USB3.0
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USB 3.2 doubles your connection speeds with the same port
Your future computer or phone will be capable of stupidly fast transfer speeds. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group unveiled the USB 3.2 specification that effectively doubles the current USB 3.1 spec by adding an extra lane. As such, it will allow for two lanes of 5 Gbps for USB 3.0, yielding 10 Gbps, or two lanes of 10 Gbps for 20 Gbps with USB 3.1. As a bonus, the "superspeed" USB-C cable you're currently using already has the capability for dual-lane operation built in.
Steve Dent07.26.2017
Oculus explains how room-scale VR taxes your USB ports
We've been dealing with USB for about two decades now, and to be honest, we're not usually asking that much from it. Plug in an adapter, microphone or game controller, then keep it moving. All of that changes, however, when it comes to virtual reality. As Oculus explains, plugging in a bunch of room scale sensors sends enough data through the ports to potentially overwhelm the 400MB/s capacity of the controller chip on your motherboard. Because of this, the answer isn't to simply plug in a hub and get more high-speed USB 3.0 ports, in fact, Oculus says you should probably get good results by using two USB 3.0 connections, plus one older USB 2.0 port if you need to go beyond two sensors to get some more mobility in your VR experiences. The blog is currently helping gamers get through the setup process, so go ahead and check out all of the posts to make sure everything is positioned and working correctly.
Richard Lawler01.27.2017
Apple may ditch traditional USB ports on the MacBook Pro
Apple reportedly plans to eliminate the USB 3.0 and Magsafe ports on its next-gen MacBook, and kill the 11-inch MacBook Air altogether. That's according to Macotakara, the Japanese rumor site that was among the first to predict the company would kill the traditional headphone jack on the iPhone 7. It also claims that Apple will unveil a 15.4- and 13.3-inch MacBook Pro at an event sometime this month.
Steve Dent10.18.2016
The iPad Pro's Lightning port supports USB 3.0 transfer speeds
That's right -- the biggest iPad of 'em all has a USB 3.0-compatible Lightning port, Apple has confirmed to Ars Technica. iFixit found a controller for the new USB standard when it took the supersized tablet apart, and that came as a surprise because Cupertino didn't exactly advertise the feature. The compatibility means the iPad Pro is capable of transferring files at speeds that reach 5Gbps, whereas a USB 2.0 connection can only reach a max speed of 480Mbps. Apple had a good reason for not making a big deal out of it, though: you'll need to get an extra USB 3.0 adapter to be able to take advantage of the capability, since the tablet only ships with a cable that can handle USB 2.0 speeds. Problem is, that adapter doesn't exist yet, so you'll have to deal with slower file transfers for a while longer.
Mariella Moon11.13.2015
ASUS unveils the Intel-powered, Windows 10 VivoStick
Intel generated a storm of interest when it launched the HDMI-based Compute Stick, but is anybody willing to buy a tiny, underpowered PC? Who knows, but ASUS has just launched its own model that trumps Intel's in nearly every way. It's a lot less clunky-looking and one-ups Intel's Atom CPU with a Cherry Trail model, while adding an extra USB 3.0 port and headphone jack for good measure. Otherwise, it has the same 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage, and works in the same way: You plug it into any HDMI TV, add a keyboard and mouse and then compute away on Windows 10.
Steve Dent09.02.2015
The international version of the Lenovo-backed ZUK Z1 runs Cyanogen 12
There's a lot to like about the ZUK Z1, a Chinese flagship smartphone backed by the folks at Lenovo -- it has a USB Type-C port with support for audio output, a huge 4,100 mAh battery, a multi-function fingerprint reader and an attractive 1,799 yuan ($280) sticker price. If Cyanogen is your favorite flavor of Android, it just got a little better: today ZUK announced that the international version of the handset will come loaded with the commercial version of Cyanogen OS 12.1.
Sean Buckley08.21.2015Lenovo-backed phone has reversible USB 3.0 and a big battery
Following the LeTV "Superphones" and the OnePlus 2, here's yet another Chinese smartphone that supports the reversible USB Type-C port; except this time, we're going beyond USB 2.0 speeds. The Android device we're looking at here is dubbed the Z1, which is the first product by Lenovo-backed startup ZUK (pronounced "z-u-k") to compete with affordable online brands like Xiaomi, Smartisan, Meizu and Huawei's Honor range. The competitive 1,799 yuan or $280 price point is of no surprise in today's market, but what stands out here is the presence of both USB Type-C and USB 3.0 (or USB 3.1 Gen 1) specs, which is a first for smartphones. To be exact, the Z1 boasts a USB data rate of up to 500 MB/s or 10 times that of USB 2.0, which comes in handy for its 64GB of internal storage.
