According to German website MacGadget.de, we could actually already expect the supposed MacBook Pro upgrades as early as this week. There's a lot of updates, but one of the more anticipated is the Core 2 Duo chips that will be running at speeds of up to 2.33GHz dual-core.

Other things Apple watchers might want to look forward to would be twice the size of the main memory, larger drives, FireWire 800, and faster DVD-burners (with Dual Layer support). What's the catch? Well, aside from the release date being a rumor, there isn't any catch. In fact, there won't even be a change in price.

Here's to hoping that Apple rolls out these new babies soon. And let's all pray that they also do something about the hardware discoloration that's quite common these days. But maybe, that's asking too much. We'd rather have a Core 2 Duo than a non-peeling notebook anytime (like this week, perhaps).

Now you can have LightScribe drives in your Mac. Announced by LaCie earlier today, their drives are now Mac-compatible, along with the release of its LightScribe Labeling software.

LightScribe is the software which allows you to create labels on your burned CDs or DVDs without the need for those printer or sticky label papers. The drive has a "direct-to-disc" label technology that etches it right on the disc itself. You can even make it funky by putting in an artwork or whatever design you may be so inclined to put. The announcement is particularly fantastic, because although there are already some Mac users who have had the LightScribe drives for a while now, it is only now that LaCie's software allowed for it to be Mac-compatible.

The drives are already available for just under US $100, while the software comes free with the drives. The LightScribe labeling software is also released for Linux.

There's a lot of activity going on at Apple these days. By Thanksgiving, there'll be a new line of refreshed Apple notebooks that will come with Intel's Core 2 Duo microprocessors (instead of Apple's own Core Duo), running at speeds of up to 2.33GHz dual-core. Apple has actually slowed down Core Duo MacBook Pro professional notebooks production in lieu of revised and custom-configured models.

Apple has reportedly completed the revisions to its entire notebook product family, including the new 15- and 17-inch professional MacBook Pros, as well as new 13-inch consumer MacBooks last month.

The Mac maker's move was probably inspired by the sales figures of the MacBook. Compared to the MacBook Pro, the demand for the MacBook was far higher on a 2 to 1 ratio. Obviously, the demand for MacBooks has inspired Apple to keep on dishing out new and better versions of it, including the new 13-inch MacBooks. There's still no word, however, whether these 13-inch MacBooks will come equipped with Intel's Core 2 Duo chips or not.

Better late than never? AppleCare's finally accepting calls - or complaints - from MacBook owners whose notebooks suddenly shut down without any warning: "If your MacBook is shutting down intermittently, please contact AppleCare for service."

This would be good news for suffering - and complaining - MacBook owners who just want their notebooks running smoothly (or at least without any hiccups). Shutdowns have only been one of a number of complaints that have plagued the notebook and its high-end sister the MacBook Pro, such as the MacStain problem, overheat issues, and weird noises during operation. In some of those cases Apple had also taken some time before formally accepting such complaints into AppleCare.

Some enterprising folks have decided to take matters into their own hands, trying out some do-it-yourself quick fixes. In the case of random shutdowns, a German engineer decided to peek inside his MacBook and found that a heat sink was melting the insulation off some wires. With Apple accepting shutdown complaints though, at least you now have an option that wouldn't void your warranty.

If you're tempted to switch to Mac because of the new programs, such as Parallels and Boot Camp, you should always first consider the pros and cons (e.g. price, features). If you're already a Mac Pro user, you're probably looking forward to acquiring the Apple Premium, except that it really breaks the wallet. There are, however, some things you can do to relieve you of the pain of hefty purchase. An example is upgrading your RAM -- the do-it-yourself way.

Adam Pash tells us that it's possible to save $300 on a RAM upgrade. Apple, of course, being the manufacturer, can hack the entire thing in a second, but you can do the same, if you follow the steps in the tutorial that you can both view and download here. Pash's trick is to grab a 2 x 1GB sticks of RAM from Newegg that costs around $170. Of course, if you're purchasing the 2GB RAM upgrade from Apple, your MBP would cost around $500.

Download: [MacBook Pro RAM Upgrade Tutorial 1]
Download: [MacPro PDF Alert]

Holy rainbow fruits, Batman! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's... Uhmm... A finely customized, ever-so-versatile, color-changing, glowing Apple logo!

If you are getting pretty iBummed with the Apple iLogo at the iBack of your iLaptop, you can get it iCustomized for CAD 3.99 (~USD 3.60) with iColours' newest project. And that's worldwide shipping too! For that price, you can get a colored filter of your choice. It could be a normal color, or a design, like a rainbow or tiger-skinned logo. For a little more money, you can buy them in packs of three, six, or a dozen. Their website also provides detailed installation instructions (speaking of tutorials, you might also want to check this out) for placing the colored/designed filters onto your iBook, PowerBook, MacBook, or MacBook Pro. It's a very simple concept but altogether quite ingenious.

