Seagate will discontinue its lineup of Thunderbolt storage products in favor of pushing Thunderbolt under its premium LaCie brand, 9to5Mac has learned.
A company spokesperson confirmed the move noting that the product life cycles for the company’s USM technology, which allowed integration of interfaces like Thunderbolt through adapters, is “coming to a conclusion.”
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iOttie Easy Flex 2 Car/Desk Mount for iPhone 6 and other smartphones $11 Prime shipped (Orig. $23)
WD Elements 2TB Portable HD: $75 (orig. $130), Seagate Backup Plus 2TB Desktop HD: $70 (Reg. $120)
iTunes Free App of the Week: God of Light ($1.99 value)
WeMo and Holmes team up to take the worry out of small room heaters
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Daily Deals: Seagate 2TB $80 or WD 1.5TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $60, more
Foscam FI9821W V2 HD Wireless Pan/Tilt IP Camera $73 shipped (orig. $160)
Olloclip for iPhone 6/Plus adds four advanced photo lenses to front and rear cameras
Target announces free shipping for all items through the holiday shopping season
SanDisk Connect Wireless iOS Flash Drive: 64GB for $68 (Reg. $100) and 32GB for $45 (Reg. $60)
Best Buy trade offer is the best way to jump from iPad 2 to iPad Air 2
Small States: Tinsel and Timber makes beautiful wooden homes for Apple TV and other accessories, multiple giveaways & 10% promo code
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WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $80 shipped (orig. $120)
Roku Streaming Stick w/ remote (refurb) $35 shipped (Reg. $50)
HDTVs:
iOttie Easy Flex 2 Car/Desk Mount + RapidVOLT dual car charger $20 shipped (orig. $43)
Small States: Owen & Fred send a message and look good doing it, giveaway worth $412, 10% promo code
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See that little $190 daughter card up there^? It houses 240GB of Transcend SSD and it could replace the 64GB or 128GB SSD that came in your MacBook Air in as little as 5 minutes. Even better, Transcend just released larger versions in 480GB and 960GB sizes to blow your SATA III MacBook Air or Pro into new worlds of space. Keep in mind these are SATA-based SSDs and Apple’s latest round of MacBook Pro/Airs came with speedier PCIe SSDs so you can’t use these on Apple’s late 2013/2014 models (see bottom of the article for compatibility list).
I got my hands on a demo unit and took it for a test drive…
One of the reasons I like Macs is that their useful life tends to be significantly longer than that of a typical Windows machine. This is especially true of the pre-Retina MacBook Pro models, where it’s trivial to upgrade both the RAM and the drive.
I’d previously swapped out the 750GB hard drive and optical drive that came with my late-2011 MacBook Pro 17 for two 1TB hard drives. Along with a RAM upgrade, that gave me a 16GB RAM, 2TB hard drive machine. The plan was to use the machine in that form for a year or two, then do a further upgrade to SSDs once 1TB models arrived and fell to a halfway sensible price.
When that finally happened, and I did the upgrade, that gave me two 1TB hard drives surplus to requirements. I could have placed each into its own external drive caddy, but one 2TB drive is more useful than two 1TB ones, so I decided instead to try out OWC’s Mercury Elite Pro mini. This is an external enclosure for two 2.5-inch drives, which supports both USB 3 and Firewire 800, drawing power from either source – making it a portable drive without the need for external power …
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There are Mac accessories that are exciting or fun, and others that are boring but useful. The Elgato Thunderbolt Dock most definitely falls into the latter category.
As regular readers will know, I’m of the view that wires are evil. Anything that can be wireless should be wireless, and any wires that are unavoidable should be hidden from sight. This is particularly easy if you have an Apple Thunderbolt Display, of course, since all you need in the way of wires from a MacBook is power and Thunderbolt: everything else can be plugged into the back of the monitor.
But if you share my aversion to visible wires and don’t have a Thunderbolt display, or you are frequently connecting and disconnecting your MacBook from a bunch of devices on your desk, the Elgato Thunderbolt Dock may be the answer …
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a number of Satechi’s USB hubs in my effort to combat my growing need to wire in more stuff to my Mac’s 4 USB ports. While wireless is often more convenient and downright necessary on laptops to have a good experience, I still enjoy the speed and reliability of a wired connection on my desktop setup. To have a completely ergonomic experience and avoid plugging and unplugging things, a USB hub of some sort is definitely needed. The challenge to buying the right hub for your needs is deciphering how each hub differs; it’s not just limited to the number of ports available…
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNCHYdtVlcM]
The LaCie 8big Rack Thunderbolt 2 is the company’s first Thunderbolt 2 rackmount storage solution. Compact and stylish, the LaCie 8big Rack features up to eight 6TB 7200RPM hard drives from Seagate, for an impressive 48TB in a mere 1U size. Delivering speeds of up to 1330MB/s*, it is the most powerful plug and play rackmount solution for 4K video editing.
