The new Airport Extreme base station support the faster pre-drafted 802.11n protocol. The same wireless chipset is being used in MacIntel however, it is locked, and users can not enjoy the benefit of the pre-drafted 802.11n (except when using BootCamp and Win)
While we were expecting to have the full support for 802.11n within the coming weeks, via a firmware update, it turns out according to
MacFixit that Apple will indeed offer a specific upgrade... but it will cost you 4,99$!!
If it turns to be true, then most users will find absolutely insane that they have to pay an extra fee while they bought hardware with known locked wireless chipset due to the incomplete development of the Mac pre-drafted 802.11n version, something directly due to Apple's fault, a delay in driver’s development.
As a reminder, the list of affected hardware:
- iMac Core 2 Duo * except 17" 1.83 GHz.
- MacBook and MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo
- MacPro featuring the Airport BTO *
(* most affected hardware models)
In addition it would be really weird, knowing that with Apple Leopard, those machine will then benefit of the full support for 802.11n wireless.
According to
iLounge, it is linked to a US law:
Because of the [Sarbanes-Oxley Act], the company believes that if it sells a product, then later adds a feature to that product, it can be held liable for improper accounting if it recognizes revenue from the product at the time of sale, given that it hasn’t finished delivering the product at that point.
It sounds to us really weird, and we would like to mention to Apple that this upgrade has to be free according to EU regulations, except if Apple wants to have to deal with the EU, I think Microsoft realized (too late) that EC was not really afraid of suing big monopoly companies.
The announcement of the iPhone and the resulting screen captures of the interface that were put online have enabled the creation of themes based on it's look for devices running Windows Mobile.
Just as is was with the first XP Skins imitating Mac OS X, Apple's Lawyers have contacted the sites offering the files for download and demanded that they remove them.
Although this decision is not surprising, it is possible to congratulate Apple for profiting on this occasion by recovering a little bit from the bad publicity and bringing talk back to the iPhone: in this case the exceptional interface.
Although, truth be told, it is not really possible to justify any damage following the appearance of these themes as the iPhone is still a long way from being released.
Because of the premature announcement, Apple will have to fight against mimics of its product before it is even brought to market.
Source : Tuaw
Tuaw published first screen captures of Mac office 2008. One can clearly see that the GUI is completely modified adopting the "ribbon style" that Microsoft is so proud of.
There is also a new "time managing" application introduced with Mac Office 2008, it is named My Day.
Beside esthetical changes, most users wait for Mac Office 2008 to be finally natively compatible with MacIntel, while providing the best compatibility between files created with Mac and PC version of Microsoft Office.
The
New Scientist reports an interesting project, named
Fab@Home.
Fab@Home is a website dedicated to making and using fabbers - machines that can make almost anything, right on your desktop. This website provides an open source kit that lets you make your own simple fabber, and use it to print three dimensional objects. You can download and print various items, try out new materials, or upload and share your own projects. Advanced users can modify and improve the fabber itself.
Fabbers (a.k.a 3D Printers or rapid prototyping machines) are a relatively new form of manufacturing that builds 3D objects by carefully depositing materials drop by drop, layer by layer. Slowly but surely, with the right set of materials and a geometric blueprint, you can fabricate complex objects that would normally take special resources, tools and skills if produced using conventional manufacturing techniques. A fabber can allow you explore new designs, email physical objects to other fabber owners, and most importantly - set your ideas free. Just like MP3s, iPods and the Internet have freed musical talent, we hope that blueprints and fabbers will democratize innovation.
The current main project deals with a 3D printer with a target price of 2400$.
A video shows the printer in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e26MBnnQEIE
If it turns out to be popular, it might first bring dramatically down prices for such products, and also initiate a revolution in the consumer way, as we might in the future not by a finished product, but rather buy components and codes, then assemble them the way we want.
