I’ve spent the last few weeks with the Keychron Q5 Pro and Q6 Pro mechanical keyboards, and I think they’re some of the best bang-for-your-buck full-size keyboards you can get today. The Q6 Pro is a traditional full-size keyboard layout with a NumPad and navigation keys, while the Q5 Pro is a slightly more compact 1800-style layout.
Both of them are gasket-mounted, with thick aluminum cases and a knob in the top right corner. You can buy either model with Keychron’s red linear switches, brown tactile switches, or banana tactile switches, and they include hot-swap sockets, RGB lighting, and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity by default. If you don’t mind a cord, you can also connect them via USB-C. (Read my guide, How to Shop for a Mechanical Keyboard, if you want to learn more about some of these terms!)
Why a Full-Size Layout?
Anyone who wants a full-size keyboard layout already knows they want it. In my experience, it’s something you’re already acclimated to, not something you’re going to switch to on a whim. These things are huge and can have a dedicated key for everything, especially if you take advantage of the ability to reprogram keys.
The bare-bones version of the Q6 Pro allows you to add your preferred set of switches and keycaps.
Photograph: Keychron
Yes, the entire keyboard is completely reprogrammable. Keychron’s Q Pro line supports QMK/VIA, an open source third-party software that lets you reprogram every key. QMK is a system for keyboards that allows users to flash new firmware and keymaps, and VIA is a system that makes this reprogramming quick and seamless within a web browser. These keymaps persist across devices and have nearly limitless potential once you’ve learned the software.
Because of the utility of QMK and VIA, I found the number pads useful even though I hardly ever use them to input numbers. They can easily be reprogrammed and used as a dedicated macro pad, or for any other number of uses. (It’s worth noting that with both QMK and VIA, you have to plug in the keyboard to reprogram it.) The placement of the reset button underneath the spacebar on the top of the printed circuit board (PCB) makes reprogramming easy, since you don’t have to take the entire keyboard apart (unlike quite a few other keyboards that place the button in a hard-to-reach spot).
Even if you don’t plan to reprogram any keys, the number pad is great for quickly typing long strings of numbers or if you want to utilize Alt Codes so that you don’t have to constantly Google “Em dash” and copy and paste the symbol on Windows. (Hot tip: The Alt code for an em dash is Alt + 0151.)
The Typing Feel
Both the Q5 Pro and Q6 Pro use a gasket mount, meaning the main keyboard assembly (plate, switches, PCB) is suspended inside the case using two compressed layers of foam instead of being directly attached to the case. This creates a bouncier typing feel and isolates the internal assembly to create a softer, more crisp typing sound.
Keychron’s gasket-mount system is fairly bouncy, meaning the key presses feel soft and relaxed. This meshes with the switches provided, which have fairly light springs, to create an overall typing experience that’s crisp and bouncy without feeling cheap or flimsy.
The two boards I received have the Red and Banana switches from Keychron’s K Pro switch line. The Reds are simple, effective linear switches that sound poppy and feel fairly smooth. The Banana switches are tactile with a medium-strength bump and a good amount of travel after the bump. I’d recommend either one since both are high-quality examples of their respective switch types that will be acceptable to a large number of users.
As for sound, it’s the most powerful and quietest air purifier I’ve tested. The maximum setting has a published ultrafine particle removal rate of 650 cubic meters per hour. (This is the measure of how fast and effectively an air purifier removes dust.)
According to my certificate of testing, at its highest setting the Atem X maxes out at 63 decibels, which is slightly higher than conversational speech in a restaurant, or from an air conditioner. At half that fan speed, the Atem X effectively cleans at a rate of 326 m3/h, well above its published rate of 250. It’s also one decibel above a bird call at 45 dB. It’s barely noticeable. Several times I put my hand over the grille to feel for airflow. I wasn’t sure whether it was on.
An HVAC Replacement
While it’s true that my 135-year-old Brooklyn apartment is not the Berkeley Laboratory, it is the perfect location to test a consumer air cleaner. Aside from my two cats and a dog, there’s my close proximity to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a constant source of gasoline fumes that produce the cancer-causing volatile organic compound benzene as well as particulate matter.
My apartment also has vintage steam radiators. That viral tweet, “The hottest summer I ever spent was a winter in a New York City apartment,” is true. That’s by design. The steam radiator system was intended to keep the apartment warm when you open the windows for airflow. Fresh air is healthy … on good air days, at least.
