Apple Takes Legal Action Against Psystar
17 July 2008 08:33 EST
Chris Barylick
Apple will put up with a certain amount of shenanigans, then it brings in the legal wolves. This week, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of the Hardware 2.0 blog broke the store of Apple cloner Psystar being taken to court for its practice of shipping US$399 Intel clones with Mac OS X 10.5 pre-installed, an action which is in direct violation of Apple's End User License Agreement (EULA).
Psystar has been shipping the clones since April of 2008.
A report by News.com’s Ina Fried revealed that the suit was filed on July 3rd in U.S. District Court in Northern California, though the complaint itself is not available. An Apple representative told Fried that “We take it very seriously when we believe people have stolen our intellectual property.”
Psystar has yet to comment on the situation.
Stay tuned for more news on this as it becomes available and let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
AT&T 3G: Fact or Fiction?
10 July 2008 01:25 EST
Kenn Marks
It's nice that AT&T provides coverage maps as to where you could expect to find good 3G coverage. Well think again, I've driven around my community seeking where my best 3G connectivity can be found. According to AT&T customer support the coverage maps are accurate, but according to my findings in my 5 mile circle - They lie.
Maybe not an intentional fib, but maybe the maps just project where to expect coverage within a certain time period, not a current active location indicator.
Not only will we have to wait in line to activate our new 3G iPhone but it appears that we will have to search around for actual 3G coverage that we will be paying $10/mo more than current iPhone data users. I did this investigation a month ago with the same results.
That is reason why I tried again a day before the release of the new iPhone, in hopes that these areas would be active by the time the iPhone 3G was released. Any of the cells on the above map are 2G only even though they are marked Dark Blue to indicate 3G service availability. It appears that I'm not the only person experiencing the Missing AT&T 3G, Eric Zeman reports in the July 9th InformationWeek article that he is not seeing 3G within a 5 Mile Radius either.
So, the customers in Canada are getting their better data plans and we here in the US will be paying $10/mo additional for the same service we had with our Gen One iPhone. Personally I'm going to try to negotiate the old rate plan until 3G is available in my work area or I'll look for a 16GB Gen One at the Apple Refurb Store to take advantage of the larger storage for apps from the App Store.
Let us know what you think over in the comments and forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: Broadband/News/Wireless/iPhone
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Nvidia Cites Problem with "Significant Quantities" of Notebook Chips
03 July 2008 08:07 EST
Chris Barylick
On Wednesday, graphics chip maker Nvidia announced that the company had uncovered a problem with some of its older graphics chips which had shipped in "significant quantities" of notebooks.
According to Macworld UK, the company has yet to determine the exact cause of the problem but has said that it relates to a packaging material used with some of its chips, as well as the thermal design of some laptops.
In the meantime, Nvidia has released a software driver that will cause system fans to begin operating sooner, thereby reducing the "thermal stress" on the chips. The driver has been provided to laptop makers directly, said Derek Perez, an Nvidia spokesman.
Per the announcement, the company will take a charge against its second quarter earnings of US$150 million to US$200 million to cover the cost of repairing and replacing the products, which include graphics processing units and media and communications processors. It didn't say specifically which of its products were affected.
The company didn't say which of its products had been affected, but did mention that certain products had been failing in the field at "higher than normal rates."
In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Nvidia mentioned that it was talking to its supply chain about getting reimbursed for some of the costs.
More details on this as it becomes available, but in the meantime, you can check your graphics chip manufacturer through the System Profiler utility in Mac OS X. If you've seen your notebook's Nvidia chip fail or overheat, let us know in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Jobs, Other Apple Staff Accused of Fraud - Stock Options Scandal Continues
02 July 2008 10:27 EST
Chris Barylick
Steve Jobs' and Apple's stock option scandal foibles have resurfaced again as Jobs, alongside several other current and former board members have been accused of fraud in a class action law suit.
According to Macworld UK, the accused include former financial officer Fred Anderson, former general counsel Nancy Heinen, and board members William V. Campbell, Millard S. Drexler, Arthur D. Levinson, and Jerome B. York.
The case, which was filed this past Friday, features plaintiffs Martin Vogel and Kenneth Mahoney who have stated that the accused participated in a plot to file false financial statements and conceal millions of dollars in executive compensation via the backdating of stock options.
