Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but it happened to a couple of Apple customers. The company denied warranty repairs on account that the machines have been exposed to second-hand smoke. That’s pretty crazy to say the least. But Apple was acting under OSHA regulations. According to the Operational Safety and Health Administration, nicotine released from cigarettes is a bio-hazard. That means that you should definitely not smoke anywhere near your Macs or you might risk voiding your warranty.

On the other hand not every smoker out there has received a similar treatment from Apple so I have a feeling the story doesn’t end here. What do you say? Is Apple right to deny service to smokers?

via consumerist

Mouse Computer from Japan has launched 3 new desktop computers which are all powered by an Core i7 processor and feature the Radeon HD 5850 as the graphics card.

The top-notch model is obviously the most interesting one, starting with its high price of €1,400 and ending in its memory RAM that can go up to 12GB. The codename of this model is MDV-ADG901OS and it features the best Intel Core i7-960 running at 3.20GHz, and a hard-drive with 1TB of storage capacity. The chipset is powered by an Intel X58 Express.

Other features of the Mouse Computer MDV-ADG901OS include 8 USB ports, eSATA, DVD SuperMulti, and 1GB of VRAM. The other two computers have a less poweful PC and 8GB or 4GB of RAM.

For the people out there looking for efficient and reliable memory chips out in the market today, the HyperCloud vRank memory module should help you out. This 16GB memory module maximizes server utilization to improve performance and allows 384 GB of dynamic random access memory which is spread via single dual socket server.

HyperCloud will be officially unveiled at the Supercomuting tradeshow in Portland from November 17 to 19. It will be out by December and will be available in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB 2 vRank modules. This new memory modules are sure to be a perfect fit for businesses and datacenters aching to improve their server performance.

(Source) Press

Mac users will be happy to hear that Apple has recently pushed out an update for OS X bringing the software to version 10.6.2.

There aren’t many exciting features included with this update but it does fix a plethora of bugs and the like making your computer more secure.

Now what are you doing still reading this, go download it.

Full change log after the break.

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We talked about the Eee Keyboard all year long while waiting for Asus to make it official. Well guess what, folks, it’s still not available. The computer has been announced and then delayed at least a couple of times, and just when we thought we might actually see it in action we hear that the Eee Keyboard is being revised. Apparently the 5-inch resistive touchscreen panel is not good anymore and a capacitive touchscreen display will replace it. The new panel should offer a better touch experience as it will resemble the one found on various smartphones out there, including the iPhone.

The Eee Keyboard will probably not be available before Christmas so you can go ahead and scratch it off your letter for Santa.

via reghardware

What you see above is Lenovo’s recently announced ThinkCentre A70z all-in-one desktop computer. This computer won’t actually make its way onto store shelves until the end of this month but when it does it will start at $499.

Anyways, the A70z features either an Intel Celeron or Core 2 Duo processor, up to 500GB of hard drive space, a DVD burner and the option for built-in WiFi. Oh yeah, did we mention it has a 19-inch screen?

via engadget

Linux heads will be happy to hear that Ubuntu version 9.10 has been released to the public. This build is entitled Karmic Koala and will feature a faster boot sequence, updated audio framework and an all new Software Center that will make it easier to add/remove applications.

The developers have said this build makes it easier for the general public to adapt to Linux as it simplifies a great deal of the OS.

Head here to download it.

The Internet is buzzin’ about Google Wave despite the fact that only a select number of individuals, and their friends, are actually able to use the service.

We kind of know what it does, we kind of know how it works, but today Google told us something we didn’t know; it’s going to feature it’s own app store off sorts. That’s right, developers will actually be able to produce Wave extensions and upload them to the store from which users can purchase said extensions.

It’s a cool feature, but we’ll have to wait until Google announces more like how much the typical extension will cost until we pass final judgment.

via thenextweb

Lenovo has some new Windows 7 powered notebook offerings for you to choose from called the IdeaPad and IdeaCenter.

The IdeaPad line, pictured above, will include the 11.6-inch U150 and the 15.6-inch U550 which have both been around for some time but are seeing an operating system revamp and a slight hardware boost.

The IdeaCentre B500 on the other hand will feature a Core 2 Quad processor, 1TB of storage, up to 8GB of RAM, and a 23-inch LCD display. Other than that are the much less exciting K300 and H230 that will make a perfect all-in-one solution for you business folk.

via hothardware

In addition to the recent announcement of the new notebooks that work with the i7 Core processor - NEXTGEAR-NOTE i700 Series and the m-Book P750 Series - Mouse Computer has presented a fresh desktop computer named NextGear i500PX1.

This desktop computer also boasts the Core i7 processor - 860. It has 4GB of memory RAM, 1TB on the SATA hard-drive, and a GeForce GTX275 with 896MB of VRAM.

The NextGear i500PX1 costs close to $1,900 and features Windows 7 Professional 32bit as the operative system, and also comes with a DVD Super Multi.

Google’s Chrome web browser has been available for the PC for some time now but Mac users have been stuck looking for alternatives. Today, it was made known that there is an extremely early build of Chrome for Mac now available for download.

Considering it isn’t even a beta yet your’e bound to run into some bugs but if you are one to take risks head here to download the DMG.

via gizmodo

Gateway has unveiled the One ZX series, which consists on the ZX4800 and ZX6810 multi-touch computers that will feature the Windows 7 so it can use the zoom and editing of images features of the OS.

The ZX4800 is a 20-inch computer with a resolution of 1600×900, and a Pentium dual-core processor running at 2.1GHz. It has a GMA 4500 integrated graphics card, and 4GB of RAM plus a hard-drive with a capacity of 720GB.

