Rumor: Apple will not use Intel chipsets in the upcoming MacBooks

Source: Dailytech.com

Apple could be on the verge of shaking up its all-Intel CPU/chipset arrangement

Mention Apple in the tech community and one is sure to invoke a firestorm of criticism and debate.  Indeed few topics excite tech readers quite like the moves of Apple which tends to draw inordinately passionate praise and criticism.  However, one of the few moves that both critics and supporters alike seemed to agree was good news was “Mactel” — Apple moving to adopt Intel processors and chipsets, starting in 2006.

Now it appears that the Mactel romance, which helped propel Apple to a modest marketshare and a third place spot in PC sales may be on the rocks, if new reports are to be believed.  While Apple will continue using the microprocessor giant’s CPUs, a report from AppleInsider cites an inside source as saying that Apple will ditch Intel’s chipsets in the new Apple computers that are scheduled to be announced in coming weeks.

Currently Apple uses the same Santa Rosa mobile platform that competitors Dell and HP use, just slightly tweaked for an OS X world.  However, according to the report, Apple believes that by moving away from Intel chipsets, it can set itself above the competition.  According to the reports the upcoming trio of Macbooks to be announced in several weeks will not feature the Montevina chipset, the chipset component of Intel’s Centrino 2 platform.

What remains unspecific is what Apple plans to replace Intel’s chipsets with.  One thing seems certain; whoever is making the new chipset is going to need an Intel licensing agreement, which could lead to an awkward situation for Apple.  One line of thinking is that Apple may revert to developing its own proprietary chipset as it did in the PowerPC days.  These thinkers point to Apple’s acquisition of chipset company P.A. Semi.  However, Apple has previously insisted that this acquisition is purely to drive iPhone and iPod Touch chipset efforts.

Others believe that the new systems will feature NVIDIA or VIA chipsets, which would solve the licensing problems and could likely prove more full-featured than Intel’s designs.  Many are hopeful that Apple will adopt this approach. 

It appears that a couple factors may be driving Apple’s possible departure from Intel chipsets.  One is power consumption.  Intel’s integrated graphics and chipset offerings are overly power hungry according to some analysts.  Another factor is unique capability — Apple may be looking for unique features that Intel cannot provide it.

The reports could have something to do with Apple chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer’s comments during a conference call in which he stated boldly that Apple will be unveiling new technologies that will hurt its profit margins but send competitors reeling.  Said Mr. Oppenheimer, “We have some investments in front of us that I can’t discuss with you today where we’re going to be delivering state of the art new products that our competitors just aren’t going to be able to match and as a result, I would see gross margins being about 30 percent and that’s – that’s all I can tell you at this point.” 

The comments echo allusions made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently that Apple will soon be revealing game-changing new products.  Both executives’ comments are out of character for Apple which has built a reputation for secrecy.

The official word from Apple and whatever it has up its sleeve is expected to coincide with the announcement of the new MacBooks which is coming in 6 to 8 weeks.  The new MacBooks are expected to release in time for the back-to-school shopping rush.

Tags: Apple, MacBooks, Intel chipsets, Mactel, Montevina, Santa Rosa, Apple chipset

Apple Mac Mini vs Dell Studio Hybrid

Dell has just released its new line of slim-line/small factor desktops: Studio Hybrid. The Studio Hybrid starts at $549 (Canadians), but upgrades to the processor, memory, hard drive, and wireless networking adapter push our review configuration up to $959. This new desktop first appeared in April featuring a bamboo-made cover. It is not quite hard to feel the need to compare this new baby with the solid contender from Apple: The Mac Mini.

Some users have reviewed the new Dell Studio Hybrid giving mixed comments but one of the most prominent are the ones related to the old chipset. Actually, CNET has posted a review two days ago stating this:

“It’s hard for us to recommend the Dell Studio Hybrid desktop for any practical purpose. As a desktop for productivity, you can get more bang-for-your-buck from a typical budget-priced midtower PC. And if your goal is either space-saving or using this system as a media PC, we’d instead point you to a similarly priced laptop, which has an integrated display, will perform most of the same functions, and is also portable. Still, we imagine that for some of you, the Studio Hybrid’s unique design holds plenty of appeal. Compared with other desktops in its small-scale cohort, Dell’s entry is actually one of the best equipped. If aesthetics are your chief concern, the Studio Hybrid will reward you with its good looks and respectable computing power. “ (Cnet.com)

With this in mind, I think the only thing that could set the Studio Hybrid apart from the Mac Mini, is the HDMI connector. The Mac Mini features a DVI and VGA connector but no HDMI. Users will find this useful when using this baby as a Media Center and hooking it with your TV.

