CYBER MONDAY- ORIGINS

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States, created by companies to persuade people to shop online. The term made its debut on November 28, 2005 in a Shop.org press release entitled "'Cyber Monday' Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year".

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According to the Shop.org/BizRate Research 2005 eHoliday Mood Study, "77 percent of online retailers said that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday this year (2005)". In 2010, comScore^[2] reported that consumers spent $1.028 Billion online on Cyber Monday (excluding travel, 2009: $887M), the highest spending day of 2010. Sourced from wikipedia.

Black Friday Deals for Apple Items....Deal?

Whether you want $40 off a new iPad, $30 off an iPod touch, or a respectable $100 off a new MacBook, Apple's Black Friday deals have landed.

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Whether or not these are actual deals is to be debated. Many argue the prices are already inflated.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ever seen a Turkenator? Well here you go:

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My clever roommate says,"he's gonna gobble you up." Gosh he's a smart cookie. Have a terrific Thanksgiving, 'merica.

2.5 TON Computer Fixed!

The world's oldest working digital computer, often referred to as "The Witch", has been given a new lease of life. A team of computer scientists has restored it to its former glory—and now it's on display for all to see.

The computer was originally designed and developed all the way back in 1949 at the UK's Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell in Oxfordshire. Weighing in at 2.5 tonnes, the behemoth was designed to crunch calculations for nuclear scientists, so they didn't have to use mechanical adding machines.

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Found in a dusty store room over 20 years ago, researchers have since been restoring the historical piece of kit to a working condition. The computer uses valves as its memory store and despite being slow—it can take up to 10 seconds to multiply two numbers—it regularly cranked out up to 80 hours of service in a typical week. (source material Gizmodo)

Funny Ad from the Thirties

Interesting Ad from the Thirties concerning cigarettes:

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It's nice to know the public knowledge is trying to prevent cigarette smoking. We have come a long way.

Cool Scifi Landscape

I was scrolling around the web and found this:

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I think this piece is spectacular, although I wouldn't want to live there. 

COME AT ME BRO!

For those of you still going to College of High School...you will Understand.

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I've heard this sain many times during my college. The whole bro movement is easily discovered in chico.

Beautiful Time-Lapse Sketch

I'm a sucker for Time-Lapse videos, especially those relating to artistic endeavors. Here is a great one:

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The image is simply beautiful! Great work.

First Website Ever Made

Once upon a time, Tim Berners-Lee took the concept of Hypercard and turned into a world of networked pages. Then there was the first website ever, a boring but clean and well-lighted place that started with the title: "World Wide Web".

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Best Looking Site I've ever Seen!

Syrian Rebel Texts with One Hand

This photographed Syrian rebel texts with one hand and holds his machine gun in the other. 

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It is interesting to note that during a war the Syrian rebels have access to cell service. 

Best Video of Mars Rover Touching Down

This is the highest resolution video of the Mars Rover touching down to Mars.

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The reason for the video being so choppy is due to the fact that Curiosity only took about four pictures per second. It might not be movie quality, but this is the best video out there of what it's like to land on Mars.

Cracked your iPhone screen?

Upon impact, a small amount of elastic energy is converted into acoustic energy — that resounding indication of breaking glass. But the majority of the elastic energy stored in the glass will be converted into two — or more — new surface energies. A crack. Or several cracks. With one eye closed, you’ll reach down gingerly, reluctant to turn it over. There won't be any shards to pick up off the pavement, only a phone with a freshly splintered screen, the jagged lines and spiderwebs forming some kind of painful abstract art.

You've just smashed your phone's screen.

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Your phone is in fact covered with some very hard, very strong glass that's only 0.8 mm thick. Yet it takes 30 times more force to scratch the iPhone screen than it does a piece of plastic, according to Apple. And under perfect conditions, the latest chemically tempered Corning Gorilla Glass — which is more likely than not covering the front of the new phone in your pocket — can withstand around 100,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. Or in English, a 1.18-pound iron ball dropped from six feet. Sourced from Gizmodo and Buzzfeed. For complete descriptions of how iphone glass cracks search for the Buzzfeed article, "How Your Phone's Screen Shatters."

Apple is Now the Most Valuable Publicly-Traded Stock Ever

Milestones for Apple's stock are falling rapidly in recent days, with another strong performance today pushing Apple past Microsoft for the title of most valuable publicly-trade stock ever, a distinction Microsoft has held since December 1999. 

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I wish I could of been born in the early eighties and jumped on the apple stock bandwagon! 

