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The best USB-C cables and adapters
By Sarah Witman 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 guide to USB-C cables and adapters. If you have a device with a USB-C port—like a MacBook or Android phone, or 2018 iPad Pro—you're going to need some cables. Unfortunately, when it comes to USB-C, even cables that look identical can perform very differently. Your MacBook's charging cable, for example, has the exact same connectors at each end as a top-speed Thunderbolt 3 cable, but it's different internally; it transfers data at a snail's pace, and it can't send a video signal. To make sure you get the right cable for your needs, we've tested 36 cables and 16 adapters to find the best ones for charging, data transfer, video, and more.
The best USB-C adapters, cables, and hubs
By Nick Guy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read the full article here. After 10 hours of preliminary research, we tested more than 25 USB-C accessories to put together this guide to the best ways to connect peripherals and devices to a USB-C–equipped computer. It's by no means exhaustive. USB-C can, in theory, replace every other port, and there are a seemingly infinite number of port combinations you might encounter. We focused on the most important tasks you'll likely face, such as connecting older peripherals like hard drives and hooking up an external display.
Kanex intros Thunderbolt to eSATA and USB 3.0 adapter
After a slow start, things are really heating up in the Thunderbolt accessory market. We've reviewed Thunderbolt hard disk drives and SSDs ,Thunderbolt RAID arrays, and even Thunderbolt docks. Now Kanex has introduced a new Thunderbolt to eSATA + USB 3.0 Adapter (US$79.95) that makes it easy to use your older eSATA drives with your new Mac. Let's take a look, and then enter for a chance to win one of these adapters and two Lightning charge/sync cables from Kanex and TUAW. Specifications Dimensions: 3.19 x 1.89 x .79 inches (8.1 x 4.8 x 2.0 cm) Weight: 2.8 ounces (79.38 grams) System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.8.4 or later, any MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac or Mac mini produced since 2011 (Thunderbolt-equipped) Output: USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (5 Gbps), eSATA Design HIghlights Not a lot to say about the design sensibilities of this adapter -- it's basically a black box with a cable on one end and two ports on the other. I do like the fact that Kanex took on the market for those Macs that have a Thunderbolt port, but no eSATA or USB 3.0 ports. It's possible to connect one of these to a single Thunderbolt port on a Mac, then plug in a USB 3.0 hub for extra flexibility. Functionality HIghlights The adapter "just works." I tried it with a USB 3.0 drive that I use for nightly backups and as I expected, benchmarks showed no increase or decrease in throughput. Kanex makes a lot of adapters for oddball situations, and in this case the Thunderbolt to eSATA and USB 3.0 adapter is probably going to be much more useful to those who need USB 3.0 on their devices than eSATA. It's good to know that if you previously owned an eSATA drive for use with a MacBook Pro, you can still use that drive with any new Thunderbolt-equipped Mac. Conclusion My only concern about this device is the price, which is probably quite high because there's such a limited demand for this type of adapter. Functionality-wise, it works quite well and can add years of life to an older Mac. This adapter won a Macworld/iWorld 2014 Best of Show award. It should be noted that Kanex also sells a Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet + USB 3.0 adapter ($79.95), which will probably be useful to a much larger potential market. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 star possible Giveaway We're giving away one of the Kanex Thunderbolt to eSATA + USB 3.0 adapters and two -- count 'em -- of the Kanex 4-foot USB to Lightning cables ($19.95 each). Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before July 14, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Kanex Thunderbolt to eSATA + USB 3.0 adapter and two (2) Kanex USB to Lightning cables, total value of prize is $119.85. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Kanex GoPower Pack: Review and giveaway
TUAW reviews a lot of external battery packs, so it takes something new and interesting to get me excited. That "new and interesting" recently arrived in the form of a press release from accessory manufacturer Kanex touting the company's new line of external battery packs. The Kanex GoPower Pack (6,000 mAh for US$49.95, 13,000 mAh for $69.95) offers power to spare, dual ports, and even a built-in smartphone stand, all while providing the quality that Kanex is known for. Specifications Dimensions: 6,000 mAh - 2.46 x 4.13 x .96 inches (62.4 x 105 x 24.2 mm); 13,000 mAh - 2.46 x 5.44 x .89 inches (62.4 x 138.2 x 22.6 mm) Weight: 6,000 mAh - .3929 lb (178.6 grams); 13,000 mAh - .6174 lb (280.66 grams) Input voltage and connector: DC 5V, micro-USB (included) Output voltage and connector: DC 5.3V, USB (cables not provided), one port at 1.0A, the other at 2.1A Ability to charge iPhone: 6,000 mAh can charge an iPhone 5c/5s twice, 13,000 mAh can charge it four times Carrying case provided Design Highlights Both units