Mobile Magazine » macbook

Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook Closest To MacBook Air Killer

Alexander Udalov — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:10:10 +0000

Samsung Series 9 notebooks are well known products, you can fetch one right now at Amazon, for example. This past week at CES 2012, we saw the second generation of this notebook, a totally revamped Series 9 Macbook killer.

This time, Series 9 notebook from Samsung has an amazing Duralumin (aircraft grade aluminum) unibody with a total thickness of just half an inch. That might just fit inside a brown paper envelope. Samsung is setting the bar for the new ultrabook class, although Samsung doesn’t like the “ultrabook” moniker, we’ll just let it be the Samsung Series 9 notebook to make them happy.

It’s powered by a hefty Intel Core i5 processor and comes with USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and an SD Card slot. As shown, it has a 13.3 inch matte screen sporting a 1600×900 resolution and weight of just 2.5 pounds. Original Series 9 notebooks had 2.8 pounds, even if it was outfitted with plastics here and there instead of the aluminum unibody shell like here.

What was not shown off was their 15-inch version of the same notebook. Described as the fitting the same form factor, this model sports the same 1600×900 resolution. But with a bigger screen brings more weight, it’s still just 3.3 pounds, and the thickness is still that awesome half of an inch.

This new generation of Samsung’s Series 9 notebooks may try to suck air out of Apple’s MacBook Air. But they will need to improve on a few things before that ever happens, for one: battery life of these Samsung models is still a mere 3 hours compared to the Air’s 6 hours. Pricing of $1399 for 13.3 inch model and $1499 for 15 inch model could be just a $100 or so less than equally equipped MacBook Air, which could prove insufficient incentive to buy Samsung Series 9 notebook instead of the Mac OS X totting Air. Expect it next month through Samsung’s typical channels.

Update: To straighten out any confusion, Samsung is taking an Apple-esque approach to their names. We’re used to PC manufactures incrementing and updating their model numbers every time a new version is released. Not with Samsung and the Series 9, the model discussed in this post is the 2012 version. Jump here to press release for unconvinced eyes.

Sony Launches Anti-Apple Vaio Against MacBook Campaign

Michael Kwan — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:57:45 +0000

It’s nothing new to see ad campaigns where one company puts down the competition in one way or another. We’ve seen it with Coke and Pepsi. We’ve seen it with Mac and PC. And now, we could be seeing it with Sony and Apple.

We spotted this on a Toronto subway, the ad shows a young couple at a coffee joint, happily enjoying their Sony Vaio laptop. They stand out from the crowd, because they are the only human characters in the image. The rest of the folks at the coffee joint are blank-faced marionettes using what appear to be aluminum unibody notebooks.

Yes, none of those other laptops have the Apple logo on them, but it looks quite clear that the MacBook-ness is heavily implied. We can safely conclude that Sony is saying the Mac users are just puppets who have no personality of their own. Indeed, the tagline for the ad is “Stand Apart.”

The Sony VAIO line has always pushed its stylishness and this almost coy anti-Apple campaign is no exception.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Macbooks Could Become A Reality

Andrew Grush — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:25:44 +0000

As much as many users love their Macbooks, wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to recharge batteries so often? Apple seems to think so, and has recently raised a pair of Apple patent applications for fuel-cell powered Macbooks and other Apple devices. The patents placed were for “Fuel Cell System to Power a Portable Computing Device” and “Fuel Cell System Coupled to a Portable Computing Device.”

In the patent filing Apple had this to say:

Our country’s continuing reliance on fossil fuels has forced our government to maintain complicated political and military relationships with unstable governments in the Middle East, and has also exposed our coastlines and our citizens to the associated hazards of offshore drilling. These problems have led to an increasing awareness and desire on the part of consumers to promote and use renewable energy sources.

Apple believes that the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool has helped increase customer awareness of environmental issues regarding electronic devices. As a consequence of this revelation, it is important to Apple that they explore alternatives like hydrogen fuel for future products.

Using hydrogen fuel most Apple devices would have power for days or even weeks without refueling the hydrogen system. The solution that Apple describes is a fuel system that can provide power to and receive power from a rechargeable battery like those found in MacBooks.

This is not Apple’s first show of interest in fuel cell technology, back in October AppleInsider revealed another set of patent applications from Apple that described lighter and more efficient hydrogen fuel cells.

Fuel cell technology is still a fairly new concept, at least in the capacity that Apple is proposing. While I won’t expect to pick up a MacBook Pro Fuel-Cell Edition anytime soon, I have seen stranger things come to pass in the world of technology.

Apple’s 2880×1800 MacBook Pro Rumored For Release In Q2 Of 2012

Alexander Udalov — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:39:52 +0000

According to DigiTimes, supply chain sources claim that Apple is readying a new MacBook Pro with whooping 2880×1800 screen for Q2 of 2012. A 2880×1800 pixel display would have a density of about 220 pixels per inch at a 15.4″ size, which is double the density of the current default 1440×900 display. New MacBooks may come in three sizes: 17″, 15.4″, and 13″ by screen diagonals.

