Apple just wrapped up its WWDC 2021 keynote, and it was jam-packed with news and announcements, including our first looks at iOS 15, the new macOS Monterey, big improvements to FaceTime, and more.
Our live blog has moment-by-moment commentary on what Apple announced from Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn. But if you just want to know the big-ticket items from the show, we’ve got you covered right here.
iOS 15 brings big improvements to FaceTime, updates to notifications, and more
Apple announced iOS 15, which brings improvements to FaceTime such as spatial audio, a new “SharePlay” feature that lets you share media with people on FaceTime virtually, updates to Messages, a new look for notifications, the ability to set different “Focus” statuses, updates to Memories in Photos, a redesign to the weather app, and much more.
Apple is building video and music sharing into FaceTime
Apple’s new SharePlay feature will let you watch or listen to content with others virtually. Apple is also introducing a SharePlay API so that other developers can build apps that support the feature.
Apple is going to use AI to read all the text in your photos
Apple’s new Live Text will digitize text in your photos, which can let you copy and paste text from a photo, for example, or call a phone number that’s in a photo. Apple says it uses “on-device intelligence” for the feature.
You’ll soon be able to use your iPhone as your ID at the airport
Image: Apple
Apple’s Wallet will soon let you store your ID in a digital form (in participating US states), which you’ll then use as identification in US airports.
iPadOS 15 lets you drop widgets on the homescreen and brings changes to multitasking
With iPadOS 15, Apple will let you add widgets to the homescreen and access to the app library, which debuted last year on iPhone with iOS 14. Apple is also introducing improvements to multitasking, with new controls that make it easier to manage your apps, and you’ll be able to build apps with Swift Playgrounds.
Apple adds welcome privacy features to Mail, Safari
Apple announced new privacy-focused features at WWDC, including that Apple Mail will block tracking pixels with Mail Privacy Protection and that Safari will hide IPs. Apple is also introducing a new section in settings called the “App Privacy Report.”
Apple’s Siri will finally work without an internet connection with on-device speech recognition
Apple will let Siri process voice requests on device, meaning audio won’t be sent over the web, and Siri can accept many requests while offline.
Apple lets users see family members’ Health data
Apple is introducing a number of new health-focused features, such as the ability to share health data with your families and with healthcare providers.
Apple is making AirPods easier to hear with and find
Apple is making some new changes to AirPods, such as making it easier to find them on the Find My network and the ability to announce your notifications.
Apple’s iCloud Plus bundles a VPN, private email, and HomeKit camera storage
Apple’s iCloud is getting a new private relay service and the ability to create burner emails called “Hide My Email.” These will be part of a new iCloud Plus subscription, which will be offered at no additional price to current iCloud paid users.
Apple announces watchOS 8 with new health features
Apple’s upcoming watchOS 8 has new health features, including a new Mindfulness app, improvements to the Photos watchface, and more.
Siri is coming to third-party accessories
Apple will let third-party accessory makers add Siri to their devices, Apple announced during WWDC. The company showed it on an Ecobee thermostat in its presentation.
macOS Monterey lets you use the same cursor and keyboard across Macs and iPads
Apple’s next big macOS release is called Monterey. One big new feature is the ability to use the same mouse and keyboard across your Mac and your iPad. Apple’s Shortcuts app is also coming to the Mac. And Monterey adds improvements to FaceTime, SharePlay, and Apple’s new “Focus” statuses that are coming to Apple’s other software platforms.
Apple redesigns Safari on the Mac with a new tab design and tab groups
Apple is redesigning Safari with a new look for tabs and tab groups. And on iOS, the tab bar will be at the bottom of the screen to be in easier reach of your thumb. Web extensions are also coming to iOS and iPadOS.
Apple is bringing TestFlight to the Mac to help developers test their apps
Apple announced that it will let developers use TestFlight to test their apps on the Mac. The company also announced Xcode Cloud, which lets you test your apps across all Apple devices in the cloud.
Siri is finally coming to third-party devices. Apple announced at its WWDC keynote that HomeKit accessory makers will be able to integrate Siri voice control into their products starting later this year. The voice assistant will be routed through a HomePod if the devices are connected to your network.
Apple hasn’t released a comprehensive list of devices and brands that will support Siri. The company demoed it on an Ecobee thermostat during its WWDC keynote presentation. It also announced support for Matter — a new interoperability standard that has big players like Amazon, Google, and Samsung on board — will come with iOS 15.
Apple also revealed a number of smaller smart home features. Home Keys, which allow you to remotely lock and unlock doors by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch, are coming to Wallet app, as are work keys and hotel keys.
Image: Apple
The HomePod Mini will support lossless audio in Apple Music later this year and will be able to function as a speaker for the Apple TV 4K (as does the discontinued full-size HomePod). Apple also announced that the HomePod Mini will ship to more countries this month — including Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand — as well as Italy by the end of the year.
HomePods also now support commands for the Apple TV (so you can ask Siri to play shows), and SharePlay now works with Apple TV, which will enable you to watch shows synchronously with friends over FaceTime.
Speaking of Apple TV, tvOS now includes a “Share with You” row, where friends can share shows with each other via text messages. Another new row called “For All Of You” is intended to help families find shows to watch together — it will curate suggestions that combine every user’s viewing history.
