Gizmodo: aluminum macbook

Aluminum MacBook X-Ray Makes Perfect Desktop Background

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:15:00 EST

I've seen a lot of disassembled MacBooks already, but this is the first time I've seen one under x-rays. The image was taken by Jason De Villa because he wonder how would it look like. I've to agree on his curiosity: Like other gadget x-rays we have featured in the past, there's something about radiographed technology that satisfies my most intimate geek peeping tom and Dr. House-wannabe desires at the same time. And no, I'm not talking about the cellphones-up-your-buttocks x-rays. [The AfterMac via Cult of Mac]

New MacBooks Have HDCP, Gives iTunes Purchases Less Freedom

Elaine Chow — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:30:00 EST

High Definition Content Protection—the annoying DRM-y thing that's supposed to stop people from copying hi-def stuff as it travels over a card-display connector— has apparently, and unfortunately, come to Apple's MacBooks. HDCP is now included on new MacBooks to protect iTunes Store media, though it seems that only some of the content is actually HDCP-aware. A high school teacher was unable to play Hellboy 2 on his classroom's projector with his new aluminum MacBook, but other purchased media (such as Stargate: Continuum and Heroes episodes) worked just fine. Perfect. Because copyright protection is all about inconveniencing those who actually bought their stuff legally? [Ars Technica]

New MacBooks Disable Pwnage Tool, Open Second Front in War on Jailbreaking

John Herrman — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:17:11 EST

It's a given that each firmware update for the iPhone and iPod Touch will seal up exploits used by the Dev Team to 'Pwn' the devices, but nobody expected the new MacBooks to present a problem for would-be Jailbreakers. Users over at HowardForums and iPodTouchFans are reporting problems running the Pwnage tool on the new aluminum MacBooks, which don't seem to be able to recognize an iPhone or iPod Touch when it is booted into DFU mode, a vital requirement for jailbreaking.

It's a very specific problem, too — the tool still runs, and users who have a pre-modified firmware created on another Mac or Windows machine are able to 'restore' their devices to a jailbroken state without any trouble. It's the creation of modified firmware, which is the central purpose of the Pwnage tool, that has been kneecapped.

Though the hardware is where one sees the most conspicuous changes in the new MacBook, this problem most likely stems from a subtle software modification. It's not clear what specifically changed, but a new build of iTunes, unique to the new MacBooks, seems like a likely culprit. Of course, this news comes just after we're once again reminded of the App Store's awesome competition-busting rules. Your move, Dev Team. [Howard and iPodTouchFans — Thanks, Charles]