Apple Bytes

Today, the Transportation Security Administration (the people keeping us safe when flying) decided to ease up on the prohibition against taking any liquids on planes. They had banned just about everything including toothpaste, lip gloss and bubble bath.
This got me to thinking about what else is allowed and what isn't, so I took a look at the TSA Web site where they have a complete list. I swear, if I were creative enough to make up stuff like this, I'd be a millionaire, so this is all real.

Knitting and Crochet Needles            OK
Knives                                not allowed
Toy Transformer Robots                OK
Meat Cleavers                        not allowed
Sabers                                not allowed
Bows and Arrows                      not allowed (this is really on the list)
Pool Cues                            not allowed
Realistic Replicas of Firearms            not allowed
Cattle Prods                            not allowed
Screwdrivers                         OK
Nunchakus                            not allowed
Throwing Stars                        not allowed
Dynamite                            not allowed (good thing they put that on the list)
Hand Grenades                        not allowed (damn)
Realistic Replicas of Explosives        not allowed

Baby formula and food, breast milk and other baby items - These are allowed in your carry-on baggage or personal items. You can take these through the security checkpoints and aboard your plane. However, you must be traveling with a baby or toddler. All items including formula or breast milk will be inspected.(Mmm, who gets to inspect the breast milk?)

Gel based sports supplements            not allowed (Oh, thanks God, I can sleep safe at night)
Jell-O's                                not allowed
Pudding                                not allowed
Whipped cream                        not allowed (so how are you suppose to pass the time?)
Gel shoe inserts                        not allowed

And I can remember when it was just a question of whether or not you could smoke.

Apple has pre-announced a wireless video streaming set-top box to be released in Q1 2007 with the tag line "you can take content to your computer or iPod, but now... TV." Going by the codeword of iTV, the box looks like a flattened Mac mini -- apparently it's around half the height -- and features a built-in power supply, USB 2.0, Ethernet, 802.11 "wireless component video", optical audio and HDMI ports, plus regular ol' RCA stereo audio ports. Controllable by the standard Apple remote, the iTV will come with an updated version of the Front Row interface that shares Front Row's smooth 3D graphics, but differs in that it has a menu on the right side of the screen. Apparently it'll work with both iTunes on both PCs and Macs, and will sell for $299.

Apple to release iTV video streaming box in 2007 - Engadget

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Apple(R) today introduced the new
iPod(R) shuffle, now the world's smallest digital music player with Apple's
pioneering shuffle feature that lets music fans serve up a continuous mix of
their favorite songs anywhere they go. Nearly half the size of the original,
the new iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an
ounce and features a stunning all-new aluminum design and a built-in clip
which makes it the most wearable iPod ever. The new iPod shuffle contains one
gigabyte of flash memory, which holds up to 240 songs, and is more affordable
than ever at just $79.
    "It's hard to believe the new iPod is a real music player when you first
see it," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "But it is real, and holds up to 240
songs in an incredibly compact and wearable design that weighs just half an
ounce."
    iPod shuffle is based on Apple's super-popular shuffle feature which lets
users enjoy their songs in a random order. Or listeners can simply flip a
switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new
album. iPod shuffle features up to 12 hours of battery life

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today announced iTunes(R) 7, the most significant enhancement to the world's most popular
music jukebox and online music and video store since it debuted in 2001. iTunes 7 delivers stunning new features such as the new album and Cover Flow views of music, TV shows and movies, enabling users to quickly find titles in their library as well as casually browse through and re-discover titles they already own. In addition, the iTunes Store ( www.itunes.com ) is now offering over 75 movies from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films, that customers can purchase and download to watch on their computers and iPods, and soon on their flat screen televisions with Apple's upcoming iTV* player. Movies will become available on the iTunes Store the same day they are released on DVD, with new releases priced at $12.99 when pre-ordered and during their first week of availability, and $14.99 thereafter, and library titles available for just $9.99 every day.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today introduced the all-new iPod(R) nano with a new aluminum body, an incredible 24 hours of battery life and more than twice the music capacity for the same price as the previous generation. The new iPod nano features Apple's innovative Click Wheel and an even smaller, thinner and lighter design available in silver, pink, green, blue and black.
    "iPod nano is the world's most popular digital music player, and we've  completely redesigned it to make it even better," said Steve Jobs, Apple's  CEO. "The all-new iPod nano gives music fans more of what they love in their iPods -- twice the storage capacity at the same price, an incredible 24 hour battery life and a gorgeous aluminum design in five brilliant colors."
    With a stunning aluminum enclosure available in five brilliant colors, there's an iPod nano to match everyone's individual style. The second generation iPod nano is even more compact than the original and has a brighter, more vibrant display perfect for viewing album art and up to 25,000 photos. Intuitive new features such as Search and Quick Scroll make it even easier for music fans to find exactly what they are looking for and enjoy their music on the go, and with seamless integration with iTunes(R) 7 and the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com), the new iPod nano lets customers choose from over 3.5 million songs from the world's most popular digital music store.
    The new iPod nano supports gapless playback for enjoying albums the way they were intended. iPod nano also includes Apple's patent pending Auto-Sync  technology that automatically downloads a user's digital music collection,  photos or podcasts onto iPod nano and keeps it up-to-date whenever iPod nano  is plugged into a Mac(R) or Windows computer using USB 2.0. The second generation iPod nano features up to 24 hours of battery life and completely skip-free playback.*

