MacBook arriving Today? Next week? Who knows?

Unconfirmed reports that Apple store have received new window display materials that say, "do not open until Tuesday, May 9th.

Screenshot has surfaced from the Apple iPod section where there was a "glitch". The page showed no content and the breadcrumb navigation at the bottom showed, "Home > Hardware > MacBook"

Asustek is said to be producing the new Intel dual core 13.3" widescreen MacBook and ramped up production last week.

May be available in White or Black and there will most likely be a slight price increase just like with the Intel Mac Mini

Newer reports say it would most likely be next week at the earliest, but will more likely coincide with a new iPod line later this month.

The 17" MacBooks Pros started arriving on customers doorsteps on Monday.

New iPod Ad with 60s spin

New iPod silhouette ad running, but uses a psychedelic color changing background.

Psychedelic iPod ad

New iTunes and iPod patent filings

iPod: An audio navigation interface for iPods. Would use text to speech technology to turn ID3 tags and metadata into audio so you could navigate the iPod without looking at it.

iTunes: A method of buying a song, ring tone or music video from an online store over a wireless network.

Using a cell phone or wireless-PDA you would bookmark a song or video on an online music store. Then could download it over a fast network when you return to your computer and broadband.

Judgement in Apple vs. Apple lawsuit

The judge ruled iTunes was "a form of electronic shop" and not involved in creating music so therefore Apple did not break the 1991 agreement.

The Beatles wanted Apple to stop using the Apple logo in connection with the iTunes Music Store on the grounds that it caused confusion with creative works form their label Apple Corps.

After the ruling Steve Jobs invited the Beatles to sell their songs on iTunes. That won't be happening any time soon because of course the Apple Corps plans to appeal the decision.

Samsung caught stealing from Apple

Samsung admitted this week to "unintentionally" using elements and complete icon designs from Apple and Microsoft.

They were used in the interface of their new Skin cell phone

The phone interface included icons from TextEdit, Stickies, MSN Messenger, and the magnifying glass from Sherlock.

The design was fixed and given Apples new relationships with Samsung I doubt we will see any lawsuit over this.

New Intel chips get a new name

The new desktop (code-named Conroe) and laptop ( code-named Merom) chips should be available this summer and will be called the Core 2 Duo.

The desktop chips is expected in July while the new portable chip should be available in August

Both chips feature Intel's new 65-nanometer Core Microarchitecture design

Chips will be distinguished by a 5-digit code following the name.

The first digit is a letter and will denote power consumption

“U” for ultra low voltage (below 15 watts)

“L” for low voltage (15 to 24 watts)

“T” for standard mobile (25 to 55 watts)

"E" for standard desktop (55 to 75 watts)

“X” for extreme (above 75 watts).

The next 4 digits will be a numeric code and give a clue as to the chips specific features

Conroe chips are the 4000 and 6000 series

Merom chips are the 5000 and 7000 series

2 cores are just the start. Intel has future plans for 4 and even 8 core chips. Using more cores with lower clock speeds is a way to around the loss in efficiency vs simply trying to run chips at higher clock speeds. Saves on clock speed, heat and electricity.

Two more Apple Stores open this week

Apple Store Suburban Square in Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Apple Retail Stores

Apple Store Simi Valley in Simi Valley, California

Both open on Saturday May 13th at 10:00 AM

Apple is also rumored to be opening its flagship store in Manhattan next week, the fifth anniversary (5/19/2006) of the company's first retail store opening.

Correction on Colorado store location. It is Broomfield, not Bloomfield.

MacCast One Minute Tip #14 - Getting Info

Play MacCast One Minute Tip

www.oneminutetip.com

Drying out electronics

Tim recommends using silica gel packs

Put your iPod, cellphone, PDA, etc in a sealed container for a couple of days.

Can get it cheap in powder form from arts and craft stores like Michael's. Be careful to keep the powder separate from and off the device.

Can also find silica gel packs at camera shops, but it tends to be more expensive.

The "Endianness" of file systems

Listener Graham clued me in.

Endian is a term that has to do with the byte-order of data stored in memory

Big-endian (PowerPC, actually can do either, but in Macs is set to Big) system, memory is organized with the address of each data byte increasing from most significant to least significant.

Little-endian system (Intel), memory is organized with the address of each data byte increasing from the least significant to the most significant.

ZFS will write to a disk in the host machines native byte-order, but stores a flag saying which endianness that was. So when you move the drive to a system with a different endian the drive is smart enough to know it needs to change the byte order.

The terms big-endian and little-endian come from Jonathan Swift’s eighteenth-century satire Gulliver’s Travels. The subjects of the empire of Blefuscu were divided into two factions: those who ate eggs starting from the big end and those who ate eggs starting from the little end.

Watch full screen video on underpowered Macs

Listener David sent in this tip

If you get choppy video when you enlarge it using QuickTime or iTunes

Use OS Xs built-in zoom feature. part of universal access

Type Apple+Option+8 to turn on zooming

Apple+Option+= to zoom in and Apple+Option+- to zoom out

Downside is the pointer stays on the screen.

Who is the "PC" in the new Mac Ads

John Hodgman who has made several appearances on the Daily Show on Comedy Central.

MacGathering Promo

Play MacGathering Promo

www.macgathering.com

I will be taking part in a Podcasting discussion group and the Mac Jeopardy contest. I will also be at the Mixer Friday night and around all day Saturday.

Play correction on my mutilation of René Auberjonois' name