Apple
And the Apple Watch now supports the HomePod’s intercom feature, which will allow you to talk to HomeKit-enabled doorbells and access package detection from your wrist. You’ll be able to control nearby HomeKit accessories in camera view.
Apple will let people share the data from their Health app with family members or others, the company announced. It’s one of a new slate of health features for iPhone.
With permission, someone can share access to their overall heart rate and movement data. They’ll also be able to share access to alerts, which will ping authorized users when the feature notices things like a high heart rate or change in mobility. The person they’re sharing the data with can message them directly about any changes.
“Many people around the world are caring for someone, and we want to provide a secure and private way for users to have a trusted partner on their health journey,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a statement.
The feature could be useful to caregivers who may be keeping tabs on the health of their loved ones, like elderly parents, from a distance. Older adults, though, tend to be less comfortable with this type of monitoring than their caregivers are. Monitoring tools can give peace of mind to caregivers while feeling invasive to the people tracked.
Apple is also adding another health metric, called walking steadiness, to the Health app. It will use mobility data already collected by the iPhone to monitor for any changes to factors like balance or walking patterns, and will tell users if they’re at an increased risk of falling. The app will also include some exercises to help increase steadiness. The company says it built the system using data collected through a clinical study that included over 100,000 participants of all ages.
Falls are a major public health challenge. Each year, around 30 million adults over the age of 65 fall, and many falls lead to injuries or other health issues. Falls are responsible for $50 billion healthcare costs a year, one study estimated.
Users will now also be able to share their Health app data with their doctors. Physicians already regularly have patients bringing readouts from their devices into appointments. The integration will let people transfer that data more directly. Apple said the feature will start off with support from six electronic medical record companies in the United States, including Cerner and Athenahealth. Doctors using those platforms would be able to see the data in the medical record.
Apple has just announced watchOS 8, the latest version of the company’s smartwatch platform for the Apple Watch. The new software succeeds last year’s watchOS 7 and is going to be first available for developers to test their apps with. A public release is expected later this fall.
Apple is debuting a new Mindfulness app, an extension of the Breathe app that nags you to breathe throughout the day. It’s adding new animations and other features to help you relax.
The Fitness app is getting more workout types for tai chi and pilates. The Apple Watch’s Health app will explicitly track your respiratory rate and notify you if it’s outside of your normal patterns.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our WWDC 2021 live blog to get the news even faster.
Apple has always stressed user privacy as part of its core mission. At its WWDC 2021 event, it announced it would be adding a spate of powerful new functions to Mail and Safari, as well as giving users broader insight into what their installed apps are doing with their information.
First, Apple’s Mail appears to have declared war on tracking pixels, which can be included in some emails to give third parties insight into if or when their messages have been opened — though it didn’t provide much detail on how it will win said war. Mail will also, according to Apple’s manager of user privacy software Katie Skinner, now hide user IP addresses by default. Safari, likewise, will hide IPs.
More surprisingly, Apple announced it’s adding an App Privacy Report, which will live in settings and provide an overview of, as you might have guessed, privacy-related matters as they related to installed apps. For example: how often apps use your contacts, microphone, location, or other data and identifiers. The App Privacy Report will also show which third-party domains are receiving your information.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our WWDC 2021 live blog to get the news even faster.
Apple has announced a forthcoming update to its Wallet app that will allow you to use your iPhone as digital identification in US airports. The company showed how you’ll be able to scan your driver’s license or state ID in participating US states, which will then be encrypted and stored in the iPhone’s secure enclave. The company says it’s working with the TSA to enable the iPhone to be used as identification at airport security checkpoints.
As well as secure ID, Apple says it’s working to allow hotels to distribute room card keys via Apple Wallet, allowing you to collect a room key before you arrive at a hotel. Home keys and work keys were also announced as coming to the Wallet app.
ID cards can be brought into Apple Wallet by scanning them.Image: Apple
Apple Wallet launched with support for card purchases before expanding to cover other use cases like transit passes. Apple reiterated that it’s also adding features for unlocking cars using recent iPhones’ ultra-wideband support with BMW and other car manufacturers.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our WWDC 2021 live blog to get the news even faster.
Weeks after introducing its most powerful iPad Pro devices ever, Apple is today announcing the latest version of iPadOS — and there’s a clear focus on making Apple’s tablets more capable productivity machines. At least if you find yourself using split-screen mode a lot, that is. Otherwise, there aren’t any radical changes for the platform.
As rumored, iPadOS 15 will make the homescreen more customizable and allow for more flexible placement of widgets. You can now stick them anywhere you’d like, a capability that came to iOS 14 last year. But iPadOS 14 didn’t offer the same functionality, and widgets could only be placed in the Today View sidebar despite the tablet’s vast screen real estate.
Apple is also bringing the App Library to iPadOS. Much like on the iPhone, it will let you maintain a less-cluttered homescreen by filing away the apps you rarely use to an automatically organized section of folders. On iPads, the App Library is located in the dock.
