Apple air OR Macbook air

Steve Jobs took the stage to kick off the annual Macworld Expo today. As usual, he brought with him a crushing amount of buzz and a pile of new product announcements. Here’s what we’ll be seeing from Apple, starting today!

MacBook Air

As widely expected, Apple is launching an ultra-thin notebook called the MacBook Air. At 0.76″ thick at its widest point, the three-pound Air has a wedgelike shape that tapers down to 0.16″ thick at the front base. LED backlighting on its 13.3-inch screen, multi-touch trackpad (which offers some nifty features like rotating photos, all in the touchpad), and a backlit keyboard. Specs are decent: 1.6 or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (on a cleverly shrunken socket), 2GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive (or 64GB SSD option). No optical drive (of course), and just one USB port. It’ll set you back $1,799, which is on the inexpensive side for ultralight notebooks with specs like this. Ships in two weeks.

(By the way, as great as the MacBook Air sounds, calling this the “world’s thinnest notebook” is hyperbole: The Sony X505 was 0.75″ thick… and it was released in 2003.)

iPhone Software Upgrades

Apple isn’t resting on its cell phone laurels; after selling 4 million iPhones, it’s adding new features to the existing software package (including webclips, which will bookmark not just a web page but a specific zoom and pan and then let you place them on your home screen; multiple recipient SMS; and lyrics support for iTunes). Nothing major, but some nice, incremental upgrades to the existing software. iPod Touch gets the same upgrades as the iPhone, but it will cost you $20.

iTunes Movie Rentals

As widely rumored, Apple is launching a movie rental service to complement its TV and movie sales service as part of iTunes. All major studios are on board. Titles will be available 30 days after their DVD release and can be viewed on a PC or your iPod/iPhone. You have 30 days to start watching and 24 hours after that to finish. The price: $3.99 for new releases, $2.99 for old titles. Launches today. (Hey, that Netflix deal is looking pretty good!)

Also: The flagging Apple TV will get the same rental features, without the need for a computer. You’ll also be able to get photos from Flickr and .Mac, podcasts, and YouTube videos via Apple TV. It will still sync with your computer via iTunes, but that isn’t required if you just want to use it to watch web content. It also does high-definition… but rentals will run you a whopping $4.99 each. The Apple TV features will be a free software update to existing boxes (available in two weeks). New boxes drop in price to $229 from $299.

Time Capsule Wireless Hard Drive

Also announced: A wireless external hard drive designed to be used as a backup solution (with Apple’s Time Machine backup software). $299 (500GB) and $499 (1TB).

Canvas Laptop Computer Concept for Creative Types

The creative brain of designer Kyle Cherry has had a go at reinventing the laptop, with the specific needs of "creative" users in mind. Keeping the design clean and simple so artistic efforts are unhindered, auxiliary controls sit outside of the keyboard area and include a four-way navigation joystick. He envisages it being a touchscreen device with a configurable screen, skinny and attractive enough enough to make even a MacBook Air look twice. Of course, it's just a flight-of-fancy design, but after a glance at the gallery you too will be wishing it was a real machine.

The True iPhone Anti-Christ Is Here! Repent!

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder: One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw. And behold, the definitive iPhone knock-off! 99%-exactly like the real thing except for the front and back cameras, and the sign of the Anti-Christ: the inverted Apple! Right after the iPod touch clone. Is this Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come? Was Dr. Venkman right when he said we are headed for a disaster of biblical proportions, fire and brimstone coming down from the skies, rivers and seas boiling, 40 years of darkness, the dead rising from the grave, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, and mass hysteria? Probably, as it runs Windows Mobile 6.0:

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Windows Mobile 6.0. TOUCH FLO smart operation interface and real-time sliding interface [what?] dynamic Screen technology (realize sensitive operation with distance, light and movement. Such as: auto cross screen when browsing web and watching movie/photo, auto shut down the screen light when phone closing to face after connection, etc.) Super large 3.2" touch LCD, built-in OFFICE softwares, real-time send/receive E-MAIL/MSN/QQ2007. Super E-map (can realize GPS satellite navigation with external GPS receiver). Unique memory card encryption technology to prevent information leakage!

Sony Ericsson W980i Walkman Clamshell Hits the Right Chords

While it's a tad heavier and thicker than the W880i, the 3.5-ounce Sony Ericsson W980i makes a lot more sense thanks to its clamshell design with big playback buttons and display on its cover. Add 8GB internal memory, HSDPA high speed Internet connectivity and specialized music features, and it looks like they may have a real winner. Inside, the W980i looks even better.

We like the absolute simplicity, with its 240 x 320 262,144 colors screen, clean lines and big keys with a very nice 30s typewriter retro touch. The phone comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording. Like the previous generation W880i, the Sony Ericsson W980i has HSDPA connectivity and videoconferencing.

On the music front, the Sony Ericsson W980i has MP3 and AAC compatibility, Bluetooth Stereo A2DP and TrackID to automagically identify untagged songs in any place. It also includes a built-in FM radio transmitter, as well as Shake Control, so you can change songs by doing a quick gesture with your phone.

