Look, if there’s one thing Nokia knows it’s how to build hardware. Say what you want about the S60 user experience, the latch on the N97 is a mechanical masterpiece. But how could we resist sharing this image, posted by a reader in comments, of the presumed Nokia N9 “sitting on” a MacBook Pro? What was it that Anssi Vanjoki said? Something like, “If there is something good in the world then we copy with pride.”
External trackpads aren’t exactly new, but Apple has managed to instill no small degree of excitement into their new Magic Trackpad by virtue of their multitouch technology. Essentially the trackpad from a MacBook Pro, sliced out and blown up, the wireless peripheral promises to bring gestures Apple’s mobile users have been enjoying to their desktop compatriots. Check out the SlashGear review after the cut.
Aesthetically there’s no arguing with the Magic Trackpad’s heritage, and it’s obviously intended to sit alongside Apple’s own Bluetooth keyboard. The battery section at the back – which takes a pair of AA cells, which Apple would prefer to be from their own, new charger – elevates the pad to the same angle as the keyboard, and they’re as deep as each other. Physical controls are limited to a power button on one end; the other has a twisting cap that shuts the battery compartment.
Otherwise the magic is all in the trackpad surface, which Apple say is 80-percent larger than what you’ll find on a current unibody MacBook Pro. It’s slightly squarer, so the difference is more noticeable in depth than it is width, but thanks to the glass surface the tactile feel is the same: just slippery enough. The whole pad clicks physically – as before it’s hinged across the top edge, so it gets easier to click the further down your fingers are – but also responds to taps.
So far, so much a regular trackpad, but Apple’s ace is the multitouch gesture support. That’s a combination of the hardware together with the software to take advantage of it; gestures have been baked into OS X for several iterations now, but so far desktop users have had to use a Magic Mouse in order to take advantage of them. Pairing the Magic Trackpad was a straightforward matter – it uses Bluetooth, which is present on every recent Mac – and the quoted range is up to 33ft. Practically speaking, we could comfortably sit on the sofa and control the Mac mini we use as an HTPC from across the room.
The gestures themselves should be familiar to most Mac users. By default, two fingers are used to scroll, with all directions supported, while three fingers swipes back and forth through pages. A chiral-rotate gesture flips image orientation around, while pinch-zooming is also supported. Four fingers, meanwhile, trigger Exposé when swiped up or down, or switch applications when swiped left and right. Thanks to the new settings pane, however, you can selectively shut off certain gestures if you don’t use them, adjust tracking, double-click and scrolling speed (including optional inertia), and change the behavior of three-finger use. Rather than flipping pages, you can set it to drag windows around the screen (a new software update adds the same optional functionality to MacBook trackpads).
Does it work? Certainly, yes, and the experience is just like using an Apple notebook but larger. The MacBook is seldom accused of having too small a trackpad, and so the larger Magic Trackpad is even more capacious. As responsive as you’d expect, the gestures soon become second nature; if you’re familiar with them from the notebook then there’s little in the way of acclimatization time required for the new desktop product. Battery life remains an uncertainty at this stage; Apple reckon that, thanks to the Magic Trackpad’s clever power management, it’ll manage months of use before you have to replace the batteries, so we’ll be keeping an eye on that accordingly.
In the end, the Magic Trackpad is a pretty tempting proposition. Apple will still be bundling their Magic Mouse with new iMac and Mac Pro desktops (you can use the mouse and the trackpad simultaneously, in fact) but anyone who has spent a reasonable length of time with a MacBook will likely know how useful the multitouch gestures can be. $69 for that functionality seems reasonable; the closest competitor is the Wacom Bamboo Touch, which is cheaper at $49 but only supports one- and two-finger gestures and uses a wired USB connection rather than Bluetooth.
