"Hey Siri" support and possibly wireless charging case alongside AirPower charging mat.
NVIDIA/Intel Settlement Could Boost MacBook and MacBook Air Processor Speeds
Bloomberg reported last week that Intel and NVIDIA are in talks aimed at settling the legal dispute between the companies. The legal issues which began late last year resulted in NVIDIA exiting the chipset business pending a resolution of the disagreement.
The details of the settlement were not revealed but a resolution could be good news for Apple, as pointed out by ArsTechnica.
Apple had adopted NVIDIA's chipsets to power its MacBook and MacBook Pro line in late 2008 providing their laptop line a boost in integrated graphics performance. The licensing dispute, however, prevented NVIDIA from supplying the next generation chipsets for Intel's Nehalem processors. This restriction most likely affected Apple's decision not to use the new Nehalem/Arrandale chips in the new MacBook Airs and the 13" MacBooks.
However, the licensing dispute meant that Apple couldn't upgrade the processors in some of its most portable machines, including the 13" MacBook models and its ultraportable MacBook Air, without giving up the benefit of the graphics boost from NVIDIA's integrated graphics. This, in turn, has left Apple to continue using Core 2 Duo processors - based on a decidedly outdated architecture - paired with an updated NVIDIA 320M controller. Despite the fact the final product offers good performance, the use of the positively ancient Core 2 Duo still looks bad for a company that markets premium products and demands a premium price.
Essentially, when given the choice between a faster processor vs faster integrated graphics in its price and space constrained machines, Apple opted for faster video performance.If Intel and NVIDIA are able to come to terms and NVIDIA is able to provide next generation chipsets, Apple may be able to offer both the latest Intel CPUs and NVIDIA integrated graphics chips across all their machines.
Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: MacBook (Don't Buy), MacBook Air (Buy Now)
[ 115 comments ]
Twelve South today announced new additions to its Journal line of products, including Journal options for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro and a new Journal CaddySack for storing accessories.
The...
Apple's HomeKit platform has expanded to support a variety of device categories since its launch in 2014, now including lights, thermostats, ceiling fans, sprinklers, outlets, and humidifiers.
...
Lyft today revealed that a loyalty program for its customers, "Lyft Rewards," will begin rolling out for select passengers in December, allowing these users to be rewarded for using the...
Volkswagen today announced that subscribers of its Car-Net service can now use the iOS app and Siri to lock and unlock their car. The Siri command for this will be, "Hey Siri, lock my car."
...
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a new report over the weekend, related to the introduction of new antenna technology that could be coming in next year's iPhone lineup. According to the...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Understands to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a high-quality iMac stand or shelf made from wood.
Understands makes a selection of...
As information on Black Friday sales continues to grow, Sam's Club is planning a one-day-only sale for tomorrow, November 10, and it includes a few Apple items. The focus is $30 off...
Micro Center retail stores are offering an impressive $200 off new MacBook Air models, including custom configurations, starting today. This is by far the best deal we've seen on the new...
