Tadcalo KVM

Plenty of people now run two machines at one desk, such as a work laptop alongside a personal Mac. The Tadcalo KVM, presented as a Kickstarter project, is designed for that setup. It merges a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch with a USB-C docking station, so one monitor, keyboard and mouse can serve both computers.

Two hosts, one button

The dock has two Type-C host connections, and the maker lists laptops, Macs, tablets and smartphones as compatible devices. A physical "one-click switch" moves the shared setup from one host to the other. Tadcalo puts the switching time at 0.2 seconds. Its example is preparing documents on a work PC while editing video on a personal Mac.

Display, power and ports

According to the maker, the HDMI output supports 4K (3840×2160) at up to 120Hz, and the company pitches it to creative users and gamers alike. The dock also provides 100W Power Delivery charging, which Tadcalo says can handle power-hungry machines such as a MacBook Pro. The listed port layout is:

• 2× USB-A (for keyboard and mouse)
• 2× USB-C (high-speed data transfer)
• 1× HDMI (4K@120Hz)
• 1× USB 2.0 (additional peripherals)
• 1× 100W PD (fast charging)

Built to travel

The unit weighs 110g, which the maker presents as light enough to carry in a bag for presentations or remote work. Tadcalo also describes a proprietary cooling design with an internal structure meant to dissipate heat during sustained loads such as video editing or gaming. The maker adds that the dock is designed to support future firmware and software updates, and that its focus on durability and energy efficiency is meant to reduce environmental impact.