There are a ton of deals on tech and more right now in the lead up to Father’s Day. Together with 9to5Toys & Canary, we’re keeping track of all the best deals and we’ve collected all the handy links in the hub below.
Bookmark this page and keep checking back for more as we add the latest from 9to5Toys ahead of Father’s Day on June 19.
With the new 12-inch MacBook sporting just a single USB Type-C port, an adapter to get back some USB ports and SD card slots will be necessary for a lot of users. With more and more devices adopting the standard, we’re seeing a lot of USB C accessories announced at CES 2016 this year, many of which are designed specifically with 12-inch MacBook users in mind. So, as we’ve already done for HomeKit and Apple Watch products, below we’re rounding up all of the USB Type-C products for MacBook announced at the show this week.
In addition to hubs, companies are also showing off new portable battery packs, cables, adapters, displays and more, all made possible thanks to USB-C and compatible with the new 12-inch MacBook.
Users of Insteon’s connected home automation products will now be able to control their Sonos speakers directly from Insteon hardware and the company’s iOS app. The feature comes thanks to a new integration with Sonos that the company announced today at CES 2016.
With the integration, users will be able to control their Sonos speakers from the Insteon wall keypads, handheld remotes and sensors, as well as the company’s Hub app for iPhone and iPad. Instead offered some examples of how you can sync your Sonos speakers and music with lighting scenes and more:
Through this integration, music can now play a part in custom Insteon lighting scenes so that while the lights slowly fade on in the morning, gentle music resonates throughout the home and the coffee starts brewing. Alternatively, at dusk, the lights could fade on while users arrive home to their favorite dinner prep playlist.
You’ll also be able to make adjustments by assigning specific functions for Sonos (like volume up and down, for example) to the Insteon wall keypad. Sonos owners can easily control their speakers as they walk in and out of rooms or when they simply do not want the hassle of dealing with an app.
“It’s easy for homeowners to replace normal wall switches with Insteon keypads that can be used to control the existing light, while adding additional buttons for control of Sonos speakers or other lights and appliances throughout the home. Users can also pick up an Insteon wireless remote from the coffee table and instantly enjoy control at their fingertips. Insteon will be offering pre-printed keypad buttons specifically for Sonos related functions, which will make basic sound control even easier for anyone to use and understand.”
The Sonos integration for Insteon will go live some time this week via an update to the company’s iOS app on the App Store.
Accessing a Mac’s rear-facing ports can be a hassle, particularly when you’re using short cables. To eliminate that issue, Moshi’s original iLynx combined four USB 2.0 and two FireWire 400 ports into a triangular hub designed primarily to sit in front of an iMac. Later, a cosmetically near-identical sequel called iLynx 800 modestly updated the accessory by updating the ports to FireWire 800.
With FireWire dead and USB 3.0 growing in popularity, there’s a new iLynx in town. iLynx 3 ($60) drops FireWire entirely in favor of an all-USB approach, relying on a combination of USB and wall power to connect up to four devices to your Mac. Read on for the details.
Despite USB 3.0’s growing popularity with consumers, Thunderbolt remains a viable alternative for professional users, particularly video makers willing to pay a premium for guaranteed high speeds. Over the past year, several Thunderbolt 2 hubs have come to market — boxes with one Thunderbolt 2 connection to a computer, one for a Thunderbolt accessory, and multiple ports to connect USB, audio, video, and Ethernet accessories. The idea: keep all of your gear hooked up to the hub, then use a single cable to connect it all to your Mac.
Known for large, heavy, professional-grade Mac accessories, CalDigit has just released Thunderbolt Station 2 ($199), which squeezes the same functionality offered by Belkin’s $300 Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD and Elgato’s $230 Thunderbolt 2 Dock (review) into a smaller, denser-feeling enclosure, at a lower MSRP — sort of. In reality, Thunderbolt Station 2 has some very specific benefits and one limitation that place it on par with its competitors, making the choice between them a more personal decision…
