Apple today updated MacBook Pro with Retina display with faster processors, double the memory in both entry-level configurations, and a new, lower starting price for the top-of-the-line 15-inch notebook. MacBook Pro with Retina display features a stunning high-resolution display, an amazing design just 0.71-inches thin, the latest processors and powerful graphics, and up to nine hours of battery life, delivering unbelievable performance in an incredibly portable design.* Apple today also lowered the starting price of the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, a very popular system with Windows switchers, by $100 to $1,099.

"People love their MacBook Pro because of the thin and light, aluminum unibody design, beautiful Retina display, all day battery life and deep integration with OS X," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "The MacBook Pro with Retina display gets even better with faster processors, more memory, more affordable configurations and a free upgrade to OS X Yosemite this fall."

Today, OWC expanded its award-winning line of high-performance SSDs in capacities ranging from 120GB to 480GB for the MacBook Air 2010-2012 and the MacBook Pro with Retina display 2012-2013. The new upgrade options deliver even greater affordability and are backed by the support and expertise OWC is known for around the world.

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Aura and Aura Pro SSD (Flash) drive upgrades provide an easy and economical path versus buying a new laptop to achieve greater performance and/or internal drive capacity. Repurpose the original factory drive with a sleek, award-winning Envoy/Envoy Pro external enclosure included with complete DIY Kits.

Acer is working on a variant of its 13.3-inch Aspire S7 Ultrabook with a higher resolution display. It will offer WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, which works out to a pixel density of 221 ppi, which is not too far away from the 227 ppi that Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display offers. Depending on its other innards, the WQHD Aspire S7 will come in two variants - a base model priced at US $1,499, driven by Intel Core i5-4200U, and a top model priced at $1,799, with a faster Core i7-4500U chip. Both feature 8 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, and 256 GB of SSD storage, each. The two will begin to show up on leading US retailers in the coming week.

Apple today updated MacBook Pro with Retina display with fourth generation Intel Core processors, the latest graphics, longer battery life, faster flash storage and next generation Wi-Fi. Starting at a new lower price of $1,299 (US), the updated MacBook Pro with Retina display features a stunning high-resolution display, an amazing thin and light design, and the latest technology to power through the most demanding projects. Apple today also announced that both iWork and iLife are now free with the purchase of every new Mac.

"We've made the world's best pro notebook even better by adding more performance and even longer battery life," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "MacBook Pro with Retina display continues to redefine the pro notebook."

Belkin, a trusted leader of technology solutions for office, classroom, IT infrastructure and mobile environments, today announced that its USB 3.0 Dual Video Docking Stand for Ultrabooks is now compatible with MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Mac OS 10.8.5 and above. Users can now get greater flexibility and more computing options through the MacBook's USB 3.0 port. The Dual Video Docking Stand for Ultrabooks and MacBooks makes mobile computing easier and more productive for business users. The stand, which leverages DisplayLink technology, allows users to turn an Ultrabook or MacBook into a full-function desktop with a single plug-and-display USB 3.0 cable.

The new docking stand is designed to provide versatility to accommodate mixed platforms and multiple users, including visiting professionals, contractors and 'hot desk' environments. Because it allows easy access to multiple peripherals, users can configure their workstations based on their preferences. Belkin's docking stand provides a SuperSpeed connection to two high-resolution monitors and peripherals via a single USB 3.0 cable. The sturdy, ergonomic stand holds the laptop in an organized space, raising the screen to an equal level with desktop displays.

While Apple's MacBook Air got its direly needed hardware upgrade this June, it left its MacBook Pro lineup untouched. The company plans to hold a press event in September, when it plans to unveil its next MacBook Pro lineup. These could include MacBook Pro driven by Core "Haswell" GT3e processors, which feature large integrated graphics cores, featuring 40 execution units, allowing it to do away with discrete GPUs, and improve battery life. A new rumor doing rounds in the tech circles states that Apple could make Intel build-to-order a new class of Haswell GT3e processors with even faster graphics cores than Iris 5200, the graphics core inside today's Core i7-4950HQ.

Apple's MacBook Air refresh for 2013 saw it integrating Intel's 4th generation Core "Haswell" CPUs in an effort to improve performance and battery life. It was only a matter of time before the CPU architecture caught up with the rest of Apple's lineup. A validation of a 15-inch MacBook Pro on Geekbench database reveals that Apple is already testing the notebook with the very latest Intel chips.

