Atari accuses "innocent" people of file-sharing

Innocent people are being accused of illegal file-sharing and threatened with high fines and court action by games manufacturers seeking to protect copyright, according to a Which? Computing investigation.

The consumer champions looked into the case of Gill and Ken Murdoch from Inverness, who were pursued by Atari for allegedly sharing the game Race 07 on their computer. The couple have never played a computer game in their lives but were “caught” by Atari’s solicitors, London law firm Davenport Lyons who identified the Murdochs’ computer’s IP (internet protocol) address as illegally file-sharing.


Atari followed up its unfounded accusations by insisting the elderly couple pay 500 compensation and 25 costs, threatening costs would be much higher if legal proceedings took place.

Since Which? Computing’s intervention, Atari's legal firm, Davenport Lyons have decided not to pursue the matter.

The entertainment industry claims file-sharing costs millions in lost revenue, with lawyers are stepping up the hunt for Britons who illegally share games and films over the internet.

However, while many pursued cases are valid examples of file-sharing, the policing technology used is by no means foolproof, with many hundreds of those pursued being innocent victims who have failed to secure their computer against file-sharing, and may have had their IP address used illegally by a third party.

Continued... 1 | 2 | NEXT >




New industry group takes aim at ‘net pollution,’ piracy
Busta Rhymes wins UK legal bid to perform
(Reuters)

John Sculley calls Steve Jobs a 'culture-changing' genius

Former Apple CEO John Sculley believes the iPhone may be bigger than the Mac - and says the popular Newton handheld PDA was "15 years too early".

Speaking to TechRadar, Sculley explains the importance of the iPhone launch - and of the man he fired, current Apple CEO, Steve Jobs: "Jobs's genius is his ability to use technology to create products that define fundamental cultural shifts. The Mac defined 'personal technology', and the iPhone defines 'intimate technology' as a convergence of communications, content and location."


He stressed the aesthetic, uncompromising attitude to design evinced by the Apple co-founder, observing, "I don't see any mobile device company who has figured out how to replicate Steve's design principles," and continues to observe Jobs to be "still defining the platform".

While Sculley bemoans the absence of a physical keyboard on iPhone, he's bullish on the App Store, calling this "more important than anything else".

Proof positive of that latter allegation is seen in Google, Nokia and RIM's various moves to offer their own equivalent stores for application purchase.

On the failure of the Newton, Scullet remarks, "We had the right idea, but we didn't have Steve's unique talent to create a culture-changing product..."




Apple developing ARM-based iPhone processors in-house
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

NBC Universal, HD downloads for iTunes

Canada, Japan see 'very good' demand for iPhone in Q3

Apple's iPhone is driving supporting mobile carriers into profit, seizing new customers at the expense of rivals, reports confirm.

Rogers Communications in Canada and Japan's Softbank this week both confirmed strong demand for the Apple device, with the Japanese carrier seeing a 1.9 per cent climb in September quarter net profit on strength of iPhone demand.


"The iPhone certainly supported our profit and boosted the number of new mobile phone subscribers during the quarter," a Softbank spokesman said. While the company declined to share actual sales figures, the company characterised sales as "very good".

Softbank's new mobile phone subscribers increased by 521,400 during the quarter, thanks partly to the iPhone.

Similar news from Canada, where Rogers Communications this week confirmed a sharp climb in profits on strength of demand for the Apple phone. Earnings climbed 84 per cent and revenue 14 per cent in the quarter, the company confirmed.

"Strong sales" of both the iPhone and products from Canada's BlackBerry where cited as cause. The company said it has activated 255,000 iPhones in Canada since July.




Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

iPhone is biggest-selling US smartphone

MyVu video glasses make it to the iPhone

Myvu Corporation today announced its video glasses for iPod, Myvu Crystal, are now fully compatible with the iPhone - though you do need to purchase a new cable.

Developed originally for military use, the Myvu Crystal headset attempts to beam video straight from your iPod - or iPhone - to your eyes, creating a full-screen viewing experience.


“With a focus on innovation, functionality and design, Myvu is thrilled to announce that Myvu Crystal is now fully compatible with the Apple iPhone,” said Kip Kokinakis, president and CEO of Myvu Corporation. "We’re extending our reach into the consumer market as the first video eyewear to fully integrate plug-and-play functionality with all iPod with video models and now the Apple iPhone.”

The system is also compatible with the Microsoft Zune, Nokia N95 and select Samsung handsets, portable DVD players and various game consoles.

Users can purchase the new Works with iPhone cable online at www.Myvu.com for $24.95.

Read Macworld's review of this product here.




Apple developing ARM-based iPhone processors in-house
iPhone 2.1 jailbroken, unlock hack in circulation
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

PasswordVault new version ships

Lava Software'sPasswordVault 6.1 is available now, a simple enterprise-level password manager for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.

Standard features in PasswordVault include auto-filling of web forms (two-click logins), very strong 896-bit Blowfish encryption, online synchronization (with an additional layer of 128-bit AES encryption, for a total of 1024-bit encryption strength), a unique Master Password Recovery System (MPRS),a random password generator, auto-lock timer with clipboard clear and a range of other functions.


The portable version (bundled free with the desktop version) runs directly off USB flash drives and iPods, providing users with secure access to their data when they're on the road, as well as the convenience of auto-synchronization when they return to their desktop computer.

The new version - free to existing users - includes instant search abilities, makes it easy to add new entries by dropping a web address onto a dropbox on the main window, includes password and web bookmark management and synchronization over LAN and internet, and is compatible with all web browsers.

For a limited time, small businesses and home users can purchase the five user pack of PasswordVault Pro for $39 (normally $49).

Also available, the free Lite Edition of PasswordVault supports up to 25 services and includes a 30 day trial of auto-distribution, whilst the Standard and Professional Editions support any number of services. Individual licenses cost $14.95.




Line Rider ships for iPhone
Taylor puts his spin on classic tunes in “Covers”
(Reuters)

iPhone case offers power and protection

Only now available in the UK the iPow External Battery Case combines a protective case with a battery recharge pack to keep your first generation iPhone working on your travels.

The leather flip case protects your device whilst the integrated battery doubles the power capacity. The case also incorporates mini stereo speakers so you can enjoy your music a little louder in the right situation.


The case's integrated lithium ion battery can be simultaneously recharged with the phone. The standard iPhone battery currently allows up to 8 hours talk time, 7 hours of video playback, 6 hours of web access or 24 hours listening time. The iPow can double these.

The case weighs 98g and is hard-backed to protect your device and the leather front gives a sleek finish. There's apertures in the appropriate areas for use of the camera and access to iPhone controls.

The iPow costs 49.99 and is available from selected high streets stores and Twisted Carbon. A version for the iPhone 3G is promised "soon".




Kensington offers power for iPhone, iPod
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Kanye Busted for Airport Bust-Up
(E! Online)

Go green with your iPhone

A new iPhone application helps you with your recylcing, Siavash Ghamaty's free Recycler app.

Recycler deciphers those complex PEC plastic codes on the bottom of your recyclables. Acceptable plastic recycling codes vary from location to location.


"I created this application to remind myself of what items I can throw into my recycling and which just don't go," Ghamaty says, "After using this application for a couple of weeks, I ended up memorizing the plastic codes and hope other users do the same."

The App Store features other environmentally friendly tools such as Green Meter which focuses on fuel consumption. Ghamaty's application is the first of its kind, blending answers to everyday recycling challenges with the convenience of the iPhone.




Dell expands music tie-ins on festival circuit
(Reuters)

Games, networking and music drive iPhone usage

Snow Leopard, iPhone betas in the wild

Apple is distributing new builds of its iPhone Software, its iPhone software development kit and an all-new iteration of the future of the Mac OS, Snow Leopard, according to reports.

The new breed of big cat, Snow Leopard, is the latest edition to ship since WWDC 2008, a report indicates. Early information suggests this version of Snow Leopard also offers multicore enhancements.


This build features a Mac OS X Finder that has been completely re-written in Cocoa - it has been Carbon until now. The new software also offeres the beginnings of Microsoft Exchange integration, and a new ImageBoot function. The software is is a 7GB download with build number 10A190.

iPhone Software 2.2 beta 2 adds Google Street Views to the handset's built-in Maps application. It also adds support for line-in audio accessories.




