Over the past few years, Thunderbolt 3 docks have become nearly ubiquitous, with a variety of different docks offering varying sets of ports in a few different body styles. Similar docks, albeit with more limited capabilities, exist for connecting over USB-C to machines that lack the more powerful Thunderbolt 3 standard, even in some cases including the iPad Pro.

Since the introduction of Thunderbolt 3 docks, users have typically had to choose either a Thunderbolt 3 or a USB-C dock to provide additional connectivity for their devices. Thunderbolt 3 docks offer more capabilities, but they lacked backward compatibility with machines that only offer USB-C.

A new generation of docks has started hitting the market, however, offering both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C support for compatibility with a wider range of devices. I’ve had some time to test out CalDigit’s recently launched USB-C Pro Dock, which does exactly that.

Using both a 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 3, a 2015 MacBook with USB-C, and an 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, I’ve tested the capabilities of CalDigit’s dock and come away impressed with the versatility and performance that come at a rather reasonable price compared to similar docks from other manufacturers.

I’ll start by noting that I’ve long been a fan of CalDigit, and the company’s TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock has been my favorite for everyday use with my ‌MacBook Pro‌ among all of the many Thunderbolt 3 docks I’ve tested. It offers the perfect set of ports for my needs, 85-watt charging to fully support my 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and a compact form factor that sits nicely under one of my external displays.

CalDigit’s TS3 Plus (left) and USB-C Pro Dock (right)

Given my experience with the TS3 Plus and some of CalDigit’s other products, I was excited to test out the new USB-C Pro Dock, and for the most part it lived up to my expectations.

Front ports: USB-A, USB-C, SD card, audio in/out

The USB-C Pro Dock has a horizontal design more typical of Thunderbolt 3 docks, as opposed to the TS3 Plus. I prefer the design of the TS3 Plus, but the USB-C Pro Dock design is certainly suitable and allows the dock to sit unobtrusively on a desk. It comes in a Space Gray aluminum that closely matches Apple’s notebooks of that color, with some finning on the sides to potentially assist with heat dissipation and black plastic on the front and back.

Rear ports: Ethernet, 2x USB-A, upstream Thunderbolt 3, 2x DisplayPort, power adapter

The dock weighs just under a pound and measures in at about 8.5 inches wide, an inch high, and a little over three inches deep. It’s powered by a fairly large external power brick as is typical of these docks, although the brick included with this dock is a bit flatter than some others I’ve seen and most users should be able to tuck it away on or behind a desk.

Power Output

The USB-C Pro Dock is able to provide 85 watts of power over either Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C, providing full power a 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ or any other Mac notebooks you might use it alongside, with the exception of the brand-new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ that ships with a 96-watt power adapter. Dock manufacturers are still working out the best way to support this new higher-wattage ‌MacBook Pro‌, but for most users, even 85 watts will be plenty to keep that 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ fully powered up.

To eke out a bit more power, CalDigit has an upcoming firmware update for the USB-C Pro Dock (and the TS3 Plus) that will bump charging to 87 watts, and CalDigit tells me most users won’t have any problems charging their 16-inch MacBook Pros at either 85 or 87 watts. For those pushing their machines to the limit on heavy CPU/GPU usage for extended periods of time, CalDigit recommends those users charge their machines with Apple’s power brick to ensure they’re getting the full 96 watts.

Displays

When it comes to display compatibility, the USB-C Pro Dock includes a pair of DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, and active adapters can be used to convert to other standards like HDMI. When connected to a Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac like a ‌MacBook Pro‌ or recent MacBook Air, the USB-C Pro Dock is able to drive dual 4K monitors at up to 60Hz, offering great expansion capabilities for turning your notebook into a workhorse desktop machine.

Things are little more limited when you’re connecting the dock to a MacBook over USB-C, as the slower connection maxes out at supporting a single 4K display at 30Hz or dual HD displays, although those dual displays are unfortunately limited to mirrored mode rather than allowing for a full extended desktop.

The lack of a downstream Thunderbolt 3 port means I likely won’t be using this as my everyday dock, as I currently use a pair of LG UltraFine 5K displays, one connected through my TS3 Plus dock and one directly to my computer. I certainly could route both 5K displays directly to the ‌MacBook Pro‌ and use the dock separately for its other functions, but that increases the number of cables connected to my computer from two to three and so it’s overall less convenient, particularly when I’ve already got a TS3 Plus serving my needs.

