Visa-holding staff should not leave the US, warns Apple
Lawyers for Apple, Google, and Microsoft have reportedly told staff to stay in the US, if they require a visa stamp to re-enter the country.Back in 2020, President Trump signed an executive order suspending foreign work visas, including the H-1B one that lets firms employ graduate workers in speciality occupations. Apple objected at the time, but that was about the issuing of new H-1B visas. What's happening now concerns staff who already have one.Such an employee must have a valid visa stamp in their passport to re-enter the US. According to Business Insider, lawyers advising Apple, Google, and Microsoft say that there are now delays in getting such a stamp of up to a year.Consequently, law firm Fragomen, representing Apple, reportedly contacted visa holders in the company to warn them against traveling."Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the U.S., we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now," the firm told visa holders. "If travel cannot be postponed, employees should connect with Apple Immigration and Fragomen in advance to discuss the risks." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Developer's Account Restored After Compromised Gift Card Incident
"It's all fixed," says that Apple developer who was locked out of his Apple Account after redeeming a compromised Apple Gift Card. "A lovely man from Singapore, working for Apple Executive Relations, who has been calling me every so often for a couple of days, has let me know it's all fixed. It looks like the gift card I tried to redeem, which did not work for me, and did not credit my account, was already redeemed in some way (sounds like classic gift card tampering), and my account was caught by that. "Obviously it's unacceptable that this can happen, and I'm still trying to get more information out of him, but at least things are now mostly working. "Strangely, he did tell me to only ever buy gift cards from Apple themselves; I asked if that means Apple's supply chain of Blackhawk Network, InComm, and other gift card vendors is insecure, and he was unwilling to comment." Updates to his original blog post now include a frequently-asked questions list: Yes, I have the receipt for the card, including the activation receipt. Yes, the card was legitimately purchased, it's not from eBay. Yes, I have contacted the retailer. Yes, I do have backups... No, I don't know why parts of the account still kinda work, and parts don't. No, I didn't write this article with AI... Yes, Apple really did use emojis in their Live Chat... Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple Developer's Account Restored After Compromised Gift Card Incident
"It's all fixed," says that Apple developer who was locked out of his Apple Account after redeeming a compromised Apple Gift Card. "A lovely man from Singapore, working for Apple Executive Relations, who has been calling me every so often for a couple of days, has let me know it's all fixed. It looks like the gift card I tried to redeem, which did not work for me, and did not credit my account, was already redeemed in some way (sounds like classic gift card tampering), and my account was caught by that. "Obviously it's unacceptable that this can happen, and I'm still trying to get more information out of him, but at least things are now mostly working. "Strangely, he did tell me to only ever buy gift cards from Apple themselves; I asked if that means Apple's supply chain of Blackhawk Network, InComm, and other gift card vendors is insecure, and he was unwilling to comment." Updates to his original blog post now include a frequently-asked questions list: Yes, I have the receipt for the card, including the activation receipt. Yes, the card was legitimately purchased, it's not from eBay. Yes, I have contacted the retailer. Yes, I do have backups... No, I don't know why parts of the account still kinda work, and parts don't. No, I didn't write this article with AI... Yes, Apple really did use emojis in their Live Chat... Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Best external hard drives for Mac 2026: Get a low cost storage boost
Macworld It’s not possible to upgrade the storage in Macs, so it’s a good idea to buy an external drive to provide extra storage for all your work files, photos, videos, and games. And, of course, you should always have an external drive available for making Time Machine backups in case anything ever goes wrong. The best choice for you will depend on how much storage you want and how much you are willing to spend. Solid-state drives (SSDs) are the best option as they’re fast, reliable, and compact. Hard drives on the other hand are slower, but you get a lot more storage for your money. If a SSD sounds like it meets your needs, read Best external SSD for Mac. Otherwise read on to find the best hard drives we have used with our Macs. Best Hard Drive for Mac Below we rank the best hard drives we have reviewed recently. Below these reviews you’ll find buying advice that explains what you should be looking for when purchasing a hard drive to use with a Mac. 1. Seagate Expansion Desktop: Smart and fast Pros Low price per terabyte Up to 24TB Cons Requires AC adapter Price When Reviewed: 4TB: $120 I 6TB: $110 I 8TB: $160 I 10TB: $270 I 12TB: $300 I 14TB: $430 I 16: $230 I 18TB: $250 I 24TB: $540 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seagate $119.99 View Deal $138.01 View Deal $144.99 View Deal $191.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket You will need to reformat the Mac you will need to reformat the Seagate Expansion Desktop with a Mac. Once complete, the drive should be detected and you will be able to use it as you would any hard drive. It measures approximately 7-inches long, by 4.9-inches wide, by 1.65-inches thick and weighs around 2.5-pounds and comes in black with plenty of ventilation grating, and diagonal grooves spicing up significantly what would otherwise be a bland countenance. It’s not bad looking. The Seagate Expansion Desktop is available in a variety of capacities and can provide up to 24TB in a single unit. You won’t get that much storage in an SSD, and even if you could this will cost a lot less than the same allocation in an SSD. Of course, the difference is that an SSD is a lot faster, but our 16TB test unit was a lot faster than you might think. Instead of the usual 120- to 140MBps its smaller 2.5-inch cousins read and write at, the Expansion Desktop managed almost 280MBps. While it’s not fast compared to an SSD, the Expansion Desktop is workable for streaming and background operations, is far faster than 2.5-inch external HDDs, and you sure as heck can’t beat the capacity. 2. Western Digital My Passport Ultra for Mac – Big storage in a small case Pros Up to 6TB of storage Far cheaper per terabyte than SSDs Type-C connectivity Attractive design fits in your (large) pocket Cons Hard drive-level performance Price When Reviewed: $84.99 (2TB), $129.99 (4TB), $139.99 (5TB), $199.99 (6TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $79.99 View Deal $79.99 View Deal Western Digital $85 View Deal $89.99 View Deal $126.34 View Deal $139.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The WD My Passport Ultra for Mac is a 2.5-inch external USB hard drive that offers a pretty decent storage capacity of 6TB for around $200/£200. The 5TB unit currently offers the best bang for your buck at $28 per terabyte.  The drive delivers 110MBps read and write speed, making it suitable for media streaming and Time Machine backups running in the background. The My Passport Ultra for Mac features a USB-C port. Until recently, external 2.5-inch USB hard drives unanimously used USB micro-B SuperSpeed connectors (for extra power) on the drive and USB-A on the other end of the cable. WD bundles a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A adapter to accommodate older and current connection scenarios.  The first time you attach the drive a.dmg file for installing WD’s Discovery application appears. Discovery can import your data from your Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive accounts. You’ll also find links for the WD Drive Utilities, WD Security (encryption, password protection), and a branded version of Acronis’s True Image backup software. It’s not a bad software bundle, you don’t have to use it of course.  In our tests the My Passport Ultra for Mac delivered a transfer rate of up to 110MBps, which is fast enough for several audio or movie streams. But in a world becoming accustomed to 3GBps speed on USB4/Thunderbolt external SSDs you may not find this fast. It is still a great storage device for a large multimedia collection and is suitable for background backup with Time Machine. The My Passport Ultra for Mac is a great storage device for a large multimedia collection and can stream across the network at 2.5Gbps. Read our full My Passport Ultra for Mac review 3. Seagate Ultra Touch HDD: Best Mac hard drive Pros Competitive price 2TB, 4TB or 5TB storage Password protection and encryption Cons Average performance Larger and heavier than original model Price When Reviewed: $99.99 (2TB), $159.99 (4TB), $164.99 (5TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seagate $99.99 View Deal $107.22 View Deal $163.32 View Deal $174.09 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The original Seagate Ultra Touch was a pocket-size hard drive with an attractively slim and lightweight design. It was a fairly old design though, limited to either 1TB or 2TB of storage, and it was still using an old USB 3.0 interface that required an adaptor in order to work with more modern Macs and PCs with USB-C. This updated version of the Ultra Touch updates most aspects of the drive’s design. It’s slightly larger and heavier, but now starts with a minimum of 2TB storage, with 4TB or 5TB models also available if you need additional storage. This new model now has a USB-C interface too, with a lengthy (50cm) USB-C cable included as well. The 2TB model – which is finished in cloud white – is still fairly slim, measuring just 13.2mm thick, 80mm wide and 115mm long, and weighing a modest 168g, so it’s a good option if you just need a lightweight, portable drive that you can slip into your pocket or a bag. The 4TB and 5TB models are finished in a darker pebble grey and are slightly larger and heavier, measuring 23mm thick and weighing 267g. You can’t buy the Ultra Touch directly from Seagate, so you’ll have to shop around online, and prices do seem to vary quite a lot. Seagate pricing is as follows: $164.99/£179.99 for 5TB, $159.99/£154.99 for 4TB, $99.99/£109.99 for 2TB. However, the average prices that we came across during testing were around $79.99/£99.99 for the 2TB model that we tested, while the 4TB and 5TB models are around $124.99/£139.99 and $207.99/£164.99 respectively. Performance is similar to that of the original Ultra Touch, at 130MB/s for both read and write speeds, which is around average for a portable drive such as this. The Ultra Touch includes some additional features too, such as the ability to create mirror folders on your Mac and the Ultra Touch drive that are automatically synced and updated whenever you make any changes to those folders. The Toolkit app also provides 256-bit encryption and password protection for extra security, making the Ultra Touch a good option for people who need to keep important files secure when they’re working away from the office. Customers in the US can also use Seagate’s Data Recovery service to rescue files in the event that the drive is damaged (although this service isn’t available in all regions).–Cliff Joseph 4. Western Digital My Passport: Best budget drive Pros Provides up to 6TB storage Competitive price Password protection Cons Could be faster Larger than most portable drives No USB-C interface Price When Reviewed: $84.99 (2TB), $127.99 (4TB), $139.99 (5TB), $184.99 (6TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $74.99 View Deal $74.99 View Deal Western Digital $84.99 View Deal $94.59 View Deal $114.99 View Deal $122.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Western Digital has updated its popular portable hard drive. The 2024 version of My Passport, available in dark blue, offers the world’s first 2.5-inch 6TB model (claims the company). There is no longer a 1TB version. Instead, the range starts with 2TB for $84.99/£75.99. There are also 4TB and 5TB models, while the 6TB model costs a reasonable $184.99/£165.99.The 2TB model is slimmer and lighter than the others, measuring 13.5mm thick, 75mm wide, and 107mm long, and weighing just 140g. The 4TB and 5TB models increase to a thickness of 19.2mm, while the 6TB model is 20.6mm thick, weighing 210g.The My Passport drive still uses an ageing USB Micro-B interface, but Western Digital includes a USB-A cable with a separate USB-C adaptor for compatibility with newer Macs with USB-C and older Macs with USB-A. We’ve also looked at the My Passport Ultra for Mac (above), which uses USB-A pr USB-C via an adaptor. The My Passport drive also includes Western Digital’s Discovery app for Mac and Windows, providing password protection and encryption features. Read our full Western Digital My Passport review 5. SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD: Best rugged portable drive Pros Cheap for the capacity Attractive design USB Type-C Cons Formatted to exFAT so you’ll need to reformat it in Disk Utility Price When Reviewed: $99.99 (1TB), $119.99 (2TB), $149.99 (4TB), $189.99 (5TB), $229.99 (6TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital $99.99 View Deal $189.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The ArmorATD starts at $99.99/£89.99 for 1TB, rising to $229.99/£225.99 for the new 6TB model. It’s an enclosure with a 2.5-inch hard drive inside that’s shock-mounted, and the rugged aluminum case is surrounded by a silicon sock for extra protection. It will withstand minor abuse, more when off than on and the disks are spinning, but your best bet with any hard drive is not to treat it like a hockey puck. The connection is USB-C with a speed rating of 5Gbps (USB 3.1/Gen 1)–plenty fast enough for any hard drive. The drive warranty is for three years. You’ll get around 120MBps writing and 127MBps reading maximum (with large files) from the ArmorATD on your Mac. Good stuff. The Armor ATD arrives formatted to exFAT so you’re good to go out of the box under both macOS and Windows. However, exFAT will extract a 5 percent max penalty, so Mac users will want to reformat the drive. –Jon L. Jacobi Read our full G-Drive ArmorATD review 6. LaCie Mobile Drive: Best value Pros Competitive price LaCie’s ToolKit app Cons Not the fastest hard drive available Price When Reviewed: $79.99 (1TB); $109.99 (2TB); $149.99 (4TB); $169.99 (5TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $72 View Deal $79.99 View Deal $79.99 View Deal LaCie $79.99 View Deal $81.47 View Deal $99.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket LaCie’s Mobile Drive has been on our list of the best hard drives for Mac users for a while and this version was released in 2022. The 2022 Mobile Drive adopts an Apple-style slimline, rectangular design with smooth rounded corners with the LaCie logo right in the center. Prices start at a competitive $79.99/£69.99 for a drive with 1TB storage (that’s a price cut from the initial £79.99 in the U.K.), but there are also models with 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB available too. The 1TB and 2TB models measure just 10.4mm thick, 85mm wide, and 118mm long, and weigh 200g, so they’re easy to pick up and carry around with your laptop. The 4TB and 5TB models are a little thicker – at 20.4mm – and weigh 300g, but that’s still a good size for portable hard drives that provide such high capacity. They’re all constructed out of recycled aluminum, and sturdy enough to cope with life on the road. You can use them for your Time Machine backups, but LaCie’s ToolKit app – for macOS 10.14 or later – also allows you to create a Mirror folder that is automatically updated whenever you make any changes to the files or data within that folder. The drive has a USB-C interface, with a USB-C cable included in the box, and recorded write and read speeds of 126MB/s and 130MB/s respectively when running the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test. There are faster hard drives available, but that’s still a respectable speed for a compact hard drive such as this, and the Mobile Drive 2022 remains a good, affordable backup drive for MacBook owners – and even owners of desktop Macs who may need the larger 4TB or 5TB models. —Cliff Joseph 7. Seagate Special Edition Firecuda: Best for collectors Pros It’s Baby Yoda! ToolKit app Cons USB-C adapter not included Formatted for Windows PCs, so you’ll need to reformat it using Disk Utility Price When Reviewed: $139.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seagate $139.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Seagate has a range of special edition Firecuda drives that sport designs taken from Marvel and Star Wars films. There are drives with Spiderman, Boba Fett and the Mandolorian, but our favorite is the ‘small and powerful’ Baby Yoda drive (yes, we know his name is Grogu, but he’ll always be Baby Yoda to us). And, when attached to your Mac, the drive is even displayed on your desktop with a Baby Yoda icon as well. These special edition drives are only available with 2TB storage. They’re priced at $139.99/£139.99 on Seagate’s website, which is a little pricey for a 2TB drive so you’re paying a bit extra for the Star Wars vibe. Some are now discounted including Grogu, who is now $59.99 in the U.S., and we have seen them at lower prices elsewhere online. It’s a little larger than some portable drives, measuring 14.5mm thick, 80mm wide, and 122mm long. It’s sturdily built though and only weighs 167g, so it’s still light enough to just pick it up and slip it onto a bag with your laptop when you’re traveling. The only minor oddity with the design is that it uses a USB 3.2 interface with a USB-A cable–to provide compatibility with Xbox consoles, apparently, so you’ll need a USB-C adaptor if your Mac only has USB-C. The Firecuda drive is formatted in the ExFat format for Windows PCs, but you can reformat it for Macs using Disk Utility, and Seagate’s ToolKit app will run on any Mac with macOS 10.14 or later. The drive will work with Time Machine on your Mac, but the ToolKit app also allows you to create a special Mirror folder on your Mac that is always kept in sync with a matching Mirror folder on the Firecuda drive. The app even lets you customize the colored lighting effects for the status light on the front of the drive too. Seagate doesn’t quote a speed for the drive, but we recorded read and write speeds of 130MB/s in our tests. Professional users might prefer a faster hard drive or SSD, but that’s a respectable speed for a portable hard drive such as this, and the Firecuda is a really good – not to mention seriously cute – option for day-to-day backups on your Mac. –Cliff Joseph 8. Western Digital My Book: Great if you need A LOT of storage Pros Up to 22TB storage Good performance (for a hard drive) Competitive price Cons Uses old USB 3.0 interface  Requires mains power Price When Reviewed: $134.99 (4TB), $159.99 (6TB), $179.99 (8TB), $259.99 (12TB), $299.99 (14TB), $319.99 (16TB), $349.99 (18TB), $499.99 (22TB), $579.99 (24TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $132.42 View Deal $136.99 View Deal $139.99 View Deal $139.99 View Deal $169.54 View Deal $185.67 View Deal Western Digital $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket More and more people are now using a MacBook as their main computer, so the trend with hard drives in recent years has been towards smaller, more portable drives that you can easily carry around with your laptop. That’s fine if you only need 1TB or 2TB of storage, but there are times when you may need a larger, desktop drive that can store several terabytes of files and data. Western Digital’s My Book range of desktop drives has been around for quite a few years, but the range provides up to 24TB of storage (we looked at the 22TB model) – which should be more than enough for photographers, designers and video-editors who work with large, high-res files every day. Prices actually start at $134.99 / £120.99 for a My Book drive with 4TB of storage, and there are several other models along the way before you reach the 22TB drive that we review here, which costs $499.99 / £502.99, and the 24GB drive that costs $579.99 / £570.99. Not surprisingly, the My Book is very much designed for desktop use. It measures 6.7 x 1.9 x 5.5-inches (170 x 49mm x 139mm), and weighs 2.20 pounds (1kg), and also requires a mains power supply, so it’s not a drive that’s going to leave your home or office very often. It’s a bit odd that the drive still uses an aging USB 3.0 interface, with a USB-A cable provided for connecting to a Mac or PC, so you may need to provide a USB-C adaptor for Macs that no longer have USB-A ports. However, the My Book does provide good protection and security for all your files, with 256-bit encryption and password protection available in the WD Security app for Mac and Windows. The drive itself has a three-year warranty, and professional users might also want to sign up for WD’s Data Recovery plan – from $9.99 / £9.99 for two years – which can retrieve lost data if the drive does get badly damaged. Performance is good too – despite the aging USB interface – with the My Book recording read and write speeds of 215MB/s. That’s almost twice as fast as most of the smaller, portable drives that we review here, so the My Book will be a good option for people who need a lot of storage for their important work files. And if 22TB isn’t enough, there’s also a model called the My Book Duo, which provides RAID storage options using two internal hard drives for a total of 44TB of storage for $1,119 / £1,289.99. 9. LaCie 1big Dock: Best for pro and creative users Pros Multiple ports including a second Thunderbolt port, DisplayPort 1.4 interface and memory card slots Cons Smallest capacity of 4TB Price When Reviewed: $369 (4TB); $469 (8TB); $519 (10TB); $679 (16TB); $789 (18TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price LaCie $369 View Deal $499.95 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket As the name suggests, LaCie’s 1big Dock is more than just a straightforward hard drive. It starts at $369/£349.99 for a drive with 4TB storage, going up to $889/£869.99 for 18TB, and its 7,200rpm IronWolf Pro hard drive provides strong performance with read and write speeds of 235MBps via its Thunderbolt 3 port. That makes it a good option for anyone that needs a fast drive for large video, photos, and audio files. The primary Thunderbolt port also provides power for charging a MacBook laptop as well. You even have the option of popping open the front panel to swap out the standard hard drive and insert a new drive to provide an instant upgrade. But the thing that really makes the 1big Dock stand out from most of its hard drive rivals is its built-in hub and connectivity features. There’s a second Thunderbolt port that will allow you to connect additional Thunderbolt and USB-C devices, and a DisplayPort 1.4 interface for an external monitor. The front of the drive also provides a standard USB 3.0 port and slots for both SD and CompactFlash (CF) memory cards, making it a great option for creative users who need to import files from cameras and other devices. There’s also a version of the 1big Dock available that uses faster solid-state storage too–of course, it’s quite a bit more expensive. –Cliff Joseph 10. WD Black P10: Best for gamers Pros Competitively priced Cons USB 3.2 with USB-A cable – USB-C adapter not included Price When Reviewed: From $79.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital $79.98 View Deal $88.01 View Deal $108.28 View Deal $124.99 View Deal $124.99 View Deal $129.99 View Deal $134.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The WD Black P10 provides a more portable alternative to the WD Black D10, which is geared for desktop use. It’s not as fast as the D10, but it can draw power from a USB port, so you can simply plug it into any Mac, PC, or games console when you need to back up your files. It’s relatively large for a portable drive, measuring a chunky 20mm thick, 88mm wide, and 118mm long, but its reinforced casing is sturdy enough to cope with being bumped around in a backpack when you’re traveling. The drive is rated at a relatively modest 140MB/s for both read and write performance, although our tests actually recorded speeds of 120MB/s and 110MB/s for read and write performance respectively. That’s not going to break any records, but it’s fine for the occasional Time Machine backup or for storing lots of games, photos, videos, and other multimedia files. The P10 is also competitively priced, starting at just $89.99/£80.99 for a healthy 2TB of storage. There are 4TB and 5TB models available too, so the P10 is a good option for Mac users who have really large collections of photos and videos that they can’t fit onto their Mac’s internal drive. The only oddity is that the P10 uses an aging USB 3.2 interface. There’s a USB cable included, but it has a USB-A connector, so you’ll need to provide an adaptor for Macs that only have USB-C. —Cliff Joseph 11. WD Black D10: Best budget performer Pros Competitive price Fast Cons 8TB model only Requires USB-C adapter Requires external power supply Price When Reviewed: 8TB – £259.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $189.99 View Deal $189.99 View Deal $205.82 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Western Digital’s WD Black drives are primarily aimed at gamers who want a fast drive to boost loading times for their games, which explains why the menacing black design of this D10 desktop drive looks like a piece of heavyweight munitions from the Call Of Duty games. But a fast drive will also appeal to anyone that has a lot of photos, videos, and audio files that they want to store on their Mac, and the D10 has other features that can come in handy too. Some aspects of the design are a little odd. There’s only one version available, with 8TB storage, although its $240/£199.99 price tag on Amazon is still competitive for a fast drive such as this. It’s equipped with only an old USB A interface (even though it is USB 3.2) perhaps to provide compatibility with older games consoles, so you’ll need an adapter if your Mac only has USB-C. Its 7,200-rpm drive provides very good performance, reaching read and write speeds of 245MBps and 240MBps, respectively. The D10 requires an external power supply, so it’s very much designed for desktop use, but it also has two additional USB 3.2 ports on the back of the drive that can provide power to other devices, such as an iPhone or iPad. These ports are only for charging, though, so you can’t use the D10 as a dock for connecting peripherals such as a printer or memory stick. –Cliff Joseph SSD vs Hard Drive Modern solid-state drives (SSD) are the best option as they’re really fast, reliable, and compact. However, SSDs are still relatively expensive, with 1TB drives costing around $100/£150, whereas that same amount of money can get you a 4TB basic desktop hard drive with a USB interface (drives with high-speed Thunderbolt ports tend to be more expensive). See: Best external SSD for Mac. Hard drives are slower than SSDs, but if you need lots of storage for your important files and back-ups then a good old-fashioned hard drive is still the most affordable option. There are plenty of choices when it comes to hard drives, with compact, portable hard drives designed for use with laptops, and desktop drives with larger capacities if you really need a lot of storage. Some hard drives also provide additional features, such as built-in docks with lots of Thunderbolt and USB ports, or perhaps allowing you to open up the casing of the drive and insert a new drive for an instant upgrade. How to choose the right Mac hard drive We’ve rounded up the best Mac hard drives above, but before making a buying decision you need to think about how you’ll be using the device. To find the best hard drive for your needs, you need to answer a few questions. How much storage do I need? Hard drive storage is relatively cheap. Unless you are really out to save your pennies, the smallest size of hard drive we’d recommend is 1TB. Upgrades to 2TB, 3TB, and even 4TB are also cost-effective–the price per megabyte goes down the higher the capacity, so making the bump up to the next model is a good idea. Each terabyte can store around 11,000 music albums at 192kbps quality, but such storage doesn’t seem so grand when you start archiving 4K video. Portable or desktop? If you think you’ll be happy with a 1TB to 4TB hard drive, you can buy a portable drive. These use small 2.5-inch disks, and they fit happily into a coat pocket. Portable drives are usually bus-powered, too. This means you just need to plug them into your desktop or laptop, no separate power supply is required. There’s just one cable, and the drive will barely take up any space. If only an ultra-high capacity hard drive will do, consider a desktop unit. These use larger 3.5-inch drives and tend to cover capacities from 4TB to 18TB. They’ll need to be plugged in for power; that’s fine if it stay home all of the time, or moves from office to office. Rugged drives for travel Some portable drives offer ruggedization. Shock protection is the most important kind for a hard drive, as unlike an SSD they have moving parts that can be permanently damaged following a drop. Rugged drives usually have some form of rubber coating that soaks up impact forces, and a toughened enclosure that won’t dent, crack or collapse under any normal amount of pressure. A few also have water resistance. While few are rated IP68 like an iPhone 11 Pro, meaning they can be submerged in water without damage, several can handle rain or water jets/splashes. What extra features do you need? Buy a larger drive, though, and you’re more likely to get other features. Desktop units may have a built-in “hub”, letting you plug-in memory cards or peripherals using USB ports. These are particularly useful if your current setup has limited connectivity, or the USBs you do have just aren’t that handy. Which connector do you need? Matching the hard drive’s connector to those of your laptop or desktop is also essential. You’ll get a cable in the box, but it will either terminate with a USB-A or USB-C shaped plug, as seen here: USB-A (left) and USB-C. Unless you have an old Mac or MacBook that only offers the old USB-A port, you’ll will want the newer USB-C connector, which also doubles up as Thunderbolt. Every Mac sold by Apple in the past few years features a USB-C style connector, although some Mac desktops still offer the older USB standard as well.  Not all USB-Cs are the same, though. The USB-C port on Macs also supports Thunderbolt 3 and in some cases Thunderbolt 4. USB-C is based on USB 3.1 and offers up to 10Gbps. Thunderbolt 3 offers up to 40Gbps. Thunderbolt 4 also offers 40Gbps, but has a few other advantages, including a 32Gbps data rate, which will be a benefit to anyone who needs to transfer large video files to from the drive to their desktop for editing. There’s also a new USB 4 standard that offers between 20Gbps and 40Gbps bandwidth that you will see alongside the newer Thunderbolt 4 standard, but note that USB 4 doesn’t offer all the features of Thunderbolt. It’s clear that Thunderbolt is a better option than USB if you are looking for the best interface for your hard drive, but Thunderbolt options are likely to be more expensive than their USB counterparts. Wireless and NAS Not every hard drive needs to be plugged in: you can also opt for a network-attached storage (NAS) drive which enables to to wirelessly transfer files and backups. These network-attached storage drives connect to your home Wi-Fi to share their data with other devices in your home. That might be a smart TV, Apple TV, a tablet or laptop. A NAS is particularly useful if you want to set up a media server at home. This is like a wireless jukebox you can fill with videos, photos and music. Read our best NAS drives feature for more.

