The switches are made out of a sheet of aluminum with black chiclet-like keys on them, reminding me of  the keyboard on a MacBook. That’s not a bad thing, and it definitely makes these light switches unique. They’ll change the mood of an apartment or a room, especially if you replace all of your traditional light switches with these.

You’ll have to contact PLH to get yours, and I’m not sure that they’ll work in American homes since they’re designed for Europe, so you’ll want to confirm that before you order.

[via Jay Mug]

The case features a hand-cut strap made from a full hide, which has been hand-burnished and oiled. The interior of the case is lined with soft wood felt. The bamboo has been hand-rubbed so its finish is as hard and as smooth as possible.

Silva uses 100% solid Carmel bamboo that has been CNC machined and hand assembled. It’s definitely an attractive case, and since it’s made out of bamboo, it shouldn’t weigh too much.

While it may be natural and made from sustainable wood, it’s not cheap. The Silva MacBook Case for the MacBook Pro costs $179.99(USD) over on their website. It’s also available in an iPad 2 version for $129.99.

[via Swagfresh]

Just to show you the drastic transformation that The Brain pulled off, here’s another look at the vanilla MacBook:

And here it is after being dyed:

Obviously there are several ways to change the color of the MacBook’s case, but for his project The Brain decided to use RIT fabric dye. Unfortunately, choosing the color of the dye is the only easy part of this project. You’ll have to disassemble your MacBook (you didn’t think you were going to boil the whole thing did you?) , sand down some of its parts and be very careful with the actual dyeing. The dye is toxic, it will stick everywhere and the boiling water might warp some of the MacBook case parts. Now you know why ColorWare charges so much for their services – and they don’t run the risk of melting your Mac.

If you think you’re up to the task, put on your rubber gloves and head to The Brain’s blog, BrainDeadLock Labs for the full instructions.

[via Fancy]

It’s supposed to increase the bass capability of your MacBook significantly, picking up just the low-end, and still leaving mid-range and high frequencies to the MacBook’s internal speakers. A single USB cable delivers both power and sound, which cuts down on wires and clutter. The Bassjump 2 comes with software to customize the sound, including volume and crossover frequency – between 100Hz and 300Hz.

If you tend to use your MacBook Pro or Air as a way to share music with your friends, then this is definitely a good option to check out. The Bassjump 2 costs $69.99(USD) over at Twelve South.

It’s definitely a smart idea, and it makes you wonder why it hasn’t been invented before. It will charge up your MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and iPod – two gadgets at a time. The 10-watt charger delivers enough juice to charge up your iPad in a timely manner, because your computer’s USB ports can take up to 4× as long. It can also convert non-US chargers to US adapters because you can swap out the prongs to the PlugBug.

You can get the PlugBug for $34.99 (USD) at Twelvesouth.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The cases come with a lining made out of sheep’s wool and a magnetic hemp closure. Since the covers are made from paper, you can sketch or paint directly on them to give them added character.

They’ll also capture coffee stains, fingerprints, etc. while you lug them around.

The MacBook Air sleeve sells for $58 (USD) and the iPad 2 sleeve sells for $47 over at Roots. There’s also an iPod Touch sleeve for $32, which might also fit iPhones, but it might be a tight squeeze.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via core77]

This vinyl decal sticks to the outside of your MacBook, giving it the illusion that it’s had its cover removed, and its guts are hanging out for all to see. The decals are made by CrystalMacBook, and are actually based on 1:1 scale photographs of the innards of the MacBook, and precision-cut to fit.

They’re available for the 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook for $16.99 (USD) each over on Etsy. The only thing cooler would be an actual see-through case for the MacBook, so you could see the real guts of the system – like this iPhone mod.

The Apple Genius, being the genius he is, immediately noted the machine was not a real MacBook Air. I would have expected him to stick his nose in the air and toss the man and his faux Mac to the curb. But that’s not the case. The Apple Genius reportedly fixed the dude’s real technical issue on the fake MacBook.

The only proof of any of this is the photo you see here. Of course, there are fake Apple Stores in China though, so maybe he brought his fake MacBook to a fake Apple Store. This store appears to be real, what do you think?

[via M.I.C. Gadget]

I haven’t seen Totoro decals before, but they oddly make sense and serve as a reminder that I should probably watch that movie again.

This city skyline one is sort of reminiscent of the The Dark Knight Rises teaser poster.

You’ll also find a cherry tree decal, which is also quite interesting, as well as some fan favorites like Snow White. All of StickerFun’s MacBook decals are available for $9.99 (USD). Just like any wares on Etsy, they could go pretty fast, so if you like what you see, you’d better act quickly.

[via Technabob reader Hz]

MacBook vinyl stickers are all the rage, and you can install these ones without consequence, since they don’t leave any residue when you want to take them off.

That’s not all. You can also get a goth Snow White with tattoo “sleeves.”