To put things on your side, I have put together all the specification side-by-side for you to make your final choice. My recommendation is to wait a couple months more and wait for the new Apple line-up (coming soon). Even the Mac Mini looks like a better package (except for the HDMI) than the Studio Hybrid but imagine future versions

Apple Mac Mini	Dell Studio Hybrid
Processors     * 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor     * 2MB or 4MB on-chip L2 cache     * 667MHz frontside bus Operating System     * Mac OS X Leopard Memory     * 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) on two SO-DIMMs; supports up to 2GB Storage     * 80GB or 120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 160GB drive(2) Peripheral connections     * One FireWire 400 port (8 watts)     * Four USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps) Optical Drives     * Slot-load optical drive One of the following optical drives:            o Slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW): reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed           o Slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW): writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 2.4x speed, writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed, writes DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs at up to 4x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed Graphics and video support     * Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory1     * DVI video output to support digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; supports 20-inch Apple Cinema Display and 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display; supports coherent digital displays up to 154MHz; supports noncoherent digital displays up to 135MHz     * VGA video output (using included adapter) to support analog resolutions up to 1920 by 1080 pixels     * S-video and composite video output to connect directly to a TV or projector (using Apple DVI to Video Adapter, sold separately) Audio     * Built-in speaker     * Combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack)     * Combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack) Wireless and Wi-Fi Options     * Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)     * Built-in 54-Mbps AirPort Extreme(3) wireless networking (based on 802.11g standard)     * Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) up to 3 Mbps     * Optional external Apple USB Modem External Accessible Ports     * One FireWire 400 port (8 watts)     * Four USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)     * DVI video output to support digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; supports 20-inch Apple Cinema Display and 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display; supports coherent digital displays up to 154MHz; supports noncoherent digital displays up to 135MHz     * VGA video output (using included adapter) to support analog resolutions up to 1920 by 1080 pixels     * S-video and composite video output to connect directly to a TV or projector (using Apple DVI to Video Adapter, sold separately)     * Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)     * AC adapter connector     * Combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack)     * Combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack) Size and weight     * Height: 5.08 cm (2 inches)     * Width: 16.51 cm (6.5 inches)     * Depth: 16.51 cm (6.5 inches)     * Weight: 1.31 kg (2.9 pounds)   Software Included     * Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger (includes Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Xcode Developer Tools)     * iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, iWork (30-day trial), and Apple Hardware Test     * Front Row	Processors                     Intel®  Pentium®  Dual Core, Intel CoreTM  2 Duo   Operating System    Genuine Windows Vista®  Home Basic Genuine Windows Vista®  Home Premium Genuine Windows Vista®  Ultimate   Memory Up to 4GB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM The amount of RAM you have determines how many programs can be executed at one time and how much data can be readily available to a program. It also determines how quickly your applications perform and how many applications you can easily toggle between at one time. Simply put, the more RAM you have, the more programs you can run smoothly and simultaneously.   Hard Drives                  Up to 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM) External Connections Additional drives can connect to IEEE1394 and/or USB 2.0 ports   Optical Drives             8X Slot Load CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW) 6X Slot Load Blu-ray/CD/DVD Combo Drive   Graphics Intel®  Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100   Audio       Intel High Definition Audio 2.0 Optional Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy Advanced HD Software Edition   Wireless Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN on system board   Wi-Fi Options Built-in Draft-N Wireless Networking (Optional)   Externally Accessible Ports       Five USB 2.0 compliant ports IEEE1394a port (4-pin) HDMI video connector DVI video connector Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45) AC adapter connector Digital Audio: S/P DIF Out Analog Audio: Headphone (front); Line-in / Line-out (back)   Dimensions & Weight                  Length: 196.5mm (with sleeve) Height: 71.5mm (with sleeve) Depth: 211.5mm (with sleeve) Weight: 2.18kg (with stand)   Security  Cable lock chassis security slot
Starting from $649	Starting from $559

