For those who look at their PowerBook, iBook or MacBook Pro and long for a Blu-ray optical drive, FastMac's got you covered. Of course, some Macs were already on its list of compatible machines, but the firm is now announcing that the trio of aforementioned systems have joined the fray alongside the iMac and Mac mini. The slimline drive writes to BD-RE at 2x, DVD±RW at 8x and CD-R/W at 8x, and provides up to 50GB of storage on a single disc. The unit is slated to ship within 30 days and is available for pre-order as we speak for a stiff $999.99.

Just months ago, the Consumer Complaints Board in Denmark announced that it had "proven" that the logic board within a slew of Apple's iBook G4s were faulty, and now it seems that Cupertino has been forced to cough up reparations. According to InfoWorld, a US-based Apple spokeswoman stated that it "disagreed with the DCCB's findings based on its own investigation, and has a strong track record for customer satisfaction." Apparently, the counter report that Apple assembled wasn't enough to persuade the board that the swarm of customer complaints were unwarranted, and now Frederik Navne Boesgaard (of the CCB) has said that Apple "paid up" after conceding the point.

Not since the epic P-P-P-PowerBook! saga have we seen an Apple laptop wrapped up inside of a hardbound enclosure more suited for literature, but this hack manages to actually provide a hint of utility to those willing to undertake it. Upon receiving an iBook with a non-functioning screen, what better to do than strip the "i" prefix, trim down the inessentials, and wrap it in a hardcover book case in order to create a literal book server? If this sounds like your bag, the journey only requires a partially destroyed iBook, a bit of wiring knowledge, and a gutted book for it to call home. Personally, we'd pony up for a built-in AirPort card so it could serve media whilst parked elegantly beside Of Mice and Men, so be sure and give the read link a visit for the step-by-step if you're scouting new reading material.

[Via MAKE]

It might surprise you to see what some people will get up to with their computers. In a desperate attempt to increase the resolution of his/her clamshell iBook's display from 800 x 600 to a majestic 1024 x 768 (via replacing the LCD), one MacNN forums user went through both hell and high water, as recounted in seven mind-expanding pages of sheer modding madness. In the end, he/she got his/her resolution jump, but we think we can safely say that in this case it's the journey -- not the destination -- that counts. Check the read link for the whole amazing saga.

With a name like the iBook eReader there's just no way a Chinese e-ink peddler like Jinke / HanLin could go wrong selling in the Ukraine, right comrade? Well, not unless they attempt to release in the US -- a country where the iBook trademark holds some weight -- which apparently is the intended destination for the €240 ($325) e-book reader. We can supposedly have high hopes for it, though, being equipped with a four-shade SVGA display, WiFi, optional touchscreen interface, and, of course, Linux. Expect this September or October. Or not.

[Via MobileRead]

Looks like Steve needs to spend a little less time working on his blog and a little more time hammering out the kinks in his portables. You may recall the endless logic board problems with the original G3 iBook, which was eventually the subject of an official Apple "repair extension program." Apple claimed to have worked all those problems out in the G4 rev, but there were still reports around the 'net that many of the machines tended to fail in the same way as the G3s after a year or so: sporadically powering off and then rebooting to black screens and whirring fans. For its part, Apple generally insisted that there were no defects in the G4 design and didn't implement a similar repair program. That might have been the wrong course of action, however, as the Consumer Complaints Board in Denmark just released the results of a study they say shows certain components on the iBook G4 logic board loosen slightly with each power cycle, leading to overall system failure. The Board also concluded that Apple is liable to Danish G4 owners for repairs, and indeed, El Reg reports that Apple International is now settling a number of outstanding cases. No word yet on how this will play out outside of Denmark, but we'd think the opinion of the world's most most technologically-advanced nation might hold some sway at 1 Infinite Loop.

The funny thing about marketing Vista with a stock photo of a MacBook is that these days the Mac could actually be running Vista. Too bad that's an iBook.

[Thanks, hkkevinc and Lkr721993 ]

Although the worst of Apple's recent stock option scandal may have passed, the company's friendly legal department won't be getting a rest anytime soon. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, the company revealed that it is facing several previously unseen lawsuits. The first case calls for unspecified damages related to Apple's proprietary DRM system, although it's not the first time Apple's use of Fairplay has landed it in lawyer infested waters. Next up, a plaintiff is seeking damages in relation to an alleged abnormally high rate of logic board failure in Apple's iBook G4 series -- despite our intimate knowledge of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the skills we've learnt from this particular title don't allow us to explain to you why the plaintiff wasn't satisfied with the currently existing iBook Logic Board Replacement Program. Finally, a company called PhatRat Technology has filed a claim alleging that Apple's Nike-iPod product infringes their copyright. As daunting as this filing may seem -- especially in the context of its release only a couple of days before the most unproductive day of the year -- our archives show that this filing is just another page on the company's long record of battling with individuals and corporations that have exerted their right to sue.

