Mac

We first introduced Toffee during the holiday season, with its beautifully crafted accessories for Apple devices. The Sydney, Australia-based company offers a wide selection of bags and gear for life on the go, including a 9to5Toys favorite, the Fitzroy Satchel.

Since we last caught up with Toffee, it has introduced a number of new products to complement iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and MacBooks. We’ve spent time with some of its newest gear. Head below for more details and an exclusive discount for 9to5Toys’ readers.

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Initially unveiled back in January, IK Multimedia’s latest mutli-platform audio interface is now ready to ship. Much like its predecessor, iRig 2 provides a quick and reliable recording/monitoring solution for guitar players but with a few new features packed in. On top of around 5 years of additional development, the new iRig will support iOS/Mac devices as well as all Android 5.0 tablets and smartphones.

While we have seen a few offerings from IK in the Android space previously, this is technically the first fully featured (and supported) audio interface available for users on Google’s mobile operating system. Head below to find out more about what the iRig 2 has to offer and the devices it supports:
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We’re all familiar with Moleskine’s line of very popular notebooks, but the Italian company is making a foray into the bag and storage scene. Moleskine has announced a number of messenger and backpack style bags designed for both technology and analog tools or supplies.

After the break we have more information on all five models, plus details on availability and pricing.

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Apple updated many of its products during Monday’s Spring Forward event. If you’re strong enough to resist these new models, you can stand to save a lot of money. Apple has issued deeper discounts to a range of products in its refurbished online store. All of these items include a full one year warranty and are eligible for AppleCare.

Apple refurbished products are extremely limited and as such it’s common for these products to sell out. Keep checking back, sold out items will pop back in stock.

In case you missed it, refurbished Apple TV is now only $59.

The best recent price drops we’ve found:

• AirPort Express: $65 (orig. $99) – was $75
• Airport Extreme: $129 (orig. $199) – was $169
• AirPort Time Capsule – 2TB: $199 (orig. $299) – was $255
• AirPort Time Capsule – 3TB: $299 (orig. $399) – was $339

• 13″ MacBook Air 1.3GHz/4GB/128GB (FD760LL/A): $719 – was $799
• 13″ MacBook Air 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (GD760LL/B): $759 – was $849
• 11″ MacBook Air 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (GD711LL/B): $679 – was $769
• 11″ MacBook Air 1.3GHz/4GB/512GB (G0NY0LL/A): $1,059 – was $1,149
• 11″ MacBook Air 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB (FD712LL/A): $809 – was $869

• 13″ Retina MacBook Pro 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (FGX92LL/A): $1,399 – was $1,529
• 13″ Retina MacBook Pro 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (FGX82LL/A): $1,149 – was $1,269
• 13″ Retina MacBook Pro 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (FGX72LL/A): $979 – was $1,099

If you prefer to buy new, then check out this Best Buy/Amazon sale on previous generation MacBooks.

Admittedly, I am a bit of a bag connoisseur. Hauling around all my gear requires a well thought-out solution that not only keeps my stuff organized but also looks good doing it. There are plenty of bag options out there, but less that offer charging solutions and even fewer that do it well. Today we’ve spotted a new company that is aiming to solve on-the-go charging challenges and device storage. Through Indiegogo, AMPL has raised over $213,000 towards “the worlds smartest backpack”.

The SmartBag has a number of unique and interesting design cues, most notably providing a USB port in every pocket. However, the real question is how many times can it recharge your gadgets?

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Back in January, San Francisco-based bag and accessory maker WaterField Designs announced its Bolt Briefcase. Since then we’ve had the opportunity to put the Bolt through its paces. Designed to be a professional alternative to the leather briefcases of old, this bag is for travelers and techies in need of a solution for multiple occasions.

Head below for our hands-on impressions and to learn how you could win this Bolt Briefcase.

