It seems to have been longer than the 6 months that it actually has been since I got word that Sling Media was going to bring their SlingPlayer to the iPhone 3G.

But it’s here and has been demo’d at Macworld and the plan is to release the final version to the public in the next three months.

Like SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, UIQ, and BlackBerry platforms, this iPhone version will let you access one or more Slingboxes from your mobile device and then you can watch your TV stations on-the-go.

You’ll also be able to manage your PVR from the iPhone as well as adding and removing fave channels via your phone.

That’s a first for the SlingPlayer Mobile line of software.

They’ve even utilised the touch screen of the 3Gesus Phone so that swiping the screen horizontally advances you through favourite stations, and flicking up and down rotates through all your home channels.

SlingPlayer should appear in the iTunes AppStore by the end of the March.

Expect it to cost around $29.99 which is the going rate for the lifetime fee of SlingPlayer Mobile on other platforms.

If that’s too much just remember OrbLive delivers live TV and media stored on your PC for $10.

Most of the Mac users that I know like the clean lines and style of the Apple products.

If they are unsatisfied with their built-in webcam they would most likely prefer to replace it with something that will not clutter their workspace.

So, Ecamm Network has come to their rescue and have just announced what it’s claiming to be the world’s first Bluetooth webcam.

Word is that it will give you 640×480 H.264 video out with 48 kHz AAC stereo audio.

You also will get 4 hours chat time before you have to do that loathsome thing of whipping out that USB cable to recharge it.

I hope that Mac users are also flush with cash as the BT-1 Cam requires $150 of your hard-earned when it is released sometime in Spring.

If you’re a Windows user there may be a version out soon after.

There has been plenty of chat about a tablet-style device from Apple for a number of years.

It has actually got to the point that people were fed up of waiting so they ended up making and selling one and called it the ModBook!

But Christmas 2009 could finally see a fully legit Apple tablet:  The iPad.

Ok, we now have our feet firmly planted in Rumourville, Hypetown and Hearsay City but those folks over at TechCrunch claim that:

‘three independent sources close to Apple’ have confirmed details of a prototype device to them.

From what I gather this iPad is likely to be a large-sized iPod Touch sporting either a 7 inch or 9 inch screen.

It will obviously have access to the iTunes app store with iTunes and a Safari web browser.

TC also add that prototypes have been ‘handled’ by those sources and that Apple is now in discussions in Asia about mass production.

Still, TechCrunch doesn’t say this is an absolutely guaranteed happening:

“I’m not saying Apple is definitely launching a large form iPod Touch.”

As with all rumored Apple products, we’ll see it when we see it, probably 12 hours before it’s actually announced (if it ever is) courtesy of Mr/Miss/Mrs Blurry Cam.

So, for now, file this under ‘believe it when I see it’ and wait for those ’spy shots’.

TechCrunch

After the initial reports that the  Mac mini was being killed off a new version is rumoured to be appearing at MacWorld 2009 according to Gadget Lab:

Apple will launch an upgrade to its low-end desktop, the Mac Mini, at January’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco, according to an Apple corporate employee who contacted Wired.com.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous (to keep his job), could not disclose details about the Mac Mini other than its upcoming announcement at Macworld Expo, which begins Jan. 5.

Wired is backing this info but is unable to bolster it with any other good solid follow-up meat.

A guesstimate on the specs include the likes of an aluminum brick design (in a desktop? why?), DisplayPort, and 4GB of RAM maximum, with 2.0-GHz Core 2 Duo and a 2.3-GHz Core 2 Duo.

Have you heard anything about this?

Let me know

Wired

Check it out gamers!

Logitech has announced that  its G13 Gameboard should be out in a month or so.

Rockin a trio of game modes, a built-in 160 x 43 pixel LCD for stats and messaging, 25 programmable keys, and a programmable joystick, Logitech confidently states that the G13

“offers up to 87 ways for you to control your game.”

It also arrives with pre-configured settings for World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as well as other top titles.

You can obviously setup custom button-profiles as you please and even create macros on the fly without having to pause your game.

It’s gonna be costing around the £60 mark.

It also appears that we could get its big brother as Engadget Chinese has spotted the G18 keyboard!

They haven’t got much in the way of specs and tings but they did spot the fast function keys on the left side of the board (some which seem to be numbered G11-G15), and the fact that the full board is also packing a tiny display at the center.

GAME ON!! 

Engadget Chinese

Happy Birthday Mouse!!

The oddly named control device is celebrating its 40th birthday today!

Even though it has since lost its wheels and many have no tails (wires) they’re still pretty much the same as they’ve always been - even though its demise has been predicted.

It was created by Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute in California and was a controller housed in a carved wooden block with wheels on the bottom and a wire out the front which later migrated to its more familiar position.

Someone called it a ‘mouse’ as a joke and the name stuck. He said:

‘We thought that when it had escaped out to the world it would have a more dignified name. But it didn’t.’

His first mouse was up and running in 1968, and was first shown to the public in a demo on December 9 that year. (The vid clip below)

Xerox developed the mouse in the 1970s, launching it alongside the Xerox Star computer in 1981. It didn’t exactly thrill the world but when Engelbart’s patent ran out Apple snapped up the rights from Stanford for $40,000 - cunning huh?

