The National Association of Broadcaster’s trade show in Las Vegas is in full swing, and several prominent hardware makers have unveiled new Thunderbolt 3-equipped tools. Although there are no current products in Apple’s lineup that support Thunderbolt 3, it’s widely assumed that such hardware, made possible by Intel’s Skylake microarchitecture, is in the pipeline.

The folks over at Lacie, Promise, and CalDigit have all revealed new Thunderbolt 3 products at NAB 2016, bringing high bandwidth and high-capacity storage solutions to market.

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: CalDigit, DisplayPort, Drive bay, LaCie, NAB, press release, Promise, RAID, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1

Apple has long been rumored to be interested in creating its own original video content for Apple TV users. Earlier this year, the company announced its first original TV show that will focus on the “app economy” and feature music artist Will.i.am. Fast Company today reports, however, that this series is only the very beginning for Apple when it comes to in-house video content.

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Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Apple Music, Netflix, original content, TV

If you’re going to leave an iPhone in a dock all night to charge, or on your desk all day at work, you’ll want a powered one. Options there include Apple’s own dock, Belkin’s Charge Dock and Enblue’s Premium One.

But if you are constantly picking up and putting down your iPhone in the course of the day, sometimes a simple unpowered stand can be more convenient. I tried a couple of iMac-style stands supplied by MobileFun: the Elago M2, left, and Spigen S310, right.

Both are very similar in overall form-factor. An aluminum body with iMac-style foot, two prongs at the front to hold the phone in place, padding to cushion the phone against the stand and cutouts at the rear in case you do want to run a Lightning cable through to it. The obvious visual difference between the two is that the Spigen has a black rubber coating at the front …

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Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Elago M2, Elago M2 review, iPhone accessories, iphone dock, iPhone stand, Spigen S310, Spigen S310 review

After bringing his new album to Apple Music and Spotify, fans are suing Kanye West claiming they purchased subscriptions to West-backed music app Tidal on the promise the album would be exclusive to the service.

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Filed under: Apple Music Tagged: Apple Music, Class action, exclusive, kanye west, Lawsuit, subscription, Tidal

SongShift is a just-released app that lets Spotify users import playlists directly into Apple Music. In the past, there have been some roundabout ways to accomplish that task, but SongShift is one of the first apps that takes advantage of a new iOS 9.3 provision that makes it possible for third-party apps to access Apple Music.

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Filed under: Apple Music, iOS Devices Tagged: App Store app, Apple Music, playlists, review, Spotify, video

In an unusual chain of events, it appears Apple is announcing the WWDC dates through Siri. Although the Apple website has not been updated with any new info, Siri is proudly proclaiming that WWDC 2016 will indeed be held in San Francisco from June 13th to June 17th. This is either a strange way to announce the conference … or a big mistake on Apple’s behalf. WWDC is expected to feature the unveiling of iOS 10, OS X 10.11 and more.

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Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: iOS 10, WWDC, WWDC 2016

Re/code today reports that Silicon Valley icon and longtime Apple board member Bill “The Coach” Campbell has passed away at age 75 after a long battle with cancer. The unfortunate news comes from “many prominent tech players,” following earlier unconfirmed reports. Campbell was a mentor to many tech leaders, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Jeff Bezos.

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Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Bill Campbell, Google, Steve Jobs

Is Apple planning to refresh its 12-inch MacBook? BestBuy is currently listing all models of the device as unavailable on its website leading some to speculate that Apple could be planning a refresh. 

If the Best Buy listings are indeed a hint at an upcoming refresh— other retailers still list the 12-inch MacBook as in stock— it would come ahead of Apple’s WWDC event typically held in June and often used to introduce new Macs. But it wouldn’t be entirely surprising, as the 12-inch MacBook happens to be one product in Apple’s lineup currently due for an update and Mark reported previously that faster MacBooks were considered for the iPhone SE event in March but likely wouldn’t arrive until April or May. We also reported that Apple was planning new MacBook Pros for sometime later in the year.