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In late 2012 Apple released a super slim unibody iMac. Its tapered 5mm design is simply an engineering feat and is most definitely worth gawking at. The front is free from ports, which creates an ultra clean look, but comes at the expense of functionality. It’s a first world problem, I know, but it can be a real nuisance having to crane your neck to plug in a USB cable. Luckily a couple accessory makers have tackled this issue by moving the iMac’s USB ports to its front panel.

One deal we’re currently featuring solves this problem for just $6.17 Prime shipped, while another new product adds even more functionality but at a higher price point…
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Today we’ve put together a really impressive bundle of 8 Mac apps including the latest versions of Screenflow and Things (which are $100 and $40 at the Mac App Store by themselves!).

Using the coupon code ULTRAMAC5 at checkout, 9to5 readers can get an extra $5 discount over at Specials.9to5Toys.com to buy the whole bundle for $39.99 – that’s 91% off from the $470 retail price. 

Every app’s latest version is included, none of which has ever been in a bundle before (except AfterShot Pro 2). In fact, 6 of the apps cost more by themselves than the whole bundle does!

Here’s what’s in the goodie bag:

1. ScreenFlow 5 ($99.99) – The best screen recording tool for Mac. Version 5 was released in October and has never been in a bundle before.
2. Things 2 ($49) – Award-winning task management app that’s never been in a bundle before.
3. Civilization: Beyond Earth ($49.99) – The latest in the epic Civilization series.
4. ExpanDrive 4 ($49.95) – Slick utility app.
5. ProSoft Data Rescue 4 ($99.99) – Market leader in data recovery. This is the new version 4.
6. AfterShot Pro 2 ($79.95) – A very solid photo editor, and the only app included that’s been in a bundle before.
7. Typed ($24.95) – A new text editor that has gotten a lot of hype and acclaim out the gate.
8. Snapselect ($24.99) – Handy new photo app from MacPhun.

In all, the value is almost $470, and with the coupon code “ULTRAMAC5” 9to5 readers can grab it for $39.99 (91% off). This one will go really quick.

Throughout Small States you’ll hear stories of people that are making a conscious effort to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Companies that strive to create products in a way that has escaped our country and fled overseas. We are finding that these manufacturers have a great pride in what they do — this week we’re taking a look at Woodchuck USA, a company who’s pride is evident across all aspects of its business.

“Nature back to people. Jobs back to America. Quality back to products.”

With its locally grown hardwood accessories, Woodchuck has managed to create beautiful additions for your Apple devices. All the while doing it with a focus on integrity and creating jobs here in the United States.

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Developed by former Apple engineers, the Duet Display app allows you to use your iPad or iPhone as an extra display for your Mac. The setup requires both an iOS app, which typically runs for $15.99 (after a $9.99 introductory price for a short time) and a Mac companion app that is free, but today the iOS side of things has dropped to its lowest price ever: $7.99.

Head below for a closer look in the intro video and more details:
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Your personal music collection is one of the most, well personal, things that many of us have in our lives. Everyone has different tastes and likes to listen in their own way. What many consumers do not realize is that they are typically not hearing the music as it was intended. We’ve covered the importance of digital-to-analog converters (DAC) before, but today we are seeing a new option that packs everything a DAC offers into a smaller, portable package.

Apogee, makers of recording industry leading microphones, audio interfaces and more, has announced the newest addition to its line of products with the portable USB Groove DAC and headphone amp for Mac and Windows PC. It comes packed with intriguing features and will launch with a special edition model you’ll certainly want to see.

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Life as a student can be a struggle, from trying to keep up with your classes to working at a part-time job. Don’t forget about your girlfriend or those student loans weighing over your head as well. The good news: we’re here to help put a couple bucks back in your pocket so you don’t have to settle for cheap beer this weekend…

9to5Toys has scoured the internet looking for some of the best discounts available to students and rounded them up. Below we’ve got details on potential savings at Apple, Amazon, Eddie Bauer, J. Crew and more. You probably had no idea that you’ve been missing out on those discounted burritos.