Richard Lai08.11.2015
The one-cable future of gadgets: simpler, but still confusing
For such a quiet tech show, this week's Computex in Taiwan may have been a watershed moment that will affect nearly every PC, phone and tablet you'll see in the next few years, if not decade. The new USB Type-C port may have debuted on flagship devices like Apple's single-port new Macbook and Google's Chromebook Pixel, but the new, smaller, reversible kind of USB is shaping up to be the connector of the future. This week ASUS joined the USB-C party, and in a reassuring vote of confidence, Intel announced that its newest iteration of Thunderbolt will take the same shape. Thunderbolt 3.0 will, at a minimum, double the data speed found on USB-C cables. It might not work wirelessly just yet, but the single-cable future is coming. However, change isn't always easy.
Mat Smith06.05.2015
'World's smallest' USB 3.0 flash drive is about the size of a dime
Thanks to Moore's Law we've seen flash drives grow steadily smaller and smaller as storage capacity does exactly the opposite. To wit, the new SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 USB 3.0 storage unit is perhaps the tiniest we've witnessed yet. The company claims the device is smaller than a dime and the 128GB of space can store some 16 hours of 1080p video with read speeds clocking in at up to 130MB per second. Gizmodo Australia notes that this isn't the most expedient drive available, but hey, given the rather diminutive footprint it's probably pretty safe to leave permanently stuck in your gadget of choice. That minuscule size comes at a steep price though: $119 for the 128GB model -- or 1,190 dimes.
Timothy J. Seppala06.02.2015
Samsung's first portable SSD packs fast storage for relatively little cash
You don't exactly have a ton of options when it comes to portable solid-state drives. You can get fast performance or high capacity at a halfway affordable price, but rarely both. Samsung thinks it can strike that tricky balance with its first-ever external option, the Portable SSD T1. The USB 3.0 storage is based on the same speedy-yet-cheap V-NAND chips as the 850 EVO drive you might buy for your gaming PC, letting it hold a large chunk of your files without devastating your wallet or slowing down -- it reads and writes at 450 MB/s, or just about desktop-level speeds. The line starts off modestly with a 250GB drive that costs $180, but you can opt for 500GB ($300) or 1TB ($600) if you have a lot of games or movies to carry around. That's still expensive compared to spinning hard disks, but it's a relative steal for the performance. Look for the T1 to hit US stores around mid-January.
Jon Fingas01.05.2015
Lexar's new CFast 2.0 cards boast SSD speeds, but no cameras support them yet
Lexar has just announced new CompactFlash cards using the CFast 2.0 SATA tech format to greatly improve speeds and maybe steal back some thunder from SDHC. The cards, ranging in size from 32GB to 256GB, support a mind-boggling max read speed of 500 MB/s, bettering earlier models from SanDisk. That's easily enough to keep up with even RAW 4K images, let alone the 65 MB/s barrier required for the VPG-65 performance guarantee standard. Don't get too excited yet, though. First off, so far the company has only released engineering samples to help camera manufacturers. Secondly, there aren't actually any cameras that support CFast 2.0, and the format isn't backwards-compatible whatsoever with current CompactFlash tech. Still, combined with Lexar's Professional Workflow CFast 2.0 USB 3.0 reader -- also just announced -- you'll be able to get superfast speeds on your desktop when it starts shipping sometime in Q1 2014. And when it does get supported by the likes of Arri's Amira and other new cameras, it'll be nice to know you won't need to cram an SSD into your camera to capture 4K.
Steve Dent01.07.2014
Elgato Thunderbolt Drive+ SSD earns its 'plus' tag through USB 3.0 and brisk speeds
Elgato was on the vanguard of external storage when it launched its Thunderbolt SSD early last year, but flash drives have clearly evolved since then. To catch up, the company has just released its much improved Thunderbolt Drive+. What does that plus sign get you? USB 3.0 support, for a start -- you can now plug into just about any Mac or Windows PC, not just those with Thunderbolt ports. The Drive+ is also much faster than its ancestor, transferring data at up to 420 MB/s, and bakes in resistance to both dust and water. The new SSD isn't cheap when it starts at $500 for 256GB, but it may be just the ticket for those who want compatibility, speed and toughness in one box.
