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Apple rejects Macworld iPhone Superguide from App Store... for using the word 'iPhone'

by Nilay Patel posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 2:56PM

The iPhone App Store's arbitrary and inconsistent approval process continues to baffle and annoy on every level, as Macworld Editor-in-Chief Jason Snell just had his iPhone book rejected... for using the word "iPhone" in the title. Apparently Apple doesn't like app names or icons to include the word iPhone or images of the iPhone -- which arguably makes sense on some level -- but you'd think a freaking iPhone reference manual would warrant an exception, wouldn't you? Making matters worse, it appears that one Mr. David Pogue didn't have this problem, as his iPhone: The Missing Manual was approved with title and icon intact. Sigh. Phil Schiller -- deploy!

Update: And just like that, Apple has reversed its stance and approved the app unchanged. Internet high-fives all around. [Warning: iTunes link]

Continue reading Apple rejects Macworld iPhone Superguide from App Store... for using the word 'iPhone'

iPod / iPhone CES pavilion sells out in record time, quadruples to include Mac products -- goodbye, Macworld?

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 29th 2009 at 12:57PM

Damn, it hasn't even been a month since Apple's final Macworld Expo appearance, and it already looks like the show's in trouble -- the CEA just announced that its iPod / iPhone-centric iLounge Pavilion sold out just a week after being announced, and that it's quadrupling in size to include Mac-specific products and retailers as well. That means there's going to be 18,000 square feet of CES solely dedicated to the Apple ecosystem, and without the draw of an Apple product announcement to bring the press to Macworld, it's going to be pretty tough for it to attract the top-tier companies and product launches it needs to survive in the face of the CES juggernaut. We'll see how this plays out -- we've got a feeling next year's Macworld is going to be dramatically different.

P.S.- Regardless of what happens, we still think it's really unlikely that Apple itself comes to CES -- why would it ever want to share the spotlight?

Continue reading iPod / iPhone CES pavilion sells out in record time, quadruples to include Mac products -- goodbye, Macworld?

OWC intros dual-bay quad interface Mercury Elite-AL Pro RAID drives

by Darren Murph posted Jan 9th 2009 at 7:04AM

OWC's Mercury Elite-AL Pro hasn't changed much since May of 2007 in terms of design, but the latest models offer up two bays for that sweet, succulent RAID action. The Mercury Elite-AL Pro Dual-Bay drive offers up four interface options (USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800) and comes in an aircraft-grade brushed aluminum housing. Pre-configured models are available now from $219.99 (500GB) to 3TB ($499.99).

Engadget Podcast 124 - 01.07.2009: CES day one

by Trent Wolbe posted Jan 7th 2009 at 2:03PM

It's Wednesday in Las Vegas: a little chilly, a lot CES-y. Join your fearlessly caffeinated Engadget Podcast team as it pauses to reflect on the tranquility (and hardware) that came with the final Macworld keynote from Apple, and the technological wizardry that may, may not, or might have already come from the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. Stay tuned -- we'll be rolling out a new podcast for each magical day of the show!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Another One Bites the Dust

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Griffin freaks out on the accessory tip

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 7th 2009 at 4:01AM

Tons of little accessories from Griffin today -- here's a quick breakdown, pictures in the gallery!

SmartTalk Bluetooth headset: dual-mic headset featuring STEPvoice "acoustic voice separation" technology to kill background and wind noise, and features voice feedback during pairing. $100, now shipping, or wait until February to buy it in a bundle with the PowerJolt car charger for $120.
TuneBuds Fit: In-ear headphones with 10mm drivers in an "anatomically correct" aluminum curved design. Sure, okay. They'll be $50 in February.
Noise-reducing auxiliary audio cable: Car-oriented headphone cable with an inline dual-element noise filter to eliminate hum from vehicle electrical systems. If you need this -- you know if you do, trust us -- it'll be well worth the $20 in February.
SmartShare USB: Sure, lots of people could use this $20 two-port USB hub with a unique splitter-like design, but Griffin's targeting it at MacBook Air owners, because let's face it -- it's fun to point out how limited the MacBook Air is.
PowerBlock Reserve: Adds a removable battery to the popular PowerBlock USB charger that allows it to charge your iPod / iPhone away from an outlet. A little steep at $40, but the battery is held in place magnetically for extra awesomeness.
PowerJolt Reserve: Same deal as the PowerBlock, but in an iPod / iPhone car charger package.
Charge Converter FireWire to USB: We're still unclear as to why all these iPhone 3G FireWire charging adapters are all so expensive, but $30 will get you Griffin's take on the idea sometime later this month.

