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New MacBook Right Around The Corner?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Internet, PC / Laptop, Rumors,
Someone over at Apple may have let the cat out of the bag as it pertains to what everyone believes will be the Intel replacement to the iBook line. Earlier this morning, if you went to the official iPod product page at http://www.apple.com/ipod/, instead of being blasted with an iPod silhouette, you would instead see a mostly empty page with a breadcrumb featuring the MacBook. Notice - there is no “Pro” verbiage anywhere. Even better, MacRumors is saying that Apple retail stores are getting signage that is marked with “Do not open until Tuesday, May 9th.” Are the new MacBooks upon us?
Read More 
| MacRumors
Gallery: New MacBook Right Around The Corner?
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Amid a handful of other oddities that seem to be causing havok among the ranks of MacBook Pro owners, comes a new issue relating to the battery. As per Christopher Price, “Symptoms of battery failure include battery cutting off power to the system at very early stages, sporadic ampere hour reporting (coconutBattery), and the battery failing to respond when pressing the charging status button (after being charged and only slightly drained).” AppleCare has allegedly indicated that there is a known issue with early MacBook Pro batteries and are cross-shipping replacements to customers with afflicted laptops.
The problem is said to potentially effect only MacBook Pros shipped during the first two weeks or so of production, with serial numbers up through W8608. Keep in mind that Apple is quite mum on the subject, and there is no word on how widespread the problem may be. While other sites are happy to imply that a “silent recall” is in the works, the reality of the situation is, if you don’t currently have a problem there is no problem and Apple will disavow any knowledge of the aforementioned issue.
Read More | Christopher Price via ZDNet
Gallery: MacBook Pro Battery Problems?
ANYCOM BluNa iPod Nano Bluetooth Adapter
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Handhelds, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi,
When you’ve got a sleek, lightweight audio player like the iPod nano, you don’t want to clutter it up with all kinds of bulky or cumbersome attachments. That’s why the ANYCOM Bluetooth adapter, dubbed the BluNa, is so nice. Weighing only 10 grams, the BluNa slips onto the bottom of the nano, adding a negligible amount of length, and provides Bluetooth audio support in the form of A2DP and AVRCP profiles. The BluNa gets its power from the nano, which is good for weight savings, but will diminish your battery life to some degree.
Available in June 2006 for approximately $100 USD.
Read More | ANYCOM via I4U News
Gallery: ANYCOM BluNa iPod Nano Bluetooth Adapter
Frustrated MacBook Pro Owners Declare May 20th “End The Whine Day”
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop,
Apple loyalists are passionate, devoted people. When Apple makes a great product, their fan base support shines in a way that rarely happens for any other company. However, when Apple messes up, their buyers are just as passionate about making sure the company steps up to the plate to fix the issues. The latest problem to arise the whining MacBook Pro. Yeah, despite Apple’s lame attempts to cover up the problem simply by stating that the decibel level of the noise is “within spec,” a smart consumer can tell otherwise. Hell, we are on our third MacBook Pro here at Gear Live because of the problem. On May 20, MacBook Pro owners plan to unite, declaring that the official “End The Whine” campaign is in full effect. Buyers plan on calling Apple support to let them know what they think of the whine, with the goal being that if thousands upon thousands call on that one day, Apple will be forced to deal with the issue.
On May 20th, everyone with a MacBook Pro that has whining and heat issues should call Apple Support and tell them about it. If thousands of affected MBP owners call on the same day on the same topic, Apple will be forced to address the issue (not to mention the press such an effort will get!). There is safety - and problem solving - in numbers. A unified group of concerned MBP owners will get the attention of those in charge.
Yeah - we are so there.
Read More | OSx86
Gallery: Frustrated MacBook Pro Owners Declare May 20th “End The Whine Day”
Video: Steve Jobs Unveils The First iPod
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Portable Audio / Video,
Wow - the nostalgia of it all. Steve Jobs keynotes used to be so low key. Nowadays, a new iPod announcement wouldn’t be made with such little fanfare. Then again, back then, iPods were only compatible with Macs, and they just weren’t as cool (looking) back then. Still, the unveiling of the first iPod was a huge moment in the history of digital entertainment. For that reason alone, this is worth a look.
