13-inch Retina MacBook Pro still on track for this year

Earlier today, we reported that Apple‘s rumored iPad Mini and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display were getting a delay because of low yields of certain materials needed for the devices. However, while we don’t know much about the status of the iPad Mini, it’s said that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro will still be on target for a launch this year.

Analyst Richard Shim from research firm NPD DisplaySearch says that production for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will be enough to warrant a launch sometime before the year is up, specifically sometime this fall. Whether or not production was actually delayed isn’t known, but apparently it won’t affect the product’s release schedule.

Shim also had some insights on a few specifications of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro model. It’s said to boast a 2560×1600 resolution, which is only slightly smaller than the 15-inch model‘s display of 2880×1800. The new 13-inch model is also said to be priced between a top-of-the-line 13-inch non-Retina model and a current top-of-the-line 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Other than that, Shim thinks that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will be announced after the iPad Mini, but since Apple didn’t send out invitations yesterday like we thought, we’re still not sure when the company plans on actually unveiling the rumored iPad Mini. All we can say is that an impending announcement is sure to come soon (we hope).

[via AppleInsider]


13-inch Retina MacBook Pro still on track for this year is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


iPad Mini, 13-inch Retina MacBook delayed due to production issues

Apple‘s not even close to slowing down the number of new products they have in the pipeline, but it looks like the production itself is slowing down a bit due to some rumored production issues on Foxconn’s factory floor. Apple’s upcoming iPad Mini and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is said to be delayed from the production issues.

It’s said that that both Foxconn and Pegatron aren’t able to get suitable yelds for the display and chassis of the iPad Mini and aren’t able to keep up with Apple’s large orders, which is the cause of the delay. Foxconn has always seen difficulties in keeping up with the demand of Apple products, but this would be the first time in a while that we’ve heard of a production delay.

The rumored 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is also said to be affected by the delay as well. Both Foxcoon and Pegatron are seeing low yields with Retina displays, and it’s said that the new laptop has already been delayed a month so far, which makes us believe that the delay is more serious than expected.

The iPhone 5 has already been rumored to be in a slower production mode, after Apple and Foxconn decided to crack down on inspection and benchmark regulations for the new device after users were complaining of scuffs and scratches out of the box. If Apple is hoping to release their new products in time for the holiday season, let’s hope they make the deadline, but delays certainly aren’t going to make it easier to do so.

[via DigiTimes]


iPad Mini, 13-inch Retina MacBook delayed due to production issues is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Steve Jobs tribute MacBooks set up for charity auction

Three 3rd-party modified MacBook Pro units were put up for sale this week in limited iterations including a customized top lid with Steve Jobs‘s own visage reflecting deeply in the Apple logo. The proceeds from each of these notebooks, each of them created by the Apple customizers at Uncover, will be sold for 9500,00 Euro, aka right around 12 thousand bucks here in the USA. This set of three units will be sold with all proceeds going to a couple of charities you’re just going to love.

The design of the Apple, for those of you that don’t remember all the way back to last year, comes from designer Jonathan Mak – or at least is based upon that design per their press release. This set of three notebooks is all the same, each model coming with 2.7GHz configurations, 16GB memory, and a 750GB solid state drive inside. Each model is made with essentially the same components as the normal MacBook Pro with Retina display, but the Apple logo on the top cover is laser-cut to create the face of Jobs.

The proceeds will be split between the charity Get It Done and another group by the name of SellanApp where it’ll be working with developers working on iOS apps that specifically “don’t have a direct business model, but have a clear societal value.” The bottom of the notebook will also include the following inscription laser-cut into the metal:

“When you grow up you, tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader, once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” – Steve Jobs

This is just one of a vast collection of tributes that have been made to Jobs over the past year, with today’s one-year anniversary of his passing making the world once again remember his impact. Of course according to Apple, his influence doesn’t just stop at the idea that everything from his design knowledge to his leadership skills are still being studied today. His design influence in each of the major products in the field being released even today had Jobs hand in them well before they came to fruition.

Have a peek at the small timeline below for more Steve Jobs tributes and memories from the past year, and let us know if you feel that a MacBook Pro with Retina Display is a fabulous way to remember the man’s visage. Also let us know if you plan on picking up one of these three 12 thousand dollar notebooks.


Steve Jobs tribute MacBooks set up for charity auction is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Modbook Pro gets priced at $3,500, as pre-orders begin

No one ever said a modded MacBook Pro was gonna be cheap. Last week Modbook announced that it would be going ahead with pre-orders on the Modbook Pro today, but didn’t really touch on pricing. As ordering begins, the company’s attached a $3,500 starting price tag for the honor of controlling your 13.3-inch Mac with a pen. The Modbook Pro, which is set to start shipping in the middle of next month, runs Mountain Lion and features a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor (upgradable to a 2.9GHz i7) and memory and storage up to 16GB and 480GB, respectively. If you’re aching to get your hands on one of these Frankensteinian tablets, you’ll have to plunk down a $500 deposit.

Continue reading Modbook Pro gets priced at $3,500, as pre-orders begin

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Modbook Pro gets priced at $3,500, as pre-orders begin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Really Are Never Too Old to Learn a New Technology [Life]

Truly! There is absolutely no age cut-off for learning a new technology. I mean, if a four-year-old can operate an iPad, there is absolutely no reason why that infant’s grandmother or grandfather shouldn’t be able to as well. After all, most if not all of our grandparents have used a typewriter at one point or another. And that’s already a step above the kind of hands-on life experience a pre-schooler is working with. More »

Modbook Pro OS X Mountain Lion tablet launches with SSD

It’s time to get your MacBook Pro action on with a modified tablet design from Modbook Pro, announced today once again in a 13.3-inch iteration for release on October 3rd. The folks at Modbook have a strange situation on their hands, one where they’re somehow or another able to side-step the lock-out that exists around Apple’s OS X and create tablet computers that are, essentially, MacBook Pro units without the keyboard and a touchscreen up front. Today’s announcement also adds an SSD to the mix for you hardcore solid-state lovers.