Such a pixel density coincides nicely with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion’s hidden HiDPI display options, which double the number of pixels used for user interface elements. TextEdit in this HiDPI mode will look this beautiful:

This rendering was made from the screen of “older” MacBook Pro, so many elements, like these bitmapped triangles, don’t scale up nicely on the experimental HiDPI mode. They will certainly do much better with the release of new MacBooks, even if there’s a lot of these bitmapped elements to take care of.

Unlike iOS with its fixed resolutions, Mac OS X has to contend with a much wider variety of display sizes. Thus far, there has been no Mac equivalent of the iPhone 4, arriving with a double-density display. Plain doubling, or quadrupling the pixel count on a laptop display to reach “Retina” class resolutions is not the actual target though: smaller pixel densities than “Retina” (or roughly 300 dpi) can look equally good if the generally larger observation distance from the display is meant.

Such is the case when working on the MacBook Pro. Calculations show that the desired effect of no visible pixels, or “jaggies” on diagonal lines can be reached for a laptop screen of about 220 DPI. Naturally, you are not supposed to hold such a screen closer than 15″ from its screen. In normal working conditions, nobody does.

Recent news on iPad3 getting a 2048×1536 display now seems to fit rather well into the grand scheme of a user’s unified experience for Apple products.

Why An Apple 15-inch MacBook Air Might Be Really Real

Radu Tyrsina — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:58:59 +0000

Apple’s MacBook Air ultraportable notebooks have been incredibly popular, but are only available in 11 and 13-inch models. This might soon change as rumors have emerged that the company is already in the late testing stages of producing a new ultra-thin 15-inch and 17-inch notebook, although there’s a possibility that these new additions will be branded under the MacBook Pro series instead of Air, they’ll be quite similar.

While the 11” and 13” MacBook Air notebooks could serve as lower-cost laptops, the next-generation thinner 15” and 17” models could feature additional RAM, faster processor, and a possible option to add in a second hard drive (with the removal of the optical drive) to use in conjunction with the SSD.

The probability of Apple being far along in the development of these machines is good, and it may only be that the company is waiting and watching to see how an updated MacBook Air fares on the market before deciding whether or not customers are ready to embrace a similar form factor. In any case, there is good chance that we’ll see a larger, Pro-level ultraportable before 2012.

Leak: New MacBook Pro “Thunderbolt” Port is Intel Light Peak?

Michael Kwan — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:54:23 +0000

Let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat. Nothing about any Apple product is ever official until someone in a black turtleneck and blue jeans walks across the stage and tells us that it’s official. Even so, the rumors can be awfully juicy and, sometimes, they really do come true.

That appears to be the case with the upcoming refresh of the MacBook Pro line. This leaked photo is showing off a new port with a lightning bolt symbol next to it. That symbol is new to the Apple iconography and people are saying that it could be Intel’s Light Peak technology.

Light Peak is supposed to be a replacement for ports like USB and FireWire, offering faster speeds and all that. The USB and FireWire ports are still in tow in this supposed MBP, but that doesn’t mean it’s not Light Peak behind the bolt. According to some leaked docs, Apple is referring to the tech as “Thunderbolt.” Not to be confused with that other thing, of course.

Whatever the case, we’ll be finding out soon enough. Sandy Bridge is pretty much in the bag. Light Peak, we’re not as sure.

[Charaval, SlashGear]

Sandy Bridge Powered MacBook Pro Expected March 1

Michael Kwan — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:32:51 +0000

It took Apple a little longer than some would have hoped for the MacBook Pro line to adopt the Core i3/i5 processors, but it looks like the Mac fans will be cheering the arrival of Sandy Bridge in their aluminium unibody frames.

The announcement hasn’t come by way of Apple just yet, but it seems that an “Intel word of mouth” is pointing toward the implementation of Sandy Bridge (Core i5/i7) processors in the next generation of MacBook Pro notebooks. It may or may not show up in the regular MacBooks though.

The timing makes sense, since the last overhaul of the MacBook Pro line was way back in April 2010. An update in March would be in line with the usual annual schedule that Cupertino adheres to for most of its product offerings. We’re also hearing that the new MBPs will be thinner and lighter, not unlike the MacBook Air.

If Apple sticks to its usual modus operandi, the new MBPs should be at similar price points as the current offerings, only with updated specs and features.

[via Mac Rumors]

Could Apple switch to OLED within MacBooks and iPads?

Michael Kwan — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:13:22 +0000

OLED displays look quite amazing compared to traditional LCDs. And that’s why it’s awfully enticing to hear that Apple could soon be dabbling in the world of Organic Light Emitting Diods for many offerings within their product range.

