Fresh from the Apple event today in Cupertino, this image shows the all-important new ports incorporated into the Intel Mac Mini, letting it function properly as a movie and music server in the home.



Â? and hereÂ?s the iPod Hifi, with itÂ?s black speaker grille removed. Notice the carrying handles on both cornersÂ?nice and chunky.

The second announcement from todayÂ?s Apple product launch is another direct hit for the rumor sites. iPod HifiÂ?a large boombox style device which can run from 6 D-size batteries, or from the mains. It has a sealed resin enclosure holding three speakers, which does not vibrate when the volume is cranked up high. The iPod Hifi contains two 80mm mid range drivers in sealed acoustic suspension and a 130mm dual voice coil woofer with a ported bass reflex design. It can be controlled by the Apple Remote.

Any iPod (even a Shuffle) can be plugged in to drive the iPod Hifi, and (via an iPod firmware update already released today) can be set to Â?speaker modeÂ?, whereby itÂ?s screen will dim to show just the album artwork while youÂ?re cranking up the tunes.

The iPod Hifi is on sale today, at $349. ItÂ?s basically the iPod taken to a higher level of sound qualityÂ?letting your pocket music machine power some serious speakers.

So, today is the day for AppleÂ?s new product announcements. WeÂ?ve been teased with talk of some Â?new, fun productsÂ? and rumors of video iPods, Intel Mac Minis, and all manner of the usual flights of fancy. But what happened over in Cupertino when the moment came?

First off, we have the Intel Mac Mini.  Available in single and dual-core processor versions, running much faster than the original PowerPC hardware, it includes version 2.0 of Front Row., and a 6-button infra-red Apple remote control. ItÂ?s exactly the same design, size and shape as the original Mac Mini.

The basic Intel Mac Mini will be $599, specs as follows: 1.5GHz Core Solo system with 667MHz bus, 512MB RAM, 60GB SATA hard drive and "Combo" DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. The higher-level model will be $799: 1.67GHz Core Duo-based model features an 80GB SATA internal hard disk and 8x "SuperDrive" that can burn DVDs as well as CD-Rs.

Finally! This is what the Mac Mini should have been first time aroundÂ?a full-featured home media center. This new Mini is festooned with all the TV and hi-fi in/out sockets which were missing from the original, four USB 2.0 ports and gigabit Ethernet. The iLounge software incorporates the same Bonjour-based sharing technology as iTunes, letting you seamlessly share music, photos, etc between connected machines, even streaming iTunes TV shows from one machine to another (Steve Jobs demonstrated this by streaming content from a laptop to the Mac Mini).

Logisys Computer has added an interesting product to their online catalog. Browsing there today I noticed the top left "computer" was looking alot like my iPod. So I clicked to view the larger image and low and behold I sat there staring at a complete iPod "themed" computer case.


The trim line will illuminate with either a Logisys CCFL kit or a Logisys 80mm CCFL fan or just a regular LED fan while the clear circle around the power will be lit up by the integrated blue LED light. The ePod SOHO case comes with total 10 drive bays, 4 external 5.25¡± bays and 2 external 3.5¡± bays. Frontal USB and audio outputs are conveniently located below the power button with a protection cover. Optional 80mm or 90mm or 120mm fan at your choice can be installed on the rear while optional 80mm or 120mm fan on the front. There is a meshed vent on side panel of the case for better air circulation and lighting effect." So for all you windows fans out there, who feel the ugre to use a PSP or Archos or other portable audio device to mask your ipod coolness factor, you can pick up this computer case and bathe in all of your Apple glory in secret at home, while browsing QJ.net!

The following post might offend some users reading this blog. One guy was so happy about his brand new MacBook Pro that he decided he wants to get to know it from the inside out! These pictures just shows you how technology is advancing and how Apple and Intel managed to slim the powerful hardware down. Wait, did I say Intel? What is very interesting is that there's not one Intel logo in any of those pictures. Oh well, atleast we know it contains that powerful intel chip. Another guy tested it with the 1Ghz Titanium Powerbook and found that the MackBook Pro takes about 27 second to boot up, where the Powerbook takes about 57 seconds. Feast your eyes on more of the MacBook Pro's insides by following the link below, if you dare....

I've seen several iPod knockoffs, most notably from Asia. Some are pretty convincing in their look, though they oftentimes fall flat when it comes to features and just the overall construction of the players. Some, though were never meant to be seen by human eyes.

Engadget has posted a pic with a new line of them in Macau in Asia.

"It must be really great to live in Asia (Macau, to be exact) where you can get Apple's latest iPod -- like the iPod mini 2, pictured here -- literally months before it's announced. And for HK $950 (about US $120), no less."

Yeah, so ripping off an older line of iPods, I would imagine, isn't the greatest idea in the world. Still, some enterprising companies out there.

Wolfson Microelectronics, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based company whose chip designs can be found in almost every model of iPod from the 1st generation to the latest, have announced a new technology which they claim could dramatically cut power consumption in iPods if Apple take it on.

Wolfson's new WM8985 integrates a new software codec with both microphone and headphone drivers. this reduces the number of external devices required, as the drivers are incorporated rather than being additional items on the circuit board. The new codec from Wolfson is claimed to reduce power consumtion by up to 70%. The end result of this, if taken on by Apple (and there's a good chance that it will be, given the track record of Wolfson technology being used in almost every iPod so far) will be louder, higher quality sound from your iPod alongside a longer-lasting battery.

Wolfson Microelectronics plan to market this new device at the mobile music market - the manufacturers of cellphones, Bluetooth headsets, and MP3 players. You can guarantee that Apple and the iPod are top of their list.

[Via The Sunday Herald]

Oooh, it seems that Fujitsu wants in on the small format hard drive market that Toshiba has been leading in. With everything from iPods to other small electronics devices coming out that use one form of a hard drive or another, the market seems to be booming.

While Apple has replaced its lower-capacity MP3 players like the iPod Mini with flash-based storage solutions that don't incorporate hard drives, other iPods continue to make use of the tiny parts.

According to VNUNet, Fujitsu is looking to make their entrance big, introducing a 1.8 inch hard drive with capacities up to 120 gigabytes. I hope that Apple takes notice of the drives and maybe uses them for a future iPod. That much storage space would be downright sexy.

[Via, VNUNet]

PSP owners might remember a knockoff PSP labeled the "pop station". Now a company in asia, known as MoonBow Technology, are offering a iPod nano imitation.

With similar foot print (90x40x7mm) and features such as a "

1.5 inch color OLED display, FM-Tuner, WMA, MP3 audio playback, AMV video playback, Voice recorder, photo viewer and a Tetris game.

" the look and size almost perfectly mirror Apple's new iPod nano.

No price was shown on their website however it is highly doubtful that they would send this product to market any cheaper (or with more storage) then the original Apple Nano.

Visit Moonbow to inquire about pricing and full specs.

Today, Cingular has put up for sale the Motorola ROKR phone with iTunes compatibility. This new bad boy is capable of holding 100 songs and has two stereo speakers, earbuds and the ability to download music from the Cingular service. Features include:

- iTunes player with dedicated key
- 850/1800/1900 MHz Tri-band GSM/GPRS
- Weight: 3.77 oz
- Dimensions: 4.25 x 1.81 x .80 in
- Display: 176 x 220, up to 262 colors TFT
- VGA Camera, 4x Zoom, flash and video record
- Music Tones
- Bluetooth Capable for voice calls
- Speakerphone
- Talk Time: Up to 9 hours/560 min
- Standby Time: Up to 9 days/230 hrs

You can check it out for yourself at the Cingular website [here].