As of today, Dell isn't the only major victim of Sony's exploding battery fiasco. (Well, if you don't count the millions of consumers potentially in danger -- and who does?) Apple has just recalled 1.8 million iBook and PowerBook laptop batteries, 1.1 million of those in the US and 700,000 abroad. They've had their fair share of recalls already, including the unrelated MacBook Pro battery recall just last month, and another Powerbook/iBook recall last year, but this one really takes the proverbial cake. Apple says they've received nine reports of overheating, with two incidents of minor burning and a few claims of "minor" property damage. The laptop models include the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4, and the recall includes computers sold from October 2003 through August 2006. So unless you're looking for the next hot pic of a laptop inferno, we suppose you'd better head on over to the official recall site and peep your battery serial number for the official word on your particular model.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

As expected, Apple has launched its new consumer laptops, under the MacBook brand. The new models all share one case design, a 5.2-pound box available in black or white, with a 13.3-inch, 1280x800 display and full-size keyboard. All are based on Intel's Core Duo processor, at speeds from 1.83 GHz to 2.0 GHz. Apple claims a six-hour battery life for the new models, though we imagine that's reduced substantially if you spend that time watching DVDs. Like other recent models from Apple, the MacBook also includes an integrated iSight webcam, a remote control, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth. The new models are available immediately from Apple's online store at prices from $1,099 to $1,499. If you want black, you'll have to pay more: the $1,499 model is the only one one in the color scheme; other than the case color and an 80GB drive, its specs are identical to a $1,299 white model (the 80GB drive is available as a $50 upgrade for the white version, making the price for the black case $150). And, yes, you can now bid farewell to the iBook name. Now, what on Earth is Apple going to announce at Thursday's press event?

Click through for more pics.

Apple is set to take the wraps off of its New York flagship store next Friday, and is hosting an invitation-only event on Thursday to show off the shop to journos and analysts. Of course, we don't normally care a whole lot about new Apple stores, even ones with five-story, $9 million glass cubes as a centerpiece. Still, we're at least a little intrigued by this one, given that the rumors continue to fly that Apple will introduce the Core Duo-powered MacBook next week, and may even refresh some iPod models. And it certainly wouldn't be unprecedented for Steve Jobs to use the store opening to show off some of that new gear. We can be sure of one thing, though: despite the new store's shape (just what is it with Jobs and cubes, anyhow?), we're unlikely to see any new Macs that mirror its design any time soon.

As recently as yesterday, the rumor mill was turning with discussions of the MacBook, Apple's Core Duo-based successor to the iBook, which was said to be coming today. However, yesterday also brought us the first inklings of a "delay" (can an unconfirmed, rumored event actually be delayed?), via AppleInsider. Today, ThinkSecret joined the delay party, and reported that due to "supply issues," the launch was postponed at the "last minute," and the new laptop won't show up until next Tuesday. We suspect that Apple never planned to launch it today in the first place; after all, the company doesn't like to share the limelight, and launching today would have forced it to vie for coverage with the likes of Microsoft and Nintendo. Still, we can't help but feel sorry for anyone who shows up at tomorrow's CompUSA seminar on the "new iBooks" -- not to mention the poor schlub who actually has to push last year's models as the "go-anywhere digital solution."

("MacBook" design by William W from our WWJD 3 contest.)

Read - AppleInsider
Read - ThinkSecret

While we have yet to receive any kind of official confirmation that Apple will be rolling out the MacBook this week, another piece of the puzzle just fell into place. According to this announcement on Apple's web site, the company will be holding a free seminar in New York this Wednesday to show off the "new iBook," which is touted as a "go-anywhere digital solution" and "the most affordable iBook ever." So, is Apple going to stick with the iBook moniker, or is this just a head fake, to be replaced by MacBook by Wednesday? Regardless, it certainly looks like the company will be unveiling a new consumer laptop no later than Wednesday, and will invite the public to check it out.

Update: Thanks to everyone who pointed out that this is a previously scheduled event and that someone at Apple is apparently recycling year-old text that refers to the current iBook line (which is hardly "new"). Of course, if Apple really does go ahead and announce the MacBook tomorrow, as previously rumored, we really do have to wonder what they're going to show off at CompUSA on Wednesday.

[Thanks, Jakob]

Information (or totally baseless and unfounded rumors, depending on how you look at it) is starting to flow about Apple's upcoming consumer laptops, which we previously learned would sport 13.3-inch displays and would be manufactured for Apple by Taiwan's Asustek. According to AppleInsider, the new MacBooks (and, yes, it looks like that will almost certainly be the name, as Apple continues to consolidate all of its computers under the "Mac" brand) will indeed have that 13.3-inch widescreen display, along with Core Duo processors running at 1.67 GHz or higher. That should be good news to those who speculated that, like the entry-level Mac mini, the MacBooks would be limited to Core Solo chips. Other specs are expected to include a built-in iSight camera, magnetic latch and MagSafe power adapter. AppleInsider also says that the computers are due to be announced sooner than the June timeframe claimed in earlier rumors. One thing we can confirm is that the new laptops won't include Lenovo's patented armor and hoverjets, so be sure to keep them away from Hummers.

("MacBook" design by William W from our WWJD 3 contest.)

It's always hard to judge these leaks from Apple suppliers, but according to AFX news, Taiwan's Asustek Computer has supposedly just won a bid for an initial run of around 1.2 million "iBook" computers with Intel processors and 13.3-inch LCDs. We've been operating under the assumption that Apple will call their new consumer line of laptops MacBook, as opposed to the pro line of MacBook Pro. Maybe we just spend too much time thinking about Apple's naming schemes, and this probably doesn't change anything. We should hopefully know for sure before long, though, since it is claimed that Apple will start selling these new laptops in June. (Image by William W from our WWJD 3 contest.)