Multitasking is also getting some much-needed refinement. New icons will make it simpler to go into split-view mode, and Apple also mentioned a “shelf” feature that makes it easier to jumble different tasks. It’s a significant change to how multitasking currently works on iPadOS, and it seems like a major improvement.
Multitasking is getting more intuitive in iPadOS 15.Image: Apple
QuickNote is a new convenience that will let you attach notes to webpages and other areas of iPadOS, making them easier to get back to.
Finally, the standalone Translate app is also now coming to iPadOS.
New tricks shared with iOS 15 on the iPhone
iPadOS 15 will also share many of the new features and experiences that are coming to iOS 15. FaceTime calls will now support spatial audio for more lifelike, natural sound. A voice isolation feature will let your voice cut through background noise, and a “wide spectrum” option will pick up more sound than before. Portrait mode is also coming to FaceTime, resulting in a blurred background that keeps the focus on your face.
Apple is introducing a new SharePlay feature for FaceTime that allows people to share media — music, movies, etc. — together on a group call. SharePlay will leverage iOS features like picture-in-picture, iMessage, and more for a seamless experience across multiple devices at the same time.
The new iPad software update includes new tools meant to help you focus, like revamped notifications that are easier to identify and a “notification summary” section that recaps your less-than-essential notifications. You can also customize which notifications you’ll see at different points of the day, allowing you to separate work and personal alerts. Focus preferences are synced across Apple devices.
Memories in the Photos app can now synced up with music tracks with automatic filters and effects applied based on the vibe of the song, and Spotlight search is also getting some deeper search capabilities. Live Text is a feature that uses on-device intelligence to let you select text from photos you’ve taken and those in your camera roll. It supports seven languages.
Apple punts for another year on “pro” requests
The M1-powered iPad Pros are on equal footing with Apple’s latest iMac, MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini in terms of sheer performance. Their release has only fueled calls for Apple to evolve iPadOS into a platform that can properly take advantage of all that power for those trying to use the devices as laptop replacements. Using an iPad is a fantastic experience that can regularly turn frustrating when you run into its software limitations.
On the pre-WWDC wishlist of some users were things like multi-user support, a more advanced Files app, better support for external displays, and pro-caliber apps like Final Cut and Logic making their way to the iPad. Apple didn’t address many of those wants in today’s keynote. The most “pro” capability announced was the ability to create and ship apps using Swift Playgrounds. So we’ll have to see what other improvements and surprises iPadOS 15 may hold as it enters beta in the coming weeks.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our WWDC 2021 live blog to get the news even faster.
Apple’s WWDC (short for worldwide developers conference, an interesting name for a string of commercials) event is back for its second virtual showing, and its keynote starts today at 10am PT/1pm ET. The event will continue through the week with workshop videos, lab appointments, challenges, etc. We’ve got the lowdown on everything you need to know about the event, including when it starts, where to watch it and what to expect.
When does WWDC start?
WWDC’s keynote starts at 10am PT/12pm CT/1pm ET. Apple’s State of the Union address will follow at 2pm PT/4pm CT/5pm ET. After that, developer sessions will be available free through both the Apple Developer website and the Apple Developer app.
Where to watch WWDC?
We’ve embedded the keynote livestream up top, so you can watch along right from this page. You can also click through to Apple’s YouTube channel to watch the keynote in a separate tab.
What to expect?
A report from Bloomberg has us expecting new redesigns for both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air, as well as a potential M2 chip reveal. The report says that Apple currently plans to offer two different chips, codenamed Jade C-Chop and Jade C-Die, that would each have 8 high-performance cores and 2 energy-efficient cores. The M1 already boasts impressive power and battery life, so we’re curious to see how Apple’s gamble on in-house chips might continue to pay off.
Google is expanding the availability of its Stadia game streaming service to more TVs and streaming devices later this month. The first version of Stadia on Chromecast with Google TV is launching on June 23rd, more than eight months after the device launched without official Stadia support.
Alongside Chromecast with Google TV support, Stadia will also be available on a number of Android TV devices on June 23rd. Not every Android TV device is supported, but Nvidia’s Shield TV devices have made the list. Here’s the official support list:
Chromecast with Google TV
Hisense Android Smart TVs (U7G, U8G, U9G)
Nvidia Shield TV
Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Onn FHD Streaming Stick and UHD Streaming Device
Philips 8215, 8505, and OLED 935 / 805 Series Android TVs
Xiaomi MIBOX3 and MIBOX4
If you don’t see your Android TV device listed, you may still be able to get Stadia running. You can opt into experimental support to play Stadia, just by installing the Stadia app from the Play Store and hitting continue on the opt-in screen. Android TV devices will need a compatible Bluetooth controller or Google’s own Stadia Controller to play Stadia.
Apple’s hosting its second all-virtual Worldwide Developers Conference this year, and it seems like the company plans to squeeze in even more hardware announcements alongside its usual software updates. WWDC 2021 will run all week long, but things start off with the traditional Apple keynote on June 7th at 10AM PT / 1PM ET.
Apple is expected to try to win back professional users at WWDC by leaning in with a new more powerful M2 chip and a redesigned MacBook Pro that ditches maligned features like the Touch Bar and brings back the HDMI port and MagSafe. The new M2 is rumored to have double the processor and GPU cores, and it might not even be Apple’s top-of-the-line: the company is rumored to launch a more powerful iMac and Mac Pro sometime later this year.
