Apple

Without any devices initially being available for it, Apple's Thunderbolt technology was relatively dormant in the public eye after its debut in the latest MacBook Pro and iMac systems. However, since the release of the Promise Pegasus RAID system, Apple's accompanying Thunderbolt cable, and some recent firmware updates for it, Thunderbolt appears to have caught a new wave of interest, particularly around the cable itself. People have wondered not only about its compatibility with Displayport (which has a similar connector as Thunderbolt), but also about its seemingly expensive $49 price tag.

iFixit today released a teardown of the cable to look at its components and in doing so revealed that the cable's unusually large connector jackets actually house a controller that is used to boost and condition the signal so it makes it from one end of the cable to another without any data loss.

Not only does the cable contain chips, but it contains a fair number of them. Each end of the cable contains six chips, with a large controller by gennum technologies, and a number of other smaller electrical components on printed circuit boards. Gennum technologies provides signal conditioning chips that allow for data transfer at high speeds. This technology appears to be the root of the cost for the cables.… Read more

Among the many tidbits in Steven Levy's piece about Google+ in Wired yesterday, one worth picking out is that the new social network's design can be attributed to Andy Hertzfeld, one of the team members who worked on the first Mac.

Hertzfeld joined Google near the end of 2005, and has put his design strokes on the company's newest project. In Levy's story, he notes that Hertzfeld was effectively given free rein to "flex his creative muscles," the result of which was given the OK by the normally minimalist Google co-founder Larry Page.

"… Read more

While much of the attention on Macs in the past few months has revolved around an update to the MacBook Air, there are signs that Apple's entry-level notebook could soon be getting a refresh as well.

AppleInsider reports that supply of the $999 MacBook has gone dry at places like Amazon, J&R, MacConnection, and On Sale. The computer is also back-ordered at BestBuy.com and Apple authorized reseller Abt. Apple itself lists the computer as in stock, and shipping within 24 hours.

The MacBook's last update was in May of last year, with Apple bumping the existing model … Read more

Samsung has taken aim at Apple,again, in a complaint it has filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission.

The complaint, which was submitted to the agency yesterday, cites "mobile electronic devices, including wireless communication devices, portable music and data processing devices, and tablet computer." According to Foss Patents, which first found the complaint, Samsung's move could mean the company is asking for a ban on the importation to the U.S. of Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

However, before such a ban is even close to being imposed, the U.S. ITC must first … Read more

Apple last night posted a frequently asked questions page about Final Cut Pro X, a product it released this past week that has since gone on to become an item of controversy among long-time Final Cut users.

"Final Cut Pro X is a breakthrough in nonlinear video editing. The application has impressed many pro editors, and it has also generated a lot of discussion in the pro video community," the FAQ reads. "We know people have questions about the new features in Final Cut Pro X and how it compares with previous versions of Final Cut Pro. … Read more

Four years ago today, Apple's first iPhone went on sale, a landmark event that bears looking at anew as all eyes are now on the company to announce a fifth-generation of the device.

It's easy to look back at the iPhone's rise and success and see how it's managed to work out so well: Apple took aim at a product category with the same approach it used with the iPod, creating its own hardware and software, then eventually bundling it with extra services and features. Proof enough of that is the App Store, something that began … Read more

The Sony Vaio Z not only bests the Air on portability but--perish the thought--may be showing Apple a thing or two about ultrathin laptop design.

Sony's latest Z series, based on published specifications, easily beats the current MacBook Air on raw specs (not surprising since the current Air was released last year). But that's not all. Depending on how far Apple goes with the impending Air update, Sony may have just slipped past Apple in avant-garde design.

First, a quick comparison between the Z and Air (including some projected Air updates).

13.3-inch Vaio Z:

A new tool from Google Labs called Swiffy is taking aim at Flash files on the Web by converting them to HTML5 for use on devices without Flash capabilities.

Flash authors who come to Google with their SWF files can run it through the Swiffy converter, which splits it into a JSON file, then renders it with HTML, Scalable Vector Graphics, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). As a result of the process, Google says the converted files have rendering performance that's "quite good," with a file size that's "slightly larger" than the original.

Google'… Read more

Apple has an "all sales and rentals of products are final" rule as part of its iTunes and App Store policy, but it appears the company is quietly making an exception for its new $299 video-editing software.

A number of users in an Apple support discussions thread are reporting success in getting a refund on their purchase of Final Cut Pro X after writing in to complain that the software did not meet their expectations, The Next Web reported today.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether this is a blanket exception to … Read more