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Daily Update for August 16, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top stories of the day in three to five minutes, which is perfect for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
iFixit releases kit for a second hard drive in the Mac mini
I just went fiddling around in my old school Mac mini the other day. I put some extra memory in, sneaking inside that tiny extra bit of space to pull out the old sticks and punch in the new ones. But the newer Mac mini is even smaller than mine, which makes it all the more impressive that iFixit has released a kit that will allow you to add your own second hard drive without a ton of trouble. Well, there will at least be a little bit -- Apple doesn't want just anyone rooting around in its tiny little desktop PC. iFixit makes it about as easy as it's going to get if you don't want to pay someone to do it for you. There's a full guide here if you want to see how it all works. Though the kit is out of stock at the moment, when it's in stock it'll only be $70 plus the cost of whatever storage media you want to install. I found dipping into my Mac mini pretty rewarding. As long as you follow instructions and are as careful as you can be with all of the components, you could have an even nicer mini than you've got right now.
iPhone 4 noise cancellation chip demoed with comparison video
Last summer, when the folks at iFixit first did a tear down of the iPhone 4, one of the interesting tidbits they revealed was that the iPhone 4 has two mics (which is more than most other cell phones), and that it has a white-labelled (manufacturers details removed upon request from Apple) noise cancellation chip in it. The idea being that ambient noise is identified by the second mic, and processed and cancelled out by the chip -- leaving the person listening to whoever is speaking into the iPhone 4 with much clearer audio. Furthermore, a few months ago, you may have noticed that iFixit -- along side the help of Chipworks -- revealed the unbranded chip to be a low power audio signal processor manufactured by Audience. The same noise cancellation chip found in the Google Nexus One phone. While that in itself may not be all that interesting, we thought you may be interested in the YouTube video iFixit sourced to demonstrate the power of the Audience chip. The video below is a recording of two separate voice mail messages called from the same noisy location, but on two different phones. One is from an unnamed, standard cell phone, the other is from the iPhone 4.
2011 Mac mini gets the iFixit teardown treatment
I love the iFixit site. They jump in where wimps like myself fear to tread, and give us the courage (and instructions) to pop open our Macs and see what's inside the Apple-logoed aluminum box. Yesterday we gave you the iFixit details of the new MacBook Air models, and now the site has lovingly disassembled a mid-2011 Mac mini to show you its electronic entrails. The first thing that iFixit pointed out in their post was the lack of a SuperDrive. As if we needed any more of a sign that Apple is abandoning optical drives, the removal of the SuperDrive from the Mac mini is a real indication that the company wants to move bits, not atoms. iFixit points out that there's an empty hard drive cable port that's easy to get to, and that there's even enough room to pop in another drive (as found in the Mac mini Server model). The only barrier to that additional drive is availability of a special SATA hard drive to logic board cable, and I'm sure that someone will find a source for that component shortly. In terms of repairability, iFixit gives the new Mac mini a score of 8 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest possible device to service. That should give any potential Mac mini modders out there the impetus to grab their Torx screwdrivers and spudgers, and then get to work on creating the ultimate Mac mini.
New Mac mini gets iFixit teardown treatment, leaves space for 2nd hard drive
What do you do the day after an arsenal of new Apple products are announced? Why, take them apart as soon as you can get your hands on them, of course! Wouldn't ya know it, iFixit is at it again -- this time, tearing down the new Mac mini. At first glance, the only noticeable difference is the inclusion of the powerful Thunderbolt port. Once under the hood, though, a second hard drive port was spotted, along with just enough space for a second storage device. Perhaps the only thing standing the way of a dual HDD welding compact desktop is your ability to secure another SATA cable. If you want to give it a shot, the updated mini scored a solid eight out of ten in the repairability category as the machine had no proprietary screws or glue. Moreover, easy access makes a DIY RAM upgrade a piece of cake, especially when you're already in there adding that extra disk. So if you're looking to get your teardown feet wet, swan dive right in. Update: Sure, you can get dual HDDs straight from the Apple store, but you'll pay dearly for it. As in, the base Mac mini will run you $1550 -- and that's for the only option: a 750 GB ATA and a 256 GB SSD. The other option is to splurge for the Lion Server model, where dual 500 GB or dual 750 GB options are available. Still, going this route will set you back at least $1000. Since these bad boys are so easy to work on, you'd put far less strain on your wallet by going the DIY route.