This device will be appearing as a 13.3-inch Mac-based pen tablet computer. You’ve got a 64GB solid-state drive inside, upgrade possible to 480GB internal SSD storage, and a ship-date for online purchases of the device for as early as mid-November. This device combines the original hardware of an Apple MacBook Pro with OS X Mountain Lion with a digitizer from Wacom for 512 levels of pen pressure sensitivity. Also in the mix is a ForceGlass pen interface and the ability to work with Microsoft Windows 7 as well.

If you purchase the base configuration of this machine, you’ll be getting Modbook Inc’s own original 64GB Nishara-class SATA 3 SSD with NAND technology – and you’ve got the option to work with a bigger more powerful beast as well, of course, with up to 480GB of storage. With NAND technology you’ll have the best speed and performance available with flash-based storage, and you’ll have no moving parts – better for the long run.

Sales of this Modbook Pro will begin on Wednesday and will have customers living in the United States – or at least whose mailing addresses are in the USA – getting shipment in starting in November. The Modbook team lets everyone know the following about each Modbook purchase, and makes it clear that this is not an original product in and of itself, but a modification of a product originally manufactured by Apple.

The Modbook Pro is an enclosure conversion kit designed to exclusively contain an original MacBook Pro base system manufactured by Apple Inc. Apple Inc.’s one-year warranty on the base system is voided by the conversion and replaced with the Modbook Pro Protection Plan, which covers the entire hardware solution, including the base system.

Let us know if you’re into the idea of the Modbook Pro, or if you think people should just stick with the iPad and leave the real power to the notebook universe!


Modbook Pro OS X Mountain Lion tablet launches with SSD is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Apple gets patent for universal batteries, edges closer to long-lasting wireless peripherals

Apple gets patent for universal batteries, edges closer to longerlasting mice and keyboards

These days, just about every Apple product is defined by a non-removable battery. It’s with no small hint of irony, then, that Apple just received a US patent for a universal removable battery system. As proposed, the technique would let Apple cut batteries from lithium-polymer or similar materials into commonly sized packs that could then be swapped between devices, providing all the benefits of removable, rechargeable batteries with a longer lifespan than an old set of AAs. Batteries could have serviceable cores for when they finally give up the ghost, and computers could even alternate between charging the batteries (when plugged in) or using them to extend the runtime of MacBooks. We’d recommend against basing any purchasing strategy around Apple’s filing, though. The Cupertino team originally applied for the patent in 2010, and in turn broke out the technology from a patent it had filed in 2007 — there’s no guarantees Apple is still interested in replacing those disposables, let alone any sealed-in batteries. That won’t stop us from yearning for the day when a Magic Mouse lasts for more than a week of heavy use.

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Apple gets patent for universal batteries, edges closer to long-lasting wireless peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moku Woodware’s Desktop Chair: Seat Your MacBook or iPad with Style

Stands and charging stations tend to look alike, because they are designed to do similar things, which is why when I see a unique solution to stash my computer or tablet, I’m always interested. The Desktop Chair is definitely a distinctive way of charging up your gear.

desktop chair moku hardware

The Desktop Chair is made by Moku Woodware, and they use fine natural basswood to make it. It’s the perfect place to lay down your MacBook or iPad. It’s also handmade, which is cool. It’s a nice way of turning your laptop into a workstation. It can also be used as a viewing and charging stand for your tablet.

desktop chair moku hardware macbook

You can get your Desktop Chair from Moku Woodware for $38(USD).

[via PicoCool]


TwelveSouth Updates Their BookArc For The Retina MacBook

Screen Shot 2012-09-05 at 10.18.46 AM

As a fan of beautiful things (looking at you, Robert Pattinson) I’ve always loved TwelveSouth’s BookArc laptop stands. Designed to keep your laptop up and out of the way on your desk.

It’s not amazing technology: it’s basically an arc-shaped piece of aluminum slotted to fit a specific laptop – in this case the Retina MacBook. At $49 it’s a bit pricey, but folks who like good design and ergonomics will probably love it.

The new BookArc is available now at TwelveSouth. Cable wraps and special pads make it compatible with the 13, 15, and 17-inch MacBook Pros as well.


Apple promotes pair of execs to Senior VP level, Bob Mansfield to hang around after all

Bob Mansfield of AppleIt’s a day of upheaval in the boardroom at Apple — in the good sense. Remember how Hardware Engineering Senior VP Bob Mansfield said he would retire in June? He’s had a change of heart and will keep working on future products. Meanwhile, two of the vice presidents who’ve been mainstays of Apple’s recent plans, Mac Software Engineering VP Craig Federighi and Hardware Engineering VP Dan Riccio, have been promoted to Senior VP. All three will report directly to CEO Tim Cook, and both Federighi as well as Riccio will get their first turns at Apple’s executive management team. While the shift isn’t going to signal a dramatic change in strategy, it’s notable that Riccio’s role is expanding: he’s moving from his earlier iPad focus to overseeing all the hardware Apple makes. We can only guess at what the ultimate goals might be for the new assignments, although we can imagine Apple jumping through hoops to keep a hardware executive as skilled as Mansfield on its side.

Continue reading Apple promotes pair of execs to Senior VP level, Bob Mansfield to hang around after all

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Apple promotes pair of execs to Senior VP level, Bob Mansfield to hang around after all originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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