With Core "Haswell," Intel introduced a new grade of silicon codenamed "Haswell-GT3," which combines four CPU cores with up to 6 MB L3 cache, and a large integrated graphics core that features 40 execution units, as opposed to 20 found on regular "Haswell-GT2" and "Haswell-GT1" grades. The added pixel-crunching muscle makes the chip ready to singlehandedly take on Apple's Retina displays, without the need for discrete GPUs, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M that handled the first Retina-equipped MacBook Pro.

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, today introduced the OWC Mercury Helios+E2 Thunderbolt SSD Solution. The bootable 'all-in-one' storage performance and expansion solution offers owners of Thunderbolt technology enabled Macs and PCs sustained read/write data throughput up to 617MB/s from up to 960GB of OWC Mercury SSD capacity; two Thunderbolt interfaces for connecting multiple Thunderbolt devices; and two eSATA 6Gb/s expansion ports for connecting up to an additional 32TB or more of external storage/backup capacity.

Apple is making the MacBook Pro with Retina display faster and more affordable with updated processors and lower starting prices. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now starts at $1,499 for 128 GB of flash, and $1,699 for a new 2.6 GHz processor and 256 GB of flash. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now features a faster 2.4 GHz quad-core processor, and the top-of-the-line 15-inch notebook comes with a new 2.7 GHz quad-core processor and 16 GB of memory. Apple today also announced that the 13-inch MacBook Air with 256 GB of flash has a new lower price of $1,399.

Kanex, a leader of innovative Apple and iOS connectivity solutions for homes and businesses worldwide, today announced DualRole, a USB 3 Hub and Gigabit Adapter all in one solution. The hub portion uses the latest SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard for fast transfer speeds between devices and your computer. It has three extra USB 3 ports which enable users to connect more USB 3 devices such as hard drives, digital cameras, MP3 players and more. The Gigabit Ethernet adapter adds a Gigabit port to your MacBook Air, MacBook Pro with Retina display or any other USB 3 enabled computer and provides a fast and secure wired connection without hassle of Wi-Fi setup.

"We designed DualRole with MacBook travelers in mind," said Kelvin Yan, president of Kanex. "We know when on the road sometimes you need an Ethernet connection for Internet or network access or even more USB ports, which is why we combined both a hub and adapter into one small compact solution."

Matrox today announced the worldwide availability of Matrox MXO2 Dock, an accessory that allows users of Matrox MXO2 I/O devices and MacBook Pro or MacBook Air to easily create an ideal ergonomic workspace for video editing and content creation. From a single Thunderbolt cable, users can connect an MXO2 I/O device plus add multiple peripherals including a large HDMI display, a full-size keyboard, and a mouse. A gigabit Ethernet port provides connectivity to a wired network, enabling data transfers 18 times faster than Wi-Fi. One SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports are also provided.

"Many Matrox MXO2 users enjoy the portability of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air for field work, but would prefer a more comfortable work environment when they are spending the day in the edit suite," said Wayne Andrews, product manager at Matrox. "The new Matrox MXO2 Dock increases productivity by adding screen real estate and brings much-needed expandability for USB 3.0 storage, control surfaces, optical drives, and other peripherals."

In the coming years, Apple could end its partnership with Intel for supply of CPUs, according to a Bloomberg report, citing Gartner research. The company plans to make a transition from x86 to ARM for its Mac product line, which includes MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac Mini. Such a transition would be similar to the one Apple took from PowerPC to x86 machine architecture, across 2005-06. According to the report, Apple's engineers are confident of designing an ARM-based chip of their own that's powerful enough for mainstream personal computing on Mac products. Apple's engineers foresee a convergence of technologies between mobile devices (such as the iPhone and iPad), and Macs. Currently, Apple designs its own processors for iOS devices, which are ARM-based.

Other World Computing (OWC) www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today the OWC Mercury Aura Pro is the industry's first high-performance Solid State Drive upgrade for the new 2012 13" MacBook Pro with Retina display (rMBP) computers introduced by Apple last week.

Available in 480 GB capacity for immediate ordering and with additional capacities to be announced in November, the 6G (6 Gb/s) SandForce Driven Mercury Aura Pro offers rMBP owners up to nearly 3x more storage and/or backup capacity than the factory 128 GB flash module.