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This $24 AirTag alternative can fit in your wallet
Macworld TL;DR: Get a MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card on sale now for $23.99 (reg. $59.99). Losing your wallet or passport can turn a normal day into a full panic, and most tracking devices are too bulky to fit where they actually need to go. The MagTag fills that gap as a wallet-friendly alternative to an AirTag while still using Apple’s Find My network. You can also get one of these compact trackers on sale for only $23.99 (reg. $59.99). At only 1.5mm thick, the MagTag slides into a wallet, luggage tag, passport holder, or bag pocket without creating bulk. It connects directly to the Find My app, so you get precise location tracking and instant left-behind alerts. You can also trigger a loud beeping sound when you need to locate something fast. A built-in keyring hole gives you more ways to attach it, and the card is fully waterproof with an IP68 rating. The battery lasts up to five months and recharges on any Qi wireless charger, so you never need to replace parts or buy accessories. If you want reliable tracking that fits into places an AirTag cannot, the MagTag gives you the same global network support in a profile that works better for everyday carry items. Right now, you can get a MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card on sale for only $23.99. Sale ends soon. MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card – Works with Apple Find My AppSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Your iPhone’s storage crisis just got a $10 solution
Macworld TL;DR: Get lifetime access to Cleaner Kit for iOS for just $19.97 (reg. $104.97) with coupon code CLEAN10. This AI-powered app removes duplicate photos, compresses videos, and declutters your contacts. If your iPhone storage is constantly maxed out, Cleaner Kit for iOS Premium might be exactly what you need. This AI-powered utility has earned the trust of over 67 million users by making it remarkably simple to reclaim gigabytes of space without accidentally deleting anything important. The app’s smart gallery cleanup is where it really shines. Instead of manually scrolling through thousands of photos, Cleaner Kit uses AI to identify duplicates and low-quality shots, then groups them by time period. You simply swipe right to keep or left to archive. It’s five times faster than manual cleanup. The video compressor is equally impressive, shrinking file sizes while keeping your memories looking sharp. Beyond photos, the app tackles those messy contact lists by merging duplicates and removing empty entries. It’ll even help you clear out old calendar events and organize your Gmail inbox by grouping messages by sender. For Mac users, this is perfect for keeping your iOS device lean while you work across platforms. Get Cleaner Kit for iOS Premium for $19.97 (reg. $104.97) with coupon code CLEAN10. Cleaner Kit for iOS Premium Plan: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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MacBook Pro ‘overhaul’ launching as soon as next year: Here are five upgrades to expect
Rumors strongly suggest that Apple will be MacBook Pro, and we’ll be delving into them here. more…