Tags: AppleMacMini, Mac Mini, Apple, Dell, Dell Studio, Studio Hybrid

60GB Xbox 360 for sale in Target

Source: Engadget.com from Pennycollege.com

Amazon and Circuit City might have that new 60GB Xbox 360 SKU up for pre-order with delivery in August, but Microsoft’s game console has always tended to pop up in Targets first, and this time out’s no exception — yep, there it is, hanging out in NYC. Anyone seen one poking around the dish towels and cheap-chic furniture at their local? Let us know in comments!

Tags: 60gb, 60gb xbox, 60gb xbox 360, 60gbXbox, 60gbXbox360, microsoft, target, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Rumor: XBL Silver Now Allows Free Online Play?

From: Kotaku.com

OK, this is hard to run down exactly, because there’s a Live Weekend going on right now, which means you can play online for free on Xbox Live. But reader Draco, a Silver level gamer, says that he’s been playing cross-platform multiplayer games for free since Wednesday night, which precedes the Live Weekend (which started at midnight Friday.) I checked his Gamercard and, yeah, he played Shadowrun online on Thursday.

It seems that ending the gold/silver distinction in Games for Windows Live (effectively making it free) might have had the same effect for those who game on titles that are both PC and 360. A commenter on Xbox Live forums found that Shadowrun online play was free, for example. Reader Draco, who spotted this, says it works for Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition and Universe at War: Earth Assault, too.

We’ll have to check back after the weekend ends. But bigger picture, could this — don’t get your hopes up, but it’s gotta be on everyone’s mind — mean that Xbox Live may eventually convert to a free model for all multiplayer gaming too?

Tags: XBoxLive, Live Weekend, Gamercard, multiplayer, Windows Live, Silver level

New Samsung LCD TVs boast thinner bezels, LED backlights

Tags: Samsung, LCD, HDTV, LED, backlight, DLNA, LCD TV

Rumor: MacBook touch Coming in October

Source: Gizmodo.com

Those clamoring for an Apple tablet may finally get what you’ve been waiting for. According to a MacDailyNews source who leaked wireless iTunes a week before its official announcement, we can expect a sort of “MacBook touch” in October. And the source wasn’t light on the details, either:

Think MacBook screen, possibly a bit smaller, in glass with iPhone-like, but fuller-featured Multi-Touch. Gesture library. Full Mac OS X. This is why they bought P.A. Semi. Possibly with Immersion’s haptic tech. Slot-loading SuperDrive. Accelerometer. GPS. Pretty expensive to produce initially, but sold at “low” price that will reduce margins. Apple wants to move these babies. And move they will. This is some sick shit. App Store-compatible, able to run Mac apps, too. By October at the latest.

In all honesty, we may have passed this story up, but we’ve heard vague reports from reliable sources that Quanta is busy building a touch product for Apple. This latest information seems seems to complement what we’ve heard. [MacDailyNews]

UPDATE: A post over at AppleInsider might have some more light to shed on the story. At the recent earnings talk, Apple promised a product transition by the end of September with “technologies and features that others can’t match” at a profit margin that no one else can approach (read: cheaper stuff). The plot thickens!

Tags: MacBookTouch, apple, Apple tablet

Rumor: PSP-3000 In Production, First Photos

Tags: PSP, PSP-3000, PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSPChina, PS

PS3 FIFA 09’s graphics will be “at least as good” as 360 FIFA 09’s

EA PS3 development has now ‘caught up’ with 360 development.

PS3 FIFA 09’s graphics will be “at least as good” as 360 FIFA 09’s, EA has promised.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com in an interview, FIFA 09 PS3 and Xbox 360 producer David Rutter said that some multiplatform game developers had in the past struggled to get the PS3 version up to scratch simply because they started working on Microsoft’s console first.

However, Rutter said that EA development on PS3 has now “caught up” and it has achieved “parity” on its multiplatform games.

