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OWC's cheap Mac Pro wheels are still pretty expensive
OWC has introduced the first third-party wheels for Apple's Mac Pro, and they're a relative bargain at $250.
OWC claims its USB-C SSD is the fastest yet
OWC might have your back if you want the speediest external drive you can get without sacrificing too much in the way of portability or price. The company claims that its new Envoy Pro EX is the fastest USB-C SSD on the planet, with its NVMe-based storage offering transfer speeds as high as 980MB/s -- for context, even SanDisk's Extreme 900 Portable SSD peaks at 850MB/s in ideal conditions. It's a drive that could handle 4K video editing one moment and sit in your pocket the next.
The best USB-C hubs and docks
By Nick Guy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full USB-C hubs and docks guide here. After spending 20 hours testing 22 USB-C hubs and five USB-C docks, we think Vava's VA-UC006 USB-C Hub is the best option for connecting older peripherals and external storage devices to a new laptop or MacBook. It has an ideal range of ports that all transfer data at full speed, it's sturdily built, it's small and light enough to throw in a bag, and it's reasonably priced. With three USB-A ports plus HDMI (with 4K support), Ethernet, SD, microSD, and power passthrough, the Vava VA-UC006 offers the connectors most people need most of the time. It's powerful enough to leave at your desk full-time as a docking station but small enough to slip in your laptop bag and use on the go. The only downside is that the Ethernet port hinges open, a design that saves space but is more likely to break than a standard Ethernet port. For about half the price of the Vava, Dodocool's 6-in-1 Multifunction USB-C Hub offers performance similar to that of our top pick as well as an extra USB-A port, but it lacks SD and microSD card readers and an Ethernet port. We think the Vava's more versatile port selection, smaller size, and better build quality are worth paying for, but the Dodocool is a good option if you need something less expensive. If you just need more USB 3.0 ports for flash drives, keyboards, mice, and other low-power accessories, Aukey's USB C to 4-Port USB 3.1 Gen 1 Hub (CB-C64) is the best option we tested, and the least expensive. It's a straightforward plastic adapter with four full-speed USB 3.0 ports. But its lack of passthrough power makes it a poor choice if your computer has only one or two USB-C ports, as the MacBook does. If you need only an Ethernet connection, we like the Cable Matters USB Type-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. It delivers full Gigabit speed, it comes from a reputable company, and it's inexpensive. It did get warm when we used it, which is to be expected with USB-C Ethernet adapters, but it reached the same temperature as a more expensive model we tested. Docks are larger and usually equipped with more ports than hubs, and they can provide power on their own, making them a better fit if you're looking for something to set on your desk permanently. Among the five USB-C docks we tested, Dell's D6000 Universal Dock is the best, with four USB-A ports, a USB-C port, HDMI and two DisplayPort video ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm audio connector. It worked equally well with a PC and a Mac in our testing. It also delivers 65 watts—the most charging power of any dock we measured—and it's the least expensive dock option (though it's still more than twice as expensive as the Vava hub).
MacBook Pro accessory adds ports that the 2016 model lacks
As you know by now, you have to learn to embrace dongle-city if you want to buy Apple's latest products. A component supplier called OWC has unveiled a different kind of expansion solution for the 2016 MacBook Pro's lack of ports, though. It's called the DEC, and it's a slab that sticks to the bottom of the laptop to add up to 4TB of additional flash or SSD storage, an SD card slot, full-size USB 3.0 ports and an Ethernet jack for wired internet.
CES 2015: OWC's Envoy Pro mini brings SSD performance to a thumb drive form factor
While flash "thumb drives" are convenient, cheap and come in a variety of capacities, they don't exactly thrill users with their speed. Other World Computing yesterday announced the Envoy Pro mini, a USB 3.0 SuperSpeed SSD drive in the form factor of one of the ubiquitous flash drives. The drive, which won the Storage Visions 2015 Visionary Product Award for Mobile Consumer Storage, is packed in a sturdy aluminum enclosure and can be used for storing and transferring data or backing up your Mac. Unlike a traditional USB 3.0 flash drive, you could also probably get away with installing an OS X beta onto the Envoy Pro mini for test purposes since it should be much faster. OWC says that the drive "achieves sustained transfer speeds up to 433 MB/s". The Envoy Pro mini will be shipping in January in two sizes: 120GB (US$119) and 240GB ($199). OWC also announced that the drive will be available soon in a 480GB capacity with price to be determined.
