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Teardown shows new Apple’s 12-inch MacBook adds tamper-evident screws, very minor improvements

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Our friends over at iFixit are doing their ritual teardown of Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook, and while the new device is essentially the same as the previous generation save for some refreshed components, the repair guide site also noticed some tweaks as far as repairability goes.

Most notably, Apple replaced a tri-wing screw with a much more common Phillips screw, which is always a plus for allowing easier repairs, although it continues to use its proprietary Pentalobe screws on the exterior of the case. That might be the only new positive for the updated MacBook, however, as iFixit also notes that it discovered hinge screws for the device which are “filled with some sort of substance that disintegrates when you insert a screwdriver.” The site speculates that it appears to be an Apple effort at “tamper-evident screws,” which in theory could allow the company to know if a third-party or DIY repair attempt has been made voiding warranty. Or as iFixit put it, “make you feel like a hoodlum for repairing your own machine.”


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Apple drops the price on refurbished 12-inch MacBooks, now start at $929 shipped

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From 9to5Toys.com:

With news of fresh 12-inch MacBooks this morning, Apple is now further discounting previous generation refurbished models with prices starting at $929 shipped. If you’re willing to hold off on the spec bumps announced today, you’ll be able to cash in on significant savings. All of Apple’s refurbished products come with a full one-year warranty and are eligible for AppleCare.

Apple’s inventory of refurbished computers and accessories are generally limited. It’s not uncommon to see a specific model come in and out of stock. Check in regularly if your desired MacBook sells out in the coming days.

Here’s a look at the new MacBook price drops:

If you’re looking for more power, we currently have Apple’s 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on sale from $1,000 with a .edu email address (Reg. $1,299).


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Apple begins shipping replacement USB-C cables to Retina MacBook owners

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Last week, Apple launched a USB-C cable replacement program, saying that some cables shipped with the 12-inch Retina MacBook were faulty. Thea faulty adapters would result in the MacBook not charging or charging unreliably. Now, the first MacBook customers have started receiving their replacement cables, according to a post on Reddit and Twitter. The user did not request the cable from Apple.


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USB Type-C at CES 2016: hubs, displays, adapters & more for the 12-inch MacBook

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With the new 12-inch MacBook sporting just a single USB Type-C port, an adapter to get back some USB ports and SD card slots will be necessary for a lot of users. With more and more devices adopting the standard, we’re seeing a lot of USB C accessories announced at CES 2016 this year, many of which are designed specifically with 12-inch MacBook users in mind. So, as we’ve already done for HomeKit and Apple Watch products, below we’re rounding up all of the USB Type-C products for MacBook announced at the show this week.

In addition to hubs, companies are also showing off new portable battery packs, cables, adapters, displays and more, all made possible thanks to USB-C and compatible with the new 12-inch MacBook. 


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9to5Toys Last Call: 12-inch Retina MacBook from $950, iPhone 6s on contract $1, Bastion for iOS $1, more

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

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Hundreds of iOS/Mac games & apps are on sale for the holidays, these are the best ones you can’t afford to miss

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Apple 12-inch MacBook 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB in all colors: $1,000 or $950 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,300)

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Best Buy offering iPhone 6s for $1 on contract w/ Sprint & Verizon

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Games/Apps: Bastion for iOS $1 (Reg. $5), 50% off Final Fantasy 1-7, freebies, more

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Shop Apple’s holiday gift guide, save up to $350: great 9to5 deals on every device + accessory

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Grab the entire Infinity Blade Trilogy on iOS for just $1 each ($20 value)

App Store Free App of the Week: Attack the Light RPG goes free ($3 value)

Frogmind drops the new BADLAND 2 for iOS, original down to $3 (Reg. $5)

Hitman Sniper for iOS drops to its lowest price yet: $1 (Reg. up to $5)

PayPal Digital Gifts

Gift Cards w/ Email Delivery: JCPenney $60 for $50, Toys R Us $100 for $90, more

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Apple Watch Sport $100 off at B&H Photo, prices start at $249 with tax only in NY

Best Buy’s latest Apple sale is your best chance to score iPad, Mac, & Watch deals before Christmas: iPad Air 2 $125 off, iPad Air $100 off, iPad mini 4 $100 off, much more!

