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Quick Summary
Ever fancied adding the Dynamic Island to your MacBook? Well, now you can!
This third-party app brings the revolutionary function to the laptop – but is it worth it?
While the iPhone can often catch some flack for failing to innovate, its certainly not always the case. Apple are renowned for making fantastic technology, and every once in a while they do something with a simple, elegant brilliance which raises questions over why no-one else thought to do it.
That was certainly the case with the Dynamic Island. As phone manufacturers raced to trim down the screen real estate lost to front-facing cameras, Apple instead chose to embrace their notch with a software-powered enhancement.
That sees information from a range of different third-party apps display around the notch. Users could see scores from sporting events, or get updates on the status of a food delivery or inbound Uber, for example.
Now, that same functionality can be found on their MacBook models. Those also gained a camera notch recently, in a quest to boost the screen size without increasing the size of the case.
So, how does it work? Well you'll need to download a third-party application to make it happen. It's called NotchNook – created by lo.cafe – and it works pretty much exactly as you'd think.
The app opens up when you move the cursor to the top of the display – where the notch is – or by swiping down from the top of your trackpad. The app will work on Mac models with or without a notch, meaning no-one has to miss out on these features.
Users can access things like their music player in the notch. You'll also find handy features like a tray for different files, giving you quick access to those. Is it needed? I'm not sure, but it's certainly an interesting prospect.
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The biggest downside I can see, however, is the cost. At $25 (approx. £20 or AU$37.50) to buy outright, or $3 (approx. £2.30 or AU$4.50) per month on a subscription, this seems quite pricey.
There are a wealth of additional features promised for the future, though, so maybe it's worth hanging on for those before parting with your hard-earned cash.
Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.
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