MacBook

CalDigit is no stranger when it comes to producing peripherals for the Mac. In particular, the California-based company has concentrated on Apple’s laptops with USB-C and Thunderbolt. The CalDigit AV Pro 2 is its latest such product: an external storage solution wrapped in a high-grade aluminum enclosure.

CalDigit has merged external storage with a USB 3.0 hub to create a product capable of providing three things of interest to MacBook owners — access to more storage, additional USB ports, and charging up to 30W. Have a look at our video walkthrough as we unbox and go hands-on with the CalDigit AV Pro 2.
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Industry players, such as Microsoft, have arrived in Hong Kong this week for Qualcomm’s 4G/5G Summit, an annual event to strategize and discuss trends and technology developments.

One of the topics of surefire interest revolves around Microsoft’s upcoming ARM-powered Windows 10 laptop. In a glimpse into its battery life potential, Microsoft’s Principal Group Program Manager for Connectivity Partners, Pete Bernard, told Trusted Reviews that he only needs to “charge it every couple of days or so.”

Having multi-day battery life on a real, full-featured laptop would indeed, as Bernard puts it, be a game-changing innovation. Yet, when you consider how much better Apple’s custom-designed silicon is compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, the possibilities for an ARM-powered Mac become all the more desirable.
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It can be tricky to clean debris out from under Apple’s latest butterfly keyboards found on its MacBook and MacBook Pro models (or any keyboard for that matter). While it’s more difficult for crumbs, dust, etc. to creep your underneath Apple’s butterfly keys, the downside is when stuff gets stuck, it’s tough to clean it out.

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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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OWC has unveiled the latest addition to its lineup of expansion docks for MacBooks with the new USB-C Travel Dock. Pocket-sized and priced affordably, USB-C Travel Dock adds two traditional USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and an SD Card reader over a single USB-C connection.

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Intel has today launched its 8th generation of U-Series Core Processors that could find their way into Apple’s future MacBooks. These newest chips will provide up to a 40% boost in computing productivity and more for laptops and 2-in-1 devices.

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TrendForce’s latest global laptop shipment report, seen by us, says that MacBook shipments grew by a healthy 17.1% in Q2, helped in large part by sales of the updated 12-inch MacBook.

The growth boosted Apple’s market share from 9.3% to 10%, bringing it very close to challenging ASUS for the #4 slot behind HP, Lenovo and Dell …

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One of the many slots in MacBooks that has disappeared over the years is the security slot. For anyone who doesn’t remember these from the pre-Retina machines, this was a small horizontal slot into which you could insert a T-shaped security lock attached to a cable.

You ran the cable around something solid like a desk leg, fed it back through a loop and then inserted the lock into the slot on your Mac. Locking it would twist the T-shaped element 90 degrees, securing it in place.

It wasn’t the highest security in the world – cable locks can be easily snipped with hand croppers – but it protected against opportunist snatch thieves in places like libraries and coffee shops. As of the Retina MacBook Pro, however, Apple removed the slot …

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Apple’s decision to move completely to USB-C was met with mixed reactions following the unveil of the redesigned MacBook Pro models last year, with the removal of MagSafe charging a notable point of contention. We’ve seen a few third-party companies aim to bring magnetic charging, but they’ve generally had their limitation.

A new solution from accessory maker Vinpok, however, aims to solve everyone’s problems…

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Apple has patents for virtual keyboards on MacBooks dating back as far as 2009, but a continuation patent application published today shows that the company is still exploring the idea.

A virtual keyboard was of course a headline feature of the iPhone when it was launched in 2007, and Apple also introduced the feature to the latest MacBook Pro models in the form of the Touch Bar. Patently Apple illustrated the patent using a Lenovo Yoga Book, showing what is in effect a giant Touch Bar replacing a physical keyboard.

If the idea fills you with horror, as it does me, we may not need to worry too much …

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9to5Mac founder Seth Weintraub tweeted this morning a suggestion that Microsoft was hitting all the laptop checkboxes of late – and that Apple will not.

Microsoft continues to hit the laptop checkboxes that Apple refuses to: Touchscreen, LTE, Cray battery life, etc

Will Apple respond? (No)

— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) May 23, 2017

Others noted that Microsoft has held its third event this year, and second this month, while we still await the first Apple event of the year. Does this mean that Microsoft is leading the way in innovation at present, and Apple is being left behind – or is the Seattle-based company engaging in meaningless gimmickry … ?

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Huawei is in the middle of launching its latest Windows 10 notebook, the new Matebook range – and is making some interesting comparisons with the 12-inch MacBook.

On one slide, the company claims that the Matebook X is ‘thinner but even more powerful’ than Apple’s MacBook – a comparison which may or may not be accurate …

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While its possible to charge an iPhone or iPad faster by using a higher wattage power adapter, unfortunately that trick doesn’t work with MacBooks. However, there are still a few ways to get your MacBook charged up faster than normal.

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If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to connect your MacBook or MacBook Pro to an HDMI-enabled input, then Aukey’s USB-C to HDMI Cable might be able to do the job.
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Copy and paste is an essential function for almost any computer use. Whether you’re looking to become familiar with the basics or would like to improve your efficiency with keyboard shortcuts, follow along for how to copy and paste with a Mac.

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Apple’s decision to go all-in on USB-C on the 2016 MacBook Pro machines hit significant resistance from those who would need to purchase multiple dongles to connect to their existing accessories. The company responded by offering discounts on a range of USB adapters and cables, first to the end of last year and later extended to the end of March.

Those deals are now gone, however, so here’s a roundup of some decent alternatives …

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Apple has fallen to fifth place in a Laptop Mag survey of the best and worst current laptop brands after previously taking the top spot for several years. Factors like premium price points and limited port options contribute to Apple’s overall drop in the results, although Apple’s quality tech support is a redeeming factor, the survey says.

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