About a month ago, Apple made it known to their users that they would be using LED-backlighting in their future displays as part of the company's move to become environmentally friendly. The MacBook Pro's (MBP) corresponding update was expected to arrive this month. Now, for the MBP owners wondering how big a difference the new backlights are as compared to previous MacBook Pro models, we're informing you of a recently concluded test that should shed some light on the matter.

The guys over at Engadget have just gotten their hands on the 3rd-gen MBP, which sports the new LED backlight, and decided to do a brief visual comparison with its older kin, an 8-month old 2nd-generation MBP running on traditional cold cathode fluorescent tube (CCFL) backlights. The CCFL MBP's on the left, while the LED MBP's on the right (both set to full brightness):

  

Further notes in the comparison state that the new LED backlight featured crisper whites, although the screens weren't that much brighter. Another interesting detail the testers state is that at half-brightness, the LED MBP was dimmer. Needless to say, the new LED backlight should also beef up your laptop's battery life, although we haven't confirmed by how much yet.

The people from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) took a magnifying glass to the recent iPhone commercials and have come up with a few interesting bits of info about them. In a recent TUAW post, Erica Sadun gave the low-down on the iPhone's Maps feature.

First off, the iPhone's keyboard interface. The QWERTY keyboard has a shift button, a delete button, a button that lets users switch to numeric view and a search button which Sadun assumes is the same as "return". For the iPhone's Maps features, Sadun speculates that the interaction order goes like this:

1. Search
2. Select a pin
3. Press the (>) button on the link
4. View the location information

Another bit of trivia that the TUAW people dug up is that Pacific Catch, the restaurant featured in the "Calamari" commercial, is actually a real restaurant. They actually called Pacific Catch and were told that the restaurant had been "getting calls all morning from all over the country."

We guess being featured in an Apple commercial's not bad for business.

Fortune Magazine's Brent Schlender, editor-at-large, claims that "Steve Jobs might be promising more than he can deliver," referring to the Apple TV, Apple's pet project aside from the much-awaited iPhone.

Schlender, in particular, hits Apple TV's current design:

There are shortcomings that even Microsoft would not have overlooked: Apple TV doesn't have a DVD drive or a volume control on its minimalist remote or ... but enough. You get the feeling that Apple didn't create this thing because it was insanely great but in order to freeze competitors out of downloadable video.

The root of the problem? According to the Fortune editor, it is Apple's tendency to "pre-announcing products months in advance - the iPhone is just the latest - and even then has missed promised ship dates." He further explains that no matter how good a product is hyped up, it's bound to disappoint no matter how good it is.

With that aside, it should be noted that Apple TV is still testing the waters; we'll never know how it will turn out several months from now. Apple did promise to give out new software features and improvements for Apple TV free of charge, something worthwhile for Apple TV users to look forward to.

The New York Times came up with an analysis regarding Apple's phenomenal success in the retail front and what Sony and other companies could learn from it. Simplicity seemed to be the operative theme.

When Apple launched an ambitious project to open retail stores nationwide back in 2001, it was largely criticized and condemned by traditional business knowledge as a self-defeating move that Apple will regret. It happened in a time when once-mighty retail chains like Gateway were closing down, prompting almost everyone to write off the idea.

It seems, however, that everyone forgot the tremendous knack for innovation that Steve Jobs and the boys at Apple have. Damning the torpedoes and doing away with unnecessary aesthetics and exorbitant store spaces, the retail stores were built at a minimum cost and were designed to be compact, simple yet accessible and loaded with products that sell themselves.

New York times correspondents documented the amazing story and watched as Sony opened its own Sony Style chains which were spacious, trendy and in most cases, virtually desolate with staff outnumbering consumers even on peak days. This scenario was repeatedly observed by NY Times correspondents in various Sony Style outlets located in malls and other good locations.

In contrast, Apple stores always seemed loaded and vibrant with a sense of excitement omnipresent in the expressions of customers. Apple stores were often much smaller than the typical 6, 000 square-feet that Sony Style outlets occupy, yet they're doing far better.

The article hints that bigger isn't always better and sometimes it boils down to product appeal and service quality. There are a lot of things mentioned in the article that Sony can take more of and perhaps adopt, if it isn't too late. Follow the read URL and see what the celebrated paper has to say.

When it comes to RAM, ever since DDR came out, more isn't always better. What matters is that you have more "banks." If this blogger just lost you with that previous sentence, here, let me explain: Two 512MB DIMM of SDRAM will outperform a single 1GB DIMM since each DIMM can have up to four banks. Having two 512MB DIMMS (8 banks) means better performance than just one 1GB DIMM (4 banks).

How does that factoid relate to Apple? Well, RAM ArsTechnica Reports that RAM reseller Other World Computing did some research and it was revealed that an unmatched 3GB RAM in an Apple MacBook Core Duo and MacBook Core 2 Duo notebook (one 2GB and one 1GB), is for the most part, more beneficial than a matched pair.