It was then launched alongside the Mac in 1984.

Then the PC users picked up on it and the rest, as they say, is history.

Check out a vid clip of part of the first test

I’ve got kinda used to flicking past ‘Black Friday Sale’ notices on my feeds and emails but, fortuntely, I hit reverse when I saw this and now have decided to share.

Apple is bringing a Black Friday sale from the US and delivering it to us folks in the UK. Thanks Apple - Thapple!

Log onto the Apple Store’s website this Friday and you’re promised bargains in excelcis.

We’re being spoilt here - first it was Darling’s VAT cut and now this!  Lumme!

Apple’s being coy as to which products will see a price drop - iPods, MacBooks and Mac desktops? I just don’t know.

What I do know is that Apple mentions the iPhone specifically

I think a date with Apple for cheaper Crimbo gifts is called for

Sorry - this MacBook Nano has probably never seen an Apple let alone Cupertino!

Whether this is a little custom hack or there’s someone is making a living churning these funked MSI U100 types out from a lock-up “sarf of the river” I have no idea.

But these shiny-but-fake Mini Mac’s do come complete with Mac OS X installed and to be honest I think I’d have one - if only just to confuse everyone else!

Granted - whoever is dishing these out needs to give them a little more tweaking but I’m intereseted - contact me yeah? 

They come in black or white (guess which one I want) and here are the specs:

MSI U100 MacBook Nano
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
2G DDRII
10″ WSVGA LED (1024×600)
320GB SATA
1kg
MMC/SD/MS 4
Windows XP Pro + Mac OSX Leopard

Flickr via Gizmodo

Word on the interweblogsphere is that the Mac Mini will not be shipped to stores from today!

There is no word as to when or if the tiny mac box will ever ship again.

The Mac Mini was designed to be the cheapest Mac but, unfortunately, the Mini sold very poorly and word is that it’s either going to be refreshed or become redundant.

More word as I get it……

Mr Jobs refuses to make one so Amex Digital has stepped in to give new MacBook / MacBook Pro owners the ability to watch and burn Blu-ray Discs.

You get a choice of black or white for this external drive but it is pretty much the Blu flavour of the portable Super Multi Drive that Amex Digital released back in July.

It’ll burn BD-RE / -R (single-layer) discs at 2x, while dual-layer versions will only toast at 1x; as for blank DVDs, they’ll get done at a rate of 4x to 8x.

It can be yours for $289.

Amex Digital

Word on the street is that the employees at NVIDIA have had their grubby little paws all over the latest Apple notebook and given it high-fives all round for its superior hardware prowess. 

Sources claim that the new model will get rid of Intel’s factory standard platform and replace it with components supplied by either Apple or an outside party………

A possible switch to a NVIDIA chipset commonly used for Intel-based notebooks, would give Apple faster video acceleration and more advanced power management.

Further speculation on a possible release date suggests that the notebooks could be available as soon as October 14th - like, next week people!

Again, lots of speculation abounds but it has been eight months since there’s been any updates to the range - could the time be now?

And as Morrisey once said - How Soon Is Now?

AppleInsider

The Electric Pig has had a chat with Spore and Sim City creator, Will Wright, who has just revealed that the iPhone version of Spore would go live on Apple’s app store this Friday!

FTW!!!!!!

Spore is the ambitious new life simulator from Wright & co that has been developed over the last 7 years.

I think it probably goes without saying that the iPhone version will represent but a portion of the the larger PC and Mac versions but I’m sure it’s gonna be fabulous and highly addictive.

But, on saying that it’s also probably one of the most anticipated titles yet to head to Apple’s blower.

“It has nice graphics, and feel-good music, but it’s not the whole game,” Wright explained.

“It’s just the Cell Stage, but I’ve been told the game will be going live on the App Store this Friday.”

The full puter version also launches on Friday September 5th.

Sporetastic mate! I’m gonna get me this for sure!

Roll on Friday!!!

This must rate as one of the oddest puter add-ons!

It’s only $29.99 (!!!) and you can get them from CrazyPC now!. 

It’s a toaster (no, really!) that fits in your spare drive bay.  Not sure about the crumbs rattling around your puter case but hey: Toasty-bready-goodness a-go-go!
THIS IS A MUST FOR GAMERS METHINKS!

• Fits in a standard 5.25 drive bay
• Toasts bread in just minutes (bread sold separately - or why not bake your own)
• Requires available USB port and 4 pin Molex power connector
• Attractive aluminum finish face plate…….yeah, whatever!
• Windows based software interface controls variables for time duration and heat intensity (Mac OS version coming soon!)
• Includes crumb tray for easy clean-up! (ahhhh)
• Easy to Install
• Warranty 2 years
• Air ducting ventilation exhausts hot air out of the back of case. Requires a free PCI slot.

I can’t wait for the chilled butter CD tray follow-up

Does anyone else think that this is a thing of beauty?

CBS is reporting on a fire that broke out in the middle of the night at the Apple R&D facility in Cupertino!

