You can now order a Mac mini with a 160G SATA drive and this is the same physical drive type found in the MacBooks and MacBook Pros. So why hasn’t Apple made this a BTO for the portables?
Contributed by: Ole J. Jacobsen

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It used to be quite simple: In order to use a mobile phone in the US and the rest of the world you needed GSM service and a phone with “tri-band” capability: 900MHz and 1800MHz for most of the world and 1900MHz for the US. Then two things happened: First, the two major GSM carriers in the US started using 850MHz in addition to, or instead of, the 1900MHz band.
Second, the so-called “next generation” of GSM services became defined and partially deployed. Known as “3G” (WCDMA and UMTS are phrases often used) this new technology allows faster data rates and services such as video calls. A lot more could be said about 3G, but let’s focus on the frequency. In most of the world, 3G is being offered on 2100MHz. The good news is that this includes some places that previously had no GSM service at all, notably Japan. The bad news is that (rumor has it), US carriers will be offering 3G service on 1900MHz instead.
So, where does this leave the global traveler?
Read More…
(Contributed by Ole Jacobsen)

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I spent a couple of days on the show floor this year. Here are some observations:
* The show is almost completely dominated by iPod accessories, ranging from “things you can plug your iPod into” (including cars) to various kinds of iPod “luggage.”
* Almost lost in all the frenzy around the new Intel-based Macs was Apple’s announcement of the iPod Radio Remote, a very cool device that adds FM tuning to your iPod (with dock connector). It even supports RDS so you can see the station name and the title of the song. Not bad for a $50 dongle!
Read more…

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Have you ever wished you could just plug your iPod directly into your computer or charger without the tangle of a cable? Well, thanks to the folks at MacAlly, now you can. Check out these Link360 USB, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 3D plugs.

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Last week, at CommunicAsia in Singapore, Sony Ericsson released several new handsets as reported here on the PowerPage.
One of these, the Z520, is a departure from SE’s handset lineup. It supports all of the major GSM bands in the US and the rest of the world. The bands supported are 850/1900MHz for the US and 900/1800 MHz for the rest of the world, making the Z520a Sony Ericsson’s first Quad-band phone.
Until now, Sony Ericsson has chosen to release two different tri-band flavors of the same phone, one for the US and one for the rest of the world. Compare for example the S700i (international) versus the S710a (U.S. version).

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A french PowerBook site has published a page about how to take the PB G4 12″ LCD panel apart. It’s in French but full of pictures. Click through for the link…

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Panic has just released Transmit 3 with many new features:
*Column View
*TAB
*iDisk/Web Dav Support
*Sidebar (with per-favorite folder)
*Totally redesigned Favorites
*Search
*Preview Drawer with Zooming
*FTP with TSL/SSL Support
*Server to Server Transfer
*Spring-Loaded Folders
Transmit 3 is the PowerPage’s preferred FTP client and costs US$29.99, upgrades are available for US$17.95.

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Observations From the Show Floor.
Here are some of our picks of new accessories and third party
software announced at Macworld Expo SF 2005.
Panic (booth 1951) has a sneak peak of Transmit 3, the company’s FTP client. One of the best products made for OS X. Anybody buying Transit 2 with qualify for a free Transit upgrade.
WiebeTech (booth 1348) debuts the Ultra Bus powered UltraGB+ desktop enclosure and a “super DriveDock that connects drives via Firewire and USB2.
From Better Energy Systems comes the Solio – a trillium-shaped solar-powered battery charger for your iPod, digital camera, cell phone or other devices. It weights 5.8 ounces and is the size of a pack of cards when folded up. It fits nicely in the pocket.
LaCie (booth 1843) Showed a 2TB Raid FireWire 800 subsystem for Video pros. Also a real time MPEG ? 1/2 encoder that converts DV files to MPEG Files.
Sonic Solutions (formerly Roxio) announced that they would add HD support to a future version of its flagship Toast authoring software.
Elgato, and ATI Technologies announced Tuesday the EyeTV Wonder USB 2.0, an analog TV Tuner for the Macintosh. It will ship at the end of January 2005 for US$149. System requirements are a G4 or higher and USB 2.0 and Mac OS 10.3 and higher.
RadTech (Booth 2329) displayed a number of STM Bags for PowerBooks. STM is one of the best bags made for PowerBooks. The weatherproof zippers are a nice touch and well-crafted backpacks.
More in a follow-up…
What did you see on the show floor that excited you?

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Below is a picture of three PowerBooks in the pilothouse of the Millennium 140 (pictured at right) during sea trials in Holland to break the speed record for the world fastest private yacht. Both designers of the project, Evan Marshall and Frank Mulder, are devout Apple users. Click through for more and a photo of the PowerBooks…

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I’m sitting here listening to Vapor Trails and I figure I can hang in there long enough to provide a few details. From high atop the Chicago skyline at the south end of the Magnificent Mile, here are my first impressions of the latest offering. The iPod’s packaging has gone full color, using the images and pastels of the latest ‘silhouette’ commercials. Read More for the full story and 16 unboxing images…

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