As for the ZX6810, it boasts a bigger 23-inch 1080p display screen, and an Intel Core 2 Quad processor at 2.33GHz. It comes with a dedicated graphics card codenamed Mobility Radeon HD 4670, and instead of a normal hard-drive, it goes for the 64GB Solid State Drive. Other goodies include a hybrid analog/digital TV tuner. Both computers will become available near November, after the launch of Windows 7.

You can always call it an innocent mistake, or if you like conspiracy theories, you can assume that Google has leaked Apple’s new Apple iMac, Mac mini and MacBook intentionally. What happened you ask? It looks like Google served some new AdSense ads in the Netherlands mentioning all these new gadgets.

Google’s AdSense has been delivering the following ads:

• “Apple’s Newest MacBook. Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today”
• “Apple’s New Mac mini. Faster and more affordable than ever. From only $723. Order immediately.”
• “The Brane new iMac. Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From $1.063. Apple Store”

The links are pointing to a dead page of the local Apple Store which means this all looks pretty genuine. Let’s see how and if Apple will respond to this! What do you think?

via appleinsider

Everyone who is anyone knows that mouses designed for gaming are the best mouses out there. The Razer DeathAdder in particular has generally been regarded as one of the best mouses on the market today whether you use it for gaming or not.

Well, the above mentioned mouse has just gotten even better as Razer has announced that they are making the next generation DeathAdder available for purchase at $59.99 at some point in the extremely near future. The updates to this version include a 3.5G 3500dpi infared sensor in addition to a braided cable that will virtually eliminate tangles.

Unfortunately for you left handed consumers out there, this device still caters exclusively to right handed folk.

via engadget

FON has recently announced that their Fonera 2.0n web applications 802.11n router is now available in the US for $99. The Fonera is by no means your conventional router but instead it’s what is described as a “computer with no screen” in the sense that you could control a ridiculous amount of different web applications such as Twitter, Facebook in addition to download torrents remotely.

But that’s not all, you can hook up a web cam, printer and just about everything else you think of to the Fonera and control them all remotely. Better yet, it’s open source!

Still confused? Hit the break for a video breakdown of the Fonera 2.0n router.

via wifi planet
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It’s not the first time Movea presents an unusual mouse, a couple of months ago it was the Gyration Air Mouse, and this time they’ve released the Air Mouse Elite. Like the name suggests, you can work with this mouse in the “air”, in other words, there’s no need for a base like a mousepad.

The Air Mouse Elite has a limit range of 100 feet and it costs $100. For $50 more you also get the wireless keyboard by Movea. How to use this mouse? Pretty simple, just make slight movements with your wrists and you’re ready to start working.

Lenovo has release a new all-in-one desktop computer named IdeaCentre 100 which seems pretty valuable for the starting price of $400, which can raise depending on the hardware you chose.

Anyhow, the IdeaCentre C100 features a 18.5-inch monitor with a 16:9 aspect radio and a resolution of 1600×900 pixels. There are two options for the processor: a single-core or dual-core 1.6GHz Atom. Other details include 1GB of memory RAM, a 1.3-megapixel camera, 4 USB ports, a 160GB drive that comes with Windows XP Hme, DVD burner, and lastly, an Intel GMA 950 for the graphics.

The desktop computer is already available for purchase.

At this point I’m not sure you guys should even make any plans for purchasing Asus’ hot keyboard-computer the Eee Keyboard. We’ve told you a bunch of times that it will be available soon but Asus failed to actually launch it. Now it looks like the Eee Keyboard is coming in October but there’s always a chance for Asus to change its mind. You should have ready $400 to $500 in order to acquire this baby and you should keep praying for Asus to really launch it next month.

I’ll quickly remind you what this PC is all about, just in case you forgot:

• 5-inch display
• 1.6GHz Atom processor,
• 1GB of RAM
• 16/32GB SSD
• WiFi
• HDMI and UWB HDMI connectivity
• Bluetooth
• Windows XP (dare we say Windows 7?)

I bet nobody in Redmond expected this but Sony has decided to adopt Google’s Chrome as the default browser for its future Vaio line. Google and Sony have reached an agreement according to which future desktops and laptops will come with Google Chrome on board. The browser will point to Google for homepage and search queries but I guess that was more than logical wasn’t it? Google will probably approach other manufacturers soon which isn’t such a bad thing after all. This move will surely annoy Microsoft on one hand and all the other developers in the Internet browsing business which will only lead to improved browsing solutions in the near future. What browser do you currently use?

via Financial Times

A new all-in-one PC has been unveiled by Medion, the Medion Akoya “The Touch” X9613 all-in-one PC. From the name alone, you know that this PC features touchscreen technology, all 24” of it. The Akoya X9613 comes with a 24” multi-touch-capable screen together with an impressive list of specs that can really get you drooling.

The PC features Intel’s 2.0GHz Core 2 Quad Q9000 CPU with 4GB of RAM, NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 240M graphics card and a Blu-ray drive for its main specifications. With those specs, this PC can deliver the expected 1920×1080 HD we are all raving about these days. It also has boasts of SCART and VGA inputs, and three TV tuners.

Among the other goodies included are the 1TB hard-drive, eSATA, S/PDIF, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit ethernet and Bluetooth 2.1, together with a webcam and stereo speakers plus subwoofer.

There will be two models available. One will retail for $2,152 while the other $2,727. No word on what model or specs would differentiate them.

(Source) Slashgear