Apple

As performance laptops based on the Intel Core i5 processor proliferate, older Core 2 models look, well, old. That means Apple's core silicon is past its prime.

What began as a trickle about a month ago is now a torrent of new Core i-based notebooks. Although lower-end Core i3 processor-based systems are widely available for the more budget-minded, the Core i5 is now powering performance laptops for those willing to pay a little more money.

The mobile i5 and i7 chips are, in a word, fast. Made on Intel's cutting-edge 32-nanometer manufacturing process, they handily outperform the older Core 2 Duo. Tech Web site AnandTech said the i5 processor delivers "the single largest performance improvement we've seen from a new mobile processor in years," and Tom's Hardware said it "boasts the best balance between desktop-class speed and true mobile usability we've ever seen."

Dell: The Dell 15.6-inch Studio (S15Z-3630CPN) offered at Best Buy is a good example. Priced at $1,049, it comes, as many systems do, with the popular Core i5-430M processor (2.53GHz) and an ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics chip with 512MB dedicated video memory.

Other features for this Dell Studio model include 4GB DDR3 memory, a 500GB Serial ATA hard disk drive (7200 rpm), two built-in 2W speakers, a built-in optical drive, and Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system.

Apple, by comparison, offers a 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro for a pricey $2,299 that uses the older 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo and comes with specifications that are otherwise pretty similar to the (much) cheaper Dell system.

Hewlett-Packard: A $1,299 15.6-inch HP Envy (considered the company's consumer luxury laptop line) offers similar specifications to the Dell system but with more powerful graphics silicon. In addition to the Core i5-430M, it comes with a more powerful 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830 graphics chip, a 320GB disk drive (7,200rpm), and 4GB of DDR3 memory. … Read more

If the iPad's early success could be measured by the number of new applications that will support the platform, it should do just fine, according to a new report from research company Flurry.

Flurry is an analytics company for mobile-app developers, helping to track industry trends. Based on the number of developers that have integrated Flurry's tracking code into their apps, the latest shift in the market shows new application starts for the iPhone surged in January, reaching unprecedented levels.

According to the data, January's iPhone application starts almost tripled those recorded for December. This, says Flurry, is the largest spike in its tracking history on any mobile platform, with over 1,600 app starts.

Google's Android mobile platform was closing the gap on Apple's iPhone OS, but the renewed interest in developing apps for the iPhone OS, pulled Apple into the lead again. Flurry said the reason for the surge is clear: it's the iPad. … Read more

Apple on Thursday began its "Countdown to 10 Billion Songs."

Apple is getting close enough to having 10 billion songs downloaded since opening in 2003, that it is beginning a countdown on iTunes. Official rules are available from Apple's Web site.

The winner of the countdown--the person that downloads the 10 billionth song--will win a $10,000 gift card. You can download any song from iTunes and be eligible for the prize, the company said.

Apple also posted a list of the most downloaded iTunes songs of all time. The top song right now is the Black … Read more

Apple and Microsoft are being sued for patent infringement, according to a report on AppleInsider on Thursday.

The patent in question, entitled "Apparatus, method and a computer readable medium for generating media packets," was awarded to Emblaze, who filed for the patent in 2002.

The patent describes "a method for generating media packets, the method comprising the steps of: providing at a storage unit packet boundary information representative of locations of potential packet boundaries within media objects; said packet boundary information facilitating generation of packets of varying sizes; wherein said packet boundary information comprises intra access unit … Read more

Google released a new version of Chrome for Mac OS X on Thursday that restores a key feature, extensions, that had been missing for weeks.

"With this new version, you'll be able to install any of over 2,200 extensions (and counting!) currently available in Chrome's extensions gallery," said Chrome programmer Mark Mentovai in a blog post Thursday. Extensions are a key asset for one big rival browser, Firefox.

Curiously, the beta version--5.0.307.2 for Mac OS X and Linux as well--made it to beta status earlier than the Windows version, which is still … Read more

Sometimes it's hard to let go of the past. And sometimes it's impossible.

While Microsoft toyed with the idea of tablets for a very long time, somehow, it never managed to find the right creative construction to make an impact on our brittle society.

So how, then, did Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates feel when he saw his longtime adversary, Steve Jobs, hype the hope for the iPad? It was as if he was wallowing in a bath of indifference, it seems.

In an interview with BNET blogger Brent Schlender, Gates seemed to believe that his original concept of … Read more

Capacitive touch screens such as those found on the iPhone are great because they respond well to finger taps. That's also their undoing in winter because users don't want to take off their gloves in the cold to make a call or text a friend. Over in South Korea, iPhone users have come up with an ingenious solution--sausages.

Yes, sticks of meat now double as pointing devices. Apparently, this has caused sales of a certain brand of sausage to go up. Not only do people use the sausage to tap on screens, some even utilize it for a Taiko Drum Master game as seen in the video below.

Last year, I wrote about an HTC patent application that described a stylus that can be used on capacitive screens, thanks to a magnetic tip. Who would have thought that an even simpler solution existed? I wonder if it counts as prior art in case of a patent dispute. … Read more

Microsoft is tying a ribbon around the next version of Office for Mac.

Due out later this year, Office for Mac 2011 will sport a version of the "ribbon" user interface that has adorned the PC version since Office 2007, Microsoft said Thursday. The new Office will also add support for Microsoft's new browser-based Office Web Apps as well as the first Mac OS X version of Outlook.

Microsoft had said last year that it was working on a new Mac version that would bring Outlook back to the Mac. The company says that version should indeed … Read more

A new report Wednesday evening says cheaper iTunes TV show downloads could be in the offing.

Apple will be offering U.S. TV shows for $1 each, according to the Financial Times. The offer will coincide with the release of the iPad--expected sometime in April--and is described by "people familiar with the discussions" as a "test" to see whether cheaper downloads will result in increased sales.

TV episodes are normally $1.99 for standard-definition and $2.99 for high-definition through iTunes. The Financial Times says that "some" television networks acceded to Apple's push … Read more