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Amazon offers the Apple 13″ MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (model MGX92LL/A) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB for $1,599 with free shipping, which is $200 off list. B&H also has it for the same price and only charges sales tax at the time of purchase for buyers in NY. However, Amazon offers Prime benefits and charges sales tax at purchase for a limited number of states, so be sure to weigh both options when making your purchase.

This is Apple’s top of the line standard configuration 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

If you’re looking for an Air, then head to this post to save $199 on a current generation 13-inch model.

Continue on for a full breakdown of its tech specs…
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IK Multimedia, one of the leading iOS (and more recently Android) audio production device makers, has announced a series of new products at NAMM 2015. On top of a new power adapter that keeps your iDevice charging while your recording or performing on-the-go and a new Android interface/audio effects processing unit, the company has revealed its new digital mobile/desktop condenser mic…

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B&H offers Mid-2013 11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air (model MD712LL/A) for $849 with free shipping. As a pricing comparison, it originally sold for $1,099 and Apple is currently charging $869 for it in refurbished condition. Whats more, B&H only charges sales tax at the time of purchase for buyers in New York.

Use your savings to pickup AppleCare at the discounted price of $174 (Reg. $249) and put your new MacBook Air on the beautiful stand it deserves (also on sale).

Full specs are as follows:
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Update (1/23 11:46am): the discount code available in this post has now expired.

If you are an iMac user you like nice things. Reaching around to the back of your iMac every time you want to plug in a USB object is not nice. Sure there are options out there. You could drop $15 on a wrap around cord or buy a nice aluminum USB 3 hub (this nice Satechi 7 port is $40 or Powered Anker is $44 or many others have existed for awhile).

If you want something that looks like it came from Apple however, check out the iMacompanion. It is a single USB 3 port that carries the power and speed of the iMac’s USB 3 (also USB 2 compatible for older models) to the base of your iMac. It has a flat USB cord that will snake under your iMac and to the back USB port. All the instructions you need are in the following graphic and a 15% off offer follows:

The big thing here is the quality: the housing is 100% aluminum and it is designed to fit perfectly onto your iMac. Wiplabs is giving 9to5Toys readers a 15% discount when bought through Amazon using code 9to5Toys at checkout which knocks it down to $34 with $4.50 shipping (offer is good for a week)

http://vimeo.com/104030314

WaterField Designs, purveyors of high-quality bags and accessories made in San Francisco, has released its latest addition to its popular line of its the commuter solutions. Designed specifically for “techies and travelers”, the made-by-hand Bolt Briefcase puts the focus on quick access to the most important items in your bag, while keeping your valuables secure.

Owner Gary Waterfield describes the new Bolt as so:

When designing the Bolt, we started with a list of what we travel with and how much protection and accessibility we need for each item. For example, my wallet and smartphone—high accessibility items—are safely stowed, but easily accessed from front magnet-closing pockets, while my laptop sits securely inside its padded main-compartment laptop sleeve.

This new bag features two “easy-access” compartments for the gear that needs to be pulled out regularly, a waterproof compartment, a padded sleeve area for laptops and a slot to slide over suitcase handles. It is available in two sizes, 13 and 17-inch and is available in a variety of colors. Starting at $249 for the small model, and $30 more for the larger rendition, the Bolt Briefcase is set to ship on January 20th.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCVplBHmggs&w=704&h=396]
Full PR below:

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As the new gear rolls in from our team on the show floor of CES 2015, consumer audio and electronics lifestyle company ION has a few announcements of its own. Makers of everything from Bluetooth speakers to headphones and DJ gear (among other things), ION Audio is introducing new hybrid light bulb speakers and a new Bluetooth turntable/audio interface…

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You love games, but your girlfriend or wife doesn’t. My goal is to change that. This week, 9to5Toys is debuting Gaming For Couples, a new weekly column looking at great games for couples to play together. We’re not necessarily going to pick the newest or hottest games for this column — instead, we’re going to suggest titles that are reasonably priced, made for both girls and guys, and widely available.

