Aluminosilicate glass. CNC-machined steel. A4. IPS panels. Unibody. Retina display. It sounds like jargon plucked from a stuffy science journal. But it’s straight out of Apple marketing. More »
Whoa, Nelly! Is that a Firefox 4 download button we’re looking at? Why yes… yes it is! We can’t think of a much better way to wrap up one’s workday than by finding out that Mozilla’s own Firefox browser has finally made the official leap to 4.0, with Beta 1 going live for the adoring public today. It’s ready to be sucked down and installed for those with Windows, Linux and OS X-based machines, and the changelog itself is far too lengthy for this space (though it’s linked below for your perusal). You’ll obviously notice an overhauled look hitting you front and center, with a new add-on manager, support for the new WebM format, improved privacy settings and crash protection headlining the “big chart o’ features.” Give ‘er a download and toss your thoughts on the new build down in comments below, cool?
P.S. – Be warned that this may very well not work with your stable of add-ons right away, so we’d keep that stable 3.x.x build installed as a backup!
Firefox 4 Beta 1 now available for download originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
Firefox (download), The Mozilla Blog, Changelog | Email this | Comments
Four short months after Opera 10.5, the Scandinavian potato boilers are back for more — the latest version of their lightweight web browser features not only claims to be the fastest, but the first final browser with WebM video support. While we actually noticed a variety of web videos felt choppy with the Windows version, there’s no denying it’s a speedy little hummingbird; Engadget felt snappier on Opera than Chrome or Firefox by far. Don’t take our word for it, though — try it out for yourself at the source link.
Opera 10.6 hits Windows, Mac and Linux with faster Javascript, WebM video support originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Opera | Email this | Comments
Could Windows Live Essentials really be “better than Mac for photos, hands down,” as per the gauntlet Microsoft’s Brian Hall tossed earlier this month? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by trying it out yourself with the free download at our source link. The software suite just hit beta with not only the face-recognizing, photo-stitching new rendition of Photo Gallery, but also new versions of Mail, Movie Maker, Messenger, Writer and a Mac-friendly version of the Dropbox-like Sync (no, not that Sync) as well. So… what are you waiting for? Oh, you’re still “awwing” at the image above, aren’t you?
Continue reading Windows Live Essentials beta is ready for your downloading delight
Windows Live Essentials beta is ready for your downloading delight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Windows Live Essentials Beta | Email this | Comments
When Apple quietly introduced the Unibody Mac Mini, many people wondered if it was the perfect HTPC. Considering that it packs a HDMI-port (a first for Apple) and is housed in a sleek design, it just may be. More »
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
As TVs and Blu-ray players increasingly feature internet connections, content partnerships, and now even open operating systems, they’re turning up the pressure on of standalone devices such as Apple TV and the Roku player. Indeed, Steve Jobs has said the demanding existence between the rock of the connected television and the hard place of the closed cable system is what’s relegated Apple TV to “hobby” status.
In the Windows world, several companies in the netbook space such as Asus, Acer and Lenovo have popped Atom processors into slim desktop enclosures, dubbing them nettops. Dell has gone a somewhat different route, opting for more powerful desktop components in its chunky Inspiron Zino HD desktop/home theater hybrid. And now, the Mac mini has taken a step toward this role as Apple, which has been a strong backer of DisplayPort, has adorned its only display-free Mac with an HDMI port.
Continue reading Switched On: New Mac mini a mixed Apple TV alternative
Switched On: New Mac mini a mixed Apple TV alternative originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
The Mac mini has long been the oddball child of the Mac family: it’s the only consumer-level machine from Apple that isn’t a fully-integrated experience, and it’s the only Mac to have had a sub-$1,000 sticker price in some time. But people love this little weirdo, and they love to do weirdly awesome things with it — we’ve seen Mac minis stuffed into everything from old G4 Cube shells to volleyball-playing robots to pianos to… DeLoreans. Yes, DeLoreans. And, of course, people have longed been connecting Mac minis to HDTVs and using ’em as a media players — it’s small, quiet, relatively powerful, and it’s a real computer, so it can play virtually any video file you throw at it. And now it’s gotten even more attractive as a home theater PC, since Apple’s given the newest Mac mini a striking unibody makeover, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, and — a first for any Mac — an HDMI port, making it a dead-simple addition to your HDTV. On the flip side, the base price of the only stock consumer configuration has gone up to $699, and to be blunt, much cheaper PCs have had HDMI ports forever. So is the mini worth the premium? Is it the ultimate small PC for the living room — and beyond? Read on to find out.
