With the MacBook Neo, Apple has introduced an entry-level laptop to complement its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines. In an attempt to wrest market share from Windows and Chromebook competitors, the MacBook Neo makes numerous small compromises that bring the price down to $599, making it the most affordable Mac laptop ever.

Apple’s AirTags are indispensable for tracking down a missing purse or wayward suitcase, but the large lozenge shape isn’t ideal for all Find My scenarios. Third-party accessory makers have stepped in with a range of Find My trackers—Julio Ojeda-Zapata looks at a wallet, several wallet cards, a mobile charger, and a travel lock.

The iPhone 16e, Apple’s new budget phone, supports Qi wireless charging but lacks MagSafe. Some have lamented this omission since MagSafe is standard on all other models and is a great convenience. Can you restore MagSafe to an iPhone 16e? To an extent, yes. Julio Ojeda-Zapata investigates the options.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata took the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 9, and the recently tweaked second-generation AirPods Pro on a trip as a tech experiment: How would their new features fare in a travel capacity? He renders his verdicts. 

AT&T has joined T-Mobile and Verizon in offering wireless home Internet service. Julio Ojeda-Zapata tested AT&T Internet Air and found it a good value—but not good enough to replace his Xfinity wired broadband. He thinks wireless home broadband is a great fit for many, though.

The new 15-inch MacBook Air with its large screen awakened Julio Ojeda-Zapata’s interest in laptop stands. He wants one that is robust but portable, and adjustability is a must. He found two stands that qualify in different, ingenious ways.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata recently spent four days crouching by the side of country roads, pointing his iPhone 14 Pro at oncoming bicyclists. An avid amateur shutterbug, he had become the semi-official photographer for the Bicycling Around Minnesota tour—and the iPhone was all he needed. 

No search for Apple earbuds or headphones is complete without weighing what’s on offer from Apple subsidiary Beats By Dre. Releases include flagship Studio Pro headphones and a modest update to its 2021 Studio Buds.

Apple has pulled back the curtains on the new features it is adding to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14 Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17. Adam Engst recently wrote about his top features; here are 12 more that caught Julio Ojeda-Zapata’s eye. 

How smart are smart speakers, really? Julio Ojeda-Zapata put this to the test when temporarily sightless due to a medical condition.Leaning on his Amazon, Apple, and Google speakers more than usual proved an often-frustrating exercise because Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are still pretty dumb.

For those who want more organization flexibility and efficiency than Apple’s Photos app provides, Houdah Software’s Photos Workbench provides a handful of targeted features that make the process faster and easier, all while working with your existing Photos library.

If you think the webcams built into the latest Macs and Apple’s Studio Display leave a bit to be desired, there’s an alternative: Continuity Camera. Harnessing an iPhone as a Mac webcam, Continuity Camera provides a high-quality virtual-camera system in the upcoming iOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura.

Apple has turbocharged iPad multitasking in the upcoming iPadOS 16 with Stage Manager, a new feature that introduces Mac-style windowing. It also provides external display support that does more than mirror the iPad screen. A version of Stage Manager is coming in macOS 13 Ventura, as well. Julio Ojeda-Zapata tried Stage Manager on both platforms.

Apple’s unveiling of watchOS 9 at WWDC unsurprisingly emphasized health and fitness updates (along with four new watch faces) but offered a surprise or two, including a new medication-tracking app and a brilliant little Dock tweak.

If you have an old Mac gathering dust, Google may be able to return it to active use. Its free Chrome OS Flex replaces macOS and puts pep back in the Mac’s step. It’s a decent option for families who might want to set up workstations for kids or who just want a dedicated Web machine somewhere in the house.