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Apple Prepping Another Software Update for New MacBook Issues

Dave — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:46:32 +0000

According to an unsatisfied customer who had recently spoken with Apple’s support team, the Cupertino-based company is planning the release of another software update to tackle external video glitches with the unibody MacBook.

AppleInsider reports that the user had been experiencing problems with the notebook being connected to an external display in which it would irregularly lose and regain signal. The user noted “After not finding anything the technician put me on hold to talk to the engineers and then updated me that it is now a known issue that will be addressed in a software patch sometime in the future.”

Similar issues have been plaguing the Apple discussion boards where users have attempted to use a new MacBook with external cinema displays to no avail. One user has noted that their external video feed fades in and out spasmodically. This user states, “Whenever I launch either quicktime or iTunes, my external display cuts out and then comes back intermittently. Seems like there’s some issue with quicktime (come code from which I presume is included in quicktime) that’s causing this effect.”

Yet another issue that has come into focus is where iTunes movies are failing to show up on external displays that are connected via a Mini DisplayPort to VGA. Rightfully frustrated by the this, the user states, “Just got a new MacBook last week and finally found a mini Display Port -> VGA adapter so i could use my 19″ external display. I rented a movie from the iTunes store yesterday and when I tried to play it on my external display, it gave me a warning/error that the display was ‘not an authorized HDCP display’ and it would not play. Plays fine on the small MacBook screen, just nothing external. To make it even worse, i tried all the movies that I have purchased from the iTunes store with the same result… NONE of them will play on anything but the MacBook’s small 13″ screen. This is crazy unacceptable.”

If one were to do just a bit more digging in the Apple discussion boards, a whole host of similar issues would come to light. With such an outcry, it would only make sense that Apple would be working hard on a software update to alleviate these issues.

Briefly: AT&T Exec Confirms 3G Network Flaws

Aviv — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:55:38 +0000

At the Goldman Sachs Technology Conference last week, AT&T admitted to the public that its current 3G network is simply not up to speed, and that they have not been prepared for the smash success of Apple’s iPhone 3G.

AT&T chief technology officer John Donovan confirmed that the “network had seen demand for 3G services in some areas exceed expectation to the point AT&T was forced to build up capacity,” while speaking at the GSTC last week. Donovan claims that Universities which bought iPhone and developed applications for students, were creating zones of high network demand.

Issues such as these have caused both Apple and AT&T a great deal of trouble since the iPhone 3g’s launch in July. Lawsuits claiming that the iPhone 3G has been oversold, thus over-saturating the 3G market have been filed.

Maybe AT&T can dish out a few more $19,370 monthly cell phone bills, and try and turn things around.

[via MacDailyNews via MacWorld]

Apple Working on Direct HD TV Show Downloads for Apple TV

Aviv — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:57:13 +0000

On September 9th at a special media event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled iTunes 8. Alongside a slew of new features including the return of NBC, HD TV Shows were unveiled, and added to the ever-growing library of iTunes content. However, one group of users that were left out, were Apple TV users. Which have been growing frustrated with the lack of HD TV Show downloads on the device.

The Apple TV was left out of the party on September 9th. Currently, the only way to get HD TV Shows onto the device is to transfer them from your computer via iTunes. A simple search through Apple’s discussion threads shows the frustration some users are experiencing while attempting to rent and watch HD TV Shows on their Apple TV’s.

“Seriously??!!
The premiere HD device in Apple’s lineup and you can’t purchase the HD TV shows through it?
Who thought this would be a good idea?!
Fine, I can purchase the HD TV shows through iTunes 8 and watch them on my computer, but I don’t want to watch my movies and TV shows on my computer. That’s why I don’t bother with Hulu or any of the other network streaming shows that are in near HD quality already. I want to watch TV on my TV. That’s why I bought an AppleTV. Please please please, tell me that there will be an imminent update for the AppleTV that turns on the ability to download HD TV shows. What’s the point in this box otherwise. Sheesh, it should have been turned on at the same time as iTunes 8 was released,” one frustrated user explains.

MacBlogz has learned from the same ~~person~~ people that told us about the new Macbook Pro keyboard, that Apple is indeed working on an update that will deliver HD TV Show downloads, directly to the device. In other words, Apple will be releasing a juicy update that will let you download HD TV Shows straight to your Apple TV. We figure Apple has been working on this functionality specifically for the Apple TV, but it’s either late, or Apple chose to wait with its launch. Users have begun grumbling about a possible software update, and they are right. It is indeed coming. Understandably users were shocked when Apple unveiled HD TV Shows, and then left out the ability to download them straight to the Apple TV.

“I’m not sure why you can’t purchase HD TV shows directly from the ATV, but there could be a couple of reasons. One is that it may require another ATV software update before it has that capability (if that’s the case, it’s probably in the works but late, as was the 2.0 upgrade).”

“Another reason could be disk space and device issues. When you purchase an HD TV show from iTunes you get both an SD (for iPods) and an HD version (which, at least in my case, is the one that syncs to the ATV). Downloading an entire season of both SD and HD versions of the same episodes to a 40GB ATV would likely run afoul of the capacity issue rather quickly.”

Issues about formatting may have been the culprit in delaying the functionality (though doubtful because HD Movies are available for direct download). When a user downloads a TV Show, iTunes initiates two downloads. One HD version, which is what syncs with your Apple TV, and one SD version which is what you watch on your iPod. Apple may have needed to develop a bypass that would download only the HD version straight to the device (Apple TV) itself, and then automatically download that SD version in iTunes so you could download it to your iPod as well. Perhaps when you sync your Apple TV with your computer, it will detect recent purchases and then initiate the SD download? Apple would need to figure this out before releasing HD TV Shows for direct download from the Apple TV as well. Even if it is just a hobby of theirs.