Jon Fingas11.08.2013
LaCie wants to put a Porsche key in your pocket
OK, so that headline was bit ... link-baitish. But the real news is that storage accessory manufacturer LaCie and Porsche Design have teamed up to create a keychain flash drive that is both speedy and stylish. The LaCie Porsche Design USB Key (starting at US$29.99) is available starting today, and the company provided one for our review and testing. Design The key is lightweight (.3 oz, 8.5 gm) and tiny (2.1" x .5" x .15", 53 x 12 x 4 mm), while still retaining a feeling of solidity through the use of stainless steel in construction. It's available in both 16 GB ($29.99) and 32 GB ($49.99) models, and it's a bit surprising that the company didn't choose to offer a 64 GB model as well. I used one of LaCie's USB keys on my keychain for about four years until it finally split in half this year. That model was made of two pieces of aluminum that were pressed together, and it always had a somewhat flimsy feel to it. Not so with this USB key -- it feels extremely solid, and the case is made in one piece. It should definitely put up with the day-to-day pounding it will get on a keychain. The LaCie Porsche Design USB Key is USB 3.0, so copying files to and from a USB 3.0-equipped Mac is quick. LaCie provides key owners with several utilities if they wish, one of which provides AES 256-bit encryption and another that provides a year of cloud storage of the same capacity as your key through the company's Wuala storage service. LaCie doesn't "trash up" your Porsche Design USB Key with this software -- you just download it from a website if you want it. Benchmark When connected, the Porsche Design USB Key was initially formatted as MS-DOS FAT 32. I chose to open up Disk Utility and reformat the key as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) because that's the way I roll. Beginning with this device review, TUAW is using the Intech SpeedTools QuickBench benchmark app to do comparisons of disk drives. We performed the Standard Test suite in numeric view, which performs sequential and random reads and writes with varying transfer sizes. The results were pretty impressive. LaCie notes that the key can "deliver speeds up to 95 MB/s" and our testing showed that to be true -- small file read and write speeds reached approximately 91 MB/s, and for large files, read speeds were in the range of 85 - 86 MB/s. As with most drives, write speeds slowed down considerably with larger transfer sizes, dropping from an average of 66.2 MB/s below 10 MB to 24.0 MB/s between 20 MB and 100 MB. Conclusion The LaCie Porsche Design USB Key not only looks great, but has speed to match. With the one-piece stainless steel construction, the key should be able to survive jangling against a pocketful of keys for quite some time. Pros Sleek design, small footprint Solid construction USB 3.0 speed Good capacity Utility software is optional and not pre-loaded onto the key Cons None to speak of Who is it for? Anyone who needs a keychain USB flash drive who wants both speed and good looks -- kinda like a Porsche sports car
Steve Sande10.10.2013
LaCie and Porsche Designs reveal USB 3.0 thumb drive, flash storage never looked faster
LaCie and Porsche Designs are at it again, but this time their storage collaboration has a slightly smaller footprint. The companies' latest effort is a brushed steel USB 3.0 thumb drive that's available in 16GB and 32GB varieties, starting at $30. For the security minded, files onboard are password-locked and protected with AES 256-bit encryption -- there's a free year of Wuala cloud-storage included too. You won't have to worry about a speeding ticket with this Porsche's transfers either -- the're rated at so-so 95MBs.
Timothy J. Seppala10.09.2013
Intel's updated NUC squeezes in Haswell Core-i5, HD 5000 4K graphics
Intel has cranked up its NUC (Next Unit of Computing) mini-computer to near gaming levels of power with the release of its 4th-gen Core-i5 D54250WYK kit. The new model comes with the latest HD Graphics 5000, for one, and also uses Intel's Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 to kick the CPU into overdrive when the need arises. It's got the chip giant's Quick Sync video to speed up encoding, a DisplayPort 1.2 jack with 4K capability, four USB 3.0 ports, an infrared sensor, stereo/mic jacks and a gigabit Ethernet controller. There's no pricing or date yet, but bear in mind that you'll need to add RAM (up to 16GB), an mSATA drive and some kind of monitor to make it fly -- though dwarfing it with a 4K display (like this one) might be overkill.