are made of white and light gray polycarbonate, with the ports and a set of LEDs on one end and a slide out "tray" on the side. That tray is actually a clever stand for your iPhone -- pull it out and place the side of your iPhone in the tray, and it is held up in a viewable position by the GoPower Pack. That's about it -- the GoPower Pack does come with a nice little carrying bag that can be used for wiping off your iPad or iPhone screen, as well as the USB to micro-USB cable that you'll want to pop in the bag for charging your pack. You will need to supply your own USB to Lightning or 30-pin connector cable. Functionality Highlights Not a lot to say about functionality, other than -- these packs work! I like the way that the little iPhone stand works, adding some addition capability to what would otherwise be a rather mundane battery pack product. In particular, the 11,000 mAh GoPower Pack really has a lot going for it; the extra capacity means that you could easily plug in your iPad and iPhone and at least extend their usable battery life, although you won't be able to totally charge up both. Conclusion Kanex makes some great products, and the GoPower Pack line provides iPhone and iPad users with another source for a high-quality, reasonably-priced external battery pack. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway Two readers are going to have a chance to win one of the Kanex GoPower Packs we had on hand for our review. One will receive the 6,000 mAh GoPower Pack, while the other gets the 11,000 mAh model. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 18, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected in a random drawing. One will receive a 6,000 mAh Kanex GoPower Pack valued at $49.95, while the other receives a 11,000 mAh GoPower Pack valued at $69.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Kanex launches simpleDock USB 3.0 dock for your MacBook
Now that you've ordered that fancy new MacBook, you'll need a dock to keep your cables tidy when you're out and about, right? Kanex has decided to produce a dock that ditches Display and Thunderbolt-out posts in favor of something a little more elegant, and most importantly, cheaper. The simpleDock is a hefty (trust us) rubber-and-metal sled that offers three USB 3.0 ports, a 10W USB 2.0 charging slot and Gigabit Ethernet. Connecting to your Mac (or PC) over a micro-USB 3.0 port and with its own power supply, there's even a slot so you can pass through a cable onto the top shelf, making it an ideal platform-agnostic smartphone dock as well. It's available from right about now, and will set you back $119.
Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard might be the only keyboard you need
Apple fans looking for the one keyboard to rule them all can stop looking. Kanex has released the Multi-Sync Keyboard (US69.00), and if you're wondering about the name, it's because this one keyboard can be paired with four devices. Want to use it with your Mac, an iPad and an iPhone? Pair through Bluetooth with each of those devices just once, and you can then use the Multi-Sync Keyboard with it with just a tap of a button. Another device can be connected through USB. This keyboard has a numeric keypad built in for those hardcore spreadsheet editors, but also features iOS-specific keys for your favorite mobile device. It operates on two AAA batteries, and can also be used in a USB-wired mode if needed. Kanex even threw in a stand for your iPhone or iPad to sit on while you're typing away, so this is an amazingly complete keyboard solution. Check out the three-minute video review of the keyboard, and then be sure to enter our giveaway. Conclusion If you want just one keyboard to use with all of your favorite Apple products, the Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard is the one to get. Pros Can be paired with three different Bluetooth devices (for example, Mac, iPad and iPhone) and switched to any one of those with a single touch Includes the ability to be connected via USB if needed Complete set of keys, including OS X and iOS-specific keys and a full numeric keypad Has a good feel to it, allows for fast touch typing Includes stand for use with iPad or iPhone Cons Would be nice if the Multi-Sync keyboard had a built-in rechargeable battery instead of requiring two AAA batteries Who is it for? Anyone with multiple Macs or iOS devices who would like to reduce clutter and just use one keyboard for all of the devices Giveaway Want to win this keyboard? Just fill out the form below, read the rules, and prepare to win. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before September 27, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard valued at $69 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Kanex launches $70 Multi-Sync Keyboard for easy device switching (hands-on)
Kanex make cables, right? It does, but the company is now branching out into the world of accessories, typified by the meDrive we played with earlier in the year. Now here comes the Multi-Sync, a keyboard that's designed to control one USB and three Bluetooth devices -- switching between them at the touch of a button. If you're like us and always have a desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone in near-simultaneous use, then perhaps you'd like to learn if this one is worth $70 out of next month's wages?