WWDC 2021 may bring some equally big changes to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. iPads might finally get an updated homescreen with fully customizable widgets, after years of mostly looking like a blown-up iPhone. Both operating systems are also rumored to get a new privacy menu for viewing the data apps use, notification settings that can be set around a user’s status (like if they’re driving or sleeping), and possibly a big update to iMessage and the Messages app that will make the service more of a social network.
That’s a whole lot to talk about, even ignoring minor changes to macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, but the company will be hosting developer sessions throughout the week to get into all of the details.
WHEN DOES WWDC 2021 START?
It starts at 1PM ET / 10AM PT / 6PM BST. Following the keynote, developer sessions will be available to watch online for free through June 11th via the Apple Developer website or the Apple Developer app.
WHERE CAN I WATCH WWDC 2021?
We’ll embed the keynote livestream up top, so you can watch from here once that’s up. Otherwise, head to these links below for more:
Tune in to The Verge’s Apple WWDC 2021 live blog for commentary and feelings
Apple is streaming the event live on its website and on YouTube
Being able to sample audio from other users’ videos is one of TikTok’s greatest strengths. It allows memes to percolate across the platform and lets users discover new content by watching videos with the same sound. Soon, YouTube will expand this feature in its TikTok competitor, Shorts, letting users sample sounds from any content uploaded to YouTube.
YouTube officially announced this feature last month in a community support post, but tells The Verge it should now be available for the first time in new markets as part of the launch of Shorts in the UK, Canada, and a number of Latin American countries (including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela). The YouTube-sampling tool will then roll out to other Shorts markets including the US in the coming weeks.
Shorts users can already sample sounds from other Shorts videos (as well as from a library of licensed music). But this update will greatly expand the audio they have easy access to. The feature will funnel YouTube users into its Shorts feature via a new “Create” button in the mobile app. This will appear underneath videos next to the like and dislike buttons. Clicking it will give users the option to sample the video’s audio in Shorts. Shorts viewers will also be able to tap the audio in any video to head back to the original source in YouTube proper.
Shorts videos sampling audio from YouTube will link back to the original source. Image: YouTube
This feature will allow longform creators “to benefit by allowing the community to find something interesting in their video,” YouTube’s product lead for Shorts, Todd Sherman, tells The Verge. Shorts users can create something with the sample audio, he says, and the creators of the audio will “get perhaps inbound traffic or exposure from that. From the longform creator perspective I think a lot of folks are excited to have their things remixed.”
Not all creators are happy about this, though. After YouTubers noticed a new check-box in the settings for their video uploads that gives Shorts users access to their audio, many complained that this would let people “steal” their content. Search for “YouTube Shorts permissions” on YouTube itself and you’ll find plenty of videos worrying about exactly this scenario, with thumbnails posing questions like: “YouTube legalized video stealing?”.
The permissions box seems to have been introduced before Shorts users were actually able to sample audio from YouTube videos. Right now it has to be unticked manually for each video, but Sherman tells The Verge the company is working on a bulk opt-out option.
IMPORTANT: YouTube suddenly automatically checked “Yes” on EVERY YouTube video to allow them to be re-uploaded as Shorts on OTHER channels ???
Please let your YouTuber friends know that they have to go through and uncheck this setting on every video or risk stolen content… pic.twitter.com/b4rjiwmE2c
— Mysticat #Mysty200k (@MysticatLive) April 30, 2021
A YouTube-sampling feature could create other problems, too. A huge array of content has been uploaded to YouTube over the years, much of it sensitive or personal in nature. The uploaders of this content won’t necessarily want their videos to be sampled as this could enable harassment or abuse. Despite this, the sampling feature will be opt-out rather than opt-in. That means all YouTube videos will be sampleable by default, and creators will have to specify which videos they don’t want to be used in Shorts.
Sherman says YouTube is aware of these potential problems, but that the company’s discussions with creators has indicated more excitement. “There is some concern about examples of videos that you might think are personal or sensitive and that’s why creators have asked for the ability to opt out. But they also seem to recognize that it sort of doesn’t work if it’s very selectively an opt-in,” he says.
YouTube originally launched Shorts last September in India before bringing the feature to the US in March. Last month, the company announced plans to pay $100 million to creators to use the app, though exactly how much individual creators can earn isn’t clear.
Twitter announced earlier this year it was working on a Super Follows feature that would allow some users to charge followers and give them access to extra content. On Sunday, app researcher Jane Manchun Wong tweeted screenshots of what she says it will look like.
According to Wong’s research, which is typically very accurate, the Super Follows program will be limited to Twitter users with at least 10,000 followers, who have posted at least 25 tweets within the past 30 days, and are at least 18 years old. As Twitter has referenced, one of the main features of Super Follows will be bonus content, such as exclusive tweets for Super Followers.
Wong also discovered a list of content categories that Super Follows users would choose from to describe their content (such as “sports” or “podcasting”), and notes that “adult content” and “OnlyFans” are listed as “content platforms” along with Facebook, Substack, Patreon, Twitch, and YouTube.