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Grab Apple's M5 MacBook Pro 24GB RAM for $1,499 with free 2-day shipping
Apple's Late 2025 M5 MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM is on sale for $1,499, a discount of $300 off MSRP. Plus, get delivery by Christmas to many locations.Save $300 on Apple's M5 MacBook Pro with an upgrade to 24GB RAM - Image credit: AppleThe exclusive deal can be activated through this pricing link or via our M5 MacBook Pro Price Guide when you shop from a laptop or desktop computer (it cannot be activated through B&H's mobile app).This 14-inch MacBook Pro in Space Black not only includes Apple's latest M5 chip, but it also includes a bump up to 24GB of RAM, along with 512GB of storage. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: Marathon is Mac’s answer to Doom
On December 21, 1994, Mac gamers got their hands on "Marathon," an innovative sci-fi game that quickly became a fan favorite. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Frozen out: Apple cancels 'The last Frontier' after just one season
The Jason Clarke drama "The Last Frontier" did not survive on Apple TV, as the streaming service canceled the Alaskan wilderness show after a single season.The Last Frontier - Image Credit: Apple TVFollowing the release of the trailer on September 18, there were high hopes for the ten-episode series The Last Frontier on Apple TV. However, after the broadcast of its season finale, it seems the show has crashed and burned.According to Variety on December 19, Apple declined to move to a second season of the show. While a reason for the cancellation wasn't disclosed, the show did suffer from mixed reviews, including a score of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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8 Mac settings and shortcuts you need to start using right now
Macworld Your Mac is full of surprises, and even many years after first owning one, you can still find yourself learning new tips and tricks that you weren’t aware of before. There are many ingenious hidden features stashed away in macOS, and we’re here to highlight eight of our favorites. They range from little-known tricks to overlooked gems, and each one should help improve the way you use your Mac. 1. Desktop stacks Foundry After using your Mac for a while, it’s easy to clog up your desktop with files and folders. I get it, I’m no monastic ascetic with a zen-like calm on my Mac desktop either. Thankfully, there’s a way to bring order to chaos without having to laboriously stash all those items away one by one. Let me introduce a feature called desktop stacks. With this enabled, macOS will automatically group related files into what are essentially heaps on your desktop. So, you’ll find one pile for images, one stack for PDF documents, one for presentations, and more. If you want to find an individual file, just click the stack and everything it contains will be revealed. Click again to hide the mess once more. Swipe two fingers across the stack and you can even browse through its files. To get going with desktop stacks, just right-click your desktop and select the Use Stacks option. To turn it off, simply disable this option. And with that, your Mac brings the illusion of calm and order to your desktop, even if we all know what’s lurking beneath the façade. 2. Menu customization Foundry The menu bar is a go-to place to find helpful controls for your apps and settings, but you don’t need to just rely on what Apple decides to put there. Instead, you can dive in and customize it as you see fit. To get started, open the System Settings app and select Menu Bar or Control Center (depending on which version of macOS you’re running) in the left-hand sidebar. Here, you can browse through a range of options and decide whether to show them in the menu bar at all times, only when the app is active, or to hide them instead. If you want to remove an icon from the menu bar, you have another option beyond using the Control Center section of the System Settings app. Instead, hold the Command key, then click and drag the item out of the menu bar. When an X appears next to your pointer, release your mouse button, and the icon will be removed. 3. Hot Corners Foundry Need a quick way to access system functions like Mission Control, start a screen saver, or lock your Mac without fiddling with settings and menus? Try Hot Corners on for size. With these set up, you simply move your mouse pointer into a specified corner of your Mac’s display and your chosen action will be performed. Open the System Settings app and click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click Hot Corners. You’ll now see an image of your desktop with four dropdown menus. Pick one, select an option from the menu, then select Done to confirm. You can use Hot Corners to do a wide range of things, from showing your desktop or opening the Notification Center to launching a Quick Note or putting your screen to sleep. That gives the feature a lot of flexibility to adapt to your needs. And if you’re worried about accidentally setting off one of these actions, you can add a modifier key into the mix. Just open one of the dropdown menus, then hold Shift, Control, Option or Command. You can combine any number of these keys, so you might open Launchpad by holding Option and Command, then moving your mouse to the bottom-left corner of your screen, for example. 4. Drag and Dock Foundry For most of us, the usual way of opening a file inside a specific app is to initially open the app, then load the file from there. But there’s a quicker way that doesn’t require you to load up the app first. All you have to do is drag the file onto the app icon–voilà, the app starts up with the file ready to go. The easiest way to do this is to drop the file onto an app in your Dock, but you can do this wherever an app is stored; it works with apps housed in your Applications folder, for example. It could save you a little time if you’re working with a folder of files and want to get started quickly. 5. Speedy saving Foundry There’s another useful drag-and-drop feature that you might not know about, and this time it relates to saving files. Instead of having to click through folder after folder to get to the save location you need, there’s a much faster way to save your files. The next time you have a save dialog box open in an app, drag the destination folder directly onto the save window. Doing so will set the save location as the folder you just dragged into place. You can drag a folder from anywhere: from your desktop, from inside a Finder window, even from the path bar at the bottom of a Finder window. I’m something of a neurotic organizer on my Mac, with endlessly nested folders storing my neatly sorted files. Normally, it would be a pain to save something in the right place, but using this trick saves me a bunch of time every day. Now it can do the same for you, too. 6. Find my pointer Foundry You know you’re having one of those days when even locating your mouse pointer on your Mac’s screen can feel like a chore. The problem is exacerbated if you’re using multiple monitors, where finding the pointer can seem akin to a wild goose chase. Thankfully, Apple has come up with a brilliantly elegant solution to the problem: just shake your mouse. As you rapidly wiggle it side to side, your mouse pointer is blown up to gargantuan proportions, helping you locate it in a quick second. Once you stop the movement, your pointer returns to normal, safely held under your watchful eye from now on. 7. Quick Look Foundry You might already be familiar with Quick Look, which allows you to click a file and press the Space bar to get a handy preview of the file in question. But did you know that Quick Look can do much more than just provide a peek at the file? The next time you open an image with Quick Look, head over to the top-right corner of the preview window, where you’ll see some useful editing tools, including a rotate button and a share option. You can open the file in the Preview app, or detect and highlight any text that might be present using the button in the bottom-right corner. But the more useful option is the markup button. Click this and you’ll be able to draw on your image, add text, drop in a saved signature, crop it, add a comment, send it to your iPhone, and much more., without having to open the image in an app. If you just want to make a few simple changes, Quick Look could be all you need. 8. Unlock with Apple Watch Foundry Apple devices are great on their own, but just like the advice your high school coach probably once gave you, they work even better as a team. One of the best examples of this is what happens when you pair up your Mac with an Apple Watch. When these two devices are linked, you can automatically unlock your Mac and compatible apps simply by wearing your Watch. As long as your Apple Watch us unlocked, you’ll be able to log into your Mac when it wakes without raising a finger (note that this won’t work the first time you switch on your Mac; you need to have logged in once already). Despite the obvious utility of this feature, it’s not enabled by default. To turn it on, you need to open the System Settings app on your Mac and head to Touch ID & Password (or Login Password, depending on your Mac). There, under the “Use Apple Watch to unlock your applications and your Mac” text, enable the toggle next to the name of your Watch.

