Segatoys have released the second in their iPod friendly pets. The iFish works in the same principle as the original iDog. You can plug your iPod or other MP3 device to it and it will act as a speaker which also moves and lights up in beat to the music. The iFish isn't waterproof, so I dont suggest you put it into your bath, but it does seem like a bit of a novelty feature. There is a video of the review which you can view in high definition below. Personally I preffer the iDog, its smaller and does seem a bit more user friendly, by watching the video you can probably see that the iFish seems a bit lethal as it swings about.

Download: [iFish Review Video]

For almost 2 years Apple was the un-rivaled winner of the 30" display world.  This past January however, Dell took a shot across Apple's bow with the release of their own 30" display, the UltraSharp 3007WFP.  CNET puts them through the test in a side-by-side stand off of features and performance.  (linked below)

Comparing features and performance alone, Apple barely edges out the victory in this match.  However, if you were to weigh the flexibility of the displays (Dell rocks media card reader slots, audio-in, and 4 USB ports to Apple's 2 USB and 2 FireWire) as well as the costs of each, Dell would be a hands-down winner.  The Dell retails for $2200 compared to Apple's at $2500.  (However you can probably find slightly better deals on the Dell with a little effort.)

The LCD panels were unconfirmed as to their origins, but since the 2 companies' 20" displays use the same panel, it's wagered that the same applies to the 30-inchers as well.  I've personally got the Dell 20" display, and it's fantastic, and half the price of the Apple competition.  I think I could find it in my heart to give the UltraSharp 3007WFP a chance as well.  Donation line forms to the right.

On this special issue of MacBreak, Leo Laporte and Ben Durbin has demonstrated actually running a Windows XP SP2 on Mac mini with Intel Core Solo built in. The system ran as fast as on a genuine PC on the Mac mini in this video, with only some driver restrictions that limited its performance. But we are sure that the community will try to hack more drivers to make the Intel Mac run Windows XP better and better!

Running Windows XP on a Mac has been a dream for the Mac fans. Until recently, the high bonus hanging above by Colin Nederkoorn has finally been taken by Narf. Now this discovery/creation has unleashed the ultimate possibility Intel Mac, making the users having more choices when buying operation systems for their Intel Mac.

Download: [MacBreak Special - XP On A Mac mini]

Over at Arstechnica, Jacqui Cheng has done a nice job of reviewing the MacBook Pro against the PowerBook G4, a Dell Inspiron 9100 running OS X 10.4.4, and a iMac Core Duo in the benchmarks.

It performs amiably against the rest and, there are some surprising results that show up from the Dell. Of course the MacBook Pro wins overall, but never the less it's always interesting to see what comes out of some of the runs.

Add the built in iSight camera, which is great for those that travel, or are abroad. The down side to it is for those in the government that might not be able to take a camera in a secure area. D'oh

Also one of the newest additions is the MagSafe. Basically it's a power cord that connects to the laptop via magnets instead of the your normal plug. Pretty sweet, so say good bye to having your laptop yanked right out of your hands, or off your desk.

Conclusions:

Pros:

Significant speed bump for Apple's pro notebooks
Beautiful, bright display
Built-in iSight
Thinner than G4 predecessor
Dual-link DVI
Cons:
MagSafe comes out way too easily under imperfect conditions
Wider than G4 predecessor
No Firewire 800, only 400
Built-in iSight

The UK version of CNet is doing an on going test of the Apple's new Intel Core Duo Mac Mini verses  Microsoft's Media Center.

I don't know about you, but I'd much rather see a Mac Mini sitting next to my TV than pretty much any PC case I can bring to mind. Add the fact that it's practically completely silent, what more could you ask for? A TV tuner maybe? No Kidding, but Apple isn't about to put one in yet, and it's certain they have other things in mind.

Using the Mini for video recording can be solved by using a USB digital tuner. Using the Miglia TVMini tuner for recording duties will also format anything you record to fit on the video iPod; which is one thing Media Center can't do.

Both Mac and Windows software fair about the same for looks, and is called a draw on functionality.

