Connecting your Mac, iPad or iPhone to an HDMI monitor is easy as plugging the HyperDrive Next USB-C to HDMI 4K60Hz Cable into both devices.
The affordable adapter with a built-in 8-foot cable reached store shelves Tuesday.
Connecting your Mac, iPad or iPhone to an HDMI monitor is easy as plugging the HyperDrive Next USB-C to HDMI 4K60Hz Cable into both devices.
The affordable adapter with a built-in 8-foot cable reached store shelves Tuesday.
Highly respected British audio brand KEF released an “LT” version of its stellar, versatile AirPlay-ready LSX II speaker line this week, keeping most key features but dropping the price by about $300 to $400.
That doesn’t make them budget speakers by any means, at $999, but nobody shops KEF for that.
You can replace the Lightning charging case for your AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C one without also having to buy new wireless earbuds.
But the $99 price for the case is high enough to raise questions about the practicality of making the change.
The new Nexode 100W 20,000mAh Power Bank lets users fast-charge three devices at once on the go, the company said Tuesday.
And the portable charger’s 65W “rapid recharge” feature lets it fully power itself back up from an empty battery in just 2 hours.
Twelve South’s new 2-in-1 Butterfly MagSafe Charger folds into a tiny footprint, fast-charges MagSafe iPhones and Apple Watches, and can serve as a kickstand for your handset, as well.
The cool gadget, which you can get directly from Twelve South or Apple, looks like a winner and is priced as such, at a steep $129.95.
The ex-Apple and Beats folks behind the DSLR-like Opal C1 Webcam are back with a tiny new webcam claiming even better picture quality in an ultra-portable package for use with laptops and tablets — the Opal Tadpole.
And unlike the C1, which launched at $300 and dropped to $250, the Tadpole comes out of the gate at $175.
Apple put its new budget Apple Pencil with USB-C connectivity on sale Wednesday for all your sketching and note-taking needs. Just $79, it’s now available in 33 countries, including the United States.
That price saves you $50 compared to Apple Pencil 2, but it also buys you fewer features.
With the latest iPhones dropping the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, there was speculation (and hope) that Apple would release new versions of the Magic Mouse, Trackpad and Keyboard that also reject the Lightning port. Nope.
So charging these wireless devices still requires a Lightning cable.
Thunderbolt cables cost far more than standard USB-C ones, and a series of X-ray scans of various options reveals why. The virtual teardown shows that the Apple Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) Pro cable has far more features than one might expect for such a simple accessory. Cheaper ones are as bare-bones as could be expected.
The scans are both beautiful and informative.
Apple didn’t tinker with the USB-C port in the iPhone 15 series to disadvantage standard cables. Instead, the port handles charging and data transfers like any other USB-C port.
This throws cold water on suspicions that the new iPhones would require special MFi cables to get the maximum data or charging rates.
The new Ugreen Nexode 100W GaN Charging Station, rolled out Thursday, combines MagSafe charging for iPhone with GaN USB-C charging for other devices in a compact form factor, the company said.
I’ll have an in-depth review of the new charger, which Ugreen said is ideal for home and on-the-go use with the new iPhone 15 and other MagSafe iPhones, on Friday.
No, Apple didn’t change the Lightning connector on the iPhone 15 to make more money selling you new cables and dongles. It’s a common conspiracy theory that Apple switches the connector all the time for lining their pockets, but it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
First of all, Apple changes the connector very rarely; this is only the second occurrence in 16 years. Secondly, Apple is actually giving up money to make the switch happen. Not that there’s much money to be made selling Lightning cables, anyway. And all that aside, it’s out of Apple’s hands — USB-C is European Union law.
The USB-C port in the two iPhone 15 Pro models offers data transfers 20 times faster than any other iOS handset, including the base iPhone 15.
However, early rumors that some of Apple’s new 2023 iPhones would support Thunderbolt did not prove correct.
Anyone unhappy that the iPhone 15 series dumps Lightning in favor of USB-C should consider a just-released adapter from Apple. With it, an old Lightning cable can be plugged into a USB-C port — and for more than just power.
That said, there are cheaper options.
At Apple’s “Wonderlust” event today, the company released an updated version of AirPods Pro 2 and EarPods with USB-C connectors. The earbuds themselves are largely unchanged from before, but the AirPods Pro 2 charging case and wired EarPods have switched from the once-inescapable Lightning port to the universal USB-C standard. Minor improvements to the former include dust resistance and lossless audio when paired with Vision Pro.
The new earbuds were announced alongside iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which also come with a USB-C port. Both pairs of buds are available to order today at the same price as before and will be available on September 22.
September 12, 2012: The Lightning connector replaces Apple’s aging 30-pin interface, a proprietary data and power connector that debuted on the iPod Classic in 2003. The slender and capable new Lightning port debuts in the iPhone 5, bringing big improvements — and no small amount of controversy.
Apple soon will build the Lightning connector into many other products, including iPad, iPod and accessories. It’s used to charge the mobile devices as well as transfer data to a Mac or PC.
Those working with very large files should be pleased that Intel keeps improving the Thunderbolt standard. The newly announced Thunderbolt 5 doubles the speed of its predecessor, and can even go up to three times faster for video connections.
It’s virtually certain Apple will build support the system for high-speed data transfers into future Macs.
Apple might mix up connector types among its four iPhone 15 models, and that might confuse people even more over the differences between USB-C and Thunderbolt. They look alike, work similarly and accept the same cables. Yet they’re not the same.
Let’s look at the key differences, how Thunderbolt 4 improves on Thunderbolt 3, and which kind of port and cable best suits your tasks like charging and data transfer.
And Intel announced speedy Thunderbolt 5 Tuesday, but that’s not out yet.
If Apple’s holding a major event, then it’s a good bet someone’s preparing bingo cards for it. Ahead of Tuesday’s Wonderlust event, we found a few options for you to play along while Cupertino’s rumored announcements unfold.
Apple could release charging cases that use USB-C for lower-priced AirPods in 2024, according to an unconfirmed report. A similar case for premium AirPods Pro 2 is expected at Apple’s September event next week.
And Apple might bring USB-C to AirPods Max next year, too, as part of a general move away from Lightning.
AirPods that use USB-C to charge in place of Lightning are reportedly right around the corner. They supposedly will be unveiled at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event on September 12.
The modified version of Apple’s wireless earbuds are part of a general move away from Lightning.
If you have a high-quality XLR microphone, how do you use it with your computer? Shure made that easier Monday with its new MXV2U USB digital audio interface that turns XLR mics into USB mics.
Using the simple, compact interface, you can adapt any XLR mic to USB and start recording, podcasting, streaming and more.
With fast chargers for iPhone and other gadgets becoming common, it’s no surprise they’re getting cheaper. But Baseus may have reached a new low with its Airpow PD 20W Fast Charging Power Bank, the company said Thursday.
It costs just $20 normally and is on sale now at just $16.
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It’s a total drag when your iPhone, iPad or other device runs low on power and you don’t have a way to charge it — or your charger is old and slow but you don’t have much time. That’s when the new Momax 100W 6-Port Charging Station comes in super handy.
If anyone still has lingering doubts that the iPhone 15 series will have a USB-C port, images showing the internal hardware for the port have leaked out.
The end of the Lightning port is expected to be one of the major changes of the iPhone 15 series when it debuts next month.