Apple is going all touchy with new Magic Trackpad

For a long time now I have loved Apple's trackpads on their MacBook and MacBook Pro lines. I have also enjoyed the touch screens of the iPod touch, iPhone and of course the iPad. Today, Apple went one step further and want us all to go touchy feely with our desktop computers. They did this by launching their new Magic Trackpad.

The new device (pictured) is a slanted multi-touch surface, the same depth as the standard Apple desktop keyboard. It offers all the touch goodness of clicking, scrolling, swiping and rotating and connects to your Mac via bluetooth. Think of it as Apple bringing the MacBook trackpad to your desktop. This new device is £59 and shipping now. Expect to see a review real soon.

Apple's New 27-inch Cinema Display coming soon

Apple also announced that a new 27-inch Cinema Display will be available in September. Exactly as my prediction this size will be a perfect match for the 27-inch iMac, or indeed a Mac Pro, or as pictured it'll dwarf the Mac Mini. In my opinion a bit too much for the Mac Mini!

Glossy with black bezel is the way Apple have stayed. With a massive 2560x1440 resolution (the same as the large iMac), this display is sure to impress. With 178 degree viewing angle, LED backlighting, built in iSight and microphone (at last) and 49 watts of stereo sound this new beast sounds superb. I cannot wait to get hold of one.

Apple launch new i3 i5 and i7 iMacs

Apple today launched, or more appropriately revamped its iMac lineup. There are still two sizes, both 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, but the minimum processor speed is now a 3.2GHz Core i3 processor.

On the Core i3 machines you can upgrade the processor to a 3.6GHz Core i5, for around £150 more. This is quite a nice offering if you want a smaller 21.5-inch screen with quite a speedy processor. With all models you get 4GB of RAM as standard and can go up to a maximum of 16GB internal memory.

The 27-inch models go all the way up to a 2.93GHz Core i7 processor. Most noteworthy though is the inclusion of space in there for both a 2TB SATA hard drive and a second SSD drive of 256GB capacity. Wow, that is a nice inclusion, this will mean super fast start up times if you put the OS and your applications on the SSD and keep the SATA hard drive for data. The other sideline update that impressed me was the SD slot accepts SDXC (=very high capacity) memory cards.

At the time of writing this I cannot comment on pricing, as the store was not playing fair with me. I could only gain access to educational pricing which starts at £938 for the base 21.5-inch model, up to £1,549 for the 2.8GHZ Core i7 27-inch model.

Update: The base model 21.5-inch iMac starts at £999 inc VAT.

Apple Store is down - Worldwide - new iMacs, Pros & Displays?

The Apple Store is currently unavailable, ahead of rumoured new iMacs, Mac Pros and Cinema Displays. It seems pretty obvious that we will see something new from Apple today. For starters, the Cinema Displays definitely need to reflect the current iMac sizing. I think we will see a 21.5-inch model and 27-inch model for sure, making it uber cool to run dual display iMac setups. For those who run a Mac Pro, yes I know you want to see a 30-inch model too.

On the iMac front, I predict that we will see Core i3 processors as the base specification. Let's hope that prices stay the same too. If this does happen, they can count me in for an order. I didn't want the high end i7 really (or at least the price associated with it), but a Core i3 27-inch would do me nicely to replace my current 3.06GHz Core2Duo machine.

As for the Mac Pros, well, when I am a bit richer then I would show more interest. Sorry guys (and gals) but this is not my bag.

Surprises… well one would like to think so, but is a Mac Mini Tower every really going to happen?

Geekanoids Update - Donate & Creative Zen X-Fi 2 Giveaway

This is in response to my viewer feedback video, my decision on the type of videos I will be uploading to the Geekanoids Channel. The great news is that all my content will remain free!


Make a donation and I will be giving away a Creative Zen X-Fi 2 MP3 & Video Player to the highest unique donation. Donations are welcome any time, however only donations made before midnight on the 31st August 2010 will be eligible for the free giveaway. Donations cannot be refunded.


Example $10.02 beats £10.01 as the highest unique number, (1,002 beats 1,001). Be creative and good luck!

You can donate via PayPal to geekanoids@gmail.com

Do not feel obliged to donate. I really enjoy what I am doing and the reviews and content on the channel will remain free and exactly the same, but with the addition of longer, more in-depth reviews and interviews planned.

***JUST TO CLARIFY*** Donations are always welcome. 
The giveaway is not about the money value of the donation, it is awarded purely to the highest unique number in $US or £GBP.
If you are donating from a country other than the UK or US, please convert to $US or £GBP prior to sending.

Useful Links
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/davomrmac
Website: /
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/geekanoids/

The Two Techies Podcast

The Two Techies is a weekly podcast, hosted by Jamie Bunting and Aaron Fisher they discuss the latest and most interesting technology news with the occasional guest on every few episodes. On today's show the guys invited me along to share my views on the tech news of the week. It certainly was a pleasant experience, with a very relaxed format and I am sure you will enjoy a listen. There is some great coverage on this podcast, so I urge you to check it out and subscribe in iTunes. You can also find more information here.

Apple iPhone 4 Press Conference - Adam Christianson Maccast Interview

Apple iPhone 4 Press Conference - Adam Christianson Maccast Interview. The internet, YouTube and the news has been filled with the reported reception issue on the iPhone 4. Today, 16th July 2010, Apple held a press conference to address the issue.

In this video I bring you an interview with Adam Christianson from The Maccast, held just after the press conference ended. We discuss what Apple announced with some great insight into what has been offered.


You can catch The Maccast at http://www.maccast.com

Wildfire Experience – Jim’s Day

If you and all your friends on Facebook got together what would you do? HTC is giving you the chance to bring all your friends on Facebook® together for a day. All you have to do is tell us what you would do and we could make it a reality.

Crucial Solid State Drives now with Data Transfer Kits

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the Crucial RealSSD C300 with Data Transfer Kit available with the 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB C300 drives. This convenient product bundle includes a Crucial RealSSD C300 solid-state drive, a SATA-to-USB data cable, and cloning software. 

 

Migrating from a traditional hard drive to a solid-state drive offers improved boot up and application load times. In addition, SSDs run cooler, quieter, and with more durability when compared to a traditional hard drive. However, transferring data from an existing hard drive to a new SSD can prove a daunting task to many notebook or desktop computer users.

In three easy steps, the Crucial Data Transfer Kit provides users with a simple solution for copying everything on an existing hard drive and transferring it to a Crucial RealSSD C300 drive – including the operating system, data, email settings, applications, and more. This new Crucial kit makes it as simple as connecting the SATA-to-USB cable to the RealSSD and the USB port on a notebook, running the cloning software, and swapping out the old drive with the new Crucial RealSSD.

 “After pushing SSD performance to new levels with technical innovations, we turned our attention to simplifying the upgrade process for users. We succeeded in creating a convenient, start-to-finish solution,” said Rob Wheadon, Lexar Media senior worldwide SSD product manager. “We’re pleased to offer a solution that enables users to get their Crucial RealSSD C300 products up and running in three easy steps.”

All capacities of the Crucial RealSSD C300 drives are available through select resellers worldwide and online at www.crucial.com/ssd, www.crucial.com/uk/ssd, or www.crucial.com/eu/ssd.