What a remote tech leader carries in a tech pouch
Seven picks for about $302: one 67W charger for a MacBook and a phone, a 240W cable, a 25W MagSafe bank, an AirTag, a Find My wallet, a key organizer and a 1L pouch to hold it all.Nov 9, 2026
Guides
Buying guides
Roundups that pull my reviews together into clear picks.
Roundups
Best-of guides that compare everything in a category and name the pick.Best MagSafe power bank for iPhone 17 Pro Max in 2026
Buy the Baseus PicoGo AM52 at $59.99: it's Qi2.2 certified for the iPhone 17 Pro Max's full 25W, and Macworld measured 0% to 50% in 36 minutes. Pay $109.99 for the Anker MagGo 2 Pro only if you want a stand and a fan.Nov 8, 2026Best Thunderbolt dock for a MacBook Pro in 2026: match it to your chip
On a base M5 or M6 MacBook Pro, buy the CalDigit TS4 at $379.99: its ports are Thunderbolt 4, so a Thunderbolt 5 dock costs more for the same 40Gb/s. On an M5 Pro or Max, buy the CalDigit TS5 Plus.USB hubsNov 7, 2026Best 3:2 monitor for a Mac: the BenQ RD280U family, and the $150 one I'd skip
If you want a 3:2 monitor on a Mac, the BenQ RD280U at $549.99 is the one to research first. I own the $149.99 Gawfolk GF005 and don't recommend it. Most people should buy a 27-inch 4K instead.MonitorsNov 3, 2026Best mouse for a Mac and remote work in 2026: MX Master 4, travel and wrist picks
For a full workday at a Mac desk, the Logitech MX Master 4 at $119.99. For a laptop bag, the MX Anywhere 3S. For a sore wrist and small hands, the Lift. Where the Magic Mouse fits.MiceNov 7, 2026Is Gawfolk a good monitor brand? I own two of its monitors, and the answer is one model
Gawfolk sells one monitor I'd buy again, the $299.99 GF270J (8/10), and one I'd skip, the GF005 (4/10). Buy the model, register the warranty within 30 days, and test it inside the return window.MonitorsOct 26, 2026Which Apple Watch to buy in 2026: SE 3, Series 12 or Ultra 4?
Buy the $449 Series 12 in 46mm aluminum: thin enough to sleep in, with Apple's new heart sensor. The $249 SE 3 covers Apple Pay. Ultra only for two-day battery.WearablesNov 6, 2026Best smart glasses for work in 2026: Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, Gen 3, Audio, Display or Even G2?
Buy the $379 Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 for a strong call mic and a camera in frames you can wear to a client meeting. When the $449 Gen 3, the camera-free $349 Audio, the $599 Even G2 or the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display is the better buy.Smart glassesOct 28, 2026Best microphone for video calls in 2026: USB mic, earbuds or boom arm?
Keep any mic within 15 cm of your mouth. At a desk, buy the $59.99 HyperX SoloCast 2 or a $149 Shure MV6 on a boom arm. On the road, which earbuds sound best on calls.MicrophonesOct 21, 2026Best earbuds for work calls and travel in 2026: AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 5, Sony or Samsung?
On an iPhone, buy the $249 AirPods Pro 3 with AppleCare. On Android, the $249 Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. When the $149 AirPods 5 are enough, and who should pay $330 for Sony's WF-1000XM6.HeadphonesOct 21, 2026Best monitor for a MacBook Pro in 2026: picks at $300, $700 and $1,599
Buy a 27-inch 4K that runs at 120Hz or faster. I work 15-hour days on a $300 one. When 5K, OLED or Apple's Studio Display is worth paying more for.MonitorsNov 7, 2026Best sleep tracker in 2026: ring, band or watch?