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Sting Can Be Your Hero, Baby
(E! Online)

Beck brings it all back home in wide-ranging show
(Reuters)

Microsoft defends PC-user stereotype

In an attempt to fire back at Apple’s Get a Mac advertisements, Microsoft is airing its “I’m a PC" ad on British TV.

The premise of the advertisement is that Apple’s advertising campaign has made PC users into a stereotype. It sets about diminishing that myth by proving just how exciting PC users are.


Just to surmise. If you want to spot a PC user:

They wear glasses They wear jeans They design buildings They study the law They love their mum They have a beard And they sell fish

You can watch the ad here.




Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

New Mac ads criticize pricy Microsoft campaign

Intel repudiates executives' criticism of the iPhone

Intel distanced itself from criticism of Apple's iPhone made by executives at the company's Intel Developer Forum conference in Taipei, saying the comments were not appropriate. The chip maker also acknowledged its own products weren't yet suitable for such a product.

Earlier this week, Intel executives Shane Wall and Pankaj Kedia described the iPhone as slow and said the popular handset wasn't able to run the "full Internet" because it uses an Arm processor, instead of an Intel chip. The executives comments – which neglected to note that Intel doesn't make a low-power processor capable of powering a handset like the iPhone – were reported here on Macworld, causing consternation within Intel's PR ranks.


"Apple's iPhone offering is an extremely innovative product that enables new and exciting market opportunities. The statements made in Taiwan were inappropriate, and Intel representatives should not have been commenting on specific customer designs," the company said in a statement posted on its Chip Shots website.

Intel also admitted its own chips are not yet capable of running a device like the iPhone.

"Intel's low-power Atom processor does not yet match the battery life characteristics of the Arm processor in a phone form factor; and, that while Intel does have plans on the books to get us to be competitive in the ultra low power domain – we are not there as yet," the statement said.

The comments by Wall and Kedia are at odds with other statements by Intel executives, who generally lavish praise on the iPhone for its design and success in giving users easy access to the Internet. The remarks may have also put Intel in a difficult spot with Apple, since Intel is widely believed to be hopeful that Apple will use its low-power processors in future products.




Apple developing ARM-based iPhone processors in-house
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Nehalem desktops to be called Core i7

Microsoft earnings beat Wall Street estimates

Microsoft said the diversity of its software offerings helped it beat Wall Street estimates and post $15.06 billion in revenue during its fiscal first quarter of 2009.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected profit of 47 cents per share on $14.8 billion in revenue. Microsoft posted 48 cents per share.


Despite the numbers, Microsoft only posted a modest 1.9 per cent increase in net income as compared to the same quarter a year ago. In the fiscal first quarter of 2008, revenue was $4.2 billion as compared to $4.3 billion in 2009.

Microsoft said its annuity sales, which are built mostly on multi-year software maintenance contracts, grew by more than 20 per cent fuelled by growth in the client, business and server and tools divisions.

Microsoft's success came mostly before the economic downturn that has had financial markets in a panic recently.

But the quarter was not without turmoil for Microsoft. During the quarter, Microsoft dropped its bid to acquire Yahoo while pursuing Google in the search and advertising market. Microsoft is investing heavily to make up ground on the search giant but the depth of those efforts from a financial perspective won't be reflected until later in the fiscal year.

Microsoft was active in the quarter adding to its server and tools lineup the much-anticipated Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V virtualization platform and the SQL Server 2008 database.

Spending drop

But Chris Liddell, chief financial officer for Microsoft, said the company did feel a spending drop off in the last few weeks of the quarter and that the trend continued into October.

Liddell said Microsoft would adjust downward its guidance for the second fiscal quarter of 2009. Microsoft had been predicting an uptick in the economy for the quarter.

Now, Liddell said, "we are assuming a mild recession and a relatively modest growth rate for IT based products."

He said the company's strong cash flow, high unearned revenue and plentiful cash on hand would "allow us to weather any economic recession in relatively better terms than most."

And adding a high note, Liddell said Microsoft still foresees an "increase in demand for our products that will grow revenue from single digits to low double digits this financial year."

He predicted that growth would be judged as an exceptional performance in the current economic environment.

On the balance sheet, IT showed that it was still a driving force for Microsoft. Revenue in the server and tools business was up 17% from $2.9 billion in the fiscal first quarter on 2008 to $3.4 billion in the same quarter this year.

Microsoft's complete balance sheet in available on its website.




Delta museum is a tribute to bluesman B.B. King
(AP)

Dell falls as global demand declines

Sony shares sink on earnings revision

Investors reacted to Sony's earnings revision by pushing the price of its shares down to levels not seen for 13 years on Friday morning.

The shares closed at 1,998, down 13 percent, on the Tokyo market. That's a little off the low point of the morning of 1,983 recorded just before 10 a.m.


On Thursday evening Sony revised down its financial outlook for the full year due to lower sales of key products as a result of the slowing economy and the strong Japanese yen. Its net profit outlook for the year from April 2008 to March 2009 was cut by 38 percent to 150 billion (US$1.5 billion). And sales for the year were revised down slightly to 9 trillion.

Sony blamed the strong Japanese yen, which makes its products more expensive overseas and reduces the value in yen of profits brought back to Japan, and weak demand for key products including Bravia LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs, Cybershot digital cameras and Handycam digital video cameras.

Sony's warning also pulled down the entire consumer electronics sector. Many of Japan's large electronics companies are big exporters and the strengthening yen will likely hit them too.

At market close, Panasonic shares were down 12 percent, Sharp down 14 percent and Toshiba down 9 percent on the day.

Also weighing on the market was the first drop in quarterly sales in seven years at Toyota, which like Sony is a major exporter, and yen hitting decade highs against the dollar.

The entire market as measured by the Nikkei 225 index closed down 812 points, or 10 percent, at 7,649 points.




7digital beats iTunes, launches fully DRM-free online music service
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(Reuters)

Rapper T.I. back atop singles chart
(Reuters)

With its mountain of cash, Apple could buy…

Apple has a lot of cash on hand. $24.5 billion in fact, which is more than even Microsoft now. With it, Apple could buy a whole bunch of things, 24.5 billion things from the Dollar Store for instance (at least in states that don’t charge sales tax). In one of the great turns of fortune, Apple could even buy computer maker Dell — in cash — as Apple 2.0 noted earlier today.

This must be particularly sweet for Apple because Dell founder Michael Dell famously said 11 years ago that he would shut down Apple and give the money back to its shareholders, when asked what he would do with the then struggling computer maker (this was before iPods let alone iPhones).


Of course that is just on paper. Dell’s market cap is $23.48 billion, if Apple actually wanted to acquire Dell (which you can be certain it doesn’t) it would likely take substantially more money. But there are several significant companies out there with severely sunken market caps due to the poor performance of the stock market recently.

Aside from Dell, with $24.5 billion in cash, Apple could now technically afford:

Yahoo, with its $17.53 billion market cap, and still have about $7 billion in cash left over. Sun Microsystems, about seven times over, with its $3.38 billion market cap. Sony (at least the part traded on the New York Stock Exchange) with its $21.54 billion market cap. Netflix, which arguably competes with the Apple TV — about 20 times over. Blockbuster, which arguably competes with no one anymore — nearly 100 times over. Xerox, whose early experiments with graphical user interfaces (GUI) and the mouse influenced early Apple, about 4 times over. SanDisk, which, like Apple, loves flash memory, over 10 times over. PDA maker Palm, about 60 times over NVIDIA (which makes Apple’s graphic chips), about 6 times over. Chip maker AMD, over 12 times over. Texas Instruments, with its $22.14 billion cap. It could nearly buy BlackBerry-maker RIMM (one key iPhone competitor) with its $26.13 billion market cap. ZDNet lays out some other possible acquisitions Apple could make among non-publicly traded companies including TiVo, Pandora, Last.fm (which CBS Interactive already owns) and Hulu (which NBC and Fox own).

