Macbook

The third time may be the charm for Google, which with its third-generation Chromebook has built a computer consumers might actually buy. The Mountain View, Calif., company began selling the $249 Chromebook last week in preparation for the holidays, and if you're looking for a laptop and on a tight budget Google's machine may be right for you. Chromebooks have very little internal storage capacity and run on Chrome OS, Google's computer operating...

A few weeks back while speaking at a technology conference, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook stressed that what made Apple superior was not just great gadgets. No, the real advantage was its ability to make it all: hardware, software and services.  "Apple is in a fairly unique and, in my view, unrivaled position because Apple has skills in software, in hardware, and in services," Cook said in February. "The reality is that the model that grew the PC industry, where someone specialized in one thing, that model is not working for what consumers want today.

As if there aren't enough Apple Stores in the world, the Cupertino-based company has now opened another one on Ebay. Nine to 5 Mac reports that Apple is operating an outlet for refurbished products on the e-commerce website. The Ebay Apple store sells items including iPod Touches, MacBook laptops and iPads. According to product pages for items sold through the store, the outlet is simply an Apple certified reseller. But 9 to 5 Mac, citing unnamed sources at Ebay, said the store is indeed run by Apple and is in a trial phase at this point.

Apple is reducing prices for its 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display laptops while also upgrading their processors, just a few months after releasing the laptop models. The 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina, as it is commonly referred to, will now sell for $1,499 and $1,699 -- down from $1,699 and $1,999. The higher-end model will now also possess a 2.6GHz quad-core processor, up from a 2.5GHz quad-core processor. Apple also improved the processors for its 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina laptops.

A few weeks back while speaking at a technology conference, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook stressed that what made Apple superior was not just great gadgets. No, the real advantage was its ability to make it all: hardware, software and services.  "Apple is in a fairly unique and, in my view, unrivaled position because Apple has skills in software, in hardware, and in services," Cook said in February. "The reality is that the model that grew the PC industry, where someone specialized in one thing, that model is not working for what consumers want today.

Are the iPod's days numbered? The sales figures are not promising. Last quarter, Apple sold just 6.8 million iPods -- a 10% drop from the same quarter last year. While that is more than the 4 million Macs the company moved in the same time period, it is just a drop in the bucket compared with the 26 million iPhones and 17 million iPads it sold in the same quarter. In a statement released to the media last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook ignored iPods completely, saying, " We're thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the June quarter.

Trips to an electronics repair store sometimes turn into an exercise in debate: "Yes, I'm sure I didn't spill water on it!" Apple Inc. is looking to put those arguments to rest by using a technology that detects when a laptop has been exposed to liquid. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company's new MacBook and MacBook Pro computers include two liquid submersion indicators, which are small sensors located under the keyboard and near the trackpad that change color when exposed to a liquid.

Everyone knows Steve Jobs pulled off one of the outstanding corporate turnarounds in U.S. history, and that he did it on the strength of cool products. What they may not realize is that Jobs was a master of bare-knuckled business strategies from the old school. It's true that Jobs' legendary perfectionism and insistence on simplicity and elegance for Apple's products were the qualities of an aesthete. But his goal was to create products that could command premium prices and ensure rich profits.

UC Berkeley student Derek Low has created what might be the most awesomely automated dorm room in America. He calls the room "BRAD," which stands for "Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dormroom" and he's programmed it to do everything from waking him up in the morning to turning out the lights for him at night. That includes an instant party mode -- with laser lights, strobe lights, dance music and even a fog machine -- whenever he hits a wireless emergency party button. When a different mood is required, he can tell the room to go into "romantic mode," and the shades will close, the lights will dim, a disco ball starts to shine and some classic Elton John will automatically start playing.

In an effort to expand its retail reach, Apple is reportedly planning to open mini Apple stores inside select Target locations later this year. As many as 25 locations in smaller metro areas not large enough for Apple stores of their own could end up with the Apple store setups in Target locations, the website AppleInsider reported Friday, citing a source that it said was familiar with Apple's plans. Officials at Apple weren't available for comment on the report — the company's usual practice is to decline to comment on rumors — but the tech giant has taken this type of approach before.