Twitter is working on Super Follows application
Requirements: – Have at least 10000 followers – Have posted at least 25 Tweets in past 30 days – Be at least 18 years old
notably, “Adult content” and “OnlyFans” are mentioned in the category and platform sections https://t.co/qSEjh0ohm8 pic.twitter.com/yvkzx672V2
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 6, 2021
Twitter declined to comment about Wong’s latest research on Sunday. But It’s previously described the Patreon-like Super Follows feature as a kind of subscription, providing an example where a Super Follows user charged $4.99 per month for users to get access to “perks.”
It’s the latest direct payments feature Twitter has introduced in recent weeks; in May it began testing Tip Jar, which lets users make one-time payments to creators directly on Twitter by clicking a dollar bill icon on their Twitter profile. Twitter doesn’t take a cut of Tip Jar donations, which supports several payment options including Cash App, PayPal, and Venmo. It’s not clear how payments would be structured for Super Follows, but it seems likely Twitter would take a percentage.
Twitter’s product team has been busy this year, introducing several new features including its Twitter Blue subscription service which is testing in Canada and Australia. It’s also reopened, then closed, then reopened again its verification program, updated its warnings for potentially offensive tweets, improved its photo cropping algorithm to allow “taller” images to fully display in users’ feeds, added the ability for Android users to search their direct messages, and acquired Scroll, the $5-per-month subscription service that removes ads from participating websites.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed hits the sweet spot between functionality and size, clearing up desk space while offering a premium design and functionality. But it’s pricey compared to some fantastic 65% keyboards, and its keycaps can get uncomfortable during heated gaming.
For
+ Efficient form factor
+ Dongle, Bluetooth or cable connection
+ Highly customizable
Against
– ABS keycaps can feel clammy
– Larger keys are a little loud
– Expensive
For some, a clear space makes for a clear mind. And if you’re gaming, more space also means extra room for your mouse and focusing solely on the inputs needed to level up. The best wireless keyboards already decrease clutter by cutting the cord, but a wireless gaming keyboard in a smaller form factor can be a true game-changer for players seeking an efficient, yet productive, form factor.
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed fits the bill well. It’s Razer’s first 65% keyboard, which is a good sweet spot for those who want a small keyboard but can’t let go of navigation keys. With arrow keys, the BlackWidow V3 Mini is a more likely mate for both productivity and work than 60% keyboards. a more likely match for those who want a keyboard for both gaming and work. And Razer makes connectivity, even across several PCs, simple by offering the option to use a dongle, Bluetooth with up to 3 devices or a USB-C to USB-A cable. A $180 MSRP means you’re paying a Razer tax though, and the keyboard, especially its keycaps, aren’t perfect compared to the best gaming keyboards it’s up against.
Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed Specs
Switches
Razer Yellow (tested) or Razer Green
Lighting
Per-key RGB and logo
Onboard Storage
4 profiles
Media Keys
With Fn
Connectivity
USb Type-A dongle, Bluetooth or USB Type-A cable
Cables
USB-C to USB-A
Additional Ports
None
Keycaps
Doubleshot ABS plastic
Software
Razer Synapse
Dimensions (LxWxH)
12.6 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
Weight
1.8 pounds
Design of the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
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If you haven’t tried a 65% layout before, it’s worth a shot because you may just find your sweet spot. 65% keyboards chop off a lot of keys but keep the precious arrow keys and even some that typically live above them. Razer told me it wants the BlackWidow V3 Mini to be a “more inclusive option” than the 60% Razer Huntsman Mini, one that saves space but still is efficient in applications like Excel and PowerPoint. No more keyboard switching is the idea, but if you do heavy number input into Excel, you’ll probably still miss the numpad.
The BlackWidow V3 Mini has Delete, Page Up, Page Down and Insert keys, which all also double as macro keys when you’re holding Fn. That’s a little more than some other 65% keyboards, such as the wired Ducky Mecha SF Radiant, which leaves out Insert in favor of a Ducky logo and doesn’t double up those keys as macros. Already we see the more gaming-friendly side of Razer’s 65% option.
However, I rarely use those four keys and would personally prefer a Print Screen option if anything. Of course, I could reprogram this via software and even switch out a keycap if I was that serious. But since I don’t care for that quartet of additional buttons over a 60% keyboard, something like the Cooler Master SK622, which doesn’t have dedicated keys for any of those functions except for Delete, would be even more efficient for me. That keyboard also saves a little bit of space, measuring 11.5 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches, while weighing only 1 pound. The Razer (12.6 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches, 1.8 pounds) is still on par with Ducky’s Mecha SF Radiant (12.8 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches, 1.9 pounds) though.
The V3 Mini doesn’t have a function row but gets a lot done with its Fn key. Just as with the Huntsman Mini, out of the box pressing Fn will disable any lighting you have on and provide white lighting to the keys with a secondary function. In addition to the number row handling F1-F12, there are also side-printed functions for macro recording, adjusting RGB brightness, media controls and the missing navigation keys.
Still, some tasks were more tedious on the 65% board. For example, to take a screenshot of a specific window, instead of pressing Windows + Alt + Print Screen, I had to hit Windows + Alt + Fn + Print Screen, while locating the key that has Print Screen as a secondary function. The side-printing is easy to read from typical seated positions. But unlike the main legends on the keys, these aren’t doubleshot, so could fade with time.