But for someone maxing out with one or two 4K displays, particularly DisplayPort ones where you won’t need any adapters, the USB-C Pro Dock should work out just fine. In fact, CalDigit intentionally opted to sacrifice the downstream Thunderbolt 3 port in order to include two DisplayPort 1.2 ports, since most people end up using the Thunderbolt port to add another display anyway.

USB Connectivity

One of the other primary purposes of a computer dock is to provide additional USB ports for connecting a variety of accessories to your computer all through a single cable. The USB-C Pro Dock includes three 5 Gbps USB-A ports (one on the front and two on the back), as well as one data-only 10 Gbps USB-C port on the front of the dock.

Read/write speeds for CalDigit Tuff external SSD connected to front 10 Gbps USB-C and a 2016 ‌MacBook Pro‌

Connecting a fast CalDigit Tuff external SSD to that 10 Gbps front USB-C port and to my ‌MacBook Pro‌, I found solid speeds of 475 MB/s write and 500 MB/s read, which is typical for this drive over a 10 Gbps connection. Using the same setup but connected to a 2015 MacBook over USB-C, I saw speeds dip slightly to 411 MB/s write and 415 MB/s read, but that’s still solid performance.

The front-facing USB-A port on the USB-C Pro Dock supports standalone charging, so you can charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, or other devices via the dock even when your notebook isn’t connected or turned on. CalDigit also provides a driver to increase the power available over USB to allow the dock to support Apple’s SuperDrive.

SD, Ethernet, and Audio

Moving beyond displays and USB, the USB-C Pro Dock includes three additional features to increase the capabilities of a connected computer. One is a Gigabit Ethernet port to give you a speedy and reliable wired data connection, and the other is a UHS-II SD 4.0 card reader to make it easy to quickly transfer photos and files from a standalone camera or other devices.

Finally, there is a 3.5mm combination analog audio in/out port on the front of the dock to support speakers, headphones or combined headphone/microphone headsets.

‌iPad Pro‌ Support

While Thunderbolt and USB docks have traditionally been used to expand the capabilities of Macs, the adoption of USB-C on the ‌iPad Pro‌ has opened the door for Apple’s tablets to take advantage of USB-C docks as well, and CalDigit’s USB-C Pro Dock does the job here as well.

‌iPad Pro‌ connected to external display and SSD via USB-C Pro Dock

With a single cable connecting your ‌iPad Pro‌ to the dock, you can open support for an external display running at up to 4K and 60Hz, USB-connected drives, SD cards, ethernet, and audio in/out. The dock also lets you use external accessories like keyboards and mice, and it allows for fast charging of your ‌iPad Pro‌.

Backward Compatibility

For those users with older computers, the USB-C Pro Dock can be used with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 ports with appropriate adapters, although capabilities are more limited due to the lower bandwidth and you won’t be able to charge your device, for example.

You can even get some limited dock functionality out of the USB-C Pro Dock when connecting to a machine that supports only USB-A, provided you have a USB-C to USB-A adapter available. You won’t be able to drive any displays or charge your computer over that connection, but you’ll at least be able to take advantage of the additional USB ports, SD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet port, and audio capabilities.

Wrap-up

Overall, CalDigit’s USB-C Pro Dock strikes a great balance of performance and versatility, giving you the ability to connect to a range of devices to expand your connectivity options. If you want the flexibility to connect to a Mac and an iPad with the same dock, or if you’ve got both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C Macs around the house, this dock is definitely worth taking a look at.

If you’re all in on Thunderbolt 3, make sure you take a look to see if this dock’s capabilities will be sufficient for your needs. If you’re using a Thunderbolt 3 external display, for example, you won’t be able to connect it through this dock.

On the flip side, if you don’t need the full capabilities offered by Thunderbolt 3, there are smaller and cheaper USB-C-only hubs out there that might do the trick for you, although many of those are bus-powered from the computer itself and require passthrough charging with your existing adapter.

With 85 watts of charging power on CalDigit’s USB-C Pro Dock, nearly every portable Mac can be charged at maximum speed, with the exception of the brand-new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, but even on that machine most users shouldn’t run into any problems keeping up with power demands.

While many full-featured Thunderbolt 3 docks are priced at $300 more, CalDigit’s USB-C Pro Dock undercuts that price point significantly, currently coming in at just $200 on Amazon and in CalDigit’s online store. A 0.7-meter cable that works with both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C connections is included.

Note: CalDigit provided MacRumors with a USB-C Pro Dock for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This article, “Review: CalDigit’s USB-C Pro Dock Adds Ports to Your Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C Mac, or Even an iPad Pro” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Orangetheory Fitness today announced that it will begin rolling out Apple Watch support to its gyms in the first quarter of 2020, eliminating the need to use one of the company’s armbands or chest straps for heart rate tracking.