TiVo and Pandora are interesting as both could compliment or help areas of existing Apple businesses (Apple TV and iTunes respectively), but none seem particularly likely at this time. As are none of the above companies I laid out. Instead, expect Apple to sit on its bags of cash snapping up smaller companies to bolster its future — like its purchase earlier this year of chip maker PA Semi — as it continues to rake in more money.




Dell expands music tie-ins on festival circuit
(Reuters)

US consumers are most likely to choose Mac
Dell focuses on India as global market softens

Gmail activation problem in Apps finally solved

Google has finally solved a problem that kept recent subscribers to its Apps suite from accessing their new Gmail accounts.

The problem struck on Friday evening, causing a delay in activating the Gmail service for end users in newly created Apps accounts.


Google acknowledged the problem on Monday and later said it would have the issue resolved by Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

By Tuesday afternoon, Google had started fixing affected domains, but the work wasn't completed until more than a day later, at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday.

"The problem with the Mail service should be resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better," a Google representative said on the official Google Apps discussion forum on Wednesday evening.

On Tuesday, a Google spokesman said in an interview that after an organization completes the process to transfer its domain to Apps, it typically takes about 48 hours for its end users' Gmail accounts to turn on.

However, for accounts created since around late Friday evening, the activation process took longer due to a Google glitch that slowed down the DNS (Domain Name System) propagation process, he said.

Google Apps administrators reported the trouble in the official discussion forum for the hosted collaboration and communications application suite.

The administrators' impatience stemmed from the fact that once the process to transfer control of their domain to Google Apps begins, they can't access their e-mail until their Gmail accounts are activated.

While the problem lasted, affected users trying to access their inboxes got an error message indicating that the e-mail service was not available. The problem affected Gmail access but not mail delivery, so all messages in affected accounts were routed to their intended inboxes.

Google Apps is a hosted collaboration and communication suite aimed at workplace use that includes various applications, including Gmail. More than 1 million businesses use Google Apps.

Apps' Standard and Education versions are free, while the more sophisticated Premier edition costs US$50 per user per year and includes, among other premium features, a 99.9 percent uptime guarantee for Gmail and access to phone support.

Last week, a Gmail outage that lasted about 30 hours affected some Google Apps customers. Also last week, an unrelated bug affected both the layout and functionality of the suite's Start portal pages in some Apps accounts for about 16 hours.

In August, Gmail had three significant outages and as a result, Google decided to extend a credit to all Apps Premier customers and said it would do better at notifying users of problems.




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Dell focuses on India as global market softens

Dell is focusing on emerging markets such as India, anticipating some softness in global markets, a company executive said on Thursday. The company has rolled out its first brand campaign in the Indian market.

In an economic downturn, marginal competitors including makers of unbranded PCs and small regional players will be eliminated, giving Dell an opportunity to gain market share, Mark Jarvis, Dell's chief marketing officer told reporters in Bangalore.


Besides India, the company expects high growth from Brazil, Russia, China, and some 10 other countries.

During an economic downturn, some customers are likely to look at IT as giving them a competitive edge, and not just as a cost, Jarvis said.

Market growth

India's PC market grew 8.1 per cent in the second quarter of this year to 2 million units, according to research firm IDC India. While shipments of desktop PCs declined by 2.4 per cent over shipments in the same quarter last year, shipments of notebook PCs increased by 51.2 percent. Hewlett-Packard had the largest share of the market.

Buyers in India are cautious and it is not clear whether it is a temporary issue, or a sign of a deeper, long-term trend in the PC market, IDC said in September.

Dell is rolling out its first brand campaign in India, focusing on the use of Dell's technology by some key entrepreneurs in India. The new campaign will run on newspapers, billboards, and mobile SMS (short message service) and has top entrepreneurs from the IT industry and a film maker endorsing Dell products.

The company has so far advertised its products in India rather than its brand, Jarvis said. A survey by the company found that the Dell brand was not very visible in the SMB (small and medium-size business) segment of the Indian market, he added.

The SMB segment in India is a relatively untapped market for Dell, according to the company.

Dell is putting its marketing budget in its fastest growing markets, said Jarvis. He did not disclose how much the company was spending on the new brand-building campaign.

Localized versions of the campaign will be rolled out in other emerging markets, Jarvis said.




Danity Kane’s MTV fame reels in marketers
(Reuters)

Dell falls as global demand declines
Dell expands music tie-ins on festival circuit
(Reuters)

Netherlands teen sentenced for stealing virtual goods

Stealing virtual goods is a crime, according to a ruling handed down by a judge in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, this week.

The decision came in the case of a 16-year-old boy charged with beating another teenager in the victim's room and stealing virtual property. On Sept. 6 last year the defendant forced the 13-year-old victim to log in to RuneScape and hand over the money and virtual goods he possessed in the virtual world, according to the charges.


The victim resisted and ended up in a fight with the suspect and a friend who was also in the room. The defendant was charged with kicking the victim's head and body and trying to strangle him. The victim claims he was threatened with a knife and said he would have been killed if he didn't obey.

After the fight the defendant took the victim's virtual money and goods, moved it to his account, then logged out, according to the charges. The lawsuit only dealt with the theft of the goods -- a virtual amulet and a virtual mask in RuneScape -- but it's the first time a judge in the Netherlands has ruled that the theft of virtual property is illegal and should be treated like stealing real-world objects.

It was clear the goods were stolen because the items were owned by the victim until the incident, after which the defendant had possession of the property, according to the judge, who ruled the goods have value. The judge ruled that "goods don't have to be material for the law to consider them stolen."

The prosecutor demanded 180 hours of unpaid work or 90 days of jail time. Although the defendant is denying the charges, the judge sentenced him to 160 hours of unpaid work, or jail time of 80 days. SMS: A judge in the Netherlands ruled this week that stealing virtual goods is a crime.




Apple’s secret 4GB iPod nano sneaks out
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(E! Online)

T.I.’s Baby Mama Sues for Child Support
(E! Online)

Antitrust case against Apple still on, says Mac clone maker

Contrary to media and blogger reports, Apple and Mac clone maker Psystar have not suspended their legal wrestling, a lawyer for Psystar said on Tuesday.

The fact that the two parties have filed documents with a federal court promising that they would take their dispute to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), a legal process that can include mediation, is "a non-story," said Colby Springer, an attorney with Palo Alto, Calif.-based firm Carr & Ferrell LLP who is on the team representing Psystar.


According to court documents filed this month, lawyers for both Psystar and Apple have agreed to non-binding mediation.

The court demanded that both parties agree to enter ARD, Springer confirmed. But he denied that anything should be read into the paperwork. "The Northern District [of California] requires you to go through ADR," he said. "It's standard practice, not for all courts, but the practice is growing. Quite frankly, all the talk about entering negotiations is really a non-story."

ADR does not require that opponents come to an agreement, although the case's judge can order the parties to continue discussions until he or she believes that route will be fruitless. "The case is very much alive," Springer said.

Apple and Psystar agreed to private mediation, with a mediator to be chosen from Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services Inc. (JAMS), a private company that provides trained mediators, arbitrators and negotiators. By ADR rules, any details of an agreement between Apple and Psystar would be kept secret.

Springer hinted that it was unlikely mediation would resolve the dispute. "This will go on a dual track now, the ADR and the case," he said, "but the real story from our point of view is our objection to the Apple move to dismiss."

Simply wrong

Last Friday, Psystar filed a brief opposing Apple's earlier move to dismiss Psystar's anti-trust lawsuit. Calling Apple's logic "simply wrong," Psystar said it had made a case that Apple's practice of tying its Mac OS X to the company's own hardware is a violation of several anti-trust laws.

In its motion to dismiss, which it filed on 30 September, Apple said that the clone maker's claim that Apple is a monopoly is "deeply flawed" and should be tossed out by US District Court Judge William Alsup. Apple also asserted that it could not be compelled to license its operating system to rivals, such as Psystar. "Neither the federal nor the state antitrust laws require competitors to stop competing with, and instead to start helping, each other," the computer maker argued.

