It’s a great day for unverafiable information, with a double dose of Apple rumors. Let’s start with the juicy one: Digitimes reports that Wintek, a Taiwan-based manufacturer, is working with Apple on some new products, including a touch screen “for Apple’s new netbook.” This product would be larger than an iPod Touch but smaller than the 13-inch MacBook, and is said to launch in the third quarter of this year. Mark your calendars and see if the report comes true.
The second rumor is more of a prediction. Apple’s next OS, called Snow Leopard, will launch on June 8, Baltimore Sun reporter David Zeider believes. There are a lot of Apple books coming out that month, and last June Steve Jobs said the next OS would come out in about a year. To firm up the date, Zeider looked at the likely window for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. A generic “Corporate Meeting” is scheduled at the usual venue, at about the usual time of year, starting June 6, and he figures it’ll take a couple of days for Apple’s announcement. True or not, Zeider suggests holding off on a new MacBook until Snow Leopard arrives. [Digitimes and Baltimore Sun via Wired, fake tablet from Frato]
Am I the only one who doesn’t really want this? The alleged iPhone prototype is cool and all, but it’s a prototype because the real thing is better. Still, the plastic matte screen and old-school user interface are neat enough, and it must be fun to mess around with accelerometer options, as suggested in the photo above. Best of all, it turns on, makes calls and receives SMSs, though it’s not clear who the service provider would be. To sweeten the deal, the seller is throwing in a second prototype that doesn’t work at all. That’s something I definitely don’t want. Let the biggest Apple fanboy pay a boatload for the pair. [eBay via Engadget]
This morning, Apple revealed their new, updated Mac Mini along with other announcements about the Mac Pro and iMac systems. The new Mac Mini will feature an Intel Core 2 Duo processer running at 2.0 GHz, will feature NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, and is available in a 2GB RAM / 320GB HDD system for $799, or 1G RAM / 120GB HDD for $599. In addition to the Mac Mini, Apple has revealed a new Nehalem-based Mac Pro, featuring Intel Quad Core processors and a starting price of $2,499. Last, Apple has also revealed some new iMacs with some updated specs. Check out the news below, both direct at Apple and around the web…
If you’re still finding the keyboard on the iPhone to be a bit cumbersome (or if you just want to do some actual work on the phone) now you can pair a Bluetooth keyboard with your phone and get your type on big key style. The hack requires you have a jailbroken iPhone, and of course a Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard function comes as an application, however currently that application isn’t available to the public…so this is all just an evil evil tease. Hopefully the developer (or even better Apple) will make the application available soon for all us bloggers who want to work computer free. [via Wired]
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:33AM - By Jared Newman
What to do with your new 17-inch MacBook pro … Check your e-mail? Sync your iPod? Play Chess? How abou taking everything apart so you can gawk at the innards and void your warranty? That’s what the folks at iFixit did, and the result is, well, pretty similar to what’s inside the 15-inch version. They do remark on the battery, described as “HUGE” and bolted down with three tri-wing screws. This is an apparent attempt to prevent swapping it out, but it can still be removed with a small flathead. The Bluetooth board is also easier to access and repair, but hopefully it won’t come to that. [iFixit via Engadget]
Monday, February 2, 2009 12:30PM - By Jared Newman
File this under “Thank Heavens, It’s About Time.” Adobe is working to deliver a version of Flash for iPhones. Apple has said the standard version of Flash is too heavy on resources, while Flash Lite isn’t powerful enough to give consumers what they actually want, a position that Engadget perfectly equates to Goldilocks. Steve Jobs has asked Adobe to create a just-right version, though it’s not clear if it will support video sites like Hulu or game sites like AddictingGames. It’s still too early to get your hopes up in any case; Adobe Chief Executive Officer Shantanu Narayen calls the development “a hard technical challenge,” so expect the company’s crack team of software engineers to be working for a while. [Bloomberg via AppleInsider]
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 11:00AM - By Jared Newman
Designer Isamu Sanada has a history of dreaming up fake Apple ideas and rendering them for the blogosphere’s amusement. Here’s his take on the oft-speculated Mac netbook, predictably called the “Macbook Mini.” Apparently it would measure 5.4 inches thick when folded, with a 10-inch LED display and a 128 GB SSD, but no optical drive. When the trackpad is folded over to conceal the keyboard, it kind of reminds me of the MacBook Wheel. [TechEBlog]
It’s bound to happen; you’re standing in line at the bank, or having an important conversation with your boss when your phone suddenly starts blasting out “Womanizer” for everyone to hear. Embarrassed by the sound, you turn your ringer volume down low, and then miss the next five phone calls you receive because you can’t hear your phone ringing. Apple has just filed a patent for an audio sensor that would adjust it’s volume based on the ambient sound around it. So theoretically your phone would ring louder when you’re in a crowded room, but softer when you’re hanging out in the library. No word on what devices Apple plans on using the sensor in, or when we could expect to see it start showing up. [via DVICE]
If you’re a huge Apple fan you might want to keep your love for the company under wraps while you’re at work- or you may end up like this guy. Apparently Flickr user “jpegsrock” was the official Apple lover at his office, to a point that one day last year his coworkers decided to plaster his cubicle with pictures of the big man himself. Looking at the photo they spent quite a bit of time planning this one out, especially given all the different sizes of good old Steve that seems to be displayed in the cube. Do you think he took it down afterwards? A true fan boy would keep this display for years to come. [via Gizmodo]