Now featuring Thunderbolt 2 technology, hardware RAID 5 and industry–leading capacity, the new LaCie 5big is nearly two times faster — delivering speeds of up to 1050MB/s*. Thanks to Seagate’s new 6TB 7200RPM hard drives, it boasts a 20% capacity increase, which makes it the most compact 30TB storage device on the market. With these advances, the new LaCie 5big gives video professionals huge capacity and ample bandwidth for improving 4K workflows — right on the desktop.
view full press release
The new LaCie 2big boasts a host of features including Thunderbolt 2 technology, hardware RAID and a new industrial design. Speeds of up to 420MB/s* along with two 6TB 7200RPM hard drives from Seagate make the new LaCie 2big the fastest, highest capacity dual–bay external storage solution on the market. It features USB 3.0 for compatibility with nearly any computer. Plus, its all–new industrial design sets a new standard for versatility and reliability.
The new LaCie 8big Rack, 5big and 2big join the Little Big Disk (shipping since February 2014) to create the most comprehensive Thunderbolt 2 storage range on the market. LaCie will demonstrate these products at the NAB Show in Las Vegas from April 7–10, 2014. Customers attending the show are encouraged to stop by the LaCie booth (SL9927) to see first hand how these products excel in 4K workflows. For an exclusive sneak peek of these demonstrations, watch this video filmed earlier today: www.lacie.com/nab2014
The LaCie 8big Rack, 5big and 2big, featuring Thunderbolt 2, will be available this quarter through the LaCie online store and LaCie resellers. Pricing will be announced when the product is available for purchase.
LaCie professional products are protected by a three-year limited warranty. The warranty includes complimentary web–based resources, expert in–house technical support and worldwide repair and/or replacement coverage. Warranty extension and Advance Care Option can also be purchased. For details, visit www.lacie.com/warranties.
LaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX), designs world–class external storage products for Apple®, Linux and PC users. LaCie differentiates itself with sleek design and unmatched technical performance. Find out more at www.lacie.com.
We’ve reviewed a fair bit of Thunderbolt docks for Mac here and one thing remains constant: The starting prices range well over $200 (Belkin’s a deal at $150) and that’s before you buy an expensive $30 Thunderbolt cable. The question is: Do you really need Thunderbolt to have a quality/usable dock for your MacBook? Can you get almost all of what you need just from USB 3?
Kanex sent me their $90 USB 3 SimpleDock a few months ago and I’ve put it through its paces ever since. The first thing you’ll notice out of the box is that it is made extremely well, looks very ‘Apple’ and is substantial in weight. It doesn’t move when you plug in devices because of that weight and a rubberized bottom. On top, all you’ll see is a space that coincidentally fits an iPhone perfectly with a charger cable hole through the bottom. Around back, you’ll find 3 USB 3 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port as well as a 10W high powered ‘Charge-only’ port.
So you are getting 3 products in one here: An iOS device quick charger, a USB3->Gigabit Ethernet adapter and 3 port USB 3 hub. The question is: Is the SimpleDock worth the $90?
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USB 3.0 External Hard Drives: Seagate Expansion 4TB Desktop $125 (Reg. $170), Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable $95 (Reg. $150)
Daily Deals: Polaroid 1080p Waterproof Camera $90, Logitech Universal Remote Control $80, Craig BT Speaker $18, more
You can still score a FREE HD copy of the hit Tom Hanks movie ‘Big’ (up to $15 savings) http://t.co/gd2thRjDBm pic.twitter.com/bqUVJREqnK
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) March 18, 2014
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PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive $50 shipped (Reg. $80)
Kingston 120GB V300 2.5″ Solid State Drive $60 shipped (Reg. $110), 240GB $120 (Reg. $200)
JBL OnBeat Lightning Speaker Docks: Micro/Mini: $40/$50 shipped (Reg. $100/$150)
Ending Soon:
Amazon Coins are now available for all Android devices: Save up to 10% on apps http://t.co/CBOxm6k8Gg
— 9to5Google (@9to5Google) February 19, 2014
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Nintendo Wii U 32GB Deluxe bundled w/ Super Mario U & Super Luigi U: $260 shipped (Reg. $300) http://t.co/v36kQoqm24
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) February 19, 2014
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Apple Time Capsule 3TB (newest version) 802.11ac wireless router $360 shipped (Reg. $399), 2TB $289
Giveaway: Speck FitFolio iPad protective cover and adjustable stand
Anker 5-port Family iPad/tablet/Phone USB charger: $16 shipped
Best Buy & Walmart Black Friday ads bring the year’s best Apple deals
Toshiba Canvio Basics USB 3.0 2TB external hard drive $90 shipped (Reg. $150) http://t.co/yyMDP0xHVv
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) November 13, 2013
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A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.
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A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.
Storage Deals:Samsung’s new Solid State Drives with capacities up to 1TB are now available for preorder, slated to ship this week… http://t.co/PoUPj5naiJ
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) August 12, 2013
Photo: notebookcheck.com
Our concern that widespread adoption of USB 3 might leave Thunderbolt out in the cold now looks even more likely as the USB 3.1 – aka Superspeed USB – specification has been announced. This allows USB transfers of up to 10Gbps, the same speed as the original Thunderbolt standard.