Dev Interview: Larry O'Connor, Other World Computing
TUAW and MacTech are once again teaming up to interview developers surrounding Apple's announcements at WWDC. Hear what they have to say. Introduction We'd like to welcome our guest, Larry O'Connor, Founder & CEO at Other World Computing. Other World Computing develops products for Mac, iOS, and Larry took some time to tell us about WWDC and how it impacts the company. What were you most excited about hearing in Apple's recent announcements? The new iOS development environment is very exciting to us as is what Yosemite brings next to the Mac platform. In terms of the iOS side - it's perfect timing with respect to entries we have planned to enhance the customer experience with our product. With respect to 10.10 [aka Yosemite] - the new OS offers a lot of user benefit without, so far, the kind of drastic changes that 10.9 introduced on the developer impact side. The open, public beta aspect also should mean far less being addressed pre release - wider range of scenarios addressed - vs. surprises post release. What does your company do? OWC Designs, Manufacturers, and Distributes the solutions that enable greater use from our customer's technology investments. Whether it's a brand new Mac or one from years ago, we're about providing the right solution that meet the needs of our customers and best enable them to maximize that technology to the requirements they require. What is the coolest thing you can tell us about what you do? Our team - great solutions are by no means easy, but providing exceptionally great support is what makes the solutions we provide truly another step above. We work to understand, educate, and truly enable our customers by having a team that cares and is truly driven to provide not just the best solution possible, but the solution that is the best possible for the different customer use scenarios it can be applied to. The best product is of little benefit if it is not the right solution. Our team is here to see that all customers of OWC and NewerTech brand solutions are enabled thereby. Did Apple make any announcements that will impact your direction? The new development tools on both the Mac OS and iOS side will definitely enhance our ability to produce the tools we have in the pipeline as well as advance their production. What's coming from you and your team? Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, more Thunderbolt, supercharged SSD 2.5" & PCIe, high-level storage ... and keyboards. We are customer driven both from a practical standpoint and a solutions standpoint. Both the physical solutions we have in our pipe as well as technology we will be deploying to further enhance our Thunderbolt and storage in general, we believe, meet very critical needs very effectively. SSD technology is by no means standing still here... and the occasional segue such as our soon-to-be-introduced Bluetooth keypad all continue to fit to a profile of the needs expressed. Anything more you can tell us? OWC is often misunderstood as a simple etailer. For over two decades we have been designing and manufacturing/assembling the products that bear our brand name. OWC products are currently available in hundreds of retail and etail outlets with more resellers and distributors being added as work to see our market leading solutions available when and where our customers need in addition to direct availability via Macsales.com. Today we have distribution facilities in Illinos, Nevada, and Texas with Creative Design now based in Austin, TX. All of our final testing, final assembly, and and a growing portion of our core manufacturing (which includes OWC Memory and Solid State Drives) are physically manufactured right here in the USA - mainly in a joint facility just outside of Austin, TX. We have a passion for quality, performance, and for Apple and we are here for our customers and only because of our customers. Find out more For more information on Other World Computing, see www.macsales.com This developer interview was put together by the staff of TUAW and MacTech Magazine about how Apple's new technologies will impact them and you, their customers. What to know more about MacTech? See the web site, or check out one of the many live events MacTech puts on each. If you're a developer, consultant, or IT Pro, come join TUAW and media throughout the industry at MacTech Conference 2014.
OWC Named Green Tech Company of the Year by BIG
TUAW, and I'm sure the Mac community at large, would like to congratulate Other World Computing (OWC) in Woodstock, Ill., for being named Green Tech Company of the Year by Business Intelligence Group (BIG). OWC shares the award with Betsy's Bricks, a heating pellet manufacturer and Arise Virtual Solutions, a work-at-home call center company. Business Intelligence Group's industry awards program uses a "unique scoring system [that] selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above their peers." Twenty judges from a variety of industries are listed on the site. OWC is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. It has been successful in a variety of ways, starting with its 2008 move to a low-environmental impact headquarters. The OWC campus is 100 percent on-site wind powered. As noted in the OWC blog: "On October 19, 2009, OWC became the first technology manufacturer/distributor in the US to become 100 percent on-site wind powered by switching its daily operations energy needs over to a Vestas V39-500 kW wind turbine." The turbines also provide a unique iPhone case testing environment. You can read Steve Sande's article on how OWC tested their NewerTech's NuGuard KX for iPhone 5 by tossing it off one of their wind turbines (minute 3:35). As part of OWC's green action program they use a comprehensive recycling program that includes onsite paper, plastic and can recycling. According to the company's blog, it rejects "non-recyclable pallets from vendor deliveries, recycles obsolete equipment through electronic equipment recyclers and reuses packaging materials (such as foam peanuts, etc.) whenever possible." In March 2010, the OWC campus was awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certification