The Best Buy website listings aren’t enough to confirm a MacBook launch before WWDC, but adding to the speculation are references to an “early 2016” 12-inch MacBook discovered in the latest OS X server software. That would seem to indicate a refresh coming before June when WWDC is usually held.\

And yet more signs of impending MacBook refreshes: we’ve recently seen a number of discounts over on 9to5Toys including the 12-inch macBook as low as $1250 and deals on MacBook Pro Retina and more.

While WWDC seems like the ideal venue for the next major product announcements, it wouldn’t be the first time Apple does a silent spec update on a MacBook without a press release or event if that’s what ultimately happens. It’s also not a big stretch to imagine the 12-inch MacBook, being Apple’s newest design and likely the future of the MacBook line, would get a relatively minor upgrade this year compared to other MacBooks that could get stage time at WWDC. If that’s the case, we’d expect the usual internal upgrades for the processor options, etc, but we wouldn’t be mad if we also got more USB to accompany the single USB-C port it currently has. 

Earlier this month we compiled the latest intel on the future of Apple’s MacBook lineup, noting that MacBook Air, the 12-inch MacBook, and the Retina MacBook Pros are all approaching or passing the one year mark since being introduced or last updated.

We’ve reached out to Best Buy, Apple, and other retailers for comment.

Filed under: Mac Tagged: 12-inch, Apple, Best Buy, MacBook, press release, refresh, update

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Amazon Gold Box – up to 60% off select Belkin surge protectors: 3-Outlet w/ Dual 2.1A USB: $14 Prime shipped, more

Displays: Dell 24-inch 4K $361 (Reg. $400+), LG Ultra-Thin Bezel 27-inch 1080p $180 (Reg. $299)

Smartphone Accessories: Pad & Quill Timber Catchall Stand for Apple Watch in cherry wood finish $79 (Reg. $99), more

Review: Are these third-party $11 Apple Watch Sport bands any good? Turns out, they aren’t too bad.

App Store Free App of the Week: Space Marshals goes free for the very first time ($5 value)

Upgrade Your Mac with 3 Great Apps: Scapple $9 (Orig. $15), STAMP Premium $5 (Orig. $10), Ghostnote $7 (Orig. $10)

BADLAND 1 & 2 for iOS now matching lowest prices ever from $1 (Reg. $5)

Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

DODOcase 40% off sitewide: iPad Pro Two Tone Case from $49 shipped, iPhone & Apple Watch accessories, more

• DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter w/ 2.7K Camera: $399 shipped (Reg. $499)
• Daily Deals: Onkyo 5.1-Ch. A/V Receiver w/ AirPlay $285, more
• Games/Apps: Minecraft Story Mode from $20, Mega Man Legacy PS4 $17, iOS freebies, more
• GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera w/ Accessories Bundle: $280 w/ .edu ($375 value)
• Gift Cards up to 20% off: Babies/Toys R Us, Old Navy, Lowe’s, CVS, more
• Panasonic eneloop 8-pack of rechargeable AA batteries: $18 Prime shipped (Reg. $22+)
• Amazon launches standalone $9/month Prime Video subscription, but it isn’t really a deal
• Grab a $5 Kindle eBook credit at Amazon w/ download of select free Android titles
• Amazon Gold Box – up to 60% off Cuisinart: Portable Gas Grill $110 (Orig. $200), Stainless Steel Accessory Set $20 (Orig. $40)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Samsung 55-inch 4K 120Hz Smart UHDTVs: $1,200 (Reg. $1,500), 3D $1,375 (Reg. $1,800)