Back In June of 2006, Apple acknowledged that an internal investigation had revealed irregularities in its stock option grants between 1997 and 2001. The company stated that one of the grants in question was to Jobs but that "it was subsequently canceled and resulted in no financial gain to the CEO."
If you've heard anything on your end or have something to say about the case, let us know in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Apple Notebook Shipments Up 61%
30 June 2008 09:11 EST
Chris Barylick
Per a new report from market research firm DisplaySearch, Apple's notebook shipment grew 61% from the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, representing a growth from almost 900,000 to just over 1.4 million.
According to Macworld UK, this puts Apple in seventh place in overall notebook market share at 4.6% while HP stands at 20.8%, Dell stands at 15.1%, Acer stands at 14.6%, Toshiba stands at 9.3%, Lenovo stands at 7.5% and Fujitsu-Siemens stands at 5.2%. Asus and Sony rounded out the list with 4.3% and 4.2% market shares, respectively.
Of note is the growth factor, which at 61% is much higher than the 20-40% growth rate posted by the other companies with Sony posting a meager 3% growth rate for the period.
In all 31.1 million notebooks were shipped in the first quarter of 2008. DisplaySearch is forecasting shipments of 135 million units for the year.
As always, let us know what you think over in the comments and forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Philadelphia Municipal Wi-Fi Network Saved by Private Investors
18 June 2008 10:31 EST
Chris Barylick
Per a story we ran a while back about Earthlink shutting down Philadelphia's municipal Wi-Fi network, the situation has changed. According to Macworld News, the city's mayor announced on Tuesday that the effort has been saved by a group of private investors.
The investors, who will finish building the network throughout the city, plan to work with non-profit organizations including Wireless Philadelphia to offer services to people without Internet access. The new company has stated plans to contract with several enterprise and municipal customers who will become anchor users of a paid service. In addition, the group will offer free services to the general public.
The group has modeled its idea on other successful municipal Wi-Fi ventures according to Craig Settles, an independent consultant who has been in close contact with parties involved in the new arrangement. In Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, for example, the network provider partnered with 12 businesses to commission the network. The business users pay for access while citizens can use the network for free.
"Philadelphia’s medical community and universities are obvious possibilities for anchor customers in addition to city organizations," Settles said.
Click the jump for the full story...
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
United Airlines to Offer Free iPod/iPhone Charging on Flights
16 June 2008 11:28 EST
Chris Barylick
This won't make them universally popular, but if you're an iPod or iPhone owner, it's a perk. On Monday, United Airlines announces that the company is beginning to install iPod and iPhone connectivity features in its airplanes.
In cases where the technology is applicable, users can hook their devices up to the planes in-flight entertainment systems. Once connected, users can then navigate through music and video on the seat back televisions while charging the devices in the process.
According to the Crave blog, Apple struck a deal with United as well as Continental, Delta, Air France, Emirates and KLM to configure in-flight iPod connectivity.
The iPod/iPhone connectivity won't appear immediately and will, for the most part be installed on planes that make transatlantic flights and in some cases will be restricted to first and business-class seats. The first "iPod flight," United 936, will take off at 5:40 PM EDT on Monday in Washington, D.C., and fly to Zurich, Switzerland.
We're not sure if that makes up for a US$15 per checked bag fee, so let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Steve Jobs Confirms That P.A. Semi Will Produce Chips for Apple Handheld Devices
11 June 2008 01:34 EST
Chris Barylick
A few months ago, we reported on Apple's somewhat unexpected purchase of chip maker P.A. Semi. According to the New York Times, today at the second keynote speech during the Worldwide Developer Conference event in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs confirmed that the chip maker would, in fact, be making system-on-chip units for the iPhone and iPod lines.
More news on this as it becomes available and if you have two cents to hurl in on this, let us know over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Mac Pros Demonstrating RAM Recognition Problems, Fixes Offered
19 May 2008 12:55 EST
Chris Barylick
It's remedial, but it'll keep you from slamming your head against the desk when your Mac suddenly decides it can't remember the extra RAM you installed in it:
The guys at MacFixIt are reporting that several users are reporting issues in which their Mac Pro computers are failing to recognize the full amount of RAM installed.
One testimonial went as follows:
"I'm having trouble with my RAM upgrade. I just bought a new 2.8 dual quad core MacPro with 2GB of RAM (2x1GB). I bought an additional 4GB RAM (2x2GB) from TransIntl. However, the most my Mac will see is 4GB, no matter how I configure the RAM."
