If you’re tired of your mouse, a Magic Trackpad could be the perfect new input device for your Mac or iPad. And during our Back to Education sale, you can get Apple’s wireless trackpad for just $117.99 (regularly $129) — no coupon code needed.
Plus, your purchase will trigger a contribution to an educational charity!
★★★★☆
The Satechi USB-C Slim Dock for 24-inch iMac sits on the stand for Apple’s all-in-one desktop and adds six frequently used ports. It also sports an enclosure for user-installed SSDs.
The hub and drive enclosure has been in my home office for several days. Here’s what it’s like to use in the real world.
★★★★★
The OWC MiniStack STX is just the right size to stack with a Mac mini. The hub adds three Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports that can be hooked to high-resolution displays and external drives.
It also includes bays for SATA and/or NVMe M.2 drives. That’s space for up to 18TB of storage. Install your own drives or buy them from OWC.
I put the powerful accessory for Mac or iPad to the test over several weeks of daily use.
★★★★☆
Slip the KYY 15.6-inch 1080P USB-C Portable Monitor in the same bag as your notebook and you can always count on having more screen space to work.
M1 iPad users looking forward to external display support should also think about this screen. Or attach it to your Switch for more fun on the run.
I used KYY’s monitor for a couple of weeks. Here’s why I find it surprisingly good.
★★★★☆
The Samsung USB Type-C Flash Drive adds up to 256GB of additional storage to Mac desktops and notebooks as well as most types of iPad. It can be easily switched among all of these, and other computers, too.
I tested the tiny drive with multiple devices, and it stood up quite well. Here’s why I love this speedy little accessory.
★★★★☆
With Hyper’s HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock, you’re ready to connect to either HDMI or DisplayPort monitors at 4K or even 8K. The USB-C hub also includes dual USB-A ports, Ethernet and more. Plus, it’s the right size to use in your office or on the road.
I put the dock through a battery of tests to see how it stands up on real-world use. Here’s how it did.
While the Plugable UD-ULTC4K doesn’t have a very exciting name, the USB-C hub does boast a whopping 13 ports. It can add up to three high-res external displays to a Mac, plus USB-A accessories, Ethernet and more.
It’s an improved version of a popular model that first launched back in 2017.
The miniature dual-port power adapter that Apple showed off at its recent developers conference is now available. The USB-C charger provides up to 35W and is compatible with a wide variety of devices.
In addition, Apple also launched a version of its classic MacBook power adapter with two USB-C ports, not just one.
WaterField Designs unveiled its new Mac Studio Travel Bag Wednesday, giving you a protective and stylish carry case for the Mac Studio plus a keyboard, mouse, hard drive and other accessories.
Designed to help you take Apple’s powerful new desktop computer from place to place, the bag keeps your computer setup organized and protected, the company said.
Satechi’s USB-C Slim Dock sits on the stand for the 24-inch iMac and adds six frequently-used ports. It also sports an enclosure for user-installed SSDs.
It launched Friday, and is available now for 20% off the usual price.
The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD includes a touchscreen and hardware encryption to protect user data. Unlock the XTS-AES 256-bit encryption by tapping in a password or numeric passcode onto the touchscreen.
It’s available in capacities up to 1920 GB.
The OWC Envoy Pro mini is a thumbdrive designed to work with almost any computer. It has both USB-C and USB-A connectors, and comes with up to 1TB of storage.
The tiny drive supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and benchmark tests show it can transfer data at over 900 MBps.
A 3-meter version of the Apple’s Thunderbolt 4 cable can now be ordered. The extra-long cable connects Macs to peripherals at up to 40Gbps and 100W of power.
It’s $159, or two or three times the cost of a high-quality 2-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable from rival companies. Trouble is, the 3-meter cable doesn’t have any direct competition.
The Samsung T7 Shield is a a credit-card size external SSD intended for outdoor content creators or travelers. It’s drop, water and dust resistant, and offers up to 2TB of capacity.
This new rugged version joins other SSDs in the Samsung T7 line.
The Apple Tax is real. Apple really does overcharge for some of its products. Nowhere is that clearer than with Apple’s 1.8-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable that costs double what it should.
But you don’t have to pay the tax. Not for high-quality cables, anyway. I tested 2-meter Thunderbolt cables from OWC and Plugable to show they do the job for a lot less money.
The Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub for iMac adds some extra height to the all-in-one desktop. And it makes room for four additional USB ports, an SD card reader and an audio jack.
I put stand/hub combo through its paces to see how it stands up in everyday use.
Although Apple refuses to make a touchscreen Mac, the Espresso Display V2 is ready to fill in the gap. There are 15.6-inch and 13.3-inch versions of the very slim external display, and both support touch and an optional stylus.
I tested the screen with a MacBook and iPad to see how well it performs in ordinary use. And I also tried out the stylus as well as the stand for desktop use and the case for taking the display on the go.
Feel the need for more external screens to go with your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? On Tuesday Hyper rolled out its new HyperDrive 4K Multi-Display Docking Station. It’ll help you connect up to three 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate.
And what’s more, the dock works with every MacBook made since 2016, Hyper said.
With a dozen ports, the Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock lets users connect a Mac to multiple accessories for data, video, Ethernet and power. All through a single high-speed cable connection.
Belkin also introduced a Thunderbolt 4 cable capable of handling data transfers at 40 Gbps.
The InnoView 15.6-inch Portable Monitor might be everything you’re looking for in a second screen for your MacBook. First off, it’s beautiful. And it’s very slim and lightweight. Plus it works with a wide variety of devices: Mac, iPad, even iPhone with the right adapter.
I used InnoView’s on-the-go display for both work and entertainment. Here’s all the many ways it impressed me. And its one flaw.
The OWC Mercury Pro U.2 Dual can handle up to eight U.2 SSDs. And it can be pre-configured with up to 64TB. That’s a lot of storage capacity. Or put in your own SSDs. And the external drive enclosure uses Thunderbolt for high-speed connections to your Mac. Plus there’s RAID support.
I put the drive holder through testing. Here’s what I found.
The HyperDrive Turntable Dock for iMac includes a 360-degree swivel mechanism that makes turning the computer a breeze. Plus, it has room for an SSD and 10 useful ports.
Hyper also unveiled on Monday the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub, which combines a docking station and 100W computer charger.
Both are nominated for CES Innovation Awards.
You can never be too thin, too rich or have too many USB ports. The EZQuest USB-C Gen 2 Hub Adapter adds four USB-C ports and three USB-A ones, making room for an array of peripherals for your Mac or iPad.
I put the USB-C hub through real-world testing. Here are its strengths and weaknesses.
Satechi’s just-launched Thunderbolt 4 Dock includes a whopping eleven ports, including three Thunderbolt 4 and four USB-A ports. And there’s also a range of other ports for connecting additional peripherals.
Plus, Satechi launched a pair of USB-C hubs on Wednesday.
The Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station allows multiple peripheral connections to Mac through a single Thunderbolt 4 cable. It turns a single Thunderbolt port into two, while also offering DisplayPort, USB-A, Ethernet and more.
The professional-grade hub is available for purchase starting Monday.