by the Green Building Certification Institute. OWC was one of fewer than 300 companies to achieve this status at the time. You can view a virtual building tour on OWC's "Think Green" site. In an email conversation with OWC CEO Lawrence O'Connor, he told me: Everything we do is about an ongoing evolution. There are always new boundaries to push and not only is that reflected in our products, but in how we operate OWC as well. Team OWC is aware and engaged providing the best to our customers and with respect to our natural resources. Our focus on upgrading and extend the useful lifespan Macs is right in the same vein with maximizing the resources and minimizing waste which drives us. A year ago we took over a building in Austin, TX which is now our Creative Design HQ. Right now solar is being erected on the roof which will be generating for at least half the total requirements of this 3 story facility by December. Be it a Mac or the space we call our own, we're always working to make it better and maximize. OWC's Woodstock site includes more than 20 acres of protected conservation wetlands and in 2012, a pair of sandhill cranes came to the area. The sandhill crane has suffered greatly from a loss of habitat and OWC hopes they continue to visit their bird-friendly wetlands. According to O'Conner, "OWC team members have erected signs to inform and raise awareness for where turtles cross the street" also. According to the press release, "Other World Computing's efforts to reduce waste, recycle materials and use less energy include" the following list of features: On-site Vestas V39-500 kW Wind Turbine Geothermal underground system for heating and air conditioning. High-energy value materials in roofing and walls. Pyrolytic glass to reduce UV rays and cooling costs. Interior lighting enhanced with daylight harvesting technology. Interior wall and floor coverings that reduce emissions of VOC (volatile organic compounds). Groundwater protected by a bio-aquifer storm system. High-efficiency, water-saving plumbing fixtures "Smart room" technology to reduce energy use in unused spaces. In-house water filtration to reduce plastic bottled water use. High-end air filtering for staff health benefits Continual recycling programs with "Zero Waste" goal. Office and warehouse layouts optimized for efficient heating/cooling. Kudos to OWC! [Disclaimer: I used to work for OWC and use their hard drive products regularly, so I'm a tad biased.]
Get new life out of an old Mac Pro (Updated)
You've been drooling at the video of the new Mac Pro, but realize that your chances of having enough money to buy one of the cylindrical black speedsters when they ship this fall are slim to none. Not to worry -- iMore's Peter Cohen has just the answer if you'd like to add some life to your existing Mac Pro. What Cohen wisely suggests is replacing your old Mac Pro's hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD). He borrowed a couple of SSDs from Other World Computing (aka OWC) and put 'em through the test. The first was a SATA-based drive, the Mercury Extreme 6G (480 GB for US$549.99), while the second drive was a PCI Express-based drive called the Mercury Accelsior_E2 (up to 960 GB for $1,289.99). The Mercury Accelsior_E2 is unique in that it's a PCI Express card with an SSD built on. Cohen notes that you can upgrade the SSDs down the road, as the PCIe card-based devices have removable SSDs on them. Any Mac Pro from 2008 or later should work just fine with this drive placed into one of the two 16x slots, while 2009 and newer Mac Pro models will get the best possible performance from any slot. I won't divulge all of Cohen's test results, but let's just say that the SSDs -- especially the Mercury Accelsior_E2 -- smoked the basic hard drive in terms of performance. While the maximum capacity versions of these drives aren't exactly cheap, they're certainly less expensive than any new Mac Pro will likely be. Update: An OWC spokesperson noted that Cohen was working with incompressible data, and that using the QuickBench suite of tests, they were able to show that the Accelsior_E2 can achieve read and write speeds that are in the 671 - 686 MB/second range (see below). Since the QuickBench suite tests more day-to-day usage, those who aren't using their Mac Pro primarily for video editing or manipulation of large files will see an even better improvement in performance.
Mercury On-The-Go-Pro enclosure keeps your old internal drives useful
People often think there are only two options for old Mac laptops: sell them or throw them away. But there's a third option that can keep parts of your old MacBooks useful for a long time -- a hard drive enclosure. An enclosure allows you to turn any internal hard drive into an external one. I recently used the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro from OWC. It has allowed me to turn an internal 500 GB hard drive from a MacBook into an external USB 3.0 / Dual Firewire 800 drive that's useful on the lastest MacBook Pro with Retina display. I literally got the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro in the post this morning and 20 minutes later I was using my old internal drive as an external one. Keep in mind, I had already removed my hard drive my old laptop. But once that was done, converting it into an external drive with the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro was a snap. I simply inserted the hard drive into the enclosure's motherboard, then screwed it in place to the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro's clear acrylic enclosure. I then plugged my new external drive into a USB 3.0 port on my Mac and it transferred data at full USB 3.0 speeds. Besides the USB 3.0 port, the enclosure offers two FireWire 800 ports, which allows you to have quick transfer speeds on older Macs that lack USB 3.0, but still have the faster-than-USB 2.0 FireWire 800 ports. The best thing about the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro too is that it's bus-powered, so there's no need for an external power supply. The Mercury On-The-Go-Pro FireWire 800/USB 3.0 enclosure is Mac and PC compatible and costs US$64.99. A USB 3.0-only model is $37.99.