Apple's new iMac and MacBook Pro owe their sleek, slim design to the lack of optical drives, a feature consumers found very much wanting, which can still be overcome using external USB optical drives. In an interview with Tom's Hardware, Apple senior VP of global marketing, Phil Schiller stressed the importance of letting go of optical drives. "These old technologies are holding us back. They're anchors on where we want to go," he said. "We find the things that have outlived their useful purpose. Our competitors are afraid to remove them. We try to find better solutions - our customers have given us a lot of trust. In general, it's a good idea to remove these rotating medias from our computers and other devices. They have inherent issues - they're mechanical and sometimes break, they use power and are large. We can create products that are smaller, lighter and consume less power."

On how newer media like Blu-ray don't quite make optical drives an obsolete component, given that it's fast taking over as the mainstream physical home video medium, Schiller said that customers have stopped asking Apple for Blu-ray drives, and that it comes with its own set of issues that make it unfit for desktops and notebooks. "Blu-ray has come with issues unrelated to the actual quality of the movie that make [it] a complex and not-great technology…So for a whole plethora of reasons, it makes a lot of sense to get rid of optical discs in desktops and notebooks." Apple, with its iTunes service is one the leading digital content distribution businesses, including movie rentals and purchases.

Apple today introduced an all-new version of its popular 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring a stunning Retina display and all flash storage in a new compact design. At a mere 0.75 inches and 3.57 pounds, the remarkably portable 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is 20 percent thinner and almost a pound lighter than the current 13-inch MacBook Pro.

"The 13-inch MacBook Pro is our most popular Mac, and today it gets completely reinvented with a new thin and light design, fast flash storage and a gorgeous Retina display," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "With vivid colors, razor sharp text and more pixels than anyone else's 15 or 17-inch notebooks, the Retina display completely changes what you expect from a notebook."

PROMISE Technology Inc., a leader in providing high-performance storage solutions for the rich media market and the leader in designing cutting-edge Thunderbolt enabled devices, today announced the immediate availability of the Pegasus J2, the world's smallest and fastest ultra-portable Thunderbolt storage device. Powered in AC mode the J2 will be able to achieve a blistering 750 MB/s in a device the size of a smartphone. Pegasus J2 brings an unparalleled level of performance in a small form factor to the market enabling both consumers and media professionals to manage the explosion of unstructured data and digital assets critical to their creative projects.

Compatible with all Thunderbolt enabled Macs, the PROMISE Pegasus J2 is a pocket-sized, blazing fast external storage device that offers up to half a Terabyte of storage and is available in 256GB and 512GB capacities. The Pegasus J2 is flash-based making it the ideal solution for anyone who craves extreme performance in the consumer and professional post-production markets. This addition to its internationally award winning Pegasus line boasts a cutting edge, compact product design with an emphasis on reducing the footprint coupled with reduced environmental noise. The J2 is the perfect complement for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Creative technologies developer Modbook Inc. today announced that its highly portable 13.3-inch Mac-based pen tablet computer, the Modbook Pro, will forego the traditional internal storage method of hard disk drives (HDDs) in favor of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs). The standard internal storage option on the Modbook Pro will be a 64 GB solid-state drive, with upgrades possible to increase internal SSD storage to 480 GB.

Modbook Inc. today also announced that the ordering process for the Modbook Pro is scheduled to begin next Wednesday, October 3, 2012. Customers with shipping addresses in the United States will be able to order the Modbook Pro online for shipment as early as mid-November.

PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") today announced the launch of a new line of ThinkSafe Portable Laptop Locking Systems -- specifically engineered with patented technology to work with Laptops, Ultrabooks, and MacBooks. Designed for personal and business use to keep your device secured while in public locations, from dorm rooms and offices to tradeshows and display rooms, PNY offers a convenient and discrete locking solution for your laptop devices.

The PNY ThinkSafe family of products includes the Laptop Locking System, the MacBook Locking System, and the Security Clamp. The Laptop Locking System -- designed to be universal -- was engineered to work with Laptops, Ultrabooks, and MacBooks. The MacBook Locking System -- designed to work with Apple products -- was engineered to work with the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac. The ThinkSafe Portable Security Clamp provides a secure anchor point for your Laptop, Ultrabook, or MacBook, complements both of the PNY Locking Systems and also works with most cable locking systems in the market today.