Kanex meDrive: A pocket-sized file server for iOS and OS X
Imagine having a way to access shared files from your Mac, PC, or iOS devices without needing to tie up a computer to act as a file server. That's the idea behind the Kanex meDrive (US$79), a tiny box that connects to your Wi-Fi router and any USB flash or hard drive, and then works with a free companion app to give you your own "personal file server" at home or office. Read the review, and then enter for a chance to win a meDrive courtesy of Kanex and TUAW. Design The meDrive is tiny and lightweight, measuring in at only about 2.25" x 3.5" x .88" and weighing just 5.4 ounces. On the meDrive are three ports -- a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port for connecting to a Wi-Fi router, a USB 2.0 port for connecting storage, and a mini-USB port for power. You'll need to supply your own USB power adapter and your own storage, the meDrive's firmware does the rest. %Gallery-194942% Functionality Setup is incredibly easy and takes just a few seconds to accomplish. Run the included Ethernet cable between your router and the meDrive, plug in your drive (I tested the meDrive with a tiny 8 GB Apotop USB flash drive, but you could plug in a multi-terabyte hard drive just as easily), and then plug the included USB to mini-USB cable into the meDrive on one end and a USB power adapter on the other. A white LED glows to tell you that the meDrive is online, and you're ready to go. From a Mac, connecting to the meDrive is easy -- in the Finder, select Go > Connect to Server and then type in "smb://medrive". When prompted, enter the user ID and password and then start loading the drive with files. Windows users just mount a drive to "\\medrive\usb01" for access. iOS devices get their own free meDrive app, which allows attachment to any meDrives that are found on the same Wi-Fi network. Once again, a user ID and password must be entered for access to the storage connected to the meDrive. The setup isn't exactly speedy, seeing that it's dependent on the speed of whatever drive you have attached. In my tests I tried both that little Apotop flash drive -- which was really slow -- and a USB 2.0 external HD that wasn't as bad. The iOS app provided a quick way to both save and open documents that were stored on the meDrive; I also used the WebDAV capabilities to save iWork documents using the "Copy to WebDAV" function built into the iWork apps. Conclusion For $79 plus the cost of whatever storage you want to add to it, the meDrive is an inexpensive and simple to use home file server. Sure, it's not going to be as fast or have as much storage as a Mac mini running OS X Server, but it's certainly a lot easier to set up and maintain. Pros Truly plug-and-play setup Free universal app works well to access meDrive from iOS devices Compatible with both OS X and Windows through SMB protocol Cons User must provide own USB power brick Slow compared to dedicated file servers costing much more Who is it for? Anyone who wants an easy-to-use shared file server that can be accessed from virtually any device Giveaway Now it's your turn to set up your household file server for sharing content to all the family members. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before August 1, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Kanex meDrive valued at US$79 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Kanex meDrive turns any USB drive into a NAS for iOS devices, we go hands-on
Kanex may be more famous as a cable maker, but it still has priors when it comes to knocking out the odd device. meDrive is a small white box that's designed to turn any old USB HDD into a network attached storage (NAS) drive. We're no friend to buzzwords like "private cloud," but as the unit promises to swell the capacity of our microSD-slot lacking iOS devices, we couldn't resist giving it a go. Does this $99 box do all that it promises to do? Find out, after the break.
IRL: Skooba Cable Stable, Kanex mySpot and the HTC One X+
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. We've got some practical considerations on our minds this week. Sensible things, like managing a mess of cables or getting online from hotel rooms. We've found some products that serve us well on both fronts, but there's still at least one conundrum we can't quite resolve: is it better to get a cheapie One X or a slightly faster One X+? We'll hash that one out after the break -- and you can do the same in the comments.
A taste of Macworld/iWorld 2013: Bowblade, Eset, Kanex and more
Here's a little taste of the atmosphere on the floor of Macworld/iWorld 2013, plus a closer look at the Bowblade we wrote up yesterday, a chat with the antivirus/anti-malware maker Eset, and a look at what's new from Kanex. Enjoy!