Another user reported a similar issue in which a newly installed two gigabyte RAM chip failed to be recognized.
The article offers the following fixes:
The first thing one should do is ensure the RAM risers and the individual RAM sticks are properly seated, and that the RAM is installed in matched pairs, following Apple's instructions. Firmly press them down into the riser cards and give them a slight wiggle to ensure they're seated all the way down. Be sure you are properly grounded so as not to harm the RAM with static electricity discharges.
Another reliable standby is to reset the Parameter RAM (a.k.a., PRAM) by holding down the option-command-P-R keys all at once during boot and waiting for a second boot chime. After the second chime, release the keys and allow the Mac to boot normally. Performing this task allows RAM-related firmware variables to reset and for the RAM to register properly in many cases.
If you've seen this problem on your end or have found your own fixes for RAM-related problems, let us know over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Intel Exec Speaks on Behalf of Atom-based Apple Tablet Device
15 May 2008 07:47 EST
Chris Barylick
German Intel executive Hannes Schwaderer may have spilled the beans during the company's 40th birthday celebration at BMW World in Munich this week. According to AppleInsider, the Intel staffer made comments that corroborate reports of a Newton-like mini-tablet under development at Apple.
The device, per the comments, may be one of the first powered by one of Intel's Atom ultra-mobile device chipsets.
"Schwaderer today confirms what has long been a rumor on the Internet: namely, that there is an iPhone with Intel's new Atom chip," reads a report in the German edition of ZDNet. "The device is slightly larger than the current version, Schwaderer said. This is not [because of] the Intel chip, but [because of] the larger display used in the new iPhone."
The device has been described by sources as featuring an ultra-thin "slate" design similar to the iPhone and would run an embedded version of the Mac OS X operating system.
Stay tuned for further details as this story develops and if you've heard anything on your end, let us know in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Earthlink to Dismantle Philadelphia's Wi-Fi Initiative
14 May 2008 08:29 EST
Chris Barylick
Internet provider Earthlink announced on Tuesday that it will shut down its Philadelphia municipal Wi-Fi network, the flagship of its municipal wireless initiative and remove it from the city's street lights.
According to Macworld, Earthlink released a statement citing months of negotiations with the city and a nonprofit that had planned to offer free Wi-Fi access on the network. The deal fell due to a disagreement among the city, the nonprofit and the group Wireless Philadelphia.
Earthlink has declared that it will provide a 30-day transition period, finally shutting down the network on June 12th. The company will offer its Wi-Fi subscribers discounts on other Earthlink services.
The Philadelphia Wi-Fi project, begun three years ago, spanned 135 square miles yet drew criticism from Verizon Communications, which claimed it was unfair to use tax dollars to create a network that would compete with private service providers. Per Earthlink's proposal for the project, the company financed, built and operated the network at no cost to taxpayers, sharing revenue with Wireless Philadelphia. The idea was to make Wi-Fi available to residents and businesses throughout the city, reaching areas the city said didn’t have broadband, and to offer the service at a subsidized rate to low-income residents to bring them online.
Click the jump for the full story...
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Laptop Battery Shortage May be Coming to an End
05 May 2008 01:16 EST
Chris Barylick
A fire at South Korea's LG Chem planet back in March which has led to an overall shortage of lithium ion notebook battery component should be over in the third quarter of 2008, according to an executive statement. The shortage is said to have hurt all notebooks, especially those made by smaller, lower volume companies, which tend to receive lowest priority when supplies become available.
Per Electronista, the supply of batteries is expected to return to normal later this year, with battery makers significantly boosting production, said Sung Fu-hsang, chairman of Simplo Technology, the world's largest independent notebook battery manufacturer.
Should the turnaround occur, the resolution will arrive in time for the annual September sales boost as well as the holiday shopping season, which is only a few months away from then.
Technology firm ASUS has stated that its 5 million Eee PC sales could have been even higher had it not been for the battery shortage.
No direct comments have been made as to how the battery shortage affected Apple's notebook supply, production and pricing since the occurrence of the plant fire.
As always, let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Apple Purchases PA Semi for US$278 Million
23 April 2008 08:13 EST
Chris Barylick
According to Forbes.com, Apple has acquired fabless semiconductor company PA Semi for US$278 million in cash according to a source close to the story.
The company, which designs energy efficient processors based on the Power series which Apple used in its computers prior to transitioning to Intel's x86 architecture, creates low-power processors that can be used in mobile products.
