Apple Adds 2016 MacBook Pro Without Touch Bar to Refurbished Store

Apple recently updated its online store for refurbished products to add the 13-inch 2016 MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar, which was originally released in October of 2016.

There are a limited number of models available for purchase with various processor, storage, RAM configurations. Prices are discounted by up to $390, with Apple offering 12 to 16 percent off depending on a machine’s configuration.

Only higher-end models with upgraded processors, RAM, and storage are available at the current time, but earlier today, at least one lower-end machine was available for purchase. Apple’s refurbished stock fluctuates often, so if you’re hoping to get a specific configuration, it’s best to keep a close eye on the refurbished store.

13 and 15-inch 2016 MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar are not currently available from Apple’s refurbished site, but could be added soon based on the availability of the non-Touch Bar model.

All of Apple’s refurbished products go through a rigorous refurbishment process before being offered for sale, which includes inspection, repairs, cleaning, and repackaging. Refurbished Macs come with a one-year warranty that can be extended with an AppleCare purchase. For more tips on purchasing a refurbished product, make sure to check out our dedicated guide.

Review: Twelve South’s MagicBridge is a beautiful way to join Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2

Twelve South is known for making some of the best Apple accessories available and this past week I’ve been using their new MagicBridge which joins Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2together. Read on for a hands-on review.

 

Since 2011 I’ve been using MagicBridge’s predecessor, MagicWandand I’m happy to say MagicBridge is a slick improvement in a few different ways.

I really enjoy the updated trackpad on the 2016 MacBook Pro with its large size and Force Click feature. I also love the feel of the new keyboard, so I decided to invest in the Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Keyboard for my desktop setup.

Since I was used to the clean design and useful function of MagicWand I was glad to get my hands on MagicBridge to provide organization and a clean look and feel to my desk. Let’s dive into the details!

In the box

It’s no surprise that MagicBridge comes in clean and simple packaging like the rest of Twelve South’s products. Inside is MagicBridge along with a paperboard insert that has a keyboard image on one side and instructions on the other. A few Twelve South stickers are also included.

Build and materials

Twelve South uses precision crafted polycarbonate as their material of choice as it doesn’t hinder Bluetooth signals and is very lightweight. Before I used MagicBridge I thought I might want a silver finish, but the matte white finish (only option available) looks great in use as it blends in nicely with the all white trackpad and white keys of the keyboard.

The other aspects of MagicBridge’s design and build are what set it apart for other similar products on the market. You’ll notice in the photo above there is a gray riser, this slides to either side allowing you to place your trackpad on the right or left and keep both accessories at the proper height. Another well designed aspect is the silicone pads on the interior of the accessory. You’ll also find silicone feet on the bottom for a non-slip grip.

The last couple simple and useful features are a grill on the rear that allows access to the Lightning charging ports and power switches and circular cutouts to push the keyboard and trackpad up from the bottom if you’d like to remove them.

In use

Like I mentioned earlier I decided to spring for the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2 as I first came to enjoy the key feel, Force Click, and size on the 2016 MacBook Pro. The other aspect that made it worth the money for me to upgrade these accessories was the built-in rechargeable batteries via Lightning.

My batteries on the previous generation Magic Trackpad and Apple wireless keyboard would usually go out in the middle of use as I didn’t make it a habit to power up my rechargeable AAs overnight. Although the MagicWand provided nice function and a minimal design, no matter your setup you’d have one battery door covered and one power button covered and need to remove your keyboard or trackpad for access.

MagicBridge’s rear grill is one of my favorite features as it retains the seamless experience of the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2s Lightning charging while remaining in place.

There’s not too much else to say about day-to-day use. It’s sleek, beautiful, functional and does its job well. I really enjoy being able to join my keyboard and trackpad into one unit, especially when I use it on my lap or use when I AirPlay my Mac to the TV.

Even without the times I use the keyboard and trackpad off my desk I still find MagicBridge worth $34.99 as it brings a polished look and feel to my setup. Also, I’ll likely use it for 4+ years.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a way to simplify and organize your Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2 setup while keeping Apple’s design aesthetic, I think MagicBridge is the best choice on the market. With a well thought out design, option for trackpad on the left or right, rear grill, and ease of use, it’s definitely worth picking up. You can buy MagicBridge on Amazon.

