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How to add a fast new SSD to your old Mac or MacBook for only $150

When I first wrote about using solid state drives (SSDs) to radically improve the performance of older Macs, high-capacity SSDs were just beginning to become affordable. Replacing a Mac’s 500GB or 1TB hard drive with a same-sized SSD required at least $250 back then, but the benefits were tremendous: even an aging machine became markedly (5x) faster, silent, and — unexpectedly — more fun to use. All for much less than the price of a new Mac.

Today, high-capacity SSDs are more affordable than ever. Replacing your old 500GB hard drive with a same-sized SSD from a reputable manufacturer costs only $150, while 1TB drives are under $330, each $100 less than only a couple of years ago. Once unthinkably huge 2TB and 4TB SSDs are now commonly available, too, albeit at eye-watering prices.

With this week’s release of macOS High Sierra, Apple has officially made SSDs its preferred Mac storage solution, introducing the new APFS standard to further optimize SSD performance over Fusion and traditional hard drives. So this is a perfect time to revisit the topic of SSD upgrades; if you held out before, now’s the time to jump in!


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Jeremy’s 5: HoverDock for Apple Watch / iPhone, Error 53, Apple in Small Business + Apple Pay

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Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest roundup of 5 interesting little things that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are still worth sharing with you.

This week, I’m sharing some thoughts on Just Mobile’s latest iPhone and Apple Watch docks, iOS’s mysterious Error 53, experiences integrating Apple products into a small business, and Apple Pay…


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Jeremy’s 5: Enblue’s W3iPro Kit, Olloclip’s Studio, AAXA’s P5, Apple Innovation + Apple VR

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Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest roundup of 5 interesting little things that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are still worth sharing with you.

This week, I’m looking at Enblue’s iPad Pro upgrade kit for an excellent multi-device dock, Olloclip’s Studio accessory bundle for iPhone photographers, AAXA’s P5 video projector, Apple innovation/execution in 2016, and the likelihood of an Apple virtual reality solution in the near future…


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Jeremy’s 5: New emoji, T-Mobile LTE CellSpot, Google Photos, iTunes account merging + iOS beta battery

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Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest quick roundup of 5 interesting little things that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are still worth sharing with you.

This week, I’m looking at the next wave of emoji, T-Mobile’s 4G LTE CellSpot, Google Photos, iCloud/iTunes Account Merging, and battery drain from the latest iOS beta…


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Jeremy’s 5: Post-CES, SDLMAME, Apple News, Apple Watch 2 + 12″ MacBook 2

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Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest quick roundup of 5 interesting little things that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are still worth sharing with you.

This week, I’m following up my pre-CES predictions with quick post-CES thoughts, discussing a classic game emulator, mulling Apple News, and offering a few thoughts on future Apple products: the Apple Watch 2 and second-generation 12″ MacBook…


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iPad Pro at CES 2016: new keyboards, cases + more

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Having launched only a few months ago, Apple’s new iPad Pro challenged third-party developers to quickly come up with new accessories worth showing this year at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. A bunch of companies rose to the occasion at CES, showing off new cases, keyboards, and batteries made to handle the 12.9″ tablet’s size and needs.

With nicer materials and more deluxe features than the basic (often $20-$30) iPad Pro cases that have appeared online, most of these new options are also a lot more expensive. Check out the best of the new iPad Pro accessories below…


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Bluelounge redesigns classic, 10-year-old Cableyoyo as headphone cord manager

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Cableyoyo, a classic Apple device cable manager that was also Bluelounge’s first product, has received a complete redesign after 10 years on the market — an eternity by the standards of tech products. Originally debuted as a thin box to hide computer cables, winding a wire inside a silver, white, or black plastic enclosure with a detachable, adhesive back, the new Cableyoyo has been reimagined as a metal-cored, rubber-bodied circle for use with headphones.


