Ever since the M1 MacBook Pro was introduced, the Apple-branded laptops have come with their own notches the way the iPhones did. But while the latter got a way to make it functional in the form of Dynamic Island, the former did not. At least, not officially, as there is now an app called NotchNook that essentially does the same as Dynamic Island does, but for MacBooks instead.
Much like the iPhone feature, NotchNook makes it so that an interface pops up when you click on the space that the notch has taken over, or swipe down using the trackpad from there. This can also be set to show up automatically when you hover the mouse cursor over it. Either way, this reveals a “nook” that houses things like media controls if you have any running, as well as customisable widgets that can include some new AI-based ones.
There’s a separate “tray” tab which allows you to drop files or apps into, like the macOS dock. According to The Verge, other features coming “soon” to NotchNook, according to its include the ability to zip and unzip files when dragged into it.
If you’re using an older MacBook without the notch, the good news is that NotchNook also works on these models as well as the newer, notched ones. Said older models also get the extra benefit of making the nook look just like a notch on the newer Apple laptops, or just a small strip if you prefer the less intrusive look.
The bad news, and something the report failed to mention, is that NotchNook is not something that you can use for free. Instead, it has either a purchase price of US$25 (~RM117) for a five-device license, or a two-device alternative for US$3 (~RM14) a month instead.
