MacBook accessories - page 3

The Satechi Pro Hub Slim plugs directly into the side of a MacBook to greatly expand the range of ports available. It’s sleek enough for Apple’s latest notebooks, and adds minimal bulk. But there’s still room for HDMI, a pair of full-size USB-A ports, memory card readers and more.

I tested each of the features of the 7-in-2 hub to be sure it lives up Satechi’s promises.

The Satechi Pro Hub Slim connects plugs directly into the side of a MacBook to greatly expand the range of ports available to the user while adding minimal bulk. It’s slim enough for Apple’s latest notebooks.

There’s nevertheless room for HDMI, two full-size USB-A ports, memory card readers and more.

The most important feature of the new Hyper Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub is something it doesn’t have: a giant power brick. The three-port hub offers 40Gbps data transfers as its rivals do, but in a more compact form.

The device was unveiled in summer 2022 and went through crowdfunding but is only now available for all to buy.

Who says nostalgia can’t be practical? The Sharkgeek Retro 67 is shaped like the original Macintosh, but the palm-size wall charger pumps up to 67 watts through a trio of USB-C ports.

The accessory for MacBook, iPad or iPhone can be preordered now.

Plugable’s new USB-C dock is small enough to be mistaken a hub but has room for seven ports. And that includes dual 4K HDMI ports that can be used even with Macs that ordinarily support only one external monitor.

The USB-C HDMI Docking Station also has USB and Ethernet ports, as well as an SD card reader.

Plugable’s new Quad HDMI Adapter can add up to four displays to a MacBook, even even ones that would otherwise only support only a single external monitor.

The USB-C accessory is even portable.

The Satechi Eco-HardShell Case covers the top, bottom and sides of the 2021 MacBook Pro models  to protect them from scratches. It fits the notebook like a glove to add minimal bulk.

To celebrate the launch, the sleek hardcase is available now at 20% off the regular cost.

Twelve South expanded its SuitCase line to the latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The case offers three layers of protection, with the outer being quilted twill for a smart look.

“When all you need is your MacBook for an off-site meeting, SuitCase is the ultimate shuttle,” says Twelve South.

The Mophie Powerstation Pro boasts 20,000 mAh of power and dual USB-C ports to quickly deliver it to a MacBook or other computer at up to 45W.

I put this hefty power bank through real-world testing with my Apple devices. He’s how it stood up.

MacBooks can take a lot of juice, and the HyperJuice 140W PD 3.1 USB-C Charger can dish it out. The three-port wall charger offers up to 140 watts of power, as its name indicates.

Hyper’s offering is much smaller than Apple’s own 140W charger, while including more ports.

The Satechi USB-C Aluminum Tool-Free Enclosure allows M.2 PCIe NVMe and SATA solid state drives to be easily added to a Mac. Place the SSD in the rugged enclosure and it’s ready to plug into a laptop or desktop’s USB-C port.

The accessory launched Tuesday and is available to purchase now.

Apple likes the Mophie Speedport 45 enough to put the dual USB-C port wall charger on its online store.

This not surprising: Mophie’s new product offers more power than Apple’s recently launched equivalents, and it costs less.

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There are cases for MacBooks. And there are USB-C hubs. And external hard drives, too. Case X is all three of these. It clips to the top of the laptop, adding six extra ports and up to 4TB of additional storage.

Byrdbyte Creations’ product is still at the crowdfunding stage, though.

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.

MacBooks with an Apple M1 processor can handle only one external monitor, but the OWC USB-C Dual HDMI 4K Display Adapter with DisplayLink doubles the number. And Mac mini users can connect to three monitors with it.

I put the USB-C HDMI adapter through a round of testing to be sure it lived up to the claims.

With the Anker 563 USB-C Docking Station, a MacBook with an Apple M1 processor can handle three external monitors – two more than Apple designed the notebook to support.

And the hub can do more than that. It also packs three USB-A ports and an Ethernet connection.

The Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 is a memory card that sits flush in the SD slot in the 2021 MacBook Pro. Use it to add up to a terabyte storage to the notebook or for backups. It’s ideal for people who otherwise have no use for the SD card slot.

I put the just-released 1TB version of the memory card. Here’s why I love it.

The HyperDrive USB4 Mobile Dock offers ports for both HDMI and DisplayPort, giving users additional options for an external monitor. And the just-launched USB-C hub also includes dual USB-A ports, Ethernet and more.

And all this fits into a package not much larger than a Magic Mouse.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you had something to slightly elevate your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro while you use it and to serve as a protective sleeve when you take it on the go?

Well, you can do both things with the SwitchEasy EasyStand Leather MacBook Sleeve. It’s available — and affordable — in the Cult of Mac Store.

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.

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The Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 is now available with 1TB of storage. This SD card is designed specifically to add to the capacity of the 2021 MacBook Pro, and sit flush with the card slot.

Once inserted, the card acts like any other drive. And data transfers are fast enough for Time Machine backups.

The HyperDrive Duo Pro 7-in-2 USB-C Hub plugs into the side of a MacBook to add a variety of useful ports. The standout is Ethernet, but there’s also USB-A, HDMI and microSD.

I did real-world testing of the 2022 version of this clip-on hub, and found that it lives up to the hype.

The Wiplabs Lift makes it easier to type on your MacBook by tilting the keyboard up. At the same time, it raises the display closer to eye level. And it offers these benefits anywhere you go because the rugged, aluminum stand folds so you can stow it away.

I put the portable stand to the test … and it really stood up.

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.

The 2021 MacBook Pro includes an SD slot, but cards don’t insert all the way into the notebook. But that’s not a problem with Transcend’s JetDrive Lite 330 — it is smaller than the standard SD card so it sits flush in the slot.

Once inserted, the card acts like any other drive. And data transfers are fast enough for Time Machine backups.