The best budget sleep tracker is the $20 Colmi R09 ring. Upgrade to the $349 RingConn Gen 3 if it sticks. Oura, Whoop, Fitbit Air and Apple Watch compared.WearablesOct 31, 2026
Comparisons
Two products head to head, with the one I would buy.Colmi R09 vs Oura Ring 5: start with the $20 ring
Buy the Colmi R09 first. It costs $20 to $60 with no subscription, and on the nights it fit, it matched my Apple Watch Ultra. Pay $399 plus $69.99 a year for Oura only for the app.WearablesNov 6, 2026HyperX SoloCast vs SoloCast 2: I used the original for 3 years, and the new one is the buy
Buy the SoloCast 2: same $59.99 and 24-bit/96 kHz as the original SoloCast, plus a built-in shock mount, pop filter and stand. Keep a working original.MicrophonesNov 10, 2026Colmi R09 vs R02: I wear the R09, and it's the cheap ring to buy
Buy the Colmi R09. It costs $4 more than the R02 at Colmi's store, and it's the one of the two with confirmed skin temperature. I wear the R09; the R02 side is from Colmi's specs and Gadgetbridge.WearablesOct 27, 2026A cheap 27-inch OLED or the $300 4K IPS I use: buy the IPS for work
A 27-inch OLED costs $269 now, less than the $299.99 Gawfolk GF270J I use. For a work desk, buy the IPS: the cheapest OLEDs run 200 to 250 nits on a full white screen, under my 350-nit floor.MonitorsOct 25, 2026Gawfolk GF270J vs GF005: I own both, and only one of them is worth buying
Buy the $299.99 Gawfolk GF270J, and buy two of them if you want two screens. The $149.99 GF005 is dimmer, slower, and often isn't recognized until you replug it.MonitorsOct 22, 2026Your iPhone has the better camera. That isn't what decides whether you need a webcam.
Continuity Camera gives your Mac a better camera than any $200 webcam, free. The catch is your phone. The fix is the iPhone already in your drawer.Oct 22, 202627-inch or 32-inch monitor for a Mac? Size, resolution and the settings that make each one sharp
Buy a 27-inch 4K for most Mac desks, especially if you run two screens. Go 32-inch only with 4K or 6K, never 1440p, and set macOS to 3008 x 1692 so text stays a normal size.MonitorsNov 2, 2026HomeView or HomePod mini 2: which Apple home device to preorder
Buy the $149 HomePod mini 2 if you want a speaker for your Mac or a room. Pay $299 for the tabletop HomeView only if you want Siri AI on a screen from day one. Skip the wall model.Oct 30, 2026
How-tos
Setting something up, and the gear that makes it work.Colmi R09 sizing: how to pick your size before you order
Measure the exact finger you'll wear the Colmi R09 on, then match its circumference to Colmi's chart. Colmi's guide sent me a size 11 that didn't fit my index finger, and the store only takes back unworn rings.WearablesNov 6, 2026Monitor stuck at 60Hz on a MacBook? How to get 120Hz or 160Hz
If a 4K monitor offers only 60Hz on a MacBook, check the connection first. Connect it directly with a DisplayPort or Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, then pick the rate in System Settings.MonitorsNov 7, 2026How to use Ray-Ban Meta glasses for work calls on a Mac
To connect Meta glasses to a MacBook, put them in pairing mode, pair them in System Settings > Bluetooth, then pick them under Sound for calls. Steps from Meta and Apple's help pages.Smart glassesOct 29, 2026iPhone Duo screen cracked or broken? What to do, what Apple covers and what it costs
If your iPhone Duo's inner screen cracked at the fold, contact AppleCare for a replacement. Apple confirmed the issue on October 26, AppleCare+ is not required, and carrier buyers are covered too. Drop damage is different: $999, or $99 with AppleCare+.Oct 27, 2026How to make an Apple Watch battery last a workday and a night of sleep tracking
Charge it on a schedule, two short top-ups at fixed times. Then turn off Always On, stop mirroring every iPhone alert, use Low Power Mode on flights and check battery health.WearablesOct 23, 2026AirPods Pro 3 settings to change for work calls and travel (iOS 27)
The AirPods Pro 3 settings to change for calls: stop Mac-to-iPhone switching, mute from the stem, turn on Voice Isolation, run the seal test. Plus two for travel.HeadphonesNov 1, 2026How to buy a cheap monitor from a brand you've never heard of: the five checks, and the one nobody makes
Check five things, above all whether it reliably wakes up — the one no spec sheet lists. I bought two monitors from one unknown brand: one scored 8, one 4.MonitorsNov 7, 2026How to choose a keyboard for a workday: the nine specs, in the order that matters
Decide in this order: layout, switch, noise, connection. If you talk for a living, how a keyboard sounds on a call outranks how it feels under your hands.KeyboardsNov 9, 2026How to choose a monitor: the nine specs, in the order that matters
Decide in this order: resolution and size, panel, brightness, refresh rate. More is not always better — my main monitor is rated at exactly 350 nits and it's fine.MonitorsNov 7, 2026How to set up two monitors with a MacBook in 2026: which Macs can, which cables, and should one go vertical?
Any M4 or M5 MacBook drives two external monitors with the lid open. Give each screen its own cable, skip cheap dual-HDMI hubs, and put the second one in portrait only if it's for chat and email.MonitorsNov 7, 2026