Tag Archives: ssd

Mac mini M4 dock offers a stylish way to expand your ports and storage

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The popularity of the Mac mini has made small desktop computers quite the fad. Especially with small components getting more powerful, it’s now possible to have a decent desktop experience in a small box. What isn’t possible, however, is enjoying the same range and variety of ports available on towers, at least not without some outside help.

Docks for mini PCs aren’t new, but the Mac mini does present some very particular design challenges. How do you make a dock that isn’t just functional but also just as aesthetic as the Mac mini itself? That’s the puzzle that this new dock for the latest Apple mini computer tries to solve using a large number of ports, a hidden SSD enclosure, and a rather peculiar appearance.

Designer: RayCue

The Mac mini has always been designed to be discreet and subtle so it could be hidden from view while it does its job. Lately, however, the trend has been to actually show off the beautiful minimalism of these small boxes, though that also meant exposing hubs and docks that extend the modest port selection of the mini computer. Rather than those conventional long bars, hubs made specifically for the Mac mini are designed to sit beneath the computer, blending in as if part of Apple’s design itself.

RayCue’s hub and stand for the newest Mac mini M4 and M4 Pro follow that trend, adopting the same silver colorway as the Mac mini itself as well as its length and width. It sits below the Mac mini, leaving a slight gap in between for better airflow. A rather interesting design choice, however, is the raised fins radiating from the center of the dock, perhaps acting as passive cooling for the small yet powerful computer.

The RayCue Mac mini M4 dock expands the port selection with 10 different connectivity options, including an additional HDMI port for a dual display setup that doesn’t sacrifice a Thunderbolt port. Just like the Mac mini itself, it’s designed to have the most often accessed ports in the front, leaving the more “stationary” ones on the back.

Another trend in this product category is using the spacious dock for additional storage. The RayCue dock and stand supports a variety of M.2 NVMe SSD sizes up to 4TB in capacity, almost double the maximum Mac mini configuration available. Stylish and functional, it’s a perfect complement to the elegant Mac mini M4, one that will, however, cost you $99 without a $20 pre-order discount.

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Satechi Mini NVMe SSD Enclosure is a pocket-friendly storage solution for power users

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Tech and lifestyle brand Satechi has just announced new gadgets for content creators and power users who need something more than a USB drive. These include the Mini NVMe SSD and a couple of Mobile XR Hubs to solve your portable storage and power requirements.

The Mobile XR Hub with Audio and the Mobile XR Hub with microSD are compatible with iPhone, laptop and Switch. This saves the user from straining about battery drain. These gadgets come with the option of choosing between 3.5mm audio support or a microSD port for importing files.

Designer: Satechi

Our main focus is the Mini NVMe SSD which is no bigger than a matchbox. The compact little gadget makes use of Gen 2 USB-C technology for a seamless data transfer speed compared to a SATA SSD. There’s an option to choose your preferred storage with the swappable SSD design that accepts 2TB of storage capacity. The enclosure comes with a write lock to prevent any accidental deletion of data. This maintains the data integrity during transfers and also protects against malware. For iPhone users, it has an interesting feature of capturing Apple ProRes Log files straight onto your iPhone 15 or higher version.

The essential accessory for content creators and geeky nerds comes in an aluminum frame which is lightweight, scratch-resistant courtesy tempered glass plus protection and has chamfered edges. It has a braided USB-C lanyard cable to hook onto your backpack or keychain. Another added feature important for power users is the built-in cooling fan.

This utilitarian pocket-friendly storage tool has excellent build quality and is very convenient to use. Perhaps a very nice gift for your geeky pal this holiday season coming in at $60.  The Mobile XR Hub with Audio and the Mobile XR Hub with microSD priced at $50 each are also good options if your budget is a little strained.

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Circular MagSafe SSD sticks to the back of your phone for near-infinite storage

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With the death of microSD cards in smartphones, the storage that you buy is all that you’ll ever get. Sure, you can use cloud storage, but that puts you at the mercy of an Internet connection. It’s not always available, as some might want you to believe, and it’s not always fast, especially for large files.

Nothing beats local storage in terms of speed and security, but OTG (on-the-go) USB flash drives for phones only have so much capacity. SSDs are the king of fast and compact data storage, and this rather unusual design puts as much as 2TB at your disposal, sticking securely to the back of your phone so you won’t have to deal with dangling cables while recording video or taking photos.