Psystar rebutted Apple's reasoning last week. "Apple is nothing if not tenacious, having previously asserted this very same argument in attempts to dismiss antitrust claims related to Apple's iPod, iTunes Music Store, and iPhone ending in the Northern District of California," Psystar's lawyers said. They cited several rulings, including one by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, that denied other Apple motions to dismiss antitrust cases brought against those product lines.

Apple started the legal wrangling in July when it accused Psystar of copyright and software licensing violations. Apple said that Psystar, which since April had been installing Mac OS X on Intel-based systems it built and sold, was breaking Apple's end-user licensing agreement (EULA). That agreement expressly forbids users from installing the software on hardware not sold by Apple.

In its July lawsuit, Apple demanded that Psystar stop the practice and be forced to recall all Mac OS X-powered machines it had already sold. If it lost the case, one intellectual property attorney said, Psystar would likely be forced out of business .

In August, Psystar counter-sued , charging Apple with restraint of trade, unfair competition and other antitrust law violations.

Apple and Psystar are currently scheduled to argue the motion to dismiss before Alsup on 6 November.




Lil’ Kim Sued and Silenced
(E! Online)

Mac clone maker sues Apple, plays antitrust card
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Samsung withdraws offer to acquire SanDisk

Samsung Electronics has withdrawn its offer to acquire rival flash memory-maker SanDisk citing a lack of progress after six months of discussions between the two companies.

The deal would have strengthened Samsung's position as the number one maker of flash memory chips but could have been difficult to pull-off in part because SanDisk is closely allied with number two-maker Toshiba. Some analysts also expected anti-trust problems should Samsung have reached a deal.


In a letter to SanDisk's board Lee Yoon Woo, CEO of Samsung Electronics, also cited two events from Monday as reasons to abandon the acquisition proposal.

First, SanDisk and Toshiba announced a renegotiation of their flash memory joint-venture partnerships in Japan that had seen them as equal investors in two memory chip production lines and the chips they made. Under the new deal Toshiba would end up with 65 percent of the plant and output while SanDisk took the remaining 35 percent. Then later in the day SanDisk announced a US$250 million operating loss for the July to September quarter.

"Your surprise announcements of a quarter billion dollar operating loss, a hurried renegotiation of your relationship with Toshiba and major job losses across your organization all point to a considerable increase in your risk profile and a material deterioration in value, both on a stand-alone basis as well as to Samsung. As a result of these developments, we are no longer interested in acquiring SanDisk at $26 per share," read the letter, a copy of which was released by Samsung.

Fair value

SanDisk reacted to Samsung's announcement with a repeat of its assertion that it's always been open to deal as long as it recognizes what the board considers fair value for the company.

"We repeatedly outlined a clear path to hold further discussions, including most recently in our letter on September 15, and Samsung consistently chose to ignore that path and, in fact, never contacted SanDisk regarding their proposal after we delivered our letter. We believe this raises questions about the real motivations behind Samsung’s offer," the company said in a statement.

The agreement between SanDisk and Toshiba, which was announced as a memorandum of understanding and not a firm deal, was seen by many analysts as a move by SanDisk to make an acquisition by Samsung more difficult although at the time the two companies denied a link between the two issues. Toshiba said Wednesday that the deal remains on despite Samsung's announcement.

While discussions between Samsung and SanDisk had been ongoing for some time, the acquisition offer only became public in September when Samsung disclosed its $26 per share offer. Almost immediately, SanDisk rejected the offer saying it "undervalued" the company despite the $26 per share-offer being well above the then-share price of $15. SanDisk stock had traded as high as $30 earlier in the year and CEO Eli Harari said Samsung's deal was "opportunistically timed at the trough of an industry-wide downturn."

Patents also play a part in the background to the deal.

Earlier this year, a court ruled that Samsung forfeited a perpetual license rights to patents of Msystems, a memory chip technology developer that was acquired by SanDisk. The patents allow four bits of data to be stored in a single memory cell and, without a renewal of a cross-licensing deal by August 2009, the two companies will lose rights to each others patents.




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Economy likely to stall new enterprise mobile apps

The economic downturn will probably slow down the development of new mobile enterprise applications, even as changes in the mobile industry are making it easier for developers, said executives at a mobile conference in Seattle on Monday.

Even though the struggling economy will likely slow down the use of mobile-phone services, application developers are still more likely to target consumers than businesses, they said.


“I don’t think people will spend more money on phones, I don’t think they’ll buy more games,” said Tom Huseby, managing partner of SeaPoint Ventures, speaking during the keynote presentation at Mobile Northwest, a small conference primarily for mobile startup companies in the Pacific Northwest.

But even if people don’t buy new phones or games, they are unlikely to fully get rid of their phones. “We’re fortunate to be in an industry during this time where consumers will continue to have a ‘share of wallet’ for wireless,” said Venetia Espinoza, director of mobile applications and partner programs at T-Mobile, by which she means that people will make sure they budget for their phones. She recently spent a day working in a T-Mobile retail store, where she heard customers say that they were more likely to cut their landline phones or even cable TV before getting rid of their mobile phones.

While the same is likely true for enterprises – businesses probably aren’t going to cut off their budgets for mobile phones – they won’t likely expand the use of mobile phones through new applications.

Business use

While social-networking applications, for example, lend themselves quite well to business users, it’s more difficult to approach businesses compared to consumers, said Peter Claasen, vice president of business development at Ontela, a company that lets users automatically upload photos from their phones to a website. “We don’t target the enterprise, but we’ve thought about it a lot and I think it’s ripe,” he said. However, offering service to consumers through an operator has the potential to address far more users than approaching individual enterprises, he said. That makes the enterprise market a lower priority.

Huseby agreed that startup companies have found it difficult to approach IT or telecom groups within enterprises. “In general I don’t find the value proposition that can break down those barriers fast enough. It’s very hard for startups,” he said. Larger IT vendors like Microsoft, Oracle or SAP have better luck because they can sell wireless products as a value add in addition to other contracts they might have with an enterprise, he said.

Business applications typically have to address data security issues and so may not be able to take advantage of a new trend in mobile application development that is helping the consumer application developers, despite the economic downturn. Historically, only a very small percentage of phone users ever downloaded new applications to their phones. That meant application developers would have to work through an often-painful process of trying to convince mobile operators to load their applications on phones before they hit the market.

That changed with the iPhone and its App Store, where users of the phone can find and download applications. “Everyone is going to have an App Store,” said Brent Brookler, CEO of Treemo, a social network that lets people share videos and photos on their mobile phones. He noted that Google’s Android phones will connect to a market for applications and BlackBerry has announced plans to launch an application store. “The traffic we’re seeing through this distribution is really pretty amazing,” he said of Treemo’s experience over the past month after offering its application through the iPhone App store.




Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

CTIA: RIM gets digital lifestyle to combat iPhone

Extensis ships Suitcase Fusion 2

Extensis is now shipping Suitcase Fusion 2, a new version of its single-user font management software. It costs 69.95, or 39.95 if upgrading from Suitcase X1 or newer.

Suitcase Fusion 2 helps graphic designers, prepress professionals, illustrators and others more effectively manage the fonts used by their system. It lets you identify and repair corrupt fonts, preview fonts, automatically activate font sets for various projects or applications, experiment with fonts using previews, and much more.


Changes in Suitcase Fusion 2 include a redesigned user interface and a dramatically changes code base that now uses SQLite database technology. You can navigate through glyphs within a single typeface, drag and drop type previews directly onto a layout, view multiple fonts side-by-side and dynamically zoom the point size larger and smaller.

New auto-activation plug-ins are included for InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4 and QuarkXPress 8; plug-ins are also included for Creative Suite 3 and QuarkXPress 7.

System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.5 or later, G5 or Intel-based Mac, 256MB RAM, 50MB hard disk space, Safari 2.0 or Firefox 2.0 or later.




Digidesign previews Pro Tools 8
Dell expands music tie-ins on festival circuit
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Bruce Springsteen Preps for the Big Game
(E! Online)

BIAS offers free plug-in from its Master Perfection Suite

New Mac ads criticize pricy Microsoft campaign

Apple is having a snipe at Microsoft with two new Apple commercials, one of which comments on Microsoft’s$300 million advertising campaign.