OWC certifies 480GB Mercury Aura Pro SSD for 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display
The inside of a MacBook Pro certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're willing to pair your recklessness with a side of wild abandon, then you might just have what it takes to upgrade the storage of the Retina-equipped 13-inch model. OWC is more than willing to test your limits with its 480GB Mercury Aura Pro, an SSD module that's now certified for use with Apple's latest laptop. While its $580 price will deter many, the 480GB option compares favorably to the 512GB upgrade from Apple, which rings in at a healthy $800. OWC says that additional capacity sizes will be announced this November, which is reason to remain hopeful if this one has priced you out of the market.
OWC offers 480GB SSD upgrade for Retina MacBook Pro, requires screwdriver and careful math
Order up a Retina MacBook Pro and you'll likely be confronted with a gravelly message about how the SSD is "built into the computer" and not user-upgradeable. As it turns out, that's not quite true -- so long as you're prepared to ignore a whole bunch of other warnings written inside the chassis itself, iFixit has shown how to remove the factory drive and now OWC has a new SSD to replace it with. The only downside is the cost: at $580, OWC's 480GB Mercury Aura Pro is actually more expensive than Apple's official 512GB upgrade. In an effort to sweeten the deal, OWC is offering those who buy before September 30th a compact USB 3.0 enclosure to make use of the freed-up drive. Alternatively, you may want to wait for prices to drop or for OWC to offer an even bigger capacity with better cost / benefits.
OWC Mercury Aura Bundles let you replace your MacBook Air's SSD, use it as external storage
Got a Macbook Air from 2010 or 2011 and want to upgrade the storage without dropping its pre-existing SSD module all together? Well, you're in luck, thanks to OWC's new Mecury Aura Bundles. After upgrading your Air with one of the company's Mercury Aura Pro Express SSDs, the included Mercury Aura Envoy lets you re-purpose the factory SSD as a bus-powered, USB 3.0-compatible external drive. Better yet, the Envoy is made of aluminum, matches the Air's tapered design and weighs just 1.5 ounces. Owners of the 2010 Air can opt for a 180, 240 or 480GB 3Gb/s drive, while those with the 2011 model can bump up to 6Gb/s bus speeds with the same storage allotments and a 120GB option. Pricing for the bundle starts at $200 for the 120GB variant, maxing out at a hefty $780 and $800 if you want to move up to the spacious 480GB offerings. Thankfully, like the SSDs, the Mercury Aura Envoy is available as a stand-alone enclosure, and it'll cost you just under $50 bucks. Hit up the press release after the break for the full details if this dual-drive setup piques your interest
Daily Update for June 21, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
MacBook Pro with Retina display running three external monitors
OWC posted up a photo that is every Mac user's dream. The photo shows a MacBook Pro with Retina Display powering not one, not two, but three external displays in addition to the notebook's own monitor. OWC lists the attached computers which includes the Retina display on the MBP set at its "best for Retina" setting; two 2560 x 1440 iMacs connected via the Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt/DisplayPort; and a 1920 x 1200 LG monitor connected via HDMI. OWC says the performance was smooth and claims "moving images and media didn't create any lag." They also say they "were able to play video on all four displays simultaneously." As noted by MacRumors, Apple's support site confirms that the Retina MacBook Pro is capable of supporting one monitor on the HDMI port and two on Thunderbolt, but it's impressive to see such a setup in action. [Via MacRumors]
OWC releases kit that allows for dual hard drives in 2011 Mac mini
For those keen on expanding the number of hard drives in the 2011 Mac minis, OWC has released a kit that enables users to add a second 9.5 mm or 2.5" SATA hard drive or a solid-state drive to their machines. The US$49.99 kit includes a 5-piece mini toolkit, a tool for removing the logic board, four rubber grommets and hex screws, a Mac mini flex cable and an installation manual. The hard drives must be purchased separately. OWC warns that this installation is not for the faint of heart, and the video below shows how the second hard drive can be added to the Mac mini. [via CNet]
OWC's Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD is Mac bootable, strictly neutral
If you've ever tried to jam a regular SSD into your Mac, then you'll know that many off-the-shelf drives feel like they're tailored and tested for, ahem, someone else. Not so with OWC's Mercury Accelsior, which claims to be the only Mac bootable and Mac supported PCIe SSD on the market. Regardless of which platform you use it with, however, the dual-SandForce card promises some neat tricks with its 24nm Toshiba Toggle NAND. Sequential read and write speeds are around 50 percent higher than what you'd get from a regular SATA III drive, with the cheapest 120GB model ($360) offering 758MB/s reads and 743MB/s writes. Random performance is notched up too, with around 100K IOPS in both directions. The 960GB version costs a coldly precise $2,096, but still -- a potential side order for when the Mac Pro line finally gets another refresh?