The fitness chain has created a small accessory called the OTbeat Link that attaches to an Apple Watch band, allowing the Apple Watch to sync with the Orangetheory Fitness in-studio heart rate monitoring system. There will also be a new Orangetheory Fitness app for the Apple Watch to accompany the OTbeat Link.

“Now, not only will members be able to view metrics in real time in class with an Apple Watch, they’ll also be able to see their Orangetheory Fitness workouts afterward in the Activity app,” explains Orangetheory Fitness.

“Apple Watch is designed to help people live a better day by being more active,” said Apple fitness director Jay Blahnik. “With workout tracking, Apple Pay and a new membership program, we are thrilled Orangetheory Fitness is integrating Apple Watch into a comprehensive experience for their customers.”

Orangetheory Fitness has also developed two new iOS apps called OTassist and OTcoach for improved interactions between staff, coaches, and members.

The new OTbeat Link accessory will be priced at $129 on Apple.com and elsewhere.

This article, “Orangetheory Fitness Rolling Out Apple Watch Support in Early 2020” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Anker today kicked off a new audio sale on Amazon, letting customers take up to 39 percent off a range of Soundcore products. These include Soundcore Bluetooth speakers, Soundcore wireless earphones, and even Anker’s new Soundcore Wakey alarm clock that includes a Qi charging mat.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can find all of the products on sale in the list below. As with all Amazon Gold Box deals, the sales you see here will expire by the end of the day, so be sure to browse them soon.

Anker Gold Box Sale

• Soundcore 2 Bluetooth Speaker – $27.88, down from $39.99
• Soundcore Motion+ Bluetooth Speaker – $69.99, down from $99.99
• Soundcore Flare Bluetooth Speaker – $39.90, down from $62.00
• Soundcore Flare+ Bluetooth Speaker – $69.99, down from $99.99
• Soundcore Wakey Bluetooth Speaker – $74.99, down from $99.99
• Soundcore Pro+ Bluetooth Speaker – $59.49, down from $89.99
• Soundcore Infini Pro Soundbar – $172.99, down from $249.99
• Soundcore Spirit X Earphones – $21.99, down from $39.99
• Soundcore Sport Air Earphones – $20.89, down from $29.88

For more holiday gift ideas and stocking stuffers, head to our full Deals Roundup.

This article, “Deals Spotlight: Anker Discounts Soundcore Audio Accessories on Amazon Today Only (Up to 39% Off)” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In an interview with Popular Mechanics, Apple engineers Chris Ligtenberg and John Ternus have detailed some of the innovative cooling features included in the design of the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, both of which launched earlier this week.

In order to let the ridiculous processing power of the ‌Mac Pro‌ reach its potential without melting, Apple engineers had to find new ways to “exploit the laws of thermodynamics,” according to the report.

For example, the active internal cooling consists of three axial fans in the front of the case and a blower in the rear, all of which had to be developed in-house because off-the-shelf fans would have been too loud.

“Years ago, we started redistributing the blades,” explains Ligtenberg, Apple’s senior director of product design. “They’re still dynamically balanced, but they’re actually randomized in terms of their BPF [blade pass frequency]. So you don’t get huge harmonics that tend to be super annoying.”

“That [solution is] borrowed almost entirely from automobile tires,” Ligtenberg says. “There’s a bit of math behind it, but you can create broadband noise instead of total noise with that technique.”

Something loud but pleasantly pitched can be more tolerable than something quiet but irritating. “You can have something at a certain SPL [sound pressure level] that sounds really good, but you can have something that’s actually at a lower SPL that grates on your nerves and sounds really awful,” says John Ternus, VP of Hardware Engineering at Apple and head of the Pro and Pro Display’s development. “We want to get really great performance where, you either can’t hear it, or if you can hear it, it’s kind of a pleasant noise. A ton of analysis goes into figuring out how to optimize for that.”

Apple hopes ‌Mac Pro‌ users won’t even be aware of the fan activity inside, but it’s the conspicuous grids of bored metal divots on the front and back of the case and the rear of the Pro Display that provide the passive cooling. “[The pattern] gives us a lot of surface area, which is hugely beneficial,” Ternus says.

The Pro Display has fans for specific components, but the bored metal holes are what keeps that panel of LEDs cool enough to run so bright. It wasn’t possible to use a traditional finned enclosure heatsink, because the monitor can be used in both portrait and landscape.