The Bean Counter ad shows PC dividing up Microsoft’s budget between fixing Vista and the advertising campaign. The majority of the money goes to the campaign and when Mac comments that there isn’t enough money allocated to fixing Vista, PC moves all the money into the advertising allocation.

New Mac ads criticize pricy Microsoft campaign

In the second ad the word Vista – the V Word – is buzzed out every time it is mentioned – because that Microsoft is officially going to stop referring its troubled operating system by name.





Microsoft fights Ballmer testimony in ‘Vista Capable’ suit
Foos Fighting With McCain
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Finder rewrite for Apple's Snow Leopard

A hint that Apple is rewriting the Carbon-based Finder and other Apple-authored applications in Cocoa, seems to be suggest that the company is doing its own housekeeping behind the scenes with the launch of Snow Leopard.

The Finder is Apple’s oldest Carbon-based application. Apple has already confirmed that it will not offer 64-bit support for Carbon and as Snow Leopard will be a 64-bit operating system, it seems to follow that Apple would have tasked itself with bringing elements of its own system into the 21st century.


When Apple moved from OS 9 to OS X developers used the Carbon Application Programmer Interface (API) in order to transition their programs from OS 9 to OS X.

It’s not just Apple who has homework to do: third-party developers, will need to rewrite their Carbon applications in Cocoa, or opt out of support for 64-bit computing in their applications.

Other new features in Snow Leopard are broader support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 in iCal, Address Book and Mail, according to an Apple Insider report.

That report also claims that Apple is set to add an option for disc image-based installation called ImageBoot. This would enable users to set up disk images on a secondary partition or external drive, and then boot their system from one of those disk images at startup.




Pussycat Dolls’ solo work on hold for “Domination”
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Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Nvidia CUDA gives Photoshop speed boost

YouTube wants voters to 'Video Your Vote'

Online video has played an important role in this year's US presidential election , prompting some to label the 2008 race for the White House as the first " YouTube election."

For its part, YouTube hasn't been an idle medium for users to post videos to support or parody the candidates . The video-sharing site hosted a series of debates for the race that allowed users to submit questions via YouTube for both the Republican and Democratic candidates.


Now, YouTube has announced plans to allow voters to upload their voting experiences to the video social network. YouTube announced yesterday that it has partnered with PBS to create a Video Your Vote YouTube channel to collect the massive amount of polling place video expected from users. These videos will be used to create a library of online Election Day footage, YouTube said.

"Voters have documented each step of the 2008 election on YouTube and this phenomenon will culminate on 4 November as people head to the polls to determine the forty-fourth President of the United States," said Steve Grove, YouTube's head of news and politics, in a statement.

"This partnership with PBS ... will help voters examine all aspects of voting from the registration processes, to reforms, to technology and election administration, to the actual casting of ballots."

Some of the best videos will be showcased on PBS television, as part of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer 's Election Day broadcast. The may also be used throughout PBS' election coverage, both on-air and online, YouTube added.

YouTube is asking users to tag their videos, for example, labeling events that hinder the voting process as "pollproblem," so they can be easy to find by other YouTube users and PBS analysts. Some states and counties have regulations against the use of recording equipment at polling places, YouTube noted.

PBS and YouTube plan to donate 1,000 phones with camcorders to nonpartisan, nonprofit groups and local PBS stations to help capture video from polling places.

Paul Glazowski, a blogger at Mashable, noted that this move is an expansion of YouTube's YouChoose 08 where the candidates' content is presented to users along with debate coverage and celebrity endorsements. YouTube has become such a critical medium for the McCain campaign's advertisements that it even asked YouTube to do the unthinkable - to stop removing its ads when copyright owners - such as bands whose music was used in some campaign spots without securing the necessary permission first - complained at their content's inclusion in the McCain campaign plug.

"Now the video service has established a place reserved for user input and an ombudsman-like view of the process," Glazowski wrote. " Given the sheer volume of content available on YouTube about the 2008 campaign, it may behoove the company to mold a comprehensive venue for all things to do with the race ... from candidates' speeches and advertisements to news briefs to popular citizen endorsements."




MTV Laying TRL to Rest
(E! Online)

iTunes playlist sharing - online and legal
Oscar loosens rules for music categories
(Reuters)

KavaSoft frees your tunes

KavaSoft has introduced KavaTunes 3.5, its web jukebox for iTunes.

The software creates music-focused websites that look and work like iTunes. Site visitors can browse, search, play and download music and videos from any web browser.

The software also offers continuous playback of music and video and lets users choose just how much access to music they want to offer site visitors. The software costs $35.





Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

iTunes playlist sharing - online and legal

Chillingo offers all-new iPod action puzzle game

Pokarus developer, Chillingo has teamed up with Dutch developer Rough Cookie to introduce a new game, Dougie Moo’s Aqua Antics “We are extremely excited about Dougie Moo – it has been designed with the iPhone in mind – making full use of the touchscreen and motion-sensitivty of the device, providing a very unique gaming experience for the iPhone user. And yes, it works for the iPod touch too.” said Chillingo director, Chris Byatte. Dougie Moo’s Aqua Antics features 30 levels of puzzle action. Using the device’s accelerometer, players can control Dougie Moo to combine sets of coloured balls that float on a body of water. Action is spread over five worlds and the central character must navigate through a wide range of hazards.

“There hasn’t been an original made-for-accelerometer game like this since Super Monkey Ball was launched for the iPhone. Dougie Moo is all about tilting action, addictive game play and captivating eye/ear candy. We are very excited at how it will perform on the App Store!” said Marco van Haren, marketing manager of Rough Cookie. The €2.99 game is available now.





Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Poker dice with Pokarus for iPhone

Apple China finds new leader

Apple will appoint Qiu Qiuliang as general manager for Apple China, executives have revealed.

Qiu was previously vice-president of HP's Imaging and Printing Group. He will succeed previous Apple China leader, Ye Peng, who stepped down in April 2008.


The report warns that Qiu's corporate background may mean it takes some time for the new leader to adjust to the working culture at his new firm.

However, the new GM has extensive sales management experience, experience which may prove invaluable as Apple extends is business in China, spearheaded by its new Apple retail store in Beijing.




Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

China Mobile has nearly covered Chinese population

NFL stars make Apple Regent St visit

Apple's Regent Street retail store in London will next week host two NFL football stars who'll talk about their careers.

LaDainin Tomlinson and Drew Brees will make a special appearance at the Apple Store Regent Street on Tuesday 21 October at 6.30pm.


The men will play against each other in a sold-out game at Wembley Stadium the following Sunday. Attendees can expect Tomlinson and Brees to talk about the match, share highlights from their careers, and take questions from the audience.

Space is limited for this free event.




Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

iTunes Meet the author: Charlie Higson

Apple grows greener in '08, Jobs confirms

Apple today published an update as to its environmental activities, signed by company CEO, Steve Jobs.

The text of the update begins:


"For the past several years, Apple has made a concerted effort to be more transparent about the steps we are taking to protect the environment and make our business more sustainable. In this environmental update, I’d like to inform you of our recent progress and introduce you to a groundbreaking system of reporting that we believe is unmatched in our industry."

The disclosure also contains sections detailing company progress in recycling, reducing its carbon footprint, and removing toxic chemicals from its products.

On that latter point - removal of toxic chemicals - Jobs notes, "I’m proud to report that all of Apple’s new product designs are on track to meet our 2008 year-end goal."

The open letter also offers links to a variety of specific reports, clarifying the company's position,

Jobs informs: "We’re approaching this issue at a product level because we think it’s the best way to help our customers make informed decisions about their own carbon footprint and how to reduce it. I encourage you to check out these new reports."




Apple confirms 14 October notebook launch
Dell expands music tie-ins on festival circuit
(Reuters)

Jobs confirms new iPod’s green credentials
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

The Android fine print: kill switch and other tidbits

An uproar erupted when iPhone users discovered a so-called remote kill switch on their phones - will it spur the same reaction in users of the G1, the first Android phone?

In the Android Market terms of service, Google expressly says that it might remotely remove an application from user phones. "Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement ... in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion," the terms, linked to from the phone, read.


That item is one of a few hints of things to come in the "About phone" section of the device, which also alludes to some hitherto unknown people and companies that were instrumental in developing the software.