Steve Dent09.13.2013
DisplayLink's adaptor streams 4K content over USB 2.0 and 3.0 (eyes-on)
DisplayLink's been wringing all kinds of connectivity out of our computer's USB ports for years, turning one connection into many. It should come as no surprise, then, that the company's using its considerable compression expertise to send high-resolution 4K video through that very same pipe. Ideally, the system shoots video over USB 3.0, while still giving users the full connectivity options of any compatible DisplayLink device -- but it can also function using USB 2.0, though the dynamically compensating data compression at work may cause some frames to drop. We chatted with Displaylink's Director of Marketing, Andy Davis, about the feature and he informed us that the new 4K capability comes courtesy of a chip design first revealed back at CES that, while upping the max resolution of transmitted video, has no trouble driving multiple displays. In theory,the number of 4K screens the chip can drive is only limited by the graphics drivers and video decoding capabilities of the computer it's connected to. And, the new architecture also enables wireless streaming of 4K video using 802.11ad and can stream 1080p video over 802.11ac (4K over 802.11ac is in the works). We got to see a brief demo of the technology in action, and the video played back flawlessly over USB 3.0 for the few minutes we saw it work. Using 2.0, we noticed a slight flicker once or twice during playback, but the feed was still quite watchable. All in all, its a nice addition to the DisplayLink feature set. Now if they'd just let us know when we'll actually see it implemented in something we can buy.
Michael Gorman09.10.2013
LaCie's sexy Porsche Design Slim SSD P'9223
In the five years that I've been blogging for TUAW, I've watched as the industry has shifted from USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 drive interfaces to USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt. Drives have also made a migration from spinning platters to solid-state drives (SSDs), providing more power efficiency, speed, and ruggedness. LaCie has recently released the Porsche Design Slim SSD P'9223 (US$149.99), an impossibly thin and lightweight 120 GB SSD portable drive using a USB 3.0 connection for power and data transfer. Design LaCie has partnered with design firms around the world on a number of drives designs, and first worked with Porsche Design in 2003. With the Porsche Design Slim SSD P'9223, LaCie has created a masterpiece of engineering and art. The drive is a brushed aluminum slab only 11 mm (0.4 inches) thick -- that's 6 mm less than the thickest part of a MacBook Air. The other dimensions are also pretty small, just 5 inches x 3.1 inches (128 x 79 mm). Total weight of the drive is just 6.4 ounces (182 grams). %Gallery-192196% Gracing the top of the drive is the Porsche Design logo in stark black lettering, and there's an activity LED that peeks out of a thin vertical slit in the drive. The sides are covered with a black polycarbonate material for good looks and a better grip. The only opening on the drive is a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port that the included cable plugs into. There's no need for external power with this drive. Laptop users who need a bit more capacity can opt for a traditional spinning platter hard disk in the same form factor. The capacity of that drive is 500 GB, and the cost is a bit lower at just $89.99. Functionality Like many hard drive manufacturers, LaCie insists on loading some utilities onto the disk. Those utilities include a way to encrypt the P'9223, a backup app (most Mac users will probably prefer to use OS X's built-in Time Machine capability), and a subscription to Wuala for sharing and backing up in the cloud. Fortunately, LaCie gives users a choice in whether or not they want to use any or all of the utilities. LaCie now has a setup utility that is run before the first use of the drive. It gives users a chance to create a partition that can be used on both Windows and OS X machines, or partition the drive for OS X only. Formatting the drive is extremely fast, and then the user has an opportunity to load whatever software they've decided could be useful. The setup utility also adds a nice external drive icon that mimics the shiny aluminum case of the P'9223. The real selling point of an SSD is speed, so let's get to the benchmarks. I usually use AJA System Test to get a handle on the speed of a drive as well as make comparisons to other tested drives. But during the testing speeds were either too slow for an SSD (when file system caching was disabled) or faster than the theoretical limit for USB 3.0 (when file system caching was enabled). Since I could not verify the results, I chose instead to do a simple comparison with a USB 2.0 portable HD drive with a folder of known size. Here's the comparison, in each case writing a 912.4 MB file from a MacBook Pro with Retina display to an external drive: LaCie P'9223: 3.79 seconds Western Digital MyPassport USB 2.0: 26.24 seconds To paraphrase the late Steve Jobs, "Boom!" Read speeds were equally impressive. In this next test, a 1.18 GB Applications folder on the external drive was copied back to the MacBook Pro: LaCie P'9223: 3.59 seconds Western DIgital MyPassport USB 2.0: 31.86 seconds The P'9223 was anywhere from about 7 to almost 9 times faster in operations than a USB 2.0 hard disk drive. Regrettably, we were unable to test the P'9223 against a USB 3.0 hard disk drive. Conclusion What's not to like about the Porsche Design Slim SSD P'9223? It's fast, rugged, and looks great, and at a price tag of just $150, it's an affordable portable for your MacBook. Pros Reasonably priced Sleek and incredibly slender design Case made from solid aluminum for durability Bus-powered Cons None to speak of Who is it for? The MacBook owner who wants the speed and ruggedness of an SSD in a beautifully designed case Giveaway One incredibly lucky TUAW reader is going to win a LaCie Porsche Design Slim SSD P'9223. 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 June 25, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a LaCie Porsche Design Slim SSD P'9223 valued at $149.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Steve Sande06.24.2013