There was said to be up to 66 fighters at the scene to combat the fire.

Early assesment from Firefighter Deputy Rooney revealed that the fire started under an air conditioning unit.

No one was reported to be in the building when the fire broke out; what a bunch of slackers huh!?!

No Macs, iPhones or iPods are said to have been hurt during the blaze………….

9 to 5 Mac

Apparently the MobileMe email issue has finally been resolved.

1% of MobileMe users where without email for several days and the service only got restored after the non-customercentric period of 11 days! 

The MobileMe problems were very bad for Apple - where they should’ve been basking in the iPhone afterglow they were being hit at every turn:

Headlines such as ”Has Apple bitten off more than it can chew?” (The Guardian), “Apple Slammed for Ongoing MobileMe Crisis” (Wired News), “Apple’s MobileMess” (NY Times).

More details on the Apple MobileMe Status page

Well, it’s been days since the last Apple Rumour so let’s have another!

Apparently, according to Seth Weintraub, the next generation of MacBooks are supposed to be thinner (no, really!?!) and feature a glass track-pad with multi-touch and gesture support.

Glass is nice to touch just have that Windolene ready folks!

The body of the new MacBooks would be made from a single piece of aluminium.

The new MacBooks will most likely run Intel’s Centrino 2 and are supposed to be out by September!

More details at ComputerWorld.

There is now a Blu-Ray 6x Superdrive for all you Mac fansters and it comes thanks to MCE Technologies.

The new drive will enable you to burn both single and dual layer Blu-Ray DVDs and store up to fifty gigabytes of information on a single disc.

The Superdrive is capable of burning at 6x for Blu-Ray, 16x for standard +R/RW DVDs, can burn CDs at a not-so-sluggish 40x, as well as burning capabilities for DVD Ram at and HD- DVD-ROM at 5x. 

MCE states that the MCE 6X Blu-ray Recordable Drive is compatible with any MacPro or PowerMac PC and is available immediately and will set you back about $500 US (that’s with a single Blu-Ray blank disc included in the price…..their generousity knows no bounds!).

Gadgets Weblog via Coolest Gadgets

For all you Mac lovers here’s some web-cam news!

Logitech are launching their first ever Mac-compatible webcam today.  Rah! 

The snappily titled QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac claims to deliver “image perfect detail and exceptional video calling” through iChat and Skype.

It will also produce VGA-quality video at up to 30 frames per second – which is “four times as sharp and twice as smooth as any other video-calling solution - at no additional charge”. Thank you LT :0)

The camera features a Carl Zeiss lens hooked up to a two megapixel sensor.  You can get up close and personal as it will still produce a sharp image when you’re only 10 cm from the camera lens.   Extreme close-up!

The cam uses Logitech’s RightLight2 technology, which enables the webcam to adjust intelligently in dim or harshly backlighted situations.

“With this new webcam for Mac computers, we’ve integrated our most advanced video technologies to truly enrich your video-calling experience,” says Gina Clark, general manager and vice president of Logitech’s Internet Communications business unit. “The lens and autofocus, the sensor and the lighting software all contribute to create image-perfect detail and clarity.”

The plug-and-play Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac is expected to be available in the US and Europe next month for £69.99.

Logitech Website

Dell are looking to unleash their “Dell E.”

This is not a purveyor of fine spicy sausages but an Eee taunting notebook that will also pull the pig-tails of the MacBook Air.

Dell’s saying that the Dell E will appear in two device types; an 8.9-inch model clearly meant to take on the Eee 900, and the 12.1-inch “E Slim” which actually looks positioned to take on the MacBook Air and X300, at a mere 0.8-inches thick!

The E Classic model for super low-end use, and E Video and E Video+ for more RAM, larger flash storage, webcams and Bluetooth in the + model.

Rollout looks to be ppencilled in for August / September-ish for the E  and E Slim respectively, and a followup for both of those in October of WWAN, with WiMAX after that.

Pricing sounds like the Dell E starts at $299.

Click the pic for an overview ;0,

Engadget

Photos: Gernot Poetsch

Alrighty!!

It’s time to synchronise your timepieces people!  If, like me, you wont be over in the states on Monday Enadget will be feeding us the good stuff.

If you (possibly) want to get all the juice about the:

3G iPhone

Mid-range Mac desktop

Tablet MacBook

Tablet iPod touch

New MacBook Pros

Hang on though.  This is the WWDC (World Wide Developer Con) and is usually all about the software so Apple may only announce one or two new pieces of hardware.  Maybe. Perhaps.

In that case:

iPhone 2.0 firmware

OS X 10.6

Me.com

Here’s a bunch of things that should help you out.

Where you need to be:
Steve Jobs WWDC 2008 keynote - live coverage
All WWDC 2008 coverage [RSS] [Twitter]

En Español:
El WWDC empieza este lunes 9 de junio a las 10:00 PST USA… ¡prepárate!

And here’s when you gotta be there:
07:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
05:00PM - GMT
06:00PM - London
07:00PM - Paris
02:00AM - Tokyo (June 10th)

Enjoy :0)