This Macintosh-inspired $15 Apple Watch stand could be the cutest one yet

We spotted what could win the award for the cutest Apple Watch stand yet, the Elago W3. Just insert your own charging puck and slip your Watch into the slot to turn it into a miniature replica of the original Macintosh.

 

The stand emulates the general shape of the Macintosh from the side as well as the front, though it is angled back for easier Nightstand viewing.

It’s made from soft silicon, so there should be no risk of scratching the Watch and it ought to stay put well on your bedside table. I think I need one of these.

The Elago W3 stand costs $14.99 from Amazon.

Thunderbolt 3 Dock helps you get the most out of your MacBook Pro

Accessory maker Elgato unveiled its new Thunderbolt 3 Dock at CES, offering a way for users to connect a pair of 4K displays to their new MacBook Pro, in addition to plenty of other legacy connection options.

Costing $299, it promises to stand in for the plethora of dongles you’ll need as the tech world makes the jump to Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C.

It comes with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a single DisplayPort, three USB 3.0 ports, microphone jack, headphone jack, a gigabit Ethernet port and more.

At its price point, this is probably going to be aimed at higher-end “pro” consumers, but it’ll certainly save you the hassle of having to sort through a ton of adapters to get the most out of your new MacBook. There’s sadly no SD card reader, though.

Elgato’s Thunderbolt 3 Dock is set to arrive in Apple retail stores this month.

HomeKit extender

The Thunderbolt 3 Dock isn’t the only nifty Apple-related product Elgato is debuting at CES. Its Eve Extend device also offers a means by which to extend the Bluetooth range of HomeKit devices by connecting to your home Wi-Fi.

That’s particularly useful if you have a big house, or simply want to place HomeKit-compatible devices on the edge of your Wi-Fi network. You can operate multiple Eve Extend devices at the same time — and even use them to control connected devices outside your home, provided that’s not out of range.

No pricing has yet been announced.

How to network two MacBook Pros together via Thunderbolt 3

Instead of using Target Disk Mode, there is another way to quickly transfer files between two MacBook Pro machines using Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt networking provides a peer-to-peer connection at 10 GbE speeds for super fast local transfers. In the following brief step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you how.

Step 1: Connect both Thunderbolt 3-enabled Macs together with a Thunderbolt 3 cable.

Step 2: Open System Preferences →  Network on the Mac you wish to connect to, and you should see a Thunderbolt Bridge with a Self-Assigned IP. If you don’t see the Thunderbolt Bridge, simply click the + button to add one, and note the IP address.

Step 3: Ensure that the Thunderbolt Bridge is enabled on the second Mac that you’re connecting from.

Step 4: On the Mac that you’re connecting to, open System Preferences → Sharing, and enable File Sharing.

Step 5: On the Mac that you’re connecting from, open Finder → Go → Connect to Server.

VIDEO WALKTHROUGH

Step 6: In the Server Address box, type the IP that you noted in Step 2, and click Connect.

Step 7: On the dialogue box that appears, enter your login credentials for the machine that you wish to connect to and click Connect.

Step 8: Select the volumes that you wish to mount and click OK.

Step 9: Once connected, the volumes that you selected will show up as shared drives. You can now utilize Thunderbolt 3 to transfer files between both machines much faster than using something like AirDrop.

Step 10: Once finished, eject the drive and disconnect the Thunderbolt cable.

If you’d prefer not to fool with network settings, you can use Target Disk Mode along with a Thunderbolt 3 cable to transfer files quickly between two MacBook Pros. I personally prefer to use the Thunderbolt Bridge method, because it allows me to keep both machines booted into macOS while performing the file transfer.

New MacBook Pro Has Already Outsold All Competing Laptops This Year

Slice Intelligence says the new MacBook Pro accumulated more revenue from online orders during its first five days of availability than the Microsoft Surface Book, ASUS Chromebook Flip, Dell Inspiron 2-in-1, and Lenovo Yoga 900, based on e-receipt data from 12,979 online shoppers in the United States.

