Wednesday April 16, 2008

- Psystar: not quite what it appears to be - CliveAtFive - 23:03:28

Source : Guardian Unlimited

Contrary to what its comprehensive and detailed website implies, Psystar appears to be a one-man-show. The Guardian uncovers the truth behind the website, exposing a only the bare bones of what can be considered a "business solutions" company.

Their phone reception system is buggy, won't allow you to leave messages, and only connects you to "support" to talk to a person. Their contact address had originally pointed to a house in suburbia, but was changed later in the day, pointing to an industrial park, specifically the company "USA KOEN PACK," who had never heard of Psystar. Also, their website, which looked so well-done, was actually built from an online template (source: AppleInsider).

Yet, not to be too disparaging, all OpenMac hope is not completely lost. Simply because "Psystar" is simply a garage business does not render it invalid. Remember that Apple Computer Inc was, too, born in a garage. If legit, Psystar certainly has a lot to prove before it can be considered trustworthy,

Nevertheless, as obvious as Psystar's intended deception is, it remains unknown how the situation will be altered. The potentially controversial nature of Apple's EULA is out in the open... The cries for a modestly-priced mid-tower from Apple have been sung.

Would Psystar, if legit, still dare to sell an OpenMac, especially without a legal team? Might another entrepreneur pick up on the idea with an "OpenMac" of their own? Will Apple finally answer the pleas of its users begging for a modestly-priced consumer tower? All of these questions remain to be answered.

- Online media operators want the BBC - Lionel - 16:35:46

Source: PC Inpact

The BBC has already encountered a huge success with its iPlayer, which allows online-viewing of many of their programs. They have already had 550,000 visitors. The BBC does not stop there, and proposes a version for the Wii, and after that, for the iPhone.

The reasons for their success are simple. The group has been deadlocked on the DRM and it covers all visibly better. The only current victims of this success are the ISPs. Indeed, if there was an impression of free Web, it is readily apparent. They must pay for the use of the data pipes that their customers use, and videos weigh particularly heavy.

They have come to try and find common ground at the BBC and they request participation in sharing the costs generated by its success. Already operators had tried to do the same with Google and other heavy bandwidth hogs. If it comes here, it will be a new revolution for the Internet, where most services might become paying, or even more, full of advertising.

[translation by CliveAtFive]

- Seagate Warns to Sue SSD Manufacturers - Eric - 14:45:33

For HD manufacturers, SSD is probably the main challenge to overcome in the coming months and years as many analysts predict SSD will replace plate-based HD in a mid-term future. The reason is also that flash memory manufacturers have been taking the lead of SSD market, and are now ahead when compared to standard HD manufacturers.

Probably as part of a marketing campaign, Seagate CEO recently warned SSD manufacturers for patent infringement if SSD market is really taking off. Indeed, the CEO is convinced that SSD makers like Samsung and Intel are violating Seagate's patents. Most of HD manufacturers own patents related to the ways a storage unit communicates the computer hardware, including all steps. It stands to reason that Seagate will sue if it looks like SSDs could become a real threat.

Seagate already initiated such legal action against a small SSD manufacturer (STEC), probably to easily get a legal decision about this topic. It will then be easy for Seagate to use such judgment to push larger SSD manufacturers (Intel and Samsung) to pay royalties for avoiding any legal actions. Royalties is maybe the main goal of this warning, as Seagate and other HD manufacturers just realize that SSD will most likely be the storage unit in most notebooks in less than 2 to 3 years.

- NVidia Announces 1 Billion Transistors for its Next-Gen GPU - Lionel - 14:29:47

NVidia started unveiling details about the next-generation GPU in its pipeline. Known as GT-200, it should score a new milestone by reaching the mythical barrier of 1 billion transistors, 25% more than the current GPU powering the high-end graphic cards from NVidia. The future flagship might sport up to 200 processing cores instead of the 128 cores of the GF 9800 GTX, and should hit shelves this summer.
Of course one will have to wait for the first test to evaluate if such raw power can really deliver performance boost; but it is nevertheless the first true innovation from NVidia over the past year.

[translation by Linathael]

- The 8800GT for Mac Pro Rev 1 is available - Lionel - 10:04:29

As announced yesterday, the Nvidia 8800GT graphics card for the Mac Pro (Rev. 1) is now available on the Apple Store for €230.
The Radeon HD 2600 has dropped in price, and is now yours for €100.
And the 8800 GT for the Mac Pro Rev. 2 costs only €230 now.

[translation by xavier]

- - CliveAtFive - 09:54:03

Blogger and HardMac contributor CliveAtFive has published an article recapping the unfolding events of Psystar's OpenComputer (OpenMac), as well as providing some background on the Hackintosh movement and OSx86 project. The article will bring any Layperson up to speed on the issues at hand, as well as the potential implications on not only Apple, but on the entire industry.

(Posted with Linathael's blessing)

- SeriTek/SpyderHUB: An eSATA/Firewire/USB Converter by FirmTek - Lionel - 08:49:49

Source : FirmTek

FirmTek announced the SeriTek/SpyderHUB, an interesting concept.



Thank to this enclosure, one can plug external SATA HDs (eSATA) to the SeriTek/SpyderHUB, then get the data through FireWire or USB2 when connecting the computer to the SeriTek/SpyderHUB. So, one can use eSATA with any Mac, even the Mac Book Air, or use those eSATA HDs as booting volume.
Of course the data transfer speed available will be defined by the slowest connection, so it will be far from being as fast as native eSATA. If such converters are also found in eSATA enclosures too, here FirmTek added an extra value by turning it into a multiport hub. With the SeriTek/SpyderHUB, one can even set external HDs as RAID 0, 1 and JBOD volumes. However, one will not be able to use external FireWire HDs and get the data via USB2; such additional features might have been useful for the MacBook Air.
The price of the SeriTek/SpyderHUB is currently not available yet.

[translation by Linathael]

- iPhone price cut in the UK - Lionel - 01:23:59

Source : Techradar

Just like in Germany with T-Mobile, O2 will (probably) slash its iPhone prices in the UK starting from tomorrow. The 8Gb model will be £100 off, it will only cost £169.
We're waiting for Orange (France) now, it's their turn to lower their prices too, to around £250, which will definitely boost iPhone sales.
And, just like in Germany, the promotion will only apply to the 8Gb model. It's possible that Apple will only offer 16 and 32 Gb models for the new 3G iPhone, thus boosting the storage capacity.

[translation by xavier]