Hardware

Electronista reports that all of NVIDIA's G84 and G86 chipsets used in GeForce 8400M and 8600M graphics cards, not just a select batch, are suffering from heat-related failures due to an unidentified substrate or bumping material used to help make the video hardware. They all share the same application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which is the source of the problems, in both notebook and desktop PCs. The chips have been failing since last year, and earlier this month, NVIDIA said the problems will drop the value of its shares to the tune of 25 percent, and is budgeting $200 million for repairs.

Decocases introduce Alu-Magnesium metal case which features strong protection for MacBook and MacBook Pro and avoid the device from overheating.

Decocases Alu-Magnesium case is exceptional form fitting design which allows the user to use the MacBook without removing it from the case while having full access to all of the MacBook's functions. Original low profile base with integrated heat conduction plate helps to cool the MacBook when in use. Other plastic or leather case may trap the heat released by MacBook and make the device from overheating. Metal cases got advantage in heat release. Besides, injection molded magnesium closures and strap connectors increase strength and decrease weight.

The dead display problem I had with my MacBook Pro last month seems to be widespread. However it looks like it isn't limited to Macs. According to Engadget, "significant quantities" of NVIDIA's laptop GPUs have been failing at "higher than normal rates". Laptop makers have apparently already been given an updated GPU driver which kicks in fans sooner to reduce "thermal stress" on the GPU (I notice that the fan on my MBP seems to run more often since the motherboard was replaced).

If you have an old standard microphone laying around and expect it to work by plugging it in on the Audio-in port on your Mac Pro you will be disappointed to learn that it does not, as David Alison discusses in his blog post for today.

IRVINE, Calif. -- July 1, 2008 -- Sonnet Technologies, a leader in providing local storage systems for professional users of Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries, today announced the 1TB version of its multiple-award-winning Fusion F2 portable two-drive RAID SATA storage system. The fastest storage solution of its kind, the enhanced Fusion F2 delivers remarkable performance with up to 134 MB/sec read and write sustained data transfer rates, and is bus-powered to enable its use when grid power is unavailable.

SecuTech Solution Inc is shipping a new driverless USB plug that functions as a hardware version of a password, allowing users to access locked software and decrypt software licenses.

The MacBook Pro is Apple's top of the line notebook computer. Two weeks ago David Alison purchased a new MacBook Pro to replace his MacBook. Today's blog post covers some of the key features he's found valuable.

TechRestore, Inc. has begun offering a new overnight hard drive replacement service featuring 500 gigabyte drives for MacBook and MacBook Pro models.

David Alison pulled of getting a free iPod Touch from Apple because of the back to school promotional program Apple is running through September 2008. Though the iPod Touch was free, that doesn't mean it's not one cool device, as David discovers as he tries it out.

Berkeley, CA, 2008 June 20 - MacWireless.com today announced an opportunity for users of older Macs to upgrade their wireless cards without sacrificing Apple's user-friendly functionality to a third-party interface. MacWireless 11g PC and PCI cards work with the AirPort drivers built into OS X, so there is no need to install any additional software. MacWireless also offers a trade-in program for older AirPort cards. By trading in an older AirPort or AirPort Extreme card, customers can save up to $50 on the purchase of a new card. With the 11g PC and PCI cards selling for $69.98, users of older macs can improve their range and increase their wireless speed for less than $20.