    Apple is also unveiling new accessories designed for the second generation iPod nano, including lanyard headphones, an armband, a dock, and a new incredibly compact USB power adapter which at almost half the size of the previous USB power adapter is perfect for charging your iPod while traveling. The new iPod nano features the 30-pin iPod dock connector allowing it to work effortlessly with an incredible range of third-party products, from home stereo speakers to cars featuring iPod integration. There are now more than 3,000 accessories available for the iPod. The second generation iPod nano also works seamlessly with the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, and provides support for voice recording accessories.
 
    Pricing & Availability
    The new iPod nano models are now available worldwide through the Apple Store(R) (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The new 2GB iPod nano model in silver is available for $149 (US), the new 4GB models in silver, pink, green and blue are available for $199 (US), and the new 8GB model in black is available for $249 (US). All iPod nano models include redesigned earbud headphones providing superior comfort, fit and sound quality, and a USB 2.0 cable.
    New optional accessories designed for the second generation iPod nano with the following suggested retail prices include: lanyard headphones for $39  (US), armband for $29 (US), iPod nano Dock for $29 (US), and an iPod USB power adapter for $29 (US).
    iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS(R) X version  10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port  and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service  Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0 or later. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended.
 
    * Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; actual capacity varies by content.  Photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.

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Mac Recon :: an operative mac blog » Mac List

CUPERTINO, California—September 6, 2006—Apple today announced that its entire iMac line now features the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor in every model, delivering up to 50 percent faster performance than the previous iMac. A new 24-inch iMac with a brilliant 24-inch widescreen display joins the 17- and 20-inch models, and iMac prices now start at just $999. Every new iMac includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing out-of-the-box; Apple’s breakthrough Front Row media experience; and iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications.

Apple iMac Line Now Features Intel Core 2 Duo Processors In Every Model

Apple has confirmed the “It’s Showtime” event to take place on September 12th. At 10 AM Pacific time (1 PM Eastern for those on the right coast), Apple will unveil something new at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, California. This directly coincides with the opening of the Apple Expo in France. You won’t like Steve Jobs when he’s angry, just ask the French.The hot, hot rumor for the event is full length movies in the iTunes Store and new “real video” iPods. Don’t forget the standard rumors of Mac hardware updates. So let the speculation begin. If it’s not wild and unreasonable, you’re not a true Apple fan!

MacUser: "It's Showtime" event confirmed for September 12th

You know how the industry loves a good Apple rumor or two (or ten, or a thousand), but when you start getting some synchronicity between the menagerie of rumor sites out there, it's bound to rise to the top. Today's hit: September will see the entry of a 23-inch iMac, as well as a line revamp for the all-in-ones over to Merom Core 2 Duo mobile (i.e. not desktop) processors. (Our staff of twelve interns gave it a quick mock right upstairs there.) We've seen our fair share of Merom launches this week, so it stands to reason that if the spec bump is on target, then the MacBook Pro may get that upgrade as well -- certainly Apple wouldn't want to feel left behind now that they're competing mano-a-mano with all those PC manufacturers, now would they? Oh, and while we're at it, we'll tack on one more for ya: at the same time, reports are starting to come in regarding sly Mac mini upgrades from Core Solo to Core Duo processors, perhaps in anticipation of bumping those specs up a little, too. Apple has indeed been known to upgrade to their customers' pleasant surprise (see: MacBook Pros going up with nary a word, for example), but then again perhaps they're just out of the Core Solo parts, and needed to get those units out the door.

23-inch Core 2 Duo iMac rumors begin swirling - Engadget