iSights.org

What's Apple's Mystery Product?

According to AppleInsider, Apple's chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer revealed that the company will make a key "product transition" that cuts back on its profit margins to help shut out rivals.

As such, the forums and chat rooms are busily dissecting each and every word and attempting to apply them to Apple's product line. Are we talking new MacBooks? New desktops? New iPods? What?

Personally, if Apple's serious, and if they REALLY wanted to take a crack at an aging product line with the highest price and fattest margins... I'd look at the Cinema Displays.

Hitachi Announces 500GB Notebook Drive

No sooner do I finally order my 320GB notebook drive than am I informed that Hitachi is announcing two new drives in 400GB and 500GB capacities.

Keep in mind that these are dual-platter drives and are 12.5mm thick versus the 9.5mm "superslim" drive more commonly used. As such they may not fit all existing notebooks and enclosures.

The new Travelstar drives are scheduled to be released in February (though we all know how that goes), and will be priced at $350 and $400 for the 400GB and 500GB versions, respectively.

Apple's Next Mouse Design Eliminates The Mouse

Apple is developing a new multi-touch user interface that uses its highly successful iPhone technology. According to Next Energy News, Apple will release a touchpad-like device for desktops that will replace the traditional mouse. Think of it as a mousepad without the mouse.

To quote, "The system will be able to sense three finger gestures, two finger swipes, and a variety of other gestures to control the computer in a much more productive fashion than any current mouse can do."

My take? I'm all for it. One of my favorite things about my MacBook Pro is the two-fingered swipe that scrolls the screen. Simple, easy, and elegant.

And while a smart touchpad that understands gestures isn't quite "Minority Report", it's definitely a step in the right direction.