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News & Opinion
MacBook Air Running with 4
Displays
Blake Patterson has posted to Flickr a photo taken December 15 using
an Apple iPhone 4 of an 11.6" MacBook Air driving four screens - an
Apple IIc tied into a terminal session via serial cable, a 20" Apple
Cinema Display, and 7" Mimo 720-S USB display, and its own display,
noting that he could also have hooked up the iPhone 4 and iPad into the
mix via AirDisplay.
Link: Quad-head MacBook
Air (Sorta...)
MacBook Air's Worst Omission: No Backlit
Keyboard
ZDNet blogger Jason D. O'Grady says the thing that bothers him most
about his new MacBook Air is its lack of backlit keyboard. O'Grady
acknowledges that he knew he'd become dependent on the keyboard
backlight on my his MacBook Pro but didn't realize exactly how
dependent until he bought the un-backlit Air, finding that his typing
speed drops substantially on the new MacBook Air in low light.
O'Grady suggests that someone should make white stickers with black
letters on them specifically for the MacBook Air, making the keycaps
easier to read in low light - even better if they were made from
glow-in-the-dark vinyl.
He observes that the original MacBook Air had a backlit keyboard, so
there should be no technical impediment to including it in the new one,
suggesting that Apple dropped it deliberately, holding something back
for the inevitable 2011 Revision B update of the new Air.
Editor's note: Apple is doing everything it can to increase battery
life with the 2010 MacBook Air models. I'm sure eliminating
backlighting was done for this reason, not as something to reintroduce
with the 2011 edition. Still, it would be nice to see the feature
return, perhaps with a disable switch to conserve battery power.
dk
Link: The MacBook Air's
Worst Omission: No Keyboard Backlight
How to Get the Most Out of Your Battery
AppStorm's Jorge Rodriguez says:
"There are plenty of rumours surrounding how to take care of your
batteries. I remember people used to say that whenever you buy a new
product, you should leave it charging for at least a day, so that the
battery gets 'used' to having full charge. Some other people say that's
not necessary nowadays since new batteries are designed differently.
The truth is, your battery will lose capacity over time; it's
inevitable. What you can change is how fast it deteriorates.
"Today we'll be giving you some tips on how to make your Mac's
battery stay in tip-top shape through a bunch of easy and fast actions
like calibration. We'll also be taking a look at some applications that
can help you with this actions, including Watts and CoconutBattery...."
Link: How to Get the
Most Out of Your Battery
Thoughts on the 2010 MacBook Air as Replacement for
a MacBook
Design Sojourn Consulting's D.T. says the decision to buy a new
13.3" MacBook Air
(2010) was quite an arduous one, involving rounds of intensive
research before deciding to take the plunge.
D.T. suggests that depending on the economies of scale, the MacBook
Air could eventually merge or take over the line of entry level
MacBooks, but it should not eat into iPad sales nor replace it, noting
that an iPad focuses on media consumption and a MBA focuses on media
creation, with most consumers split between the two, and a small group
owning both devices.
In summary, D.T. would recommend the MBA to anyone, in particular
the 13" version, which is not much heavier or less portable than the
11" but far more comfortable to use.
Link: Thoughts and
Insights on the New MacBook Air (2010)
Apple Integrated Touchscreen Patent Covers
Notebooks
Patently Apple reports that the US Patent and Trademark Office has
officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple,
including a touchscreen that the patent's illustration indicate could
end up in Mac notebooks
Link:
Apple Wins Integrated Touchscreen Possibly for MacBook & Key iPhone
Chip Patents
2 TB Notebooks Hard Drives Anticipated in 2011
DigiTimes' Erica Yen and Joseph Tsai report that 500 GB platter
designs are already mature, allowing 2.5" hard drives to offer 1 TB
capacities, and that sources from hard drive makers believe 1 TB
platter designs should mature as soon as 2011, with 3.5" 4 TB and 2.5"
2 TB hard drives becoming available.
DigiTimes' sources citing IDC metrics pointed out that the market
share of notebooks with 2.5" 500 GB hard drives has already reached
22%, and as demand for 500 GB hard drives has been growing since early
fourth-quarter 2010, and that 500 GB units are expected to account for
35-40% of global 2.5" hard drive shipments in 2011, while 320 GB will
be 30-35%, 250 GB 10-15%, and 160 GB to be phased out of the market.
Meanwhile, 640 GB and 750 GB models will be adopted mainly by high-end
notebooks, due to their high cost, accounting for 10-15%.
The sources also cited IDC data indicating that 3.5" drives will be
completely replaced by 2.5" models by 2012.
