end of life
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Lenovo ThinkPad X300 series to be phased out, replaced by T400 this year
We're not sure what tea they're being served in the Far East these days, but the peeps at Lenovo have somehow convinced themselves to let go of the legendary 13-inch ThinkPad X301 and replace it with the 14-inch T410s by the end of the year. Ouch. While you mop up the tears pooling around your boots, here's Marketing Director Wang Lipin's reasoning: with the T400 series capable of offering more powerful CPU and GPU at a similar portability but much lower price (we're talking about a $980 difference between the T410s and X301 base models, at the time of writing), the X300 series has since lost its special place in the ultraportable category. It's tough to argue with figures like that, and hey, at least that's one less temptation for the sake of your piggy bank. Or so we're left to tell ourselves.
XBMC bids farewell to its progenitor: the original Xbox
After seven years of development, the Xbox Media Center team says they'll no longer support the console that gave the project its name. We can't blame 'em: the writing's been on the wall for years now, and 733MHz will only carry you so far. If you can't live without your chunky horizontal monolith, don't despair -- you'll still find lingering threads of code being woven at our more coverage link, and you can always lend a hand yourself if updates aren't as quick as you'd like. Don't let that keep you from pouring out your sorrows in comments, though. We're sure Boxee, Media Portal and Plex already have a tear in their eye. [Thanks, bgjz]
iPhone 3G missing a 'select' button on Apple Store, might not be long for this earth
Yes, the "iPhone 3G is dead" rumors are flying fast, and our latest entry is hardly a rumor: Apple's online store currently lists the solitary 8GB iPhone 3G next to the full iPhone 3GS crop, but there's no longer a tasty "select" button below it. Usually if something's out of stock on the Apple store it will just say so, along with a projected time of delay, but with the 4G presumably around the corner this could indeed be marking the end of the 3G's last stand. [Thanks, J]
BumpTop acquired by Google, no longer available
Leaving us so soon? BumpTop, the OS overlay specialist that gave Windows 7 touchscreen PCs a great reason to exist back in early 2009, seems to be pulling the plug on its one and only claim to fame. In a somewhat terse update posted to the site, the company -- which just outed a Mac version of their software in January -- has been acquired by Google, which means that BumpTop (for both Windows and Mac) will "no longer be available for sale." This plug pulling also means that no future updates are planned, but if you're not shaken by such a thought, the app can still be downloaded for the next week free of charge. As for BumpTop Pro users? End-of-life support will be provided for you all, but there's no guarantee that won't change as the wind blows. We're definitely curious to see what Google has in store for BumpTop -- ChromeOS and Android could get real crazy, real fast. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony shutting down Japanese floppy disk sales by March 2011, kills a tech dinosaur
Believe it or not, Sony managed to shift 12 million 3.5-inch floppy disks in Japan last year -- presumably to die-hard old schoolers. Alas, time waits for no one, and the venerable data transporter that started its life way back in 1981 is going to all but cease production by March of next year. Sony was the last of the major manufacturers to keep churning these bits of plastic out, but soon that too shall be no more. Having already shut down operations in most of the world, it's now noted the end of life for its domestic market, and thereby effectively consigned the floppy to the past. Good riddance, you might say, but we still remember fondly the wonder we experienced upon tearing apart our first 5.25-inch floppy disk. Ah well, the diskette goes the way of the cassette, guess that was predictable.
iPod shuffle 2G is no more
Every highly-polished stainless steel lining has a cloud, it seems, and today's music player overhaul by Apple has been no different. Amidst all the excitement about moderate improvements and video cameras, we've also had to say goodbye to an old friend. Having been kept around for six months after the release of its successor, the second gen shuffle has finally succumbed, leaving the newly colorful 3G option all on its lonesome in the minimalist music lover space. Ah well, if you really have your heart set on the old rocker, refurb models are still available at Apple's online store, though probably not for long. [Via iLounge]
VAIO TT disappears from Sony's US site (update: gone for good)
We've always loved the super-expensive VAIO TT with a passion, but apparently the netbook onslaught was just too much for the well-reviewed 11.1-inch machine to take: it's gone from Sony's US website, and we're guessing that it's not going to return. That's too bad, since we've always felt the TT was one of the more beautiful laptops ever made, and while we could never justify its fully kitted-out $4,450 price tag, we always had one on our want list. Hopefully Sony has some grander plans for this size point than the sadly-generic VAIO W -- in the meantime, light a candle and check our unboxing and hands-on gallery below. Update: We just heard back from Sony -- yep, the VAIO TT is gone, and it's not coming back. Shed a tear, will ya? %Gallery-34090%
RIM canning BlackBerry Unite! and BPS?
