DualMonitors
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LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon
While LCD monitors with in-plane switching technology were once decidedly settled at the high end, LG apparently thinks its time for everyone to have one and is launching its mainstream IPS4 line. Executive VP JJ Lee says the aim is for IPS monitors to become "ubiquitous in every room", bringing better color reproduction, picture quality and wide viewing angles with them. So far we know they're slotting in just below the 3D-capable models shown off at CES, but there's nothing mentioned in the press release (included after the break along with another pic) about prices, sizes, specs or model numbers. If you're in the market however, expect to find out more soon since they will roll out to Asia first in May, followed by Europe and North America in "the coming weeks".
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me adjust my mouse tracking on the fly
Dear Aunt TUAW, I'm happily running Lion on my computer now, but I've noticed an issue with the mouse tracking speed that is driving me batty. I use a dual-screen setup with my 13" Macbook Air and a 23" Apple Cinema Display (with a Magic Mouse), and the tracking speed doesn't remain constant across the two screens. Adjusting for a normal tracking speed on the Cinema Display results in painfully slow mouse movement on the MBA -- almost as if the proportional movement (relative to the screen size) is calibrated to remain the same. Is this an early Lion bug, or is this a new "feature" that I can somehow unwind? Please help! Your loving, but annoyed, nephew, Nate Dear Nate, Auntie doesn't have good news for you. And that's because the mouse speed option cannot be set on a per-monitor basis. Mouse tracking is controlled as part of system defaults, in the Universal Access preferences pane. The actual preference is called mouseDriverMaxSpeed and can range as an integer between 1 (lethargic) and 32 (zippy). Here's how you'd read the current setting from the command line. defaults read com.apple.universalaccess mouseDriverMaxSpeed Whatever number you set to feel right on one monitor will either feel draggy or hyper on the other. Unfortunately, the problem with auto-scaling the mouse lies in detecting when the cursor has changed between screens. There's no system notification generated so nothing for Auntie to build a tool on, to update the defaults as you move the cursor around. So, Auntie thought she'd throw this one out to all her other nephews and nieces. Have any of you found a solution for Nate that doesn't hinge on system notifications? Hugs, Auntie T.
Green House reveals its first 15.6-inch USB monitor, lives large on small charge
Just when MMT's 15.4-inch Monitor2Go was getting excited about its big USB display on campus title, Greenhouse Japan has strutted in and ruined the party with its 15.6-inch GH-USD16K USB secondary monitor. True, a resolution of 1366 x 768 won't give the screen bragging rights over Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display, but it should suffice for those on the move in desperate need of some quick dual-screen action. Especially since the accessory weighs less than 3 pounds, produces 18bit color depth and has a brightness of 220 nits while sipping just 5 watts of Serial Bus power. Speaking of dual-action, the monitor can also be set to clone or extend the connected computer's screen depending on user preference. Look for it to start shipping early next month to Japan for an estimated price of $214, glancing over its shoulder until an inevitable 15.8-inch newbie lopes onto the block.
Is the Multi-display Mini finally about to debut?
Mac Mini users have been waiting a long time for a true dual-monitor solution. Sure there are a bunch of work-arounds out there that let you run more than one screen at a time but a real multi-screen solution hasn't yet been available as far as I know. (Honestly, I haven't been looking all that hard--so if there's one I missed let me know in the comments.)Display Link has finally decided to let the mini come to the multi-display party. TUAW reader Nick tipped us off to these new beta drivers for Mac OS X.The DisplayLink hardware supports up to 4 USB-based monitors. You're limited to Intel Macs but minis and MacBook Airs are supported. The beta does not support OpenGL acceleration so Keynote and iPhoto slide shows will not properly function. From what I could tell from the site, Display Link seems to be sold with third party branding. The Kensington USB docking station (model 33415) for $140 is apparently the product in question.
Matrox intros Dual/TripleHead2Go for Macs
Mac users looking for a little multi-monitor action now have another option at their disposal, with Matrox announcing that its DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go are both now compatible with a number of Apple systems. Each unit appears to be otherwise unchanged, letting you drive two or three monitors at combined resolutions up to 2560x1024 or 3840x1024 from a single video card. While the DualHead2Go is compatible with all recent Mac systems, you'll only be able to surround yourself in the wonder that is three monitors if you've got a MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, or 20 or 24-inch iMac. It's not a completely ideal solution, however, requiring a mini-DVI to VGA adapter (and a step back in image quality) for use with some systems and, as impressive as those combined resolutions are, monitors with native resolutions higher than 1280 x 1024 will be too much for either unit to handle. If that's not too much of a compromise to make, you can snag each now for the same price as they were before, $169 for the DualHead2Go and $299 for the TripleHead2Go.[Via Gizmag]
Forget the 30 inch monitor, get multiple monitors
Remember that study which Apple commissioned that championed the benefits of using one gigantic monitor (a 30 inch Cinema Display, of course)? Well, some productivity experts are questioning the validity of that report's claims. They say that having one big monitor does increase productivity, but not as much as the report would have you believe. Furthermore, the experts contend that using 2, or more, displays is a much more effective means to enhance productivity.What does the wisdom of the crowd say?