This is Neat

Crazy Television reporter ties herself to a light pole to broadcast in the middle of a typhoon.

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She is either brave, or simply stupidly ambitious. Either-way this makes for an interesting video.

Blizzard Hacked! Users Asked to Change their Passwords!

Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo, today informed customers that their internal security network had been breached.

The company doesn't believe that financial information has been compromised but other data including email addresses for all non-China players and scrambled passwords were taken. The company believes it will be extraordinarily difficult for hackers to break into actual accounts, but is recommending that all users change their passwords.

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I certainly wouldn't want to be one of those WOW obsessed people. I couldn't imagine losing the months I spent into my role playing character.  

SimCity Coming to Mac in February 2013

I'm a old SimCity game fan and a new version of it is coming to mac soon, so I figured that I would share. EA plans to release the next version of SimCity -- the classic city-building game -- on the Mac simultaneously with the PC release this February. EA will also be delivering Origin, its digital download service, at the same time. The game will be available for purchase and download via the service.

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Mac users will be able to connect to the new multiplayer component in SimCity and appears to be feature-complete with the PC-version. EA has yet to announce pricing or system requirements.

Credit Card Sized Computer

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. 

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The Model A will cost $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes. For more information google "Raspberry Pi."

Iran is "Creating" its own internet

After being dominated by weaponized trojan horses on two different occasions, nuclear loudmouth Iran says it's had enough: it's unplugging from the Internet, hiding, and making its own.

The Telegraph reports Iran's telecommunications minister has had enough of all this US/Israeli nonsense—he wants an Internet free from Stuxnet, Flame, and all the cyber weapons sure to follow. That way, Iran can continue to maybe make nuclear weapons in peace, while also being free from pesky Western evils like Facebook, pornography, YouTube, and Rihanna GIFs:

He described the move as the first phase of a project to replace the global internet with a domestic intranet system scheduled to be completed within 18 months.

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On the other hand, ripping out your tie to the Internet could make being part of the global economy difficult, and wouldn't do anything to help Iran's rotten human rights record. But on the other other hand, easier nukes, and no nuke-disturbing virus attacks. Then we'll just have to use that 30,000-pound bomb.

Global Arms Trade- GOOGLE experiment

If you've ever wondered how the arms trade—both civilian and military—pans out around the globe, be puzzled no longer. Google has just created a wonderful little visualization, which shows all the (known) arms trade between the globe's countries over the past 20 years.
http://workshop.chromeexperiments.com/projects/armsglobe/

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The fully interactive world map lets you spin the globe to dig around and see how varying countries stack up. What's particularly interesting is the way that Google's data mining has allowed it to break down imports and exports by civilian and defense spending, as well as taking into account ammunition. sourced from gizmodo.

Apple Stops Airing Apple Genius TV Ads

Late last month during the Opening Ceremonies for the Summer Olympics, Apple debuted a series of three ads focused on an "Apple Genius" helping customers in unusual situations. The ads received a relatively poor reception, with some observers objecting to the portrayal of customers as clueless and others simply not finding the ads as humorous as they were clearly intended to be. 

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While Apple continues to feature the ads on its Mac site, a number of people have noticed that the ads have not re-aired on television since the opening weekend of the Olympics. In line with that observation, Mashable reports that Apple has indeed stopped airing the ads. But rather than the move being related to their mediocre reception, a representative for Apple's ad agency claims that the ads were only ever intended to run for that brief period of time. Sources from macrumors.

A rep for TBWA/Media/Arts Lab, Apple’s ad agency, says the ads are not running anymore, but that was the plan all along. The ads were intended only for a “first run” during the Olympics, which meant just the first weekend of the Games, the rep says.

Services that Track Stolen Apple Products!

TUAW profiles Undercover 5, a $49 service that uses GPS, a new keylogging feature in version 5, the FaceTime camera and a clever "Plan B" to fool technologically inept criminals.

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There's also Prey, an open source computer tracking service that offers both free andpaid plans, though for users with a single device, the free plan may be sufficient.

Apple recommends and sells Computrace LoJack in its retail stores and online. The product promises to locate or erase a tracked computer or they'll pay $1,000. LoJack comes in 1-year and 3-year plans for $49 or $99 respectively. Sourced from Mac Rumors.

Ever Wanted to Become Apple Certified?

Apple Certified Macintosh Technician Certification

Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT) certification verifies the ability to perform basic troubleshooting and repair of both desktop and portable Macintosh systems, such as iMac and MacBook Pro. ACMT certification exams emphasize identifying and resolving common Mac OS X problems, and using Apple Service and Support products and practices to effectively repair Apple hardware.