However, there remains that one question... are you willing to void your iWarranty? Maybe, maybe not. Whatever the case, it still looks iCool. Personalizing your iLaptop was never this iLovely!

This is a video of a Macbook Pro making odd hissing/whirring noises. The video was submitted by boloncats, commenting "My Macbook Pro has been making a sound I've never heard before in my life. I recommend you watch the last 20 seconds. It's not the hard drive. I sent it once to Apple, they said they fixed it. But the noise came back."

Aside from boloncats, other Macbook Pro users have complained similar problems that include hissing sounds from the LCD, the hard drive squealing , the processor whining when the PC is idle, and the fan engaging in random vacuum-like bursts. In addition to these weird noises, others reported having an incredibly noticeable white strip along the bottom of the LCD, making the bottom significantly brighter than the rest of the display.

Apple have already issued a recall for their defective lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sony. Would they acknowledge these issues too and fix the manufacturing problems?

As we reported last July 31st, if your MacBook Pro batteries (a) have A1175 as their model number, and (b) their serial numbers end with U7SA,U7SB, or U7SC, you still might want to replace your battery, just in case.

For all other MacBook Pro battery owners, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reviewed the substandard batteries used in early MacBook Pros sold between February and May, but found that they didn't pose any safety threat.

The battery exchange program came about after MacBook Pro owners complained of a "high-pitched buzzing sound" in their notebooks, and problems concerning recharging. However, Apple maintains that the recall of the MacBook Pro batteries stemmed not from any potential fire hazard such as that which plagued batteries in Dell laptops (or for that matter the batteries in Apple's iBook and Powerbook G4 models which were recently recalled), but because those batteries failed to meet the company's high standards for performance.

So except for those batteries - where the damage is really obvious - and those covered by the replacement program, as far as the CPSC is concerned, MacBook Pro owners can relax. Still, it doesn't hurt to be a little vigilant with your MacBook's battery. In light of the Dell exploding laptop and concerns with laptop batteries, it's better to be safe than looking at a damaged notebook from any manufacturer.

Mac Rumors seems to be the most apt place to keep hearing about this... though we do wish Apple would make make a definitive announcement. WWDC 2006 came and went, and we still have no official word on the mysterious Merom CPU and whether it will make an appearance on the newest MacBook release.

According to Mac Rumors and their linked report from Reg Hardware, Asustek is supposed to be making new MacBooks with the new CPU, instead of the previously used processor, known as "Yonah." All that we know so far are vague ideas of the specs of the Merom: it is supposed to go up to a max clock speed of 2.33 GHz and be a Core 2 Duo, which is meant to be more powerful than the Core Duo CPU, "Yonah."

It's genius how they're keeping tight-lipped about it and making the rumors spread to intrigue others, but too much silence is just as annoying as being wishy-washy over details and decisions.

Let's hope Apple makes up its mind and gives us all an answer soon, shall we?

Once upon a time, Apple decided to run on Intel processors. And so it did, starting with the MacBook Pro, followed by MacBook laptops a couple of months later. Everything went smoothly, and most Apple-users lived happily ever after.

Or is it? Apparently, the tides turned when the said laptops were shipped in quantity. Before we draw speculations, let's take a look at the complaints from most Mac users:

• Whining: The MacBook Pros seem to churn out an ominous whining noise that could be temporarily stopped by opening Photo Booth and closing the said appliction again. The cause? We have no idea. Apple responded though, by telling disgruntled users to contact AppleCare.
  

• Heat: Another source of frustration for MacBook and MacBook Pro users is heat (you might also want to check our article regarding the "exploding Apple Powerbook"), especially if they place it on their laps. Apple's advice? Don't use your laptop on your lap. Hmmm...
  

• Discoloration: Some users claim that there's an "odd discoloration on the casing around the plam rest ares on MacBooks, particularly white ones." Apple acknowledged the problem, admitted it was a "manufacturing defect," and told users to contact AppleCare.
  

• Batteries: There are also reports on warping batteries, which made many concerned about fire hazards. As a response, Apple had an official battery recall for MacBook Pro batteries sold before may 2006.
  

• Logic Boards: Complaints were made regarding random shutdowns "while plugged in or on battery, and usually multiple times in a single computing session." As a result, Apple launched a logic board repair program.

Some attribute these problems to the "rushed manufacturing" of these laptops. Many anticipated the Intel transition, and probably Apple responded by well, rushing the production of the said computers.

However, that's just a speculation. Do you share the same opinion? Let us know.