Hasta La Gadget!

We can think of a pretty good reason why Apple might have a head-start when it comes to Thunderbolt-capable machines, but Apple doesn’t actually have a timed exclusive on the technology, at least according to Intel PR. The company told us that while it’s currently targeting an early 2012 launch for Thunderbolt with other OEMs — whereas the new MacBook Pro has Thunderbolt right now — there’s nothing stopping other manufacturers from launching machines with the 10Gbps interconnect a good bit earlier if they so desire.

In related news, the first Thunderbolt peripherals have just been formally announced — the Promise Pegasus RAID array we saw spitting out 800MB / sec video streams, and the LaCie Little Big Disk. The former will come in four-bay and six-bay variants, topping out at 12TB of magnetic storage when it arrives in Q2, and the latter will boast a pair of Intel 510 Series SSDs — which, by the way, have yet to be formally announced — in RAID 0 for 500GB of storage in total. PR after the break.

Continue reading Intel refutes Apple exclusivity for Thunderbolt I/O, LaCie and Promise detail first Thunderbolt peripherals

Intel refutes Apple exclusivity for Thunderbolt I/O, LaCie and Promise detail first Thunderbolt peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AppleHeadlines  |  LaCie, Promise  | Email this | Comments

The rumor gears are really starting to churn with regard Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro refresh and now we have a purported leak of the upcoming spec sheet for the new 13-inch model. The highlight is a note (and image, above) seemingly confirming that Apple will implement Intel’s Light Peak high-speed interconnect, renaming it the Thunderbolt. Yes, we know there’s an HTC handset headed to Verizon with that very same name — and we’ve checked the USPTO archives, Verizon’s the only tech company with any trademark claim filed for “Thunderbolt” — but Apple has done weirder things before. Also notable are the apparent inclusion of an SDXC card reader and the absence of a discrete GPU chip, indicating that perhaps the new Core i5 integrated graphics from Intel are finally good enough to convince Cupertino to rely on them full time. Jump past the break to see the full data sheet.

Update: We now have an image claiming to show the new Thunderbolt port, which happens to look exactly like the Mini DisplayPort but has a tidy little lightning logo next to it. That’s extremely easy to Photoshop, as is the accompanying photo displaying a broader trackpad on the MBP, but we’ll let you judge the validity of those images for yourself. Check them out after the break.

Update 2: One more image of the spec sheet, this time in English, provided by MacRumors along with the note that it’s for the “low-end” 13-inch MacBook Pro. The doc states that the Thunderbolt port supports “high-speed I/O and Mini DisplayPort devices,” which would explain why it looks the way it does.

[Thanks, Leon and Rodney]

Continue reading Apple’s Light Peak implementation called Thunderbolt, coming in new MacBook Pros?

Apple’s Light Peak implementation called Thunderbolt, coming in new MacBook Pros? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  fscklog, Mac4Ever  | Email this | Comments

We know Light Peak is ready, at least in its 10Gbps copper form. We think that Apple will be the first to use it, possibly in a set of new MacBooks. Now, this Thursday, Intel has invited journalists to a San Francisco event, where it will “discuss a new technology that is about to appear on the market” and provide tech demos. There’s no hard news here, but things appear to add up, and so the web’s ablaze with rumors that Thursday’s the day Intel will unveil the finished first generation of its interconnect technology to the world. Here’s what happens now: We’ll be in San Francisco this Thursday, reporting live from the event, to let you know for sure.

Intel to show new technology on Thursday, Light Peak rumors swirl originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

It’s the perfect rumor: the officially delayed and frequently tattled white iPhone 4 has reemerged as the white iPhone 5 riding a horned stallion through virgin rumor fields. According to the Economic Daily News, the previously unheard of white iPhone 5 will feature a touch panel supplied exclusively by Wintek. If true, then the white iPhone 4, officially scheduled for a spring 2011 launch, should be available just prior to the launch of the next generation white iPhone 5, anticipated for a summer launch in keeping with Apple’s typical launch cycle. Not exactly ideal, but hey, it’s only the first of many related rumors to come.

P.S. Here’s a link to an Apple-free Engadget in anticipation of your needs.

Forget the white iPhone 4, white iPhone 5 rumors begin! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink DigiTimes  |  Economic Daily News  | Email this | Comments

There’s not a scrap of evidence to back this rumor, but everything seems to line up: CNET reports that Apple will announce “a new high-speed connection technology” soon — and Intel’s Light Peak seems to be a shoo-in for the job. We’ve long known that Apple’s been secretly backing the 10Gbps interconnect, but with a likely MacBook Pro refresh right around the corner and Light Peak allegedly due for a 1H 2011 launch, it seems the time for action could be right around now. It also doesn’t hurt that this latest rumor comes from CNET, actually, as we’re pretty sure the publication has an inside source. The very same reporter wrote that Light Peak would be downgraded to copper, a full month before Intel would admit anything of the sort.

Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  CNET  | Email this | Comments