If we have any readers you use BlackBerry Unite! or BlackBerry Professional Software, we'll feel like we've won the lottery -- but yeah, to the two of you: get ready to make other arrangements. Word on the street is that RIM is getting ready to deep-six two of its light-use management packages in the next few months, likely a result of a killer combination of poor planning, poor execution, and poor uptake. Unite! is geared strictly toward families looking to exchange photos and calendars with one another (you know, the kinds of families where 9-year-old Julie has the Bold and daddy has the hand-me-down 8800) -- a good idea in theory, but few carriers have elected to roll it out. BPS, meanwhile, is designed for small offices where full-fledged BES might be overkill, but RIM's tendency to let the package stagnate after a BES release probably sealed its fate. BerryReview claims that Unite! will reach end-of-life status in July, while BPS will get cut out of the picture just as soon as BES 5.0 hits the streets. So long, guys; we hardly knew ye.[Via BlackBerryNews]
8GB iPhone and iPod touch reach end-of-life, at least in the UK
Conspiracy theorists and Mac rumor-mongerers, start your engines. According to an internal O2 memo we've received, stock of both the 8GB iPod touch and iPhone have run their courses, and have been EOL'd (at least in the UK). The brief letter sent out yesterday evening states that, "Due to the highly successful sales of the Apple 8GB I-Phone [sic], supply chain have today run out of stock & will not be replenishing stock of this product as it has now gone to end of life." Whether this is due to the recent price cuts, the rumored upcoming 2nd generation iPhone, or just a sign that Apple is moving towards higher capacity devices is anyone's guess. All we know is that soon the 8GB iPhone -- at least in the UK -- will become as rare and precious as the Pygmy Three-toed Sloth.[Via The Register; Thanks Callum M.]
TiVo killing off the Series3, focusing on TiVo HD?
When we forced the TiVo HD and Series3 to go mano-a-mano back in October of last year, we had a sneaking suspicion that the latter was actually no longer being produced. Fast forward (har) three months, and sure enough, it seems that the end really is nigh for the Series3. According to TiVo Lovers (who heard directly from DVRupgrade), TiVo is accelerating the EOL (end of life) of the Series3 and "focusing all efforts on the recently launched, lower cost TiVo HD." Apparently, the firm managed to sell through oodles of Series3 boxes over the holidays (thanks in large part to a sizable rebate-based promotion), and rather than searching for creative ways to solve the "continued component shortage," TiVo is reportedly choosing to nudge potential customers in the direction of the TiVo HD. Granted, we'd still take this with a (light) dose of salt for the time being, but don't be shocked to see Series3 stock start dwindling in the coming weeks.[Via TVSquad, thanks Brad L.]
