Thought it's time for something Else - meet the First ELSE to come

Today Emblaze Mobile announced their new smartphone running on the relatively unknown Access Linux Platform (ALP). Developed from scratch in close cooperation with OS developers, the First ELSE have taken them two years to develop but the end result has turned out quite attractive.

Powered by the TI OMAP 3430 platform the First Else will share the same CPU and graphics accelerator with devices such as the iPhone 3GS, Nokia N900 and Samsung i8910 Omnia HD. The handset packs an impressive 3.5" capacitive LCD touchscreen display with a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels.

How smoking can ruin your Mac

I have nothing against smoking, save for the difficult odor that emanates from every part, breath, and piece of clothing belonging to a smoker. I could no more live with a smoker than I could live with a third ear perched off the end of my nose.
However, I am embalmed in a curious sympathy after reading a report from The Consumerist concerning two Mac users whose AppleCare warranties appear to have been voided due to the presence of cigarette smoke in their homes.
One, named Derek, recounts the tale of his overheating black MacBook. He took it into the Apple store in Jordan Creek, West Des Moines.
He told The Consumerist: "Today, April, 28, 2008, the Apple store called and informed me that due to the computer having been used in a house where there was smoking, that has voided the warranty and they refuse to work on the machine, due to 'health risks of secondhand smoke.'"

He continued: "Nowhere in your AppleCare terms of service can I find anything mentioning being used in a smoking environment as voiding the warranty."

Derek's resulting appeal to the office of Steve Jobs bore him no joy, so he resorted to blowing some compressed air at the machine, leading it to restart its wondrous functions.
Then along came Ruth, who took her son's iMac to an authorized repair center. After five days, they apparently told her they couldn't work on it because it was contaminated with cigarette smoke and was therefore a bio-hazard.
When Ruth appealed to Jobs' office, she said she was told by someone named Dena that nicotine was on OSHA's list of hazardous substances.
However, as she wisely pointed out to The Consumerist: "OSHA also lists calcium carbonate (found in calcium tablets), isopropyl alcohol (used to clean wounds), chlorine (used in swimming pools), hydrogen peroxide (also used to clean wounds), sucrose (a sugar), talc (as in powder), etc... as hazardous substances."
One final appeal to Ruth's local Apple store failed, as she was allegedly told that tar from cigarette smoke had made it uneconomical to even attempt a repair. Ruth claims that only one person in her household smokes.
So now might I hand this distinctly painful issue over you, the technically brilliant reader. Perhaps you are even an employee of Apple and have stumbled upon this page in search of a little light relief.
What is the science of all this? And what might be the appropriate commercial response? Should Apple place a clear disclaimer referring to secondhand smoke in the AppleCare terms? Or should Microsoft make a new Laptop Hunter ad in which a very attractive, happy person says, "I'm not cool enough and I smoke, so I would never be able to get a Mac fixed"? (Chris Matyszczyk - Cnet)

Apple Kills Hackintosh Netbooks with Snow Leopard Update

Apple is reportedly breaking Hackintoshes -- meaning netbooks illegimately installed with Mac OS X -- with its latest update to Leopard.
The current developer build of OS X -- 10.6.2 -- will not run on the Intel Atom processor commonly used in netbooks that ship with Windows or Linux, according to an account in Wired, attributing the report to a hacker named Stellarola.
"Apple appears to have changed around a lot of CPU-related information" in the build, says Stellarola. "One of the effects of this is Apple killing off Intel's Atom chip."
Stellarola suggests that while most Hackintosh users should stick with 10.6 for now, they might try upgrading to 10.6.2 if they're running an older or modified kernel, according to OS X Daily.
The software in question is only a developer build, and it still might change before Apple releases a real update.
But Apple has already drawn fire lately for actions such as blocking Palm Pre users from iTunes and banning Google Voice users from its App Store.
With Apple refusing to release an affordable low-end mobile PC of its own, hacked netbooks from Dell and other manufacturers have been turning into an increasing popular alternative in the Macintosh community. (PCWorld)

Sony Ericsson Adds Own UI to Its First Android Phone

Sony Ericsson's first Android-based smartphone, the Xperia X10, comes with a unique user interface that's designed to improve handling and organization of communications and multimedia content. But one analyst said the interface still needs work, particularly when it comes to speed and responsiveness, before the phone hits the market.

