Apple rumour #78,941 for the week – new MacBooks in as little as six weeks?

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Thankfully another rumour from inside Cupertino has reared its smooth white head, with a Commercial Times article claiming that we’ll be seeing an upgrade to the MacBook range in the third quarter of 2008.

For anyone holding out for a new MacBook, that’s at least six weeks away, and even then, it’s still just rumour. The rumours this time around seem to be based on two Taiwanese flat-panel makers receiving orders for up to 3 million units for new MacBooks.

Most believe the revision will…

Exposé! eBay UK not as Blu-ray friendly as other eBay sites

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It’s come to my attention, through a recent attempt at flogging my copy of Casino Royale (every Blu-ray player owner has at least six copies), that eBay UK is not anywhere near as Blu-ray friendly as the US, or even Australia, Canada, or France. I’d test more sites, but that’s about the limit to my bilingualism.

Ever tried selling a Blu-ray on eBay UK? Ever other country’s site seems to have Blu-ray listed in the categories field, however not us in Blighty, who’re forced to lump it into the ‘DVD, Film & TV > DVDs’ or ‘DVD, Film & TV > Other Film Formats’ fields.

The winning HD format is not mentioned anywhere, and neither is HD DVD, which is also mentioned on all the aforementioned sites. Although dead formats such as MiniDisc have their very own boxes for you to tick, along with SACD, DAT, audio cassettes, floppy discs and VHS.

So can we cut to the chase already and label eBay UK as being a non-embracing technological Luddite?..

YouTube Hits: Microsoft TouchWall in action


This video was likely filmed by director Paul ‘shaky cam’ Greengrass instead of TechCrunch, however still manages to get the message across of just how awesome the Microsoft TouchWall is.

Ok, so it’s obvious they just hung their Surface table on a wall and are trying to charge a few extra dollars for it, but you must admit, it’d certainly make those office boardroom meetings more interesting. Measuring 4′ x 6′, it employs…

Loose-lipped Intel employee claims Atom chip will be in next Apple device

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The Apple rumours are flying thick and fast this week, with a loose-lipped Intel employee in Germany bragging their new Atom chip (designed for mobile devices and UMPCs) would be featured in the next portable Apple creation.

Whether that’s an iPhone, tablet, or handheld gaming system is still unknown, but if Intel Germany’s Managing Director, Hannes Schwaderer, has been welcomed into the Apple thinktank, the devices with the new Atom chips will have 720 x 480 displays, so quite a bit bigger than the current batch of iPhones. And let’s be honest…

ASUS updates Eee 900 with new motherboard, dubs thee Eee 901

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The Eee 900 has been out for just a week, however ASUS has declared it’s time for an update. Meet the 901, which has slight changes to its exterior, and a new Intel Atom chip buried within the 8.9″ sub-notebook.

Other changes include several metal finishings to the casing, including on the screen hinge (which is also lacking the power button now), on the keyboard, and trackpad, plus two microphones. One other thing worth noting…

Will Christian Dior be joining the hordes of fashion labels, and produce a mobile phone?

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You’re not a proper fashion designer unless you’ve tried your hand at designing a mobile phone (see: Motorola and Dolce & Gabbana, LG and Prada, Samsung and Armani amongst others), and considering Dior is one of those labels even your accountant has heard of, it’s surprising we’re only hearing about a possible product launch this year.

The above blingtastic handset has been shown over at Engadget Mobile, although little else is known about it. Swarovski crystals are a go-go, however, according to the photo, as well as its own…remote control….

Need clean clothes in 20 minutes? LG's Steam Direct Drive washing machine can deliver

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LG thinks you smell. It’s nothing personal, they just don’t approve of your washing methods up until now. Which is why they’ve launched some special new Steam Direct Drive washing machines, which promise to wash your clothes in just 20 minutes.

You can apparently shove up to 9kg of soiled clothes into the machines, and using steam instead of water, they’ll be odour-less and dry, ready for you to wear. It’s been given a rating of A++ in energy…