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Intel’s 2nd-gen Compute Stick is a faster, better iTunes media server

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One year after introducing the original Compute Stick, a version of which was featured in our guide to building a $150 iTunes media server, Intel today announced the 2nd-gen Compute Stick ($159-$499) with many noteworthy improvements. Still shaped like a pack of gum, the new Compute Stick fits a full-fledged PC into a small black enclosure, elongated modestly to accommodate a second USB port and new wireless hardware. This year, Intel is offering Atom, Core M3 and Core M5 versions, though even the $159 quad-core Atom version has enough power to serve as a full-fledged iTunes media server…


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ExoLens announces three premium Zeiss T* lenses for iPhone 6, 6s + Plus

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ExoLens, a division of Fellowes, today announced a partnership with highly-respected camera lens maker Zeiss to release “ExoLens with optics by Zeiss,” a series of three new high-quality add-on lenses for the iPhone 6/6s and Plus models. Incorporating Zeiss’s T* anti-reflective coating, the lenses offer optical quality comparable to the Zeiss lenses found in Sony cameras, improving on already-released ExoLens systems for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Each lens screws into a machined aluminum mounting and tripod bracket that attaches to Apple’s devices. One even offers zoom capabilities…
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JBL debuts Charge 3 + Clip 2 speakers, Everest Elite 100 + Under Armour headphones

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Building upon some of its most popular prior Bluetooth audio products, JBL has debuted the fully waterproof Charge 3 ($150) and Clip 2 ($60) speakers, as well as three in-ear headphones: the advanced active noise-cancelling Everest Elite 100 ($199), and two versions of the Under Armour UA Headphones Wireless ($180-$250), one with an integrated heart rate monitor…


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Olloclip’s Studio transforms iPhone 6, 6s or Plus into mountable, accessory-ready camera

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Best known for its iPhone lens accessories, Olloclip today unveiled Studio ($90), a rail mounting camera accessory case for the iPhone 6, 6s, and Plus models. Studio enables the latest iPhone models to transform into more fully-featured cameras, including a bundle of protection, mounting hardware, and basic grips. It works with Olloclip’s existing, popular lineup of iPhone lenses, which are sold separately…


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Incipio adds USB-C MacBook docks, dockable offGRID iPhone batteries to lineup

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Expanding upon earlier product lineups, Incipio today announced a number of 12″ MacBook-ready USB Type-C accessories and dockable offGRID series batteries for iPhone users. The USB-C accessories offer affordable ways to expand either the ports or charging capabilities of Apple’s Retina MacBook, while the offGRID options include compact, device-agnostic dockable batteries and a new iPhone 6/6s battery case…


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New LaCie + Seagate drives bring USB-C, style, and high SSD/HDD capacities

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Following its annual tradition, Seagate has announced a new collection of stylish, premium-priced drives in time for the 2016 CES, most now featuring USB-C and USB 3.1 connectors. Three of the drives carry Seagate’s LaCie branding; one is a handsome but Seagate-branded model.

The apparent flagship in the series is the LaCie Chromé ($1,100, shown above left), a 1TB SSD featuring a 10GB USB 3.1 interface with “up to 940MB/second speeds for intensive applications.” Described as “a trophy for tech connoisseurs,” Chromé is a Neil Poulton design that holds a boxy chrome SSD enclosure on an angle atop a circular pedestal. Additional models are discussed below…


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Jaybird slates Freedom, X3 Bluetooth 4.0 athletic headphones for Q2 2016

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Jaybird, maker of the popular sweatproof X and X2 Bluetooth headphones, has announced two new models planned for release in the second quarter of this year. Designed to appeal to athletes, the X3 ($150) and Freedom ($200) have both been redesigned from earlier, similarly-named models, and now use power-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology for full compatibility with current-generation iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. Each will be available in five colors, and work with Jaybird’s MySound app to create user-defined equalizer settings…


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Incipio debuts ClamCase keyboards for iPad Pro, mini 4 + Air 2, adds power, notifications

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Having acquired Bluetooth keyboard maker ClamCase last year, Incipio today announced five new high-end iPad keyboards under the ClamCase name, including one for the iPad Pro, three for the iPad Air 2, and one for the iPad mini 4. Some of the keyboards feature premium features such as an integrated screen for notifications, a built-in battery pack, and keyboard backlighting. Details and a photo gallery are below…


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Jeremy’s 5: Apple and Accessories at CES, Siri Remote Loop, Akinator + F2P Games

Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest quick roundup of 5 interesting little things that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are still worth sharing with you.

