A new patent application by Apple has just shed some light into what may be the company's next big project: a new head-mounted laser display system that gets rid of the bulk associated with most displays of the type. More in the full article.

Even digital audio suffers from generation loss after conversions. This results in an inferior sound output when compared to the original source. Wadia Digital is now offering something for iPod owners that may prove to be unaffected by such conversion problems.

Called the iTransport, the product can supposedly turn the iPod into high-end media server by providing "perfect" audio and video output. More details after the jump!

Samsung's ultra-sexy Monochrome Laser Printer, the ML -1630, was introduced to the market just about three weeks ago. And since the cool folks always want to hang out with each other, it comes as no surprise to find Apple taking Samsung's cool dude on board -- exclusively.

So what's in the ML-1630 that would make the Apple Store keep it all to its lonely self? Speed is one. Don't believe it? Try printing up to 17 pages per minute. And then there's the hi-speed USB 2.0 connectivity. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be compatible with your Mac, too, and houses a memory of 8MB. It's laser printer quality is also up to 1200 x 1600 dpi.

Sounds like a good partnership here, don't it? Anyhow, the world's slimmest monochrome laser printer can be had through the Apple Store at about US$ 200. Check it out via our Read link below.

  

The Apple Summer Mac product conference is already rolling hot with Steve Jobs manning the show. As expected, his keynote address is filled with surprising unveiling of new Apple projects and the "everybody saw this coming" types. Tab this one under the second category - as predicted and whispered around various boards the past few weeks, Apple is giving us brand new iMacs.

Sporting a retroish look, the sleek new iMacs are made of aluminum and glass. It comes in 20- and 24-inched versions, each equipped with the usual but impressive specs such as up to  2.4GHz Core 2 Extreme processor, up to 4GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD graphics card, up to 1TB of hard drive storage. 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0 built-in. There's also the usual compliment of ports like USB 2.0, Firewire 400/800, a slot loading SuperDrive, iSight camera etc.

What's also worth noting is that the oft-rumored new keyboard for the iMacs turns out to be true, with Steve Jobs himself confirming it. Boasting of large spacing and flat keys, Apple seems to be aiming to give the iMac users the laptop feel while typing. iMac purists seem to be a bit skeptic with the move, but let's all wait and see what happens. The 20-inch iMac goes for US$ 1,199 each (add three hundred bucks more for a processor and graphics enhancements), while the 24-inch monster demands US$ 1,799 per unit.

 

It's yet to be confirmed, but Gizmodo reports that one of their readers tipped them off to a somewhat disturbing thing taking place in Apple and Best Buy stores in the East Coast: retail outlets would no longer be receiving old Apple keyboards.

iMacs are still being received in Apple and Best Buy in Oakbrook and Michigan, but old boards seem to have a contrasting status. Nobody knows what this means and stores haven't really given an explanation.

There's nothing to confirm that Apple will come out with rumored new keyboard in the near future, making the situation more bizarre. We'll try to get an update on this one as soon as new word comes in.

A comparison image of the old Apple keyboard and the rumored new Apple keyboard has been making its way around the Internet lately. You can check it out by clicking on the image to the right. The new keyboard is the one on top.

One of the most noticeable things that have been changed in the new keyboard is the Apple logo is on the command key. The logo is now gone, and in its place is a piece of text that says "command."

The volume control keys have also been moved to the top center of the new keyboard from their original position on top of the numerical keypad. Three new playback controls have also been added to the F7, F8, and F9 keys, making the new keyboard even more multimedia friendly.

Of course, this new computer keyboard design is still just a rumor at present (although it's supposedly available in Hong Kong). Whatever the case, though, the new keyboard does have one thing going for it that this writer particularly appreciates: the "pressed down" design looks like it would allow for easier cleaning. What do you guys think? Leave a comment below.

 

Take a very good look at the keyboard pictured above this article, and see if you can spot if it's a fake or not. Allegedly, it's the super-slim, brushed-aluminum keyboard that's rumored to be bundled with Apple's latest iMac computer.

While it does fit the much-speculated features, that being absurdly thin and sleek (as well as having that distinct Apple look of simplicity and elegance), the fact that 'Photoshop' is practically screaming out from the photo's exif data isn't helping its authenticity much. Still, it's quite pretty, isn't it?

Fake or not, though, it seems that someone in the Rhapsody Apple forum in Hong Kong is more than willing to sell you one of these suspicious beauties for HK $1200 a pop (that's US$ 153.40). Potential buyers should perhaps exhibit some self-control, though, as the new iMac itself could be blasting onto store shelves as early as August 7th, so it's not really that long a wait.

We'll also see if this is the real deal by then. Updates as we get them!

By way of the US Patent & Trademark Office, we've picked up some interesting info on a prototype Apple gadget that the company has just filed a patent for. The new patent is for what appears to be a "Mouse with optical sensing surface":

A configurable mouse with an extended sensing surface, which provides the mouse a customizable, programmable or adaptable way of generating inputs, the mouse including an arbitrarily shaped grippable member having a 3D shape, a position detection mechanism that detects the movement of the mouse along a surface, a multi-point touch detection mechanism that detects one or more objects that are contacting or in close proximity to a substantially large portion of the grippable member, and a controller for processing signals generated by the position detection mechanism and multi-point touch detection mechanism.

In layman's terms, this means we're looking at a possible multi-touch mouse in the near future. Not much else is said about this new design patent - we'll just have to wait it out until Apple decides to provide more details for this news. A most timely patent announcement, given that Microsoft recently released information on their very own touch table...

We've come across some shots of the Apple TV in Techrestore.com and they've opened up an Apple TV box. Accompanying reader posts haven't been too positive, though. A number of readers expressed their apprehension to invest in the new gadget, saying that it's possible to get the same level of functionality by hooking a Mac up to a stereo or a TV.

It would be interesting to see if the device can topple competitors like TiVo and Netfix who offer similar functions as the Apple TV. Apple TV will allow iTunes and videos to easily be played in TVs and other media because of the easy setup features and friendly interface. Users can also play downloaded material from iTunes with the Apple TV.

More images await after the jump!

 

MacNN reports that QuickerTek's Quicky USB Transceiver can now be used with USB-enabled Macs. The Quicky is essentially a network boosting device that, according to QuickerTek, can deliver "up to 10 times more RF wireless power than a stock PowerMac desktop." The extended wireless operating distances can make more networks available to the desktop system, so you can connect to it even while you're in your neighbor's bathroom.

To use it, just clip the Quicky to the top of your Apple LCD screen. It also combines a networking transceiver with an external antenna. Setup requires no special computer skills, and no extra steps are required to utilize the Quicky transceiver.

The Quicky USB Transceiver works with Apple's latest PowerMacs as well as all 802.11 b, g, and n Wi-Fi equipment. This includes Apple's new AirPort and AirPort Extreme wireless devices. Double wireless range at full speed comes with a price though: the Quicky carries a pretty steep US$ 225 price tag.