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Friday, August 25th 2006
Apple Battery Recall 'Kind of a Big Deal'
As you've likely heard by now on the internet, TV, radio, and print, Apple is recalling 1.8 million Sony-made laptop batteries. Spymac has a list of the affected batteries by model and serial number, which includes models sold with 12-inch iBook G4s, 12-inch PowerBook G4s, and 15-inch PowerBook G4s. Apple will replace all affected batteries at no cost to the consumer. If possible, it's best to use your portable with the battery removed and using only the AC adapter for power if it has one of the recalled batteries.
In better news, it looks like MacBook Pro batteries are safe to use, aftering a review by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. They may be hot or unsightly, but they're unlikely to burn your house down.
MacBook Demand Keeping Manufacturers Busy
Those crafty kids at AppleInsider are reporting that MacBook demand is outstripping supply. With students heading back to school and a pent up consumer base desirous of Intel-powered Apple portables, Apple can't keep up. Rumors have also been flying that Apple is seeking a third company to help produce more MacBooks to help allay the long waits.
Newer Keeps the Good Times Flowing with New 14-inch iBook Battery
Hot on the heels of its new battery for 12-inch iBooks, Newer has a product for the 14-inch iBook G3 and G4. While not the cheapest upgrade at $130, the 74 watt-hour battery offers a 34 percent capacity increase, to help you get through those long flights and meetings. If you aren't quite that hardcore, there is also a $100 59 watt-hour battery that is a modest seven percent better in the capacity department. If you're worried about environmental concerns with battery disposal, Newer also offers a great battery recycling program.
Wednesday, August 23rd 2006
QuickerTek Expands Offerings for 15-inch MacBook Pro
Those busy guys at the QuickerTek workshop are at it again, expanding their lineup of anntenas to include a model of their 5.5 dBi antenna for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The $100 accessory leaves you with an external antenna attached to the edge of your display, but offers up to double the range and signal strength over the built-in wireless. If you are interested, remember that installation is not for the novice, although QuickerTek offers professional installation options. More information on the antenna can be found at QuickerTek's website.
Odds and Ends
Macworld writer Dan Frakes has a great rundown of the options available to keep your laptop from burning your lap. Focusing on products you actually take with you instead of full desks, there are some interesting items available.
The ever-reliable Jason D. O'Grady has some interesting photos from a reader who found he was able to peel off a coating of his MacBook to make the discoloration go away. It's quite an odd thing, going by the reader's description and the photos, and we don't quite know what to make of it.
Gizmodo has a sweet-looking video of a motion sensor hack that changes the OS. A mere shake of the MacBook switches from Mac OS X to Windows; what an amazing modern age we live in.
Monday, August 21st 2006
Apple Releases SMC Firmware Update
Following in the footsteps of its big brother the MacBook Pro, the MacBook has received its own SMC Firmware update from Apple. The updater, much like with the MacBook Pro version of the software, changes fan behavior so your portable runs cooler. Opinions have been mixed on the results, with some happy to have a non-scorching experience and others complaining about over-zealous fan activity, but one thing seems to be common: no more mooing.
Newer Offers 12-inch iBook Battery
If you've read our review of Newer's replacement battery for the 12-inch PowerBook, you know we're happy to embrace third-party batteries in our portables, and Newer is now offering an option for the 12-inch iBook owners out there. Their NuPower battery is compatible with both G3 and G4 12-inch iBooks, and they claim up to 51 percent higher capacity above the first-party battery. Newer claims up to nine hours of battery life with their product, versus six hours with the Apple-brand battery. Yes, these are both probably huge exaggerations, but that's still a large gain in terms of percentage. The model offering up to 51 percent better battery life is available for $130, while a lower-power model with 31 percent better capacity is available for $100.
Replacements for Recalled Batteries Running Cooler?
MacFixIt has an interesting anecdote that the replacement batteries for those MacBook Pros that had their batteries recalled seem, at least in some cases, to lead to lower temperatures. Now, the reasons for the recall are not exactly extensively detailed by Apple, so it's unclear whether this is one of the main purposes of the battery replacement program or just a nice bonus, but we'll take it either way.
Monday, August 14th 2006
Core Duo, Core 2 Duo Compared
With processor upgrades supposedly on the horizon for Apple's portable lineup and Merom/Core 2 Duo receiving lots of attention, Anandtech has pitted the two processors against each other to see how much improvement has really been realized. The short of it is that people with Core Duo-powered portables shouldn't feel much of an urge to upgrade, but if you're looking to buy, the new Merom-powered models offer a little more speed without sacrificing battery life.
Securing Your Wireless Connection
A wireless exploit that Macs are vulnerable to has been getting a lot of attention, even though it seems hardly any of the media outlets covering it have any clue whether there is really a problem or what the ramifications of the exploit are. For those of you who don't subscribe to MacFixIt, MacDailyNews has a short summary of what exactly all the brouhaha is about, and how you can easily prevent falling prey yourself.
Apple Wins Accolades
With back-to-school season fast approaching, Apple is getting attention in articles focused on laptops for students. The creatively-capitalized LAPTOP Magazine has the MacBook as its top laptop for the hipster student, citing its compatibility with Pavement tshirts. Consumer Reports, according to Ars Technica, is also fond of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, as it did very well in the scoring.
