October 30, 2011

Tilt Cools Your MacBook Pro & Mounts It On A Tripod (Video)

October 30, 2011/ Nir Schneider

MacBook Pros can get so hot often times that they can replace your skillet for cooking eggs in the morning. Kickstarter brings us yet another awesome new product just waiting to be released out into the wild. You thought you've seen your fare share of laptop coolers right? Wait until you get a load of the Tilt, one of the more unique takes on cooling pads we've seen to date. PC users will have to wait this one out I'm afraid because the Tilt was exclusively designed to work with the 15-inch aluminum unibody MacBook Pro while Tilt for the 13-inch aluminum unibody MacBook Pro is still under development. Sorry to say this but the 17-incher was never even mentioned.

The Tilt was designed to have an Apple-esque appearance and simplicity to seamlessly blend together with the MacBook Pro offering an elevated desk stand and cooling for the bottom of your MacBook Pro when using it on your lap or at your desk using a built-in USB powered fan that circulates ventilated air thru a wide cooling channel called the FLOWThru Cooling System. The fan is said to be whisper quiet. The Tilt can easily be attached to the bottom of your MacBook Pro thanks to the MAXGrip mounting system like a quick-release plate offering a secured attachment that won't affect portability.

Did I mention the Tilt serves as a tripod mount for your MacBook Pro? Oh yes. With all of this attached to the bottom, you might need to consider a new carrying sleeve because the Tilt adds an extra 0.6-inches to your MacBook Pro's thickness with all due respect. You can pre-order your very own right now for $45 over at kickstarter. Video after the break!

Thanks for the tip, Spencer!

October 24, 2011

Late 2011 MacBook Pros Get Their Specs Bumped

October 24, 2011/ Nir Schneider

While we were all in bed, Apple surprised us this morning with light spec bumps for all late 2011 MacBook Pros. What hasn't changed are the prices. The updates include slightly faster processors, graphics and larger storage capacities as a standard. Starting off with the lower end 13-inch MacBook Pro - it now has a 2.4Ghz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor bumped up from 2.3Ghz, and a 500GB hard drive bumped up from 320GB.

The lower end 15-inch MacBook Pro was bumped up from 2.0Ghz to a 2.2Ghz quad-core Intel i7 processor while the 17-inch MacBook Pro has been refreshed with a 2.4Ghz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor from the older 2.2Ghz processor. Both the 15-inch and 17-inch higher end offerings now boast a new AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics card with 1GB of GDDR5 VRAM. These updates are no reason to sell what you've got now.

October 22, 2011

Apple Patent Suggest Thinner MacBook Pro

October 22, 2011/ Nir Schneider

Rumors are now at full swing about Apple's next generation MacBook Pro portables. As we get closer to a potentially imminent refresh announcement of the MacBook Pro line, a new patent that has been recently discovered reveals that Apple has found a way to make its 0.95-inch thick MacBook Pros even thinner. How? The patent suggest that Apple found a way to redesign the optical drive that's slim enough for Apple to shave off a few more millimeters. Reducing moving parts inside the optical drive with specially designed magnets that create an magnetic field that will in turn quietly spin a CD, DVD and if we get lucky - Blu-ray. There's no knowing if Apple can actually pull this off, but at least they want to make things thinner.

September 14, 2011

TBS iOS App Ad Shows A 15" MacBook Air?

September 14, 2011/ Nir Schneider

We're not so sure what's up with TBS using some sort of MacBook Air mixed with a MacBook Pro hybrid in its latest iOS app video ad, but it sure look good and makes us wish Apple's next redesigned MacBook Pro will hopefully sport a similar thin design. TBS wants you to download its new free iOS app so you could watch TBS shows right on your iDevice. The video ad showing the MacBook Pro/Air hybrid has appeared throughout TBS shows online. Very funny, TBS.

June 28, 2011

Twelve South Updates With BookArc Pro Desktop Stand For MacBook Pros

June 28, 2011/ Nir Schneider

Twelve South has just updated their popular BookArc aluminum arc desktop stand compatible with the MacBook Pro 13", 15 and the behemoth 17". The BookArc has been renamed and given the "pro" tag. What's new? It's got a new cable management system to better manage all those pesky cables you need to connect if you're using the Apple LED Cinema Display with your MacBook Pro. Hidden underneath the BookArc Pro are two handy cable managers that not only organize and tidy up your workspace, they also provide an anchor for all those cables to help keep them in place without falling behind your desk. The price remains unchanged at $49.99, and it's available right now with free shipping. You know you want one.

April 14, 2011

Ivy Bridge Supporting Both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt

April 14, 2011/ Sean Donohoo

According to CNET, Intel has publicly committed to supporting USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt on its up-and-coming 'Ivy Bridge platform'. USB 3.0 is ten times faster than the current USB 2.0 standard but it has not embraced on any Intel Chipset, or AMD. USB 3.0 is supported by using a 3rd party chipset to handle the interface. Intel is still encouraging developers to use Thunderbolt, which can support more data and video on a single cable than USB 3.0 can. Hopefully we will see both on the next generation of Macbook Pro's.

April 07, 2011

Silva Unleashes Bamboo MacBook Cases

April 07, 2011/ Nir Schneider

Feeling a little natural? Silva's CNC machined and hand assembled bamboo MacBook cases might do you some good. At $179.99 a piece, you MacBook Pro 13" or 15" can be carried in natural style. The leather handle is shaped to let you carry your MacBook around comfortably while the wool felt interior protects your MacBook. You can grab yours over at Silva.