Gallery: Griffin 2009 accessory lineup

G-Technology's external G-DRIVE mini / G-RAID mini appear with SSDs within

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:01PM

Across the way at Macworld, G-Technology has dropped in to launch what it (mistakenly) calls the industry's first family of external SSDs. Who knows, maybe it's playing up that "family" angle, but these certainly aren't the first SSDs to link up with machines from the outside. Minutiae aside, we're still pretty pumped about the G-DRIVE mini and G-RAID mini, both of which house 2.5-inch SSDs that promise to operate in a cooler, quieter fashion. The former unit is set to ship in 120GB and 250GB flavors, while the latter will arrive with 250GB or 500GB within. Also of note is the port assortment: USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and -- wait for it -- FireWire 400 (eSATA is included as well on the G-RAID mini). G-Technology asserts that the G-DRIVE minis will hit read rates of 75MB/sec and write speeds of 60MB/sec (the RAIDed siblings will top out at 195MB/sec), and nary a power supply is needed when using powered USB / FireWire sockets. Look for 'em to come pre-formatted for OS X later this month starting at $599.

Macworld '09: a show of no-shows

by Paul Miller posted Jan 6th 2009 at 6:28PM

With Phil doing the honors, nobody really thought Apple was planning on revolutionizing anything this morning -- sure, there were plenty of rumors, like always, but most people weren't expecting the moon. What we were expecting, however, was for Apple to come clean on a few things, so bear with us as we file this missing persons report.

Notably absent:

Push notifications. This was supposed to roll out in September and is sorely needed.
Snow Leopard. Last June Apple said the OS was due in "about a year," so we would expect to start hearing a bit more about it -- or at least notification of a delay.

Woulda been nice:

Matte display options for other MacBooks. Pretty please?
Mac mini refresh. The little box has become woefully underspecced -- especially for the price -- and is also lagging a little in the design department.
A mid-range tower. This is just wishful thinking, but seriously Apple: the demand is there.
iPhone 32GB. In pink, of course.

Dodged a bullet (for now):

iPhone nano. Our hands aren't getting any smaller, and this SimCity isn't gonna get plumbing all on its own.
iTablet. Sure, it's been every Newton-head's dream since forever, but that doesn't mean the market for a UMPC-ish iPod touch-like device is there just yet.

Yeah, Apple doesn't have to do anything -- in fact, that yearly grind of expectation is probably one of the reasons the company is bowing out of Macworld altogether -- but would it really be too much trouble to at least drop some verbiage on some of this stuff? Just wondering, is all. Oh, and in case you're more of a visual type, Apple's video of the keynote is now online, hit up the read link for all the non-action.

NEC delivers 26- / 30-inch LCDs with SpectraView color calibration sensor

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2009 at 4:58PM

If you thought NEC's LCD2690WUXi² was a mouthful, you ain't heard nothin' yet. Debuting today at Macworld are the MultiSync LCD2690W2-BK-SV (26-inch) and LCD3090W-BK-SV (30-inch) displays, both of which come bundled with the SpectraView color calibration sensor and software. Of note, NEC's also taking this opportunity to launch the aforesaid kit as a standalone product (SVII-PRO-KIT; $329) for those who could use it, and it's fully compatible with both Windows and OS X-based systems. Oddly enough, NEC doesn't even stop to mention the native resolution on either IPS panel, though it spends a copious amount of time detailing exactly how awesome fully automated color calibration is. And it better be, given the $1,449 / $2,449 price points.

Video: NEC CRVD display hands-on

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:49PM

We first saw Ostendo's sexy curved DLP display all dressed up in Alienware garb at CES last year, but NEC had a version as well, and it looks like it's going to be the one to finally bring it to market. Branded as the CRVD, there's really nothing new inside the slightly slimmer case, but the 42.8-inch, 45-pound screen is still eye-popping in person, with a 2880 x 900 resolution, .36mm pixel pitch, and sub-.02ms response time. Bad news? It'll set you back $6,499 when it ships in April. Pics in the gallery, video after the break.

