Hardware Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Dear Aunt TUAW: Did my wife just get a free upgrade?

by Erica Sadun (Apr 5th, 2012)

Dear Aunt TUAW, So my wife's 11-inch MacBook Air went into an Apple Store to get its screen replaced because it cracked. It's got a core i5 1,6ghz processor in it... Or at least it did! We've just got it back home and I clicked on "About this Mac" out of habit and it's reported that it's got ...

Motrr Galileo robotic iPhone platform is go for launch

by Steven Sande (Apr 5th, 2012)

One of the coolest Apple-related Kickstarter projects in the recent past has been the Motrr Galileo, a robotic iPhone platform. The project has definitely been funded -- it's now at US$400,000 with a $100,000 goal -- and it appears that the first devices will be shipped some time in June. ...

Western Digital introduces My Passport Studio 2TB portable drive with FireWire 800 ports

by Kelly Hodgkins (Apr 5th, 2012)

Western Digital unveiled a new 2 TB external hard drive for Mac users this week. The My Passport Studio is formatted for the Mac and compatible with Time Machine so you can back up your data and go. The new drive also has an all-metal casing that'll complement the aluminum unibody design of the ...

Sonos drops dedicated controllers in favor of iOS and Android apps

by Mel Martin (Apr 4th, 2012)

It was probably inevitable. Sonos, maker of wireless, whole-house music systems, will halt production of the handheld Sonos Control after May 31. The company has offered iPhone and iPad controller apps for years, which are free and offer a complete set of features. I doubt the company sold many ...

Nokia Lumia 900 vs iPhone 4S camera test

by Kelly Hodgkins (Apr 4th, 2012)

Nokia and AT&T are launching the Lumia 900 this weekend and reviews for the Windows Phone hit the Internet last night. CNET had a review unit and used that opportunity to compare the 8-megapixel Lumia with another 8-megapixel shooter, the iPhone 4S. Jessica Dolcourt traveled around San ...

DIY external MacBook battery

by Kelly Hodgkins (Apr 3rd, 2012)

Evan Rodgers took a CCTV battery, a third party MacBook car charger, and some soldering tools to create a do-it-yourself external MacBook battery. As he points out in his post on The Verge, a little elbow grease and electronics know-how will save you from having to buy a costly commercial ...

Consumer Reports puts iPad at top of the list, despite heat issue

by Kelly Hodgkins (Apr 2nd, 2012)

A few weeks ago, Consumer Reports caused a stir when it claimed the new iPad ran twelve degrees hotter than its predecessor and reached 116 degrees. Now the consumer watchdog company is back to say the heat problem is not a cause for concern. Consumer Reports acknowledges the iPad gets warm, ...

Dressing up the iPhone

by Kelly Hodgkins (Apr 2nd, 2012)

The iPhone has an iconic look, but not everyone is content with the standard black and white casing. A report in the New York Times details how a growing number of people are risking their warranty by modding their phones. It's not just individuals working alone in their garage, but a new set ...

Lilitab iPad kiosk hits the mark on price, simplicity

by Michael Rose (Mar 31st, 2012)

Having the iPad serve as a portable, simple display kiosk or showcase is terribly tempting. For one thing, now that the 16GB iPad 2 has dropped in price due to the new iPad launch, it's more affordable than ever. For another, getting that touch interaction right in front of your customers or ...

How to control Apple TV with a third-party remote

by Chris Rawson (Mar 30th, 2012)

Here's a cool Apple TV feature that you probably didn't know about, particularly if you're like me and the third-generation Apple TV is your first foray into Apple's "hobby" device. In addition to the pre-packaged and somewhat spartan remote and Apple's more full-featured Remote app for iOS ...

Macworld says the new iPad's screen is underrated

by Chris Rawson (Mar 30th, 2012)

"Is that the new one?" one of my workmates asked of the iPad sitting on my desk in its upright dock. "Yep," I said, and showed him the screen. He played around with it for a few seconds and said, "Huh. It doesn't look all that different, does it?" "Are you kidding?" I said, and grabbed my ...

Nokia will refuse to license 'essential' patents if Apple's nano-SIM standard is selected

by Kelly Hodgkins (Mar 28th, 2012)

The discussion over a new standard for SIMs is turning into an all-out war. Earlier this week, Apple agreed to offer its SIM patents royalty-free to competitors if two things happen. Specifically, if Apple's nano-SIM idea is adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) ...

Apple offers Australian iPad buyers a refund

by Kelly Hodgkins (Mar 28th, 2012)

Apple is now offering refunds to Australian customers who are not satisfied with iPad because it is not 4G, says a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. Apple is selling the device as the ''iPad with WIFI + 4G'' because it operates on LTE networks in the US and Canada. Australian carriers ...

New iPad can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours

by Kelly Hodgkins (Mar 26th, 2012)

Anandtech took a closer look at the new iPad's 42.5 Wh battery and discovered the battery is fantastic for those using the device as a mobile hotspot. In a series of tests, they ran the Verizon WiFi+4G iPad from a full charge down to zero with the screen off. Total time was an impressive 25.3 ...

On using the iPad in Poland's Parliament

by Kelly Hodgkins (Mar 26th, 2012)

Polish parliamentary member, John Godson, is using an iPad to help him with his official duties as the deputy of Lodz. In an interview with Krystian "MacKozer" Kozerawski, Mr. Godson talks about his overwhelmingly positive experience with the iPad. He says the iPad is his "primary tool" and he ...