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The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Chip 16GB RAM/512GB is $250 Off
Amazon has the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro with 16GB Unified Memory and 512GB storage marked $250 off. The MacBook is powered by the next-generation M5 chip to render your computer ultra-fast and fluid. Each GPU is powered by a Neural Accelerator for faster performance of AI. You can blitz through tasks like editing, demanding workloads, […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Noise and Static on AirPods Pro 3 Still Unfixed
Since the release of the AirPods Pro 3, users have been experiencing an issue where the earbuds produce a crackling/static-like noise when using them. This specifically happens when ANC is on.  Even after 2 firmware updates have been rolled out for the earbuds, the issue is yet to be solved. Users who downloaded the firmware […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Flickering Issue On Studio Display Caused by Bug in macOS Tahoe
A bug has been introduced by macOS Tahoe, where the connected Studio Display on a Mac device flickers every now and then. The most recent update seems to have made the problem worse. Current Mac users who use a Studio Display have expressed the problem since September, when the update was released. The flickering occurs […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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New iMac with 24-inch OLED Display May be Brighter With 600 Nits
Apple is developing an iMac with an OLED display measuring 24-inches, and the device could see a release date in about two years. Reportedly, requests for information have been sent by Apple to LG Display and Samsung Display for the development of the OLED panel for the iMac. The current iMac features LED backlighting in […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 256GB Is $250 Off
Amazon has the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air 256GB marked $250 off. The MacBook is powered by the M4 chip to give you faster speeds and fluidity when using the device, allowing you to blitz through heavy workloads such as creative projects, editing and run graphic-intensive games. The device features a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display capable […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Internal Kernel Debug Kit from Apple Reveals Tests for a MacBook with A15 Chip
A kernel debug kit inside Apple hints that the company has run some tests for a MacBook powered by an A15 chip, as well as a separate entry for an A18 Pro chip for a MacBook. This information came from the files leaked from an internal kernel bug used by engineers at Apple. It was […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Apple Currently In Talks With Suppliers for Chip Assembly & Packaging of iPhones in India
Apple is having discussions with suppliers to deal with the assembly of iPhone chips and packaging for the first time in India. The company sources display panels for the iPhone from three industry-leading OLED manufacturers, namely BOE, LG Display, and Samsung Display. The IC display drivers used are provided by Novatek, LX Semicon, Himax, Samsung, […] The post Apple Currently In Talks With Suppliers for Chip Assembly & Packaging of iPhones in India appeared first on iLounge.