Get a USB 3.0 hub plus Gigabit Ethernet with Kanex's DualRole
Even though shipping Macs have sported USB 3.0 ports for more than half a year, compatible USB 3.0 hubs have been thin on the ground. Expanding those 4.8 Gbps ports would make better use of all that bandwidth, and the increased bus power (900mA vs. 500mA for the older USB 2.0 standard) is perfect for juicing multiple devices. What about a Gigabit Ethernet port, too? That would be sweet. Indeed, the Kanex DualRole hub delivers precisely that package -- a three-port USB 3.0 SuperSpeed hub, and a Gigabit Ethernet port besides. The combination means that you can free up ports on your current-gen Mac, especially on the Retina MBP or the MacBook Air if you need to plug into Ethernet; you can claw back either a USB port or a Thunderbolt port that would have normally been used for networking. Kanex is announcing and demoing the DualRole at Macworld/iWorld this week. In my hands-on time with the DualRole, I noted appreciatively that it includes a pigtail USB 3.0 connector built in; finding the correct cable to connect a hub might prove frustrating when most of your cable inventory is USB 2.0. That 3-inch cable tucks into the side of the compact gray and white unit (about three-fourths the length of an iPhone 5, and about twice as thick) when not in use. The three expansion USB ports are all on one of the long sides, with a fair amount of space between them to accomodate wider flash drives or other peripherals. There's a 5V power input for an optional AC adapter (not included with the hub), but I was able to power a standard 4GB flash drive and a LaCie rugged USB 3.0 hard drive simultaneously off the hub without external power and with no problems. While the USB ports on the hub are entirely plug and play, the Gigabit Ethernet port isn't quite configuration-free. Using the port requires a quick driver install and a reboot on either OS X or Windows; the driver is downloadable from Kanex's product page for the DualRole. Once I installed the driver, the Ethernet adapter showed up immediately in the Network preference pane. The DualRole is available now from Kanex's online store for US$69.00. If you're looking for a USB 3.0 hub that's easy to pack and adds networking savvy on the side, it's a find.
Kanex's DualRole is a USB 3.0 hub and Ethernet adapter for modern MacBooks
The glitzy sheen of that Retina Display MacBook Pro or MacBook Air probably tarnished a little when you realized you'd need to sacrifice a USB or Thunderbolt if you wanted Ethernet connectivity. Just in time for Macworld, Kanex is shuttling out DualRole, a three-port USB 3.0 hub and Ethernet adapter that'll swell your connectivity options while on the road. Bus-powered, you can also add a 5v power adapter to juice your gadgets at the same time. It'll set you back $69 and is available from right about now.
CES 2013: Kanex introduces meDrive, a simple file server for iDevices and Macs
Kanex just announced its new meDrive, a bring-your-own storage network drive, accessible from your computer or iOS mobile device. Supporting WebDAV and Bonjour, it offers easy setup and discovery. Retailing for US$99, the device is particularly helpful for anyone who wants to bring along videos and other large storage items without taking up a device's limited storage. Meant for use on trips and for serving data on local networks, you can swap out drives as needed. WebDAV allows an easy way for small business to share iWork files as well. The related myDrive management app is free at the iOS App Store. We'll review the hardware in the coming weeks.
Kanex launches $99 meDrive, a private cloud for your iOS device
Kanex might be typecast as a mere maker of display cables, but that doesn't mean it's not capable of belting out the odd line of Shakespeare. Its latest "challenging" role is the meDrive, a device that creates a private cloud to bounce files between your iOS and desktop devices. With its WebDAV support, it'll let you bounce iWork documents on your private network, and, if you open up port 80, will also let you access it on the go. Simply plug the box into your router, and Bonjour's auto-discovery support will handle the rest from the free app. You can also hot-swap USB storage of any size into the dedicated port, or even add in a hub for even more space. Put money in thy purse tonight, as it'll cost you $99 when it goes on sale right... now. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Kanex 4-port USB 3.0 Hub first look
We recently got a chance to take a peek at a new Kanex USB 3.0 hub, which promises to be a feature-filled accessory. Retailing for $59, this 4-port powered hub offers adapters to switch from US power to most standard international types, which in this case appear to be Type C, Type G and what we think is Type I -- essentially support for the UK, EU and AU. The unit itself is extremely lightweight. In comparison, its power adapter is pretty massive -- not unusual for many of the USB hubs we test. You connect the hub to your Mac through a port in the back using a standard USB 3.0 cable with its large crimped-looking connector. The first of the four ports on the hub is, according to marketing text on their website, a 10W recharging port: "Did you know? Port 1 provides 10W of power to recharge tablets or other devices when host computer is powered down or disconnected from hub." I initially tested the hub with an iPad 2 but was unable to charge properly from any of the four ports. So I gave their the Kanex marketing contact a call and she explained that the PC had to be powered off or disconnected in order to allow this feature to work for the first port. Sure enough, I disconnected the hub from my Mac and my iPad successfully started charging. I'm not entirely sure how useful this "feature" is for most users. I know that the Newer Technology hub I reviewed a few months ago doesn't require you to disconnect for charging. If you want to sync and charge at the same time, the Kanex hub is probably not the device for you. The unit is backwards compatible, so if you connect a 2.0 device, it will connect to an internal 2.0 hub.