Rutter said: “This year we’ve done a heap of work to make sure that the actual visuals of the game are at least as good on PS3 as 360, to the extent where we’ve had meetings with executives that have basically been fine tooth combing almost, taken a microscopic look at what’s going on to make sure they are as good as each other, and they are. There’s no graphical features or level of rendering or anything else that’s different between the consoles this year.”

When asked why such attention was needed to get the PS3 version to the same level as the 360 version, Rutter replied: “A lot of it is to do with the fact that when all the game teams around the world started work on console games they ended up making a 360 version before a PS3. So tools and technologies were there to support 360 in advance of PS3, and the investment required to do both is obviously an up front cost, and it takes a little while to catch up.”

He added: “Yeah. As far as we’re concerned we’re there. There is parity, as it’s called, between 360 and PS3 for us. We’re chuffed about that.”

FIFA 09 is due out for Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2 this Autumn. Check out our hands-on preview right here.

Tags: PS3, XBox 360, Fifa 09, PS3 Fifa 09, Xbox 360 FIFA 09, EA, Rutter

Radiohead’s new video - House of Cards - AMAZING!

Radiohead, one of the greatest bands of all times, has realeased a new video for its song “House of Cards” from the album “In Rainbows”.

No cameras or lights were used. Instead two technologies were used to capture 3D images: Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR. Geometric Informatics scanning systems produce structured light to capture 3D images at close proximity, while a Velodyne Lidar system that uses multiple lasers is used to capture large environments such as landscapes. In this video, 64 lasers rotating and shooting in a 360 degree radius 900 times per minute produced all the exterior scenes.

Watch the making-of video to learn about how the video was made and the various technologies that were used to capture and render 3D data.

Explore data visualization and get a hands-on experience with the data.

Download an iGoogle gadget to view the video right on your homepage.

Add the Radiohead iGoogle theme and customize your page with their unique visual style.

PlayStation Video Store vs. Xbox LIVE Netflix

Source:  | Gizmo Republic

Sony isn’t sitting by to let Microsoft take credit for making Xbox 360 the entertainment center of your living-room’s universe. No sooner did Sony announce its new PlayStation Video Store at E3 this week that it was alive and operable on your PS3. All you need is an Internet connection and the latest firmware version 2.41 to access the Video Store.

Netflix on Xbox LIVE will have to wait for this fall’s update to the Xbox 360 Dashboard. LIVE subscribers will get access to complete Netflix’s library of streaming movies. The library is massive but consists of generally older films. The best thing about the Netflix deal is that if you’re already a LIVE subscriber the service costs nothing extra. The biggest disadvantage to Netflix is no HD and sub-DVD quality video.

PlayStation Video Store is a download service much like the one Microsoft already has in place. You can rent from a selection of about 300 movies and 1,200 TV show episodes. Sony promises its library will grow in coming months but for now selection is limited. Like Xbox LIVE, many movies and TV shows are available in HD. One key advantage to PlayStation’s system is that many titles are available to buy rather than just rent.

If you’ve bought into the PlayStation family you may even own a PSP to go with your PS3. Sony has maintained interoperability between the devices by making the movies uploadable to your PSP so you can watch on the road. If you’re buying movies through your PS3 don’t worry about your hardware 60GB limitation. You can easily upgrade the PlayStation 3 hard drive so archiving is made easy. (See: PlayStation3 Hard Drive Upgrades Made Easy)

Both are worthy and unique movie delivery systems for a game consoles. But as a user of both consoles and a home theater enthusiast who values quality over quantity, ease of use or scalability, I would personally not use either system… ever.

Despite PlayStation Video Store’s better quality HD video exact resolution is ambiguous. You won’t know if you’re getting 720P, 1080P or some mash-up of pixels your display is forced to scale. And forget lossless audio, downloads are highly compressed. As for Netflix…I’d rather trim my toenails with a Bowie knife than sit through a Netflix streamed movie over my Xbox 360.

Fortunately for console gamers the best option for high-def movies with high-res audio is still PlayStation 3. Sony is after all the winner of the HD format war and the PS3 is still arguably the best and most affordable Blu-ray player on the market.

Tags: PS3, Playstation Video Store,