EVDO News Update
First off, Gearlog reports that the Verizon V640 EVDO ExpressCard works just fine with Mac OS X using the stock drivers. If that has you interested in purchasing the card, head on over to Gear Live for a full review of the V640 in MacBook Pro. The card scores an 8/10, offering little to complain about except that even faster technology is just around the corner, but that's just about always the case, isn't it?
Tuesday, August 8th 2006
TechRestore Begins Offering Overnight 160 GB HD Upgrade Service
We reported yesterday on TransIntl offering 160GB hard drives, and it looks like they aren't the only one. If you want one of the biggest hard drives you can fit in a laptop, but don't want to break out the toolset or your warranty, this news from TechRestore might interest you:
Concord, CA - August, 8 2006 - TechRestore, Inc. announced today that they have begun offering a 160 Gigabyte SATA upgrade as part of their overnight hard drive upgrade service for laptops that have a Serial ATA interface such as the MacBook, MacBook Pro and newer PC laptop models. The new upgrade features the first 160 Gigabyte Serial ATA drive upgrade available for laptop users.You can learn more about the TechRestore service at their website.The high-speed overnight service includes installation of the new drive into the users laptop and data transfer from the old hard drive onto the 160 Gigabyte SATA drive. An exact clone of the users old hard drive is transferred to the new drive, ready for immediate use when their laptop is returned to them via overnight courier. Nationwide door-to-door pickup service is available for the upgrade, with personal couriers picking up customers laptops from virtually any location.
"With the addition of the new Seagate 160GB SATA drive to our overnight services, MacBook and MacBook Pro owners can now get the maximum drive upgrade with minimum downtime," said Shannon Jean, Founder and President of TechRestore. "We're performing services on these fantastic new laptops on a daily basis and we're excited to add this new drive to our overnight upgrades."
The 160 Gigabyte overnight upgrade is $329 including the hard drive, installation and data transfer. The upgrade includes a 1-year warranty from TechRestore and a 5-year warranty on the hard drive from the manufacturer. The service is available immediately.
QuickerTek's Handle Mod Comes to the MacBook
After recently expanding to support the 17-inch MacBook Pro, QuickerTek is now also offering a version of their handle add-on for the MacBook. The $50 product includes a padded aluminum handle, instructions, and everything needed for installation. Besides carrying, the handle lifts the notebook for increased airflow and better ergonomics, according to QuickerTek. It is worth noting that the addition of this handle to your notebook can make using certain sleeves and bags fit improperly (or not at all), but it does add functionality not seen since the first iBooks.
MacBook Owners Gain Access to EV-DO
Only a day after reporting about a new ExpressCard/34 solution for MacBook Pro owners wanting to use EV-DO with Verizon, there is now news of a USB solution for MacBooks without ExpressCard/34. Pricing is currently unavailable, but early tests look positive, and Franklin's USB modem will be available from Sprint later this month.
Monday, August 7th 2006
Novatel Card Enables EV-DO with MacBook Pros
For those of you using Verizon's EV-DO (evolution-date optimized) technology, or interested in using this technology, Novatel is offering an ExpressCard/34 solution for the PCMCIA-challenged MacBook Pro. More information, as well as purchasing links, is available from Macsimum News.
Hard Drive Offerings Updated at TransIntl
TransIntl.com has refreshed its 2.5-inch hard drive lineup. 5400 RPM 160 GB drives are available from $230, 5400 RPM 120 GB drives from $120, and 7200 RPM 100 GB drives from $190. These SATA drives all have 8 MB of cache, and installation in a MacBook should be a snap with the easy access to the hard drive.
Odds and Ends
Gizmodo has a photo of a glossy black Apple laptop (or so it seems). Whether this is some trickery or a ColorWare unit is unclear, but with WWDC here, you can dare to dream.
Speaking of WWDC, MacRumors has a rumors roundup. Check it out to see if your long-anticipated new product is likely to be announced.
Friday, August 4th 2006
Newer Initiates Battery Recycling Program
Joining in the efforts to responsibly dispose of all those batteries that power our electronic world, Newer Technology has initiated its own battery recycling program. Any purchase of one of NewerTech's batteries will also include a shipping label for returning the battery to Newer when it's time to replace the battery, giving the consumer a no-cost alternative to tossing the old battery in the trash. Ours hats are off to Newer for taking some initiative on this issue.
Wednesday, August 2nd 2006
QuickerTek Expands Offerings for 17-inch MacBook Pro
If you've been wanting one of QuickerTek's slick aluminum handles for your 17-inch MacBook Pro, you're in luck. The company now offers a model for the big brother of the MacBook Pro family for $50. The handle is useful for more than just carrying, unfolding to give your MacBook Pro a ventilating lift off a desk or table. All the necessary tools for installation are included.
Rising Recalls and the Value of AppleCare
The India Times has an article on the increasing number of high-profile and high-volume recalls. Looking at some recent cases, the article attributes the problem to a shrinking number of companies actually producing the parts, making any mistake result in thousands of units needing recall.
Fittingly, a contributor to the PowerPage has an offering on the value of AppleCare, citing the savings that come from purchasing the extended warranty if you suffer even a few mishaps.
Odds and Ends
Over at TechEBlog, there is a list of the top five strangest MacBook mods. You've seen some of these before, but it is amazing how fast people have taken to using the MacBook in a strange fashion.
Mobile Magazine has news from Acer on their new 20.1-inch Aspire 9800. The leviathan starts at $2800 and features just about everything you can cram in such a box, including a subwoofer. Just don't ask how much it weighs.
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