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Apple Allows Easier Battery Replacement For M5 MacBook Pro with 14-inch Display
Replacing the battery of the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro has now been made easier by Apple, letting users that are a part of the self-service repair program replace it without taking out internal components of the MacBook. The M5 MacBook Pro in the past needed you to swap multiple modules other than the battery itself […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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The Apple Watch SE 3 44mm GPS is $50 Off
Amazon has the Apple Watch SE 3 44mm GPS marked $50 off. The smartwatch features health essentials like sleep score, detects if you have irregular, low or high heart rate/ rhythm, temperature sensing for better insight in the Vitals app so you can take appropriate action. Stay connected, listen to podcasts and music, take calls, […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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20th Anniversary iPhone May Launch in Two Years
Apple is thinking of releasing an iPhone to commemorate its 20th anniversary in two years. The gadget will feature curved glass and no cutouts on its display, with Face ID built underneath the screen of the device, starting with next year’s iPhone 18 Pro units. The company is developing a game-changer design for their 20th […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Better Image Generation Capabilities and Apple Music Integration Coming to ChatGPT
Multiple features were added by OpenAI to ChatGPT, rolling out support for image generation and Apple Music. Support for app integrations was added earlier this year to ChatGPT, and the addition of Apple Music will allow ChatGPT to suggest playlists and music based on the user’s listening history. Other than support for Apple Music, OpenAI […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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A20 Pro Chip Coming to Next Gen iPad Mini OLED
The next iPad Mini equipped with an OLED screen will be powered by the A20 Pro chip. This came from an analysis of a kernel debug kit for macOS that had internal codenames Apple is using for its devices. Info in the kit was leaked earlier this year by accident on the Apple website. It […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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This one feature justifies buying an iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 Center Stage selfie camera improves your video calling experience significantly. Trust me: you need this. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Review: This MagSafe battery pack replaced multiple chargers for me [Video]
I have tested dozens of MagSafe battery packs over the years, including slim ones, chunky ones, low-capacity chargers, and full-on power bricks that aim to replace everything at once. Most of the battery packs I test are mostly fine; they do the job. But the Kuxiu S3 10,000mAh battery pack strikes a great balance of simplicity, multifunctionality, and, most importantly, reliability. Here is what you should know about their brand-new solid-state battery pack. more…