Three patents from Steve Jobs and his team have been leaked on the Internet, revealing Cupertino’s intention to implement OLED displays on everything from iPads and iPods to MacBooks and possibly even Apple TVs. Having OLED on a phone or media player is nothing new, but seeing it on a tablet would be great. Having it on a notebook would be even better.

But that leaves us wondering about the possibility of an OLED Apple TV. Could this mean that the Apple TV could soon be, well, an actual television? Somewhere between a Cinema Display and the current Apple TV is… and OLED iTV?

Well, these are just patents and we’re probably getting way ahead of ourselves. Unless there really is “one more thing” just around the corner.

[Giz via Patently Apple]

McAfee threat warnings for 2011 include URL shorteners and GeoLocation services

Michael Kwan — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:09:08 +0000

Yes, a press release like this may as well be a sales pitch for getting you to buy some McAfee protection, but some of the things listed in the 2011: Threat Predictions report are very much worth noting if you want to avoid viruses, hackers, and other threats to your security.

Perhaps the most notable of the bunch are social media URL-shortening services. As more people use Twitter, for example, more “cloaked” URLs are going to make their way on the Internet in the form of shortened URLs. You have to be wary of URLs from services like ow.ly and bit.ly, because they could be hiding a real threat. Beware of spam and scams.

Up until now, most online security attacks have been targeting your computer, but more people are using their smartphones (and other mobile devices) to surf the web too. Not surprisingly, the hackers and other bad guys know this. So, you’ll want to keep an eye on your geolocation activities (e.g., Foursquare), as well as your “jailbreaking” and “rooting” activities, as both can open you up for some pretty major attacks like revealing your true location based on your cellular coordinates.

And while the Apple fanboys will tell you that running a Mac is way safer than running a Windows PC, that’s going to change too. It’s not that a MacBook is any more secure than an Acer; it’s that the bad guys haven’t been targeting it as much due to the smaller market share. Well, lots of people have Macs now, so the malicious attackers are going to start targeting Apple products too, as well as other devices like Apple TV, Google TV, and anything else connected to the Internet.

So, yeah, try and play safe in 2011. We’re not saying you need to put on a tinfoil hat and hide in a bomb shelter eating spam and cup o’noodles just yet, but be mindful of what you’re doing online. That deposed prince from Nigeria wanting to share his fortune with you probably isn’t who you think he is.

McAfee Labs Predicts Geolocation, Mobile Devices and Apple Will Top the List of Targets for Emerging Threats in 2011

McAfee Researchers Also Foresee Attackers Targeting Shortened URL Services and Internet TV Platforms; Increase in Politically Motivated Hacktivisim

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE) today unveiled its 2011 Threat Predictions report, outlining the top threats that researchers at McAfee Labs foresee for the coming year. The list comprises 2010’s most buzzed about platforms and services, including Google’s Android, Apple’s iPhone, foursquare, Google TV and the Mac OS X platform, which are all expected to become major targets for cybercriminals. McAfee Labs also predicts that politically motivated attacks will be on the rise, as more groups are expected to repeat the WikiLeaks paradigm.

“These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and we’re already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss.”
“We’ve seen significant advancements in device and social network adoption, placing a bulls-eye on the platforms and services users are embracing the most,” said Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs. “These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and we’re already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss.”

McAfee Labs Threat Predictions for 2011:

Exploiting Social Media: URL-shortening services
Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have created the movement toward an “instant” form of communication, a shift that will completely alter the threat landscape in 2011. Of the social media sites that will be most riddled with cybercriminal activity, McAfee Labs expects those with URL-shortening services will be at the forefront. The use of abbreviated URLs on sites like Twitter makes it easy for cybercriminals to mask and direct users to malicious websites. With more than 3,000 shortened URLs per minute being generated, McAfee Labs expects to see a growing number used for spam, scamming and other malicious purposes.

Exploiting Social Media: Geolocation services
Locative services such as foursquare, Gowalla and Facebook Places can easily search, track and plot the whereabouts of friends and strangers. In just a few clicks, cybercriminals can see in real time who is tweeting, where they are located, what they are saying, what their interests are, and what operating systems and applications they are using. This wealth of personal information on individuals enables cybercriminals to craft a targeted attack. McAfee Labs predicts that cybercriminals will increasingly use these tactics across the most popular social networking sites in 2011.

Mobile: Usage is rising in the workplace, and so will attacks
Threats on mobile devices have so far been few and far between, as “jailbreaking” on the iPhone and the arrival of Zeus were the primary mobile threats in 2010. With the widespread adoption of mobile devices in business environments, combined with historically fragile cellular infrastructure and slow strides toward encryption, McAfee Labs predicts that 2011 will bring a rapid escalation of attacks and threats to mobile devices, putting user and corporate data at very high risk.