Intel adds chips, cuts prices, kills lines
Making room for all that new speed can be difficult... just ask Intel. The chipmaker has been doing some reshuffling as of late, leaving some space in its lineup for the new Penryn CPUs we're all foaming at the mouth over. First off, Intel has added the mobile-based Core 2 Extreme X7900, plus the desktop-destined, 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo T7800 and 2GHz T7250. The company has also announced its first Core 2 Solo processors, the 1.2GHz U2200 and the 1.06GHz U2100, as well as a few new Celeron M chips, in the form of the 2GHz 550 and the 1.72GHz 530. Other odds and ends showed up, like the new ULV Celeron M 523, and the dual core, 2GHz Pentium E2180. The company also cut prices on a number of existing processors by up to 40-percent, which will either make you really happy, or really sad (depending on whether or not you bought anything). Additionally, Intel announced end-of-life news for a whole batch of CPUs, including all of the Core Solo and Duo chips, with ordering availability expected to end sometime around the 31st of December. Hit the links for all the detailed nastiness.[Thanks, Jorge]Read -- Intel chops mobile CPU prices, intros Core 2 Solo lineRead -- Intel cans first-gen Core chips
Rumors: Mac Mini Deathwatch
Is the Mac Mini doomed? According to this AppleInsider article, it just may be. Kasper Jade writes that the mini is underpowered compared to the rest of the Mac product line and has seen far fewer hardware refreshes. Add to that relatively low unit margins for the hardware and the emergence of Apple TV, which replaces the mini as a lower-cost media server, and Jade sees that the end approacheth. I'd be sad if Apple discontinued the mini line even if I've had some issues with its design, particularly its lack of dual monitor support. I know that's a strange quibble to have with an otherwise well priced and moderately powerful unit, but it's the single issue that has kept it off the desktop of many of my friends and colleagues.Thanks, fraserdrew.
Rumors: 17-inch iMac meets its end?
According to MacDailyNews who relays information gleaned from ThinkSecret, the 17-inch iMac will soon be no more. Let's have a quick moment of silence to say goodbye. Right then. Enough of the moment. Industry insiders, those anonymous sources of all the most fabulous and occasionally reliable Apple news, suggest that starting at the end of June a refreshed iMac line will consist of 20- and 24-inch models. As display prices continue to drop, the cost difference between a 17-inch and 20-inch iMac has apparently shrunk as well, making this jump in screen size possible. More screen, same $$s. Excellent.
iSight prices on eBay skyrocket - will there be an encore?
Apple's stand-alone FireWire iSight may have recently gone end-of-life, but people's interest in the devices is still going strong, so sayeth eBay. While the iSight's retail price was $129, I'm seeing actual bids ranging from $152 all the way up to $280 as of this writing, with Buy It Now sellers bringing on the greed with prices in the range of $289 up through $500+. Even more astonishing are the completed listings - items that have actually sold (barring any fraudulent activity, of course) - which top out at $610 for a new, in-box iSight. As before, we're still just as curious as you are as to whether there will be a stand-alone iSight 2.0. With most of Apple's lineup now sporting built-in iSights, and rumors of the Cinema Display line not being far behind, it's questionable as to whether we should hold our breath. Thanks Austin!
Palm's LifeDrive getting the axe, marked "end of life"
In a move that could be considered somewhat insensitive to those still grieving over Palm OS' official departure, Palm has now gone and axed a little bit more of itself, as the firm's once-popular LifeDrive device has been marked "end of life." Not even two full years after seeing the device get legit, go on sale, get photographed, and hit the chopping block, the media-centric Mobile Manager is on its way out. Notably, the unit has also vanished from UK retailers after reportedly "having fallen foul of EU regulations on the use of hazardous materials." Yeah, we've still got a few Treos and whatnot to keep us occupied, and there's always an (admittedly dim) glimmer of hope that Garnet solves all the Palm-related woes, but it looks like the LifeDrive has finally suffered the same fate that so many other dedicated PDAs already have.
Tech designed to die
Kris Wagner posts an amusing Wired News column asking if technology companies design a life-span into products, forcing customers into a money-spending cycle. While the conspiracy has existed as long as our technology has failed, it's hard to make the next jump to nefarious, Tomorrow Never Dies-style meetings where company leaders maniacally ask for bugs to be added into products.Our informal poll around the Joystiq offices suggests that most of our game hardware has never broken. But a few of us are cursed with failure mojo, with one writer having had problems with an Xbox 360, PS2, SNES, and GameBoy. Is game hardware built better than iPods, or do we just pamper it more? (We've never taken an Xbox jogging.)
iMac G5 going bye-bye
Macenstein reports that the iMac G5 (both 17" and 20" models) is no longer available at the Apple Store UK.While the 20" is still for sale on the US website, it's common sense to assume that it won't be for long. So if you're looking to nab yourself one of them PowerPC machines before making the Intel Plunge (maybe as a collector's item?), then you better do it quick -- lest you wind up having to scavenge for one through the 3rd party folk.