Our first edition looks at two picks just in time for the holidays: the Peggle franchise and The Beatles: Rock Band, both from Electronic Arts.

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Amazon has the HP ENVY 32-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor Quad-HD for only $432.18. That’s over $160 off the regular price and the lowest Amazon has ever sold it for.

It has a 2560 x 1440 resolution on a wide-viewing angle screen (that’s the same resolution you would get on a 27-inch iMac) and HP claims that you get “vibrant detail from practically any position.” You also get the “best sounding, richest audio” available from a monitor with Beats audio. You can connect with MHL, HDMI or Display Port, with optimized upscaling for great mobile streaming.

It received 4.4/5 stars and impressive reviews from Amazon customers.
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Update (12/17 10am): B&H also has the high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display 2.8GHz/16GB/512GB for $2,399 shipped, which is a savings of $300 off the regular price.

B&H offers the newest version Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (model MGXA2LL/A) for $1,699 with free shipping. That’s $300 below Apple’s asking price and to top it off, B&H only charges sales tax at the time of purchase for a few states.

This laptop is a powerhouse. It features a 2880 by 1800 Retina display, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a quad-core 4th generation Crystalwell 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 processor.

Use your savings to cover the cost of AppleCare.

Full specs are as follows:
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Don’t worry, all of our favorite good looking accessories, iPad docks and Bluetooth speakers are on the way. For now its all about how to amplify your home Mac set-up and integrate it with iOS. Mainly geared towards Mac/iOS musicians, here are some of my favorite pieces of gear to crank your home studio/office up a notch:

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Blutek (99.3% Positive feedback) via eBay Daily Deals is offering the 11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air with 128GB of storage (MD711LL/B) for $749.99 shipped. That’s $149 under the regular price and $30 below the best deal we saw in this year’s Black Friday sales. It’s also $19 less than Apple’s current asking price for a refurb.

This is a current gen model with the following specs:

• 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 Dual-Core (Haswell)
• 4GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
• 128GB Flash Storage
• 1366 x 768 Native Resolution
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Dual USB 3.0 Ports, One Thunderbolt Port
• 720p FaceTime HD Camera

If you’re looking to go Retina then check out this current generation 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (MGX72LL/A) for $1,099.99 shipped (Reg. $1,299). That’s $50 above our Black Friday pricing, but only NJ buyers will be charged sales tax at the time of purchase.

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Many Black Friday deals are officially going live today with others likely arriving tonight and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. We’re tracking deals for all platforms and gadgets, but below we’ve rounded up only the best accessories for iOS devices and Mac seeing big discounts this weekend. 
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Update (11/26 2:00pm): MacMall’s Black Friday 60 Hour Sale is now live.

Update (11/26 2:00am): We have added the entire MacMall Black Friday ad.

MacMall is a shopping mecca for Apple fans looking to save some money. With the biggest shopping day of the year coming up, there’s no doubt many of you have been waiting to get a peek at MacMall’s Black Friday plans. Well, we’ve finally got our hands on them and we can’t wait to share them with you.

MacMall offers deals on by far the largest selection of Apple products we’ve seen from any retailer this holiday season. Stores like Best Buy only stock standard configuration Macs, but MacMall carries high-end and custom configuration models. Also, keep in mind that MacMall only charges tax at the time of purchase for buyers in nine states (CA, CO, GA, IL, MN, NC, NY, TN, and WI).

That being said, here are all of the deals that MacMall is planning to kick off tomorrow, Wednesday 26th at 12:01 PM PST:
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Black Friday always offers a wide variety of discounts on a number of products, but so far this year its been slim for consumers looking for a new Mac. We have confirmed some deals from Best Buy, but they are not offering a wide variety of configurations, and have tax implications depending on your state.

Adorama and B&H Photo are both offering discounts on most Mac models this week, we’ve already spotted a nice price drop on an iMac with Retina 5K display + AppleCare from Adorama.

In some cases Adorama is bundling AppleCare with a purchase for a discounted price. B&H currently only charges for taxes for New York residents at the time of purchase, while it varies for Adorama. Additionally, you’ll need a free Adorama VIP membership to take advantage of these prices.

Below you’ll find our top picks for deals on current generation MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, Mac Pro and Mac Mini from these two retailers so far:

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B&H offers the late 2013 Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (model ME865LL/A) for $1,149 with free shipping, which is $250 below the original list price of $1,399 and even less than a refurbished unit directly from Apple. It features 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 Dual-Core Haswell processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB PCIe-Based Flash Storage.

Best Buy also has a couple Retina MacBook Pros on sale.

Full tech specs include:
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IK Multimedia has been providing musicians with software and recording gear for years now, with a number of affordable products available for Mac, iOS and PC. Its mobile interfaces and midi instruments allow iOS users to track and record musical ideas on the go, and today it is finally announcing its first step into the Android space…

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Small States features small companies that design and manufacture within the United States. 

Since we began writing Small States about two and half months ago, we’ve been afforded the opportunity to tell the story of many great companies in the United States. It has been an incredible journey of meeting people that are passionate about bringing old world craftsman skills back to a country that has found peace in buying things from overseas. We have met and profiled so many great proprietors of high-quality products, telling their story has been an honor for us.

Today, we highlight DODOcase, makers of beautiful goods that provide a home for your iPad, iPhone, laptops and more. With Small States, we’ve found an opportunity to highlight products that are manufactured within the United States, but with DODO it’s about so much more.

This San Francisco based company is not only manufacturing beautiful products, they are bringing back a way of life and skill that has quickly escaped our country over the last 50 years.
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Best Buy is discounting a selection of MacBook Air, Retina, and Pro laptop computers.

But the standout of the bunch is the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (MGXA2LL/A) for $1,799.99, which is a drop of $200. All other retailers are charging at least $100 more. Usually we only see significant discounts on entry-level Air/13-inch Retina Macs, so if you’re looking for more power then this is the deal you’ll want to grab.

Additionally, you can shave another $50 off your final price if you have access to a .edu email address.
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Apple has blessed us with a beautiful 5K Retina iMac, but somehow forgot to update the ancient Thunderbolt Display. Now, Mac owners are once again forced to look outside of Apple to get the most from their computers. Apple will sell you a Sharp 32″ PN-K321 4K Ultra HD LED Monitor for $3,595 – but you’re much better off opting for the ASUS version (w/ the same panel) that just dropped another $500…
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Daily Steals via eBay Daily Deals offers refurbished Apple Macbook Air 11.6-inch MC505LL/A for $499.99 with free shipping. That’s a match of the sold out deal we featured earlier this month.

Originally released in late 2010 for $999, this MacBook Air features a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB flash storage. It’s obviously not the latest technology, but keep in mind it’s a full-featured Mac for the same price as a 16GB iPad Air 2. Great as a secondary computer for travel or as a child’s first laptop. Eligible for a 14-day return policy.

Full tech specs include:
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AgileBits has just put its popular password manager app 1Password on sale for $34.99 (Reg. $50). While not the lowest we’ve seen, its the best price in around 6 months. Recently the company went freemium with the iOS 8 version, adding touch ID support in the mean time. This marks the first price drop since the company adopted the freemium model. Both versions are considered to be among the best options available for password management and sit with 4+ star ratings from thousands of reviewers.

Head below for more details: 
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The Pokémon Company International announced that its Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is coming to the App Store today. Already available on Mac and PC, this marks the very first time an official Pokémon game has debuted on the iOS platform outside of Pokémon TV and the Pokédex app.

Head below for availability details and the release trailer: 
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Feral Interactive’s latest console/PC port has now made its way to the Mac App Store in the form of GRID 2 Reloaded Edition. Originally released on PC and consoles, the Codemasters developed title was a successor to the original GRID title and designed to hit the sweet spot between frantic arcade racing and realistic simulation.

Head below for more details and some brief gameplay in the trailer video: 
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