The G1, the first phone to run the Android software developed by Google, goes on sale 22 October, and many people are getting their first in-depth look at it because T-Mobile has loaned the devices to reporters. The Android Market is the online store accessible from the phone where users can download applications.

Android users might be more receptive to Google's remote kill switch than iPhone users were to Apple's for a couple of reasons. First, Google is being upfront about it. Apple didn't confirm the capability for the iPhone until days after a developer discovered it.

In addition, Google says that if it does remotely remove an application, it will try to get users their money back, a question that iPhone users have wondered about in the case of an iPhone application recall. Google said that it will make "reasonable efforts to recover the purchase price of the product ... from the original developer on your behalf." If Google fails to get the full amount back, it will divide what it gets among affected users.

Google may have more need to use a kill switch than Apple. That's because Apple vets applications before putting them into its Apps Store. Anything goes in Google's Android Market, opening the chances of malicious or otherwise unwanted applications appearing in the market.

The Android Market business and program policies also include an item that says users can return any application for a full refund within 24 hours of the time of purchase. In the absence of a trial version of applications, this offer will let users return an application that might not deliver exactly what they expected.

Android Market users can also reinstall as many times as they wish an application that they buy, another useful feature in case a phone fails.

For now, all applications in the market are free because Google hasn't yet set up the mechanisms to allow developers to offer them for purchase.

People around the world - phone users or not - might also be pleased to learn about this item listed in the Android Market terms of service, in all caps for extra effect: "None of the products are intended for use in the operation of nuclear facilities, life support systems, emergency communications, aircraft navigation or communication systems, air traffic control systems or any other such activities in which case the failure of the products could lead to death, personal injury, or severe physical or environmental damage."

That's not the only bit of levity to be found on the phone. The G1 comes with a text-only scrolling video listing contributors and offering special thanks. After a pause, at the very end, Google assures us that "no robots were harmed in the making of this product."

While the contributors video refers to the Open Handset Alliance - the group of companies backing Android - without naming all the members, it thanks contributors that many industry observers may not have known were involved in the creation of Android.

Andy Missan and Jason von Nieda are the only people called out by name under the special thanks section. According to Missan's website, he has worked as legal counsel for MobiTV, ReplayTV and WebTV. He also worked for Danger, the company recently acquired by Microsoft and founded by Andy Rubin, who later started a mobile software company called Android that Google acquired.

On his site, von Nieda describes himself as a Seattle-based "computer programmer, systems administrator, network engineer and all around good guy."

Other companies listed as contributors or given special thanks include Swedish software technology and design company The Astonishing Tribe; Swiss engineering company Noser Engineering; media player developers Hooked Wireless; Indian consultancy Satyam; mobile software and services providers Core Mobility; and designers Mike and Maaike.




iPhone 2.1 jailbroken, unlock hack in circulation
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Amazon takes on Apple with Google phone?
Dell expands music tie-ins on festival circuit
(Reuters)

UK slows down plan for sweeping electronic surveillance

The British government is slowing down a proposal that would give law enforcement sweeping power to collect electronic data as a measure to prevent terrorism.

The proposal, in the Communications Data Bill, would allow the government to collect data on phone calls and other electronic communication. The government planned to put the proposal in Parliament's upcoming legislative agenda, but opted instead on Wednesday to conduct a consultation next year due to concerns about intrusive monitoring of private citizens.


"It's a sensitive issue, and there needs to be a proper public debate," a Home Office spokesman said Thursday.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Wednesday the legislation is needed because of the difficulty in collecting evidence against terrorists.

"These are not like other criminal investigations," Smith said during a speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research. Law enforcement "put a very high premium on pre-emptive intelligence because we are trying to stop a criminal act and not investigate one which has already taken place."

Critics contend that allowing the government to create a "super database" that logs e-mails, phone calls and Web sites visits raises privacy concerns as well as potential security problems over how the data would be stored.

Smith denied the government seeks a super database. "There are no plans for an enormous database which will contain the content of your e-mails, the texts that you send or the chats you have on the phone or online."

But collecting data such as the location and identity of someone making a phone call "is vital to fighting terrorism and combating serious crime," she said.

The government has not made a draft of the Communications Data Bill publicly available.

However, it is modeled in part on European Union Directive 2006/24/EC, which requires that communication providers retain a vast array of data including IP (Internet Protocol) address, physical address and user ID used for communications such as e-mail.

The actual content of the communication should not be retained, but data around how it was sent and when should be retained for at least six months and up to two years, the directive says.

The directive was propelled in part by the July 2005 terrorist attacks in London. E.U. countries were required to comply in part with the directive by September 2007, but can delay the Internet access and e-mail monitoring until March 2009.

The Open Rights Group, a nongovernmental group that monitors Internet-related privacy and legal issues, said it supported the government's decision for a consultation.

"Creating this database would drastically alter the relationship between the citizen and the state, handing national security and law enforcement agencies immense power to invade the private lives of ordinary people," wrote Becky Hogge, the group's executive director.

At least one senior Microsoft executive doubts how helpful collecting Internet communications would be for law enforcement. Hackers have a variety of techniques that could undermine a user's PC and make it appear a victim is involved in a scheme when they're not.

E-mails can be spoofed and computers can be infected with malicious software, wrote Jerry Fishenden, Microsoft's U.K. National Technology Officer.

For example, a Web feature called "pre-fetch" lets one Web site command a person's browser to pull up another Web site in the background, a feature that speeds browsing.

But pre-fetch works without the knowledge of a user, Fishenden wrote. A blog entry could trigger a bomb-making Web site to be called up in the background, which would then be logged by the ISP (Internet Service Provider).

"Legitimately you would know nothing about it, but try telling that to someone knocking on your door at four o'clock in the morning waving a printout from the ISP showing you regularly frequent 'known terrorist Web sites'," Fishenden wrote.




Has ABBA museum met its Waterloo?
(Reuters)

Android phone due in Europe before Christmas
Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

The iPhone application graveyard

There's been controversy over Apple's decisions to reject particular iPhone applications from the App Store, but beyond the few snubbed titles that have attracted publicity, which Apps have actually been turned down (or removed post-acceptance)?

All new website, the iPhone Application Graveyard, aims to be the go-to resource for "remembering the applications that Apple has killed."


The site claims to list every application that Apple has rejected, although the site's maintainer said that it includes only those apps for which the developer has made the rejection public. As of Tuesday, that totals 11 applications, from NetShare, which allegedly violated Apple's agreements with AT&T, to Shaker, which was removed due to a copyright complaint from Tetris Company.

(Macworld has heard from developers that additional apps have been rejected. Some are eventually accepted after changes have been made; others are rejected outright.) For each app, the site lists the app name, developer, release and kill dates, reason for rejection, current status, information source, and a summary of the app's history.

Another site, Finger Gaming, provides a similar page listing games that have been removed, post-approval, for one reason or another--usually an allegation of trademark or copyright infringement. Finger Gaming's Archive for the 'Removed Game' Category currently lists a number of games, including Shaker, Rockfall, Tris, and Flying Rider, that have been removed because of similarities to games such as Tetris, Line Rider, Boulder Dash, and Arkanoid.




Norway consumer body challenges Apple over iTunes
(Reuters)

Games, networking and music drive iPhone usage

Switching GPUs in new MacBooks requires logout

Apple has published a tech support note detailing how MacBook Pro users can switch between graphics processors - and it's a bit more fiddly than expected.

Introduced last night, these new Macs ship with two GPUs installed. Both from Nvidia, these include the GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance.


Users select between higher performance or better battery life in System Preferences>Energy Saver. These systems ship with "battery life" selected as the default option.

MacBook Pro users must then log out and log back into their system for the change to take effect, though they do get the chance to save their files.




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Live update: Apple's notebook event

Apple has invited the media to its Cupertino Campus in San Francsico. The Macworld team is covering the event with Jason Snell writing live commentary as the event gets underway.

The Macworld UK team will be adding its own thoughts and information that is specific to the UK.