Link: Hard Drives with 1
TB Platters to Mature in 2011 (subscription required)
Reviews
11.6" MacBook Air: One of the Best Laptops
Ever
TBreak's Abbas Jaffar Ali says that Apple leads and others follow as
far as hardware designs are concerned, and judging by the 11.6" MacBook Air, he doesn't
think that is changing any time soon.
In fact, he's having a hard time putting the 11.6" tester down. He
notes that besides looking good, the new MBAs feel incredibly solid
with construction quality you seldom see. His only major complaint is
that the keyboard isn't backlit on either model - a big disappointment
to users who work in dimly-lit places every now and then, but affirms
that in general the MacBook Air is one the best laptops he's used -
gorgeous to look at, with excellent build quality extremely portable,
and a lively performer, and had the keyboard featured a backlight he
would have ordered one on the day it was launched - and he is still
tempted to get an Air as his primary machine.
Link: Apple
MacBook Air 11" Review
Tech Trends
Acer, ASUS, and Lenovo Ape MacBook Air's Display
Design
Electronista reports that Apple's manufacturing process for the new
MacBook Air is rumored to be getting copied by competitors Acer, ASUS,
and Lenovo, which are reportedly building 13.3" and 14" ultraportables
that will combine Intel's new Sandy Bridge mobile chips (to be
introduced at CES this month) with the ultrathin display assembly
technique pioneered by Apple with the Air.
Link: Acer, ASUS Lenovo
Ape New MacBook Air's Display Design Technique
Products & Services
HyperMac MacBook External Battery Packs Return Sans
MagSafe
PR: Sanho Corporation's HyperMac external MacBook
battery packs that disappeared from the market a couple of months back
after the company was leaned-on by Apple Legal for bundling the product
with recycled MagSafe adapters, have reappeared, with the proviso that
users will have to purchase $49 MagSafe connectors directly from
Apple.
The auxiliary batteries work with the entire Apple MacBook
family of notebook computers, including all MacBook, MacBook Pro and
MacBook Air models, and are available in 4 different capacities of 60
Wh, 100 Wh, 150 Wh and 222 Wh, and capable of powering a MacBook for up
to 32 hours - allowing for long haul flights, extended outdoor shoots,
camping trips to remote locations, power blackouts, or any situation
where electricity is not an option.
Every HyperMac battery is compatible with all MacBook, MacBook Pro
and MacBook Air models thanks to proprietary variable power technology
that enables the battery to adjust the charging power automatically
when connected to different MacBook models. For maximum
compatibility,
Users can check the HyperMac battery level anytime with the built-in
4-stage lighted LED indicator. HyperMac battery also comes with a USB
power port to charge any USB device including the latest iPhone 3G
individually or simultaneously with the MacBook.
Daniel Chin, President of Sanho Corporation, says: "HyperMac
allows the MacBook user to easily extend their MacBook battery life."
He adds, "With the MacBook moving towards unibody designs with built-in
batteries, HyperMac is the only viable option to extend the unibody
MacBook's mobile computing time beyond the power grid. Using HyperMac
external batteries will also help to reduce the strain on the MacBook
internal batteries and extend the overall life span of these difficult
to replace batteries," he concludes.
HyperMac batteries uses the same high-end lithium ion cells that are
supplied to the US military. It is rechargeable up to 1000 times and
comes with a one-year warranty - comparing to industry standards of
only 300 recharges and 3 months warranty. With a great attention to
detail, HyperMac batteries' silver color aluminum housing are color
matched to the MacBook. With clean lines, laser engraved logo and
all-white accessories completing the Applesque look.
- HyperMac External Battery for MacBook/iPad/iPhone (60 Wh):
$169.95
- HyperMac External Battery for MacBook/iPad/USB (100 Wh):
$249.95
- HyperMac External Battery for MacBook/iPad/USB (150 Wh):
$349.95
- HyperMac External Battery for MacBook/iPad/USB (222 Wh):
$449.95
Link: HyperMac External
Battery Packs
Intel Solid-State Drive 310 Series Offers SSD
Performance in 1/8th the Size
PR: Intel Corporation has announced its new Solid-State Drive
310 Series, an ultra-small solid-state drive (SSD) that delivers Intel
X25-class award-winning SSD performance, but in one-eighth the
size.
Measuring 51mm-by-30mm and only 5mm thick, the Intel SSD 310 is
a fast, ultracompact SSD that brings flexibility, ruggedness and
scalability to innovative form factors and devices. It can enable
highly responsive dual-drive notebooks, innovative single-drive tablets
and low-power, rugged embedded industrial or military applications.
When paired with a high-capacity hard disk drive (hard drive) in a
dual-drive system, Intel says the SSD 310 can improve overall PC system
performance by up to 60%.
