But in exchange for that extra 0.6″ and 8oz. you get a stand that locks in place, providing both passive and active cooling, the latter achieved via a USB-powered fan. You can actually use your MacBook Pro on your lap again! The TILT’s air intake and exhaust vents are aligned with the MBP’s own vents, in contrast with other cooling stands that simply have fans in the middle or on the corners. The TILT also has a tripod-thread, so you can mount and secure it on your tripod if you’re working outdoors or if you just want to make an impromptu standing desk.

Even though the TILT is made of plastic, its finish makes it blend well with the aluminum chassis of the MacBook Pro. It even has rubber feet similar to the ones found on the laptop.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle that this concept is facing is that it’s an incredibly niche product. Not only is it limited to the MacBook Pro, the only TILT that’s available for pre-order is the one for the 15″ MacBook Pro. That said, creators and brothers Spencer & Clinton aka MadMinds promise that a version compatible with the 13″ MBP will also be released. They still haven’t reached their target fund of $8,000 (USD) over at Kickstarter, so if you want to support the development of the TILT, drop by their page and pledge. A pledge of $45(USD) or more entitles you to one of the first units of the TILT, which will retail for $55.

These cases will still allow you to use all of your device’s buttons and functions and are priced from 29.99€ (~$42 USD) to 59.99€ (~$84 USD). Normally I would call that expensive, but the quality of the cases and the graphics should be well worth a purchase.

[via Case Scenario]

We’ve featured Computer Choppers’ exquisite craftsmanship on a pre-unibody MacBook Pro before, but which millionaire in his right mind would want a previous generation golden laptop? It just doesn’t make sense! From what I understand, this time only the case has been coated with 24k gold. The keyboard and trackpad are merely “color matched”, whatever that means. It’s still quite a piece of work though. The company also claims that no special care is needed when handling the golden laptop because the plating is scratch-proof. It’s the opposite of thief-proof though.

Just like the ordinary models that Apple sells for unwashed middle class peons, the 24k gold plated MacBook Pros are available in 13″, 15″ and 17″ versions. Pricing starts at $5,000 (USD), but who cares about that. Have your people call Computer Choppers‘ people so they can work something out.

[via Chip Chick]

Highlights of the new models include an upgrade of the 15-inch and 17-inch models to speedy quad-core Intel Core i7 CPUs. The 13-inch models can be ordered in dual-core i5 or i7 versions, so all the systems got a nice performance boost.

In addition to the CPU speed-up, the Radeon GPUs in the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros have benchmarked at up to 3 times faster than the GPUs in the prior models. To be specific, the 15-inch runs the AMD Radeon HD 6490M with either 256MB or 1GB of GDDR5 memory. The 17-inch has an Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB of memory. However, the 13-inch models run Intel HD 3000 graphics chips with up to 384MB shared SDRAM, so don’t expect the same video performance on these.

MacBook Pro CPU configurations include a dual-core 2.3 GHz i5 or 2.7 GHz Core i7 on the 13-inch model,  quad-core 2.0 GHz, 2.2 GHz or 2.3 GHz Core i7 on the 15-inch model, and the 17-inch offers the same, minus the 2.0 GHz option. Display resolution on the 13-inch is 1280×800, on the 15-inch 1440×900, and on the 17-inch 1920×1200. All three models have LED-backlit glossy displays, with optional anti-glare versions available.

One letdown – no HDMI port yet. These MacBooks will still need a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, costing about $40 bucks and an annoying converter dongle hanging from your svelte aluminum computer if you want to connect an external display. Same goes for VGA and DVI. Here’s a quick look at the port configuration on each model:

The new models are all about speed, adding the first ever Thunderbolt I/O port, which supports blazing fast data transfer rates up to 10Gbps – an estimated 12 times faster than FireWire 800. The first Thunderbolt external drive, the LaCie Little Big Disk – was also announced today – but doesn’t ship until Summer. All models also incorporate FaceTime HD, a new version which allows widescreen video call in HD resolutions.

All models have backlit keyboards, a multi-touch trackpad, and 8X slot-loading SuperDrive DVD burner, and battery life rated at up to 7 hours. Base prices are $1199 and $1499 for the 13-inch variants, $1799 and $2199 for the 15-inch, and $2499 for the 17-inch. Prices go up if you want more than 4GB RAM, CPU upgrades or other add-ons. All models are available immediately, and can be ordered now over at the Apple Store.

Inklet also has handwriting recognition and supports a variety of applications, including Pixelmator, Circus Ponies NoteBook, Photoshop CS3, CS4 and Elements, Corel Painter and even Word 2008. It also detects “unwanted” trackpad touches, say when your palm is resting on the trackpad.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

As great as it seems to be, Inklet doesn’t change the fact that the MacBook/MacBook Pro trackpad is quite small, so if you need a bigger area then you might find the Inklet too cumbersome. But if you’re strapped for cash or if you’re just starting to learn how to use graphics editing programs, Inklet may be just the thing for you. You can buy Inklet at Ten One Design for $25 (USD); a downloadable demo is also available at the website. Inklet is Mac-only, and it only works with the multitouch trackpads.

The decals are made with Avery MPI vinyl and are supposedly very easy to clean or remove. The problem? They kinda obscure the keys. The rainbow design shown above is actually merciful compared to the other designs, which will have you vomiting with color shock or too much cuteness before you can find the key you want to press.

So if you want to let your keyboard special, get these decals at openclose’s shop at Etsy for $15 (USD) each.

It’s funny how the description makes it sound like Apple is sulking. After an adjective filled description of the glossy display, all they have to say about the option is “or an optional antiglare display.” Maybe they should add “Go ahead, you moron. Pay us $50 so you can miss out on all the awesomeness.” Seriously though I think Apple should stop acting like a child and elaborate on the pros and cons of the displays. By re-introducing this option they’re already conceding that point anyway. Might as well help customers decide.

[via Ars Technica]

That must be the color of a Sith Lord’s soul. Mmmmm want. Then again, it’s $6,000. So what else will you get for that kind of cash? Colorware’s so-called “Stealth” is a 15″ Macbook Pro with a matte widescreen display (yet another feature that wasn’t broke),  3.06 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, and a 256 GB SSD.

Now I know what you’re thinking, ’cause I’m psychic like that, and the answer is: $4,249. That’s how much it would cost if you bought an equally pimped-out 15″ MBP at an Apple Store. You could even spend a lot less than that if you buy the additional 4 GB RAM and the SSD from a third-party vendor.

Then again, this laptop is BLACK, and as I said, there are only 10 of these available. Nah, who am I kidding. IT AIN’T WORTH THE EXTRA $1,750 PEOPLE!

But if you have the money to burn, I think you should go buy it at Colorware ASAP. I’m sure there are more than 10 idiots people out there willing to pony up the money for this gimmick.

[via Engadget]

Without fiddling with a Leopard installer’s disk image and throwing some stuff out, you’ll need at least an 8 Gb SD card to make a portable Leopard installation.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Wasn’t that easy? Now all you need to do is wreck your internal disk so you’ll have a reason to boot from the SD! I’m kidding. And before anyone asks, no, you can’t boot a PC with this card.