HomePod head-to-head 🔊

If it wasn't perplexing enough that Apple brought back the HomePod from the dead, the company's made some curious decisions about the smart speaker.

It has better smart-home controls and compatibility, but fewer speakers and microphones -- and older Wi-Fi.

Does it matter? Check out our comparison post before you order the new speaker.

Also in today's newsletter: The latest version of Android isn't very popular, we have a ton of heavily discounted Windows software, and check out the cheap workstation that doesn't look cheap.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

HomePod head-to-head: How Apple’s new smart speaker compares to original

Now that the full-size HomePod is finally back, just how different is it from Apple’s original smart speaker? At a glance, you might not think the $299 speaker Apple unveiled Wednesday is that different at all, because the exterior design looks so similar. But compare the new HomePod’s features to the old model, and you’ll find significant changes. It seems potentially much-improved as a smart home device, but whether it’s a better speaker is questionable.

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‘Budget’ MacBook Air workstation doesn’t look cheap [Setups]

Some budget computer setups look the part — cheap, utilitarian, uninspired, incomplete — and others don’t. Today’s featured setup falls in the latter category. You look at the well-equipped workstation and the word “cheap” doesn’t occur to you. Against a DIY desk and pegboard, the setup features an M1 MacBook Air, dual Dell displays, some nice AV gear and plenty of nice touches.

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