The BlackWidow V3 Mini has flip-out feet for 6 or 9-degree elevation, but I preferred keeping it flat, as my wrists already sloped down, due to the lack of included palm rest. If I were to use this as my forever keyboard, I’d need to find some sort of compact wrist rest, which is a mild annoyance, considering the keyboard’s price.
Besides that, the BlackWidow V3 Mini takes many characteristics from the BlackWidow line, which includes the full-sized BlackWidow V3, wireless BlackWidow V3 Pro and BlackWidow V3 Tenkeyless.That includes a plastic base that’s shiny around the lip, allowing the snake trio that is the Razer logo to peek through with customizable RGB.
The plastic base is subtly textured and surprisingly durable in that it doesn’t seem like it’ll scratch or nick easily. “For Gamers by Gamers” written in a designer bag like pattern on the underside makes you feel special. An aluminum top plate sits atop that for more heft and more fingerprints. But because there’s such little wasted space on the BlackWidow V3 Mini, that issue is mostly limited to the keyboard’s bottom slope.
Razer went with doubleshot ABS plastic keycaps that are a good and cheaper substitute for doubleshot PBT. The ABS plastic here is still visibly textured, especially in bright lighting, is good at fighting smudges and allows RGB to shine through perfectly. Although they’re still slippier than doubleshot PBT, it could fool the less-aware gamer.
The BlackWidow V3 Mini uses the same font as other BlackWidow keyboards with a lower-case font that can feel slightly kiddish, especially if you opt for rainbow RGB, and in the truncated right Shift key. Speaking of, the right Shift’s size will be a problem for some, but I’m a righty and touch typist who never uses the right shift key, so besides it looking a little funky, I’m okay with the sacrifice.
Typing Experience on Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer offers the BlackWidow V3 Mini with either clicky Razer Green switches, (which we tested in our BlackWidow V3 Pro review), or linear Razer Yellow switches with added sound dampeners, which we’re testing here. Razer specs its Yellow switches with 3.5mm total travel, actuating at 1.2mm with 45g of force versus Cherry MX Red’s 4mm/2mm/45g.
I don’t have another keyboard with Razer Yellows on hand to directly compare the dampeners’ effectiveness, but compared to the sound displayed in our Razer Yellow hands-on a few years ago, my test keyboard sounded quieter and less high-pitched and annoying. For the most part, I enjoyed the soft clacking of the BlackWidow V3 Mini during testing. Most of the keys’ noises are an inoffensive volume, and even if your mic picks it up, your teammates won’t be nearly as distracted then if you were using a clicky mechanical switch.
But while the spacebar still manages to sound soft despite an extra plastic-y note, the Backspace, Enter and right Shift, which also show some wobble, make too much of a plastic racket that stands out compared to the other keys. I also noticed a small amount of unwanted pinging, but this was only occasional.
I don’t typically like using linear switches for typing, but getting work done on the BlackWidow V3 Mini was easier than expected. I still missed my tactile bumps and clicks, but the keyboard’s layout is logical and the keys properly spaced, so there were no other distractions. The keycaps are also more comfortable than many other ABS ones, and the keys never felt mushy.
On the 10FastFingers.com typing test, I averaged 122.7 words per minute (wpm) and 95.2% accuracy. That’s faster than my typical 118 average, but my accuracy dropped 2.8 percentage points. The speed may be due to the faster travel and lack of a tactile bump to get through, but I believe that bump would’ve helped my accuracy.
Wireless Experience on Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer recommends using the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s 2.4 GHz USB-A dongle for gaming and even remembered to provide a spot for dongle storage on the keyboard’s underside; (although, the plastic covering could be more durable). Even better, I never lost my connection during testing, even when gaming with my best wireless mouse and a pair of Bluetooth headphones. The only time I noticed obvious lag was when the battery was under 2%. At this point, RGB started changing effects unprovoked and the keyboard would occasionally repeat inputs for some reason, so I wouldn’t use it much at that battery level anyway.
If you prefer to save a USB port, you can connect via Bluetooth by sliding the toggle on the front edge over to the “BT” side. The keyboard can connect to up to three devices via Bluetooth and toggle through them by hitting Fn + 1-3.
Gaming Experience on Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Many prefer the smooth travel of linear switches like Razer Yellows. Packed inside of the BlackWidow V3 Mini, these switches felt fast and responsive, not only keeping up with my inputs but feeling potentially faster than gaming with heavier switches like Razer Greens (4mm total travel, 1.9mm actuation, 50g of force).
Movements felt easy. With just a light touch I could walk my character long distances without growing weary or feeling like the key was too unstable if I didn’t bottom out. I often find keyboards with Cherry MX Reds exhausting in that regard because I can feel like I’m floating when depressing halfway for an extended period. That wasn’t the case with this keyboard, making my adjustment to linear switches over my preferred tactile and clicky switches easier than expected. Well-spaced keys also made strategic inputs easy, so I didn’t end up murked because I was hitting the wrong button.
