Mac Rumors: Apple Provides Sneak Peek Of Media Center (iTv)

Tuesday September 12, 2006 04:16 PM ESTPosted by Knox

In a rare move, Apple provided a sneak peek of the long rumored Apple media center. Currently without a final product name, it has been codenamed iTV and has the apperance of a flattened Mac mini.

Providing various audio and video outputs, it is intended to be connected to a TV, communicating wirelessly with your Mac or PC and displaying a Front Row like interface for the content on your computer.

Key features:

• Built-in power supply (no power brick)
• USB, Ethernet and 802.11 wireless connectivity
• HDMI, optical audio, component video and RCA (phono) audio outputs
• Works with the Apple Remote

The ‘iTV’ is to be available in Q1 2007, priced at $299.

Here’s an interesting article, of all places in Yahoos’ Marketwatch: “Ten major news stories the media is ignoring “, which in turn was originally taken from a San Francisco Bay Guardian original print article.

Writer Thomas Kostigen says “It’s a provocative and eye-opening list that warrants attention, especially from the media. And each year it usually gets it, as Salon comments, out of “guilt.”

Here are the Top 10 most ignored stories. I’ve had to condense them for space considerations, but their headlines should tell enough of a story:

1. The Feds and the media muddy the debate over Internet freedom

2. Halliburton charged with selling nuclear technology to Iran

3. World oceans in extreme danger

4. Hunger and homelessness increasing in the United States

5. High-tech genocide in Congo

6. Federal whistleblower protection in jeopardy

7. U.S. operatives torture detainees to death in Afghanistan and Iraq

8. Pentagon exempt from Freedom of Information Act

9. World Bank funds Israel-Palestine wall

10. Expanded air war in Iraq kills more civilians”

None of which are a surprise to readers of publications such as the Utne, but seeing them all listed together in a Top-10 list is a different thing – It raises some serious alarm bells if you ponder what kind of trend this predicts for our society.

When Big Business starts financing political applications of technology used to control and dominate, and meanwhile Government starts removing itself from oversight, while granting the same right-of-disregard to their financial backers – and media ignores the lot! – I think we may be heading for trouble…

Now, I am a FIRM believer in capitalism and market economy. But for the market to work out, the playing field should be level – the rules of the game should be known, and apply to all. If you start a business tomorrow, and your product or service is popular, you should be able to reap the rewards of your labour.

Most new jobs are NOT create by conglomerates and large cap industry – they are created by small business and entrepreneurs.

When conditions arise such as those, with stealth protectionism and incestuous relationships (a la Halliburton) between elected official and CEOs give some people a fast track to obscene profit, that’s money removed from the potential entrepreneurship basket.

It kills innovation, kills growth, kills jobs – and brings Western society a bit closer to Chinese conditions, where the people are at the ABSOLUTE service of the State.

I don’t like that – not one bit – no siree!

More astroturfing on net neutrality issue 8/23/2006 3:22:44 PM, by Eric Bangeman

Astroturf. Featured prominently in the cookie-cutter stadiums of the 60s and 70s, it is a pale imitation of the natural grass fields it replaced and attempted to resemble. In today’s lexicon, astroturfing has taken on a whole new meaning: industry groups masquerading as grassroots consumer movements, usually on the Internet.

The practice of industry groups setting up faux-grassroots organizations seems to have accelerated lately, and as we have mentioned before, have become even more ‘net-savvy.

Our latest exercise in astroturfing comes courtesy of the American Consumer Institute. In its press release, the group tries to score points with consumers leery of “corporate welfare” by helpfully pointing out that the biggest companies favoring net neutrality legislation are “financially powerful, earn supracompetitive returns and have significant market power.”

The ACI then concludes that “in the minds of informed consumers,” there should be serious questions as to how government-mandated “price and service regulation” will benefit the American public. Not surprising from a group that equates “net neutrality” with “requir[ing] consumers to pay the full costs of upgrading the next generation broadband network.”

Perhaps the ACI’s data would be taken seriously if it were actually a consumer group. However, as Broadband Reports discovered, the group’s website is registered to Stephen Pociask, who used to be the chief economist for Bell Atlantic and still works in the telecom industry as a consultant. While it describes itself as an “independent public policy organization,” its list of experts includes people with strong ties to the telecommunications industry.

I would suggest a reason why “well-informed consumers following the debate” believe their interests are being served by network neutrality proposals: there is little or no competition, which results in little to no ability for the market to champion one solution over another. So broadband ISPs could impose whatever Internet traffic controls they wanted and many consumers would be powerless to do anything about it.

Ars Technica just published this tidbit called “Employers may face liability for connectivity addiction”:

Let’s begin with a hypothetical situation: You are hired to do a job which requires you to drink alcoholic beverages. At the start, everything is fine, and you are in complete control. Over time, your employer begins to ask more from you, encouraging you to work overtime, and practically shoves the booze down your throat. Eventually, you become an alcoholic. How much responsibility does your employer bear for your alcoholism?

In that one case, the simple answer is “quite a lot.” Of course, no job I know of requires such a dedication to “the sauce,” but many employers do encourage a strong commitment to a different form of behavior; one which—it has been argued—is potentially addictive. According to a study soon to be released by researchers at Rutgers University—Camden, employers who encourage workers to remain connected all the time may soon find themselves on the hook for more than just Internet access fees.

Gale Porter, along with study co-authors David Vance and Nada Kakabadse, concludes that employers may be legally liable for creating an environment in which workers may become addicted to technology. “Employers rightfully provide programs to help workers with chemical or substance addictions. Addiction to technology can be equally damaging to the mental health of the worker,” states Porter, an associate professor of management at the school.

(More…)

From Financial News – Yahoo! Finance on Thursday August 24, 4:23 pm ET
By Rachel Konrad, AP Technology Writer

Apple Recalls 1.8 Million Sony-Built Laptop Batteries That Could Overheat, Catch Fire

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday recalled 1.8 million Sony-built notebook batteries that could overheat and catch fire, just 10 days after Dell Inc.’s record-setting recall involving the same problem and the same supplier.Apple said it has received nine reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, including two cases in which users suffered minor burns.

There have been instances of minor property damage, Apple said.Apple’s announcement comes 10 days after Dell Inc.’s recall of 4.1 million faulty laptop batteries—the largest involving electronics in the history of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.Both companies’ batteries were made by Sony Energy Devices Corp. of Japan.In a statement, Sony said the problems arise “on rare occasions” when microscopic metal particles in the recalled battery cells hit other parts of the cell and lead to a short circuit.Both recalls are expected to cost Sony between $172 million and $278 million.The recall was not expected to materially affect Apple’s financial results, said spokesman Steve DowlingApple shares fell 27 cents, to $67.04, in Thursday afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The latest recall covers 1.1 million rechargeable batteries in the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops sold in the United States from October 2003 through August 2006. The recall also covers an additional 700,000 batteries in laptops sold abroad, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.The Apple recall only affects laptops that run PowerPC chips built by IBM Corp. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. It does not affect Apple’s Intel Corp.-based models, including the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Apple notebook owners were told to stop using the batteries and to remove them from their laptops. The machines can continue to be used as long as they’re plugged into an AC power source.Apple asked customers to consult a Web site or call a toll-free hotline, 1-800-275-2273, to determine whether they have a battery that is covered by the recall.

A free replacement will be shipped to affected customers.Dell’s recall covers about 14 percent of the Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and Precision notebooks sold between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

http://support.apple.com/batteryprogram