• Jackery USB Power Banks: 6000mAh w/ MFi Lightning Cable $20 (Reg. $30), more
• LG Music Flow P7 20W 2-Channel Bluetooth Speaker: $43 shipped (Orig. $150)
• Magazine bundles with titles from $4/yr: Wired, GQ, ESPN, Dwell, more
• Logitech Z506 5.1-Channel Surround Sound System (refurb): $38 shipped (Orig. $100)
• Grab this RCA 32-inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV for only $150 shipped (Orig. $209)
• Bluetooth 4.1 Earbuds w/ Prime shipping: QCY w/ Mic $22, Mpow Wolverine $16, more
• Give Google Express a try with this $30 credit for $15 w/ email delivery (50% savings)
• LEGO Star Wars Buildable Figurines from $17 including Luke Skywalker, more
• Google Play MP3 albums for $1: Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death (Remastered), Fetty Wap, more
• Pebble Time iOS/Android Smartwatch with color e-paper display: $105 shipped (Reg. $130+)
• Philips Hue Starter Kits (1st gen): Lux $56 (Orig. $80), White & Color $135 (Orig. $170)
• Philips Hue discounted bundles: 4-pack A19 white & color bulbs $199 (Reg. $240), more
• Stay online when the power goes out with the APC Back-UPS Power Supply for $20 (Reg. $30)
• TarDisk Pear solid-state expansion drive for MacBook 15% off
• BenQ 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector (Refurb) $500 (Orig, $1,199)
• Fashion: Eddie Bauer 30% off – Resolution Activewear Tee $21, more
• Free two-month Audible trial for new customers (Reg. $15/mo.), more
• Green Deals: Aukey 12000mAh Solar Dual-USB Power Bank $25 (Reg. $30+), more
• Samsung 48-inch Smart 4K UHDTV w/ 3 HDMI + 2 USB ports: $450 (Reg. $800)
• QNAP 2-Bay Personal Cloud NAS w/ DLNA & PLEX: $139 shipped (Reg. $179)
• JBL Control One All-Weather Indoor/Outdoor Speakers w/ mounting brackets: $60 (Orig. $240)
• Green Deals: Esky Solar/Handcrank Radio + 1000mAh Power Bank $18 (Reg. $22), more
• Home: TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug $23 (Reg. $30), more
• Get your first month free of the comic subscription service Marvel Unlimited ($10 value)
• Enhance your computer audio w/ Mackie’s CR4 50W Reference Speakers for $115 (Reg. $150)
• Smartphone Accessories: Polk Boom Swimmer Bluetooth Speaker $20 (Reg. $30), more
• Fashion: Patagonia up to 50% off – 1/4 Zip Pullover $64, Board shorts $39, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Samsung goes big with the “world’s first” bezel-less curved 4K Ultra HDTV

• LEGO reveals a massive 1,600 piece Minecraft set loaded with zombies, more
• Improve your kitchen skills with the best under $10 utensils
• Some of the best SNES games of all-time hit Nintendo’s 3DS eShop
• Amazon’s new $290 Kindle Oasis is a slim, luxury e-reader with months of battery life
• The Lycan Powerbox is a robust solar generator with a swappable battery system
• Impossible Project reveals its Polaroid-style analog camera with iOS connectivity
• JBL’s new Reflect Aware C noise cancelling headphones are powered by USB Type-C
• You probably won’t own Lytro’s new 755MP Cinema Camera but you’ll enjoy its benefits
• GoPro’s new Omni Virtual Reality rig leverages six HERO4 Black action cameras
• Epson’s latest ‘Small-in-One’ printer weighs in at a fraction of the competition
• Twelve South introduces new TimePorter capsule for Apple Watch and charger
• Ryobi’s new Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener has a Bluetooth speaker and more
• Roku introduces a new quad-core streaming stick with a slimmed down design
• Apogee releases its most affordable full-featured Mac recording interface yet
• The Yecup 365 travel mug uses your iPhone to heat or cool your drink
• ROAM-e follows you around in the sky and takes selfies on demand

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Belkin, Best Buy, Daily Deals, Dell 4K, free apps, Gold Box, Pad & Quill, video games

GoPro is today launching a new GoPro VR mobile app where anyone will be able to view 360-degree and virtual reality content uploaded using its new Omni and Odyssey camera rigs also announced today.

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 360 degree, app, GoPro, iPhone, Odyssey, Omni, vr