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Why Billie Eilish Apple TV+ Doc Looks Like ‘The Office’

Charlotte Henry ·

Pop stars notoriously come up with all sorts of weird demands for those around them. However, director R.J. Cutler was not quite prepared for Billie Eilish to ask for their Apple TV+ collaboration to look like The Office. He explained the request to Entertainment Weekly.

It took a second for the acclaimed The September Issue director to understand what the young music phenom was looking for, exactly. But by spending more time with her, “I realized what she meant was, as you know, there’s a unique relationship that the John Krasinski character in particular has with the camera in The Office, which is a full documentary. And that’s really what she was alluding to,” he tells EW. “That kind of connection to the camera was something she wanted the opportunity to have in making a documentary.” While it’s not an element that takes over the film, “There are two or three key moments where she connects with the camera in a way that is reflective of who Billie is in her connection to her audience,” the director adds.

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Mozilla VPN Arrives on macOS and Linux

Andrew Orr ·

After rolling out on platforms like Windows, Android, and iOS, the Mozilla VPN arrives on macOS and Linux for US$5/month.

The Mozilla VPN isn’t the cheapest option on the market. However, Mozilla has said that, because it uses fewer lines of code than other VPNs, the service is faster than many rival ones. You can connect to more than 280 servers in more than 30 countries via the VPN without any bandwidth restrictions.

I think US$5/mo is definitely one of the cheapest VPNs on the market.

CES 2021: OWC’s new Thunderbolt Dock adds Ethernet, USB, and More Thunderbolt Ports to Your Mac
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CES 2021: OWC's new Thunderbolt Dock adds Ethernet, USB, and More Thunderbolt Ports to Your Mac

Dave Hamilton ·

At CES this week, OWC has announced the latest iteration of its Thunderbolt Dock, this one leveraging the new features unlocked by macOS Big Sur to allow you to add more Thunderbolt ports to your Intel or M1 Macs. With three, fully-capable Thunderbolt ports on the back, plus one on the front to which you connect your Mac, the possibilities are wide open. In addition to those, there are three 10Gbps USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, SD card, headphone out, and a USB 2.0 port, giving you expansion options for days, including the ability to add up to two 4K displays or a 5K/6K/8K display. This self-powered hub will also deliver up to 90W of Power Delivery to your Mac laptop. Pre-orders are available today with units shipping later this month.

CES 2021: Plugable USB-C 7-in-1 Hub Brings Ethernet, Charging, and 4K HDMI
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CES 2021: Plugable USB-C 7-in-1 Hub Brings Ethernet, Charging, and 4K HDMI

Dave Hamilton ·

At CES on Tuesday, Plugable announced their new USB-C 7-in-1 hub, following the work-from-home trend of bringing Ethernet and 4K video to users in an easy-to-pack form factor (to use at home now, and for when we can go places again!). In addition to two 5Gbps USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 4K HDMI, SD and microSD card slots, the Plugable hub includes a USB-C Power Delivery charging port capable of up to 87W of USB-C pass-through charging for your laptop and USB devices. Shipping now, this hub is available at Amazon for $34.95 at the time of publication.

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Digital Library Book Readers Borrowed 430 Million Books in 2020

Andrew Orr ·

Book sales, both digital and physical, increased in 2020. Book borrowing did too, with OverDrive reporting 430 million ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines browsed in 2020. This is a 33% increase over 2019.

The most significant genre growth in 2020 was children’s and YA fiction and nonfiction because of remote and hybrid learning. In addition, more than 2 million checkouts occurred through Public Library CONNECT partnerships and the Sora student reading app. More public library and school partnerships than ever enabled students to use their school credentials to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from both their school and local public library.

Cool Stuff Found

CES 2021: Disruptive Technologies Launches Second Generation of Temperature Sensor

Charlotte Henry ·

Disruptive Technologies launched the second generation of its Temperature Sensor at CES 2021. The company said the sensor can deliver over 15 million data points – 30 times more than the previous generation while maintaining the same form factor and size. It also has the same 15-year battery life. Data generated by the sensor is end-to-end encrypted. It is €49 ($USD 59.60), or €39 per sensor if you order 25 or more, with deliveries starting in May.