Smartphone security threats likely to rise

(CNN) -- Worms, spam, viruses and hackers -- they're not just for your desktop or laptop anymore. According to internet security experts they could be well on their way into your pocket or purse.
The popularity of smartphones -- like the Blackberry, iPhone, Palm and the emerging Droid -- is on the rise and shows no signs of letting up.
And that's making the phones a sweeter target for online ne'er do-wells looking to, at the very least, cause mischief and, at worst, rip off unsuspecting phone owners.
"It's guaranteed that almost everything we see on a computer will show up on a smartphone -- and some new things," said Jake Widman, a San Francisco-based technology writer and analyst.
Last year, more than 139 million smartphones were sold worldwide, a 13.9 percent increase from 2007, according to the British technology analysis firm Gartner.

Apple MacBook Fall 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M)

Cnet

With the launch of Windows 7 only days away, it's not surprising that Apple would fire a last-minute shot across Microsoft's bow. While the timing may be suspicious, Mac fans are no doubt pleased to see an update to the most popular laptop in the Mac lineup, the $999 polycarbonate white MacBook.

While it's neither the less-expensive entry level MacBook some had hoped for, nor the long-rumored touchscreen device, the new 13-inch MacBook can now escape its designation as the lone holdover system from Apple's previous generation, thanks to an upscale makeover that keeps the price stable at just under the $1,000 mark.

But, does that mean recent MacBook buyers should run out and upgrade?

Like the aluminum MacBook Pro models, the MacBook now has a unibody chassis, although in this case, it's still made of polycarbonate. Unibody, Apple's preferred term, is a bit of a misnomer, as the bottom panel is separate, as are the multiple parts that make up the lid and display.

While still recognizably a MacBook, the new version has more gently sloped edges on its glossy white lid, making it look slightly slimmer when viewed straight on. The bottom half also has a rounded edge, making for an overall effect that's much less boxy, although it's still the same 1.08-inches thick as the previous version. The unibody switch shaves a little weight off the system, going from 5.1 pounds to 4.7 pounds.

The separate bottom panel is particularly interesting. It's a darker off-white color and has a matte non-slip feel, different than the glossy lid and keyboard tray. The unibody construction means the battery is no longer removable, as with the current MacBook Pro lineup -- a cause for concern to some, but we've never felt a non-removable battery was a deal-breaker in a laptop.

The matte finish bottom panel, hiding a non-removable battery.

The touch pad is the same large glass multitouch version found on the MacBook Pros, and it dominates the wrist rest area. The 13.3-inch display is now LED backlit (making that a standard feature across the entire Apple laptop lineup), which is better for both power consumption and environmental concerns. However, unlike the more expensive Pro models, you don't get the slick-looking edge-to-edge glass over the display. Other points of differentiation include the lack of an SD card slot and backlit keyboard.

FireWire fans should note that port has finally left the building. We would have thought this would be a good opportunity to add the same SD card slot found on the Pro 13-inch, but it was not to be. While we're not regular FireWire users, this does leave Apple open to accusations of removing functionality from the system.

Internal components are very similar to the previous plastic MacBook, including the Nvidia GeForce 9400 graphics. The Intel Core 2 Duo CPU has been bumped from 2.13GHz to 2.26GHz, and the default hard drive is now 250GB, up from 160GB. Configuration options are limited to 4GB of RAM (over the default 2GB) and 320GB and 500GB hard drives.

If you own a recent polycarbonate MacBook, or even an older model still in good working order, we don't see an immediate need to upgrade. But, if you've been in the market for a MacBook, and waiting to see if the holiday season would bring lower prices, this new upscale version of the MacBook is as much of a slight recessionary nod Apple is likely to give, as well as the best version to date of it's non-Pro laptop line.