Live update: Apples notebook event

9:52 PT: Hello from Cupertino! This is Macworld Editorial Director Jason Snell, reporting to you from the small theater on the main Apple campus on Infinite Loop. Members of the media, analysts, and Apple employees are filing in to this theater, which has been the location of numerous Apple product launches, including the original iPod launch. I'll be providing your live update today, so I'm warming up my typing fingers right now.

And this is Macworld UK's Editor In Chief Mark Hattersley, we are tracking this event here in London where we will be adding a UK perspective including prices and release information. From here on in all times will be in Pacific Time (PT).

9:54 PT: How you know it's not an Apple music event: The music playing is classical. Classical is not my specialty, but it was a solo violin. Now some more... chamber music? "Now I feel like I'm at a wedding," says an Apple employee behind me. Are you ready to rock? I hope not! Are you ready to classical?

9:59 PT: Lights are dimming. We're about to get started

Live update: Apples notebook event

9:59 PT: Steve Jobs on stage. "Good morning!" Black mock turtleneck, blue jeans -- standard attire. "Everybody knows, today's about notebooks, and we've got some exciting new notebooks and we want to tell you the story about how we created these things." But first, "we want to cover the state of the Mac." So Steve introduces Tim Cook to take us through the "state of the Mac."

10:00 PT: Slide of current Mac line. Cook: Last reported quarter, 2.5 million Macs, new company record. "This didn't just start in the last quarter. Several quarters in a row, we've been growing 2-3 times the market growth. Here's why we think this is the case." First, "better computers, far superior" to what's out there. He cites the iMac and the MacBook air.

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:01 PT: Next: Better Software. "Software like Leopard. Virtually everyone agrees that Leopard is far ahead of Vista. And software like iLife, the best digital lifestyle suite on the market, that lets you enjoy photos, and make movies, and make music, all in an integrated package.

10:02 PT: Number 3, compatibility. He cites Boot Camp on every Mac. Shows Windows XP running on iMac. "When I look at this, it sends shivers up my sign. But it works as an insurance policy, whether you use it or not."

10:03 PT: Next up, "something we didn't do -- Vista." Laughter in the audience. "I think it's fair to say that Vista hasn't lived up to everything that Microsoft hoped it would. And consequently, it's opened doors for a lot of people to consider switching to the Mac. And this has given us an opportunity and Apple has been the beneficiary of this."

10:04 PT: Great marketing. "The Mac-PC ad has struck a chord with so many switchers. They tell a story, and people listen." And he plays one of the ads - it's the "you're banished" ad with John Hodgman on a throne.

10:05 PT: "Number six, retail stores. We began our journey in the retail stores just about seven years ago. And today we have 247 stores in 8 countries, and they greet 400,000 visitors each day. And most importantly, still 50% of the Macintoshes they sell are to people that are new to the Mac, making the people underneath the Macintosh tent larger and larger." Shows photos of the new Sydney store and the new Beijing store.

10:06 PT: "And these are the six reasons we'd attribute to the Mac's momentum. But this just didn't begin. If you look at the history, what you would see that the Mac has outgrown the market for 14 of the last 15 quarters. That's almost four years. That's phenomenal."

10:07 PT: "Obviously the unit share is growing. In U.S. retail, we've gone from a single-digit number to now, the Macintosh represents 17.6% of unit sales in U.S. retail. And if you look at revenue share, because we focus on fully-featured systems and we don't compromise on quality, our revenue share is 31.3 percent. That means one out of every three dollars spent on computers in U.S. retail is spent on the Macintosh. What a difference a few years makes."

10:08 PT: "In education, we've surpassed Dell to become the top-selling provider of notebooks, 39 percent. And at a major university, here's what's happened." Shows a slide, starts at 2002 at 15 percent, up to 47 percent in 2008.

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:09 PT: Tim puts up a photo of a lecture hall at a college, and it's almost entirely Mac laptops. "I challenge you to find a PC," he says. The point is, college kids have a choice of laptops and they're choosing Macs.

10:09 PT: New slide: total Mac units sold. Pointing out that in the first three quarters, Apple has already sold as many Macs as they did all last year. "And that's the state of the Mac," Cook says.

10:10 PT: Jobs is back! "With that done, let's talk about notebooks. But before we get started, we want to talk about some technologies and discoveries we've made that help us build notebooks."

10:11 PT: Jonathan Ive on stage. "I'd like to take a few moments to tell you about a real breakthrough we've had in how to design our notebooks. To show you the issues that preoccupy us when we're designing these products." First, he's going to show how they build the current MacBook Pro. "When you're designing a product as thin and light as the MacBook Pro, is making it strong, robust, tortionally rigid. I think you'd be surprised to know that the aluminium enclosure you see makes a small contribution to the structure. The structure is primarily derived from the internal frame. It's made of multiple parts that are then assembled into the bottom case, which is a very thin Aluminium pressing. It's this composite that starts to create a strong system."

10:13 PT: Showing a series of plates on the current model that are welded together to provide more support. And finally, they add a plastic gasket. "That allows us to control the reveal of the junction between the palm rest and the bottom case. We have been looking at a new way of solving these problems, and we've been looking for a better way to build a notebook, and we think we've found it. We had a significant breakthrough that culminated in the design of the MacBook air. There is no way that you could build a product that is as thin, light, and importantly as strong and robust as the MacBook air given the architecture that I just described.

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:14 PT: "We discovered that if we started with a thick piece of aluminium and removed material to make physical features in the structure, we could make a much lighter but much stronger part. So that's how we make the palm rest of the MacBook air." He shows an image of an aluminum extrusion to show how the put it together. They create the "locating features," holes in the metal. Then rough cutting, a "noisy stage" where they remove large amounts of material quickly. Remove holes for key caps, and the trackpad. Then they blast it and anodize it.

10:16 PT: "At each of these distinct stages, we're continually collecting the material, and cleaning it, and recycling it. So we started with a solid slab of aluminium that weighed over 2.5 pounds, and we end with this remarkably precise part that ways less than a quarter of a pound. It's also very strong. That one part forms the structure for the MacBook air. It's the highly precise enclosure that makes the product possible. So this new way of building a notebook that we pioneered here obviously has relevance beyond the MacBook air. And we've been working hard to build new unibody enclosures for new notebooks."

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:17 PT: Jobs is back. "We also have some new graphics for notebooks. Nvidia came to us many months ago and talked to us about an amazing graphics part they wanted to build, that would combine the chipset and an extremely powerful embedded graphics processor, all in one part, for a desktop computer. And we said, 'This is fantastic, but we'd like to use it in a notebook. Can we work together on this?' And we've worked with them and... it's really great. It's the Nvidia GeForce 9400M. It's an amazing chip. It combines the Chipset and GPU on one die. 70 percent of the die area is the GPU. There are 16 parallel graphics cores on it, and they deliver 54 gigaflops of graphics performance. So this thing's a stunner in performance. And in our tests we've found it's up to five times faster than integrated graphics." Slide showing performance: 2.8x in World of Warcraft, up to 6.2X for Call of Duty.

10:19 PT: Showing 55 percent performance versus the 8600M GT in the current MacBook Pro, and for general performance it's up at 86 percent.

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:20 PT: "We've got a new trackpad for notebooks. It's a gorgeous, large, multitouch glass trackpad for notebooks. It's 39 percent larger tracking area than before, it's multi-touch for gestures, it's glass for silky-smooth travel. And we've optimized the coefficient of friction on the glass, so it's really beautiful. And the entire trackpad is the button. It gives you more area on the trackpad and keeps you from hunting for that button. You can get multi-button support from software. And we've added some new four-finger gestures that are really nice."

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:21 PT: Steve is recapping the gestures from the prior models, one-fingure ones, two-finger spreads and pinches and rotations, and three-finger slides forward and back. And now the new four-finger gesture, sliding four fingers up for Expose activation, and sliding to the side to bring up the app switcher, then one finger to move between the apps in the app switcher.

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:22 PT: "Today we're introducing our new MacBook Pro. Our current MacBook Pro is the best in class in the industry, and today we're going to replace it with this. And it's gorgeous. Full glass, instant on LED displays, you can see how thin the display is. All the connectors on [the left] side." Black front like an iMac. "Precision aluminum unibody enclosure, LED display, next generation graphics, a multi-touch glass trackpad, a mini displauy port connector -- we're putting that on all our systems -- and environmentally responsible." Also the usual stuff, like backlit keyboards, magnetic latch, motion sensor, speakers, iSight and microphone.