We can also see MacBook owners who may have wanted to use third-party ergonomic keyboards but were loath to give up the notebook’s trackpad choosing the Magic Trackpad too. Perhaps more interestingly, it points to the role touch and multitouch will play in Apple’s future, as it spreads across from their PMP/smartphone/tablet and notebook lines and onto the desktop. It’s not hard to envisage a further step to home entertainment, with an updated Apple TV using a Magic Trackpad for navigation and control. As it stands, though, the Apple Magic Trackpad is a strong addition to the company’s concise portfolio of branded peripherals, and neatly sates a request many Mac Pro and iMac users have been making. Unless you’re dead-set on using a mouse, I wholeheartedly recommend the Magic Trackpad, hence giving it two-thumbs up. Price: $69.00 Apple.com
Over dinner my father looks at me and says, with a straight face: “I hear Google might start building its own phone.” I’m trying to figure out which direction to take the conversation. Condescension would be too aggressive, no matter how much my inner troll wants to bait him. Do I explain that Google is not only making a phone OS, but that they will soon rival Microsoft in the netbook space with a new desktop OS? Too technical.
“Actually, Dad, they’ve been making phones for a couple years now. I have a few Google phones. Amanda’s phone is a Google phone,” I say, citing my sister’s HTC Droid Eris.
I don’t know what kind of phone my father carries because he doesn’t call me for cell phone advice. When Verizon calls to renew his contract, he tells them he’s happy with what he has, he doesn’t need a new phone, and of course he’ll sign up for two more years of service. After all, he’s not going to change his phone number, right?
He was going to have his entire car stereo upgraded to support Bluetooth, but then figured out that his phone doesn’t have Bluetooth. I was incredulous. Has there been a phone released in the last three years that didn’t support Bluetooth? In a few minutes, I was not only able to find the Bluetooth menu on his phone, I was also able to save him some battery power by turning Bluetooth off. That’s right, not only did he have the feature, it has been turned on for the past three years.
There is a language to technology that you have to learn early, or you have to make a great effort to understand. My generation, and generations younger than I, take it for granted. The World Wide Web opened its doors my Freshman year of college, but I’ve been using computers in some form for more than 20 years. I take for granted this language, which consists not only of terminology but of design metaphor, as well. I’m not a programmer, but there are certain rules of design, certain logical leaps that I expect to make.
The desktop is my favorite of these metaphors. Of course, I can imagine a virtual desk top, where virtual folders sit, filled with files, surrounded by tools that I call applications, executables or programs. For my parents, the metaphor breaks down. There is no desktop, there is only the screen. They have no idea where the image comes from, how reliable it is, or what the various pictures on the screen mean and to what they relate.
If I drill the desktop idea into my father’s head, he starts to worry about clutter, and begins cleaning his desk. But he doesn’t know the logical places for things, and so he thinks he can store files, programs and shortcuts anywhere. These are just drawers to him. I try explaining the difference between memory and storage. To do so, I have to switch metaphors to talk about a brain. Long term memory and short term memory. Keeping track of things and remembering things long term.
At some point, he was told that computers that are full run slower. This isn’t entirely untrue, though it’s very difficult for him to grasp exactly how much he can store on his 320GB hard disk drive. I use the works of Shakespeare, the encyclopedia, as notions of scale. But try explaining that a single photograph can take up more space than the entire works of Shakespeare, and it all falls apart.
I get a call that his e-mail isn’t working. He tells me that the computer was running slowly, and he thought he had too much e-mail. So he threw it in the trash.
“You deleted the e-mail from your inbox?” I ask.
“No, I threw the e-mail in the trash. The little postage stamp icon. I threw that away.”
How to explain? He deleted his mail program. So his e-mail was all gone? No, that’s stored on a server. He never has to worry about running out of space there. When I hang up, I realize that he has no idea what he’s done or how I fixed it. I’m sure it will happen again.
My father is a dentist and my mother is a nurse at a hospital. Both are well-educated people. My father calls me with questions about upgrading his entire office. I suggest Macs, which might be easier for training, but he says the program they use is incompatible. He wants to upgrade the machines, but to do that they’ll have to upgrade the operating system, as well.
“What operating system are you using?”
“Windows. The one that came out in 2000. But the new computers all use Windows Vista. What should I do?”