Thunderbolt is technically superior to USB 3 – combining PCIe, DisplayPort and power signals into a single cable – and the recently announced Thunderbolt 2 version (which will debut in the new Mac Pro) doubles throughput to a blistering 20Gbps. And Thunderbolt can deliver that bandwidth to more than one device at a time. But technical superiority alone is no guarantee of success, as the history of Betamax or Firewire demonstrates …
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From 9to5Toys.com:
Amazon’s Gold Box today is up to 68% off Sony storage products. Standouts include:
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A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+
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Canon announces the new EOS 70D Digital SLR camera, aims to replace your current camcorder… http://t.co/aHlBADzy0a
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 2, 2013
Pre-ordering begins for the 32-inch Asus IGZO 4K UHD display: ASUS, a worldwide leader in… http://t.co/2S5pvYqkzn
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 2, 2013
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Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810 $60 Shipped (Reg. $100)
Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Illuminated Keyboard K811 (Mac version) $73 Shipped (Reg. $100) http://t.co/s6IWOU2uso
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 2, 2013
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A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to roundup the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook
Today’s Featured deals:
Toshiba Canvio 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $60 Shipped (Reg. $120) or 1.5TB $90 Shipped (Reg. $170)Apple MacBook Pro 2.5GHz, i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB (Newest Version) $999 Shipped http://t.co/F1jcxrT6Il
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) June 25, 2013
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The chicken and egg adoption/price reductions of Thunderbolt haven’t yet made the devices accessible to most storage shoppers. That didn’t stop Thunderbolt’s inventor, Intel from Frankenstein-ing an otherworldly thumb drive with a Thunderbolt interface and 128GB of fast storage.
Internally, the drive has SanDisk SSD (why not Intel’s own?) storage and probably has a bottleneck giving the device somewhere between SATA 3 and 10GB/s Thunderbolt speeds. Intel is making a few for demo purposes and but doesn’t expect a consumer version until wider Thunderbolt adoption takes place and prices for the tech go way down.
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Satechi’s new USB hub delivers all the features you could ask for in a compact USB hub: beautiful design, plenty of ports, and USB 3 support.
The hub expands a single USB port into 7 different USB ports for various devices like iPhones, iPads, digital cameras, external hard drives and almost any other device you can imagine.
The much-anticipated Belkin Thunderbolt Dock appears to be delayed once again unfortunately, missing its planned Q1 launch, despite taking pre-orders for the device in February after missing its original September launch date. While we’ve been recommending the popular Matrox Thunderbolt Docking station in the meantime, today Sonnet announced a new competitor in the space with the Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock.
The 15-port dock includes many of the ins and outs you’d expect: Two thunderbolt ports, four USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm audio in and out (front and back), FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, and two eSATA ports. However, there are two features this 15-port Thunderbolt docking station has that most others do not: extra space to install a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD and your choice of a built-in DVD or Blu-Ray drive:
the Echo 15 Thunderbolt dock has you covered—it includes your choice of DVD±RW drive, or Blu-ray Disc™ player (BD-ROM/8x DVD±RW). If you are a Mac user, you’ll also find that the included Blu-ray player software for OS X® is very handy, enabling you to watch Blu-ray movies on your computer or attached monitor.
The fast 6 Gb/s SATA interface supports an HDD at its maximum speeds, and an SSD at up to 380 MB/s… Best of all, the drive sits inside the Echo dock, so you don’t have to clutter your desk space with an external hard drive and its power brick and cable clutter to add more storage. Don’t feel like adding a drive yourself? Sonnet also offers the Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock equipped with a 2TB HDD, available exclusively through the Sonnet online store.
The Sonnet Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock is available to pre-order now in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico starting at $399 for a DVD drive and no built-in drive. The next model up comes with a built-in 2TB HDD for $499, while a Blu-ray drive and 2TB HDD brings it up to $549. Other options are also available through Sonnet’s website, and most models are expected to ship in Summer 2013.
From 9to5Toys.com and 9to5Mac Product Pages comes a special deal from MacMall for our readers who are looking for MacBook Airs at the lowest prices. Across the board, Macmall has the lowest prices when coupled with additional 3% off 9to5Mac promo code NTFMMWB38592
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MacMall goes beyond lowest prices: Until Friday at 9:15PM ET, readers will get free overnight shipping and a free copy of Parallels Desktop with every order. MacMall also offers financing and/or no payments for 6 months and accepts payments with Paypal or Amazon as well as major credit cards. This week’s MacMall specials include half off Quickbooks 2013 for Mac, iPad SmartCovers starting at $26.99 and other Blowout deals on peripherals.
MacMall has additional MacBook Air 8GB BTO configurations that knock an additional 3% off the already lowest prices we could find:
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