News for Monday, 20 November 2006

We have disassembled two MB Pro belonging from RevA and RevB in order to exchange the HD. The disassembling procedure was not modified, and as shown by the photo hereafter, there were not major changes inside:

We could notice:
- the grid on the backside (below the display) is larger, probably to allow better air flow output.
- the new airport card features 3 antennas, so it is now MIMO ready (will of course require a firmware/software update to be activated).
- there is no more space between the HD and the case, thanks to a sticky layer that must be placed back when exchanging HD. This extra layer better holds HD vibrations when spinning.
- the Bluetooth module is not localized by the HD anymore, as shown below:

It is now glued on the keyboard/cover part (bottom left side on the photo)
In summary, the lack of major changes confirms that the MacBook Pro is mature in its design and does not suffer any problems anymore.

Creative changed its mind again. About one month ago, the company removed the recording feature from its digital music players thank to a firmware update (potentially following pressures from the RIAA).
Today, without much explanation, Creative has added the recording feature back via a new firmware update (the function was simply re-activated).
If Creative does not really know how to behave concerning this feature, we can suspect that consumers were complaining, and with Christmas purchasing season getting closer, removing such feature from music player models might not be the best marketing move.

StopDRM is providing the link to an official webpage from the music major EMI (in French). This webpage is providing procedures to follow in order to copy DRM-protected tracks (CopyControl) to a computer or standalone CD player.
If they do not provide the way to hack their protection, they provide the ways to bypass it! This is once more an example of the weird situation where DRM-protected tracks, instead of promoting online music stores and legal distribution, are pushing frustrated consumers, who have legally purchased their digital music, to hack DRM in order to be able to play their tracks as they want and/or using the player of their own choice.
In addition by publishing online such information, EMI acknowledges the private copy right claimed by French consumers associations, and but then might be consider as an illegal act according to the recently voted French law (DADVSI law).

Following Apple's request, the following websites were forced to be closed down: iPodFrance, iPod-Zone and Apple-Zone.
If those are the last example of the Apple's trademark battle in France, similar events have taken placed all over the world...
Thankfully, Apple did not apply the same policies around the term "Mac", maybe because it would impact hundreds of websites, representing the entire Mac community...

Hitachi might stop manufacturing HDs as well as TV if both divisions are not being profitable in a near future.
If we do not really care about TV, not having Hitachi among leading HD manufacturers will simply be a revolution. Hitachi had acquired IBM HD division some years ago, and has always been innovating while providing excellent performance/price ratio for consumer-oriented HD. A good example is the current problem to find the excellent Hitachi Travel Star 2.5" 160GB in shops. All samples are flying away from the shelves as soon as they arrive.
Hitachi should take its final decision in one year.

After the iPhone, a new rumor has spread on the web. According to Digitimes (not always reliable), Apple might built computer based on AMD CPU. Reason for such rumor comes from sources in passive component industry. Indeed, Apple is reported ordering massive amount of high-capacitance multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) of 22ìF usually used in AMD-based notebook. However, Intel-based notebook would also use such MLCC.
Such rumor does not have solid basis, as AMD might indeed provide ATI GPU to Apple for future notebook update. Such large order of MLCC by Apple might also reflect massive orders already recorded for MacBook and MacBook Pro. It could also pave the way for other rumors related to a sub-notebook, a 15" MacBook or simply correlate with the future production of iTV.

Roxio released an update for Toast Titanium (7.1.2).
This new version fixes some bugs but does NOT provide any new feature, especially the BD support.
So to get the BD-ready Toast Titanium version, you will still have to buy a BD burner, and carefully check the bundled software as it is now provided by default with all of them.