“You should retire early.”
In the end, a slick salesperson sells him on new machines, and they train the whole staff. In a few years, the program they use will disappear, anyway, and the entire system will be Web based. I’ll make sure he’s retired by then.
My mother’s hospital trains employees well in the new computerized systems. She can’t turn the computer on if it shuts down, but she knows the exact steps to check the treatment plan and file her reports digitally. The doctors, she says, are even worse than she.
“They all pretend that they’re in a hurry. They don’t know how to use the computers, so they say they’re in a rush and ask if I can fill in their orders for them.”
“Isn’t that against the rules? What do you do?”
“I fill in the orders so their patients don’t have to wait, then I tell on them. I tell the computer people that the doctors have no idea what they’re doing.”
She’s smug when she says this. At least she gets to feel technologically superior to somebody.
A few years ago, I recycled my parent’s old Gateway and bought them an iMac. Instead of a dial-up connection, we added Internet service to their cable package. Within a week, they had finally started sending e-mail. Within two weeks, I had to have a discussion with my mother about forwarding me e-mail chains. I had to tell my father to stop sending funny, dirty pictures to my work address. Now they can load pictures from their digital cameras, send them via e-mail or print them out. We’re still working on Flickr and storing files in the Cloud.
My father bought a new laptop. He brings it to my house for a visit.
“Can you give me all the good music you have?”
I have tens of thousands of songs on my machine. More than 100GB.
“Dad, that would be like walking into a library and asking me to pick out the good books for you.”
“Okay, then just give me all your music and I’ll figure it out.”
“The transfer will take some time. We can do it overnight, but you can’t use your computer in the meantime.”
“Well, just burn it to a disk and I’ll take it home with me.”
I can’t figure out why he bought a MacBook Pro. I recommended an iPad. He just wanted to do some simple surfing, check his e-mail and watch movies on the plane. He might want to transfer pictures from an SD card, but there’s an adapter for that. I ask my mother how they came to make the purchase.
“I thought you told me to buy the laptop?” I did no such thing. I ask my father why he chose a full powered laptop.
“Well, I didn’t think the iPad would be able to do enough. I didn’t just want to play games and watch movies. I also have to check my bank account. It’s for work. I thought I needed a Pro machine.”
I show them the iPad, and they aren’t impressed. They’re just confused. There’s no mouse. There’s no desktop, not like they’re used to. There are so many more icons to choose from. Everything looks different. I thought it would be simpler, but it’s not. It’s just another thing to learn.
“So is that what you think I should get?”
I can see myself taking more tech support phone calls. Walking him through the system settings. Figuring out where the programs have gone.
“Instead,” I think to myself, “maybe I’ll just retire early.”
Lookin’ for yet another avenue to hop on the 4G superhighway? Fret not, as Clearwire has just doled out a trio of new products intended to help you do just that. Prior to today, you had only a smattering of options to actually tap into Clear’s WiMAX network, but the Clear Spot 4G (WiMAX only), Clear Spot 4G+ (dual-mode with 3G / 4G support) and Clear 4G+ Mobile USB stick have all arrived to give choosy moms more choices. The prior two are simply mobile broadband hotspots (think MiFi, but for 4G), with the 4G+ offering support for Sprint’s 3G network if you happen to leave one of those few WiMAX zones already lit. The USB stick is particularly interesting, as it’s the first dual-mode device hawked by Clear that’s fully compatible with Apple OS X. The Clear Spot 4G will be made by InfoMark and available to purchase for $99.99 next month; those who hate committing can also lease one for $4.99 per month. The Sierra Wireless-built Spot 4G+ (a rebadged Overdrive; shown left) demands a hefty premium for that 3G support, with an MSRP of $224.99 (or least for $5.99 per month) and a similar July ship date. The 4G+ Mobile USB stick (shown right) will support OS X 10.5.x and 10.6.x (along with Windows, of course), and can be snapped up today for $114.99 or leased monthly for $5.99. Head on past the break if you’re thirsty for more.