Kanex mySpot USB-powered Wi-Fi hotspot
Kanex is an accessory manufacturer that makes a wide variety of devices, from Thunderbolt cables to iPad charging stations. The mySpot (US$59.95) is a USB-powered Wi-Fi hotspot that initially confused me somewhat, because it seemed to be an expensive way to do something that could easily be done with any Mac with a built-in Ethernet port or one of Apple's $29 USB Ethernet Adapters. What's that "something" I'm referring to? Sharing an Ethernet connection with other devices over Wi-Fi, something common to families on vacation who want to share a hotel Ethernet connection, or in classrooms or conference rooms where there's no current Wi-Fi.. Any Mac with an Ethernet port or Apple's USB dongle can share that connection by becoming a Wi-Fi hotspot -- it's part of OS X. Anymore, many people just use hotel or coffee shop Wi-Fi, or even share a 3G/4G connection with friends and family using the iOS Personal Hotspot capability. So, with that caveat in mind, let's take a look at the Kanex product. It's definitely made with the traveler or remote worker in mind, since it's about three inches long, and about an inch square. It weighs just a scant 1 ounce. On one end is an Ethernet port; that's where you'd plug in the hotel or office Ethernet cable. On the other end is a USB cable that tucks into a receptacle on the bottom of the unit. That cable plugs into your Mac (either USB 2.0 or 3.0 is fine) or into a standard USB power brick, and powers the unit. On the top of the unit are a couple of tiny status LEDs to let you know if the unit is working properly. Once everything's plugged in, you use your other devices to find the default SSID ("Kanex mySpot-xxx") and connect to the Wi-Fi network. At this point, you can use any web browser to go to the device's default IP address and create a password, change the SSID, or change the Wi-Fi channel or device IP address. Knowing that this same Internet sharing functionality is built into OS X, who would be the target audience for the mySpot? Well, let's say that you want to share an Internet connection but have an older MacBook that doesn't have Wi-Fi -- there were some models that did not have Wi-Fi by default, or you may have a bad Wi-Fi card in your Mac. Perhaps you want your Mac to be mobile as well and don't want it tethered to an Ethernet cable for sharing. That's where the mySpot shines. Since the device doesn't need to be plugged into a Mac for power, just any plug that has a USB port and supplies the necessary 5 Volts, it can take over the functionality of an AirPort Express ($99) base station and save you forty bucks in the process. Personally, I think Kanex did itself a disservice on its website by showing pictures with the mySpot plugged into a Mac and an Ethernet cable. Instead, they should highlight the photos showing the mySpot plugged into an iPhone power brick, which shows that it's essentially just a really small Wi-Fi base station and doesn't need the Mac for power. How does the mySpot work as a Wi-Fi base station? Pretty well. It's not a full 802.11a/b/g/n device like the AirPort Express as it's missing the "n" capability, but it has good range and can handle up to 16 connected users. If you need a faster device or want to host more users, then you probably want to go with the Apple product. Conclusion Although many hotels and conference centers now provide ubiquitous Wi-Fi, there are still situations where you might need a small, easily-carried hotspot like the mySpot. Kanex has developed a reasonably priced Wi-Fi hotspot that is tiny and easy to set up. Pros Incredibly small and lightweight Can be powered from any USB port, including an iPhone charging brick Easy to set up Less expensive than Apple's AirPort Express hotspot Cons May be a limited-use device in this world of almost-ubiquitous Wi-Fi Who is it for? Anyone who needs to share an Ethernet-based Internet connection with up to 16 people or who wants an almost invisibly small Wi-Fi base station Giveaway Kanex and TUAW are giving away a mySpot to a reader. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before December 30, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Kanex mySpot valued at $59.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Kanex back to school giveaway: Win an ATV Pro and Sydnee
Kanex makes a lot of great Mac and iOS accessories, many of which we've reviewed here on TUAW in the past. With kids, teachers, and administrators heading back to school, Kanex approached TUAW about giving away two products each to two winners of a special giveaway. The products are perfect for anyone using iPads in education, so be sure to enter if you're in that esteemed category. Kanex has two packages to give away, each consisting of an ATV Pro (US$59.95) and a Sydnee ($149.00). The ATV Pro (image below) is an adapter that lets a standard VGA PC projector use Apple AirPlay mirroring from an iPad or a Mac running Mountain Lion to an Apple TV. Plug the ATV Pro into your Apple TV's HDMI port, then use a standard VGA cable to connect to your projector. For details of how the ATV Pro works, check out our review from earlier this year. The other part of the giveaway packages consists of the very cool Sydnee (image at top), which is billed by Kanex as a "Smart Recharge Station" for iPads and other devices. With a unique shape and four high-power USB ports, you can keep up to four iPads charged up at a time. Put one of these in your classroom or teacher's lounge, and make sure that all of the iPads are ready to go at any time. As you can tell from our review, it works quite well and can easily accommodate iPads in third-party or Apple cases. