Western Digital today launched a new USB 3.2 Gen 2 My Passport SSD under its WD brand, with the new device equipped with NVMe technology that supports read speeds of up to 1050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1000MB/s.
The new My Passport SSD is available in capacities up to 2TB, and like most SSDs, it's small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. It features a metal casing with rounded corners and waved ridges, and it comes in gray, blue, red, and gold.
The My Passport SSD's casing offers shock and vibration resistance, and it is drop resistant up to 6.5 feet. It ships with a USB-C cable and a USB-A adapter, and works with both Mac and PC out of the box.
According to Western Digital, the new My Passport SSD can transfer content twice as fast as the previous version of the drive, and it features password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption.
The My Passport SSD can be purchased from select retailers like Amazon and Best Buy starting today. The 500GB model is priced at $120, while the 1TB model is priced at $190. Other capacities will be available later in the year.
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
If I'm paying that kind of money I want thunderbolt 3 speeds. Picked up a 2TB OWC thunderbolt 3 drive for $418. I fusioned it with my internal 512gb ssd on my iMac and now I'm flying. 2700 MB/s Read, 2100 MB/s Write. Boot, account switching, apps are all much, much faster. Love me some T3!
Is WD still a good buy for storage? I remember seeing a chart a few years ago with disk failure rates and they were up there, along with seagate which had the highest rate of failure.
All of my USB-powered external drives have been WD for a few years now. I have 1TB, 2TB and one 4TB external HDD and no issues with any of them. Two are used with laptops and one is used with an Xbone.
Every single Maxtor I’ve bought has given me troubles so that’s the one brand I currently avoid like the plague.
If I'm paying that kind of money I want thunderbolt 3 speeds. Picked up a 2TB OWC thunderbolt 3 drive for $418. I fusioned it with my internal 512gb ssd on my iMac and now I'm flying. 2700 MB/s Read, 2100 MB/s Write. Boot, account switching, apps are all much, much faster. Love me some T3!
Fusion-drive'ing an external + internal sounds dangerous.
Is it OK to cover your hard drive in a brown paper bag when you're using in in public, or will it run too hot?
"We want something youthful that says this product is FAST and FUN!" said the committee of 60 year-olds. "Fine, here" said the designer and threw up in his mouth.
I mean... those are hideous beyond measure. Been using WD for 15+ years as my go-to for storage. Never considered the possibility of having to look into other brands because WD would suddenly get too ugly to look at, but the latest gen MyBook designs with the diagonal lines look like puke, and now they ruined the portables with... what are those even... wings?
