Appletell

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]

As we reported earlier, Apple released Mac OS X 10.5.4 today, an update which fixes several issues with iCal, AirPort, Safari, and Spaces & Exposé. We’ve now got some additional details, coming to you after the break.

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Apple earlier this afternoon made the Mac OS X v10.5.4 update available through the System Preferences Software Update. The update is recommended for Mac OS X 10.5, 10.5.1, 10.5.2, and 10.5.3 Leopard. It includes general operating system improvements that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. A standalone installer is available.

Skipping past the general disclaimers (back up, don’t shut off, unexpected results...you know the routine), we find the update includes the following fixes, listed after the break.

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Today marks the iPhone’s first birthday, and it has indeed been a good first year for Apple’s first mobile phone. At 6:00 pm PST tonight, the iPhone will officially be one year old, and yet will become obsolete in only 12 days due to the arrival of the second-generation of the iPhone, the iPhone 3G. Over the past year, the iPhone has forever changed the way we will look at smartphones, bringing in a new era of mobile phones which will only continue as the iPhone is improved over the years to come.

Although Apple hasn’t done anything to celebrate the iPhone’s birthday as of yet, there’s still the chance that Apple may be planning something special to mark the occasion, and we at Appletell will be keeping a lookout.

Happy birthday to the iPhone, and many more to come!

Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon boss, isn’t a good friend of Steve Jobs, or at least isn’t now. When interviewed by the Financial Times, he said that, “Steve Jobs eventually will get old.” Verizon Wireless recently bought Alltel, the fifth-largest US wireless company. With the addition of Alltel, Verizon Wireless will surpass AT&T to become the leading mobile operator in the U.S., or fifth largest in the world. With 80 million customers, revenue has also gown 5.8 percent in 2007. Mr. Seidenberg is sure Verizon Wireless will take a large chunk of the revenue from the growing mobile Internet.

From 9to5Mac:

“There goes the conspiracy again,” [Seidenberg] says of Apple. “You’re declaring them a winner before they’ve earned it on the field.” Jobs has no monopoly on innovation, he cries.

Maybe he’s just a little frustrated that Verizon turned down the offer to put the iPhone on their network? I mean, what else? Seidenberg’s older than Steve!

Via [9to5Mac]

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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The much anticipated animated movie from PIXAR, WALL*E, arrived at movie theaters today. I wanted to read the reactions that early viewers had of the movie, so I checked a few websites. What I found was fascinating. Naturally, the movie received rave reviews; that wasn’t the surprising part. What’s interesting is the fact that there are Apple references scattered throughout the movie.

See what people found after the break.

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Got a dead iPod? Live in New York City? Call the iPod Doctor!

The iPod Doctor, a.k.a. Demetrios Leontaris, is a freelance tech guy who spends his days fixing the woes of iPod users throughout the city. If you have an issue with your ‘Pod that won’t be fixed under warranty by Apple, just call up Demetrios, and worry no more.  Faster than a New York minute, he can have your faulty headphone jack swapped out for a fully functional one, and you will be hearing your tunes on all channels again. 

As a full time job, the iPod Doctor drives around the city making house calls to the owners of dead and dying iPods. The self-taught repairman has converted his Pontiac Aztec into his mobile iPod Hospital, and keeps it stocked with all the necessary parts—some purchased from China, and others salvaged from old iPods—to fix an iPod. With with repairs coming in at $70 for a headphone jack replacement, things aren’t always cheap, but hey, this is how he makes a living. And, with 80% of the needed repairs done on the spot, you won’t have to wait very long at all to get back to your own personal jam session.

Via [Arstechnica]

There have been various reports on the internet that the new iPhone 3G will be available exclusively from O2 and Carphone Warehouse, not from Apple stores (in the UK, anyway). The reports came after the UK version of the iPhone site listed only O2 and Carphone Warehouse under “Where to Buy.” But, it seems Apple will indeed be selling the new iPhone in their stores, after all.

MacWorld UK reports that O2 is working closely with Apple to enable them to sell the iPhone at the O2 subsidized cost throughout Apple stores in the UK.

Apple currently can’t sell the iPhone 3G at its stores due to the need for credit checks (which Apple can’t currently do in-store) and because their staff is currently not trained to sell contracts, which is required for the iPhone 3G because it will be activated in-store only.

“We are currently working closely with Apple to enable them to issue contracts in store. Full details are still to be confirmed,” explained a spokesperson for O2. The new iPhone, launching July 11th, will be available in the UK at O2 stores, The Carphone Warehouse, and, if all goes well, Apple stores too.

I had a feeling that Apple would be selling in store; after all, it’s their product!

Via [Macworld UK]

In a lawsuit filed by Typhoon Touch last Monday, Apple, Inc.—along with ten other companies—were implicated in the proceedings. The lawsuit was focused on Dell, but Apple, Fujitsu, Toshiba, Lenovo, Panasonic, HTC, Palm, Samsung, Nokia, and LG were all mentioned. The lawsuit involves patents filed by Typhoon Touch, specifically numbers 5,379,057 ("Touch Screen and Computer System Employing Same") and 5,675,362 ("Portable Computer with Touch Screen and Computing System Employing Same"). 

Typhoon Touch claims that all eleven companies knowingly violated these patents and seeks damages, royalties and legal fees. Typhoon Touch’s legal department says that not only are they seeking millions, they are quite confident that should an out-of-court settlement not be made, they will be awarded a large sum.

All of these companies, despite having legions of seasoned attorneys and legal gurus, may have a hard time defending themselves, as these two patents have been successfully defended in the past. Recently, Typhoon Touch made an out-of-court settlement with Motion Computers and Electrovaya. The latter of those two companies ended up offering 20% of its popular Scribbler Tablet PCs sold in the US. 

Via [Electronista]