Apple Refreshes iBook, Mac Mini Lines
As expected, Apple on Tuesday refreshed its Mac Mini and iBook lines. Changes to both of the products include increased memory and built-in wireless capabilities, while the iBook gained faster processor speed and some features previously only available in the higher-end PowerBook models.
The iBook G4 line was simplified and now only includes two models, a 12-inch version with a Combo Drive that runs at 1.33 GHz and a 14-inch model with a SuperDrive that runs at 1.42GHz. Contrary to earlier reports, a widescreen iBook was not unveiled.
Mozilla Gains Support from Plaxo
Plaxo announced Tuesday that it will extend support to Mozilla's Thunderbird e-mail client by offering a beta version of its toolbar for synchronizing address books. The toolbar is part of an initiative by the California-based company to expand its service across more platforms.
Thunderbird is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux and is used by millions worldwide. The addition of Plaxo compatibility could help the e-mail client gain greater acceptance in enterprise environments, where the plug-in counts most of its users.
Moto Demos ROKRs - Without iTunes
Promising analysts that Motorola is "going to be very, very big in music in the coming year," CEO Ed Zander demonstrated several phones to analysts and press on Monday night that will fall under the company's new ROKR line of music-enabled phones.
However, even through all the demonstrations, including one for a phone -- the e3680i -- that apparently powered the opening video for the event, the crowd remained noticeably quiet.
'Vista' Name May Have Trademark Issues
The Seattle Times reported over the weekend that Microsoft might need to jump through some legal hurdles in order to keep the new name for its next generation operating system. The paper uncovered Saturday that a fellow Redmond-based company, Vista, Inc., owns the trademark to the name "Vista."
Vista specializes in e-business infrastructure applications for the small-to-medium enterprise market, and its CEO John Wall is not happy with Microsoft. Wall told the paper that his company is currently investigating whether or not the name violates trademark laws.
Intel Announces New Mobile Chips
Intel on Monday announced three new mobile chips, two for its Pentium M line and one for its Celeron M line. The fastest of the new chips, the Pentium M 780, will run at 2.26 GHz with a 533 MHz bus and will retail for $637 USD. However, with the speed comes quite a bit of power usage -- 28 watts. For those looking to conserve power, Intel introduced the Pentium M Low Voltage 778, which only consumes 10 watts of power and will retail for $284 USD. The chip runs at a speed of 1.6 GHz
For budget notebooks, Intel introduced a Celeron M processor that has similar specs to the low-power Pentium M chip. The Celeron consumes 21 watts of power, and earlier versions of the chip have already appeared in some low-cost notebooks being sold by HP.
Japan to Build Fastest Supercomputer
The Japanese government said on Monday that plans were underway to develop a computer that would operate at a speed that is 73 times faster than the current fastest supercomputer.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology plans to use the machine for a range of complex tasks including research on the formation of the galaxy and medicinal research.
Xbox 360 Global Launch by Year's End
Microsoft said on Monday that the Xbox 360 launches in Japan and Europe will come during the holiday shopping season this year, a move that could be seen as an attempt to get a head start on market-leader Sony. Redmond had already committed to launching the next-generation console in the United States sometime this fall.
Sony, which controls over two-thirds of the gaming market, currently plans to launch the PlayStation 3 in spring 2006. By reaching a worldwide market several months earlier than Sony, Microsoft may be able to cut into sales of the PS3. Price may also play a part in the selection process - SCE president Ken Kutaragi said during last week's PlayStation Meeting that the PS3 will be "expensive."
Yahoo Buys Konfabulator Widget App
Yahoo confirmed that it has bought Konfabulator, a popular software application that provides a platform for small "widgets" that show news headlines, weather data, and stock information among other things on a user's desktop. The program is available for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms.
Konfabulator was first introduced in 2002 and quickly gained a small cult following for its ease of use. Apple liked the idea and included a similar application, called Dashboard, in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Vodafone: T-Mobile US Not a Good Buy
Vodafone told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag over the weekend that it is not a good time to buy T-Mobile USA. The sale has been rumored since the beginning of the month. At issue is whether the company wants to spend the money to upgrade its network to 3G, or sell it to whoever is willing to do so.
Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone said, "This would not be a good time. T-Mobile is the last of four competitors and it does not have a third generation mobile network. This is a difficult situation." Sarin also said his company was satisfied with its current mobile phone partner in the United States, Verizon, which is much larger than T-Mobile USA.
MSN Virtual Earth Beta Goes Live
Following in the footsteps of Google, Microsoft's MSN division on Monday launched a beta of its Virtual Earth mapping tool. The service will allow users to view satellite imagery, as well as traditional map locations, and perform local search functions based on the area in focus.
For example, Virtal Earth will have the capability to visually point out locations for ATMs, restaurants, and gas stations. Google's Maps service has been able to do the same function since it was bolstered with satellite imagery in April of this year.
Cisco Buys Network Entertainment Firm
Cisco on Friday announced plans to acquire KiSS Technology of Denmark for $61 million in cash and stock in a move to extend its Linksys franchise into networked entertainment devices.
KiSS develops technology that allows devices such as DVD players and recorders to be placed on home networks, and manufactures several which include the capability to play networked content on demand.
New Mac Mini, iBook Updates Next Week
Apple enthusiast site ThinkSecret reported late Thursday that new part numbers are showing up in Apple databases indicating the release of three new Mac Mini and two new iBook models. Price points for the new systems will be $499, $599 and $699 USD for the Mini, and $999 and $1,299 USD for the iBook.
The Mac Mini has not received an update since it was introduced at the beginning of the year, and the iBooks have not received an update since October of last year. The new systems are expected to surface sometime next week ahead of the back-to-school shopping season, with Tuesday being mentioned as a possible date.
Firefox 1.1 Scrapped, 1.5 Due in Sept
The Mozilla Foundation will scrap Firefox 1.1, and instead focus on version 1.5 of the popular alternative browser, lead Firefox engineer Ben Goodger said earlier this week. The change reflects the amount of bug fixes and new features that will be included in the release.
"We've made some major improvements to the Firefox application, especially in the update and extension systems that warrant more than a minor version bump," Mozilla's Asa Dotzler said.
Google Fires Back at Microsoft
Google fired back at Microsoft on Thursday in court over the hiring of former Microsoft exec Kai-Fu Lee, asking a California judge to invalidate a non-compete clause in Lee's contract as "overreaching and unlawful." Lee was to head Google's new R&D center in China.
Previously he had been a vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Services division. Microsoft claims that by accepting the position, Lee will be breaking confidentiality and non-competition agreements he signed when accepting his position at Microsoft.
Longhorn Gets a Name: Windows Vista
The folks at Redmond have long pointed to the user interface of the next generation Windows release as one of its major selling points. Now, Microsoft has chosen an official name for Longhorn with just that in mind. Enter: Windows Vista.
Word of the new name leaked out late Thursday after Microsoft tipped off journalists and enthusiast sites of an impending Longhorn-related announcement due Friday morning. "Windows Vista" was first mentioned at a Microsoft sales conference in Atlanta, according to reports.
Ed's Bio
Ed Oswald is a freelance journalist from the Reading, PA area. Although he has written across a variety of subjects, Ed’s passion and focus has been on technology and gadgets. His work regularly appears on tech news sites BetaNews, PCWorld, and Technologizer, and has been syndicated to eWeek, Time’s Techland blog, VentureBeat and the New York Times.
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