Such a purchase could provide some hints as to Apple's future product plans.
"The most likely product for Apple would be an ultra-mobile PC," said Alan Brown, research director of Gartner analysts.
Brown then added that the chips weren't likely to be used in a future version of the iPhone, where the ARM processor currently holds a strong position and power consumption would prove to be a challenge.
Click the jump for the full story...
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Paypal Denies Forthcoming Safari Lockout
22 April 2008 08:46 EST
Chris Barylick
Following up on an article posted here last week, online payment service Paypal has denied claims that the company will lock Apple's Safari web browser out of its service as it works to revamp itself against online credit fraud.
According to Maqcworld, Paypal corporate communications spokesman Michael Oldenburg stated that PayPal is developing features to block customers from logging into PayPal when using obsolete browsers on outdated or unsupported operating systems. An example of such a browser/OS combination might be, for example, Internet Explorer 4 running on Windows 98. In doing so, we better protect our customers from viewing a phishing site through their browser. We have absolutely no intention of blocking current versions of any browsers, including Apple’s Safari, from our website.”
Phishing web sites are designed to look like the legitimate web sites of major brands and seek to elicit financial and personal information from visitors. Users are lured to the sites through unsolicited emails, or can unwittingly land on one if a phisher has bought a domain with a convincing-looking name or one with slightly different spelling.
Apple has yet to comment on the rumors or announced what it will do to enhance anti-phishing security in its Safari web browser.
If you've heard anything about this on your end or have a phishing story of your own, let us know over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Battery Drainage Concerns May Hold Blu-Ray Away From Laptop Market in Short Term
29 February 2008 07:46 EST
Chris Barylick
The format wars are over and Blu-ray won.
Now it's a question of getting that technology in a laptop.
According to Wired, this may be another issue all together. The Blu-ray technology, though highly desirable in a laptop, poses the new issue of intense power consumption from the drive and if the first generation of Blu-ray equipped laptops are any indication, the laptop may not get more than halfway through a movie before running out of juice entirely.
"Blu-ray battery life is obviously a huge concern," says Yankee Group analyst Josh Martin. "If you bought an iPhone and you couldn't watch a two-hour movie, which you barely can now, that would be a huge problem," Martin continued.
Click the jump for the full story...
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
New MacBook, MacBook Pro Laptops Arrive
26 February 2008 08:35 EST
Chris Barylick
On Tuesday, after weeks of speculation, Apple released the latest version of its MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops.
The changes for the MacBook line are as follows:
MacBook (US$1,099) - white
-2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-1 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x512MB
-120 GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
-Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
-AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
MacBook (US$1,299) - white
-2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-2 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
-160 GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
-SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
-AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
Click the jump for the full story...
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
BBC Confirms iPlayer Launch for Mac for iPhone, iPod Touch in Near Future
20 February 2008 09:30 EST
Chris Barylick
Today, the BBC confirmed plans to make streaming TV services available to iPhone and iPod touch users via its iPlayer software which would be released "within weeks".
Such an event will mark the first time the BBC's broadband TV service has been available beyond Mac and PC computers.
According to Macworld UK, the news follows the BBC's introduction that it will introduce selected shows to Apple's iTunes Store yesterday along with the launch of the iPlayer software for the Mac back in December.
"We have seen good and consistent growth in the daily consumption of programming and it doesn't look to be in any way plateauing," said Ashley Highfield, the director of future media and technology at the BBC.
"While it's still early days, early indications are that BBC iPlayer is having a significant effect in attracting new users to bbc.co.uk," he added.
To date, over 17 million television programs have been streamed or downloaded through the BBC's iPlayer software in the first seven weeks since its launch. Current figures reflect up to 500,000 view per day with the top 10 shows being streamed or downloaded through iPlayer as follows:
1. Doctor Who
2. Louis Theroux Behind Bars
3. Torchwood
4. Ashes To Ashes
5. Torchwood
6. Six Nations Rugby
7. Top Gear
8. Mistresses
9. Mistresses
10. Torchwood
Stay tuned for more news on this as it becomes available and let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Tiny Code Admits Involvement with Apple Part of Joke, Offers Apology
19 February 2008 12:23 EST
Chris Barylick
Per yesterday's story regarding third-party developer Tiny Code's involvement with the development of the long-awaited software development kit for the iPhone and iPod touch devices, the site has admitted that these claims were part of an elaborate joke according to iPhone Atlas.
