Thunderbolt

Microsoft is no stranger to making elaborate laptop docks, but its latest may be particularly appealing if you need a genuinely robust hub for work. The company has unveiled a Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock that, as the name implies, uses speedy Thunderbolt 4 (and hence USB 4) to connect your laptop or tablet to all your peripherals. There's enough bandwidth to connect two 4K monitors at 60Hz, as well as 96W of power that's enough to recharge some demanding portable PCs. The dock offers a healthy mix of modern and legacy…

Liv Tyler attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox’s Ad Astra on September 18, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Amy Sussman (Getty Images)It’s been 15 years since The Incredible Hulk—the Louis Leterrier-directed, pre-Disney Marvel Studios film with Edward Norton playing the big green guy. A lot’s changed since then—but Liv Tyler’s character Betty Ross endures. She’ll make her Marvel return in Captain America: New World Order.In addition to being a) a scientist and b) the girlfriend of Bruce Banner, Betty was also…

We all know the story of Bruce Banner's Hulk. Exposure to gamma radiation leads him to become the Jade Giant. As for General Ross' Red Hulk, though, his origin story is a bit different. The supervillains MODOK and the Leader met with Ross after Banner was exiled off-world, warning that he could return as Hulk and seek revenge. Begrudgingly, he joins forces with them, and when Hulk did inevitably return for the "World War Hulk" storyline, the villains — along with Doc Samson — used satellites to take energy…

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros12 ports, inc 3 display portsTwo 30W, 10Gbps USB-C portsUp to four external 4K displays at 60HzPower buttonConsExpensiveJust one downstream Thunderbolt 4 portLow-charge USB-A portsNo card reader slots or audio portNot for MacsOur VerdictImpressive four-display support for Windows, and two mighty 30W USB-C ports impress but this dock is found lacking elsewhere. Best Prices Today: Anker 778 Thunderbolt Docking Station (12-in-1, Thunderbolt 4)…

Tech giant Apple's future Mac Pro will reportedly feature Apple Silicon and PCI-E graphics processing units (GPUs).One feature that Apple Silicon Macs lack compared to Intel Macs is the option to use to use GPUs in external enclosures across Thunderbolt or internally in a Mac Pro., reports AppleInsider.The majority of Mac users might not be concerned about it, but for some people, particularly Mac Pro buyers, it is a major problem.However, now, a set of four recently discovered patent filings seem to indicate that Apple…

Thunderbolt 4 is well and truly here, delivering faster speeds, more versatility, and more. But Thunderbolt 3 docks are still more common than those that support Thunderbolt 4, and the Thunderbolt 4 docks that are out there are relatively pricey, while not necessarily offering all that many ports. The Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Quad Display Docking Station bucks that trend a little. Sure, it’s still expensive — but it also expands your computer with a ton of extra ports. Does that make it the best docking…

3. How fast is Thunderbolt 5? Intel has stated that this next-generation Thunderbolt will deliver 80Gbps (gigabits per second) of bi-directional bandwidth (40Gbps + 40Gbps) and, when across three lanes at 40Gbps each, would enable up to 120Gbps for the best video-intensive display experience. Thunderbolt 5’s new speeds are therefore up to three times that of Thunderbolt 4. This is an especially significant increase, given that Thunderbolt 4 didn’t even nudge up bandwidth when it succeeded Thunderbolt 3 in 2020.…

Thunderbolt 4 docks are now much more widely available, meaning that it’s much easier to get a high speed dock that works with your laptop. But unfortunately, while they’re relatively widely available now, they’re still quite expensive. Thankfully, however, that price seems to now be coming down a little through products like the new Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Slim Hub. To be clear, the new hub isn’t necessarily cheap. At $200 you’re still putting down a hefty chunk of change to get it. But considering the fact that…

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros16 portsSupports four 4K displays2.5Gb EthernetConsNo downstream TB4 portsMacs limited to dual displayOur VerdictThis powerful dock is made for the screen hungry with each of the two DisplayPort and HDMI ports able to support a 60Hz 4K external display on Thunderbolt 4 Windows laptops. Best Prices Today: Plugable Thunderbolt 4 & USB4 Quad Display Docking Station Not Available…

You can never have enough ports, and you can never have enough places to charge your devices from. The many devices lying around your house have different charging needs and physical connection requirements. Finding a device that can play nicely with all of them – especially when it comes to computing connectivity – isn't always easy. Apple's laptops and desktop machines have, thankfully, in recent years improved the amount of I/O offered on-device after a long spell of minimalist approaches to USB and SD card support.…