mini
Latest
Digital Cube NetForce rocks out with HSDPA
Sure, we've seen HSDPA in cellphones, laptops, but not too many media players. In a special event at the Korea Electronics Show, Digital Cube debuted its new media players, the HSDPA-rockin' NetForce and its little cousin, the Mini. The NetForce will bring 3G via "an external module" and otherwise runs Windows CE 5.0, brings a 800 x 480 resolution, is loaded with WiFi, and a Microsoft Office "viewer." The Mini packs a punch as well, bringing T-DMB plus the usual host of audio file playback, as well as still photos and text. As is far too often the case, we have very little info with regard to pricing or availibility. Peep the flip side for a glimpse of the Mini.[Via AVING]
TDK unveils 16.5GB mini Blu-ray discs at CEATEC
If you think those 50GB Blu-ray blanks are asking a bit much from the ole wallet, and haven't found a Blu-ray burner without all sorts of issues to begin with, TDK is moving forward anyway with its latest twist on Blu-ray technology. It's only fitting that the same folks bringing us the 200GB variety have announced their plans to drop a smaller, more compact version, and that's precisely what happened at today's CEATEC festivities. The 8-centimeter recordable disc handles 16.5GB on a single layer, and is being designed for next generation camcorders, such as the ones Hitachi's been showing off at the same show. Although nothing definitive has been said, the groundwork has apparently been laid for a dual-layer variety (that's 33GB for those still counting) to hit shelves in the even-more-distant future.[Via Ubergizmo]
Apple iTV set top box announced: 2007
Apple is finally entering the living room with their long-awaited set top box, codenamed the iTV, due in Q1 2007. The box can stream video from a connected Mac/PC or directly from the internet. No word yet on HD content specifically, but with the component and HDMI jacks on the box it's certainly come to the high-def party with the proper attire. Besides that there are USB, Ethernet, RCA and optical audio connectors, plus included 802.11 "wireless component video". You can watch movies, podcasts, view photo slideshows all on your HDTV through an updated Front Row-style interface on this half-height Mac Mini lookalike, all for $299. Continue on for pics of the back and interface or check out Engadget's coverage of the event.Update: Engadget has a hands-on and close up photos of the unit and interface, it is tiny. Still no word on supported output resolutions.
Apple spec bumps iMacs, minis, adds 24-inch iMac
Well done, Steve, you've surprised us yet again. While we were sitting around bracing for another day filled with Apple rumors (e.g. "OMG! What's he gonna announce on the 12th? iPhone!!!!), Cupertino has gone and released some actual products today, including upgrades to the entire lineup of iMacs and minis. Most exciting, perhaps, is the all-new 24-inch iMac (we were all looking out for a 23-incher), complete with a 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 250GB HDD capacity, FireWire 800, and some of that sweet nVIDIA GeForce action in the form of a 128MB 7300GT graphics chipset. Besides the 24-incher, both the 17-inch and 20-inch models now come with Core 2 Duo standard (ranging from 1.83GHz to 2.16GHz), 160GB or 250GB worth of hard drive space, 512MB or 1GB of RAM, 8x dual-layer SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon X1600 graphics (except for the low-end 17-incher, which sports integrated graphics and just a 24x Combo drive, plus no bundled remote or Bluetooth 2.0). As for the minis, they're all part of the dual core family now as well, featuring 1.66GHz or 1.83GHz Core Duo CPUs, 512MB of RAM (2GB max), up to 160GB of hard drive capacity, either a Combo drive or a SuperDrive, but still just integrated graphics. Available immediately from Apple online or retail, pricing on the new models is as follows: $999 for the 1.83GHz 17-inch iMac, $1,199 for the 2.0GHz 17-incher, $1,499 for 20 inches of iMac goodness, and $1,999 for the 24-inch monster, while the minis start at $599 and $799, respectively, depending on the processor. So now the big question is: what IS going to be announced at the "It's Showtime" event? Damn, guess we're in for another week of rumors after all...Read - iMacRead - mini[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ATO announces HD iSee video sleeve for iPod
While the original iSee 360i video sleeve was meant to appeal mainly to non-5G iPod owners -- as you'll recall, it lets the 4G-, nano- and mini-flavored 'Pods act as mass storage devices for feeding video to its 3.6-inch LCD -- a new version is looking to bring even the latest iPod into the fold by offering playback of high definition content. Like its predecessor (pictured), ATO's iSee HD (our name, not theirs) partitions your 'Pod's hard drive into two sections: one dedicated to DRM'ed material you downloaded from iTunes, and another for unencrypted MPEG-4, DivX, and HD.264 files that you want to watch on its screen. According to company CEO John Scott, the new iSee will hit stores in about five months, which should be plenty of time for you to save up the $200 to $250 that it's expected to set you back.