Continue reading Mac mini (mid 2010) review
Mac mini (mid 2010) review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
We’ve already seen some evidence that Macs running Steam are generally more powerful than PCs running Steam, and it looks like Apple is busily working to make sure that all potential performance is put to good use. As Valve’s Rob Barris has confirmed on the company’s forums, Apple, ATI and NVIDIA are all “involved” in improving Mac gaming performance, and that “performance is going to improve as drivers are updated.” Barris further went on to say that he expects “modest improvements in short term and larger ones in longer term,” but wouldn’t offer any specific dates as to when some of those updates might roll out.
Valve says Apple, NVIDIA and ATI are working to improve Mac gaming performance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
AppleInsider | Steam Forums | Email this | Comments
Lookin’ for yet another avenue to hop on the 4G superhighway? Fret not, as Clearwire has just doled out a trio of new products intended to help you do just that. Prior to today, you had only a smattering of options to actually tap into Clear’s WiMAX network, but the Clear Spot 4G (WiMAX only), Clear Spot 4G+ (dual-mode with 3G / 4G support) and Clear 4G+ Mobile USB stick have all arrived to give choosy moms more choices. The prior two are simply mobile broadband hotspots (think MiFi, but for 4G), with the 4G+ offering support for Sprint’s 3G network if you happen to leave one of those few WiMAX zones already lit. The USB stick is particularly interesting, as it’s the first dual-mode device hawked by Clear that’s fully compatible with Apple OS X. The Clear Spot 4G will be made by InfoMark and available to purchase for $99.99 next month; those who hate committing can also lease one for $4.99 per month. The Sierra Wireless-built Spot 4G+ (a rebadged Overdrive; shown left) demands a hefty premium for that 3G support, with an MSRP of $224.99 (or least for $5.99 per month) and a similar July ship date. The 4G+ Mobile USB stick (shown right) will support OS X 10.5.x and 10.6.x (along with Windows, of course), and can be snapped up today for $114.99 or leased monthly for $5.99. Head on past the break if you’re thirsty for more.
Gallery: Clearwire new WiMAX products
Continue reading Clearwire intros new WiMAX mobile hotspots, Mac-friendly 3G / 4G USB WWAN modem
Clearwire intros new WiMAX mobile hotspots, Mac-friendly 3G / 4G USB WWAN modem originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Clear | Email this | Comments
IFixit is first on the scene yet again with a teardown of the new unibody Mac Mini. Kyle Wiens and crew popped into the Apple store and bought the non-server version of Apple’s tiny desktop Mac and opened it up. The results come up short of surprising, but do show the clever thinking that went into cramming everything inside the solid aluminum shell.
The journey begins with popping off the plastic baseplate, an easy task involving a quick twist. RAM comes out easily (you can fit in up to 8GB) and then you get to the juicy bits. The fan has rubber damping on the screws and is set at an angle to fit it in. Kyle says that it won’t have much work to do as the Mac Mini fairly sips power, taking just 7 amps at 12 volts compared to the 27-inch iMac’s 25.8 amps at 12 volts (although it also has to power that giant screen). This is why the power brick has shrunk and disappeared inside the machine.
The other neat touch is in the placement of the antennae, which are at either end of the rear plastic plate that holds the I/O ports. This is similar to the plastic window on the iPad 3G.
Fully disassembled, the new Mac Mini looks almost as minimal (and pretty) as it does when whole. Thanks again iFixit, for saving all of us curious souls from having to void our warranty. More pictures below.
Mac Mini Mid 2010 Teardown [iFixit. Thanks, Kyle!]
See Also:
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