My first edition of 2016 looks at two separate topics related to this week’s 2016 CES: first, Apple’s continued absence from the show, and second, the annual event’s seemingly declining interest to Apple fans. I also wanted to share some additional thoughts on Apple’s Remote Loop for the new Apple TV’s Siri Remote, the classic (but ever-evolving) iOS app Akinator the Genie, and the continued scourge of free-to-play games…


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Samsung debuts Portable SSD T3, a 450MB/sec MacBook-ready USB-C drive with up to 2TB

Following up on its popular T1 solid state drive (SSD), Samsung today announced the Portable SSD T3, a tiny, shock-resistant sequel boasting faster speeds and a wide range of capacities. Unlike the T1, which used a USB 3.0 interface, the T3 uses USB 3.1 Type C connectors, which means it’s ready for direct connection to the latest 12″ MacBooks.

T3 also boasts read and write speeds of up to 450MB/second — much faster than typical external hard drives, and closer to the speeds of internal drives….


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Apple TV Brawl results: Apple solidly wins the 4K debate for now – and here’s why

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Yesterday, we gave you the chance to speak your mind on Apple’s choice to omit 4K video support from the latest Apple TV — did Apple blow it, or does 4K support not yet matter?

After over 6,500 votes, and more than 125 comments, we have a clear answer: roughly 2/3 of readers said Apple made the right call leaving 4K support out of the Apple TV, as they didn’t care (yet) about the feature. That’s a decisive majority. But a solid 35% of readers opined — often strongly — that neglecting 4K support had cost Apple their business, given that 4K Ultra HD TVs are becoming affordable and more popular.

I hoped we’d see some intelligent discussion, and was thrilled that so many comments actually delivered, including insights on why Apple’s approach was practical — for now. Here are some of the best comments readers posted on each side of the debate…


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Reader Brawl: Did Apple blow Apple TV 4 by leaving out 4K Ultra HD?

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Every time we post an Apple TV-related opinion piece, the comments show that some people are still really upset that Apple left 4K Ultra HD support out of the fourth-generation model when new Roku and Amazon boxes included it. It seems like merely mentioning the new Apple TV is enough to start fights, which commenters have spread from article to article without resolution. So we wanted to give everyone with opinions (strong or otherwise) a place to share their thoughts on this subject — hopefully to spark an intelligent, well-reasoned discussion.

Does 4K support matter at this point, given how many/few 4K TV sets are in use today? It’s been suggested by some that it really should have been included in the new Apple TV, given that 4K video recording was a major new feature for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. But there are also a few reasons 4K support might have made the set top box impractical to release this year…


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OpenEmu adds Atari Lynx, Nintendo 64, Sony Playstation / PSP, Vectrex emulation

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OpenEmu, the free Mac OS X multi-platform retro video game emulator, has received a substantial upgrade that expands both the list of supported classic game systems, and automap support for popular game controllers. Released over Christmas, version 2.0.1 now allows Mac users to seamlessly play games from the following classic systems:

  • Atari 5200, 7800 and Lynx
  • Bandai WonderSwan
  • Coleco ColecoVision
  • GCE/Milton Bradley Vectrex
  • Magnavox Odyssey2/Videopac+
  • Mattel Intellivision
  • NEC TurboGrafx-CD/PC Engine-CD + PC-FX
  • Nintendo Famicom Disk System and Nintendo 64
  • Sega SG-1000 and Sega CD
  • Sony PlayStation and PSP

The new app also features a redesigned user interface, increased automap button support for controllers such as SteelSeries’ Stratus XL and Nimbus controllers, realtime gameplay rewinding, and more…


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Jeremy’s 5: Rethinking Apple TV, Touch ID failures, Kimoji, Badland 2 + Real Boxing 2

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Welcome to the latest edition of Jeremy’s 5, my latest quick roundup of 5 interesting little things I’ve been testing over the past week. These are all items that aren’t big enough for full articles, but are worth sharing with you anyway.