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:24 PT: "The unibody saves us half the parts from the old model. So we're really happy about this, and I'd like you to see it." He's going to pass around the unibody part.

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:27 PT: Lights are back down now. We've seen it and touched it. Very light, very finely detailed part, all in one piece.

10:27 PT: GeForce 9400M built into the MacBook Pro. "But even that wasn't the best we could do. We've added the GeForce 9600M Gt. State of the art for mobile graphics. 32 parallel graphics cores, 125 gigaflops. And we've included both of them in the new MacBook pro." Graphic showing the both connected. "With the 9400M, you get 5 hours of battery life, with the 9600M GT you get four hours of battery life. You choose."

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:29 PT: Slot-load superdrive on right side. Left side, MagSafe, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, dual USB 2 connectors, Mini Display Port. "This is what we're going to for all video out for all of our products." Audio in and out, both analog and optical digital, an ExpressCard 34 slot, and the battery indicator is on the side "so you don't have to turn your product upside-down."

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:30 PT: "We can do everything [the DVI port] can do, and at a fraction of its size. We're building it to everything we make. It's going to be the first MacBook Pro with a Solid-State Drive option. And you can acess the drive and the battery from a door on the bottom." Full accessibility to the battery and drive from that lower bay!

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:31 PT: .95 inches - "This is our thinnest MacBook Pro ever. And it's going to come in two models." First one: $1999 (1,399), 15.4-inch LED-backlit display. 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 3MB L2. 2GB 1066 MGhz DDR 3 memory. Both Nvidia cards. 250GB hard drive. Slot-loading SuperDrive. $1999 (1,749).

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:32 PT: $2499 config: 2.53GHz processor, 6MB L2, 4GB of memory, 512MB on the 9600M Gt, 320GB hard drive. Upgrades: 2.8GHz, 4GB mem, SSD, and more. "Shipping today. They should hit stores starting tomorrow."

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:32 PT: "As you know, we have a major push here to make our products more environmentally friendly, and that involves leaving out toxic chemicals. Here's our environmental checklist." Arsenic-free glass, BFR free, Mercury-free, PVC-free, highly recyclable, and 37% smaller packaging.

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:33 PT: And for the first time for the MacBook Pro, we've wone an EPEAT Gold rating from the EPA.

10:34 PT: Now, "we'd like to update the MacBook Air." So first up, graphics. Putting the GeForce 9400M inside the MacBook air. 4x faster graphics. New Air: 120GB hard drive in, and 128GB SSD option on the Air as well. "In addition to that, we're putting in a mini display port, so you can drive all our new displays." $1799 (1,299), GeForce 9400M, 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of 1066MHz RAM, 120GB drive. Second model, $2499 (1,799), 1.86GHz, 128GB SSD. Available early November.

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:35 PT: New 24-inch LED Cinema Display. "It's gorgeous. Really, really nice. Thin." Looks like an iMac. One cable for AC, other cable has MacSafe - power your notebook! - USB, and Mini Display Port. "Just plug this into your MacBook Pro and you're all set. No extra cables, power supplies, nothing." 24-inch LED-backlit display, 19200x1200 pixel resolution, built-in iSight camera * mic, built-in stereo speakers, plus the connectors, and a three-port USB 2.0 hub. Available in November.

Live update: Apples notebook event

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:37 PT: "But there is one more thing. And of course, it's the MacBook. The MacBook is an amazing product. It's the best-selling Mac ever. We sell a ton of these MacBooks, and people love them. They are one of the best products in the industry. We're going to reduce the entry price today from $1099 to $999 [the price has gone up by 20 to 719 in the UK - Macworld UK], make 'em a little more affordable. And I think we're going to sell them for a long time. But we've heard from a lot of MacBook customers, and the top three things they'd like are: a metal enclosure. They lust after the MacBook Pro's metal enclosure. Faster graphics -- they want to play games, they're doing a lot of intense graphics applications. And a lot want LED backlit displays, for instant-on. And we figured out a way to bring these to the MacBook line. And so we are introducing a new generation of MacBook, on top of our white plastic MacBook, and here it is. It's an all new MacBook."

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:39 PT: Corner-to-corner glass (black background like the iMac). Precision aluminum unibody enclosure, LED display, next-gen graphics, multi-touch glass trackpad, Mini Display Port connector, and environmentally responsible.

10:40 PT: "Eliminates more than 60% of the parts, and it's much stronger." Claims 5x graphics performance over previous MacBooks. 5 hours of battery life. Environmental checklist slide comes out again. Arsenic free, BFR free, mercury free, highly recyclable, and packaging is 42% smaller, and EPEAT Gold certification.

10:41 PT: Yesterday these features cost $1999 for a MacBook Pro. Starting today, you can get them for just $1299 (949). Two models: $1299 (949): 13.3" display, 2GHz Core 2 Duo / 3MB L2 cache, 2GB 1066MHz DDR 3 memory, GeForce 9400M, 160GB hard drive, slot-loading SuperDrive. "This is a beautiful machine." Second model, $1599 (1,149). 2.4GHz processor, 250GB hard drive, and a backlit keyboard - first for the MacBook! Upgrades: more memory, 320GB drive, 128GB SSD, and video adapters, including dual DVI.

10:43 PT: Summing up now. "We're building both in a whole new way. From a slab of aluminum to a notebook. New graphics. New trackpad, the best we've ever built. And LED-backlit displays that are far brighter, instant on, far more environmentally responsible." And once again he points out the MacBook now has MacBook Pro features but costs $700 less.

10:44 PT: Roll the video! Jony Ive talking about the design. Coldplay playing in the background -- there we go, now we're ready to rock.

10:46 PT: Dan Riccio, VP of Product Design, now in the video. Showing the factory. It's not every day that Apple details parts of their actual product-building process. They are obviously proud of this system and also see how it's a good way to explain why these new models are different. Pretty clever, and good marketing, but it's also cool to see Apple lift the veil and actually talk about what they're building in their factories, how, and why.

10:47 PT: Bob Mansfield, Senior Vice President, Mac Hardware, is now on the video, talking about the hardware design and the story about all the parts.

10:49 PT: A little more detail on the trackpad from the video - it's a physical press, not like the current models, where you lift up and tap. You can press while your finger is down, because it actually presses down when you push.

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:52 PT: It's Q&A with Steve Jobs, Phil Schiller, and Tim Cook! But first, "we can't answer any questions about the current quarter," because the earnings report is October 21. (Tune in to Macworld for coverage of that.) Jobs: "Second, 110/70, this is my blood pressure. This is all we're going to talk about Steve's health today. If you want to see it go higher, ask him more questions about it." Lights are up and let the questions about Intel stickers begin!

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:53 PT: Question about the Nvidia chip. Jobs: "We helped them, and we're first to take it to market, and maybe the only, but that's up to them."

Live update: Apples notebook event

10:54 PT: Jobs talking about that DisplayPort is better for the computer industry rather than HDMI, which is for more entertainment uses. BluRay? "BluRay is a bag of hurt," Jobs says. "The licensing of the technology is so complex that we're just waiting until things settle down and waiting until BluRay really takes off in the marketplace before we burden our customers with the cost of the licensing and the drives."

10:57 PT: 17" MBP is still available, being refreshed today, but won't get the new features yet apparently. (That was my question. Thank you, thank you very much.)

10:57 PT: Jobs says he thinks "a refresh cycle" will happen with both the Pro and MacBook models. That's code. Let me decode it for you: Jobs thinks they're gonna sell a lot of these laptops.

10:59 PT: Tim Cook on the new production process. "We put a lot of energy to lower the price by $700 and put the features in that people have been asking for." Jobs points out that as you learn and grow, prices drop over time. Cook points out that MacBook volumes will help drive down the production price.

11:02 PT:And that's it! We've been excused and are going next door to view the new systems up close and personal. Stay tuned for much more today and in the weeks to come at Macworld.com.




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