Apple has pushed out OS X 10.6.4, an update to their Mac OS which includes various security updates, bug fixes and Safari 5 as standard. Interestingly, the update is also listed as affecting MobileMe, though there’s no mention of any applicable changes.
OS X 10.6.4 should be offered to Mac users via the Software Update tool, though you can manually download it here if you have multiple machines to upgrade. Meanwhile there’s a separate version for OS X servers, which improves file, directory, calendar and mail services, among other things.
General fixes and improvements
improves compatibility with some Braille displays
resolves an issue that causes the keyboard or trackpad to become unresponsive
resolves an issue that may prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening
addresses issues copying, renaming, or deleting files on SMB file servers
improves reliability of VPN connections
resolves a playback issue in DVD Player when using Good Quality deinterlacing
resolves an issue editing photos with iPhoto or Aperture in full screen view
resolves an issue with Parental Controls Time Limits for Open Directory or Active Directory users
resolves a display sleep issue with MacBook Pro (Early 2010) computers
resolves an issue with MacBook Pro (Early 2010) computers in which the right speaker may sound louder than the left speaker
Early analysis of Apple sales figures suggests that, rather than eat into sales of the company’s Mac range, the iPad has cannibalized iPod sales. According to Gene Munster, outspoken analyst at Piper Jaffray, Apple’s domestic Mac sales were up 39-percent year on year, while iPod sales dropped an estimate-quashing 17-percent for the three month period. Munster reckons this is down to clever positioning and feature-selection on Apple’s part, commenting that “Apple has successfully limited the iPad functionality to primarily content consumption, versus content creation on a Mac”
While iPod sales have been gradually decreasing through Apple’s past few financial quarters, predictions for this most recent period only guesstimated the drop at 9-percent year on year. Instead, Munster’s own research suggests it may be almost twice that, with Apple only shifting 9m to 10m units. However, that’s overall a good change, he reckons, since “given the [average selling price] (4x) and margin profile of the iPad, we see this as a net positive for Apple’s business.”
“Relative to the iPod, the physical size of an iPad provides a meaningfully different value proposition (portability vs. screen size)” he continues, suggesting that users may be looking for an improved internet experience as multimedia playback becomes pretty much standardised across the segment. Apple has just refreshed the entry-level MacBook, and recently updated their 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models with Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 processors.
Apple’s recent MacBook Pro update brought a long awaited processor update and new GPU options, but much of the attention was lavished on the larger models in the company’s professional notebook range. In contrast, the 13-inch MacBook Pro saw a more modest refresh; check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
Frustrating to many frequent travelers, Apple saved the Core i5 and Core i7 processors for the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro refresh, leaving the 13-inch notebook with Core 2 Duo chips. Our test unit has a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor paired with 4GB of RAM, a 250GB hard-drive and integrated NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics borrowing 256MB of the notebook’s memory.
Options include a faster, 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo processor, up to 8GB of RAM and a 320GB hard-drive, or alternatively up to 512GB of SSD storage. The slot-loading DVD burner is still in place, and the previous array of ports remain: gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort, two USB 2.0, an SD card slot, combined audio in/out and a Kensington lock slot. Unlike the 15-inch MacBook Pro there’s no Full HD display option, only the standard 13.3-inch LED-backlit 1280 x 800 panel; we don’t so much miss the extra pixels, but we wish Apple would offer an antiglare screen finish.
Standard wireless options include WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, while there’s also an integrated webcam, a backlit keyboard and the usual multitouch trackpad. Apple reckons the non-swap 63.5Wh battery is good for up to 10hrs runtime with wireless turned on.
Physically, then, little has changed from the last generation 13-inch MacBook Pro, and that’s generally a good thing. Measuring 12.78 x 8.94 x 0.95 inches it’s still a relatively compact machine, and though the 4.5lb weight makes it heavier than other 13-inch notebooks the upside is the sturdy unibody aluminum build quality. Display quality is on a par with the previous model, being bright and crisp with deep, rich colors. Of course, if you’re the sort of frequent-traveler to whom the 13-incher will appeal, you may find reflections in the display prove frustrating if working outside.