Like many of my neighbors apartments, mine won’t be retrofitted with an HVAC system complete with MERV filters to clean my air anytime soon. What happens when the air outside is toxic? I rely on portable air cleaners, especially at times like last spring, when New York City turned orange with heavy PM 2.5 from wildfires in Canada. At one point that day, New York had the worst air quality on Earth, with an index of 218. For context, Mumbai has the worst air as I’m writing this at 182. New York mayor Eric Adams said out loud what we were all thinking that day: “I went outdoors and basically said, you know, What the hell is this?”
The fact that it’s quiet—rustling-leaves quiet—on its lower settings makes the Atem X an ideal investment for those without a central HVAC system with MERV filters, which are those pleated 1-inch-thick square filters that fit into a furnace or central air system. (MERV filters can also cover a box fan to make an inexpensive DIY air purifier.)
What doesn’t the Atem X do? Unlike IQAir’s GS Series or the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool, the Atem X doesn’t have a carbon filter and cannot clear the air of odor, gases, or volatile organic compounds, like benzene. The Atem X uses a hyperHEPA filter, which captures all the tiny but potentially deadly stuff, like viruses such as Covid-19, bacteria, and PM 2.5. That designer cleaning has a cost: A replacement filter four-pack costs $199.
It’s been over four years since the world went into lockdown and indoor air quality became a main character. In a few short decades, we went from a society that smoked on airplanes to wearing KN95 masks in business class and coach. The minimalist white disc that IQAir says is “made in Germany with love” might signal a new way to think about air filters, a statement piece that brings the room together in a burning world. Even with the Atem X’s price tag, I would buy one. It’s playing the long game, a well-made handsome air filter made to go the distance.
it’s safe to say the 13-inch MacBook Air may have reached its peak in design. Apple’s overhaul of its lightweight laptop in 2022 left little to be desired. It packed modern features (like MagSafe charging and a 1080p webcam) and a sleek chassis (allowing it to fit right in with the high-end Pro lineup) that was well worth the price increase. It makes sense for Apple to continue to recycle the same external build. But that also means it now comes down to pushing what’s under the hood.
In this case, Apple upgraded the 13-inch MacBook Air with an M3 chip. Announced back in October, it’s the latest entry-level chipsets in Apple’s most recent batch of M-series processors.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The company did throw in a couple of additional new features, including support for two external displays and Wi-Fi 6E for double the Wi-Fi speeds. Aside from that, however, all else remains the same as in the previous version—including battery life, which Apple claims is up to 18 hours.
With such iterative enhancements, the price is the same as its predecessor. The base model starts at $1,099 while the maxed-out model will cost $2,299. And Apple is continuing to sell the M2-powered MacBook Air for $999, which is still a very capable machine.
Regardless of the chipset you pick, both models remain lightweight and ideal for getting work done on the go. But with the inclusion of the M3, this new version is now the most powerful MacBook Air you can buy.
Tried and True
If you’re not familiar with the redesign on the last-generation 13-inch MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends), then you’re likely not privy to the same features on the current version either. It has a square chassis instead of a wedge design, a bigger and brighter 13.6-inch LCD panel (with a 60-Hz refresh rate), and a 1080p webcam tucked into the notch on top of the screen. It also retains the same weight, coming in at 2.7 pounds, and packs a four-speaker sound system plus a three-mic array.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The port selection is identical, too—you’ll get a MagSafe charging port, two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. Typically, the limited ports wouldn’t bother me, since I only use the MacBook for writing, sending emails, making video calls, and streaming content. But it’s noticeable when connecting it to two external monitors (more on that later) because you’re left with zero ports. I would’ve liked to see at least one extra USB-C port to account for the new ability to connect to an extra monitor.
It comes in the same colors, too: Starlight, Midnight, Space Gray, and Silver. Apple sent me the Midnight version. It’s the only color that comes with an anodization seal—a special treatment that’s supposed to reduce fingerprint smudges.
Budget phones usually don’t perform all that well. They have poor cameras, they look boring and feel plasticky, and they miss out on several luxuries found in flagships. Well, Nothing’s latest smartphone—the Phone (2a)—doesn’t adhere to any of these trademark flaws.
I’ve been using this $349 Android smartphone for the last two weeks, and even used it as my primary phone in Barcelona as I was covering the Mobile World Congress 2024 trade show. These kinds of conventions are demanding, so I need my device to be reliable and snappy when typing notes while asking questions, responding to critical notifications, and taking pictures. It also needs to last long enough that I’m not hunting for an outlet instead of doing my work. The Nothing Phone (2a) did all that without losing any charm or style.
There are comparable phones for folks outside the US who want speed at an affordable price—just look at the Poco X6 Pro—but options are slim stateside. Nothing’s Phone (2a) is a rare blend; one that’s cheap but pretty, fast but also has a slick software interface, with decently long software support. In short: Its compromises are easily overshadowed by its merits.