CNet goes on to say, "It can't be understated how frustrating it can potentially be to get a Media Center PC to communicate with a TV. It's easy for the technical-minded to overlook this simple fact, but anyone who is used to a DVD or video recorder 'just working' will find that Media Center PCs are sometimes not an easy alternative. Several systems get it right, but many have problems."

And with that gives a nod to the Mac Mini for the first round.

Business Week had a chance to put the new Macbook Pro through its paces, making sure that the new Intel chip inside of it is more than just a fleeting symbol of a new Apple partnership. In one word, the reviewer sums up the performance of the new laptop: fast.

While the reviewer focuses on the performance of the machine, he still remains very much impressed by some of the subtler design features of the laptop, which reveals Apple's usual 'gloss' in its products. The reviewer writes:

"Also like the old PowerBooks, it includes some very nice touches, such as an impressively bright screen, stylish aluminum body, a video camera built into the display's frame, a keyboard that lights up in a dark room, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transmitters."

As far as speed, Business Week notes the laptops 20-second boot-up time and its excellent performance all-around, its ability to handle multiple programs with ease was particularly impressive. About the only negatives to the whole package is the notable lack of a built-in modem, the slower speed of the optical drive and its price. In any case, it leaves all previous incarnations in the dust.

Over the past two years these things got more and more popular. I wouldn't say the unpacking of a new knitting kit would be that exciting, but when someone's unpacking the brand new MacBook Pro, most of would be staring on. One guy recently bought himself this amazing NoteBook and shows us everything from the MackBook Pro itself, to the power adapter. He also took the liberty to take some comparison pics with its predecessor, the PowerBook G4. As you can see in the picture below, the MacBook Pro on the left is much more brighter than the PowerBook on the right. According to Apple, the screen is 67% brigther.


The MacBook pro is very powerful and comes with great new features. I don't know about you, but these pictures got me even more interested in buying one of these babies. Although maybe the 17-inch is worth waiting for, if you don't realy mind the extra weight. Click the link below to view more unboxing pictures.

Popgadget, a women's technology site, has gone into the pits of hell to bring back something good for all of us. Well, they reviewed a couple of battery packs that provide additional power to run those battery-draining videos we've all come to love, but ... I still admire them.

The Geekpod 100 is one of the items reviewed. With its ability to add 12 hours of additional video playback time, and its lower price tag (it retails for $150, but is available now for $70), it seems to be the best choice at the moment for not running out of power. The only bad points to the whole thing is the fact that it will add additional weight and heft, basically doubling the size of the iPod. Such are the things we must live with.

Read the article, it's good reading. Maybe you can decide which battery pack is right for you. Or, you can wait until that newer Video iPod ever surfaces, hopefully with additional battery power with it.

[Via, Popgadget]

The 1-gigabyte iPod Nano is out already and should be available for you to get your grubby little hands on, that's IF you don't already have the 2- or 4-gigabyte version of the music player. The new Nano comes in the same exact design as the other incarnations, with only the capacity of the player changing.

I know there were a few people worried that with the lower price point the capacity of the iPod wasn't going to be the only thing sacrificed. Well, it was. Everything else remains the same, though I'm not complaining at all, I was one of the few people hoping that Apple would downgrade the capacity and bring it into the Shuffle price range.

Macsimum News gives it a 7 out of 10. "If you?re looking for a classy music player that?s eye-poppingly svelte, look no further than the iPod nano. As for going with the new 1GB version, it?s reasonably priced?if you can live with its 240 song limitation."

[Via, Macsimum News]

If any of you out there have ever wanted to have one of those visor thingies on your face like that guy from Star Trek, but never have been able to find one at your local Wal-Mart, here comes the next best thing.

Wearable displays, while not all the rage, are definitely starting to make some noise in the world of iPod. It seems that as soon as one company gets the courage to do it, and gets past convincing themselves not to, another company pops up with another version that claims to trump the other.

If you really are interested in learning more about the devices, iLounge has an excellent overview of some of the models that will become available in the near-future. These devices, while not all that elegant, offer a unique, to say the least, perspective for iPod owners to enjoy, or put down several days after the novelty has worn off.

[Via, iLounge]