The new MacBook Pro generated over seven times the revenue that the 12-inch MacBook did over its first five days of availability, according to Slice Intelligence. If accurate, that means it took the new MacBook Pro just five days to accumulate 78% of all the revenue generated by the 12-inch MacBook since its April 2015 launch.

The data follows Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller’s claim the new MacBook Pro had received more online orders than any previous MacBook Pro as of November 2. Apple has also reportedly told its overseas manufacturers to expect strong MacBook Pro shipments to last until at least the end of 2016.

The new MacBook Pro’s apparent early success may come as a surprise to a vocal crowd of professional users who have criticized, among other things, the notebook’s lack of ports and limited RAM. Schiller said the early criticism and debate has been “a bit of a surprise” to him, but common for any new Apple product.

Slice Intelligence extracts detailed information from hundreds of millions of aggregated and anonymized e-receipts. The research firm has a panel of 4.4 million online shoppers signed up for its services such as Slice and Unroll.me. It is also the exclusive e-commerce data provider for the NPD’s Checkout Tracking e-commerce service.

Apple Drops Prices on USB-C Adapters

To make it easier for customers who purchased a new MacBook Pro to make the transition to USB-C, Apple has dropped the prices on all of its USB-C adapters by $6 to $20.

The simple USB-C to USB Adapter, formerly priced at $19, is now $9, while the more expensive USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, formerly $69, is now available for $49. Even Apple’s newly released Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter has seen a price drop from $49 to $29.

A full list of prices on the adapters in the United States is below:

– USB-C to USB Adapter – Was $19, now $9
– Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter – Was $49, now $29
– USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter – Was $69, now $49
– USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter – Was $69, now $49
– USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m) – Was $25, now $19
– USB-C to Lightning Cable (2m) – Was $35, now $29

Apple is also dropping the prices on all third-party USB-C peripherals available from Apple,com and Apple retail stores. USB-C accessories will be discounted by about 25 percent, with some accessories, such as SanDisk’s USB-C SD card reader, seeing a steeper $20 discount, dropping the price from $49 to $29.

Apple’s price cut on USB-C adapters and accessories may assuage customers who have been dissatisfied with the high price of the MacBook Pro coupled with the need to buy a wide range of adapters to use the new notebook with older peripherals. Apple’s lower prices also make its adapters more competitive with the wide range of third-party adapters available on the market. Apple explained the pricing cut in a statement that was given

“We recognize that many users, especially pros, rely on legacy connectors to get work done today and they face a transition. We want to help them move to the latest technology and peripherals, as well as accelerate the growth of this new ecosystem. Through the end of the year, we are reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple’s USB-C adapters and cables.”

Apple did not mention a solution for customers who have already purchased adapters to use alongside their new MacBook Pros, but recent purchases can still be returned to the Apple Store and repurchased at the new lower price.

Apple will refund the price difference for customers who have already purchased adapters for their MacBook Pros. Customers who still have orders pending will also automatically see a price drop.

Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.3

Apple today released iTunes 12.5.3, which is available for macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan users.

iTunes 12.5.3’s changelog lists the same stability and performance improvements as iTunes 12.5.2, including a fix for an issue where albums may play in an unexpected order. A second fix resolves a problem that prevented lyrics from appearing while listening to Beats 1.

iTunes 12.5.3 can be downloaded immediately from the iTunes download page, and it should also be rolling out through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

iTunes 12.5.3 has been released just four days after iTunes 12.5.2, and just over six weeks after iTunes 12.5.1 was released with a revamped Apple Music design.

iTunes 12.5.3 has the same update changelog as iTunes 12.5.2 released last week, so what’s new in today’s update remains unclear.

Float Shelf is an aluminum-matching iMac stand for decluttering your desk

[Update 10/14: Float Shelf is now available for all earlier iMacs, and Apple Thunderbolt & Cinema displays, including 17″/20″/21.5″ iMacs, 24″/27″ iMacs, 27″ Thunderbolt displays, 20″/23″ Cinema displays, and 24″/27″/30″ Cinema displays.