Nothing to Worry About
You can get the Nothing Phone (2a) in the US, but you have to jump through some hoops to bag one.
Photograph: Nothing
First, it’s worth noting that Nothing is still a small smartphone manufacturer, and this launch isn’t super straightforward. The Phone (2a) is available in several countries, but in the US, it’s only being sold through a developer program. You don’t need to be a developer to buy it though—just sign up and once you’re accepted, you’ll get a link to purchase the device. The US is only getting the 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage model for $349; everywhere else, there’s a base 8 GB RAM and 128 GB version, which starts at £319 or €329.
You’ll likely run into some issues using the device on Verizon. T-Mobile subscribers will have the best experience as the Phone (2a) supports the carrier’s 5G bands. I’ve been using it on AT&T and, initially, I had trouble connecting to 5G networks and was relegated to 4G LTE, but that has recently changed. Since then, I’ve been on 5G and I’ve had no issues with calls and texts.
So much of this phone reminds me of the original Google Pixel 3A, which neatly packed the important parts of a handset in a $400 package back in 2019. Except, here, Nothing manages to impress much more on the hardware specs in its attempt to craft a value-friendly phone.
Take the 6.7-inch AMOLED display to start. It has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,300 nits. Its 2K resolution is sharp, it feels responsive, and I didn’t have many issues reading the screen in the Barcelona sun.
The other thing I noticed is the European-style keyboard. Tuxedo sent me a German keyboard, which is fine, I touch type anyway, so once I set the layout to US in the settings, the keyboard was mostly fine. Except for the Enter key. Most US keyboards use what’s known as an ANSI design, which features a long thin Enter key. Tuxedo uses an ISO-format keyboard, which has a taller Enter key with another key to the left of it. This is helpful for European users because it provides another accent key, but it’s definitely something that will trip you up for a bit if you’re used to US keyboards. I got around this by remapping the extra accent key to Enter (using Input Remapper), so that even if I mistyped, I got the result I intended.
Otherwise the keyboard was quite nice. The keys are on the tall side for a chiclet-style keyboard and have a satisfying amount of travel. I was able to type just as fast as I do on my Thinkpad T14.
Tuxedo also offers a wealth of keyboard customization options. You can put pretty much anything you want on the keyboard, including nothing. You can also have your custom logo etched in the lid.
The InfinityBook Pro is built around an Intel Core i7-13700H. The model I tested had integrated graphics, but there is an option to configure your InfinityBook Pro with a high-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card. I never felt the need for it, but if you plan to do anything more than light gaming, that’s probably the way to go. (The screen refresh tops out at 90 Hz, which is fine for gaming but not quite as fast as some displays.) I did a good bit of video editing on this machine, and while that did get the fan spinning, it was plenty fast for my needs.
Speaking of fans, the InfinityBook Pro 14 is equipped with a dual-fan cooling system, which is double what you’ll get in most thin laptops of this design. It works well, too. Even as I exported large 5.2K video footage down to 4K, the laptop never got too hot to have in my lap.
As with most Linux laptops, battery life is good, but can’t match new MacBooks. Doing our usual battery drain test (looping a Full HD video at 75 percent brightness), the InfinityBook Pro managed 6.5 hours. I haven’t felt constrained by battery life in the months I’ve tested the InfinityBook Pro. I liked the brightness at about 40 percent for web browsing and document, so that’s generally where I left it unless I was editing photos or video. Average use, at 40 percent brightness, generally got me between nine and ten hours. A full day’s work and some change. This can be further improved and tweaked using Tuxedo’s excellent Control Center app (more on that below).
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The InfinityBook offers more ports than you might think. There’s a Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port that can charge as well, a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port, two USB-A ports, a full-size SD card reader, HDMI port, headphone/mic port, and a separate power plug. The latter is the fastest way to charge up, though you can use a standard USB-C cord to charge. You’ll want want a 100-watt charger, though. My 60-watt charger worked, but under heavy load—exporting video for example—the laptop drained power faster than it could charge. Tuxedo’s website has a whole page devoted to the best settings to charge from USB-C.
The trackpad on the InfinityBook Pro is large and responsive. It did occasionally pick up my palms as touch events while I was typing, but I prefer to turn off tapping anyway.
It Runs Tuxedo OS, or Other Linux Distros
Tuxedo via Scott Gilbertson
Like System76, Tuxedo laptops ship with a customized OS based on Ubuntu Linux, though they will run just about any Linux distribution. (I tested Fedora to see if it worked and Arch because that’s what I use most of the time.) Tuxedo OS, which is built around the KDE desktop, provides a good, beginner-friendly Linux experience.
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