But after even just 15 minutes of gaming, the keyboard would get noticeably clammy. Now, this was before things even got heated on the battlefield. When I grazed my finger down the W key, for example, while exploring my virtual world, I’d encounter an unpleasant feeling. You may mistake the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s doubleshot ABS keycaps as PBT at quick examination, but once you get gaming, the truth will be apparent. After serious gaming for an hour, the clacker got seriously clammy and, dare I say, sticky-like.
But there are some gaming advantages here. The obvious one is the keyboard’s small form factor, which afforded me more space to not only move my mouse but to get comfortable by positioning my keyboard in different angles.
If you’re concerned about sound, Razer used sound dampeners with this keyboard to make its linear switches even quieter. I don’t have other Razer Yellows on hand, but I do enjoy the sound.
Battery Life of Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
When I used Razer’s keyboard with its dongle connection and rainbow Wave RGB effect at max brightness for about 26 hours and 17 minutes, and Synapse’s battery meter read 3%. This was with the keyboard set to dim lighting after 1 minute of activity and to turn off after 15 minutes of activity (the shortest amount of times available). Once the battery level dropped to about under 2%, the lighting would automatically turn off unless I was actively typing, and would change effects without me asking. There was also input delay and repeated inputs, key bindings stopped working and Synapse wouldn’t recognize the keyboard, so I wouldn’t want to use the keyboard at under 3% battery.
Razer claims the BlackWidow V3 Mini can last for up to 200 hours without any RGB whether using the dongle or Bluetooth connection. With the keyboard’s Spectrum Cycling RGB effect at max brightness, Razer’s battery life estimate drops to 17 hours. If you keep brightness at 30% max, the expectation is 48 hours.
Razer told me the keyboard can charge to 100% after 4 hours and 50% after 30 minutes. However, your experience may vary, as I let my test unit’s battery run out, charged it for 30 minutes with the included cable and a 5V/2A power brick and only had 11% battery after. After 4 hours of charging though, the battery meter on the mouse’s software read 100%.
Features and Software of Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed
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Synapse continues to be the tool of choice for Razer’s RGB and feature-clad lineup, offering control over everything from per-key and logo RGB to almost every key’s function. My favorite part, however, is the battery life reading, stated in a clear, specific percentage.
The Customize section lets you set almost every key’s (not Windows or Fn) function, including different keyboard and mouse actions, RGB control and the ability to switch another Razer product’s profile. With Razer’s HyperShift feature, Fn doesn’t only activate certain key’s side-printed secondary functions, it can also activate secondary functions, assigned via Synapse, among most other keys. Indeed, one of Razer’s advantages is the volume of customization options — so long as you don’t mind running Synapse in the background.
If you do, the BlackWidow V3 Mini makes a decent effort of offering some features app-free. For one, you can toggle through some RGB presets by pressing Fn + Ctrl + 1-7. And in addition to being able to store an infinite number of profiles in the software, (thanks to the cloud), there are 4 onboard memory profiles. But how to toggle through those profiles isn’t obvious. In my few weeks with the keyboard, I couldn’t figure it out on my own. I had to ask Razer, which taught me to fold Fn + C. And, indeed, when you hold down Fn, the C key lights up to let you know it has a secondary function. But there’s no side-printing on the C key to remind you that it can perform profile toggling. Additionally, RGB settings don’t carry over. And some advanced functions, like inter-device control and launching apps or websites, still require Synapse to be open.
You can also do macro recording on the fly, but it requires Synapse to be running in the background. But remember, four keys are ready to serve as macro keys alongside Fn, so it’s worth considering. If you plan on using dedicated macros often though, a full-size keyboard may be a better fit, especially something with macro keys like the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT.
Synapse’s Lighting section offers access to RGB controls, like brightness from 0-100% and the ability to toggle 11 preset effects, including your typical rainbow wave and Fire, which plays around with the red and orange color scheme flickering across keys. For customized effects, you’ll need the Chroma plug-in, which offers expansive layers of customization options, including over the snake logo.
Power is a simple, but important, menu. There’s a battery meter here, plus the option to make RGB dim automatically or have the keyboard turn off after a certain amount of inactivity (to conserve battery).
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed is Razer’s first 65% keyboard, but adopts the brand’s tradition of high-priced, high-functionality peripherals gamers would be proud to carry. This keyboard is an exciting addition, particularly because of its efficient layout. If you don’t need a numpad, this is about as good as it gets without making basic navigation burdensome.
You can go slightly trimmer, though. The Cooler Master SK622 offers an interesting counter offer in what is essentially a 60% keyboard with arrows. Wireless connectivity is Bluetooth only though, and many will prefer the reliability of the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s dongle and the option to toggle through up to 3 more PC connections via Bluetooth.
We rank the 75% Keychron K2 as the best wireless keyboard for productivity, and the 65% version, the Keychron K6, is much cheaper than the BlackWidow V3 Mini at under $105 with RGB or without.
And if you can stomach a cable, the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant offers a striking design, a broad range of Cherry switches and doubleshot PBT keycaps, an upgrade over what the BlackWidow V3 Mini offers, for $159.
But with this level of customization, from key bindings to RGB to multi-PC connectivity, there’s very few if any in the 65% category that can compete with the BlackWidow V3 Mini’s gaming-ready featureset.
