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News & Opinion
Rumor Roundup
Products & Services
News & Opinion
Apple Extends iMac 1 TB Seagate Hard Drive
Replacement Program
Apple says it has has determined that certain 1 TB Seagate hard
drives used in 21.5" and 27" iMac systems may fail. Potentially
affected are iMac systems sold between October 2009 and July 2011.
Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace
affected hard drives free of charge.
Apple is contacting affected iMac owners who provided a valid email
address during the product registration process to let them know about
this program. If you have not been contacted, but think you have a
1 TB Seagate hard drive, you can enter your serial number on the
program Web page (link below) to see if it's part of this program.
If your iMac has an affected hard drive, you can choose one of the
options below to get it replaced:
- Apple Retail Store - Set up an appointment with a Genius.
- Apple Authorized Service Provider
- Apple Technical Support - Contact for local service options.
Apple recommends replacing affected hard drives as soon as possible.
Before you go in for service, make sure to back up your data.
You will need to have the original OS installation discs that were
shipped with your product in order to reinstall your operating system,
other applications and any backed up data after your hard drive is
replaced (or clone your current hard drive contents to backup
media)
If you believe you have paid for a repair or replacement due to this
issue, you can contact Apple regarding a refund.
This worldwide Apple program does not extend the standard warranty
coverage of the iMac.
The program covers affected iMacs for three years after the first
retail sale of the unit or until April 12, 2013, whichever provides
longer coverage for you. Apple will continue to evaluate service data
and will provide further updates to this program as needed.
The following iMac models are affected:
Link: iMac 1 TB Seagate Hard
Drive Replacement Program
Radical Russian Orthodox Believers Switching Apple
Logos for Crosses
The Russian news portal Interfax reports that some Orthodox
Christian believers in Russia, including Orthodox priests, are removing
the bitten apple logo from their Apple devices for religious reasons,
and replacing it with a cross.
Link: Православные
в России
начинают
менять
"антихристианское"
надкушенное
яблоко на
своих
устройствах
"Apple" на кресты
(Russian-to-English
translation via Google Translate)
Russian Orthodox Christians Call Apple Logo
'Anti-Christian'
xBitLabs' Anton Shilov reports that radical orthodox Christians from
Russia are removing Apple's logo from the company's products and
substituting crosses instead, condemning the half-bitten apple logotype
as anti-Christian and insulting their belief, something Shilov suggests
may potentially cause serious problems for Apple's products in the
country.
Shilov notes that according to the ultra-radical orthodox activists,
the bitten apple symbolizes the original sin of Adam and Eve and is
generally anti-Christian. It is unknown whether the radical orthodox
consider the logotype as insulting, but it looks like they do.
Shilov also notes that the Russian parliament is currently
considering laws designed to "to defend citizens' religious feelings
and national and spiritual values from blasphemy and insult," which if
passed (considered highly likely), a worst-case scenario could see
sales of Apple products halted in Russia.
Striped Apple logo, 1976-98.
He also observes that until 2012, no influential Christian
organization has accused Apple of anti-Christian propaganda with the
bitten apple silhouette.
Editor's note: It's unlikely that the "forbidden fruit" in
the Genesis account was an apple. Rob Janoff, the Apple logo's original
designer,
intended no such association, and apples get mostly positive
associations in the
Bible, so the Russian protesters are barking up the wrong (apple)
tree. cm
Link: Russian Orthodox
Christians Swap Apple Logo with Crosses
Rumor Roundup
Supply Chain Ramping Up Component Production for
13" Retina MacBook Pro, iPad mini, and New iMac
DigiTimes' Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai report that shipment delays for
Apple's rumored 13" Retina Display MacBook Pro, 7.85" iPad mini, and
new iMac have shifted product announcements from originally-projected
September into October and now, with the year-end holiday sales season
ramping up, Apple's upstream supply chain is "aggressively preparing"
for expectedly strong orders in October and November, according to
sources.
A major logjam had been weak Retina Display yields, according to Lee
and Tsai's sources, along with low yields for components such as the
iPad mini's display (expected to be non-Retina) and chassis. The
article notes that the iPad mini is reported to have a different design
and tactile feel compared with the 9.7" iPad.
Link: Asian Supply Chain
Scrambling to Ramp Up Component Production for 13-inch Retina MacBook
Pro, iPad mini, and New iMac (subscription required)
Products & Services
StarTech.com Releases Line of Thunderbolt Cables
Including Longest One Available in the IT Channel
PR: StarTech.com, a
manufacturer of hard-to-find connectivity parts, has announced the
launch of a new Thunderbolt cables product line, with an array of
lengths including .5m (1.6'), 1m (3.3'), 2m (6.6'), claimed to be the
first 3m (9.9') Thunderbolt cable available in the channel.
The cables are constructed using the active components required to
support the full, high-bandwidth capability of the Thunderbolt
interface: 10 Gbps (bi-directional), for interconnecting devices such
as Thunderbolt-equipped external RAID enclosures and other applications
such as daisy chaining Thunderbolt devices.
"We are excited to include Thunderbolt cables in our comprehensive
lineup of connectivity parts. Thunderbolt technology is supported by
all current Apple computers, as well as some models from Acer, Asus and
Lenovo, and were expecting the interface to be available on an
increasing number of computers in the weeks and months to come," says
Keith Rodrigues, Senior Product Manager for StarTech.com's Cables
product line.
"Thunderbolt peripherals don't typically ship with cables included,
so the range in lengths we've made available offer the customer the
flexibility to choose the length that best suits them - shorter cables,
such as the .5m and 1m lengths for daisy chaining, and longer cables
such as the 2m and 3m lengths, which are suited for more convenient
placement of peripherals," says Rodrigues.
Some of the features of the new Thunderbolt cables include:
- Support for dual-channel, simultaneous bi-directional data and
video transfers up to 10 Gbps per channel
- Supports Power-over-cable, for bus-powered devices
- Dual Protocol support (PCI Express and DisplayPort)
- Durable cable construction, with high quality Thunderbolt
connectors
StarTech.com Thunderbolt cables will be available for purchase from
technology resellers including CDW, Amazon.com, Newegg.com, Tiger
Direct, and PC Connection. The cables will also be distributed by
Ingram Micro and SYNNEX Corporation. MSRP for these products are as
follows:
- TBOLTMM50CM: .5m Thunderbolt Cable, M/M, $48.99 in the US and
Canada
- TBOLTMM1M: 1m Thunderbolt Cable, M/M, $48.99 in the US and
Canada
- TBOLTMM2M: 2m Thunderbolt Cable, M/M, $48.99 in the US and
Canada
- TBOLTMM3M: 3m Thunderbolt Cable, M/M, $89.99 in the US and
Canada
Link: StarTech
Thunderbolt Cables
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