This week’s edition discusses the state of Apple TV apps/games as we close out 2015, a tip on how to deal with a broken Touch ID sensor, and three apps: KimojiBadland 2, and Real Boxing 2 CREED


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Review: Booq’s Slimpack gives DSLR-toting MacBook users another all-in-one bag option

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Ever since I upgraded from an 11″ MacBook Air to a 13″ Retina MacBook Pro, I’ve been hunting for the perfect hybrid computer and camera bag — a compact backpack that could hold my laptop, DSLR, lenses, and accessories at the same time. Six months ago, I covered several MacBook/camera bags from Incase, including the DSLR Sling Pack I’ve loved for years, and larger “Pro” options for bigger laptops. Each hybrid bag makes different compromises: for my needs, the Sling Pack’s too small, and the Pro bags are too large. But users of 11″ MacBooks might find the Sling Pack “just right.”

Seeing potential in a new alternative, I jumped at the opportunity to test Booq’s upcoming Slimpack ($195), a MacBook-sized evolution of its earlier iPad/DSLR backpack $145 Python Slimpack. Booq makes excellent bags, but apart from offering a multipurpose camera/headphone compartment in Boa Flow, it hasn’t taken a deep dive into the camera-laptop hybrid category. While the new Slimpack’s laptop compartment is just a hint too small for the 13″ MacBook Pro and iPad Pro I’m currently using, it’s right-sized for 12″ or smaller MacBooks, as well as 10″ or smaller tablets, any of which can be paired with a full-sized DSLR, three or four lenses, and accessories. Bundled with a rain shield and Booq’s standard Terralinq loss recovery protection system, it’s a very nice bag, and one I would certainly use if I switch to a 12″ MacBook next year…


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Review: Hori’s HoriPad Ultimate for Apple TV + iOS doubles Nimbus’s battery life, improves ergonomics

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Between confusing implementations and unappealing prices, the first wave of iOS game controllers had a very rough launch, nearly killing a new accessory category that had the potential to be huge for Apple. Some of the earliest iOS game controllers only fit smaller iPhones and iPod touches, others had limited buttons, and most were originally priced at $70 or more. With the exception of Mad Catz’ more affordable, device-agnostic C.T.R.L.i series of Bluetooth controllers, iOS gamepads quickly racked up mediocre reviews and wound up in discount bins. The message to Apple and controller makers: follow Mad Catz’ template, and price the controllers more reasonably, or no one’s going to buy them.

Currently an Apple Store exclusive, Hori’s new HoriPad Ultimate ($50) is the latest acknowledgement that the lesson’s been learned: it’s the second Made For Apple TV game controller, including full MFi/iOS 7+ compatibility for use with iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches, plus Mac support. The pricing, design, and basic feature set are substantially similar to SteelSeries’ Nimbus, though Hori — a respected Japanese developer of game controllers — has outdone SteelSeries on the specifics. For the same price as Nimbus, you get a more PlayStation 4-like controller design with superior hand grips, twice the battery life, better-feeling buttons and a more substantial weight. HoriPad Ultimate uses a Lightning cable to recharge its battery, too…


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Apple adds iPhones to Lightning to USB Camera Adapter compatibility list, photo import works under iOS 9.2

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Two weeks after quietly updating the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader to USB 3.0 and adding iPhone support to the formerly iPad-only accessory, Apple is signaling that similar changes may be coming to its cousin, the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. Notably, Apple has updated the USB Camera Adapter’s official page to add support for the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, and 6s Plus, mirroring a change to the SD Card Camera Reader that was discovered alongside iOS 9.2. Though iPhone compatibility was added in iOS 9.2, Apple previously left the USB Camera Adapter’s page unchanged.


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