If USB-C is the future, the present still has lots of catching up to do, as we are still reliant on legacy standards such as HDMI, USB 3.0, SD cards, and more. That makes moving to the new MacBook Pro a little less convenient than we were promised, and unless you want to stock up on a set of new cables for all your peripherals, the next smart thing to do is to buy a USB-C hub.
Popular Apple accessory maker Satechi today launched a sleek and compact hub that adds a bunch of missing ports to your MacBook Pro (late-2016 model), including two USB 3.0 ports (so you can charge your iOS devices without having to purchase a new cable), an HDMI port with support for 4K video output, a pair of SD/microSD memory card readers and more.
The hub has two Thunderbolt 3 dongles that take up both USB-C ports of the new MacBook Pros with Touch Bar (don't worry, you also have an additional passthrough Thunderbolt 3 port).
Here's a quick overview of all the ports on this hub:
Thunderbolt 3 (1x)—Data transfer speeds up to 40 Gb/s are supported. In addition, the port supports a single 5K display or two 4K external displays at 60Hz with passthrough charging for 13 (61W) and 15-inch (87W) MacBook Pro models HDMI (1x)—Video output in 1080p at 60Hz or 4K at 30Hz is supported USB 3.0 (2x) and USB-C (1x)—Transfer speeds of up to 5 GB/s are supported SD/microSD (1x)—Transfer speeds of up to 104 MB/s are supportedAnd now, watch Satechi's promotional video for the device.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTq9PorggHY
Priced at $100, the aluminum-clad Type-C Pro Hub is compatible with both Touch Bar and non-Touch bar MacBook Pro models. As a bonus, Satechi is offering these in two finishes, Silver and Space Gray, to complement your notebook.
You can buy the new Type-C Pro Hub starting today on Amazon..
For the last several years, I have been using a Twelve South HiRise as the main charging dock for my iPhone on my desk. I just like the simplicity of it, in both design and function, but the Satechi Aluminum Charging Stand is a serious contender that I've had the pleasure to use for the past week or so.
Inside, I will share some thoughts and observations about this new dock's design, look, and simple features.
I’ve been playing with a cool smart lighting accessory over the past few weeks called the LED IQ Strip by Satechi. It’s a roughly 5-foot strand of multicolor LED lights that can be remotely controlled by virtually any Bluetooth 4.0 device.
Obviously this isn’t a groundbreaking product. There are several “smart” LED strips available these days—most notably the Philips Hue Lighstrip—I think its low price and ease-of-use make Satechi’s LED IQ Strip worth talking about.
The Apple Watch offers great convenience as it gives you access to messages, phone calls, music controls, maps, and more, directly from your wrist, making your life that much easier in everything you do. If raising your wrist to look at your Apple Watch is a simple gesture, sometimes it can be a dangerous or distracting one, such as when you're driving or riding a motorcycle for instance. Enters the Satechi Apple Watch Mount.