MacBook Pro keyboards may have gotten a secret upgrade

The latest MacBook Pro may be hiding a secret fix that users have been complaining about for some time now.

The 2018 version of the MacBook Pro, which will be released before the week ends, found its way onto the hand of gadget repair specialists iFixit. Before publishing their customary teardown video for new devices, their gadget experts found an interesting rubberized layer underneath the keycaps of the keyboard, according to a statement.

It was a curious find considering the Apple description of its new MacBook did not mention making any technical changes to the keyboard. They merely said it’s “an improved third-generation keyboard for quieter typing.”

On the other hand, the presence of this protective layer led iFixit to speculate that it was put there to help keep dust and other particulates from accumulating under the keys–a concern that has plagued MacBook users for a long time. This is not to mention replacing or fixing a broken keyboard is expensive.

Apple even has a patent for the very same technology behind its third-generation keyboard. Except the patent mentioned, the design was to help “prevent and/or alleviate contaminant ingress” and not to make typing quieter.

Meanwhile, the company continued to deal with several class-action lawsuits pertaining to the reliability issues of its keyboards, as mentioned in a report by 9to5Mac. If Apple described the new MacBook Pro’s keyboard as one that improves reliability, it would be the same as admitting there were problems with its past keyboards.

With the 2018 MacBook Pro just about to enter the market, only time will tell whether the third-generation keyboards will stand the test of time, and do so quietly as Apple said they would.  Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Non-Retina MacBook Pro being pulled from displays

Just a week after the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), a report from The Next Web states that Apple has started pulling the legacy non-Retina MacBook Pro from store displays in and near San Diego, California.

Clerks were reportedly surprised because the legacy units were still selling well among older buyers. There was also no clear word from management regarding why they needed to clear stocks from the sales floor.

On the other hand, it makes sense since according to the keynote from WWDC, a new line of MacBook Pros will be entering the market soon. Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

HP unveils glass ultrabook laptop

Consumers have seen glass-covered smartphones, but are they ready for a glass-covered ultrabook?

Glass —scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, to be precise— is what Hewlett-Packard hopes will set its new HP Spectre apart from other devices in its class, tech site CNET reported at the product's unveiling at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the US.

"While having glass all over the display, lid, palm rest, and touch pad might seem to invite danger, HP boasts that using Gorilla Glass will make the laptop more scratch-resistant," the CNET report said.




Still, CNET cited concerns about shattering if the laptop is dropped on a hard surface.

The new device fits within the size guidelines for the newer class of 14-inch ultrabooks but is "heavier and thicker" than other ultrabooks, including HP's Folio 13.

CNET said the Spectre is HP's first consumer-oriented ultrabook, emphasizing flash and gloss with its all-glass lid and palm rest.

It added the Spectre is lighter and thinner than mainstream laptops like Apple Inc.'s MacBook Pro.

The Spectre has Beats Audio and an inset analog wheel for volume control.

A LED-lid HP Radiance backlit keyboard and 1,600x900-pixel HP Radiance LED display offers extremely bright and viewable from any angle, CNET said.

Under the hood are Intel Core i-series processors, and a 128-GB SSD drive with an option to add a second SSD to double the storage.

The Spectre will set consumers back $1,399 for the entry-level configuration, which will include an Intel Core i5-2467M processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD drive.

"Full versions of Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements are preinstalled, a perk that's becoming more common to HP laptops," it said.

Another possible feature is near-field communication (NFC), which may allow maps, Web pages, or other information exchanged between the ultrabook and other devices like smartphones. — TJD, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com