Mac Classic Hi-Fi
This is brilliant. Absolutely awesome. Simon realized that begging for an iPod Hi-Fi probably wasn't going to get him anything but scorn and pity from his friends, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Armed with two ceiling speakers used for sorround sound systems, two original Mac cases, and some powertools, Simon went to work on one of the coolest Mac mods I have seen in a very long time. A few hours, some cans of white spray paint, and you have the two coolest desktop speakers ever. Complete with battery power, line-in, and carrying handle, the new iPod Hi-Fi mini will be the rage all all of your summer parties.Photoset and "Product Page"Via Cult of Mac blog
Apple to give new iPod nano an aluminum makeover?
With some iPod revisions just around the corner -- at least according to the more optimistic rumor mongers among us -- there are new whispers of Apple pulling another design revision reminiscent of their iPod mini to nano transition. This time, though, they're taking it in reverse, and are supposedly outfitting their miniature player in aluminum to combat those scratches and durability problems that the nano was so given to. The aluminum is supposed to even come in various colors just like the mini did (pictured above), but the player is said to retain the same form factor as the nano, along with bumping the storage capacity to 8GB. These rumors are based on AppleInsider "sources," so we really have no way to verify their accuracy, but it seems pretty reasonable that Apple will do something about their players to combat those scratches and the accompanying lawsuits.
Klegg's Mini V12 video player with Bluetooth stereo audio
Klegg just dropped a new Bluetooth 2.0 video player into the mix with their Mini V12. The V12 sounds pretty sweet on paper with listed support for MP3, WMA, MPEG-4, WMV, DivX and AVI formats, a "bright" 1.8-inch TFT, 20 hour battery (audio only, presumably) and Bluetooth A2DP stereo audio support for cable-free listening. Prices will start at $100 for players in capacities of 1 / 2 / 4GB but only the 4 gigger includes Bluetooth. And yeah, Klegg's still got the minerals to boast in true ambiguous terms that the V12 is "slighter smaller than an Apple iPod." Oh, would that be the iPod nano, Shuffle, 5th gen with video or maybe some earlier generation iPod, hmm? Expect the V12 to drop mid-summer under a marketing and distribution deal with VisioNET who will provide the user interface for access to their "first-rate" media content. We say bring it Klegg... if you can. Read -- Press Release (Via dapreview) Read -- VisioNET deal
Pics of the HDMI-mini connector
Just a little HD p@rn for you this morning. This is the new HDMI mini connector that will be used for high-def camcorders and such. It was recently approved in the HDMI 1.3 specs. Nothing real fancy or cool but still interesting.
MiniPC's ED612E silent, mini-ish PC
Yeah, it's not as mini as those other minis, but if you're looking for that sweet sound of silence then the ET6512E from MiniPC might just be the way to go. Featuring a cool runnin' 1.2GHz VIA Eden proc, this fanless mini measures in at a medium 8.03 x 7.4 x 2.79-inches and 4.4-pounds. The specs don't make much noise either with 256MB (1GB max) DDR2 memory, a 40GB SATA disk, VIA CN700 graphics chipset, 4 x USB 2.0, Firewire, S/PDIF/composite video out, and even a couple of PS/2 jacks to get old-school. Still up for it? Ok, then prepare to fork-over the ¥78,750 or about $679 green when the ED612E drops later this month in Japan.[Via Impress]
Apple Store UK lowering prices?
We're receiving tips that the Apple Store UK has begun quietly dropping prices on a few of Apple's products. Specifically, both versions of the iPod nano are reportedly down £10 each, while the 1.66 Ghz Mac mini has been lowered £70. The iMac is also alleged to have received a price drop, though reports don't have prices for comparison. Again, I personally can't confirm these reports, as I live in the US and typically shop in that store, so take this with a grain of salt and try to keep speculation within bounds. [thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Hacker installs Core 2 Duo chip in Mac mini, hangs on for the ride
Macenstein has blogged a Mac mini CPU swap, as a poster in a Taiwanese forum has switched out the Core Duo chip for a Core 2 Duo chip, a next-generation CPU from Intel. The brain upgrade has resulted not only in the Mac mini stomping a PowerMac G5 dual 2.5 GHz in an iTunes MP3-AAC conversion test (remember: Mac minis have slower laptop hard drives than desktop PowerMacs), but it also runs cooler, due to the new architecture of these Core 2 Duo (code name: Merom) Intel chips.Given reports like this of these new chips, we might as well talk about the elephant in the room: if these reports of cooler running and even more powerful chips so soon from Intel are true, I foresee a lot of criticism of Apple jumping the gun on cramming Intel chips into their present lineup, in light of all these complaints about heat.[via MacNN]
Weekend Review: This week's rigs
Each week, we recap the Rigs of the Day that have graced our pages over the past seven days, and crown a "Rig of the Week." Here is the current entry.Reader *nathan asks, "Where did the computer go?" Let's hope he got that thing back together. jasonsewell wow'd us with the 50" TV connected to his Mac mini running FrontRow. His set up makes the TV I won in college in 1989 seem even more pathetic.* In fact, we were so stunned by jasonsewell's set up, what we went on a bit of a multimedia rig frenzy. Reader ICULOOKN had a similar arrangement, with the clever addition of an iSight camera, and beenester decided to use a G5 Powermac as his multimedia Mac. Very cool.OndraSoukup believes in raising Mac addicts from the start, and Zennifer attached a swivel arm to the back of her G5 iMac for a very cool floating effect. So which is the Rig of the Week? We've got to go with Zennifer's floating iMac. Sure, the swivel arm is kind of bulky, but you won't see it while working. We really like it. Well done!If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We select one image to highlight each day, and crown a Rig of the Week on Sundays.*Yes, I still use a TV I got in college in 1989 as my primary TV. It's sad.