Rotating the display 90 degrees would reduce with the air flow through fins, but the hemispherical holes work the same regardless of which way is up. “[For the Display] we wanted free [air] flow through the channels, no matter the orientation,” says Ternus.

According to Apple, the reworked “cheese grater” look achieves around 20 percent more airflow compared to the Power Mac G5 that preceded it.

Apple is accepting orders for the ‌Mac Pro‌ (starting at $5,999) and the Pro Display XDR ($4,999) on its website, with ‌Mac Pro‌ delivery estimates at one to two weeks after an order is placed.

This article, “Apple Engineers Explain New Mac Pro’s Innovative Cooling Features” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple will open a new retail store in Kawasaki, Japan on December 14. The store will become the 10th in the country and the first store there to be situated in a shopping mall, notes Engadget.

Image via Engadget

A media event on December 12 revealed the interior of Apple Kawasaki, a single-level store with an all-glass facade that takes the familiar layout of existing Apple stores found in shopping malls in the United States.

Image via Engadget

Inside is a large video wall at the rear of the store, a Forum area, and signature Avenue shelving. The storefront looks out onto Lufa Plaza, a green communal area inside Lazona Kawasaki Plaza shopping mall.

Image via Engadget

The store opens at 10:00 a.m. beginning with a full program of Today At Apple sessions, including a Coding Lab For Kids: Pre-Coding with Helpsters.

The opening coincides with the reopening of Apple Eaton Center in Toronto, Canada, where the original retail space has roughly doubled in size since being updated with Apple’s newest store design.

This article, “Apple Kawasaki Store in Japan Opens December 14” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Opera today released Opera GX, a special version of its Opera browser that it says has been built to “complement gaming” on Mac.

Opera GX features several features designed to help users get the most out of gaming and browsing, the most prominent being GX Control, which lets users set limits on the browser’s system resource usage.

Opera says a survey it conducted revealed that lack of memory and network limitations are the two main issues for gamers, which is why it came up with the idea of limiter controls for CPU, RAM, and network bandwidth.

Opera GX offers a unique set of features that provides solutions to these problems. The set of browser limiters, which includes a Network Bandwidth Limiter, as well as CPU and RAM Limiters, prevents the browser from becoming resource-hungry. What this means in practice is that everyone’s machines are left with more resources for running games.

The browser includes other features aimed at making gamers happy, including Twitch accessible from the sidebar, picture in picture for watching streams, integrated messenger services, an ad blocker, free VPN, and several custom theme options.

The macOS version of Opera’s gaming browser is now available for download in early access mode. Interested users can grab it now from Opera’s website.

This article, “Opera Launches Opera GX, the ‘World’s First Gaming Browser’ for macOS” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Twitter today announced support for Apple’s Live Photos, which can now be uploaded to Twitter and shared as GIFs.

Apple first introduced ‌Live Photos‌ in 2015 alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, though most social networks still do not support the format and do not allow ‌Live Photos‌ to play when uploaded.

‌Live Photos‌ are designed to add movement to still photos to bring them to life, similar to the moving photos in the Harry Potter films. When you take a photo on an ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Live Photos‌ enabled, the ‌iPhone‌ captures a few seconds of video before and after the shot to enable the movement.

‌Live Photos‌ are primarily able to be viewed from ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌, but there are apps that can convert them into formats supported by social networks like GIFs and videos, which is what Twitter is planning to do.

Give the gift of GIFs. You can now upload your iOS ‌Live Photos‌ as GIFs anywhere you upload photos on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/D8TIfsBwyd

— Twitter (@Twitter) December 11, 2019

Uploading a Live Photo to Twitter to share in a tweet will convert the Live Photo into a GIF that displays the animation. Users just need to select a Live Photo in the Twitter app on iOS and then tap the GIF button to upload.

Those who want to share a Live Photo but don’t want it to be shared as an animated GIF can just avoid tapping the GIF button, which will cause it to be uploaded as a traditional still photo.

‌Live Photos‌ support is rolling out to the Twitter app today.

This article, “Twitter Finally Launches Support for Live Photos, Allowing Them to Be Uploaded as GIFs” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple recently used the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to get Twitter to remove a viral tweet that featured an iPhone encryption key, provoking the ire of the security community, reports Motherboard.

On December 7, security researcher “Siguza” on Twitter shared an encryption key that could potentially be used to reverse engineer the ‌iPhone‌’s Secure Enclave, which handles encryption for the device.

Just two days later, a law firm that works with Apple sent a DMCA takedown notice to Twitter, requesting that the tweet be removed. Twitter complied, deleting the tweet.