Who Should Seek ACMT Certification?

ACMT certification is intended for technicians employed by an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) or Self Servicing Account (SSA), or for persons motivated to demonstrate their knowledge of technician-level service and support skills. For persons not employed by an AASP or SSA, attaining ACMT certification verifies skills and knowledge that may be sought by a prospective employer, such as an Apple Reseller or a self-servicing entity like a school system.

Please note that ACMT certification by itself does not authorize a technician to perform repairs on Apple products. Information on becoming authorized for servicing Apple products can be found at:apple.com/support/programs/

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How Long Is ACMT Certification Valid?

ACMT certification is valid for one year from the date of certification. Apple requires technicians employed by AASPs or SSAs to re-certify annually in order to repair in-warranty desktop products. Persons not employed by an AASP or SSA are not required to re-certify, however, Apple recommends that people stay current with their certifications by taking the annual re-certification exams.

TOAST FLASHDRIVES!

There's seemingly an infinite supply of novelty USB flash drives and hubs for consumers to waste their money on, but none come close to the gag-inducing adorableness of this tiny toaster hub and accompanying anthropomorphized slices of toast.

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The hub itself is $28, but if you want to complete the set with all four toasty 4GB flash drives, you'll need to cough up an extra$100. You can also buy them individually at $25 a pop, or forego the adorable slices altogether with your own drives, but really, where's the fun in that? Sourced from Gizmodo.

Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion?

Advice from Gizmodo on the new OS X Mountain Lion

An Average Lion User

Yes. Absolutely. Yes. Yes yes yes. Mountain Lion improves most of the things that you would want improved in Lion; it's faster, smoother, and more convenient. Unlike going from Snow Leopard to Lion, there are no tectonic shifts in philosophy, and no previous features are broken in the service of new ones. There is almost zero downside in upgrading from Lion to Mountain Lion.

A Snow Leopard Holdout

Honestly, probably not. For anyone who thought Lion was too big a shift away from their beloved Snow Leopard—which still runs smoothly enough to not demand an upgrade—there probably isn't enough here to change your mind. Spaces are still neutered by Mission Control, as is Exposé. Careful when you update apps though; more and more are losing Snow Leopard compatibility in favor of Mountain Lion.

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Someone Who Can't Afford Any Screw Ups

No. Not yet, anyway. Mountain Lion is solid—much mores than Lion when it launched—but there are still concerns about the GM popping up on message boards, and jumping in Day 1 is nuts if you can't afford to deal with any bugs that might pop up. Right now, the ones that are floating around the most are diminished battery life and a problem connecting to certain types of Wi-Fi networks. But in general, it's almost always better to wait until after the first couple of patches have come through to make your transition as bug-free as possible.

You've Got an Older Mac, But Love These New Features

Well... check the requirements first. For example, AirPlay Mirroring to an AppleTV requires Quick Sync-capable processors. That means Sandy Bridge or newer. Power Nap, which is MIA as of now but will arrive eventually, requires a Mac with an Apple-installed SSD.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't upgrade. Just be aware that being able to installMountain Lion doesn't mean you're able to make use of all of its features. There are specific hardware requirements beyond the minimums.

You've Only Got 4GB of RAM, And Lion Is Sluggish

Yes! Absolutely. Mountain Lion actually seems to be a bit less memory intensive than Lion. Whether that's by design, or just a function of the general disarray Lion was in for its launch, you shouldn't worry about RAM issues.

A Windows Lover Who Hates Windows 8

Mountain Lion's worth a look if you're Metro-averse. And I know, I know. Screw Macs and Apple's overpriced, underspeced hipster crap, right? Well, fine. But Apple does have one thing going for it over Microsoft in your heart right now: A demonstrated commitment to PARC. While Microsoft is determined to make Metro the next paradigm in graphical user interfaces, Apple is comfortable with the desktop interface. And to a lot of us, that's worth something.

Ever wanted to build your own computer?

A great tutorial by the guys at Newegg showing you how to design your own computer:

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A google search will provide many more outlets for people searching to build their own systems.

If Computer Problems Were Real

A hilarious satire on commonly found computer issues.

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Starring Dave Urlakis, Lisa Linke, Wes Needham, Lee Russell, Mel Evans, Pat Dwyer, Zack Whittington, and Peter Kremidas. Directed by Dave Urlakis and Zoran Gvojic. Written by Dave Urlakis. Sound by Mark Kleinfelder. Shot, edited, color sound and graphics by Zoran Gvojic

I enjoyed the restarting metaphor.. 

