When Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro, it marked the end of the line for the Touch Bar. Apple may never make the Touch Bar again, but luckily the folks at Eniac have taken it upon themselves to create a replacement they're calling Flexbar. The company is currently raising funds on Kickstarter to complete the project.
The Flexbar is a long and narrow OLED touchscreen control strip: you can place it anywhere, even at the top of your keyboard, like a Touch Bar. It connects to the Mac via USB and appears to work like the Touch Bar did. But it can also be used in a vertical orientation if that suits your workflow, and it can also connect to iPads, iPhones, and Windows PCs.
Flexbar offers more customization than the Touch Bar ever did, and the company says it will offer API support for developers. There's also a Flexbar Designer app that lets users customize the Flexbar's controls and a Discord community where you can get help and tips for tweaking the Flexbar.
It looks like Eniac has already exceeded its fundraising goal, even with 29 days to go, but you can still donate. Packages start at $119/£94, which include the Flexbar, an aluminum stand and a 2 meter USB-C cable. The Kickstarter event ends on January 2, 2025.
