A Plugable Thunderbolt 4 dock (TBT4-UDX1) sits on a desk with multiple devices connected. Photo: Plugable
A new Plugable docking station provides 10 ports for Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 laptops, including support for dual 4K displays at 60Hz, the company said upon rolling out the new device Tuesday.
It's hard to look at anything but that weird, square display. Photo: blakespot@Reddit.com
Displays aren’t just going up from 4K to 5K and beyond, they’re also taking new forms. Today’s featured setup is the first we’ve seen with the recently released LG DualUp monitor in real-world use. It features an unusual 16:18 aspect ratio. Here it’s paired with an older LG display and a Mac Studio.
And this setup also includes Steve Jobs. Play some “Where’s Steve?” (not Waldo) and see if you can spot him.
★★★☆☆
The display isn't life-changing, but it can be useful and it's kind of cool. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
After trending toward fewer and fewer ports for a while, Macs have added some back lately, offering better connectivity for the latest laptops and desktops. But it never hurts to have a dock to connect additional devices, share files and distribute power — and now you can get one with an informative display.
DockCase has shaken up the fairly boring world of USB-C docks with its new series. The company sent me its 7-in-1 USB-C Smart HD Display Dock Pro to take for a spin. DockCase said it’s the first to offer such a dock with an HD display.
★★★★☆
With the OWC USB-C Dual HDMI 4K Display Adapter with DisplayLink, your M1 MacBook can use a pair of external monitors. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
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.
If you're looking to capture smooth gameplay footage, Elgato's new card might be for you. Photo: Elgato
Recently acquired by gaming maven Corsair, Elgato rolled out a new USB-C-based capture card on Wednesday called the HD60 X. It’s an upgrade to the HD60 S+ capture card, popular with gamers and content creators. The new one’s biggest addition is the ability to smoothly capture and record video footage with variable refresh rates.
And it works with M1 Macs, Windows machines and popular streaming tools and gaming consoles.
Plugable’s latest USB-C hub lets you add a trio of monitors, and it sports six USB-A ports. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Plugable UD-6950PDZ Docking Station includes a trio 4K HDMI Ports and the same number of 4K DisplayPort ports. These allow users to mix and match up to three monitors. That includes M1 MacBooks that natively support only one.
The USB-C dock also includes half a dozen USB-A ports, Ethernet and more.
I put this powerful accessory through a battery of hands-on tests to see how it performed. And it lived up to my expectations.
Even Apple’s newest Mac Studio desktop has USB-A and HDMI. And there’s an SD card reader on the front. Photo: Apple
For years, Apple seemingly worked to finish off the old USB-A and HDMI formats, as well as the SD card reader. It quit building them into most of its products, replacing them all with smaller USB-C ports. But that campaign appears to have stopped… at least for now.
You need look no farther than the newly announced Mac Studio for proof. It has USB-A, HDMI and an SD card reader.
It’s a sign that Apple is in a tough spot. There are good reasons to kill all of these. And an overwhelming reason to keep them. Let’s discuss.
Connect your Mac directly to an HDMI monitor with this one cable. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You won‘t need a MacBook with an HDMI port if you have Plugable’s USB-C to HDMI cable. Just run the cable between the external display and your Mac or iPad and you have 4K@60Hz. Even better, it’s currently available at a discount that drops the price to less than $17.
I tested this accessory in my home office to be sure it lives up to its promises.
Kensington's new 8-in-1 hub turns one port on your machine into eight. Photo: Kensington
Kensington brought out two new USB-C hubs this week featuring up to 100W passthrough charging and as high as 4K 60Hz HDMI connectivity along with other features.
Cable Matters USB-C to Dual HDMI Adapter offers 8K and 4K video support. Photo: Cable Matters
Connectivity supplier Cable Matters rolled out two USB-C dual video adapters for your work-and-play video needs. The two USB-C video adapters offer 8K and dual 4K 60Hz resolution support for displays. In the case of Macs, that’s all 4K, but other users can go for 8K.