4TB just got more accessible

Apple had a slew of new Mac and iPad announcements this week, but there’s a key detail that the coverage missed. The single-core speeds of modern Apple processors are so fast that I bet people using an M1 Pro and M1 Max would still feel a speed increase with a base M5. There are also many people, maybe the same ones, who would really benefit from using those processor budget savings to buy 4TB of internal storage. Suddenly, you can keep your whole iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Drive, and many other things locally on your Mac with no issues. The M5 is Apple’s first processor that can handle this without a Pro or Max variant. Now that the M5 is in the MacBook Air, this means you can have a Mac with 4TB of internal storage for as low as $2299 US. That’s still expensive, but the convenience this adds is significant. When Apple previously released the MacBook Pro 14” with M5, I switched to a similar setup, and I love it!

ECOVACS WINBOT W3 OMNI

A handful of robot vacuum companies now sell window cleaning robots, but ECOVACS was the first. I saw their latest generation WINBOT W3 OMNI at CES, and now it’s shipping. If you have large windows that are difficult to clean, this could be a helpful tool for taking care of them. Along with better cleaning using the “WIN-SLAM 5.0” (lol) algorithm, the big feature is a base station that can clean the WINBOT after it cleans your windows.

Robot window cleaners are not quite as new in the commercial space. I worked for a few years in Chicago’s Sears (Willis) Tower, and it has robot window cleaners that wash its 16,100 windows across 108 floors.

IKEA Matter Bulbs

IKEA started selling its A19 standard-size Matter-over-Thread bulbs here in the US. These are an incredible price for smart bulbs that reach 1600 lumens in brightness and don’t require a hub. IKEA also sells the most affordable candelabra-size smart bulb I’m aware of. Now with Matter, these can be a big savings if you are purchasing a bunch for a light fixture.

The Schedule

This is the 35th edition of The Sunday Scene newsletter. I tried a handful of different versions of my newsletter over the years, but this one has really stuck with me. Don’t be mistaken, videos on YouTube are still my main thing. But at times I struggle to post long-form videos there on a weekly basis (like the last THREE weeks!). This newsletter is something I can keep up with, and it’s a way you can hear from me every single week.

On the channel, we had a great live stream on Thursday night, and this Thursday night, I’ll be joined by special guest Robert from Oconee Smart Homes.

Also don’t forget if you live or know people in the US, we just entered daylight saving in most of the US.

I hope you have a great rest of your (potentially shorter) Sunday.

Eric