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The eagles have landed (and by eagles, we mean the new MacBooks)

Forty-eight hours after Steve Jobs showed off his latest MacBook collection to the public, a pair of shiny new Apple laptops have arrived in the CNET Labs.

We're currently benchmarking these new systems--one 13-inch MacBook and one 15-inch MacBook Pro, so stay tuned for full reviews. In the meantime, we snapped a few photos of the new systems to show off some of the physical changes, and to compare an older black 13-inch MacBook.

The 13-inch MacBook is the more radically redesigned of the two, with an aluminum body that closely apes the classic MacBook Pro--so much so that we've heard it referred to as the "MacBook Pro Mini." The edge-to-edge glass on the display and giant touch pad are also new.

Side by side with a previous generation MacBook, the new model is slightly thinner, and the metal body (carved from a solid block of aluminum) feels much sturdier (not that the older MacBooks felt particularly flimsy).

The giant touch pad will take some getting used to--it lacks a separate mouse button. Before opening the box, we had assumed the new touch pad was strictly tap-based, but in fact the entire pad depresses like a button. It's actually a bit hard to get used to, and feels a little clunky at first compared to a totally fixed-position touch pad. On the other hand, there are some useful new gestures: you can hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, and you can also designate one corner as a "right-click" zone.

Check out these unboxing and comparison pics, which will hopefully hold your interest while we test and review the new MacBook and MacBook Pro.… Read more

Talking MacBooks on TV

Everyone's got MacBook fever this week, so here I am on Reuters TV, talking about Steve Jobs' shiney new boxes. Check out our full coverage of the new MacBooks, starting with this overview analysis of what it all means to consumers.

Apple's $999 laptop Oct 14 - (01:22) Report Apple's new aluminum machines will use new Nvidia graphics and Intel processors. The company also introduced a $999 updated model of its white body notebooks. Bobbi Rebell reports.

Green is the new black: Two new eco-friendly NEC displays

If you're in the market for an eco-friendly LCD computer monitor, these days you have a few choices. From LG to Lenovo and soon Dell, green is the new black when it comes to LCDs.

Now, NEC is adding to its own EA line of eco-friendly monitors. On Wednesday, it announced two new eco-friendly displays, the 24-inch MultiSync EA241WM wide-screen display and the 19-inch MultiSync EA191M standard-format display.

As with its previously announced 26-inch EA261WM and 22-inch EA221WM, NEC has registered MultiSync EA241WM and EA191M displays as EPEAT Gold and Silver, respectively. The EPEAT rating requires that the displays are Energy Star compliant. Products that earn the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Each of the new displays includes NEC's ECO Mode. According to NEC, in this mode you can lower power consumption and the amount of wasted heat released into the environment. Each display also includes a built-in carbon footprint meter which calculates and tracks carbon savings.

MultiSync EA241WM features:

1,000:1 contrast ratio 400 cd/m2 brightness 1920x1200-pixel native resolution Four-way adjustable stand (110mm height, tilt, swivel, pivot) New cabinet design with intuitive, multidirectional NaViKey Integrated four-port USB 2.0 hub Space-saving, down-firing speakers with headphone jack Dynamic Video Mode with five presets for real-time optimization of image quality Built-in carrying handle HDMI-capable via adapter, 720p and 1080p from DVI-D High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection, which is supported through the DVI-D connector for use with HDCP-equipped devices and encrypted content ECO Mode for significant power consumption savings Ambix, NaViSet and No Touch Auto Adjust Carbon footprint meter for tracking of carbon savings EPEAT Gold registered for EA241WM… Read more

Five riffs on EmTech08

I spent the past couple of days attending Technology Review's EmTech08 conference at MIT. Lots of interesting speakers and ideas, some in areas of tech that I follow day-to-day (such as cloud computing) and others that I follow more in the vein of an interested observer (alternative fuels, open voting systems). In many respects, it's a refreshing change of pace from the events I commonly attend that tend to be more focused on today's immediate IT concerns.

EmTech08 gave me lots to mull--and I'll roll that mulling into more in-depth pieces down the road. For today, … Read more

NEC goes green, again, with a 22-inch monitor

I bought a new LCD TV last week and didn't once think about how its energy output could affect the environment. I was just focused on getting the best TV I could afford. I'm not even sure if large-screen LCDs can be environmentally compatible. I'll have to do some research on my new TV when I get home, but at least NEC is attempting to give us options.

On Wednesday, NEC announced the 22-inch MultiSync EA221WM wide-screen LCD monitor. This is the second monitor in the company's MultiSync EA series, the first being its 26-inch EA261WM, … Read more

The future is now: MultiTouch reveals touch-interactive LCDs

MultiTouch announced on Tuesday that the Philip K. Dick future seen in Minority Report is here. Actually, that's not true at all, but the style of computer interaction in that movie was the first thing I thought of when watching the demo of the MultiTouch Cell.

This is a large LCD touch-screen display which, according to MultiTouch, is the world's first modular multitouch LCD screen. The screen is available in 32-inch and 46-inch versions in 1080p, and an "HD ready" (1366x768) version at 32 inches. Two or more screens (according MultiTouch, the amount is only limited … Read more

Ditch the knives for a chopper

Every time I start thinking about taking apart vegetables--chopping, slicing, coring, or anything else--I have to go looking for a different knife. I would much rather grab just one tool. It just makes sense.

Williams-Sonoma makes that one tool. It's called the Professional Multi-Chopper and it has four interchangeable blades that let it slice, dice, wedge, and core fruits and vegetables. With this chopper, I only need one tool to cut up all the vegetables that I need for a meal. It cuts down on cleaning time--it's dishwasher safe.

The Professional Multi-Chopper doesn't just appeal because of … Read more

Featured Freeware: Adium

Formerly one of the most popular and customizable third-party clients for AOL Instant Messager, Adium faded from the public eye during development. The supercharged new version emerges from hibernation as Adium X. It supports multiple services, including AIM, Yahoo, MSN, and Napster. Part of what made the original Adium so attractive was its multitude of options, which still forms the core of this revision.

Adium allows for an incredible level of customization, with near-infinite tailoring of the user interface to make the buddy dock and chat windows look and behave as you wish. Adium supports group chats, displays your status … Read more

Are you a GNE?

In a recent article, Wallpaper magazine describes Global Nomadic Expatriates, or GNEs, as a new breed of "career expats" who move from country to country for short-term professional gigs, "with no particular loyalty to a home nation."

The magazine cites a Mercer study covering 232 multi-national corporations, stating that the numbers of GNEs have increased by more than a third in recent years and now outnumber traditional expats (who return home) and long-term expats (who finally settle in their new place).

For GNEs, home is where they're going to, not where they're coming from. … Read more

NEC monitor tracks own carbon footprint

LG may claim to have the world's greenest LCD, but it might be tough to determine how much energy it actually conserves unless you can decipher the savings in your monthly utility bill. A new monitor from NEC, on the other hand, is outfitted with its very own carbon footprint meter to keep track of its ecological performance.

At first glance the MultiSync EA191M looks like a standard 19-inch LCD with a 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, according to Tech Digest, but it has an "eco mode" that limits maximum brightness to 60 percent. NEC says … Read more