I-O Data's GV-1394TV/M3 analog tuner for Macs
Sure, it won't look very nice perched atop your Mac mini but don't give up on I-O Data's new GV-1394TV/M3 analog tuner for Macs just yet. Using the iEPG programming guide, this little box allows you to schedule and record your favorite NTSC broadcasts directly to your Mac over Firewire. It will even convert video directly to MPEG-4/h.264 for direct transfer to your connected iPod when recording is finished. Included software is fully compatible with iLife 6 making it easy to manipulate video in iMovie or to burn to DVDs via iDVD. Expected to begin shipping in Japan next month for about $240. Still, when it's this hard to tell the front of the unit from the back on a product destined for the living room, well, we'll understand if you pass.[Via Impress Watch]
Widget Watch: iPhoto mini 1.3 gains a new UI, more
We blogged the iPhoto mini widget back in December, and since then it has received quite the feature update and face lift. The widget is now resize-able and just plain sexier. In addition to being able to browse all your iPhoto albums complete with image counts, you can now set the current image as your desktop wallpaper with a single click. The little gear icon you see offers the ability to open the current image in four apps: Preview, Mail, Safari and a custom app you can define on the back of the widget.The iPhoto mini widget is free and available from DashboardWidgets.
Memorex iMove elbows into the iPod boombox market
In a market already crowded with iBooms, iJams, and Hi-Fis, do we really need yet another iPod boombox to choose from? Memorex thinks so, as evidenced by their recent introduction of a 12-watt 'box -- called, unsurprisingly, the iMove -- which accepts fourth and fifth generation 'Pods along with nanos, the iPod photo, and even the good old Mini, plus anything else you can plug into its auxiliary port. Also sporting a remote, AM/FM tuner, and SRS WOW sound enhancement, the iMove can be powered from your car or boat's cigarette lighter, eight D batteries, or a regular wall outlet -- and by using the latter option, you can simultaneously charge whatever iPod you have docked as well. No word yet on a release date, but as long as its cheaper than the Hi-Fi (it is, at around $100) and more polished than models like the Toolbox Player or iBoom (which it seems to be), it should probably be able to eke out some decent sales when it finally hits Wal-mart shelves.[Via fosfor gadgets, thanks Mikael S.]
A tour of Microsoft's Mac labs
Here's something interesting I haven't seen before. Blogger David Weiss works at Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (MacBU), and offers a great tour of the MacBU's Mac labs on his blog. There's a lot to see here, from rooms full of vintage Macs, all sorts of printers you can image up and running (test, test, test!) to a room of 150 Mac minis! He writes:"Up until a few months ago we had every significant hardware revision Apple has ever released since the dawn of time."Woah. Check it out, it's a great tour.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Apple's special deals section filled to brim, hemmoraging iPods
While I was pondering whether the introduction of Remote Desktop 3 was worthy of shutting down the Apple Store this morning, C.K. pointed out that Apple also updated their Special Deals section. A lot. I can't remember the last time I've had to scroll this much on a page in the Apple Store. It looks like they have refurbished items from almost every one of their products except the MacBook Pro, but they're highlighting the iPod mini with their Special Deals graphic (pictured) almost as if to say "go on iPod mini. 'Git!"I'd try linking Apple's Special Deals section, but I know that always gets wonky. Plus, the tips I've found like Ars Technica's don't cover linking a section, so all you get is a link to the Apple Store. You're on your own for the rest of the way.
Apple releases firmware updates
Hot on the heels of the release of Boot Camp, Apple has issued a few firmware updates for Intel Macs. Specifically, an updater is available for the iMac, Macbook Pro and mini. Also available is Firmware Restoration CD v 1.0, which will restore your Intel-based Mac's firmware to factory settings, just in case things to haywire.[Via MacMinute]
Rig of the Day: Family reunion
Today's rig shot is fantastic. Flickr user and TUAW reader thenode hosted a bit of a "family reunion" for many of his Macs. Specifically, he got a Powerbook 520c, an SE-30, a Quadra 630 and a Mac mini (the youngster of the group) all networked together to play Armor Alley. The kids even got in on the fun. As thenode said, "This is a true monument to what you can do if you have enough cables." As a person who loves playing with vintage Macs, I've got to be biased and say this may be my favorite rig shot so far. "Family Reunion" posted by thenode.For the month of April, the theme for our Rig of the Day will be "Vintage Macs" in honor of Apple's anniversary. If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. Let's see your vintage Macs (Apples and Newtons, too)! We'll select an image every day to highlight.
