Appletell

Are you looking for a way to extend the battery life of your MacBook Air? QuickerTek might have the solution. QuickerTek is rolling out a new product called Apple Juicz, which will charge your MacBook Air through thin-film solar cells in as little as five hours.

Since Apple Juicz extends the MacBook Air’s battery life, you won’t have to worry about running out of power while you are working on your projects. There is an LED status indicator that lets you know what is going on. Also included is a modified MacBook Air MagSafe charger (which uses military-spec parts) that provides a more powerful charge—and yes, it will still work with the stock MacBook Air.

Details after the break.

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Marware doesn’t just give the iPhone 3G some love with their cases, they also share it with the iPhone’s thin sister, the MacBook Air. This time around they have two new cases for you to decide between. The first is called the Sportfolio Deluxe and is available for $79.99. The strap on this case is easily adjustable and it comes with plenty of room for your accessories. It is made with black neoprene on the outside and a plush liner on the inside, giving your laptop ultimate protection.

Details and images after the break.

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Looks like it might be time to invest in a Macbook Air, that’s if you’ve been holding of. Apple quietly, and without explanation, has slashed the price of the 1.8GHz model to just $2598 which is $500 than it’s previous price at $3098. Adding the solid-state drive to the 1.6GHz model will now cost just $599 from its previous $999 and will reduce the price of upgrading the 1.6GHz processor to the faster 1.8GHz model from $300 to $200.

Apple hasn’t officially noted the price drop, but it’s obvious that the increase in SSD production has led the to the cheaper price points. All the Air needs now is a larger storage capacity (and more power), but the wait shouldn’t be too long as Samsung, which currently produces the SSDs for the Macbook Air, have said they could be delivering cheap 256GB SSD drives later this year, as well as a 128GB model.

Product [MacBook Air]

Orbino thinks the MacBook Air is a classy notebook. Classy notebooks need classy cases. That’s why they’ve created the Aria case for the MacBook Air. Available for pre-order with a $529 price tag, this case sports a hand folded leather exterior, as well as a durable aluminum frame. It comes with a padded shoulder strap and a removable accessory pack, and is available in four separate colors. It will begin shipping in July.

Orbino is no stranger when it comes to cases. With hand crafted, fine leather cases for iPods, laptops, and Palms, it seems like Orbino takes great pride in their work.

They also have an Arista MacBook Air case that is more like a bag, featuring a nice, long strap. It, too, comes in various colors and offers full protection, but this one only costs $349. These both seem a bit expensive for me, but if I spent $1799+ on a laptop, I sure would want it protected.

Product Page [Aria Case, Arista]

If you’re in need of a new notebook and are considering the Macbook Air, then you should probably consider some key points first. Is the Air worth spending your money on? Should you go for a cheaper alternative such as the Macbook? And just what could the future bring for the Macbook Air?

The Macbook Air is the newest addition to Apple’s notebook line, and it’s arguably the best looking, but there are many reasons why a Macbook Air probably isn’t right for you...yet.

Reasons after the break.

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A DIY-minded Mac user by the handle of TnkGrl undertook the responsiblity of investigating the MacBook Air’s SuperDrive. As ArsTechnica reports, it seems by all accounts to be a normal external drive. But it only works with the MacBook Air. Now, gather round and hear the story of the “Mystery of the Superdrive.”

Was the problem in the USB port providing more power to the drive? No, TnkGrl disproved that by changing the amount of power using a cable, but the MacBook Air’s SuperDrive still worked. Was the problem in the drivers? No, nothing on the MacBook Air indicated special drivers. Was the problem in the firmware? No, dismantling the drive and popping it in a PC worked. It couldn’t be the firmware.

What, then, could it be?

TnkGrl had narrowed it down to one last answer: the IDE to USB bridge. After buying a new one and soldering it in place, she now has a SuperDrive that works with any computer.

Yay, TnkGrl!

Via (in less picture-book terms) [ArsTechnica]

Before I go into any of this, I have to say this is a rumor, and nothing is guaranteed. However, I wouldn’t mind if this rumor was true. MacBlogz is reporting that a “connected source, close to” them has informed them that the MacBook and MacBook Pros will “...100% have a Macbook Air-like keyboard. Feeling more like the Macbook’s current keyboard, yet offering backlight.” MacBlogz also says they asked the source about the trackpad and a release date, but received no further information about those.

The MacBook and MacBoook Pro models are overdue for a design overhaul, and it would be nice to see a new version. Even if it is just the keyboard that is changed, these designs have been around for a while. It would be nice to see a case change or maybe even a slight change in coloring like the desktop iMacs went through a while back. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Via [MacBlogz]

Toshiba Corp. launched an ultraportable notebook today, known as the Portégé R500-S5007V, that it claims to be the world’s lightest at only 2.4 pounds, surpassing Apple’s MacBook Air, which weighs approximately 3 pounds, and Lenovo’s Thinkpad X300, which weighs approximately 2.93 pounds. The notebook measures 0.77 inches at its thinnest point, according to Toshiba.

Toshiba also claimed that the new notebook was the first to include a 128GB solid-state drive rather than a hard drive, which will be the only option for now, according to a Toshiba representative. Toshiba said its new laptop can run for eight hours on a single battery charge, as it runs on a lithium-ion battery. Battery life is also preserved by the laptop’s transreflective 12.1-inch screen, which can shut down the LED backlighting by reflecting the sun’s rays to illuminate the screen.

Price and specs after the break.

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QuickerTek wants to make your MacBook Air run longer by harnessing the power of the sun. That’s right, this company is bringing solar power to the super thin laptop with it’s new product called Apple Juicz.  This solar panels will help add 6 to 10 hours of battery life to your laptop, but come at quite a hefty price. An 18 watt panel will cost you $500 and charges the MacBook Air in 14 hours, and a 27 watt panel will cost you $600 and charge the laptop in 8 hours. However, for the big spender who needs a lot of power, 55 watts, a $1000 panel will charge the laptop in 5 hours.

These panels require an upgraded MagSafe adapter, which you can buy from QuickerTek for $100 or upgrade your current one for $25. However, car and airline adapters are included with the Apple Juicz panels, which can be up 60 inches in length. This sounds like a great way to make sure you never run out of power, but I don’t know if it’s worth it at such a high price. It’s a great idea, but the technology may not be cheap enough for most consumers yet.

Product [Apple Juicz]

According to data from DisplaySearch, Apple’s notebook sales saw a 7% increase in this year’s first quarter, making Apple the 7th largest notebook manufacturer worldwide. Although I don’t have a third 7 to make this data even more lucky, it is great to see that Apple has moved up a position in this ranking for the first time in over a year. Apple’s overall global share is now about 4.6% due to a 61% increase in notebook sales from last year’s first quarter.  That’s a lot of growth in one year considering how many companies there are in the notebook manufacturing business.

One of Apple’s key areas of business that is seeing the most growth is their mobile business. With new portable laptops such as the MacBook Air and innovative cell phones like the iPhone, Apple is really pushing for portability and functionality. And consumers are buying. You can’t argue with the numbers here, Apple is clearly doing something right to grow by so much in one short year. I don’t see this stopping anytime soon, especially with the iPhone 3G right around the corner.

Via [AppleInsider]