There are many great features to point out about the latest MacBook Pros. But with only USB-C ports for external devices, a wide variety of connections isn’t one of them.
Reclaim your MacBook’s lost connections [Deals]
![Reclaim your MacBook’s lost connections [Deals] Instantly add a variety of useful connections to your new MacBook Pro.](https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/HomeSpot-USB-C-Hubs-for-MacBook-Pro.jpg)
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are many great features to point out about the latest MacBook Pros. But with only USB-C ports for external devices, a wide variety of connections isn’t one of them.
Buying a new MacBook is stage 1. Stage 2 is trying to figure out how to get all your peripherals to work with a single USB-C port. Thankfully, there’s another way.
With Cupertino about to unleash loads of new hardware, this week’s roundup of wallet-saving Apple deals includes cables, cases, apps and more.
When you get a new MacBook, you get a powerful machine with one connection for peripherals. Simplicity is great, but let’s be real: Nobody uses USB-C exclusively. That makes having a single USB-C connection severely limiting.
MacBooks ship with a pretty sizeable hard drive, but that storage can disappear fast. Whether your job involves large file types or you just like saving your favorite TV shows, you’re likely to find yourself wanting a little more space on your computer without having to add an external hard drive to your computer bag.
With this Nifty MiniDrive MicroSD Card Adapter, you can add up to 256GB to your MacBook instantly and without adding any bulk. And right now, you can get a Nifty MiniDrive MicroSD Card Adapter for $29.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
Tired of fraying and failing cables? Belkin just launched the Mixit DuraTek USB-C cable, a brawny cord built with Kevlar and a special strain-reducing design that should put an end to premature cable death.
Measuring 4 feet long with USB-C connections on each end, the new DuraTek cable sounds perfect for the latest MacBooks and MacBook Pros.
There is little about a shoulder bag that is personal. Sure you can pick something with a color and shape you can live with, but utility drives the design.
The Maverick, as the name suggests, aspires to stand out from the pack. Created by San Francisco’s WaterField Designs, the full-grain leather bag cut from a single hide presents like a Pony Express satchel begging for a dustup on some dry Western trail.
Apple’s “thin and light” approach for its latest laptops totally breaks down when it comes to charging, due to the sizable power adapter that ships with the computers. Luckily, a tiny new USB-C charger will let you leave Apple’s ungainly charging brick at home.
The people on your holiday shopping list deserve cutting-edge gifts. That’s why you won’t find ugly sweaters or gifts that are actually meant for pets not people in the Cult of Mac gift guide.
Loaded with tech gift ideas for Apple fans, this handy guide will make you the best gift-giver in the family for once.
We could all use an extra couple hundred gigs of space on our MacBook, but no one is excited about having a bulky and expensive external drive sticking out of their computer. Hence the appeal of Nifty’s MiniDrive, which seamlessly adds up to 200GB to your MacBook without altering the laptop’s sleek profile.
This is a great, reliable alternative to cloud-based storage or more bulky options like USB drives, and right now you can get one for just $33.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
Straight off the deals boat, we’re checking out some cool and unique new stuff this week. These deals include unlimited cloud storage for your music to a cup that watches what you drink, a light for late-night Facetime calls, and more. Take a look:
We’ve got a pair of refurbished Apple gadgets, as well as an impressive bundle for the current-gen 27-inch iMac. Find these deals and more in our roundup of this week’s best Apple bargains.
Whether keeping them charged, free from damage or just having enough connections for all the devices we use, our MacBooks can sometimes use a little help fulfilling our needs.
That’s why this collection of peripherals is exciting — there’s something here for everybody, and at prices that won’t last. Take a look:
Designers have found a lot of interesting ways to cover your precious laptop, but this might be a new one: a marble MacBook case that gives your device a cool, classic look. This one comes courtesy of Elemnt and rawbkny, the same people who found a way to give you a wooden keyboard, and this is easily their most ambitious project yet.
“We have managed to cut down the marble slab to 0.8mm thickness, backed with fiberglass and 3M pressure sensitive adhesive,” Elemnt’s Mikhail Novikov said in an e-mail. “The marble cover is rigid yet flexible enough to wrap the MacBook all around using specific lasercut lines to allow the edges to bend. The marble is sourced directly from Milan, Italy.”
LAS VEGAS — The makers of a tiny new device called the TarDisk Pear promise to permanently double your MacBook’s hard drive space in a matter of moments.
Simply slide the Pear into your MacBook’s SD card slot, run a quick setup (called “pearing”), and your hard-drive capacity will be permanently doubled.
“Pear is a one-click option for upgrading,” TarDisk’s Pierce Schiller told Cult of Mac at CES 2016.
If you’ve owned a MacBook for any amount of time, you know that the MagSafe charging brick has a limited lifespan. Besides getting scuffed up and grimy, the rubberized cables are prone to fray which is more than unsightly — the exposed power conducting wires can be dangerous. Add to that the risk of losing your MagSafe (which would never happen, right?), it’s a good idea to pick up this spare for almost half the normal price, only $42.99.
If you use your MacBook with a Thunderbolt Display at home or at the office, and you don’t use your MacBook’s display as a secondary monitor, then a Henge Dock is a great way to keep your desk neat and tidy.
Available for all recent MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros from 11 to 17 inches — with prices ranging from $55 to $75 — it provides you with a place to dock your MacBook in a vertical position so that it takes up as little space as possible. Its integrated ports mean you can still all of your notebook’s USB ports, its MagSafe connector, audio jack, and more.
The Henge Dock promises to be the “first truly comprehensive docking station solution for Apple’s line of notebook computers” There are some things it could do better, however.
The Sennheiser HD 650’s ($500) audio performance is among the best available, but they won’t be worth their high price tag unless you’re willing to listen to them correctly, and for some, the hassle may not be worth it.
[Update] Thanks to everyone who subscribed and commented, tons of really great comments, I had a fun time reading them all! The two winners are below, if you’re one of them, I’ll be contacting you via Youtube. Stay tuned for another great giveaway next Tuesday!
Winners:
Still rollerskating around in your short-shorts with tunes blaring on the headphones that came with your original Walkman? Tsk tsk… Everyone knows that’s a look that won’t be hip again for at least another 5 years.
If you’re a packrat like me, and you need a really big bag for your MacBook plus everything else, you should seriously consider the Alix Laptop Tote Bag from J’Tote (pronounced zhe-tote).
I have been toting the Alix around for a month now. I have to say that this bag is my new favorite. It can take a beating and still looks great. If passion is your fashion, this bag is your match.