New MacBook Air SSDs are replaceable
No sooner had the new MacBook Air models shown up in Apple Stores than the iFixit team grabbed one for dissection. The site always does a teardown of the latest in Apple technology for the benefit of repair technicians and for hobbyists who love to see what's inside their Macs. The 2011 13" MacBook Air teardown shows how Apple engineers cram so much power in such a tiny computer. One of the nicer things to come out of the teardown was the news that the internal solid-state drive isn't soldered to the logic board, meaning that MBA owners who would like more storage and don't have an issue with invalidating their warranty can open the computer and install a drive with more capacity. While Apple's MacBook Air storage solutions max out at 256 GB, OWC has faster SSDs with capacities up to 480 GB. With more powerful processors (up to a 1.8 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 CPU) and the ability to bump up the SSD capacity, it's a pity that none of the MacBook Air models are able to take more than 4 GB of RAM. It's soldered onto the logic board, which is why iFixit notes that "it might be worth it to buy the nicer model (4 GB) from the get-go."
iFixit tears down new MacBook Air, beholds the miracle of backlighting
Warranties be damned, iFixit got its hands on the newly announced MacBook Air and immediately did its thing, digging into the super-thin laptop like a kid at Christmas. Not all that much to see from the outside of the device, save for that new Thunderbolt port and some shiny new keyboard backlighting. Things are a bit different inside, however, including an Intel Core i5 processor, a Bluetooth 4.0 chip, and a general lack of thermal paste. As for putting the thing back together again -- the Air scores a four out of ten for repairability, so maybe don't try this at home.
Droid 3 disassembled by iFixit Jawas
It's time for the squeamish to avert their eyes. The latest entry in Motorola's popular Droid line has taken a trip to internet Tatooine, getting the classic teardown treatment from the folks at iFixit. As always, there were some interesting findings beneath its shiny, gadgety exterior, including a SIM card and so, so many hidden screws. More gory shots in the source link below.
Teardown reveals why Thunderbolt cable costs $50
When Apple debuted its Thunderbolt cable, I imagine a lot of people said the same thing I did: "Fifty bucks? For a cable?!" However, iFixit did a teardown on Apple's Thunderbolt cable and found that it's not just a length of copper wire with connectors at either end. It turns out the Thunderbolt cable comes with some embedded chips designed to manage the high data transfer rate made possible by the Light Peak tech underlying Thunderbolt, and those chips are probably the main factor behind the cable's relatively high cost. Ars Technica has an in-depth overview of the tech behind this cable and why these chips are necessary for the whole Thunderbolt thing to work. Ars also notes that the tech is eerily reminiscent of Firewire in that it has a high cost barrier compared to USB, applications limited to high-speed storage and video, and is a protocol that has yet to see widespread adoption outside of Apple and a proprietary variation from Sony. When they put it that way... yeah, it does kind of sound like Firewire all over again.
Sony tears down Bloggie 3D, iFixit helps (video)
We all knew it would come to this, right? Tech corporations have apparently taken a cue from the blogosphere and started tearing down their own devices for all the world to see. Sony's in-house gadget site SGNL opened up the company's Bloggie 3D pocket camcorder, thankfully enlisting the supervision of Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. But while he does seem genuinely intrigued at taking apart and explaining the way the 3D camera works, there's not much in the way of the depth we've come to expect from the site, and Sony manages to make the whole thing a not-so-subtle plug for a newish device. Now who wants to buy a disassembled camcorder? I hear Sony's selling one cheap.
Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook gets iFixit teardown, lays bare its telling internals
It's already made an early debut, just to sell out in a matter a hours, and now Samsung's answer to the Chromebook, the Series 5, is getting some attention of a more destructive sort. The folks over at iFixit have proven once again that ripping apart consumer electronics is not only therapeutic, but also enlightening, this time putting Google's ultraportable under the knife. On top of the specs we already have, this Chromebook's inner workings reveal 2GB of non-upgradable DDR3 RAM (the CR-48 apparently packed upgradable RAM), Intel NM10 graphics, a Qualcomm Gobi WWAN board, an Atheros AR9382 802.11n WiFi chip, and a 16GB SanDisk SSD. If you want even more intimate details (and have some cash to burn) you can wait to rip into the Chromebook yourself -- or you could to do the practical thing, and click on the source link below.