Financial services firm Square Inc. will partner with blockchain technology provider Blockstream Mining to build an open-source, solar-powered bitcoin mining facility, Blockstream announced in a press release Saturday. Square confirmed the news in a tweet, saying it was “committed to driving further adoption and efficiency of renewables within the bitcoin ecosystem.”
According to the release, Square will invest $5 million in the facility, which will be a “proof-of-concept for a 100% renewable energy Bitcoin mine at scale,” and will be built at one of Blockstream’s sites in the US. “We hope to show that a renewable mining facility in the real world is not only possible but also prove empirically that Bitcoin accelerates the world toward a sustainable future,” the release states.
Together, we’ll be creating a public-facing dashboard to serve as a transparent case study for renewable energy and bitcoin mining. As we continue to explore the synergies between the two, we’re excited to share our ongoing learnings and real world data points. (2/2)
— Square (@Square) June 5, 2021
Bitcoin mining uses a lot of electricity, and the pursuit of sustainable methods for mining it is top of mind for many in the industry. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in April the automaker would stop accepting bitcoin as payment for vehicles (after having the policy in place for roughly a month), noting that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin “come at great costs to the environment.” He met with bitcoin miners in May, and the group agreed to form a Bitcoin Mining Council, “to promote energy usage transparency [and] accelerate sustainability initiatives worldwide.”
Square CEO Jack Dorsey, who is also CEO of Twitter, is another big proponent of bitcoin (it’s the only word in his Twitter bio at the moment), saying in 2018 that he thinks bitcoin will become the world’s single currency within 10 years. Square invested $50 million in bitcoin in October , adding another $170 million in February. Users of Square’s Cash app can use it to buy bitcoin. And during remote testimony before Congress in March, a bitcoin clock could be seen in the background of Dorsey’s video stream.
On Friday, Dorsey tweeted that Square was “considering making a hardware wallet for bitcoin” building it entirely in the open and in collaboration with the community.
I would like to thank Lamptron for supplying the sample.
Lamptron has been around since the early 2000s and is well known for its slew of fan controllers. In recent years, with the disappearance of external 5.25″ slots, Lamptron has started to expand the line-up to internal components for both fan and RGB control, as well as several LCD monitors and RGB accessories. In this article, we will take a quick look at the Lamptron ATX201 RGB Frame, which, as the name implies, is a unique RGB lighting element to give your motherboard that extra visual appeal. Lamptron also offers mATX and ITX variants.
Packaging and A Closer Look
The ATX201 frame comes packaged in a brown cardboard box with a sticker of the frame in action on front, so you know exactly what you are receiving.
The frame itself is as simple as can be. In essence, it is a translucent plastic frame with a black cover on one side. There are cutouts around where the motherboard standoffs for an ATX form factor would be, and a 5 V 3-pin RGB cable comes out of the corner for you to connect to your controller or straight to your motherboard.
The connector is completely traditional, so you should run into no problems when interfacing it with any modern header on a board or generic controller. If you look closely at the translucent side of the frame, you can see the LEDs on a strip that essentially wraps all the way around inside the frame. The black layer is then glued on to keep everything in place.
Frame in Use
Installing the Lamptron ATX201, if you can call even call it an installation, simply means placing the frame into the case before installing your motherboard. As you can see in the first picture, the ATX201 aligns nicely with the mounts. Once we dug up an open-frame case, we were also able to take a shot of the frame sandwiched between the chassis and the motherboard.
We connected the frame to the MSI Z390 and Zalman Z3 Iceberg’s generic 5 V RGB controller, which was in turn plugged straight into the motherboard. Using the MSI Dragon Center software, the board’s dim backlight was turned off to showcase the ATX201 as an add-on for those with a board without that feature in the first place. While I am not a fan of RGB, the indirect lighting is actually pretty nifty in my opinion. As you can see, the frame emits quite the potent glow all around the motherboard, with nicely diffused illumination—all while syncing up with the rest of the components just fine.
To showcase some basic colors, we went through the RGB set—red, green and blue. Naturally, you have a lot of creative freedom when utilizing software, and the MSI Mystic Light app offers a variety of animations and multi-color settings as well, all of which comes across very nicely on the Lamptron ATX201.
We also shot a quick 10 second video of a full-on RGB animation to give you a real-world sense of what to expect.
Conclusion
The Lamptron ATX201 is a really simple, yet pretty darn nifty RGB add-on to your system. It adds lighting to an area in your system you will have a hard time illuminating otherwise; that is, unless your motherboard already has rear-mounted LEDs. For those who do not have that luxury, the ATX201 is a potent and super simple element that just works and does so extremely well.
That is it. There really is not much else to be said about a product that is made out of a plastic frame and an embedded LED strip. All the ingenuity is in the shape of the frame itself and, thus, its placement. Quite honestly, I am fine with that since it is, in turn, affordable, and the end result is pretty stunning.
From a pricing perspective, things are currently not very clear. Lamptron mentioned an MSRP of $39, which seems quite high for a product that utilizes such a simple list of materials. We suggested a $20–$25 price tag, so hopefully, it will be more affordable once it hits retail.
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