Chrome Book

The Chromebook is a new, faster computer that starts in seconds, offers thousands of apps, and keeps getting better and better with free, automatic updates. 

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Cloud computing seems to be the way things are going. I still believe in large Raid Arrays in my house; I do not trust cloud storage at this point.

India creates world's cheapest computer

India has created a tablet computer for only $45

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I certainly wish these were in circulation in the U.S. The last I read about a universal laptop being developed the estimated cost was $200 per unit; far away from India's proposed cost.

Cotton Candy

Norwegian company FXI technologies showed off a USB stick-sized portable computer prototype, complete with a dual-core 1.2-GHz Samsung Exynos ARM CPU (same as in the Galaxy S II), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-out and a microSD card slot for memory

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The machine has been nicknamed cotton candy because of its 21gram lightweight form.

New Mac Ad

A new mac ad was aired during the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics:

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If only video editing was that simple.

Dark Knight Rises to Applause

Let's face it, we knew Christopher Nolan's third and final Batman movie would be great. But now, we have confirmation of it's true glory. At the Dark Knight Rises premiere, critics gave it a standing ovation and some even had tears in their eyes.

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Reports are unconfirmed, however, if the applause was generated towards the excellent story telling and cinematography, or seeing Anna Hathaway in a skin tight leather suit.

Read more at here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/jul/09/dark-knight-rises-early-screening

Want an iPad? Get in line.

Speculation suggests Apple to release a new iPad sometime this year: the iPad mini. As the name suggests, the iPad mini is a mini version of the enlarged version of the iPod Touch. Analysts project this mini enlarged iPod Touch will sell like hotcakes this holiday season to the tune of 6 million units being sold.

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So if you want another iPad to add to your collection, you better get in line early!

Read more here: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/07/09/apple_seen_selling_up_to_6_million_ipad_minis_this_holiday.html

New iphone projection keyboard!

This video shows the new iphone in its concept design:

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I really will be looking forward to these advancements. Might consider switch from my droid. 

New Drobo 5 Disk Array!

The Drobo family of products are generally respected amongst professionals and tech nerds, but the one complaint was that the dynamic storage arrays were too slow. Drobo listened, and now they're answering back with the Drobo 5D and Drobo Mini, two devices designed to handle the most demanding of file transfers.

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Check out dobo product reviews for more info. Information above derived from Gizmodo. 

SSD Prices are dropping!

SSD Prices are truly dropping:

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So, no excuse now; upgrade already! 

Minority Report-like technology

I've always been a fan of the film minority report and i came across this article about the San Francisco police department adopting some new technology:

t's not all the way sophisticated like the precogs of Minority Report but the San Francisco Police Department have left their no Internet having, no email using days behind them and upgraded to a much more sophisticated system that'll help 'em nab more criminals.

Buzzfeed FWD took a look at the police app that SFPD will be using which allows the officers to upload images, scan license plates, dictate notes, capture interviews, pin location points and do all of it in real time. The database is constantly updated so that police officers can work together in predicting where the criminals will end up next. It's fighting crime with data. Or as the SFPD put it, using the "bat computer".

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Hell, once the SFPD starts using the police car of the future and integrates facial recognition software to their current app, bad guys should really start thinking about being good. It's hard to beat sci fi tech. 

Logitech K760 Wireless Solar Keyboard

New keyboard review at gizmodo:

What Is It?

The Logitech K760 is a wireless, solar-powered keyboard designed for Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad). It switches between the three with the tap of a key.

Who's It For?

Anyone who uses a wireless keyboard to compose on a MacBook/iPhone/iPad, constantly switches between the devices, and hates replacing batteries.

Design

Logitech mimicked the aesthetic of Apple's wireless keyboard with a silver and white color scheme. But the Logitech's incline isn't quite as steep, the keys have a deeper dimple, plastic replaces aluminum, and there's a giant solar strip across the top.

Using It

Simple. To pair it with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, set the device's Bluetooth to active. The keyboard can assign a device to one of three hot keys. Tap the one you want. Follow the prompts and compose your next masterpiece.

The Best Part

The solar power. Never changing batteries is a tech sloth's dream.

Tragic Flaw

Build quality. The K760 just doesn't match the feel—both in the quality and performance—of Apple's standard-issue.