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before August 25, 2012, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected. Both will receive a Kanex ATV Pro valued at $59.95 and a Sydnee Smart Recharge Station valued at $149.00. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Kanex Sydnee Smart Recharge Station for iPads
At Macworld | iWorld 2012 in January, Kanex showed off a unique charging station called the Sydnee that not only had an otherworldly appearance, but could charge up to four iPads at once. Sydnee ($149.00) is a great way for families or small offices with multiple iPads and iPhones to keep their gear charged up and organized at the same time. Design Sydnee is definitely one of the more different-looking charging docks you'll ever see. While I was talking to the Kanex team at Macworld | iWorld, they told me that the design is based on the shape of the Axiom spaceship from the Disney-Pixar movie Wall-E. Whether or not that story is true, Sydnee's shape makes it possible to hold and charge three iPads at once. There are two internal slots for iPads as well as one external prop. If you have a fourth device, it's going to be laying on the desk or counter next to Sydnee. %Gallery-159164% Sydnee plugs into a wall socket for power, and comes with three Apple-compliant USB to Dock connector charging cables to plug in three of your devices. There are four 2.1A USB ports, but you get to supply your own cable for the fourth device. Sydnee has cable management slots built in, so those charging cables remain out of the way and aren't scattered hither and yon on your desktop when not in use. There's also a cable wrap on the back for taking up the slack on really long cables. There's a Sydnee for whatever your taste in iPad and iPhone. The unit comes in black and white, with the cable management slots in yellow on both. Functionality With the 2.1A output of the USB ports, your devices will charge quickly. Setup of Sydnee is extremely simple -- just find a place to put it and then plug it in. Plug in the included USB cables and your fourth, self-supplied cable, and you're ready to go. For this review, I only had access to a pair of iPads and a single iPhone, so I decided that it would be a good time to charge up my Kindle Fire / Mac Plus / Newton MessagePad as well. It uses a USB to micro-USB cable, so I plugged that into the fourth port for charging. One thing you'll notice in the photos is that Sydnee has room for thick iPad cases. The devices go in sideways with the Dock connector pointing out, and even my wife's rather hefty Fu-Design case fit in the charging station with room to spare. This will be handy for medical offices that use protective carrying cases, although you may want to be sure that the cases will fit in Sydnee before buying one -- my measurements show the usable dimensions to be about 3/4" thickness by 7.5" wide. Plugged in, all four devices immediately showed signs of charging, so Sydnee certainly has the capacity as advertised. It also has surge protection, a built-in circuit breaker, and comes with UL, CE, and FCC certification. Conclusion While those with large iPad installations will still need a much more robust solution like NewerTech's $379.00 GripStand Station (which also requires purchase of one $30 GripStand case per iPad), Sydnee is a reasonably-priced and attractive charging station that can handle up to four iPads at a time and doesn't require a special case. If you're looking for a way to organize and charge your iPads and other devices, Kanex's Sydnee is definitely worth taking a look at. Pros Power capacity for four new iPads Well built, attractive design Doesn't require a special iPad case Can accommodate iPads using a number of third-party cases. Good short circuit, and overvoltage protection. Only uses one standard wall outlet Includes three Apple-compliant USB to Dock connector cables Cons More expensive than just using four iPad AC adapters on a power strip Who is it for? Anyone who wants an attractive and compact way to simultaneously charge up to four iPads
Kanex outs non-Apple Thunderbolt cable (updated)
Kanex is releasing its very own Thunderbolt cable. However, if you were looking for something shorter and cheaper than Cupertino's six foot, $50 beast, prepared to be disappointed. Costing $60, the only difference between the two is that this is black instead of white, but if your inner-Goth couldn't bear to see another pearly cable, then perhaps those extra ten bucks won't matter. Update: Our friends over at 9to5mac pointed out that WD and Elgato are also pumping out speedy cables to the masses.