iFixit tears down the latest generation iMac to reveal LG display, removable GPU
iFixit got its hands on the newly announced 21.5-inch iMac and tore the all-in-one down to its screws and casing. The teardown analysis reveals the latest iMac has the same LG-manufactured LED display used in the previous generation iMac and a Thunderbolt port similar to the port found on the latest MacBook Pro models. Good news for those that enjoy taking apart their iMac hardware as the magnetically held glass front is easily removed using suction cups, and the LCD is only held in by a few screws. Once the display is removed, the RAM, hard drive and optical drive are easily accessible. Interestingly enough, iFixit noticed a small opening for the optional SSD drive which can be mounted underneath the optical drive. The logic board is a bit more difficult to remove as you need to disconnect several connectors and apply upward and outward pressure to jiggle it out of the casing. iMac owners don't have to worry about a fried processor or graphics card contributing to the early demise of their machine as both the GPU and the CPU heat sink can be removed from the logic board. If a problem with either component develops, you could easily replace the AMD graphics card or Intel CPU if you want. Overall, iFixit gave the latest generation iMac a 7 out of 10 repairability score with 10 being the easiest to repair.
Nikon D5100 gets the iFixit teardown treatment, camera status confirmed
We've seen plenty of tablets go under the spudger at the iFixit teardown labs, but seldom has a DSLR been gently gutted and photographed for all to see. Today's victim is the $900 Nikon D5100, which just hit stores last week. After popping out the battery (the D5100's only user-serviceable component), the engineers removed the motherboard, 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, and everything else they could get their hands on, even going so far as to desolder some wires. The verdict? The camera is very difficult to disassemble -- perhaps because "approximately 4 billion screws hold the device together." Teardowns are arguably more fun than unboxings (trust us, we know), so hit the link below for more camera-in-the-buff shots.
iFixIt releases transparent iPhone 4 rear panel
If you like to see the innards of your handset, then you have to check out this latest offering from iFixit. The repair company known for its detailed teardown analyses has released a transparent rear panel for the GSM/AT&T iPhone 4. Unfortunately, the Verizon iPhone 4 has a slightly different shape, and these panels will not fit the Verizon model. The clear panel lets you peer into the logic board and gawk at the large battery that dominates the back of the handset. Functional as well as eye-catching, the see-through backing adds some durability to your handset. It is made of plastic and is less prone to breaking than the original glass panel. Thanks to iFixit's step-by-step guide, swapping out the back panel is drop dead easy. You just loosen some screws, slide the old cover off and slide the new one on. The transparent panels are available now for ordering and will set you back US$30 plus taxes, shipping and handling. Anyone going to drop three sawbucks and scoop one up?
BlackBerry PlayBook pried open, gyroscope and other goodies discovered
What's in a PlayBook? No, literally, what is in that thing? Well, most of the specs were known ahead of today's release, but there was a bit of confusion about whether RIM's 7-inch tablet did or didn't have a gyroscope, which has now been set straight (it does!) by the crew at iFixit. They did their usual study of what it'll take to repair your own PlayBook should the need ever arise, and gave it a repairability score of 7 out of 10. Replacing the front glass would be a bit of a pain to do, but then that's the case with most portable devices. The motherboard also got a thorough examination, with all the power management, wireless connectivity, and memory chips getting identified and recorded for posterity. If you want to check iFixit's work, feel free to visit UBM Tech Insights as well, who have their own component list and closeup photography of that dual-core TI OMAP4430 system-on-chip. Yes, closeup photography.