Test Notes

• Used at home casually over the span of two weeks.
• Bluetooth hot keys basically tied for the Best Part. Not having to take your hands off your keyboard to quickly switch which device you're typing on is fantastic.
• Typed this review with the keyboard. Didn't want to commit suicide by the end.
• Compared to Apple, the keys feel a bit more clacky, and not as springy.
• The plastic overlay on the keyboard is prone to scratching, and is especially visible on the solar panels. If you're trying to slip this in a bag, beware.
• 
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  Should You Buy It?

  If you are frequently typing long things on iOS devices at home or work, and you hate swapping out batteries, then absolutely. The thing works reliably and exactly as advertised. Now whether or not you'll like the feel of the keys or the overall look of the product is another thing. It just doesn't compare to the best products out there in that regard. But that wasn't really the aim of this product anyway.

Incredible Water Printer!

This "printer" released water at calculated intervals and really makes an amazing display.

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I'll be putting one of these in my home relatively soon ^_^

Funny Graphic about Cell-Phone Users

I have had all three of these phones and find these stereotypes to be hilarious.

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I especially enjoy the graphic of the blackberry Dinosaur user....so good. 

Really Cool Demonstration of Physics Engine!

Thiago Costa has created a physics based demonstrations with Softimage's ICE platform which can only be described as insane.


click below to watch^
http://vimeo.com/13457383#at=0

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Truly crazy!

Turn an Old Computer into an XBMC Home Theater PC

XBMC is our favorite media center software. It's free and it's better than it's paid alternatives thanks to a slick, customizable interface that plays all sorts of media from the majority of networked and local destinations. It can pull content from the web, tell you the weather, double as a retro video game console, and much more. What's really great is that it can run on a super cheap, underpowered nettop. That may also mean your old computer is entirely adequate for the job. Either way, you'll be up and running a home theater system that's ahead of its time before you know it.

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I will definitely be getting my old pc out to run this media center software. Information cited from gizmodo. 

New designs for the Mac Pro -set for 2013

Yesterday, David Pogue of The New York Times vaguely stated in reference to Apple's desktop Mac lines that an unnamed Apple executive had informed him that "new models and new designs are under way, probably for release in 2013." That information was taken to include both Mac Pro and iMac models, but was not explicitly clear. 

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The mac pro line is close to deceased in my mind. The hardware within these machines are years old and cannot keep up with the multimedia and consumer needs that people are placing them on. Besides, the ridiculously high price-tag doesn't help the mac pro line either.

Next Gen Macbook released today!

The new MacBook Pro -- which is in addition to the existing line of Pro's, which was also updated today -- is built around a 15.4" Retina display at a 2880x1880 resolution, 220 ppi with 5,184,000 pixels, with a display that is built directly into the unibody construction to make the notebook lighter. 

It includes quad-core Ivy Bridge processors up to 2.8GHz and turbo boost up to 3.7GHz, up to 16GB of MacBook Air-like non-upgradable 1600MHz RAM, and a maximum of 768GB of next generation flash storage. The new Pro weighs in at 4.46 pounds and is 0.71" thick, but does not include a MacBook Air-like tapered body. There is no optical drive. 

Apple has developed a new type of fan to keep the machine cool. It uses an asymmetrical blade system to cool the machine while being as quiet as possible. Apple claims the thermal management system operates in a way that is nearly imperceptible to the user. 

Apple claims 7 hours of battery life with 30 days of standby time. It includes an SD slot, HDMI, and a USB 3.0/2.0 combo port on the right side, and a MagSafe power port, two Thunderbolt ports, another USB 3.0/2.0 port and a headphone jack on the left. Apple will soon begin offering a Firewire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet to Thunderbolt adapters. The machine also includes "the best stereo speakers ever put into a desktop or notebook" and dual microphones. 

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Can't wait to test some applications on these new macbooks, although the $2199 is rather high; yikes!

Apple Releases New Discount!

Apple states that, "Back in January, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced to employees that the company would begin a new hardware discount program in June, offering employees $500 off a Mac (excluding the Mac mini) or $250 off an iPad. 

In line with that schedule, 9to5Mac reports that the new program has now gone live. As had been previously claimed, the discount is available to employees who have worked at Apple for at least 90 days, can be used once every three years, and can be stacked upon existing 25% employee discounts on hardware. "

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Great news for all of their employees! 

How many types of the Linux OS are out there?

1. Red Hat Linux

2. Fedora

3. Mandriva Linux

4. Red Hat Enterprise

5. SuSE Linux

6. Ubuntu

7. Slackware Linux

8. Gentoo Linux

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There are hundreds more distributions of Linux out there. Look around online and research more of them if you feel like experimenting with operating systems.