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today the OWC Mercury Aura Pro as the industry's first high-performance Solid State Drive upgrade for 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display (rMBP) computers. Available in 480 GB capacity, the 6G (6Gb/s) SandForce Driven Mercury Aura Pro offers rMBP owners 87.5 percent more capacity than the factory 256GB model. Additionally, customers buying the $579.99 MSRP Aura Pro direct from OWC until September 30, 2012, will later receive the OWC Envoy Pro USB 3.0 bus-powered portable enclosure (a $59.95 value) for re-tasking the rMBP's factory flash module as an external drive at no additional cost.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. continues to expand its line of USB-powered computer speakers with the introduction of the S-MM251. The new model offers a built-in audio DAC and a cool bass-reflex enclosure designed to enhance lower bass frequencies. The S-MM251 is designed to connect quickly to virtually any laptop computer, delivering significantly increased audio output and better sound quality.

"With more consumers watching movies and listening to music on their laptop computers, we think the sound level from the laptop should match the demands of these sources," said Chris Walker, director AV marketing and product planning for the Home Electronics Division of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "The new S-MM251 not only improves audio output, but it's also very convenient to use with a simple plug-in through a USB port, without the need for AC power or batteries."

Akitio, a leading manufacturer of storage solutions, announced today the release of the Neutrino U3+ laptop hard drive enclosure to the company's ever-expanding product line. With the news of Apple's integration of USB 3.0 to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Neutrino U3+ is ideal for Mac users, as well as audio and video professionals, looking for a portable, speedy storage solution.

Akitio's Neutrino U3+ is encased in a portable aluminum enclosure and was created for ease of use and the latest 2.5" SATA hard drives. By combining USB 3.0 SuperSpeed technology with FireWire 800, Neutrino U3+ provides two of the fastest transfer speed combinations available.

Apple today updated MacBook Air with the latest Intel Core processors, faster graphics and flash storage that is up to twice as fast as the previous generation.* MacBook Air is the ultimate everyday notebook, and with new lower prices it is more affordable than ever. The current generation 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro have also been updated with the latest Intel Core processors and powerful discrete graphics from NVIDIA. Apple's popular AirPort Express has been redesigned to include features previously available only in AirPort Extreme.

"Today we've updated the entire MacBook line with faster processors, graphics, memory, flash storage and USB 3 connectivity," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "We've made the world's best portable family even better and we think users are going to love the performance advances in both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro."

Apple today unveiled an all new 15-inch MacBook Pro featuring a stunning Retina display, all flash storage and quad-core processors in a radically thin and light design. Measuring a mere 0.71 inches and weighing only 4.46 pounds, the completely redesigned MacBook Pro sets a new standard in performance and portability for pro users.

"The MacBook Pro with Retina display pushes the limits of performance and portability like no other notebook," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "With a gorgeous Retina display, all flash architecture and a radically thin and light design, the new MacBook Pro is the most advanced Mac we have ever built."

Owing to an overhaul of the MacBook Pro to the "wedge-shaped" design in use by its MacBook Air family, Apple is reportedly seeing labour shortages by its suppliers, due to strong demand by Apple. It is even reported that some of these suppliers are outsourcing portions of their processes to meet shipment schedules. It is unusual for suppliers (ODMs and OEMs) to see labour shortages this time of the year (May-June), due to a traditionally slow season, however, Apple strong orders from Apple's new MacBook are leaving many upstream makers unable to satisfy demand. According to sources, it is likely that Apple launches its new MacBook line in July.

Apple wants to hold patents to the wedge-shaped design of its MacBook Air, and an interesting technique to adjust OLED display brightness. The application for this patent passed through USPTO, on Thursday. The application describes claims over "wedge shaped top case", with a lid hinged to a base. The wedge-shape contributes to the user's impression of a device, its lightness, and its durability. Apple's MacBook Air bears this design, and reports indicate that so will the upcoming MacBook Pro series. Wired.com opines that the move is to block out partners of Intel's Ultrabook ecosystem from imitating the design.

Another more interesting patent application for a technique to adjust brightness of OLED displays. None of Apple's products, not even the iPod Nano, feature an OLED screen, yet Apple is frantically applying for the patent. While conventional LCD panels use an augmented illumination source (such as LED or CCFL), in OLED displays, there is no external illumination, and hence adjusting brightness is very tricky from a technical standpoint. The method Apple described in its patent claim consists of converting an image (frame) on a logarithmic scale along the palette, dimming it, and then displaying that dimmed frame. This patent could prove valuable for Apple, as the industry is beginning to transition from TFT-LCD to OLED flat-panel displays.