Apple TV in the works

Apple is supposedly planning to launch an Apple TV based on Steves biography. Rumors of an Apple-branded television have been circulating for years, but have been gaining steam following the release of the iPad as observers look to Apple's "next big thing". Could it be as revolutionary as the rest of Apple's products? One of the strongest proponents of an Apple television set has been Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has issued a number of reports about Apple's prospect for such a device. But of course there is no proof backing up most of these reports.

With Jobs' comments once again fanning the flames of speculation regarding an Apple television, Munster has weighed in to claim that all evidence is pointing to a launch as soon as next year. Among the newly presented evidence from Munster is a claim that prototypes of the Apple television set are now "in the works".

Pakuma Akara K1 Backpack

Pakuma
Their logo is derived from the shamen symbol for man. Pakuma bags have quite a story behind them, you can read them here. This Pakuma Akara K1 bag was sent in for review by mobilefun.co.uk, you can find similar cool accessories at their macbook accesories page. Though you can get the Akara K1 in various colour combinations, our sample arrived sporting brown panels and green piping.

Unloaded the bag weighs 1.3kg, and it has an internal volume capacity of 23 litres, measures 34 x 16.5 x 51cm, and can hold most 15 to 17-inch laptops (the compartment's exact dimensions are 30 x 5.1 x 39cm). According to the Pakuma website it will take "all PC and Apple notebooks from 15.4" to 17", but we can't see it fitting a gaming monster along the lines of the Alienware M17xR3. At the bag's front you'll find a further two zippered compartments, marked out in brown to show their size and shape. The top one features an internal pocket to hold your MP3 player. It has some padding at the front but none at the back, so again you have to be careful what you put in the Akara K1's main compartment.

Top 10 ways to accessorize your MacBook

I've been window-shopping the past few days for some smokin' accessories for my mac. After a pretty extensive search I've come up with the following list. Hope this helps you if you've been searching for Macbook Pro accessories as well. I've provided links so that you can get all these products from the same e-shop which would make shipping easier and cheaper if you get more than one.

Note: For Indian readers, I highly recommend gearzap.com. Their shipping to India is extremely fast and I was able to get my products in just over a week.

Cases/Skins

1. Protective Housing

The Macally MBP sleeve is wonderfully built with Faux Leather. It's sufficiently padded and there is further protection inside the case.The inner lining of the case is made from microsuede. Microsuede provides a slight cushioning effect as well as preventing any scratches from appearing on your MBP. I've noticed the microsuede infact gives you a cleansing action, the MBP felt way smooother when I took it out of the case.

2. Stylish Sleeves

A whole lot of Macbook sleeves can be had from here - choose your pick. Obviously my selection might not click for you.

3. Padded Backpack/Rucksack

Even though I think that there's too much marketing talk at the Pakuma site, this bag does show some good value for money. If you've got a 100$ budget then this backpack might do the trick. Read the whole review here. 

4. Henge Docking Station

 No longer deal with cables and clutter. With the Henge Dock, simply connect the relevant cables to your dock and then connect to your Unibody MacBook Pro. The Henge dock allows you to use your MacBook on a larger screen with a standard keyboard and mouse meaning it in essence becomes a traditional desktop computer set up. You are also able to use the Hench dock so the MacBook effectively becomes a home cinema system.

5. Swift Point Mouse

 

If you ever get frustrated by the accuracy and responsiveness of your laptop or MacBook's touchpad, and don't want the bulk of big mouse then get this mouse. Fortunately SwiftPoint have created an award winning mouse which gives you back full control, in an amazing lightweight and compact design.

6. Elecom Node Mouse

If you, like me, hate the puny mouse shown earlier then this is the mouse for you. It did the trick for me =)

The cool looks are cutting edge. It also works with the  same pen like principle that the Swift mouse works.

7. Mac Cables

Stevie had put in a mini-display port on the mca so in order to use it you need these cables. You could get them from the Apple Store but it's way more expensive there.

8. Macbook Stands

Again there's a whole lot of them so you just go ahead and browse them to find the one that suits your situation and lifestyle.

9. Wrist Pad

You need this to prevent the sharp edges of the MacBook Pro from cutting your wrists. If you've got soft or sensitive skin, or work for long hours on the MBP then I really do recommend getting one of these.

10. ...

Well, I haven't found out a 10th accessory that i really like yet ;-D Will let you know if I do !

All the products shown above can be bought from the laptop accessories page - it'll help you save on shipping if you're buying in bulk =)

Apple Updates iPad2 Smart Cover

We had today's MacBook Pro refresh, and now Apple has also updated its iPad 2 Smart Cover offerings.