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Best NAS drives for Mac 2026: Top network storage picks & buying guide
Macworld There are three types of storage you can use with your Mac. External storage devices such as SSDs and hard drives can plug into your Mac and be used to back up your data or to extend your storage. There are also those little USB memory sticks you can use to store or transfer files, these days they can hold up to 2TB of files in your pocket. These days cloud storage is another popular solution, as it offers a simple way to access your data from anywhere, collaborate with teams of people, and it extends the amount of storage available on your Mac. With the advent of home working meaning fewer people are confined to the office, lots are turning to cloud storage for collaboration, but there are downsides to this, not least the fact that typical cloud storage solutions are not really suitable for backing up (even iCloud doesn’t work with Time Machine for example). As you basically rent cloud storage space it gets expensive quite quickly. There are various cloud backup services that we look at here: Best Cloud backup for Mac. The third kind of storage is a NAS (Network Attached Storage). A NAS drive is a good solution if you are looking for a shared storage solution for a team of people in an office, when you want to share data and projects between multiple workstations, keep on top of all that data in your home, or if you are looking for a way to keep your Mac backed up without needing to leave it plugged into a drive. Using a NAS to store your files means you aren’t reliant on a good internet connection, you don’t need to upload your data to an external service, and you don’t (generally) have to pay a monthly subscription.  Best NAS and PCS drives for Mac In this article, we round up the best NAS drives for a Mac owner that we have tested. If you’d like more advice about what to look for in a good NAS drive, such as the amount of storage you’ll need and the features to look for, jump down to our buying advice where we cover everything you need to know, and our methodology for testing these drives. TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus – Uber-fast network/workgroup storage Pros Holds up to 8 NVMe SSDs Up to 1GBps transfers over 10Gbe Cons Non-fatal bugs in the interface Price When Reviewed: $800 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus is an 8-bay/slot NVMe NAS box with an 8-core Intel Core I3 CPU, 32-execution unit GPU (part of the CPU), 16GB of DRAM, and 10Gbe ethernet connectivity. Ports include 10Gbe ethernet, three 10Gbps USB ports (two Type-A, one Type-C), and an HDMI port for diagnostics rather than direct video output. It’s 7-inch tall, by 2.25-inch wide, and 5.5-inch. It’s not particularly hefty, weighing only 1 pound, 10 ounces with eight SSDs installed. The eight included heat sinks add another 5 ounces if you need them (that depends on how much traffic the fan-cooled box is subjected to). It opens via a single thumb screw and rests on rubber feet. It is stable despite its vertical orientation, but you might want to lay it on its side. Of course, SSDs aren’t as delicate as hard drives that normally inhabit NAS boxes, so a tumble likely wouldn’t be catastrophic. NAS/server features include security, file sharing, media streaming, BitTorrent downloads, video surveillance, Docker and VM hosting. These all require installing applications from TerraMaster. There are numerous backup solutions available, and the File Manager lets you add remote folders from Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and Amazon S3/S3-compatibles. The operating system, TOS 6.0, isn’t quite as refined as those offered by QNAP and Synology. I couldn’t run file manager or anything else while installing an app, for example. Also, the program didn’t register a deleted storage pool, an added online destination, or a new volume immediately. I had to reboot each time to get changes to register. Despite this, I found TOS 6 attractive, decently intuitive, easy to use, and stable. But it could use some fine-tuning (and multi-tasking), even if none of the issues are particularly deadly. Read our full Terramaster F8 SSD Plus NVMe 10Gbe NAS review Synology DiskStation DS925+ – Versatile and expandable Pros Compact NAS drive with lots of storage Good performance Expandable Cons Hard drives cost extra Poorly designed apps Price When Reviewed: $640 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $639.98 View Deal $639.99 View Deal $639.99 View Deal Synology $640 View Deal $794.9 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Synology’s DiskStation DS925+, offers expandable storage with future-proofing capabilities.The DS925+ resembles its predecessor, the DS923+, with a black design and four drive bays for hard drives or SSDs. Two M.2 slots on the base allow for SSD modules for a high-speed cache. The DS925+ features a quad-core AMD Ryzen V1500B processor running at 2.2GHz, two 2.5Gb Ethernet ports for a high-speed network connection, and a maximum write speed of up to 565MB/s and read speed of 522MB/s. These speeds depend on network configuration and drive type. Like many Synology NAS drives, the DS925+ is sold ‘unpopulated’, an empty chassis without drives. The unpopulated drive costs $640/£575, requiring additional hard drives or SSDs. You must select 2.5-inch SSD or 3.5-inch hard drives approved by Synology. These can be bought from Synology or online dealers.  The DS925+ has four bays that can hold up to 20TB of hard drives, providing a maximum of 80TB of storage (with RAID options supported). An expansion module called the DX525 can be connected to further upgrade storage. It costs $449/£467 and adds five drive bays, giving a maximum of 180TB of storage. USB-A (3.2) ports on the front and back panels allow connecting external drives. Synology’s hardware design is efficient, but the software is confusing for new users. The box includes a QR code that leads to lengthy, complicated Help files on Synology’s website, which could easily confuse first-time NAS users. The DS Finder app, available for iOS and Android, can detect the DS925+ when connected to the office network. However, it only suggests using a web browser to download and install DiskStation Manager (DSM) software, which doesn’t work either. It then prompts users to download a separate desktop app called Synology Assistant, which initially fails but provides tips for adjusting encryption settings.  After installing DSM, users can switch back to the DS Finder app on their iPad to complete the setup process. The app also includes a QuickConnect option for remote access, allowing users to access files as a ‘private cloud’ when away from the office. Unfortunately, the DS Finder app requires additional apps for file management, photos, and other features. Synology should improve its documentation and simplify its app selection to make it more user-friendly for small businesses and home workers without IT support. The compact DS925+ is suitable for small businesses or offices, with expansion options for future storage. However, its software is unorganised, so it’s best suited for experienced networkers setting up a NAS drive.particularly deadly. Read our full Synology DiskStation DS925+ review Ugreen NASync DH2300 & DH4300 Plus – Best budget NAS for home Pros Affordable NAS for home users Money saving vs cloud storage Fast 2.5Gb Ethernet connection (DH4300 Plus) Low power consumption Quiet fan Cons Processors are not pro level USB only 5Gbps Less suited for virtualization, x86, Docker containers, and Plex Price When Reviewed: $209.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $209.99 View Deal Ugreen $209.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket NAS was once primarily the preserve of professionals, but is now increasingly finding its way into private households. More affordable than renting cloud space yet powerful enough for home or even small-office use, the Ugreen NASync DH series is the perfect starter NAS for a personal cloud and home network media server, whether it’s for multiple device backups, the kids’ videos, mum’s holiday photos or dad’s music collection. Available in the entry-level two-bay DH2300 (max 60TB) and more expansive four-bay DH4300 Plus (max 120TB), the drives are good looking, with the top-loading drive bays hidden below a discreet lid unlike the more industrial NASync DXP series (reviewed below) that show off their bays like muscles at a body-building show. In order to realise this price, Ugreen has made significant technical cuts compared to its higher-spec DXP range, with lesser powered processors and no slots for M.2 SSDs. The DH2300 features a gigabit (1Gb) Ethernet port, which will match most home networks. The DH4300 Plus is graced with faster 2.5Gb Ethernet. Higher-spec NAS drives reviewed here go up to 10Gb Ethernet. Pro-level compromises aside, the DH series should be fine for all but the most demanding home media centers. The centrepiece of the Ugo Pro operating system is the control panel; this is where users and groups are managed, folders and shares are created and the performance of the fans and automatic switching on and off are controlled. The Files app is comparable to the Finder and allows you to assign shares for folders. Multimedia applications are conveniently installed via the App Centre. The Photos app offers AI-supported functions for managing and sharing pictures with friends and family. The Theatre app serves as a central point of contact for films and allows you to play your own media either directly via the Ugreen app for iOS or via HDMI output on a TV or monitor. Other apps take care of synchronising data between Mac, iPad or iPhone and cloud storage. Even though the initial cost (with hard drives needing to be bought separately) is higher, you’ll save a lot of money over time. The DH2300 plus two 6TB drives is a one-time purchase cost of around $520 for 12TB of NAS storage. Just one year of 12TB iCloud storage from Apple will cost you over $700 at $60/month. That saving will pay off in months rather than years. The DH series offer the first truly affordable NAS solution for home users, and is powerful enough even for a small office setup. Read our full Ugreen NASync DH series review. Read our full Ugreen NASync DH2300 review Ugreen NASync DXP2800 & DXP4800 – Versatile, affordable and Mac friendly Pros Compact NAS drive provides lots of storage Hardware build quality Intuitive sofware Wide range of models Cons Not as many apps as competition Price When Reviewed: $349.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $296.99 View Deal Ugreen $349.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Ugreen has long been one of our trusted providers of docking stations and charging solutions. It’s a relative newcomer to NAS so has an uphill battle to take on the likes of Synology and QNAP but is using its accessory hardware expertise and pitching its newbie software with an intuitive interface and AI smarts. Ugreen’s DH series (reviewed above) is aimed at the home user, but the DXP range takes on the established NAS players and we came away impressed. As with most NAS systems, you need to add your own drives and can be flexible with large hard drives and/or speedy SSDs. The two-bay DXP2800 (max 76TB), four-bay DXP4800 (136TB), six-bay DXP6800 (196TB) and eight-bay DXP8800 Plus (256TB) offer a level of support that takes the DXP series to collaborative teams and the professional studio. While Ugreen is a relative newcomer to NAS, the solid build quality of the drives and the intuitive software make the range a tidy and easy to setup and use option for any small business or office. Read our full Ugreen NASync DXP2800 review Synology Beestation – Good for beginners Pros Apps provide useful features Cons Apps are tricky to use Price When Reviewed: $219 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $219.99 View Deal $219.99 View Deal Synology $219.99 View Deal $226.98 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The widespread use of cloud storage services such as iCloud and Google Drive means that NAS drives aren’t as popular as they used to be, and Synology is one of the few companies still making NAS drives that cater to the SOHO market (small office/home office) with its DiskStation range. Synology is expanding its product range with the introduction of the BeeStation. The BeeStation looks like a fairly conventional desktop hard drive, and it provides 4TB of storage so you’ve got plenty of room for your work or personal files. Like most NAS drives it uses an Ethernet port to connect to your home or office network, but once you’ve connected it to your Wi-Fi router, you can simply scan a QR code with your iPhone or iPad to connect to the drive remotely and set it up using a web browser (although you’ll need to provide an email address to set up your Synology account first). You are then prompted to download two mobile apps called BeePhotos and BeeFiles, which, as the names suggest, allow you to back-up photos and other files onto the BeeStation. Once the drive is set up, you can log in via a web browser on your Mac, and then download the BeeStation desktop app for Macs (running macOS 12 or later) and Windows PCs. These apps provide plenty of useful features, including the ability to automatically upload photos and videos from your mobile devices onto the BeeStation. You can share files with friends, family or colleagues, and sync specific folders on your Mac with the BeeStation. However, these apps can be a bit tricky to use–they tend to throw a lot of settings and information onto the screen, and the Help files on Synology’s website use a lot of techno-jargon that might be confusing for less experienced users. Mac users, for instance, will find that instructions for using the BeeStation with Time Machine are hidden within a rather convoluted Help file about ‘local access’ settings. So it may take a little work to get the BeeStation properly set up, but its ability to provide both online storage for mobile devices and a NAS drive for your home or office network makes it a very versatile back-up device for home and small business users. Western Digital My Cloud EX2 Ultra – The quick and easy option Pros Straightforward and easy to use Can be used as a RAID Cons Software has reduced compatibility Price When Reviewed: From $150.99 (unpopulated) to $1,299.99 (28TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital $150.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Western Digital’s My Cloud Home drive provides a quick and easy option for home users who aren’t familiar with NAS drives and networking technology. In fact, the company doesn’t even call it a ‘NAS drive’, opting for the more user-friendly ‘personal cloud’ label instead. (If you feel a bit more comfortable with jargon such as NAS and RAID, you might want to step up to WD’s ‘expert’ range with the My Cloud EX2 Ultra instead.) The EX2 Ultra is a no-compromises NAS drive with additional features and customisation options, while remaining affordable enough for home users or self-employed people, such as photographers or designers, who need a really reliable backup drive for important work files. It’s a ‘two-bay’ drive that holds two separate hard drives, and allows you to remove the top panel so you can remove the drives for repairs or adding more storage in the future. You can buy the EX2 Ultra with a pair of drives pre-installed, with a wide range of prices depending on the storage you select. WD includes its high-performance Red Drives and 1GB of memory to help the EX2 Ultra multi-task when different people are using the drive on the network at the same time. There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your network, and the EX2 Ultra also has two USB ports that allow you to connect an external USB drive for additional storage. Alternatively, you have the option of buying the EX2 Ultra ‘unpopulated’—with no drives at all—and then providing your own drives to suit your particular needs. This is the best option if you think you might want to add extra storage in the future, and installation is really easy: the top panel simply pops open at the press of a button to reveal the internal drive bays. Using two separate hard drives also means the EX2 Ultra can work as a ‘RAID’ drive, with either RAID 0 – which improves performance by splitting files across both drives (called ‘striping’) – or RAID 1 ‘mirroring’, which makes separate copies of your files on each drive for extra reliability. If you want even more safeguards for your important files, there’s also an option to back up data from the EX2 Ultra on to an external hard drive connected to one of its USB ports. Despite all these extra features, setting up the EX2 Ultra is still very straightforward, as the drive supports Time Machine for automatically backing up files from your Mac. There’s also a My Cloud app for iOS/iPadOS and Android that allows you to back up and share files using non-Apple devices as well. The app provides remote access to the drive over the internet, and there’s a web browser interface also available for Macs and PCs, which allows more advanced users to configure RAID settings and features such as the FTP server – and even to use it as an ‘iTunes Server’ for streaming music across your network. It’s worth checking out the changes made by the My Cloud OS 5 software update, however; this adds several new features, but reduces compatibility with some web services. Western Digital My Cloud Home – For home and small business Pros Good Mac support Online backup sync Cons No simple drag-and-drop Price When Reviewed: $149.99 (2TB), $169.99 (4TB), $249.99 (8TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital $149.99 View Deal $159.99 View Deal $1,275.94 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Western Digital’s My Cloud range, with several models available for home users and small businesses, as well as a number of Expert and Pro models for larger organizations. The My Cloud Home is a little more expensive than other models in the My Cloud range, but is fast and provides additional features such as support for the Plex Media Server software (although that’s probably not a must-have for Mac users). It comes with a range of storage allocations; 8TB should be more than enough for most homes, as well as small offices and self-employed users. The slimline white-and-silver unit is neatly designed and only measures 2in wide, so it’ll sit easily on your desk or on a shelf close to your router without taking up too much space. There’s also a larger dual-drive model, called the My Cloud Home Duo, which houses two matching drives and offers considerably more storage. That provides RAID 1 mirroring for extra data protection, but if you want more sophisticated RAID features, as well as the ability to install and remove drives yourself, you’ll need to step up to the My Cloud Expert or My Cloud Pro models. Western Digital always does a good job with Mac support, and the My Cloud Home is no exception, with apps that handle a range of tasks quickly and easily. The iOS app can perform automatic backups of your photos and videos, while the Mac app lets you use Time Machine for your backups (and there are Mac and Windows versions of the apps available too). There are some nice touches too, such as the ability to right-click a folder on your Mac and automatically sync the contents of that folder on to the My Cloud Home. That will be handy for people who want an extra backup of their current work files or projects in addition to the basic Time Machine backup. You can also right-click any file that is stored on the My Cloud Home and send a download link in order to quickly share that file with friends or colleagues. And, if you also use an online backup service, such as Dropbox, then you can sync the contents of your Dropbox account on to the My Cloud Home too. You can even back up photos and albums from Facebook on to the drive for safekeeping if you want to. There are a couple of rough edges. You can’t simply double-click the drive’s icon on the Mac desktop in order to open the drive and then drag-and-drop to copy folders or files on to the drive. For some reason you have to open the app’s pulldown menu and view the contents of the drive through the app instead. You can’t create individual user accounts on the Mac either, so you’re forced to use the app on an iPhone or iPad if you want to invite someone else to create their own personal folders on the My Cloud Home drive. Most Mac users will have an iPhone or iPad, of course, but we’d like to see the Mac app updated to allow you full freedom to control the My Cloud Home with your Mac as well. Buffalo LinkStation 220D – Versatile & affordable Pros Versatile and affordable Cons Unreliable apps Price When Reviewed: From $119.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Buffalo Technology $119.99 View Deal Dell Home $264.99 View Deal $297.99 View Deal $387.49 View Deal $439.99 View Deal $487.57 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Buffalo’s LinkStation 220D is a versatile and affordable NAS drive that’s suitable for both home and business users. But, as we’ve seen with Buffalo in the past, its products sometimes lack the straightforward ease of use that Mac and iOS users take for granted. The LinkStation 220D is a dual-bay NAS drive that houses two separate hard drives. You can buy it ‘unpopulated’ – with no drives at all – and then provide the drives that you want to use for yourself. Alternatively, you can buy it with 2TB, 4TB or 8TB. There’s also a more expensive model called the 220DR that’s designed for use with Western Digital’s high-speed Red drives, but the standard 220D model that we review here should be perfectly adequate for most homes and small businesses. The dual-bay setup also means you can use the LinkStation as a RAID drive, supporting either RAID 0 for maximum performance, or RAID 1 for maximum data protection (storing separate copies of your data on both drives). Future upgrades are simple as well, as you can quickly remove the front panel of the LinkStation and pull out the drives by their handles, with no screws or tools required. There’s also a USB port on the back of the LinkStation that can be used to make additional backups to an external USB drive for extra safety. Getting started is quite straightforward, as the 4TB LinkStation that we tested automatically showed up on our office network once we connected it to our router with an Ethernet cable. That allowed us to simply drag-and-drop files onto the LinkStation for quick backups, but things get a bit more complicated when you start to move beyond the basics. The LinkStation does work with Time Machine so that you can back up your Macs over the network, but setting up Time Machine and a ‘shared folder’ for your backups proved rather complicated. Buffalo’s NAS Navigator app for Macs allows you to view the LinkStation on your network and displays basic information, such as its IP address. However, using any other features requires you to open up a web browser in order to view the LinkStation’s web interface. This does include a variety of useful features, including Time Machine support, remote ‘web access’ for when you’re away from home or the office, BitTorrent downloads, and the ability to use the LinkStation as an iTunes server for streaming your music across the network. But this browser interface is very complicated and won’t be easy for non-technical users to understand – and Buffalo’s 125-page jargon-heavy PDF manual doesn’t really make life any easier. And neither do Buffalo’s mobile apps. Buffalo provides two separate apps for iOS devices: Smartphone Navigator for basic setup, and WebAccess to provide access to your files via Wi-Fi when you’re out and about. These apps are getting on a bit, and some users have complained that they’re unreliable. In fact, the apps seemed to run on our office iPhone and iPad without any problems, but they’re still quite complicated and unhelpful for people who aren’t familiar with NAS drives and networking technology. So while the LinkStation is a good option for more experienced home or business users who already know a bit about NAS drives, it’s probably not the best option for first-time users who are still learning the ropes. How to choose a NAS drive Here are some essential features you should look out for when selecting a NAS drive for your Mac. macOS compatibility and Time Machine support One of the great unsung features of macOS is Time Machine, the software that sits inside your System Preferences panel and quietly performs an automatic backup of the entire contents of your Mac’s hard disk every hour, on the hour. If you accidentally delete a file you can go back and check out all the previous versions of that file that you backed up in the past. And if your Mac starts behaving oddly and you think you might have been infected by malware, you can just reboot your Mac and use Time Machine to restore the entire macOS to an earlier, untarnished state. But, of course, in order to use Time Machine you do need to have an external hard drive connected to your Mac that can store all your old backups. Hard drives are pretty cheap these days, but as we all start to own more and more desktop computers, laptops and mobile devices, it starts to become both expensive and rather impractical to buy a separate backup drive for every single device in our home or office. The answer to this problem is a NAS drive. Most NAS drives are ‘Mac-compatible’ – but not all of them are what we might call ‘Mac-friendly’. For instance, not all NAS drives will allow you to use Time Machine to make backups over the network, so support for Time Machine is a key feature that you should check on when thinking about buying a NAS drive for use with one or more Macs. User accounts and sharing Another important feature is the ability to create individual user accounts, so that each person in your home or office can have their own private area on the NAS drive for storing their personal files. And, at the same time, it’s also handy to create ‘shares’, which are like public folders that can be shared by everyone – perhaps for storing music or photos for the whole family. Most NAS drives will allow you to do this, but sometimes you need a bit of network know-how to figure out how each drive handles this process (and some drives, such as Apple’s now-discontinued Time Capsule, just ignore this side of things altogether and focus on the basic task of handling Time Machine backups). Mobile device support And, of course, you’ll also want to check that your new NAS drive provides an app for your iPhone or iPad. Most of us now tend to use iCloud for backing up photos, videos and other files from our mobile devices, but it can give you extra peace of mind to know that you’ve got a spare backup on your NAS drive in case anything goes wrong. A good NAS drive will also let you share your photos and videos with other people by streaming them to mobile devices over your network, or possibly even provide a remote access option that allows you to retrieve files over the internet when you’re away from home (a feature that manufacturers often refer to as a ‘personal cloud’). File streaming Many people also use their NAS drive as a kind of central media server for their home, perhaps streaming music and videos to a games console that is connected to their TV in the front room. Mac users should check to see if a NAS drive can stream files to an Apple TV, or act as an ‘iTunes server’, storing your iTunes/Music library on the NAS drive so that it can stream music to every Mac or iOS device on the network. How much storage do you need? That’s something you’ll need to decide for yourself, but it’s worth mentioning that some NAS drives are more flexible on this point than others. Some of the less expensive NAS drives are sold with a built-in hard drive—generally at least 2TB—but the hard drive is fixed and can’t be replaced once it’s full (although the NAS drive may have a USB port that lets you connect a conventional USB hard drive in order to add some extra storage). This is the simplest option, favored by most home users and small businesses, as it means you can just unpack the NAS drive and connect it to your router to get started. Choosing the right number of drive bays When selecting a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, two of the most critical decisions you’ll make are the number of drive bays and the RAID configuration. These choices directly impact your storage capacity, data redundancy, and overall performance. The number of bays in a NAS enclosure determines how many hard drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs) you can install. This choice depends on your current storage needs, plans for future expansion, and your desired RAID setup. Two-Bay NAS: A two-bay NAS is a common starting point for home users and small businesses. It allows for a basic RAID 1 configuration, which mirrors data across two drives for redundancy. This means if one drive fails, your data is safe on the other. Four-Bay NAS: A four-bay NAS is often recommended for those who need more storage, such as professionals, content creators, or small offices. With four bays, you can use more advanced RAID levels like RAID 5 or RAID 6, which offer a balance of storage efficiency and protection against one or two drive failures, respectively. Some four-bay models can support up to 80TB of storage and may offer expansion modules to add even more bays later. Larger NAS Units: For more demanding requirements, NAS devices with six, eight, or more bays are available, offering massive storage potential—up to 256TB in some cases. Many NAS devices are sold “unpopulated,” meaning you must purchase the drives separately. This provides the flexibility to choose your own drives and upgrade them in the future. Selecting a RAID Configuration RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a technology that combines multiple drives into a single logical unit to improve performance or provide data redundancy . The RAID level you choose is often dictated by the number of drives you have and your priorities for speed versus data safety. Here are some common RAID configurations supported by NAS devices: RAID 0 (Striping): This configuration combines two or more drives to maximize performance and capacity . Data is “striped” across the drives, leading to faster read and write speeds . However, RAID 0 offers no redundancy; if a single drive fails, all data in the array is lost . It is best suited for tasks where speed is paramount and data is backed up elsewhere . RAID 1 (Mirroring): This setup requires at least two drives and creates an exact copy (or mirror) of your data on each drive . It provides excellent data protection, as you can simply replace a failed drive and rebuild the array . The trade-off is that your usable capacity is only half of the total raw capacity of the drives . RAID 5: Requiring a minimum of three drives, RAID 5 stripes data across the drives along with parity information . This allows the array to withstand the failure of a single drive without any data loss . It offers a good balance of performance, storage efficiency (you lose the capacity of one drive for parity), and redundancy . Reads are typically fast, but writes can be slower due to the need to calculate and write parity data . RAID 6: This level is similar to RAID 5 but requires at least four drives and uses dual parity . This means it can tolerate the failure of up to two drives simultaneously, offering even greater data protection . RAID 10 (or 1+0): A hybrid RAID, this configuration combines the mirroring of RAID 1 with the striping of RAID 0 . It requires at least four drives and provides both high performance and redundancy, but at the cost of using only 50% of the total drive capacity .JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks): This is not a true RAID level. It simply combines multiple drives into a single large volume without any performance or redundancy benefits Choosing between HDDs and SSDs While traditional HDDs are the most cost-effective solution for bulk storage in a NAS, SSDs are also an option . HDDs: Hard drives offer large capacities at a lower cost, making them ideal for storing large media libraries or backups. It’s important to use drives specifically designed for NAS use, as they are built for continuous operation and are more resistant to vibration. However, be aware that some recording technologies, like SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording), are unsuitable for RAID configurations and can cause errors. SSDs: Solid-state drives offer significantly faster performance and are quieter than HDDs. However, they are more expensive and typically have lower capacities, maxing out around 4TB for NAS-specific models . Some NAS devices allow you to use NVMe SSDs as a high-speed cache to boost the performance of an HDD array. The unpopulated option However, many NAS drives are sold ‘unpopulated’—without any internal hard drives already installed—and simply provide two or more empty drive bays into which you insert your own choice of hard drives. This option is more expensive, but it allows you to customise the NAS by buying your own hard in order to provide as much storage as you need. And, if you run out of storage space, you can just take out the old drives and insert new, larger drives in the future. This type of NAS drive generally also offers a number of ‘RAID’ options—this stands for “redundant array of independent disks”—which use multiple hard drives to provide additional performance and data protection. How we test NAS drives To evaluate Network-Attached Storage (NAS) drives, our testing process combines standardized benchmarking with practical, real-world use cases to ensure a comprehensive assessment. Our methodology involves several key steps: Benchmarking: We conduct stringent tests and benchmarks on the NAS drives we review. This allows us to build a library of results for direct comparison across different models . Real-World Simulation: We mirror everyday usage by transferring various sets of files and folders to and from the NAS device . Speed Tests: During these transfers, we specifically measure both write and read speeds to gauge performance. Large File Transfers: We also test how the drives perform during large file transfers, which is a common use case for NAS devices. In addition to performance, a crucial factor for Mac users is compatibility with macOS features. We specifically look for robust Time Machine support, as this allows for seamless, automatic backups of your entire Mac. While most NAS drives are “Mac-compatible,” not all are what we would consider “Mac-friendly” in their integration and ease of use. The setup process is also a consideration. Unlike simple plug-and-play external drives, a NAS connects to your network, which involves a more complex setup. Once configured, it can be accessed by multiple devices, including Macs, iPhones, and iPads, either through the Finder, a dedicated app, or a web browser. This comprehensive approach helps us determine not just the raw speed of a NAS drive, but also its practicality and user-friendliness in a typical home or office environment. You can learn more about the pros and cons of using a NAS for storage or how they support features like Time Machine for backups.