Gallery: Video: Steve Jobs Unveils The First iPod
Counterfeit iPods
Posted by Jared Hislop Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Portable Audio / Video, Rumors,
It seems that some companies are attempting to pass off counterfeit iPods to unsuspecting consumers. Apple warns that the two players that are most likely to be ripped off are the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle. It has been noted that several of the fakes are even stamped with legit serial numbers, one of which is 6U545TK2TJT. The fake iPods also lack a dock connector, and often have non standard headphone jacks. Apple said that the counterfeit nanos also ship without the standard USB cable, and have a screen that is slightly longer than that of the real thing.
One key mark to look out for is a play/pause symbol on the center select button. The players that are similar to the shuffle lack a battery or status indicator light, and have a power switch that lacks a repeat option. The counterfeit packaging is the same as Apple packaging except that the counterfeit package has the words “Digital Music Player” on the top of the box. Some of the counterfeit players have also known to have documentation included that asks the user to copy their music to a directory on the device rather than using iTunes. Apple is taking this matter very seriously and has released a bulletin to its service providers asking them to photograph the fake iPod, find out where the buyer purchased the fake iPod, document the serial number, and pass the information along to Apple’s technical support group.
Read More | Apple Insider
Gallery: Counterfeit iPods
When you want to take your computer on the go, unless you have a notebook, your options are pretty limited. I mean, do you know anyone that could hook you up with the Pimp My Ride guys so that they can take your Dell Dimension and throw it into the back of your vehicle? Neither do we. Instead, one must get creative. With the immediate freebie that the Mac mini offers of having an insanely small chassis, Peter Green took it to the next level, by incorporating a screen and battery solution, making the Mac mini a portable powerhouse. Yeah, it is certainly huge, but that is all relative. Why not just carry around a MacBook Pro? Well, it just isn’t as cool.
Read More | MMP MkII
Gallery: Modded Mac mini Made Portable
Logitech mm32 iPod Speakers
Posted by Jared Hislop Categories: Accessories, Apple, Peripherals, Portable Audio / Video,
Logitech’s new cylindrical portable iPod speakers are due out next month. The speakers are designed to provide up to 10 hours of playback off of 4 AA batteries. An AC adapter will also be provided in case you want to leave the unit on a shelf. Logitech has branded this speaker system the mm32, and this unit measures 28.5cm long by 6cm in diameter. Basically this device has cylindrical speakers on either side of a cradle capable of recharging your iPod. The speakers receive sound via the iPod’s headphone socket, and Logitech claims that with some creative cabling other MP3 players can use the speakers. The mm32 will be available in black or white, and is expected to retail for $80.00 USD.
Read More | Reg Hardware
Gallery: Logitech mm32 iPod Speakers
Vista Beta Runs On The Mac
Posted by John Goulden Categories: Apple, Microsoft, Mods / Hacks, Software,
Recently we brought you word that Apple had released software enabling Windows XP to be installed in a dual-boot configuraiton on Intel-based Macs. Shortly after the release, some enterprising users had successfully installed Linux as well. Fast forward a few more days, and a couple of industrious individuals have coaxed Boot Camp into installing Vista. In one case, the EFI partition that Boot Camp creates had to be deleted, and in the other, all of OS X. So, no dual boot for now, but we suspect it’s only a matter of time.
Considering the rate of progress, the next thing you know they’ll be installing operating systems that don’t even exist yet. Oh wait, that’s Vista.
Read More | OSx86 project via Personal Tech Pipeline
Gallery: Vista Beta Runs On The Mac
The iAlertU is like a car alarm, but for your MacBook Pro. The product uses an IR remote, special software for your Mac and the MacBook Pro’s built-in motion sensor. Basically, you arm your MacBook by pressing a button on the remote, and the computer chirps twice to notify you the alarm is armed. If a would be thief comes along and attempts to tamper with - or take - your MacBook, the alarm goes off. Not only is the alarm pretty loud, the screen flashes too! The alarm can’t be disabled without a special pass code or the IR remote (or, perhaps, turning the Mac off?). While there is currently no pricing set, you can check out a video of the product in action above.
Read More | iAlertU
Gallery: iAlertU: The Car Alarm For Your Mac
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