The MacBook Pro 13’s CPU marks it out as the only Pro-line Apple notebook to lack an Intel Arrandale processor. While that may be a price consideration on the company’s part, it does mean users miss out on newer features like Hyper Threading, which create “virtual” cores for use by compatible software. We ran our usual Geekbench benchmarking tests on the notebook, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance, and the MacBook Pro scored 3702 overall. That’s actually a little less than the previous generation 13-incher we tested midway through last year, which scored 3892, though it’s worth noting that particular machine was the 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros not the entry-level model of the time. (SlashGear 13-inch and 15-inch, Mid 2009 Review)
In day-to-day use, the MacBook Pro kept up with everything we asked for it, though it understandably lacked the responsiveness of its more powerful, larger siblings. The absence of Hyper Threading is only noticeable in apps that have been coded to support it: this includes titles such as Adobe’s Photoshop and other graphics and video design packages. Arguably Apple has made a sensible choice with their CPU picks: the type of buyers who’d be doing video editing is perhaps unlikely to choose to do so on a 13-inch notebook. When it comes to media playback, Internet access, mild video processing and other day-to-day chores, the 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo is more than sufficient.
As for the graphics, without the discrete GPU from the 15- or 17-inch machines (or their intelligent switching technology) it’s another good reason for video pros to look elsewhere, but the rest of us should find it a noticeable boost from the previous -gen MacBook Pro 13’s GeForce 9400M. It’s certainly decent enough to deal with iMovie – though you probably won’t want to do much multitasking while it’s rendering – and HD playback isn’t a problem (though of course you’ll want to output to a standalone display for Full HD, since the notebook’s own display won’t support it). Apple still refuses to fit an HDMI port for ready connection to an HDTV, but at least the Mini DisplayPort now includes audio-out.
Battery life fell short of Apple’s 10hr prediction, which presumes nothing but light web browsing and text editing with the screen brightness set to half (still a reasonably viewable setting, to be fair). With more typical use, throwing some music and video into the mixture, we managed between roughly 7-8hrs of wireless use, which is impressive. Loading up a DVD or gaming obviously had an impact on that figure, as did video editing, pulling it down to more like 4-5hrs.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro remains in the shadow of its bigger, more expensive range-mates, though given the price increase for the entry-level 15-inch model (up to $1,799, now that a discrete GPU is standard across that line) in comparison to our $1,199 review unit (or even the $1,499 2.66GHz version) it’s a costly step up for their improved graphics and processing performance. $200 does get you a considerably better machine than the plastic-bodied MacBook (SlashGear review), however, which has a slower processor, half the RAM, poorer graphics and promises less battery life. Unless you simply have to come in at under $1k, that’s certainly where we’d expect to see the new 13-inch MacBook Pro bite into sales. Existing owners of the last-gen 13-incher probably shouldn’t upgrade this time around, but this new version has plenty to recommend it to new buyers. http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
It’s the beginning of another week, and it’s already turned into a crazy roller-coaster. That’s sure to make the rest of the week just as entertaining, and we’re eagerly looking forward to it. As for tonight’s edition of the Daily Slash, in the Best of R3 we’ve got the EVO 4G getting a price, the iPad won’t just be sold in Apple Stores come the end of the month, and the HTC Triumph exists. As for the Dredge ‘Net, we’ve got the coolest post-it note dispenser ever, benchmarks for the MacBook Pro Core i7, and finally HTC is getting sued.