Based on 34nm Intel NAND Flash Memory, the Intel Solid-State Drive
310 Series offers similar performance to a 2.5" Intel Solid-State Drive
(Intel SSD), but in an eighth of the size.
Reduced boot time? You got it. Increased system benchmark
performance? Yes. Longer battery life? The Intel SSD 310 Series has you
covered.
The m-SATA Intel SSD 310 Series enables a flexible, scalable
and accelerated storage solution in a form factor that is up to 8 times
smaller than a 2.5" hard-disk drive, and weighs 10 times less.
Supporting SATA signals over a PCI Express (PCIe) mini-connector, the
Intel SSD 310 Series provides compact storage acceleration for
single-drive systems like netbooks, tablets and other handheld
devices.
High performance Dual-Drive option
The small footprint also augments hard-disk drive performance in
dual-drive systems, such as all-in-ones, notebooks and
small-form-factor (SFF) desktops. The m-SATA form factor connects
easily to an existing SATA port on a PC enabling the SSD to perform as
a boot drive, quick access to frequently-used applications or
storage.
SSD Ruggedness
A solid-state drive uses no moving parts, and thus is more durable
and reliable than a mechanical hard drive, while using less power and
providing better system responsiveness. The Intel SSD 310 Series
contains 34 nanometer (nm) Intel NAND flash memory and is available in
an m-SATA form factor in 40 gigabyte (GB) and 80 GB capacities.
The Intel SSD 310 supports SATA signals over a PCI Express (PCIe)
mini-connector for onboard, compact storage in single-drive netbooks,
tablets or handheld devices. Weighing just 10 grams, the compact size
also enables dual drive all-in-ones, notebooks or small-form-factor
(SFF) desktops to help accelerate boot time and access to frequently
used applications or files.
"The Intel SSD 310 series will allow us to provide the advantages of
a full-performance Intel SSD paired with the storage of a hard disk
drive in a small, dual-drive system, says Tom Butler, Lenovo's director
of ThinkPad product marketing. We've offered Intel SSD solutions for
our highly innovative Lenovo ThinkPad laptops for some time, and now
we're looking forward to incorporating this new solution across our
ThinkPad line."
With its rugged
design, the Intel SSD 310 Series has also been chosen by DRS
Technologies for a new ARMOR communications tablet PC, to be unveiled
at Storage Visions in Las Vegas. The ARMOR mobile and field unit tablet
PC is certified by DRS to work in extreme temperatures and hold up to
shock, vibration and drops, delivering up to nine hours of operating
time.
"In order to meet the rigorous demands of our mobile users, we
design for mission-critical tasks that require connectivity and
handheld mobility in all-weather operations," says Mike Sarrica, DRS
Tactical Systems Inc.'s vice president and general manager. "The Intel
SSD 310 Series fits the bill by offering a reliable and high performing
memory solution."
Intel's NAND Solutions Group vice president and general manager Tom
Rampone says "The Intel SSD 310 Series is the first in a wave of SSD
products we will introduce throughout the next year. With this
introduction, Intel is offering full SSD performance in a compact,
ultra-small form factor."
Already shipping to customers, the Intel SSD 310 is priced to OEMs
at $99 for the 40 GB capacity and $179 for the 80 GB version, both in
1,000-unit quantities.
Link: Intel
SSD 310
Hitachi Ships First Single-Platter 7mm 500 GB 2.5"
Hard Drive
PR: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has
announced its new 500 GB, 5400 RPM Travelstar Z5K500 drive - the
industry's highest capacity, one-disk, 7 millimeter (mm) z-height hard
disk drive.
As the industry's only 500 GB one disk product and the only second
generation 7mm product family, Hitachi continues to push the areal
density bar higher, leading a shift from 9.5mm 2.5" drives to 7mm 2.5"
drives across a broad range of market segments.
According to IDC, 500 GB, mobile 2.5" drives represent 22% of the
market today, with this capacity projected to grow to 42% annually from
2010 to 2013. Offered in a complete family of 500 GB, 320 GB and 250 GB
capacities, which satisfies more than 77% of today's storage needs in
the portable PC market, these drives are the industry's only
second-generation family of 5400 RPM, 7mm z-height drives, designed to
be a direct replacement for standard 2.5", 9.5mm drives in everything
from external drives to laptops, netbooks and blade servers.
