Digital Trends Live: New MacBook Air and iPad Pro, PS5 specs, SpaceX, and more

By Todd Werkhoven March 18, 2020

On Wednesday’s episode of Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler discusses the top tech topics of the day, including COVID-19 entertainment delays, a new MacBook Air and iPad Pro, Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase, SpaceX misses the landing, PS5 specs, and more.

To demystify some of the language and letters of the TV world, Caleb Denison walks through the acronyms, definitions, and technology of the TVs that are beginning to hit the market.

Charlie Randall

Charlie Randall, chief executive officer of McIntosh Labs, discusses the ultimate home theater, and how they’ve been pushing the boundaries of home audio and video since 1949.

Luke Larsen reviews the refreshed MacBook Air, which is “twice as fast,” and has an improved keyboard.

What’s TBD this week? Join Nibler as he welcomes (from a safe distance, of course) Adrien Warner and Jess Surbaugh to discuss the sci-fi tech that exists on TV, but not in reality (yet).

Doron Nir

Doron Nir, co-founder and CEO of StreamElements, joins the program to talk about what companies can learn about live streaming during this time of social distancing.

Dr. Mikhail Varshavski

Finally, Nibler talks with Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, commonly known as “Doctor Mike,” about how to stay on top of the COVID-19 news, and the importance of finding accurate, true information about the coronavirus.

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Topics

Todd Werkhoven's work can be read at numerous publications and he co-authored a personal finance book called "Zombie…

Mobile

The new iPad Pro’s OLED screen could come later than expected

A close look of the iPad Pro connected to a keyboard.

Apple's current slate of iPads come with either LCD or mini-LED displays, but the company is reportedly planning to expand to OLED later than expected. An earlier report had pegged OLED as coming to the iPad Air in 2022, but reliable display and supply chain analysts now agree that 2023 is the earliest time frame for an OLED iPad. A report from the Elec claims that Apple will bring OLED displays to the iPad Pro line with help from LG Display.

Today's report says that development of the display has started for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro first, though Apple will also bring it to the 11-inch iPad Pro alongside it. These would use low-temperature polycrystalline oxide TFT technology recently developed by LG with the intention of increasing the brightness and life span of the panel and allowing for a more variable range for the refresh rate.

Computing

Apple’s High Power Mode could mean MacBook performance boost

A Macbook Pro sitting on a chair, illuminated with neon lighting.

In January 2020, it emerged that Apple was working on a so-called Pro Mode for its Macs. While that never became an official MacOS feature, it looks like it could be making a return under the name High Power Mode.

According to 9to5Mac, MacOS Monterey beta 8 contains references to High Power Mode in its code. Unlike the Pro Mode leak, there are no details as to how exactly this would work. However, Pro Mode itself could give us some clues.

Computing

The redesigned MacBook Air may have been delayed until the end of 2022

A colorful MacBook Air concept shared by Jon Prosser.

A completely redesigned MacBook Air is in the works, but it's launch may now have been delayed until the end of 2022. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the redesigned MacBook Air with a more powerful silicon processor will likely go into mass production in the third quarter of 2022.

The Apple analyst had previously forecasted the launch to take place around the middle of 2022, but in a recent research note, he made a change to his previous announcement that provides a more specific prediction for the mass production to start in either the late second quarter or early third quarter of 2022.