 
New dark gray Smart Cover
Changes include: 

- Interior color now matches exterior color. The interior side of the Smart Cover facing the iPad screen had previously been a uniform gray color on all models with the exception of the (PRODUCT) RED version. All Smart Covers are now a consistent color inside and out. 

iPhone 4S: Features, Launch Date, and Price

Shaasthra has posted an article about the new features, launch date and pricing of the upcoming Apple iPhone 4S. They talk about Siri, A5 and the works. Pay them a visit to know better. The new Apple iPhone 4S also features tweaks to it's antennas by way of a new evolutionary design that takes care of antennagate that plagued the previous apple iPhone 4. 

iPhone 4 Case: 1500mAh battery pack

The Mugen Power Battery Case consists of a built-in Li Polymer batter, voltage 3.7v and a capacity of (mAh) 1500. It is available in brown or blue and comes with the USB to micro usb charging lead. 

Mugen do a range of add-on batteries and travel cases to power your devices. You can use them either as a spare battery to give yourself extra battery life on a long day or you can use them as a complete replacement battery to give yourself the extended life without adding extra to your gadget load. In addition, there are available slip-on cases.

MountMe?

It's called the MountMe Freedom iPad 2 Mount which basically allows you to mount your iPad 2 more or less anywhere!  To do this it uses 4 suction cups and a bracket - the bracket attaches to the back of your iPad as a sort of case and the suction cups attaches to the bracket -so you can use it with or without them.  The bracket allows you to use your iPad 2 at more or less any angle and doubles up as a kickstand for if you're just using your iPad at your desk.  With the suction cups though, you could take a leaf out of the Fridgepad books and stick it on the fridge or there's always glass and windows (car windows?) but if the suction cups just won't cut it then you also get a strap so you can tie it up instead opening up so many new possibilities!  The MountMe costs just under £55. Funny name too lol

Review: Incase Neoprene Green Sleeve

The guys over at Shaasthra have reviewed the Incase Neoprene Green sleeve on a Macbook Pro 15". It seems to be a neat sleeve with just the right cushioning inside and a rugged skin outside.

How to revive your OS X Lion battery life

Most people who have upgraded to Apple's latest operating system of Mac OS X 10.7 must have been through the ugly uptimes of batteries running under it. Infact it brings us closer to Windows system uptimes. A lot of people have been on the prowl looking for solutions to it and it seems that finally we have a definite answer. Read on about how you can regain battery life after Lion upgrade. 


This fix uses the Graphics switching utility on Mac computers. Ideally the operating system should automatically switch between the discrete graphics card and the integrated solution seamlessly. But Lion seems unable to do so. You can read more about how to run the fix at Shaasthra.

Macbook Pro OLED rumor

There seems to be a rumor afloat about OLED on the next-gen Macbook Pro. The present Macbooks and Macbook Pros have a plastic 'window' which feeds of the light emitted from the LED display. If the new OLED logo rumor turns out to be true that would open channels to customise that logo and make it show anything you want it to. Now that's got to be a pretty impressive hack. Let's wait and hope for the best!

Mobee Magic Charger

MobileFun has just directed my attention to this Mobee Magic Charger for the Apple Magic Mouse. Back when the magic mouse came out hordes of people went mad about it, so this Mobee Magic Charger is a great accessory as not only does it help to save the battery life of the Apple magic mouse, but it also looks stylish and doesn't need an external power supply.  Once you place your mouse on the Mobee charger it automatically starts to charge it, meaning you'll never run out of power so it's great for those who constantly use their Macs. Perfect add-on for your MacBook Pro.

Otterbox Stand offered free with Ocase

The Otterbox case

The OtterBox for the Apple iPhone 4 will offer your device the ultimate safeguard, with a slim and sophisticated look. This case is designed specifically for the cool Apple iPhone 4. And what do you get out of this carefull design? Well it has been engineered such that it has 3 layers of protection. Also it allows you to use your iPhone 4 whilst its in the case while simultaneously providing access to all ports and features.

The Otterbox Stand

 The Otterbox desk stand is designed such that it can fit any mobile phone or MP3 player. With a base large enough to hold any cell phone like the Nokia X3, you can be sure that it’ll offer a nice and comfortable fit for any device which you place in the holder. The stand doesn’t feature any side arms which allows you to place your phone or MP3 player either in a portrait or horizontal rotation which makes it easier for you to be able to view your videos, play games, search the internet and even use FaceTime !

To get the free stand:

Enter 'OTTERSTAND' at checkout.