With its slim profile and high capacities, the Hitachi Travelstar
Z5K500 drive family delivers better cost per gigabyte and gigabyte per
cubic millimeter (GB/mm3) when compared to solid state
drives (SSD), and 2.5" and 1.8" 9.5mm hard drives, offering a
compelling value proposition for OEMs and system integrators. With the
broadest selection of 7200 and 5400 RPM 7mm drives to choose from,
Hitachi customers can differentiate product lines by utilizing space
savings to produce thinner devices, add battery capacity, increase
shock robustness, or improve internal airflow - all better uses of the
volume in a system than shipping a partially-empty 9.5mm 2.5" hard
drive with only one disk.
Delivering the right balance of power and acoustics, the drives
feature 1.8 watts (W) read/write power and 0.55W low power idle, and
deliver a nearly silent operation at 1.9 idle / 2.1 seek bels, which is
quieter than most ambient noise in a household. All Travelstar Z5K500
drives feature an 8 MB cache and a Serial ATA 3 Gb/s interface.
They are also Hitachi's second generation Advanced Format drive, which
increases the physical sector size on hard drives from 512 bytes to
4,096 (4K) bytes, thereby improving drive capacity and error correction
capabilities.
All Hitachi Z-series 7mm drives feature common connectors and
mounting points for standard integration into existing systems, and
enable greater design flexibility to differentiate and meet market
demands for new thinner, lighter and more robust devices.
Security, Reliability, Availability
Travelstar Z-series family features optional bulk data encryption
(BDE) for hard drive level data security. When employing BDE, data is
scrambled using a key as it is being written to the disk and then
descrambled with the key as it is retrieved. The Travelstar Z5K500
drive family will also be offered in Enhanced Availability (EA) models
in capacities of 320 GB and 500 GB, which are designed and fine-tuned
for applications needing always-on protection in 24x7, low transaction
environments including blade servers, network routers, video
surveillance and compact RAID systems.
The Travelstar Z5K500 family will first be shipping to select
distributors this month.
Notes: Reference IDC WW 2010-2014 hard drive Forecast Update, IDC
Doc# 226082, December 2010.
Link:
Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500
7mm 500 GB Travelstar Drive Enables Sleek, Elegant
G-Technology G-Drive Slim
PR: The G-Technology G-Drive Slim leverages the new rugged,
7mm Travelstar Z5K500 drive, making it the thinnest 500 GB, 2.5"
external hard drive in the world. With its ultra thin profile and sleek
design that complements the MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air,
users now have increased capacity
in a stylish footprint to help them move, work and play with their
digital content. Now at 500 GB, the drive has enough room to store up
to 125 hours of high-definition video, 500 hours of standard video, 178
movies, 125,000 4-minute songs or 250 games. Formatted for Macs with
simple plug n play connectivity, the G-Drive Slim is Time Machine ready
for added backup protection. It is USB-powered, so there is no need to
carry around an extra power cord.
The 500 GB G-Technology G-Drive Slim will be shipping to retailers
in early Q1 2011. Pricing has not been set.
Ultra thin and light devices are, without argument, a growing trend.
In order for these innovative designs to live up to their true
potential, they need rugged, reliable high-capacity hard drives that
can withstand the rigors of a portable environment and satisfy the
storage demands of their end users, and Hitachi continues to deliver,
said Brendan Collins, vice president of product marketing at Hitachi
GST. As the industry's only 500 GB one disk product and the only second
generation 7mm product family, Hitachi continues to push the bar
higher, and is leading the shift from 9.5mm 2.5" drives to 7mm 2.5"
drives across a broad range of market segments.
Link: G-Technology
G-Drive Slim
G-Drive Slim Portable Hard Drive for MacBook
Air
PR: G-Drive Slim hard drives are the perfect hard drive for
someone on the go. G-Drive Slim fits in your pocket and looks cool!
Travel around with 320 GB of Hitachi disk drive storage space - ideal
for important documents, MP3s, and digital photo files. G-Drive Slim is
formatted for your Mac and Time Machine Ready, making it an easy
plug-and-play storage device. Built for those on the move, G-Drive Slim
is made with a lightweight aluminum enclosure. Portability has never
looked so good!
Easy to Setup - Time Machine Ready
G-Drive Slim is formatted at the factory HFS+ with Journaling and is
Time Machine ready right out of the box. A simple initialization is all
it takes to prepare G-Drive for use with Windows systems.
Warranty & Support
G-Drive Slim is backed by a standard 3-year factory warranty and
unlimited free technical support by representatives experienced with
the latest content creation applications
Quick Facts
- 320 GB Ultra-slim hard drive
- Formatted for Mac, and Time Machine Ready
- Lightweight compact aluminum enclosure
- Bus Powered via high-speed USB 2.0 port
- Plug and Play on Mac OS
- Standard 3-year factory warranty
Link: G-Technology
G-Drive Slim
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