OWC releases Internal SSD DIY kit for iMac
OWC released a do-it-yourself upgrade kit for 2011 27-inch iMac owners that'll let them add an SSD to their current hard drive. The US$45 kit includes all the tools and the power cable needed to add the solid state drive (sold separately). The process requires you to remove the 27-inch glass display with suction cups, so it's not for the faint of heart. There's an installation video, which you can watch before you make your purchase. If the DIY is too complicated, you can still use OWC's turnkey service which will install the SSDs for you. [Via ZDNet]
Other World Computing at Macworld iWorld 2012
If there's one company at Macworld | iWorld 2012 that epitomizes the leading edge of Apple accessories, it's Other World Computing (OWC). At this year's event, the company is showcasing a number of new or soon-to-be-released products for Mac and iPad. In the Mac realm, OWC is about to release two new versions of the venerable miniStack external drives for the Mac mini. The miniStack Max and miniStack have the same footprint as the post-2010 Mac minis, and features FW 400/800, USB 2.0/3.0 and eSATA (optional) ports, as well as an optical drive (Max only) and USB hub. When it comes to enterprise storage, OWC has announced and was demonstrating their new Jupiter mini-SAS storage solutions. Jupiter features input/output speeds three times faster than fibre channel and twice as fast as Thunderbolt, all with an infrastructure cost much less than you'd pay for fibre channel storage. Companies deploying iPads will like the new GripStand Station, which charges and secures up to eight iPads at a time. There's more to come in this short video from the show floor:
OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SATA 3.0 SSDs doubles your (MacBook) Airspeed velocity
It's MacWorld, which means those providers of Apple gear are busting out wares for aftermarket insertion into your objects of desire. Other World Computing's latest offering is a slender solid-state drive ready to be crow-barred into last year's MacBook Airs. The bombastically named OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD is a SATA Rev. 3.0 drive with a promised 6Gb/s data speed at sizes of up to a staggering 480GB. Since the stock drives are limited to the 3Gb/s SATA Rev. 2.0 (but the controllers run 3.0), you should find a significant performance bump when swapping in the new unit. The toggle-synchronous NAND drives come in a variety of sizes, starting at 120GB ($260), but it's the brand new and quite beastly 480GB model that has us excited. Sure, $1,150 is a lot to ask for less than half a terrabyte of storage, but you'll get a three-year warranty for all that cash. We may never give you our money, nor our funny pages, but you can have the press release that's after the break.
Hands on with NuTouch Gloves
iPhone owners who live in cold climates have many solutions for staying warm while using their devices. I've seen gloves with metal dots on their fingers, cutoff gloves with caps that transform into mittens, and gloves with conductive fabric tips designed for use with capacitive screens. The NuTouch Glove line falls into the latter category. Unlike some of their brothers on the market, all five tips are so enabled, not just the forefinger and thumb. Retailing for about US$12, these gloves are unisex, suitable for use with most business and casual wear. In the pair I tested, the tips did not pop out visually as much as the product shot at the top of the screen. So it didn't look as if the gloves were anything other than normal outerwear. The gloves were warm, keeping my hands toasty in sub-freezing weather, but I'd recommend against using them for any sustained, physical hand-centered activity. Like, say, shoveling snow. My first tests involved biking and I found my hands were pretty much rubbed raw by the end of a half hour. Normally, I have to strip off one of my winter gloves to take calls and to interact with RunMeter -- the app I use to track my rides. The NuTouch gloves let me add ride log data on the go, but were just stiff enough to irritate my skin due to the constant pressure. This roughness was not a problem during walking, where I wasn't constantly leaning on my hands, moving their positions over handlebars, and sweating through the gloves. They worked especially well for short dashes downtown and walks between buildings where you sometimes need to pull up a map or send a quick text, especially in the cold Colorado winter. These gloves are a good choice for cold weather touchscreen use -- just remember they're business wear and not meant to be sportswear.
