renewed | MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro, 2021) | MacBookPro18,3 / MacBookPro18,4 | A2442 | 8-Core CPU, M1 Pro | 16 GB | 512 GB | Check Amazon for current price |
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Amazon | Renewed | MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) | MacBookPro17,1 | A2338 | 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU | 16 GB | 512 GB | Check Amazon for current price |
Apple Silicon is now in its fourth generation with M4, and the platform has matured enormously since the original M1 launch. Every Mac sold today runs Apple Silicon, the Rosetta 2 translation layer handles the remaining legacy Intel software gracefully, and the third-party software ecosystem has fully caught up. This is no longer a transition story — it is simply the way Macs work. What that means practically is that an M2 or M3 machine bought today is buying into a settled, well-supported platform with years of macOS updates ahead of it. Apple's published support windows suggest M2 machines will receive software updates well into the late 2020s.
M4
The M4 chip, which powers the current MacBook Air lineup launched in early 2025, brings Apple's latest CPU and GPU architecture along with a significantly upgraded Neural Engine — the dedicated hardware that accelerates Apple Intelligence features. Performance gains over M3 are meaningful rather than transformative for everyday tasks, but the Neural Engine uplift is substantial and becomes more relevant as Apple Intelligence features expand with each macOS release. If you are buying new today, M4 is the right choice. If you are buying on a budget, M3 remains excellent and M4 features will matter to most users only gradually over time.
M3
The M3 chip delivers a powerful 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24 GB of unified memory. It is meaningfully faster than M1 across all workloads and brings two important practical upgrades to the MacBook Air: Wi-Fi 6E for faster wireless on compatible networks, and support for two external displays simultaneously when the lid is closed. That second display capability alone makes the M3 Air a far more capable desk machine than its predecessor. Apple Intelligence is fully supported.
M2
M2 was Apple's second-generation Apple Silicon chip and represented a genuine step forward from M1 in both CPU and GPU performance. The 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU, and 100 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth gave it headroom that still holds up well in 2026. The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) also introduced the redesigned body — thinner, with MagSafe 3, a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, and the 1080p webcam — that the M3 model carried forward unchanged. The main limitation versus M3 is the single external display restriction and the absence of Wi-Fi 6E. For most users, neither will matter day to day. Apple Intelligence is supported on M2 with 16 GB of RAM.
macOS support
All Apple Silicon MacBooks — M1 through M4 — run the current version of macOS and receive updates through the standard Software Update mechanism. In 2026, macOS Sequoia and its successors are available to all of these machines. Apple's track record on Silicon support suggests these machines will continue to receive major OS updates for the foreseeable future, which is a meaningful advantage over the Intel models they replaced.
MacBook Air (M3, 2024) — what sets it apart
The M3 model supports two external displays simultaneously with the lid closed, has Wi-Fi 6E, and benefits from the M3 chip's improved efficiency and media engine. These are not trivial upgrades if you use an external monitor setup or are on a fast Wi-Fi 6E network. The design is identical to the M2 model, which is no criticism — it remains one of the best-looking and most practical laptop designs on the market.
Shared strengths — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) and MacBook Air (M3, 2024)
Both models share the same striking flat design in four finishes, the 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 1080p FaceTime camera, MagSafe 3 charging, two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports, Touch ID, and the fanless architecture that makes them completely silent under all but the most sustained workloads. Both are available in 15-inch variants too, which adds screen real estate without adding a fan. Neither can be upgraded after purchase — RAM and storage are fixed — so the configuration you buy is the configuration you keep. Spend the extra for 16 GB and 512 GB. You will not regret it; you will regret not doing so.
Pros — MacBook Air (M3, 2024) 16 GB/512 GB
- Processor: Apple M3 chip — 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU.
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) for faster speeds on compatible networks.
- Displays: Two external displays supported simultaneously with lid closed.
- AI: Full Apple Intelligence support with 16 GB RAM.
- Value: Prices have fallen sharply since the M4 Air launched — strong value in the refurbished and new old stock market.
Pros — MacBook Air (M2, 2022) 16 GB/512 GB
- Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 2560 × 1664, 224 ppi, 500 nits.
- Power: MagSafe 3.
- Processor: Apple M2 chip — 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU.
- Memory: 16 GB or 24 GB unified memory configurations available.
- Ports: Two Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 ports.
- Input: Force Touch trackpad, full-size backlit keyboard, Touch ID.
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3.
- Audio: Four-speaker sound system, 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance support.
- Price: Now significantly cheaper than M3, and an excellent entry point into the modern MacBook Air design.
Cons — MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
- Only one external display supported (lid open counts as the second).
- Wi-Fi 6 rather than 6E — a minor real-world limitation for most users.
- The 256 GB storage model uses a single NAND chip and is measurably slower — avoid it entirely.
Cons — MacBook Pro and MacBook Air (M1, 2020) models
- No MagSafe 3 — charging via USB-C only.
- Older wedge design, smaller battery, lower-wattage adapter.
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