On Friday, the group posted a message on its web site stating that the developer was "working with Apple and with their SDK (software development kit) for the next firmware release and SDK applications.” This statement was then compounded with the Tiny Code web site redirecting its traffic to the Apple developer's page to help further industry speculation.
The revised web site now states the following apology:
“Tiny-Code never had any relations with Apple, Inc. or any other division of Apple. Never had the new firmware or any pre-SDK pack. Certainly never signed any NDA. I find it interesting that a simple joke on the front of a minor at best Installer.app repo can cause so many wakes. It is equivocally funny that a simple re-enforcement of the page by me posted earlier stating I had been ‘reprimanded’ by Apple could throw it even more into believability. To top it all off, a simple redirection of the domain to Apple’s iPhone Developer center would cause so many theories as to why that is so when it was to just stop the ‘where did it go’ questions.”
A developer with the Tiny Code group going by the online handle "Kelley", offered continued apologies to Apple and users who had defended the Tiny Code web site in the wake of criticism.
Feel free to give us your take on this over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Apple Scales 1 GB iPod Shuffle Price Down to US$49, Plans 2 GB Unit
19 February 2008 10:41 EST
Chris Barylick
On Tuesday, Apple announced that it had dropped the price of its one gigabyte iPod Shuffle digital music player from US$79 to US$49. According to news.com, the company also announced that it will be selling a two gigabyte version of its screenless flash-based digital music player for US$69 later this month.
Both the one and two gigabyte models, which feature a sports clip, will arrive in silver, blue, green, purple and red colors with a portion of the proceeds from the red color variant going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
As always, let us know what you make of this over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Updated: Toshiba to Put HD-DVD Standard to Rest
18 February 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick
Toshiba will announce that it will cease manufacturing HD-DVD equipment according to a Reuters news report.
Such a change essentially calls an end to the "format war", in which HD-DVD faced off against the competing Blu-Ray standard to be the definitive high-definition media format. The announcement also comes only a day after retailer Wal-Mart announced it would no longer carry HD-DVD media, a move which represented the death knell for the format to assorted analysts and customers.
Though Apple has yet to announce a Mac with a high-definition optical drive already installed or available as a build-to-order option, Blu-Ray may be in its future.
Let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Wildcharge Announces Wire-Free Charge Pad for iPhone, iPod and 2G iPod Nano Now Available
11 February 2008 08:30 EST
Chris Barylick
On Friday, accessory manufacturer Wildcharge has announced that the company has released a wire-free charge pad for Apple's iPhone, iPod and second generation iPod nano.
Similar to other wire-free charging solutions, the WildCharge functions as an adapter placed on the back of the device. Once placed on the WildCharger pad, the device will charge wirelessly.
Final pricing for the product is US$59.99.
If you've found a similar or preferred wire-free charging device for your electronics, let us know over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Apple Releases 16 GB iPhone, 32 GB iPod Touch Models
05 February 2008 08:51 EST
Chris Barylick
On Tuesday, Apple released both a 16 gigabyte version of its best-selling iPhone handset as well as a 32 gigabyte version of its iPod touch digital media player.
The 16 gigabyte iPhone, which is immediately available, retails for US$499, whereas the eight gigabyte model now retails for US$399.
The 32 gigabyte iPod touch, which is immediately available, retails for US$499, whereas its 16 gigabyte counterpart now retails for US$399 and the original eight gigabyte unit now retails for US$299.
All four models are now available at the Apple online store.
If you happen to go out and snag one today, let us know what you make of it over in the comments or forums.
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................
Southwest, American Airline to Test In-Flight Wi-Fi Access
24 January 2008 01:44 EST
Chris Barylick
This week, both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines released separate announcements stating that their planes will be tested for in-flight passenger Wi-Fi data access using different technologies. According to Macworld (via Computerworld), Southwest will offer satellite-delivered broadband access on four of its aircraft this summer. Passengers will be able to tap into networks via Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as laptops and iPhones pending tests and approval of the technology by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The technology will stem from Row 44, which is based in Westlake Village, California and also support cell phone and VoIP-based telephone calls.
Row 44's technology involves installation of an antenna atop each plane’s fuselage that communicates with satellite networks.
Click the jump for the full story...
Digg This |
Post to del.icio.us |
Post to Furl
Category: News
Buy from: Apple
...............................................................................................