Sony Ericsson puts music first in the W980 Walkman phone to deliver a clear audio experience

10 February 2008 The Sony Ericsson W980 brings an unrivalled music experience that gives you every excuse to lose yourself in acoustic bliss

Barcelona, Spain - 10th February 2008 - Sony Ericsson today revealed the W980, a Walkman phone that promises to get the most out of your music. Its unique audio enhancing technology, together with the Walkman on Top design, sees the W980 cement Sony Ericsson's position as a true market leader in the world of music on your mobile.

"The W980 Walkman phone really sets a new standard for music on your phone," said Ben Padley, Head of Music Marketing, at Sony Ericsson. "We wanted to design a leading music player that we could combine with a feature-packed phone, all the while pioneering an audio experience that always left you wanting more. The W980 will surpass all expectations."

W980 Walkman phone Created with music in mind

Clear audio experience
Superior sound quality lets you enjoy your music as it was meant to be heard
Walkman on Top
Intuitive music access and control,
Storage solutions
8GB internal memory lets you store up to 8,000 songs*

Be true to the original recording
The W980 Walkman phone is designed to allow you to listen to music as it should be heard. Clear stereo enables the music to sound like the original recording. Clear bass delivers distortion free sound even at higher volumes. These features combine with the premium headphones, the Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77, to deliver an incredible clear audio experience and music that sounds as true as possible to the original recording

Share your music with friends
The W980 Walkman phone has a built-in FM transmitter, which allows you to send whatever's playing on your phone to other devices with a built-in FM radio receiver. This gives you the ability to share your music with all those around you, whether through a friend's hi-fi or your car stereo.
Quality music is made for sharing with the W980. Unplug your headset, sit back and let the music flow through the integrated stereo speakers for all to enjoy. Select a track from the extensive music library - the W980 lets you store up to 8000 songs* - or tune in to your favourite radio station and listen out loud. No need to plug in an FM Receiver, since this is on-board with the W980.

Build your collection every day
With the recent evolution of PlayNow arena, Sony Ericsson's popular over-the-air (OTA) and web download service being launched this May, you will be able to access up to 5 million tracks to maximise your music collection. The W980's TrackID feature, which can identify any track that you just can't put a name to, will be fully integrated into PlayNow arena. This makes the W980 a genuine gateway to great music, as you can download the track instantly once it has been identified.

Customise your sound
You can tailor the W980's Walkman player to the music that you're listening to. This latest Walkman phone provides a choice of eight equaliser presets, each of which contains a distinct profile that is suitable to a range of music. So whether you're listening to jazz, pop or heavy metal, you've can always choose the best sound for the song.

Control your music at your fingertips
The Walkman on Top feature on the W980 gives you the full functionality of a Walkman player without even having to open your phone. The entire Walkman player that would normally be displayed on the inside of your clamshell is also replicated on the outside of the phone, so navigation through your music library is effortless.

Balance and beat
Every music enthusiast knows that a great audio experience requires great quality speakers or headphones. The W980 Walkman phone comes with the new Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77; a headset that lets you enjoy music in powerful stereo sound. The HPM-77 also allows users to take their calls handsfree, and its sleek design and in-ear wearing-style mean that it's both comfortable and reduces background noise to the bare minimum.

Whether listening via the headphones or the stereo speakers, the W980 Walkman phone is a must-have for those who want an unrivalled music experience, which they carry with them every minute of the day. It is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets from Q3 2008.

The Stereo Portable Handsfree HPM-77 will be available in selected markets from June 2008.

Video: First Hands On Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1

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• The brushed steel finish wasn't shabby.
• Keyboard play was nice, even if clicks weren't as satisfying as those on a gummy Hiptop QWERTY.
• The demo only went as far as the 3D skin; anything beyond that plunged you into the depths of typical Windows Mobile-ness.
• The API for the 3D tile UI will be opened later on.
• Those icons are like the mini windows you'd see when switching windows in Vista or OS X's Expose. But on this tiny high res screen, they're impossible to read.
• The screen is not exactly brilliant, but I believe the Sony Ericsson booth could have all its phones brightness turned down to extend battery life on the busy show floor.
• It's cool, but because of the underlying OS, I wouldn't call it a killer of anything, let alone an iPhone.

Trak Mobile Inkjet Printer Concept Snaps Onto Laptop Lids

Trak Mobile Inkjet Printer Concept Snaps Onto Laptop Lids

Designer Hung Chih Wang thinks the inkjet printer market has room for an ultra-mobile concept: his "Trak" design is a mini printer that snaps onto the lid of your laptop. Handy for hardcopies on-the-go, it's small enough to be USB powered and even has a detachable print head for easy travel storage. There's no mention of how you keep the ink from spilling in your bag, but that should please those dollar-craving ink manufacturers, eh

Macbook Air Selling Like Expensive Hotcakes

Macbook Air Selling Like Extremely Expensive Hotcakes?

Apparently, the Macbook Air is selling well enough to be unavailable in many stores and require a 5-7 day wait for online orders. Despite the high price, the super-thin laptop is often selling out the day a shipment arrives at an Apple Store according to research done by Ars Technica. Of course, without knowing just how many Macbook Airs Apple is manufacturing, this could just as easily be a case of Apple not making all too many in the first place, making demand seem higher than it really is. What do you guys think, have you seen lots of them out in the wild or is this just a case of distorted perceptions