Techin' Geek

One of my main annoyances with meeting applications is that every single one has a unique shortcut for silencing your microphone or disabling your webcam. It becomes challenging to keep track of which keys perform which functions when you’re in the midst of a meeting trying to make a point or pose a query. I have always desired a physical, universal button for mute and camera control — something I could press without a second thought. Project Mirage’s Dune, a compact, three-key aluminum keypad — roughly the dimensions of a piece of gum — that connects to your MacBook’s USB-C port, accomplishes exactly that.

The $119 device features three buttons, and its functionality shifts depending on the application you are using. For example, in meeting apps and websites, it might function as toggle mic, toggle video, and bring window to the front. In Excel or Sheets, it could serve as copy, paste, and undo. For Chrome, it could be refresh, jump to URL bar, and paste. You understand the concept. Developers can also implement it with tools like VS Code or GitHub to merge, approve, or close a pull request.

The startup customizes each unit to fit your particular Mac model, ensuring that it aligns perfectly against the laptop with no gap underneath. If your ports are occupied, you can connect it using a dongle instead. Dune operates without a battery and does not require an external charger — it draws power directly from the MacBook.

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Currently, the startup accommodates M2 Air or later and M1 Pro or later models of MacBook running macOS 15 Sequoia or subsequent versions.

The device has a pleasant appearance and feel, but I found that the keys lacked sufficient resistance. Presently, it is quite simple to accidentally press a key. On several occasions, I unintentionally unmuted myself or disabled my camera because my hand brushed against the device while reaching for a bottle of water or a coffee mug. It shouldn’t be this straightforward to trigger a key.

Dune comes with a companion app for setting up shortcuts, whether per-app or system-wide. Within a specific application, you can link a Dune key to a keyboard shortcut, a command, or a link that launches an app or URL.

Through the app, Dune also connects with your calendar and displays your upcoming meeting a few minutes prior to its start, allowing you to join, dismiss, or send an “I’m running late” message with a single tap.

For further customization, you can write and execute your own Python script. If coding isn’t your forte, Dune offers seamless integration with Claude Desktop: You articulate the shortcut you desire in simple language, and Claude generates it and assigns it to a key for that application — no manual setup needed.

I created a shortcut that, whenever I’m on a startup’s webpage, retrieves a brief overview of the company: its rivals, funders, and inquiries I might pose if I arranged a meeting with them. For anyone whose role involves quickly evaluating companies — investors, founders, operators — it’s a task perfectly suited for Dune. I also developed one that converts images to JPEG format so I can swiftly upload them to WordPress or social media. Both were straightforward to create and required no manual configuration, although getting a shortcut fully operational still involves some back-and-forth with Claude, including troubleshooting once you actually run it.

The app additionally features a marketplace, where users can discover skills created by other Dune owners. If the marketplace gains traction, it could become essential to Dune’s growth and retention strategy — hardware serving as a lightweight front end for a Claude-powered skills ecosystem, where each new skill provides owners with another incentive to remain engaged.

However, at this time, the selection of skills is limited. Furthermore, there is no option to test a skill without assigning it to the hardware button — ideally, the app would allow you to preview a skill before committing it to the hardware. The startup also needs to actively introduce more of its own recommended skills for different applications to its users.

Project Mirage’s device sells for $149 after its introductory price concludes, and it’s an excellent choice for anyone focused on productivity. MuteMe merely addresses mute/unmute, and Stream Deck offers business-oriented macros, but Dune is simpler to personalize on both hardware and software.

While I grew up managing my father’s Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck from the passenger side, I’m not precisely the demographics Chevy targets. I prefer hatchbacks over pickups. However, after driving around Detroit for a day in the Silverado EV, I came to see that Chevy might convert me into a truck enthusiast after all.

The Silverado EV handles almost like a car. The bed is enormous, and the frunk is spacious. The rear seat has ample room for me to stretch out my annoyingly long legs, and the cabin is serene. It’s capable of powering your home during a hurricane, and it tows, hauls, and steers down the highway without any effort required. Furthermore, it covers over 400 miles on a single charge. This should ideally attract any American pickup aficionado.

Yet, it hasn’t been flying off dealership lots. GM moved around 14,000 units last year across the U.S. and Canada. In contrast, the gasoline Silverado sells ten times that amount in a single quarter. After my experience behind the wheel, I find myself perplexed. GM could have produced the quintessential American EV, yet it’s failing to thrive on the market.

