Other Apple Stuff

Previewed at WWDC last year, the iTVÊðtv is an 802.11n wireless access point with video streaming capabilities. Like an iPod for video, you can sync media to the ðtv, or stream it live. It's got a 40GB hard drive as a cache that can store up to 50 hours of video content using H.264 at 1.5Mbs with 128kbs Audio. It's got HDMI and Component video outputs along with analogue and digital optical outputs.

It's got a USB port reserved for service and diagnostics, so no externally attachable storage options, and it's got 802.11n and 10/100 Base-T networking. Unlike the Mac mini that it superficially resembles, the ðtv has a built-in power supply, not an external power brick.

Next up is the new AirPort Extreme Base Station. Having had a design makeover, it's no longer a sleek white dome, now it's the same form factor as the mini and the ðtv, a flat white box with rounded corners. This time round the Base Station has 802.11n (starting to see a pattern here?) and three dedicated LAN ethernet ports (up from one in the Extreme and none in the Express) and one WAN ethernet port. The USB port has been retained, however with increased capabilities - the previous generation unit could only use the USB port for connecting a printer and sharing it over the network, this one can also use the USB port to hook up an external hard drive. Using a USB hub, you can connect multiple printers and hard drives to the base station and share them to network clients via wired or wireless ethernet. As before, wireless security levels up to WPA2 are supported, as is RADIUS authentication.

Now, with these two new devices featuring 802.11n, there will shortly be an AirPort driver update released for all the Core 2 Duo hardware, as well as the Mac Pros unlock the full functionality of their wireless cards that, currently under Mac OS X, are restricted to 802.11g.

On the software/content side of things, the iTunes Music Store now has a whole lot more content - Paramount has been signed to deliver movies.

Conspicuous by their absence are new displays, with the built-in iSight webcams - Apple have EOL'd the iSight standalone webcams, so everyone expected there to be new displays, including one using the 24" panel in the top-end iMac. Also missing was an update to the iLife suite to bring it up to iLife '07

Oh, last, but not least, Apple have changed their name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc...