Barefeats has benchmarked the first 3rd party USB 3.0 interface for the Mac from CalDigit:
"Wait a minute. Apple hardware and software does not support USB 3.0." Yes but CalDigit has developed OS X drivers for their PCIe and ExpressCard USB 3.0 host adapters.
The early benchmark shows significantly faster sustained write speeds over both FireWire and USB 2.0 on the given drive, though no eSATA interface was available for testing. CalDigit claims it is the first and only card that allows USB 3.0 connectivity for the Mac. Apple has been slow to adopt USB 3.0 technology which promises faster access speeds for external devices. We haven't tried the interface, so can't vouch for it, and some forum goers have had some bad experiences with first generation product from CalDigit.
Apple was originally rumored to include USB 3.0 as early as this year into their Mac Pro line. The last Mac Pro update, however, offered no new upgrades in either USB or FireWire interfaces.
Monday November 2, 2026 1:22 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is releasing five new products this Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models.
The following new products will be available from Friday:
iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip
iMac with M6 chip
14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip
14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen
16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
Monday November 2, 2026 7:27 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's busiest season isn't over yet. Far from it. With two hardware launch dates still to come in November, plus software updates and new smart home accessories running into December, there's more on the way from Apple before the end of 2026, so be sure to stick around.
Below, we've rounded up what's still coming, along with one date in particular that's worth watching if you're a holiday...
Tuesday November 3, 2026 7:34 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that its Festival Place store in Basingstoke, England will be permanently closing on Saturday, November 21.
Apple Festival Place
Apple had already announced that the store would be closing in November, but it had not provided the public with a specific date until now.
Apple's store inside the Festival Place shopping center opened in 2011, so it had a 15-year run....
