MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Macsimumnews reports on recent European patent applications that were revealed this week. The new patent describes Method and apparatus for establishing communication between two teleconferencing endpoints." The patent essentially describes real-time conference between participants along with "data sharing wherein various types of data such as documents, spreadsheets, graphic data, or...

iPodHub claims that according to anonymous sources, Apple is asking Blu-ray content providers to add iPod video content onto their Blu-ray discs. Apple wants to make sure that when their next-generation iPod is released it will have a sufficient library of playable content already available for customers to watch. Reliability of this site is...

Appleinsider reports that Apple has begun plans for a redesign of an iPod nano due this fall. The new Nano is expected around September but there are plans for a "significant internal redesign". This plan is consistent with PortalPlayer's recent announcement that their chips would not be used in future flash based...

Apple has posted Garageband 3.0.2 update in your Mac OS X Software Update: This update to GarageBand addresses issues with video handling, podcast exporting, and importing QuickTime markers. It also addresses a number of other minor issues....

Several sites have pointed to a Computerworld article which reports on Intel's upcoming low-power processors Merom (mobile), Woodcrest (server) and Conroe (desktop). The article references comments by Intel's Asia Pacific sales and marketing group general manager, however, it also provides this (uncredited) tidbit: Apple customers may be the first to enjoy Intels new CPU goodies, with the...

Now in Software Update: Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) 5.0 Release 4 delivers improved reliability and compatibility for Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0 on Mac OS X v10.4.5 and later. This release includes J2SE version 1.5.0_06. With this update J2SE 5.0 becomes the preferred Java version, superseding Java 1.4.2. Additional information can be found in the Apple Knowledge Base. Java-based ...

Macworld.co.uk claims that Apple has an arragement with a UK company to get rid of Apple's "ex-demo stock". According to the news site, Apple is selling through a number of iBooks and eMacs at discounted prices. Macworld.co.uk speculates that this means new consumer portables are coming...

Another reports claims that the 13.3" Intel MacBook is on the way. According to this report, Asustek, Apple's iBook manufacturer, has received the contract for the manufacture of 13.3" intel iBooks. This contract has been previously reported. The 13.3" MacBook is said to be replacing both the current 12" and 14"...

Over the weekend, some users had expressed concern that Boot Camp installations would void their Mac's warranty and there were scattered reports claiming the same. Macworld.co.uk reports that Apple has confirmed that installing Boot Camp will not invalidate your Mac's warranty. Being Beta software, however, you do assume any risks involved if you were to lose any data, so be sure to backup...

Appleinsider notes that Apple is readying a new Serial Number scheme for their products: Under the new format, all "finished goods" such as Macs, iPods and accessories, will be stamped with a serial number consisting of 18 numeric digits. Presently, Apple uses an 11-character alphanumeric scheme. Update: This was first reported by ThinkSecret in...

NBC's Scrubs TV show has been added to the iTunes Music Store, as predicted earlier this month. Several members noted TV ads about the show's availability in iTunes shortly before the series appeared in the store. Sixteen episodes, all from Season 5, are available so far, at the standard price of...

Digitimes claims that Intel will be introducing their first Quad-core CPUs in the first quarter of 2007. The Quad core chip is codenamed "Kentsfield". They also report that Intel's dual-core Conroe chip which is speculated to make its way into Apple PowerMacs (Mac Pros?) this fall will be introduced in September of this...

Several readers have noted what appears to be a large stock sale by Apple's CEO Steve Jobs. According to comments linked from DaringFireball, the opinion is that Jobs had to release the shares to pay taxes on the 10 milion shares of Apple he was issued: More or less, Jobs just had 10 million shares vest, and he sold just enough of them to the pay the taxes on all of them. If he hadnt sold any, ...

Apple has seeded new versions of Mac OS X 10.4.6 to developers. The newest versions offer some additional fixes to Internet Connect, ImageIO, QuartzCore, AFP Serevr, WebKit Plugins, and Help Viewer. At present the release has no known issues in these builds. Mac OS X 10.4.5 was recently released in February...

Forbes reports on claims that Quanta Computer has won contracts from Apple for the manufacture of "video iPod devices". This appears to simply be the current 5G iPods, as the report continues to state that Inventec Applicances Corp is the current supplier of video iPods to...

Several sites have reposted photos of a "torched" MacBook Power connector which was originally posted on Flickr. The MagSafe connector reportedly spontaneously "burned up". The user took down the photos after Apple contacted him to investigate the potential issue: The reason for this is that Apple, after dealing with this issue, kindly requested me to remove the pictures at least until their...

Digitimes is reporting that "with weaker-than-expected iPod nano sales this year", Samsung had been dumping excess NAND flash stock. Meanwhile, SanDisk has been adding additional pressure with aggressive pricing of their NAND flash...

Apparently confirming earlier speculation, The Times of India reports that Apple will open a "massive tech support facility" in the city of Bangalore in southern India. Reportedly, up to 1,500 people (later 3,000 people) may be employed to provide AppleCare, as well as a product development team of 100 to 200 engineers. The facility, initially 150,000 square feet and later expanding to...