Apple: No longer flying under the radar
Historically, the Mac OS platform has remained relatively unscathed by malicious attackers, but McAfee Labs warns that Mac-targeted malware will continue to increase in sophistication in 2011. The popularity of iPads and iPhones in business environments, combined with the lack of user understanding of proper security for these devices, will increase the risk for data and identity exposure, and will make Apple botnets and Trojans a common occurrence.

Applications: Privacy leaks—from your TV
New Internet TV platforms were some of the most highly-anticipated devices in 2010. Due to the growing popularity among users and “rush to market” thinking by developers, McAfee Labs expects an increasing number of suspicious and malicious apps for the most widely deployed media platforms, such as Google TV. These apps will target or expose privacy and identity data, and will allow cybercriminals to manipulate a variety of physical devices through compromised or controlled apps, eventually raising the effectiveness of botnets.

Sophistication Mimics Legitimacy: Your next computer virus could be from a friend
Malicious content disguised as personal or legitimate emails and files to trick unsuspecting victims will increase in sophistication in 2011. “Signed” malware that imitates legitimate files will become more prevalent, and “friendly fire,” in which threats appear to come from your friends but in fact are viruses such as Koobface or VBMania, will continue to grow as an attack of choice by cybercriminals. McAfee Labs expects these attacks will go hand in hand with the increased abuse of social networks, which will eventually overtake email as a leading attack vector.

Botnets: The new face of Mergers & Acquisitions
Botnets continue to use a seemingly infinite supply of stolen computing power and bandwidth around the globe. Following a number of successful botnet takedowns, including Mariposa, Bredolab and specific Zeus botnets, botnet controllers must adjust to the increasing pressure cybersecurity professionals are placing on them. McAfee Labs predicts that the recent merger of Zeus with SpyEye will produce more sophisticated bots due to improvements in bypassing security mechanisms and law enforcement monitoring. Additionally, McAfee Labs expects to see a significant botnet activity in the adoption of data-gathering and data-removal functionality, rather than the common use of sending spam.

Hacktivism: Following the WikiLeaks path
Next year marks a time in which politically motivated attacks will proliferate and new sophisticated attacks will appear. More groups will repeat the WikiLeaks example, as hacktivism is conducted by people claiming to be independent of any particular government or movement, and will become more organized and strategic by incorporating social networks in the process. McAfee Labs believes hacktivism will become the new way to demonstrate political positions in 2011 and beyond.

Advanced Persistent Threats: A whole new category
Operation Aurora gave birth to the new category of advanced persistent threat (APT)— a targeted cyberespionage or cybersabotage attack that is carried out under the sponsorship or direction of a nation-state for something other than pure financial/criminal gain or political protest. McAfee Labs warns that companies of all sizes that have any involvement in national security or major global economic activities should expect to come under pervasive and continuous APT attacks that go after email archives, document stores, intellectual property repositories and other databases.

For a full copy of the 2011 Threat Predictions report from McAfee Labs, please visit: http://www.mcafee.com

About McAfee

McAfee, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems, networks, and mobile devices around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse and shop the Web more securely. Backed by its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security. McAfee secures your digital world. http://www.mcafee.com

NOTE: McAfee is a registered trademark or trademark of McAfee, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other marks may be claimed as the property of others. The product plans, specifications, and descriptions herein are provided for information only and are subject to change without notice. They are provided without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied.

Freeman looks to open Cydia store for OSX too

Michael Kwan — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:24:14 +0000

Over on the Apple iPhone (and similar iOS devices) the way to get hacks for your devices has been by jailbreaking and using Cydia. Well, that same concept could soon be happening on your OSX powered Mac computer too, because a Cydia App Store for OSX is in the works.

Jay Freeman, the bearded fellow behind Cydia told 360|MacDev attendees that he is set to launch an “alternative” store for OSX “within weeks.” Known as “saurik” on the Internet, Freeman seems to be stealing a little bit of Apple’s thunder with this move, because the crew in Cupertino were planning on opening an OSX App Store of their own some time soon.

To make things clear, Freeman jumped on TUAW to set people straight:

“The point is to provide a market for the kinds of “modifications to third party software” that people like writing on jailbroken iPhones, and to allow people to install those modifications in a way that reasonably makes sense. I have no clue why people are trying to liken this to Fink (the APT/dpkg already existing, comment), or what this possibly has to do with AppBodega (Cydia is not an App Store: you don’t get “apps” from Cydia, you get cool hacks). *sigh*”

Apple is known to place some rather stringent restrictions on what can and cannot be sold through the iOS App Store, so the same kind of philosophy will likely apply to the OSX version too. Freeman and his Cydia OSX store would allow developers to sell apps and hacks outside of Apple’s control.

The best part? You don’t have to jailbreak your iMac to get these apps… at least not yet.

[Hexus]