Gallery: NEC CRVD Display hands-on

Continue reading Video: NEC CRVD display hands-on

WD pumps out My Passport for Mac / My Book Mac Edition

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:44PM

We'll wager you didn't know Macworld was going on today, did you? Pathetic jokes aside, Western Digital has lined up a pair of launches today in San Francisco to coincide with Apple's final Macworld keynote, as we're treated to the My Passport for Mac portable HDD and the My Book Mac Edition. Truthfully, the only real difference between these drives and their vanilla counterparts is the pre-format process; with these, they both come "pre-formatted for Mac," saving you the tiresome task of converting 'em to HFS+ Journaled yourself. Additionally, these USB 2.0 drives are made to work "seamlessly" with Apple's Time Machine backup software, and they'll arrive in capacities including 320GB and 500GB (My Passport) / 1TB (My Book). Both units should be available now for between $129.99 and $179.99.

Video: SMART Table 50-inch multitouch Interactive Display Panel

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:44PM

The last time we ran into SMART Table, they were demoing a very sturdy multitouch table to a group of schoolkids in Chicago, but they're here at Macworld with some sexier tech -- 50-inch and 65-inch multitouch plasma screens that interface with any OS X machine. The tech allows you to use the screen just like the built-in multitouch trackpad on newer MacBooks, so it works in basically any app, and while it's super-pricey (they just smiled and said "thousands" when we asked), the main cost is the screen and not the touchpanel, so we could see it come down to earth sometime soon. Check the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: SMART Table 50-inch multitouch Interactive Display Panel

Eos Wireless' Converge system streams audio all over your home

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2009 at 2:35PM

Considering that Eos Wireless is introducing its Converge wireless audio system at Macworld, it follows logic that the press release is geared towards Apple kit. So yeah, there's no question this stuff will stream jams from your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or Mac to any room in the house, but you should also know that the system plays nice with the anti-Apple (but pro-USB / auxiliary port) crowd as well. It promises a wireless range of 150 feet, and it seems to be available in a variety of "Groups" depending on how complex or simplistic your home setup is. Look for the components to ship in March for as low as $89.95 per piece.

Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jan 6th 2009 at 12:00PM

We're inside the building and waiting to jump into our seats. Stay tuned for all the live coverage you could possibly want (or need)!

Continue reading Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote

Apple unveils all-new 17-inch MacBook Pro

by Paul Miller posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:50AM

Apple just confirmed the totally expected yet eagerly anticipated unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro. They're calling it the world's thinnest and lightest 17-inch laptop. It features a 1900 x 1200 LED backlit display, with a 700:1 contrast ratio, wider color gamut and a glorious $50 matte option. Most of the specs are otherwise quite similar to the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but unfortunately Apple went with a MBA-style non-removable battery, claiming that the lack of removable mechanism allowed for more battery -- they're speccing it at 8 hours of lithium polymer juice on integrated graphics, 7 hours on discrete, and it's rated at 1000 recharges. There will also be an exchange program, like with the iPod. The base model hits at $2799, spec breakdown and more shots after the break.

Click here to see video and our hands-on of the laptop.

Gallery: MacBook Pro 17

Gallery: MacBook Pro 17-inch first hands-on

Continue reading Apple unveils all-new 17-inch MacBook Pro

Apple announces iWork.com beta

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:48AM

Well, it looks like Apple is competing with Google in more ways than one, with the company today announcing a beta version of the Google Docs-like iWork.com. The web-based app will apparently be tightly integrated with the OS-bound iWork app, and let you easily share documents with contacts who can add notes and make edits, again, much like Google Docs, albeit in an environment that closely resembles the standard iWork apps. What's more, while the beta will be free to those interested in trying it out, the final product will eventually be a pay service, though there's no word on a price just yet.

Older Posts →

Gallery: Griffin 2009 accessory lineup

Gallery: NEC CRVD Display hands-on

Gallery: MacBook Pro 17

Gallery: MacBook Pro 17-inch first hands-on

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