Apple Quietly Updates MacBook Pro with Faster Core i7 Processors

MacBook Pro - UpdateOne thing that Steve Jobs didn’t mention on stage during the “Back to
Mac” event was that Apple would be rolling out updated Core i7
processors to the 15 and 17-inch MacBook Pro. The new models can now be
configured with 2.8GHz i7 processors, but neither can be selected from
the main screen: you’ll have to opt for the high-end models of each
laptop in order to see it as an additional configuration option.

The speed boost translates to a $200 US increase in the bottom line of
the 15-inch model and a $400 US boost to the 17-inch MacBook Pro when
you’re shopping, so if you have the money to spend and want the absolute
cutting edge that Apple has to offer, this is it. Both new models are
available now in the Apple Store.

TapDisc for iOS: Tap-timing, color-changing, disc-saving fun

TapDisc for iOS combines a unique and challenging mixture of timing, strategy, and unique gameplay to create an interesting and fun new style of touch-screen game.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Capsure tells you exactly what color you’re seeing

Developed with Pantone, the company that standardizes color by codes, the device can produce the color code for an object when pointed at it.

Barnes & Noble prepping new Nook with full color touchscreen?

Yeah, the Nook already has one color screen, but its primary display is depressingly monochrome. Now there’s word on the street, from a reliable source of CNET’s, that Barnes & Noble will be bringing a full-color, Android-based, touchscreen Nook to its event next Tuesday. That sure sounds a whole lot like a full fledged Android tablet, which would be quite a departure for Barnes & Noble — sure, the Nook is Android-based, but it hardly acts like it currently. Still, there’s a smell of Android tablets in the air, and it wouldn’t be horribly surprising to see B&N move in this direction. CNET’s tipster says the device will be called the Nook Color, and retail for $249. That’s pretty low for a 7-inch touchscreen LCD device, but perhaps (hopefully) B&N has its eye on an alternative tech like Mirasol or Pixel Qi? Either way, the existing Nook will apparently continue to be sold as a lower-end version, so e-ink aficionados have no need to throw their hands up in despair just yet. Stay tuned!

Barnes & Noble prepping new Nook with full color touchscreen? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE introduces ‘hybrid’ bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency

GE introduces 'hybrid' bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency

We’re pretty okay with waiting the second or so it takes a typical CFL to light up, but sometimes, when we’re checking for monsters in closets and other inconspicuous places, it’d be nice if things were a little more expedient. For those times (and for generally impatient people) GE is introducing its Hybrid Halogen-CFL bulb. It’s basically a typical CFL unit, but look closely inside those coils and you’ll spot a wee halogen bulb peeking out. It’s like two bulbs in one, the halogen unit powering on almost instantaneously then fading off once the CFL element gets itself all riled up. We’re wondering how well the output from the two elements match, whether you’d be able to notice the transition, but we’re even more curious about the cost. GE says we’ll have to wait a few months to learn that bit of info, and the same holds true if you’re looking for a release date more specific than “2011.” Hopefully it isn’t too late in the year, as LED bulbs are getting cheaper by the minute.

Continue reading GE introduces ‘hybrid’ bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency

GE introduces ‘hybrid’ bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony makes a million ‘Moves’

Sony has shipped 1,000,000 units of PlayStation Move.

Samsung Galaxy Player 50 shown off in lengthy ad, already on sale in France

We got a pretty good look at Samsung’s Android-based Galaxy Player 50 at IFA last month, but those looking for even more can now get a pretty thorough overview of the device courtesy of a new Samsung ad that runs a full two minutes and forty seconds. What’s more, Samsung Hub is reporting that at least one retailer in France is already selling the device, which is basically a Samsung Galaxy phone without the phone. That means you’ll get Android 2.1, a decent 3.2-inch screen, a 2 megapixel camera, built-in WiFi and GPS, 8 or 16GB of storage, and a microSD card slot for expansion. Head on past the break for the video, and look for the phone to officially hit other retailers in Europe later this month (still no word on a release over here, unfortunately).

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Player 50 shown off in lengthy ad, already on sale in France

Samsung Galaxy Player 50 shown off in lengthy ad, already on sale in France originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hulu doesn’t work on Google TV, even with ‘hack’

Despite reports that a simple workaround enabled full Hulu access on Google TV products, Hulu is still blocked on Google TV devices.

Enormous NES Coffee Table is Up For Sale!

NES Coffee Table.jpg

You may consider yourself a big video game fan, but just how many big video games do you own? Physically speaking, of course. Well, here’s your chance to own the largest Nintendo to ever grace a gamer’s living room.

Matt, a handy guy from Fullerton, California, built himself this awesome NES coffee table a few weeks ago, and has listed it on eBay. The lights light up, the buttons push, and controller plugs offer wall outlet power. For the low, low price of $800 you can buy this one of a kind piece of furniture, which even has storage space for your actual game systems.

Apple’s Mac App Store Review Guidelines posted — will Photoshop make it in?

No surprise that Apple’s new Mac App Store has a similar set of rules and regulations as the iPhone App Store, and we just got the full list. There’s nothing here that’s too different from the iPhone review guidelines, but it all seems terribly odd when applied to a regular computer, and some of the more restrictive policies have already drawn ire from developers like Mozilla’s Director of Firefox Mike Beltzner, who says the restriction against beta code won’t work well with the Mozilla “open beta” development process. That’s definitely a valid criticism, especially if the Mac App Store becomes the dominant way for Mac users to get apps, but there’s a crucial difference here: unlike the iPhone, Macs can run software from any source, not just the App Store. That means apps that don’t meet Apple’s Store guidelines can still be freely used by any Mac user without going through jailbreak hoops, and we think that’s an ideal compromise: it allows Apple to control much of the Mac experience, since developers will have a huge incentive to comply with the review guidelines and get into the store, but still allows other types of apps and utilities to flourish — including, say Firefox betas. (We might have written an editorial arguing for exactly this approach on the iPhone in the past, come to think about it.)

So with that said, let’s examine Apple’s Mac App Store Review Guidelines, which were just posted yesterday — you can grab the PDF here and read the whole thing, but we’re just going to break out the parts that seem more interesting or different than what we’ve seen in the past. Our biggest takeaway? Interpreted on their face, some of these rules would mean major Mac apps like Adobe Creative Suite 5 and Microsoft Office won’t be in the Mac App Store, and that’s obviously a problem. Read on to see what we mean.

Continue reading Apple’s Mac App Store Review Guidelines posted — will Photoshop make it in?

Apple’s Mac App Store Review Guidelines posted — will Photoshop make it in? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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