Satechi 7 Port USB 3.0 Premium Aluminum Hub looks good, works well
Satechi is now shipping a new 7 Port USB 3.0 Premium Aluminum Hub ($69.99 MSRP, on sale for $54.99) that matches good looks with the speed of USB 3.0. The company came out with a 10 port USB hub earlier this year that comes in a black plastic case and sports special switches for turning various banks of ports on and off; the new hub matches the good looks of most Apple products while also doing away with the extraneous switches. Design If the Satechi 10 port USB hub is an 18-wheel tractor trailer rig, the 7 port aluminum hub is a fast German sports car. It looks great -- there are actually two versions, both made of aluminum but one dolled up with white plastic highlights and the other with black. Both hubs come with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 cable to connect the hub to your Mac, allowing (according to the specs) data rates of up to 5 Gbps. This is a powered hub, so an AC power "brick" that is almost larger than the hub itself is included. The power plug is on the right end of the hub, while the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 cable plugs into the other end. The 7 ports are on the angled top of the hub. Unlike the 10-port hub on which each port lights up when something is plugged into it, there's only one LED on this hub that indicates that the hub is plugged in and ready to go. It's totally plug and play, with no drivers required. Functionality The power adapter included with the 7 port hub is smaller than the huge one included with the 10 port model, but I'd still like to see something smaller and less obtrusive. Frankly, it's rare when an accessory manufacturer pays attention to details like a power adapter. More companies should take Apple's lead on this... The blue LED on the front of the hub is rather bright -- I could actually see it glowing in my office when I was in my nearby bedroom last night. Light sleepers might want to put a piece of duct tape over the LED. As with the bigger Satechi hub, there are no speed differences compared to being plugged straight into the computer. I like the angled front of the hub; it actually makes plugging USB 3.0 cables a bit easier than with the other hub. I'm also happy that Satechi chose to make this hub out of aluminum. The 10 port model picked up fingerprints easily, while this one doesn't. Conclusion While the Satechi 7 port USB 3.0 premium aluminum hub is a bit pricey even at the current sale price, it's an attractive addition to any current Mac and does its job well. Pros 7 ports are sufficient for most Mac users Aluminum body is durable and doesn't pick up fingerprints Very attractive design Angled front makes it easy to connect and remove cables Cons Rather pricey, considering ugly off-brand USB 3.0 hubs with 7 ports can be had for as little as $32 Power LED is bright and may be distracting in a dark room AC adapter is bulky Who is it for? The Mac owner who wants an attractive USB 3.0 hub and is willing to spend a little bit more for the luxury
Steve Sande06.15.2013
Broadcom intros a trio of 802.11ac WiFi chips for PCs and set-top boxes
Broadcom has focused most of its 802.11ac WiFi efforts this year on high- and low-end mobile chips. Today, it's swinging that attention back to bigger machinery like PCs and set-top boxes. The company's new BCM4350, BCM43556 and BCM43558 all carry more robust, 2 X 2 MIMO antennas that help them hit 866Mbps speeds and optimize traffic through beamforming. Any differences, Broadcom notes, revolve around everything but the WiFi. The BCM4350 carries a more PC-like set of interfaces that includes Bluetooth 4.0, PCI Express and SDIO 3.0; the BCM43558 drops the PCIe and SDIO in favor of USB 3.0, while the BCM43556 also sheds Bluetooth. Although we don't know which companies plan to use the nimbler wireless technology, it should ship to gadget makers in the second half of this year.
Jon Fingas06.03.2013
Satechi adds aluminum 7-port USB 3.0 hub to its product line
Now that USB 3.0 has become mainstream in the Mac market, we're hearing about a lot more USB 3.0-based drives and accessories. Of course, once you've run out of ports on your Mac, you either need to swap devices or get yourself a hub. Satechi, the company that wowed us with a 10-port USB 3.0 hub earlier this year, has just announced the 7-port USB 3.0 Premium Aluminum Hub (US$69.99, specially priced now for $54.99). Made from aluminum and echoing the design of Apple's Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, the hub is perfect for any of your favorite Macs, from the thin MacBook Air to the latest iMac. It's powered through an included wall adapter, and comes with either white or black trim. Best of all, it's available now through Satechi's website and Amazon.
Steve Sande05.29.2013