The Best of R3 Media
HTC EVO 4G Best Buy Pricing Leaked: But, only kind of. Yeah, this is about as big a rumor as it gets, but it’s worthy of mentioning because we think it’d be some amazing pricing if it turns out to be true. According to one Darrin Morton, who went into a Best Buy looking for any additional information he could find about the 4G handset, he was told by an employee that the device would cost $199 with a new, two-year contract. We imagine he got a lot more than he bargained for. If this turns out to be true, it’s pretty exciting. If not, well, we wouldn’t be all that surprised. Then again, Best Buy doesn’t use mail-in rebates, so that’s probably something to take note of. [via Android Community]
Apple iPad 3G+WiFi Heading to Best Buy April 30th, Too: If you don’t like your stores all that shiny and bright (like, the Apple Stores), then you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be able to find your next tablet purchase in your regular electronics store come April 30th. Best Buy will officially be carrying the magical and revolutionary device as well, but obviously only if they have an Apple shop inside. Good news for people who like options, that’s for sure. [via Everything iPad]
HTC Triumph Appears in Internal Inventory: And we have no idea what it is. We’d love to tell you that we’re in on the big secret from HTC, but we’re not. They’ve got this one under lock and key, apparently, because it seems to be confusing quite a few folks. Sure, a white version of the HTC Touch Pro2 is cool in of itself, but this may be even better. And we don’t even know what it looks like, or if it’s technically worth our time. Strange how unknown things get our attention, right? [via SlashPhone]
The Dredge Net
Post-It Gun is Great Way to Spread Post-Its: Ever felt like you’ve never been able to hand out post-it notes fast enough? We know the feeling. But, thanks to a designer by the name of Alex Marshall, we may never have to worry about that again. And, what’s better, is that it looks awesome. Sure, you might not want to take it out of the office all that often, but why would you want to do that, anyway? Also, it comes in two color variations: contrast and steampunk, and we love them both. Just hold the trigger and your notes will keep shooting out to your heart’s content. Awesome, right? [via Yanko Design]
MacBook Pro i7 Gets Hot Under the Collar: When you’re using your laptop, you know, on your lap, you don’t want it to melt your pants off. It’s generally not good for anyone. So, maybe getting your hands on the new MacBook Pros, with the Core i7 inside, isn’t the best way to spend your money. According to some Cinebench tests run on the machines, they managed to break the 100 degree mark. Compared to some Fujitsu notebooks running the same components, which ran 20 degrees cooler more often than not. Some pretty impressive numbers, but maybe not the ones that Apple were looking for. [via 9to5 Mac]
HTC Being Sued for Visual Voicemail: Apparently it’s that time of the year where everyone has to sue everyone else. They must all have the itch or something. This time around, it’s HTC being sued by Judah Klausner, which is actually just him adding HTC to a growing list of big phone makers infringing on patents of technology that relate to visual voicemail. According to Klausner, the MyTouch 3G is one of those devices that uses the Klausner patented technologies to display voicemail in the visual way. Also included are Motorola and Research In Motion, and they’ve actually won against Apple and LG, so we’ll have to see how this goes. [via Reuters]
We posted up our own review of the new MacBook Pro with the Intel Core i7 processor this month and found the rig to be pretty good. The faster processor was a nice upgrade to the aging MacBook Pro line that had been waited for anxiously by Mac fans for a long time.
PC Authority has posted up its own review of the MacBook Pro with the Core i7 CPU and noted that the chassis got very hot during its testing. According to the publication, the temperature of the CPU went to 84 degrees Celsius within a few minutes of running Dwarf Fortress in Windows with Boot Camp.
With Cinebench fired up in OS X the temperature of the CPU hit a sweltering 90 Celsius making the bottom of the notebook almost too hot to touch. That is enough heat to roast your chestnuts for sure, keep this laptop out of your lap. The processor later hit temps as high as 101C in testing.
Time flies when you are up to your eyeballs in gadgets and geekery and it’s time for another week in review! Monday we spent some hands on time with the Kin One and Kin Two mobile phones from Microsoft. The things miss some features like microSD card slots but have some nice features.
Panasonic tossed the AG-AF100 micro four thirds HD camcorder. We have seen a bunch of micro four thirds digital cameras, but this is the first time I have seen a micro four thirds camcorder. The iPad has been popular and when Apple has a popular product, you can count on competitors coming out with similar offerings. Such is the case with the Google Tablet, HP mini slate and a new Nokia eReader that have been rumored to be inbound to fight the iPad.
