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Some Thunderbolt MacBook Pros causing flicker on Cinema Displays, Apple investigates (updated)
In a world of sophisticated electronics these days, there are always risks to being an early adopter. Alas, it appears that our latest victims are owners of Apple's Thunderbolt-laden MacBook Pros. Since launch, a number of frustrated customers have been reporting that their new unibody laptops -- of all three sizes -- are causing random flicker on both 24-inch and 27-inch Cinema Displays when connected via their Mini DisplayPort / Thunderbolt combo port, and now we have video proof to share the pain. Some also confirmed that even replacement machines from Apple are exhibiting the same behavior, though a source of ours says this doesn't seem to be a widespread issue, and that the company's hardware engineers are already looking into this. Either way, we're likely to see a firmware fix for this bug soon -- it's no good having a large monitor constantly blinking at you. [Thanks, Armando] Update: sja3274, the creator of the original video above, informed us that his Cinema Display actually had a faulty connection anyway, but he still saw flicker on a new display -- much like the behavior shown in the second video. As such, we've replaced our first video embed with our second one. Additionally, sja3274 was originally told to expect a software update last Tuesday or Wednesday, but obviously that didn't happen, so perhaps this is a trickier fix than Apple expected.
MEDL Technology's 'The Panel' hands-on
MEDL Technology's portable LCD display "The Panel" sounded like the perfect laptop sidekick, but would you really want to slip the 13.3-inch screen into your messenger bag? We invited company co-founder Eric Liao -- and his prototype Panel -- to a local Starbucks to find out. The verdict? Lightweight and incredibly easy to use, but at this point most features (including those all-important analog video inputs) aren't quite ready for primetime. Housed in a silvery frame that perfectly matched the brushed aluminum finish of our Mac and Dell laptops, the screen was equally easy to hook up to either one. Using a DisplayLink USB graphics chip, we only had to plug in an USB cable to instantly connect the external screen, once the driver was installed. The Panel was nice and bright, even eclipsing our LED-backlit XPS M1330 on maximum settings -- though the screen looked washed out, viewed from off-angles -- and featured smooth action and no perceptible audio sync issues when playing a DVD-quality movie. Basic functionality's all we got to test, sadly, but Liao made a number of intriguing promises for The Panel's future. At 80 percent brightness, Liao says the device's 4200mAh rechargeable battery gives it 4 to 5 hours of spreadsheet slinging bliss, and those buttons on the right side might be used to control more than brightness and contrast -- should the company adopt wireless USB as originally planned, Liao intends to have them double as arrow controls, allowing you to cut the cables and still have basic e-reader functionality. A headphone jack is still in the works, which should allow audio passthrough from HDMI and possibly USB. Last but not least, there's a reason The Panel looks so good lying prone next to that Macbook: should cost decrease, future revisions may include a tablet-style touchscreen. Shame most of these ideas are still on the drawing board, but even the primary product is shaping up nicely. Hit up our gallery for the visual scoop. P.S. Those blotches on the LCD screen? Liao says that's a manufacturing defect, and that MEDL is testing LCD panels from a variety of manufacturers to avoid such mishaps in the final product. %Gallery-89198%
Buffalo rolls out 7-inch USB external display
It may not boast quite the same desk-friendly looks as some of its competitors, but Buffalo's new 7-inch FTD-W71USB display should at least get the job done in a pinch, and most likely do so for a bargain price if the company's track record is any indication. As with similar displays, this one boasts a standard 800 x 480 resolution, and it can be oriented vertically or horizontally to suit the task at hand. Otherwise, you can expect a reasonable 300 nits brightness, a 500:1 contrast ratio, and a whopping 25ms response time, which'll no doubt dash the hopes of anyone actually thinking of using it as a primary monitor. No firm word on a price, but it should be available in Japan by the end of the month.[Via Akihabara News]
Nokia 6103 Bluetooth-equipped clamshell available from T-Mobile
Customers looking for a no-nonsense clamshell that does Bluetooth on the cheap now have a new option from T-Mobile in the form of Nokia's dual display-packin' 6103. This tri-band flip phone, which is a followup to the company's 6101 "Buttons for Humans" model, doesn't offer much in the way of features -- besides Bluetooth, all that's notable here are the FM radio and VGA camera -- but you can pick one up for the low low price of $70 after rebates. [Thanks, supes]
