At Apple's online store today save on refurbished iMacs like the 21.5-inch iMac with a 3.06GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, now $929 after a $170 price cut. For $1269 upgrade to a 27-inch iMac with a 3.2GHz Intel quad-core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive.
Apple took a surprise step Monday by completely reworking its desktop AirPort app. AirPort Utility 6.0 (14.1MB) is reworked to look like its iOS counterpart and starts off with a visual topography for the user's network including the active status and whether or not updates are waiting. Any router on the network, and the Internet connection itself, gets a pop-over that shows both common settings as well as an option to edit settings for that device.
A pair of looks at the upgraded AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule has shown more upgrades and changes than first thought, including a slightly misleading view of the hard drive. One breakdown shared between AppleInsider and iFixit has shown that the new AirPort Extreme and presumably Time Capsule output about 2.8 times more power, at 392.64mW, than the previous version. A test wasn't immediately possible, but the potential existed for as much as a 60 percent range boost, though only in ideal conditions.
Apple's plans for new routers were confirmed Tuesday with a quiet update to the Time Capsule. Although no press release or store update has arrived so far, the company's splash page now shows the hybrid router and network storage as "available in 2TB and 3TB models." It had previously stopped at 2TB, and the 1TB model has now been phased out.
Apple's plans for new AirPort hardware were cemented Tuesday after an FCC filing showed a new AirPort Extreme station. Known just as the A1408, few details are available beyond that it would have a 3X3 antenna layout, likely to get 450Mbps peak speeds. Although the online Apple Store is still up as of early Tuesday morning, the FCC filings have the details due to go public the same day, suggesting Apple either launches now or in the very near future.
An off-hand tip in a report late Thursday hinted that Apple's upcoming Time Capsules would borrow a cue from the current Apple TV. One source said that the new router, and possibly regular AirPort devices, would use either an A4 or an A5 chip and a heavily modified iOS foundation. The Ars Technica contact made no mention as to why, but it's presumed the backup option would require more computing power.
Multiple reports Wednesday night slipped word that Apple retail stores were running out of the company's wireless routers. A number of readers mention the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule all being out of stock, often all at the same time. MacRumors had heard just of stockouts, but TUAW had heard that even one store with stock might have been asked to return unsold inventory, indicating that it was a discontinuation, not just a supply issue.
A new lawsuit is accusing Apple, HP and several other companies of violating patents related to Wi-Fi antennas. Filed by Linex Technologies, the case specifically targets the defendants for breaking US patents 6,757,322 and RE 42,219, titled Space diversity and coding, spectrum antenna and method and Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) spread spectrum system and method, respectively. "Defendants' Accused Products infringe the asserted claims by receiving and processing multiple spatial streams using multiple receive antennas," a critical part of Linex's complaint reads. "The infringing MIMO mode is described in, for example, Table 20-30 and related portions of the IEEE 802.11n standard."
Most of Apple's networking peripherals sold only adequately during 2009, according to data from the NPD Group. The firm notes that Apple TV sales were up less than 10 percent in 2009, continuing a lethargic trend that emerged in 2008. The product has not been helped materially by the release of the Apple TV 3.0 firmware -- adding features like Internet radio -- or a price cut down to $229.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board has officially certified a change in GAAP accounting rules, one which could significantly influence Apple stocks, the Wall Street Journal writes. A draft measure of the change was completed earlier this month, after pressure from corporations including Apple, TiVo and Xerox. As a result, businesses selling hardware linked to subscription services should now be able to report earnings as they are produced, instead of over an extended period.
Apple today released an update to its software for its line of branded wireless routers, including the AirPort Express Base Station, the AirPort Extreme Base Station, and Time Capsule. AirPort Utility 5.4.2 includes general fixes and compatibility updates for the following applications: AirPort Utility and AirPort Base Station Agent, Apple said. It also also installs AirPort Disk Utility on Macs running Tiger. An updated version for Windows PCs is also available.
Apple has released a combined update for AirPort base stations and the Time Capsule, bringing all of the devices' firmware up to v7.4.1. Though mainly intended for new dual-band models, the firmware can also be applied to older hardware; in the latter case it enables remote administration, and remote access to attached USB drives through Back to My Mac, though not for an AirPort Express. Creating Time Machine backups on a Time Capsule has also been made more reliable.
Today's featured DealNN deal is on the 20-inch iMac from ExperCom.com. It has been reduced in price from $1199 to $999. The iMac has a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. Features include Bluetooth, iSight webcam, microphone and 8x SuperDrive.
Following the launch of new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule devices, Apple has released updates to the AirPort Client and AirPort Utility. The AirPort Client Update 2009-001 addresses issues with roaming and network selection in dual-band environments. The new wireless routers can simultaneously communicate across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The 2MB download is recommended for all Intel-based Macs running OS X 10.5.6.
In addition to its updates to the iMac, Mac Pro and Mac mini, Apple has also released new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule peripherals. Both of the devices now support simultaneous 2.4 and 5GHz wireless connections, allowing the creation of separate networks, such as distinct 802.11n and 802.11b/g connections, or a Guest Network which restricts users to Internet connectivity.