Could it be the aesthetics? At first glance, the Silverado EV brings to mind the classic Chevy Avalanche, and whether that’s a positive or negative rests on your opinion of the original model. Like the Avalanche, the Silverado EV features four doors, a compact bed that extends into the cabin, and a “sail” design element that reduces drag. I thought the EV looked decent, but then again, I’m not particularly a truck enthusiast.

Stepping in demands a significant lift, but once inside, it’s roomy and inviting. Press the brake, and the Silverado EV comes alive, with sharp displays dominating the lower portion of your view. The seats are impressive, and like several electric vehicles, it accelerates with enthusiasm when you apply pressure with your right foot. At nearly 20 feet long, the Silverado EV certainly isn’t small, yet with rear-wheel steering, it maneuvers through a parking lot as easily as a compact hatchback. That is until you attempt to fit it into a tight parking spot.

The infotainment system powered by Google is sharp and clearly laid out, with commendable responsiveness. It may not quite match the speed of an iPhone, but it’s pretty close, and the voice control features are effective. Below the vents, you’ll find knobs for volume and temperature along with some HVAC controls that can also be manually adjusted. Fortunately, Chevy hasn’t forgotten how to include physical controls.

The navigation uses a Google service, hence it performs well. When I voiced my destination, it presented several route choices, similar to Google Maps on your phone, but with an added feature: Below the typical time-to-destination display, there’s an estimate of how long you’ll be able to use Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free driving feature. Prefer to drive less? Opt for the route that maximizes your time in Super Cruise. Over the years, GM has given various reasons for removing CarPlay from its EVs, and this might be one of its more compelling justifications. That said, I still don’t fully agree with that move, though.

On the subject of Super Cruise, its hands-free, Level 2 advanced driver-assistance technology lives up to the praise. In March, I tested the Bolt equipped with Super Cruise and was quite impressed, although my experience was brief. With the Silverado EV, I navigated through the Detroit area during peak traffic hours. Given the size of this truck, Super Cruise is imperative, facilitating a relatively serene driving experience.

However, it does have some drawbacks. Maintaining its position in the lane can be somewhat challenging. Just like my previous experience with the Bolt, Super Cruise could be confused by vehicles speeding up and merging in from the right.

One particularly stressful moment occurred when the Silverado EV almost collided with a dirty paint mixer trailer. Maybe the paint-splattered taillights baffled the system? In reality, the radar should have detected it sooner.

Overall, Super Cruise contributed to a smooth ride, with a lot of the credit going to the 205 kilowatt-hour battery pack located midship. It’s quite substantial in weight. But also a shoutout to the ride and handling engineers, who clearly put in considerable effort. Among trucks, this one rides smoothly.

Perhaps even more noteworthy was the efficiency. I managed around 2.1 miles per kilowatt-hour, which is roughly 10% to 20% lower than my average in my Audi e-tron, a smaller vehicle with significantly less frontal area facing the elements.

So why are sales lagging?

Some analysts have pointed fingers at the Silverado EV’s high asking price, but I remain skeptical. Buyers of full-size pickups typically spend around $66,000, just $5,000 less than the MSRP of a Silverado EV LT Extended Range, which offers 410 miles on a full charge. (The LT Max Range variant I drove will provide an additional 68 miles but is priced $20,000 higher.)

Others also cite the EV’s limited towing range, which falls short by about 60%. Again, this shouldn’t be a deterrent. According to Strategic Vision, approximately 75% of full-size truck owners tow once a year at most, meaning there are roughly 400,000 fossil fuel Silverado owners poised for a switch. Yet the sales numbers show otherwise!

It seems that GM and competing manufacturers miscalculated the truck market, which tends to exhibit resistance to change, not of the kind that arises from maneuvering a 4.5-ton vehicle. Potential purchasers are anxious about range, charging times, and likely other concerns I might not have considered. This hesitance has hampered EVs in general — particularly EV trucks.

It’s unfortunate, really. Most of those worries diminish after some time with an EV, and the Silverado EV is a commendable first iteration of an electric pickup truck. With some additional engineering, could the builder reduce its weight? That would enhance payload and towing capacity while also enabling a smaller battery, thus lowering expenses.

GM may tackle the pricing issue in the near future. The company has strongly hinted that the Silverado EV will adopt a new battery chemistry, lithium-manganese-rich (LMR), which could cut costs by about $6,000 while maintaining range sometime in the coming years. If those reductions are passed on to consumers, it would align the EV’s pricing with that of the fossil fuel variant.

If such adjustments occur and lower the price slightly, I could definitely see myself pondering the Silverado EV. Too bad it’s oversized for my 1950s two-car garage. I’d need to find a bigger home for my truck. And what could be more American than that?