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These $999 MacBooks now cost $400
Macworld TL;DR: Get an M1 MacBook Air on sale for $399.99 (reg. $999). The rising price of RAM is also raising the price of new computers across the board, which is just one more reason to look for deals on refurbished Macs like this one. Normally, this MacBook Air would cost $999, but right now, the price is reduced to $399.99. This M1 MacBook Air has an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine that keep apps responsive, handles multitasking easily, and supports creative tools that need more power. The 13.3-inch Retina display stays sharp with a 2560×1600 resolution, and True Tone adjusts the lighting automatically for more comfortable viewing. This model is also fanless, so it runs silently while staying cool. The SSD keeps apps and files quick to open, and the battery can last up to 18 hours, depending on your use. Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support improve audio for calls and streaming. You get two Thunderbolt or USB 4 ports for charging and peripherals, a 720p FaceTime camera, Touch ID, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0. This refurbished unit comes with a Grade A rating, meaning minimal cosmetic wear, and includes a 30-day parts and labor warranty. Right now, it’s only $399.99 to get a MacBook Air. Apple MacBook Air (2020) 13″ M1 8CPU 8GPU 8GB RAM 256GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Samsung's 43″ Q8F TV dips to $347 today only, save up to $5,000 across line
Treat the family to a new television for the holidays while steep discounts are in effect, including Samsung's 43-inch Q8F QLED set that's on sale for just $347.99 today only.Get a 43-inch Samsung QLED Q8F for just $387.99 today only - Image credit: SamsungB&H's 24-hour Deal Zone event slashes $200 off the Samsung Q8F 43-inch QLED TV thanks to a $60 instant rebate stacked with a $140 in-cart coupon.Buy for $347.99 today only Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Announces Changes to iOS in Japan for Compliance With the Mobile Software Competition Act
It’s the practical results of legislation and regulation that matter, not the intentions. The Japanese government seemingly gets that, and acts accordingly.