As if there aren't enough Apple Stores in the world, the Cupertino-based company has now opened another one on Ebay. Nine to 5 Mac reports that Apple is operating an outlet for refurbished products on the e-commerce website. The Ebay Apple store sells items including iPod Touches, MacBook laptops and iPads. According to product pages for items sold through the store, the outlet is simply an Apple certified reseller. But 9 to 5 Mac, citing unnamed sources at Ebay, said the store is indeed run by Apple and is in a trial phase at this point.

The third time may be the charm for Google, which with its third-generation Chromebook has built a computer consumers might actually buy. The Mountain View, Calif., company began selling the $249 Chromebook last week in preparation for the holidays, and if you're looking for a laptop and on a tight budget Google's machine may be right for you. Chromebooks have very little internal storage capacity and run on Chrome OS, Google's computer operating...

Apple has added another machine to its line of Retina high-resolution display products, announcing the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina. At an event Tuesday morning, the Cupertino, Calif., tech company unveiled the new Retina laptop. The machine is just three-quarters of an inch thick and weighs 3.75 pounds. It features a 13.3-inch screen with 2,560 by 1,600 pixels. That's more than 4 million pixels, more than many high-definition televisions. Follow Apple's iPad mini announcement live here Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP of marketing, said the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina features two Thunderbolt ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI out and an SD card slot.

The rumored 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display could sell for $1,699, according to a report. Apple is widely expected to announce Tuesday the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the higher-resolution display alongside the rumored 7.85-inch iPad mini tablet. 9 to 5 Mac is now reporting the MacBook Pro's base price will be $1,699 while a higher-end version of the laptop will cost about $200 to $300 more. Nine to 5 Mac is reporting the resolution of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina could be 2,560 by 1,600 pixels.

The iPad mini may not be the only major new product Apple announces this month. A new report by 9 to 5 Mac 's Mark Gurman says the Cupertino, Calif., tech giant also plans to announce a 13-inch MacBook Pro with high-resolution Retina display, expanding the company's catalog of Retina-enabled products. It already offers a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. The report says Apple will introduce the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina at the rumored Oct. 23 iPad mini event.

Apple plans to launch a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display, and the computers are already in production, according to a report. The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech company will release a smaller version of the Retina MacBook Pros that premiered this summer, NPD DisplaySearch's Richard Shim told CNET . Shim said the smaller Retina MacBook Pros will have 2,560-by-1,600-pixel displays. Not surprisingly, they're also expected to be cheaper and lighter than the 15-inch Retina Pros.

Siri may be talking to more devices in the near future, according to a patent Apple filed. The patent application suggests that Apple may be looking at connecting and controlling devices via Siri on the iPhone. In the filing, Apple wrote:"Portable electronic devices, such as digital media players, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, and so on, typically rely on small buttons and screens for user input. Such controls may be built into the device or part of a touch-screen interface, but are typically very small and can be cumbersome to manipulate....

The third time isn't quite the charm. Apparently, Apple's legacy of early onset WiFi issues in its iPads continues in the new generation. Just weeks after the launch of the third generation, 9to5Mac reports that Apple appears to be investigating the reception issues in the new iPad after a growing number of complaints about spotty connections. The site says it obtained a screenshot of an AppleCare memo , directing employees to collect and replace troubled third-generation iPads displaying symptoms such as "intermittent connectivity," "slow WiFi speeds" or not seeing the network.

Are the iPod's days numbered? The sales figures are not promising. Last quarter, Apple sold just 6.8 million iPods -- a 10% drop from the same quarter last year. While that is more than the 4 million Macs the company moved in the same time period, it is just a drop in the bucket compared with the 26 million iPhones and 17 million iPads it sold in the same quarter. In a statement released to the media last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook ignored iPods completely, saying, " We're thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the June quarter.

The MacBook Pro with Retina, the star of last month's Worldwide Developers Conference, has finally seen an improvement to its shipping time from Apple's online store. After launching June 11, the MacBook Pro with Retina quickly sold out and saw its shipping time jump up to an estimated waiting time of three to four week before arrival. Now that time has finally been cut, but sadly, it's just a slight improvement of one week. MacRumors reported the improvement late last night, saying the change was first seen in Apple's Asia-Pacific market.