iPad 2 teardown: GSM and CDMA differences
The screwdriver- and heat gun-happy bunch over at iFixit have been disassembling iPad 2s again, all in the interest of keeping radio (and other) nerds "droolingly-happy," as Engadget puts it. Their original teardown was of a humble (relative to other iPad 2s only) 16 GB Wi-Fi only model. Now they've attacked (harsh term) CDMA and GSM models to bring us some very nice geeky internals pictures. In general, they say, Apple has made the same design change decisions as they did between the GSM and CDMA versions of the iPhone 4. There's no need for a microSIM slot, an extra antenna for the CDMA model or that Qualcomm Gobi radio chip, which supports both GSM and CDMA standards (does this point to the iPhone 5 supporting CDMA and GSM in the one handset?) and so on. iFixit's most interesting conclusion: "Of the three, having the Wi-Fi only version in your chest pocket is your best bet if someone decides to shoot at you." Tony Soprano, take note next time you visit Junior. Check out their full teardown when you have a moment; if you got out of bed on the wrong side this morning, this will pick you up better than a Dilbert cartoon making references to Apple. [Via Engadget]
iPad 2 sliced up again, this time in the name of radio science
By now you've probably watched iFixit's recent iPad 2 teardown video several times while drooling profusely, but we just know you're itching to find out what's different with the innards of the WiFi-only, GSM, and CDMA versions. Well once again, iFixit's got you covered -- via an "exceptionally cool" user-contributed post, this time. A grand total of three iPad 2s were sacrificed in this round, revealing variations in case design, antenna count, WWAN board layout, radio chipset choices, and headphone jack assemblies. Besides clearly visible changes like the black antenna window on the 3G models and the microSIM slot on the GSM version, it's interesting to note that Apple made the same design choices with the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4. The CDMA model features an additional antenna over its GSM sibling, and uses a Qualcomm Gobi dual-mode radio which supports both CDMA and GSM -- the latter being unused -- along with an integrated GPS receiver, just like the iPhone 4 for Verizon. The GSM version, meanwhile, uses an Infineon chipset for GSM and a separate Broadcom module for GPS, just like the global iPhone 4. Follow the source link below for more sordid details plus high-resolution pictures.
iFixit tears down Apple's iPad 2 Smart Cover
Tech bloggers love iFixit. The website always purchases and dismantles new devices as soon as they hit the market, primarily for the benefit of people who want to repair equipment or who are curious about the innards of the latest shiny toys. Analysts use their work to determine the manufacturing cost of consumer electronics by finding out what components are being used. The site did a full teardown of the iPad 2 on Friday, and they've followed up with a dissection of the iPad 2 Smart Cover. I'm using the term "dissection" since once you've cut open a Smart Cover, there's no way to reassemble the ingeniously-designed protective device. What did iFixit find? They used pieces of magnetic viewing film to discern the location of the magnets on both the iPad 2 and the Smart Cover. The 21 magnets on the Smart Cover not only work to align the cover to the iPad 2 in the correct configuration, but they also work with a special steel plate to hold the cover into the triangular shape used to prop up the iPad. One magnet has a special job; turning off the iPad 2 when the cover is closed. The powerful array of magnets in both the iPad 2 and the Smart Cover complement each other in both shape and polarity so that it's virtually impossible to put the cover on incorrectly. The iFixit analysts noted that they had problems keeping the magnets separated after removing them from the iPad 2 and Smart Cover. The Smart Cover teardown is a fascinating look into another example of Apple's design ingenuity at work.
iFixit tears down iPad 2
We love the iFixit team and their singleminded dedication to getting their mitts on the latest, greatest Apple gear -- just so they can take it all to pieces. Tonight's piece de disassemblement is, of course, the iPad 2; you can see their complete takeapart here. Not too many surprises in the new build, although now the front panel is glued to the case (on the original iPad, it was clipped in), making it harder to disassemble. The new bits of hardware (cameras and gyroscope, along with the magnets and sensor for the Smart Cover) were all identified, cataloged and photographed.
iFixit has an iPad 2, and they're ripping it apart (video)
It only took a few short hours for iFixit to get its hands on an iPad 2 (the WiFi variety), and of course, they immediately started to tear it apart. It's a necessarily delicate task, but they're making progress as we speak, and here are the first things that jump out to us: there is much less open space inside the iPad 2 than the original model, and the battery is very large. There aren't any huge surprises in here internally yet, but it's got the 1GHz A5 CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of Toshiba TH58NVG7D2FLA89 NAND Flash. Like we said, they're still at it with this one, and we'll update as they do. Until then, hit up the source for all the photos. Update: And they're done! Head over to check out all the shots of the iPad 2 in its exposed form, but don't try it out on your own. The new glass adhesion makes it practically impossible to open this thing without shattering the screen, so the crew will be working hard for a better solution. Vid's after the break, though.