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘AnywAIr’ lets you play with local AI models on your iPhone
Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. AnywAIr, which is a play on the word “anywhere”, is a nifty little iOS app that lets you play with AI models – regardless of if you have an internet connection. It offers custom themes, a plethora of tools and games, and all of the local AI models you could want to mess with. more…

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Vulnerability Summary for the Week of November 17, 2025
High Vulnerabilities PrimaryVendor — Product Description Published CVSS Score Source Info Patch Info ABB–ABB Ability Edgenius Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability in ABB ABB Ability Edgenius.This issue affects ABB Ability Edgenius: 3.2.0.0, 3.2.1.1. 2025-11-20 9.6 CVE-2025-10571 https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=7PAA022088&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch  AMD–AMD StoreMI A DLL hijacking vulnerability in AMD StoreMIâ„¢ could allow an attacker to […]

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Walmart if offering a $100 Apple Watch Series 11 Holiday discount this weekend
Walmart is now offering a $100 online discount on new Apple Watch Series 11 models as part of their Holiday sales. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Order online and choose free shipping or free local store pickup (if available): - 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS: $299, save $100 - 46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS: $329, save $100 - 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + 5G: $399, save $100 - 46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + 5G: $429, save $100 These are the lowest Holiday sale prices available for Apple Watch Series 11 models. For the latest prices & sales, keep an eye on our Apple Watch Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Apple Watch SE 3 on sale this weekend for $50 off MSRP, prices start at $199
Walmart has Apple Watch SE 3 models on sale on their online store for $50 off MSRP as part of their ongoing Holiday savings. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Order online and choose free shipping or free local store pickup (if available): - 40mm Apple Watch SE GPS: $199, $50 off MSRP - 44mm Apple Watch SE GPS: $229, $50 off MSRP - 40mm Apple Watch SE GPS + 5G: $249, $50 off MSRP - 44mm Apple Watch SE GPS + 5G: $279, $50 off MSRP These are the lowest Holiday prices available for Apple Watch SE 3 models. For the latest prices & deals, keep an eye on our Apple Watch Price Tracker, updated daily.

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AirPods Pro 3 on Holiday Sale for $50 off Apple’s MSRP, now only $199
Amazon has Apple AirPods Pro 3 on Holiday sale for $50 off MSRP, including free shipping: - AirPods Pro 3: $199, $50 off Their price is the lowest we've seen so far for these new AirPods Pro models. Keep an eye on our AirPods Price Tracker for the latest prices and deals, updated daily.

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Holiday Sale: 24-inch iMacs for $150-$170 off MSRP
Amazon has Apple's 24-inch M4 iMacs on Holiday sale for $150-$170 off MSRP, starting at $1149, each including free shipping: - 24-inch M4 iMac (8-Core CPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $1149, $150 off MSRP - 24-inch M4 iMac (10-Core CPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD): $1349, $150 off MSRP - 24-inch M4 iMac (10-Core CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1549, $150 off MSRP - 24-inch M4 iMac (8-Core CPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD): $1729-1749, $150-$170 off MSRP Amazon's prices are the lowest available for one of these new iMacs. Note that stock can vary. Price posted above is the lowest price available for each standard configuration, regardless of color. For the latest prices and deals, see our iMac Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Holiday Sale: Apple 11-inch M3 iPads for $100-$50 off MSRP
Take $100-$50 off 11-inch M3 iPad Airs at Amazon as part of their ongoing Holiday sale. Shipping is free: - 11" 128GB WiFi M3 iPad Air: $499, $100 off MSRP - 11" 256GB WiFi M3 iPad Air: $599, $100 off MSRP - 11" 512GB WiFi M3 iPad Air: $824.99, $75 off MSRP - 11" 1TB WiFi M3 iPad Air: $1049, $50 off MSRP Be sure to order from Amazon itself rather than a third-party seller. These are the lowest prices currently available for new 11" M3-powered iPad Airs. For the latest prices & sales, keep an eye on our iPad Air Price Tracker, updated daily.

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27-inch 5K Studio Displays back in stock and on Holiday sale starting at $1368, up to $231 off MSRP
Amazon has Apple Studio Displays (Standard Glass) back in stock and on Holiday sale starting at $1368, up to $231 off MSRP. Shipping is free: - Studio Display (Tilt Adjustable): $1368 $231 off MSRP - Studio Display (Tilt & Height Adjustable): $1849 $150 off MSRP Their prices are the lowest available for Studio Displays among the retailers we track, and $1368 is the lowest price we've seen for a new Studio Display for the past few months. For the latest prices and sales, see our Studio Display Price Tracker, updated daily.

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2nd generation Apple HomePods on sale for $20 off MSRP with free 1-2 day shipping
B&H Photo has Apple's 2nd generation full-size HomePods (White or Midnight) on sale for $20 off MSRP. This is the steepest discount available on 2nd-gen HomePods among the Apple retailers we track. In addition, B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping on these models to most US addresses: - HomePod (White): $279, save $20 - HomePod (Midnight): $279, save $20 See our HomePod Price Tracker for the latest prices and deals from Apple and its resellers.

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Update: Apple’s new 14-inch M5 MacBook Pros on Holiday sale again for $250 off MSRP, prices start at $1349
Amazon is now offering $250 discounts on new 14" M5 MacBook Pros as part of their Holiday sales, each including free shipping: - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/512GB/Black): $1349, MSRP $1599 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/512GB/Silver): $1349, MSRP $1599 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB/Black): $1549, MSRP $1799 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB/Silver): $1599.00, MSRP $1799 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB/Black): $1749, MSRP $1999 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB/Silver): $1749, MSRP $1999 These are the lowest prices available for new M5 MacBook Pros right now. For the latest sales and prices, keep an eye on our 14-inch MacBook Pro Price Tracker, updated daily.

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The latest AirPods Holiday sales: Take $80 off AirPods 4 w/ANC, $30 off AirPods Pro 3
Amazon has Apple AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 3 on Holiday sale for up to $80 off MSRP, including free shipping: - AirPods 4 with ANC: $99.99, $80 off - AirPods Pro 3: $219.99, $30 off These are currently the lowest Holiday sale prices available for these AirPods models. Keep an eye on our AirPods Price Tracker for the latest prices and deals, updated daily.

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Lowest Holiday Sale Price Alert! Apple Watch Series 11 models for $100 off MSRP
Amazon is now offering a $100 discount on new Apple Watch Series 11 models as part of their Holiday sales. Shipping is free: - 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS: $299, save $100 - 46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS: $329, save $100 - 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + 5G: $399, save $100 - 46mm Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + 5G: $429, save $100 These are the lowest prices available for Apple Watch Series 11 models. For the latest prices & sales, keep an eye on our Apple Watch Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Holiday Sale: Take $200-$100 off Apple’s new 14-inch M5 MacBook Pros, prices start at only $1399
Amazon is offering $200-$100 discounts on new 14" M5 MacBook Pros as part of their Holiday sales this weekend, each including free shipping: - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/512GB/Black): $1399, MSRP $1599 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/512GB/Silver): $1399, MSRP $1599 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB/Black): $1599, MSRP $1799 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (16GB/1TB/Silver): $1599, MSRP $1799 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB/Black): $1849, MSRP $1999 - 14" M5 MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB/Silver): $1899, MSRP $1999 These are the lowest prices available for new M5 MacBook Pros right now. For the latest sales and prices, keep an eye on our 14-inch MacBook Pro Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Here are this weekend’s lowest Holiday sale prices on Apple 14-inch M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros
Apple retailers are offering Holiday sale prices on 14" M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros ranging up to $400 off Apple's MSRP. Here at the lowest prices currently available: (1): Amazon has Apple's 14-inch M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on Holiday sale for up to $400 off MSRP. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a third-party seller: - 14" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/512GB): $1749, $250 off MSRP - 14" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB): $2099, $300 off MSRP - 14" M4 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/1TB): $2799, $400 off MSRP (2): B&H Photo is offering 14-inch MacBook Pros with M4 Pro or M4 Max CPUs for up to $400 off Apple's MSRP. B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses: - 14" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/512GB): $1749, $250 off MSRP - 14" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB): $2099, $300 off MSRP - 14" M4 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/1TB): $2799, $400 off MSRP For the latest sales and prices, keep an eye on our 14-inch MacBook Pro Price Tracker, updated daily.

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