The stickers are made out of die-cut pressure-sensitive adhesive vinyl and eco-solvent inks. They’re also available in versions for iPads, iPods, and iPhones. Expect to pay $7 to $20 from Stickerman’s Etsy shop depending on which Apple device you wish to accessorize.

[via Cool Hunting]

For starters, Tommaso envisions the MacBook 2020 as being the first “molecularly manufactured laptop.” That is, the machine would be made out of “scalable micro-lattice nanomaterials” which would literally allow you to shrink the MacBook to fit into your pocket when you want to.

At full-size, the MacBook 2020 would offer a design which breaks into two separate tablet surfaces. This would be achieved thanks to magnetic hinges and a wireless connection between its two halves. Maybe you and a friend can share the same computer with this unusual split-component design, or you could use one screen for input and the other one for displaying content on the other side of the room.

That’s not all. The tablet-like surfaces would include a complex set of layers which provide 3D image viewing and capture, tactile feedback and unlimited power through a photovoltaic panel too. It even would have a “shapeshifter” coating on top which would allow the MacBook to change finishes from matte to glossy or from metal to plastic. Sweet. Sign me up! Can I get that for my car, too?

Instead of today’s LCD or LED displays, the MacBook 2020 would have holographic screen surfaces, capable of both displaying and scanning 3D objects.

You could then manipulate and interact with 3D objects in real time using a Kinect-like gesture control system.

While this all sounds pretty far-fetched, one only has to think back to how primitive computers and mobile phones looked 10 to 20 years ago to realize how far and how quickly technological breakthroughs occur. And Tommaso is quick to point out how many of his ideas are grounded in technologies which are currently in development, or in their early stages in the consumer market already. While I’m not certain we’ll move quite as fast as 2020, I think most of the technologies seen here will eventually find their way to market in one form or another. Except maybe the shape-shifter part – but I’m hoping I’ll be proven wrong.

[via coroflot]

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.

This great decal will change the color of your Apple logo to a nice evil red. It’s available for $15 from Expendable Decals. What do you guys think? Cylons or HAL?

[via geek-gadgets]

His MacBook (aka “MagicBook”) replaces the standard keyboard with a touch surface that works like a giant Magic Trackpad. But with a push of the button on the top left corner, a full QWERTY keyboard is revealed, concealed beneath a glass protective layer and backlit with LEDs.

As for Lieto’s Mac Mini, he envisions a pancake-thin form factor. At just 10mm thick, it’s a hair slimmer than an iPad. This scale could only be achieved through elimination of the rarely used DVD-rom drive. And the top surface would provide a wireless sync and induction-based charging for your iPod or iPhone. The Mini would also sport glowing green edge lighting to give the system a really dramatic look when the lights go down.

Check out more images of Antonio’s design concepts in the gallery below:

While I question the idea of a keyboard without tactile feedback, the overall look of Lieto’s designs is totally slick, and I’d love to see Apple take at least a few cues from Antonio’s concepts – especially the Mac Mini charge-and-sync – I love that one.

[Thanks for the pics, Antonio!]

They serve as a reminder to unplug your laptop once it’s completely charged up, otherwise your battery will deteriorate faster. Also, it will use twice as much electricity. The stickers will also protect the laptop case from scratches. Of course, once you peel them off, you’ll probably have scratches in the form of an inverse typographic pattern.

These stickers are just an example of the many different ones available in Hu2′s online store. Most of them sell for £19 (appx. $28 USD). There are even some cool ones for your iMac.

[via Design You Trust]

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.

Thankfully, Fast Company has come up with this great little cheat sheet, that you can cut out and take with you anywhere.

“In a future full of iPads, iPhone OS 4, next-gen iPhones, and iPod Touches with cameras (plus whatever Gray Powell leaves at a German beer joint next week), a significant portion of your tech life will likely bear an Apple logo — and keep Steve Jobs in the finest stonewashed jeans regionally available. The question isn’t, “Do you use Apple devices,” but “Which one?” And “Where?” Here’s a cut-out-and-keep cheat sheet.”

[via This Isn't Happiness]

As stated in Wisair’s press release, the DisplayDock does the job of four cables – assuming all of your peripherals are wired – and is wireless to boot. The device offers plug and play connectivity good for up to 30 ft., and supports video resolutions up to 1440×1050. No word on its price yet, but we’ll know soon enough because Wisair will start selling the DisplayDock at the end of March.

[Wisair via GetUSB]

The BookBook is a hardcover leather case for MacBooks and MacBook Pros, though I’d bet that it fits other laptops as well, assuming they’re of the 13 or 15-inch variety.

It’s available in two colors, either classic black or vibrant red. Both colors are finished in a hardback leather case. What I really like is that the laptop will almost disappear in a bunch of books. I can’t really think of a better way to hide your laptop from would-be thieves.

You can buy the bookbook from TwelveSouth for $79.99 (USD).

[via This Isn't Happiness]