Float Shelf initially only supported newer 21.5″ and 27″ iMacs without SuperDrives. Now two additional versions which will fit older generations iMacs and Apple Thunderbolt & Cinema displays are available through the campaign.]

Earlier this year at CES I met the folks at Prism Designs who have some interesting new accessories for Apple products in development. The latest is called Float Shelf, which is an aluminum panel that attaches to the back of your iMac to provide a handy stand for decluttering your desk. Float Shelf is launching as a Kickstarter project today with nearly $9,000 (and climbing) in funding already, and we recently got a chance to go hands-on with Float Shelf for iMac…

 

Prism Designs describes Float Shelf as being machined “from a solid extrusion of aircraft-grade aluminum, a Float Shelf is strong enough to support ten pounds (4.5 kg).”

That’s practical for photos and other things you may want to display on your desk and usually fine for small speakers, routers, and similar accessories.

Float Shelf touts an “elegant tapered profile and anodized finish beautifully complement an iMac’s minimalist aesthetic.” In person, I was very impressed with just how Apple-like Float Shelf seemed.

There’s a single Prism Designs company logo on the bottom side of Float Shelf (out of sight) and no visible logos that would make it look unofficial. It matches the quality of the aluminum base that holds the iMac up with detailed curves and a solid feel.

Installation is very simple. Float Shelf just slides over the top of the iMac’s stand and down into place. A rubber padding prevents any aluminum from making contact to prevent any scratching, and Float Shelf settles firmly into place.

Once installed, Float Shelf looks like a natural extension of the iMac’s stand. While Float Shelf is clearly visible from the sides and back, it’s surprisingly out of sight from the front view.

How you might use Float Shelf depends on your iMac’s placement. For example, the back of the iMac would be facing a wall in my office so Float Shelf could hold speakers or a router that I might want to keep out of sight or off my desk. If you frequently use a SuperDrive or USB hub, for instance, this is a very useful place to leave either.

Testing the version for 27-inch iMacs, Float Shelf fully accommodates the iMac’s full range of tilt too. Even with a speaker loaded up, the iMac didn’t make contact at it’s most extreme recline. The same is true when tilting the iMac as far forward as possible.

Float Shelf had zero issues from installation, use, and removing during testing. Out of curiosity, however, I did test how level it was using the iPhone’s Compass app and saw a -2º readout when flat. For context, my desk showed a -1º reading from the same iPhone when laying flat.

You can lightly tap either side of Float Stand to adjust its placement during installation, however, so if a degree of balance is important to you keep that in mind. In practice, I wouldn’t have noticed any difference in how level it was from just eyeballing it during installation.

Overall, Float Shelf is a very solid product and one that would fit just fine in an Apple Store. The quality is top notch and it had no negative impact on the attached iMac. The Kickstarter is just getting started and funding is increasing quickly ($5000 added in the last two hours). 50 days to go with a funding goal of $25,000.

There are a few early bird pricing levels available starting at $75 for 21.5-inch iMac versions and $85 for 27-inch iMac versions. Delivery for both versions is estimated at April 2017. Having tested Float Shelf for iMac, I’m confident it will hit its funding goal and impress its backers.

How to Add and Use VIP Contacts in Apple Mail

VIP Contacts is a feature that that allows Apple device users to only get notifications from important people in their lives, sparing them useless alerts for newsletters and spam. Not only is it useful for whittling down the notifications the desktop Mail app sends, but if you also own an iPhone, VIP settings are carried over to your phone for alerts from the iOS Mail app.

Here’s how to mark a contact as a VIP and tell Apple mail to only send notifications for emails from VIPs.

1. Select a message.

2. Hover over a sender or recipient’s name.

3. Click the arrow that appears to the right of the name.

4. Select Add to VIPs. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for each person whose emails you deem important.

5. Click Mail in the menu bar.

6. Select Preferences.

7. Click the drop-down menu next to New message notifications.

8. Select VIPs.

Now, you’ve set Apple Mail to only send notifications for new messages from the important people in your digital life.