Flip tossed a new, cheap camcorder onto the market this week called the SlideHD that gets a touchscreen and 720p resolution for $280. The screen of the little camcorder itself is touch sensitive and there is a touch sensitive strip at the bottom too. The device sells for about $280. A new netbook from Samsung called the NB30 turned up that has a touchscreen. The machine also runs an Atom N450 CPU and has a matte screen.
Lenovo decided to move the launch date for the Skylight smartbook back with the official reason being the product needed to be finalized. DigiTimes reports that the reason was to rework the Skylight to compete with the iPad. Apple finally updated its MacBook Pro line this week. The machine got new storage options and Core i5 and i7 processors among other things.
Toshiba dropped a new notebook on us this week called the Tecra M11 with Core i3/i5 CPU options. The notebook is priced starting at $879 and uses a 14-inch screen. Nintendo was granted a win on the appeal of the ruling that found one of its game controllers infringed on a patent held by Anascale Ltd. You can be the legal battle isn’t over yet though.
Intel debuted a new SoC this week under the Tunnel Creek codename. The SoC is aimed at embedded applications like in-car systems. We reviewed the HTC HD mini this week. In the end, we figure the device doesn’t offer enough to justify buying WinMo 6.5 with WinPo 7 on the horizon.
If you are a fan of steampunk style, but don’t want to make your own creations you can get a cover for your iMac. The cover makes the thing look like a wooden steampunk creation. Intel has been showing off its Light Peak optical cable solution that could replace USB 3.0. The Light Peak spec can support multiple protocols on one cable at the same time.
An Austin geek has sold a rare Atari 2600 game on eBay for $31,600. The game was Air Raid and the guy said he only had the game because it was so bad no one would trade him for it. Sony will be debuting new 3D HDTVs this June along with the 3D update for the PS3. Gamers and movie fans are waiting for that 3D update with glee.
That Samsung NB30 touch screen netbook that turned up early in the week was reviewed on Thursday. The thing is said to have decent enough multitouch capability, but a dim display. Opera Mini for the iPhone and iPad was approved this week and so far a million people have downloaded the new browser. The app was in the top ten free apps on the App Store.
RED showed off its new EPIC camcorder at NAB. This company makes some of the most expensive cameras around and the new offering can record at 5K resolution. A new GSM connected scale has debuted called the Body Trace scale. The scale uses GSM to upload your weight and BMI to the website for tracking and sharing with health providers.
One of the shiny new MacBook Pros that launched this week was torn apart already to see what’s on the inside. The tear down was done by iFixit and they found a couple other new updates inside. Asus is set to offer up a new 17-inch 3D notebook in Q3 2010. The new machine is more rumor than fact right now, but you can be 3D machines will be coming.
Things are all starting to add up to a new iPhone coming this summer. AT&T employees have been barred from vacation in June, this is the same move AT&T has pulled each time a new iPhone lands. Thanks for reading this week’s edition!
Over dinner my father looks at me and says, with a straight face: “I hear Google might start building its own phone.” I’m trying to figure out which direction to take the conversation. Condescension would be too aggressive, no matter how much my inner troll wants to bait him. Do I explain that Google is not only making a phone OS, but that they will soon rival Microsoft in the netbook space with a new desktop OS? Too technical.
Apple has pushed out 
As for the graphics, without the discrete GPU from the 15- or 17-inch machines (or their intelligent switching technology) it’s another good reason for video pros to look elsewhere, but the rest of us should find it a noticeable boost from the previous -gen MacBook Pro 13’s GeForce 9400M. It’s certainly decent enough to deal with iMovie – though you probably won’t want to do much multitasking while it’s rendering – and HD playback isn’t a problem (though of course you’ll want to output to a standalone display for Full HD, since the notebook’s own display won’t support it). Apple still refuses to fit an HDMI port for ready connection to an HDTV, but at least the Mini DisplayPort now includes audio-out.