Designer: Dockcase

You can already connect external drives to smartphones these days, but even the smallest SSD would be left dangling when you pick up the phone. Yes, you can hold both in your hand like how some hold a power bank, but that makes things just awkward and sometimes dangerous. Thankfully, MagSafe technology now lets us stick things to the back of the phone, so why not an SSD as well?

The Dockcase MagSafe M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure does exactly that, coming in the form of a small puck that attaches magnetically to the back of your phone. It still needs a USB-C connection for data and a bit of power, but it can be a very short one that won’t get tangled in your hand. This design is perfect for mobile photographers as it can let them easily record even 4K videos directly to the storage, depending on the camera app being used.

This device, however, is just an enclosure, so you’ll have to buy and put in a compatible SSD module. This, however, offers more flexibility, as you can have up to 2TB in storage and, if needed, swap out modules. It also has a square LCD display that, at the push of a button, can show important information about the SSD inside.

Although it can technically be used with any computer that can read SSD storage via USB-C, Dockcase was clearly intended for use with iPhones and MagSafe-compatible phones or cases. It even has passthrough charging so you can keep the enclosure connected and charge your phone at the same time. It’s a rather simple yet elegant design that solves the data storage problem of smartphones today.

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Pocket-sized 2TB SSD offers new age EDC-style data storage for creative professionals and vloggers

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Current-day gadgets bring limitless possibilities for creatives and professionals, be a photographer, videographer or audio engineer. The only thing that can be a hurdle is the amount of storage you have at hand. Portable hard drives are a good solution but there’s always scope for better. The size of HHDs and SSDs has reduced significantly in the last few years and this cool EDC for your data storage requirements is a game changer.

Meet Speekeys, a portable SSD enclosure that measures half that of a credit card and has a thickness comparable to a GoPro. The lightweight gadget weighing just 48 grams challenges the status quo of a standard EDC that can be carried in a pocket. Yes, this high-speed data hub keeps your data safe on the go and can be stuffed in your pocket or simply hooked to a backpack with a standard lanyard. The drop-proof hub has a water-resistance rating of IP54, making it ideal for content creators who travel a lot.

Designer: Webble

Click Here to Buy Now: $29 $58 (50% off). Hurry, only 76/600 left! Raised over $87,000.

The M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure comes with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connectivity enabling high transfer speeds of up to 1000MB/s. So, you won’t have to wait for a long time to transfer big files back and forth. Speekeys has a maximum storage capacity of 2TB which should suffice all your storage needs. Just for comparison, 2TB is enough to store more than a 100 PC games, over 500 HD movies, 100 hours of 4K footage (at 60fps), or if you’re the corporate kind, 13 million documents. It is fitted with a built-in cooling solution to maintain optimal temperature for optimal performance. The maker provides the cute little accessory with a data cable lanyard for plug-and-play convenience across all your devices.

The entire device measures 58mm x 41mm (2.2 inches x 1.6 inches) and weighs a paltry 48 grams. Contrast this with what most 2TB storage solutions would weigh just a few years back and you realize how far we’ve come. The Speekey itself is just an enclosure, which means you have the choice of which SSD to mount inside. More than happy with just 500GB? Or maybe your budget permits just 1TB of storage – buy the M.2 SSD and insert it into the Speekey and you’ve now got yourself the most portable high-capacity hard drive ever.

The gadget EDC is made of an aluminum shell that comes with a silicone case for maximum protection. The USB-C connection means your SSD can be used with a whole range of devices, from phones and tablets to laptops, gaming consoles, drones, and even handheld cameras. Its compact design means carrying it is a breeze, and unlike with cloud storage (that you can access on multiple devices), you ACTUALLY own your data instead of having it on a cloud server somewhere. Oh, and a built-in magnetic design means your Speekey can attach to the back of your iPhone or any metallic object, making carrying it a breeze.

The SSD enclosure starts at a mere $29, which means you can then invest in a high-end SSD to mount on the inside. Each Speekey includes a data cable that transforms into a lanyard for easy carrying, and you’ve got as many as 5 colors to choose from including, obviously, an all-transparent version!

Click Here to Buy Now: $29 $58 (50% off). Hurry, only 76/600 left! Raised over $87,000.

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