Elan denies settlement in lawsuit against Apple
Elan Microelectronics is denying rumors that it has settled a patent lawsuit directed against Apple, according to a Taiwanese news site. The case was originally launched in April of last year, and accuses Apple of violating two multi-touch patents by way of the iPhone, iPod touch and MacBook. The settlement would allegedly be worth $70 million, but Elan insists that the issue is still in front of the US' International Trade Commission....
published on Wednesday, the 10. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
Early MacBooks eligible for free hard drive replacement
In response to complaints lodged of failing hard drives lodged two years ago, Apple has launched a “MacBook Repair Extension Program for Hard Drive Issues” that will allow some MacBook owners to receive free hard drive repairs for their computers, or compensation for repairs they undertook themselves. Though the move suggests that the failure rate of the drives is reasonably high, Apple states that they’ve determined only “a very small percentage” of the drives need replacing. The MacBooks eligible for replacement were sold between May 2006 and December 2007, and display the dreaded folder with a question mark in lieu of a desktop or login screen when the hard drive kicks the bucket. When this happens, customers are instructed to get their computer to a Genius or other authorized service provider, who will swap out the hard drive for free. No data recovery services are being offered, as Apple expects you to back up your data, but if the failures are due to the read/write head problem discovered in November 2007 that causes the head to gouge the disk itself, you’ll have limited returns there anyway. As far as diagnosis, it appears Apple won’t authorize a swap until the drive actually dies. The company says it's reaching out to customers for whom it has information on record about the faulty drives and replacement program, in case the customers have had to replace the drive themselves in the intervening time. The coverage extends to three years from the date of purchase or until August 15, 2010, whichever is longer.
published on Wednesday, the 17. February 2010, ars-technica
LaCie, Incipio announce new MacBook and iPad cases
LaCie and Incipio have both announced new protective cases for the iPad and MacBooks. LaCieís latest products, the Coat and ForMoa, are designed for 13-, 15-, or 17-inch MacBooks and MacBook Pros, as well as Appleís newest iPad. Both of the sleeve models feature a double layer of neoprene for added protection, with an internal soft lining to help prevent scratches. Each case also comes in five different colors including red, blue, black, orange, and pink....
published on Tuesday, the 2. February 2010, macintosh-news-network
Briefly: Carbonite offers iPhone app, BookBook MacBook case
Carbonite has announced the launch of its new iPhone and iPod touch application for accessing files remotely. The utility allows users to log into their Carbonite account and browse through lists of backed-up files. In addition, many file types can be opened directly within Carbonite or attached to e-mails for quick sharing. Carbonite is a free app in the App Store, however, to access all of the features, users will need a Carbonite Online Backup account. New customers can try a 15-day free trial or subscribe to a one year account for $55....
published on Thursday, the 21. January 2010, macintosh-news-network
Speck unveils over 30 new designs at CES 2010
Speck has unveiled a wide range of new and improved accessories for notebook computers and mobile phones. The company has updated its CandyShell cases for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, bringing seven new color combinations such as GuavaGoo Pink and Nightshade Purple, while eight new designs are available in the Fitted series of hard-shell cases. The SeeThru Satin cases, which were previously released for MacBooks, are also available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS....
published on Monday, the 11. January 2010, macintosh-news-network
Skydda, NewerTech release new MacBook accessories
Skydda Design and NewerTech have each extended their lines of MacBook accessories, releasing the BambooBook carrying case and updated NuPower replacement batteries. Skyddaís BambooBook is designed specifically for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and features a hard bamboo exterior and a suede fabric interior. Users can continue to run a Pro without removing it from protection....
published on Wednesday, the 16. December 2009, macintosh-news-network
iMac, MacBook top retail PC sales in US
Apple virtually dominated US retail computer sales in October, the NPD Group said in a report issued Friday. The new iMac, particularly the 21.5-inch model, was the top-selling desktop for the month while the 13-inch MacBook Pro was the leader in notebooks for the same period. The Mac creator in each case had multiple entries in the top 10 of each category, with the 27-inch iMac in third place for desktops while other MacBook models were eighth, ninth and tenth in notebooks....
published on Friday, the 4. December 2009, macintosh-news-network
Hard Candy Cases, Timbuk2 intro new notebook gear
Hard Candy Cases and Timbuk2 have each added to their lines of notebook accessories. The Bubble Shell, by Hard Candy, is a polycarbonate cover for 13-inch unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros. It uses a molded-in bubble design, and is available in six different color schemes including black, blue, red, pink, white and clear. The case snaps into place, maintaining access to batteries and ports....
published on Thursday, the 3. December 2009, macintosh-news-network
MacBook Mod Gives Base Station Chassis New Purpose
odysseus31173 writes "A little over a year ago, I began developing for the iPhone and needed a working mac (not a Hackintosh), so I decided to purchase a MacBook logic board to save on cost. I modded a Linksys case to accept the logic board (along with all of the other hardware) and made it function again. The Mac currently runs Leopard and has a working iSight and mic along with fully functional WiFi and bluetooth. The RAM is the standard 1 gig, but the hard drive has been upgraded to 160 gigs. The iSight/mic holes in the front panel are hard to see and this could be used as a nanny cam of sorts."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
published on Tuesday, the 1. December 2009, apple-slashdot