Check out Other World Computing's tests by following the Read link below. Let us know what you think. If game performance is all that matters to you, be sure to check out the results of their Halo test. This test just means that sometimes more RAM is better.

When the iPhone hits next month, companies other than Apple might be able to ride on its popularity. According to reports from Reuters, executives at the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit said that it could also "draw consumer attention to other pricier, high-end handsets."

"One of the great advantages of iPhone for us is that it will heat up the music (phone) market," said Denny Strigl, chief operating officer at Verizon Communications Inc. "We're already seeing an interest in music on cell phones we didn't see just a quarter ago, and the gearing up the industry is doing in preparation for it."

Reuters notes that mobile phones that combine media management and playback features with the usual data and talk functions have been around for years, but their sales account for only a fraction of the market. One of the main reasons is the oftentimes high price tags of these phones.

At an estimated price of US$ 500 to US$ 600, the iPhone certainly fits this description, but consumers who want an all-in-one, multipurpose gadget may overlook that.

"People are not uncomfortable plopping down a couple of hundred bucks for a music player or an iPod (and) $100 for a voice phone or a PDA," said AT&T's group president for operations support, John Stankey. "If you think about what a customer invests to solve a problem...I might suggest that the price isn't as substantial as it might look."

 

Here's a bit of news that has conspiracy theorists all busy scheming, planning, and researching. Apple news site Macenstein reports that the EE Times informs that Apple is placing an order for 500 million Samsung NAND flash chips this month. That's a whole lot of flash.

The report claims that these chips will be used for iPhones and iPods, particularly those that will be made from the months of June 2007 to December 2007. This has some folks curious, as they feel that a 500 million order is a bit too optimistic.

Apple has reported that they "only" sold 10.5 million iPods last quarter. In order to justify an order of 500 million chips, Apple will have to sell around 30 to 90 million iPods and iPhones.

One theory of why the order is so is that perhaps we might be seeing the 6th gen video iPod or the "iPhone without the Phone." Another theory notes that perhaps the flash chips will be incorporated into Apple's laptops.

The fact that Samsung Electronics is not the only supplier of NAND chips to Apple is also raising some eyebrows. Perhaps Apple is trying to get on Samsung's good side or something like that? Who knows.

We'll update you when we get more info. Stay tuned.

Sleek defines modern. We like that kind of design on our gadgets. But definitely, we just want to go for the look, and not the actual feel. Unfortunately, this may be where the Apple iPhone's weakness lies.

People who have had their hands on the pre-release models say that the iPhone's setback is not its battery-life. In fact, we may actually be surprised at its real-world battery performance. A tipster interviewed by Alexandros Roussos from MacScoop gives out his verdict that the actual performance of the iPhone's battery goes way beyond what Apple themselves apparently expected.

From actual use, the iPhone's been found to be rather capable of up to 5 hours of talk, along with video and browsing, and up to 16 hours of audio playback. Now that's some power right there. However,

Overall, our source found the iPhone awesome but he mentioned, as a sole negative point, that the material used on the device's case makes it feel even more slippery than the iPod and will probably require the purchase of a protective skin or case so as to avoid unintentionally dropping it.

Obviously, if you will be spending a whopping US$ 500 for a gadget, you won't dare let it slip from your grasps. And you intend to take that quite literally. Maybe these casings from China was a good business foresight after all.

Apple's iTunes eventually made its way to Windows, thanks in part to the iPod's success. Now, with Apple throwing its full support behind the Apple TV, could another component of iLife eventually appear on Windows? Apple Matters' Chris Howard explores the possibility of a Windows version of iPhoto. According to Howard, it's all about "the Apple experience and Apple having control." Howard also parallels the iTunes move to the possible iPhoto move. He states it like this:

iTunes for Windows gave users a taste of the apple and created a more seamless integration with the iPodÂ?whether perceived or real. Plus then Apple also had control over the feature set.

Likewise a Windows version of iPhoto will give users a further taste of the apple and create a more seamless integration with the Apple TVÂ?whether perceived or real. Plus then Apple will also have control over the feature set.

Howard also notes (in the comments section) that one of the reasons why users are sometimes reluctant to switch to a whole new platform is the subsequent porting of their old data to the new platform. "How many Windows users worry about switching to Mac because theyÂ?ve got thousands of photos in Picasa or Adobe Album etc and they donÂ?t know what to do with them on a Mac?" Howard ask. "iPhoto on Windows makes more sense the more I think about it."

What about you guys? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

  

The clock's ticking to the official release of Apple's iPhone. But who will be their carrier partner? Up to now, there's still no final word from the fruity giant, but Wall Street analysts are predicting that Vodafone just might be the chosen one for Europe.

Shaw Wu, American Technology Research analyst, reveals that their sources, so far, are indicating that Vodafone will most likely be Apple's top pick for its European distribution. "We believe Vodafone's 200 million subscriber base (compared to 61 million for AT&T, its USA partner), broad and country coverage, and investment in advanced technologies make it a strong fit for Apple."

Apple intends to launch its iPhone to Europe come the fourth quarter of this year.