Today, the tweet reappeared, and Siguza said that the DMCA claim was “retracted.” Apple confirmed to Motherboard that it sent the takedown notice and then asked Twitter to put the tweet back in place.

iPhone11,8 17C5053a sepi 9f974f1788e615700fec73006cc2e6b533b0c6c2b8cf653bdbd347bc1897bdd66b11815f036e94c951250c4dda916c00

— Siguza (@s1guza) December 8, 2019

Reddit also received several DMCA takedown requests for posts shared on r/jailbreak, a subreddit where security researchers and hackers discuss methods for jailbreaking Apple iPhones. It’s not clear if this is also Apple, as the source of the takedown requests was unable to be verified.

Still, security researchers suspect Apple, and according to Motherboard, they see Apple’s actions as an attempt to stifle the jailbreaking community.

For many years, there was no available jailbreaking software for modern iPhones, but that changed earlier this year when Checkra1n, a jailbreak for certain devices running iOS 13, was released. Checkra1n doesn’t work on iPhones released in 2018 and 2019, but it does work on all older ‌iPhone‌ models, which has likely put Apple on edge.

Apple is also in the middle of a lawsuit against Corellium, a mobile device virtualization company that supports iOS. Corellium’s software allows security researchers and hackers to create digital replicas of iOS devices for the purpose of finding and testing vulnerabilities, and the security community has criticized Apple’s decision to levy a lawsuit against Corellium.

This article, “Apple Used DMCA Takedown to Temporarily Remove Tweet With iPhone Encryption Key” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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New York City’s public transit agency MTA today announced that its tap-and-go fare payment system OMNY is now available at Penn Station, a major hub, with support for both mobile wallets like Apple Pay and contactless credit cards from the likes of Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

96 OMNY readers are now live at 18 turnstile arrays serving the A, C, E and 1, 2, 3 lines at Penn Station, according to the MTA.

New Yorkers will be able to tap and ride at a total of 85 stations across the MTA system later this month, and the MTA plans to expand contactless payments to all 472 of its subway stations and all of its bus routes by the end of 2020.

Apple Pay will be accepted on MTA-operated buses in Manhattan beginning March 2020, with further plans detailed on the OMNY website.

Apple Pay first became available at select MTA subway stations and on Staten Island buses in May, complete with support for Express Transit mode. Riders can simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless reader to pay their fare, without needing to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The device does not need to be tapped on or unlocked, either.

OMNY is currently limited to full-fare, pay-per-ride use, with additional fare options set to become available during future phases of the rollout, such as unlimited ride passes and reduced fares. Keep in mind that free transfers are only available at OMNY-enabled stations, so plan your trip accordingly.

MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.

This article, “Apple Pay Now Accepted at NYC’s Penn Station, Coming to 85 More MTA Stations Later This Month” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In iOS 13.3, Apple added new Communication Limits to its Screen Time options, which let parents control who their children are able to contact.

If you’re not familiar with Apple’s Screen Time functions, they enable users to keep track of their device usage and place self-imposed limits on the time they spend using their iPhone or iPad. Screen Time also serves as a parental control system for parents.

The latest feature addition, Communication Limits, lets parents manage who their children are able to contact through FaceTime, Phone, Messages, and iCloud Contacts.

The new options allow contacts only or everyone to be contacted during a child’s allotted Screen Time, and there’s a toggle that either allows or prevents people from being added to a group chat when a contact or family member is in the group.

There’s also a separate setting for communication limits during downtime, which can be set to allow everyone or just specific contacts. Follow the steps below to set your preferences for your child’s Screen Time and Downtime.

How to Set Communication Limits During Allowed Screen Time in iOS

1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Communication Limits.
   
   
4. Tap During Allowed Screen Time.
5. Under Allowed Communication, select Everyone or Contacts Only.
6. To allow people to be added to group conversations when an ‌iCloud‌ contact or a family member is in the same group, tap the toggle next to Allow Introductions in Groups so that it’s in the green ON position.
   
   

How to Set Communication Limits During Downtime in iOS

1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Communication Limits.
   
   
4. Tap During Downtime.
5. Tap Specific Contacts.
6. Tap Choose From My Contacts and select the people that can be contacted during downtime, then tap Done. If the person you want to allow to be contacted isn’t in your contacts, tap Add New Contact and enter their details in a new contact card, then tap Done.
   
   

Note that calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and when placed, will turn off communication limits for 24 hours to make sure children are safe and not prevented from communicating with people in the event of an emergency.

This article, “How to Set Communication Limits on Your Child’s Allowed Screen Time and Downtime on iPhone and iPad” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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