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Fitness Trackers: Fitbit Charge HR $110 (Reg. $130+), The Microsoft Band 2 $200 (Reg. $250)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Seagate Backup Plus USB 3.0 5TB Desktop External Hard Drive $115 (Orig. $180)

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iPhone 6/s/Plus Accessories: Sport Armbands from $6, cases in a variety of colors/styles from $3 shippedmore

USB Chargers w/ Prime shipping: Imneed 10,000mah Slim power bank $12, Nylon Braided Lightning Cable $8more

Anker USB Power Deals: Astro E7 26,800mAh Power Bank $40 (Reg. $60), Braided Nylon MFi Lightning Cables from $8more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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Tiny Arcade puts those 80’s gaming cabinets in the palm of your hand

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Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Trevor’s Holiday Gift Guide: The perfect accessories for travel – backpacks, cord management, more

Dan’s Holiday Gift Guide: rare Apple collectibles & swag for the techie who has everything

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

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Get Canary’s all-in-one home security system + air quality/temperature sensor for $179 (Reg. $200)

iOS 9 iPad keyboard adds keys & symbols at bigger screen resolutions, seemingly ready for iPad Pro [Update]

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Following on from the Apple Watch native apps hack, Steve Troughton Smith has also found that the keyboard view in iOS 9 has much better adaptability support on Apple’s latest operating system. As shown by the screenshots, at larger resolutions, the iPad keyboard rearranges itself to make use of the space. Tab and Caps Lock keys are notably added onto to the left side as well as an entirely new top row of symbols.

This new row reflects the symbols normally found on hardware keyboards above the number keys: @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ +. Next to the ‘p’ on the first row, the keyboard also gains curly braces and a pipe symbol.


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Review: Vinsic’s 20,000mAh ultra slim Power Bank can power your 12-inch MacBook anywhere

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The new USB-C port on Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook (review) is both a gift and a curse. If you frequently connect legacy USB peripherals to your notebook, then you’ll have to deal with using an adapter between your old gear and your new laptop each time (and should possibly consider another machine for now). The move from Apple’s proprietary MagSafe 2 connection to the new industry standard USB Type C port for charging, however, opens up the door to third-party power adapters and portable battery packs.

During my initial MacBook evaluation, I verified this possibility with a 13,000mAh portable battery pack I had on hand. Vinsic’s 20,000mAh ultra slim power bank is a giant battery that offers even more juice for your iPhone, iPad, or 12-inch MacBook with a sleek design and an LED status indicator…


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Review: Can you actually use the new 12-inch MacBook for work?

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Early reviews of Apple’s MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) have framed it as an expensive prototype from the future — a notebook that will someday be the standard, but one most people aren’t ready for yet. Despite that classification, the new MacBook is extremely tempting if you’re in the market for a new computer: it’s more portable than even the MacBook Air, it’s the first Mac available in gold and space gray finishes, and it has a trackpad with a new feature called Force Touch.

But can you actually do work on the 12-inch MacBook? That’s the $1300 question everyone is asking. I’ll unpack my experience below …


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12-inch MacBook review roundup: The future of the notebook, but USB-C, keys and speed are issues

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12-inch MacBook 2015

We originally reported that Apple was preparing to release a redesigned 12-inch MacBook in January and the company made the device official during its Spring Forward event. The 12-inch MacBook doesn’t go on sale until tomorrow, April 10th, but reviews have already started pouring in today.

The all-new 12-inch MacBook has been completely redesigned and is the thinnest MacBook Apple offers. The laptop sports a 2304×1440 resolution display and is just 13.1mm thick at its thickest point. To get the laptop this thin, Apple made compromises and those compromises have made many potential buyers worry. The new MacBook only features a single USB-C port, with Apple encouraging users to use adapters to fulfill their other needs. Performance concerns also arose when benchmarks allegedly emerged from the laptop showing performance on-par with that of a 2011 MacBook Air. You can read our roundup of all the 12-inch MacBook reviews below:


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12 inch MacBook Air production reportedly ramping for Q1 debut, will replace current 11 inch Air

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Digitimes, which has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple products, is claiming that the 12 inch Air will debut in the first quarter of 2015, as production ramps at manufacturer Quanta. 9to5Mac posted an exclusive report about this device last week, pictured in the mockup above. The device is expected to be razor-thin with just one USB Type C port doubling as both power and connectivity.


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Apple’s next major Mac revealed: the radically new 12-inch MacBook Air

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Apple is preparing an all-new MacBook Air for 2015 with a radically new design that jettisons standards such as full-sized USB ports, MagSafe connectors, and SD card slots in favor of a markedly thinner and lighter body with a higher-resolution display. Sources within Apple, who have used internal prototype versions of the upcoming computer, have provided in-depth details about the machine, and our exclusive artist renditions of the revamped MacBook Air provide the first close look at Apple’s first major step in mobile Mac computing since the Retina MacBook Pro launch in 2012.


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New reversible USB Type C (rumored for 12-inch MacBook) will offer full DisplayPort functionality

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The next-generation USB “Type C” standard that became available to manufacturers last month will also offer a “DisplayPort Alternate Mode”, enabling the new USB cables to “deliver full DisplayPort audio/video (A/V) performance, driving monitor resolutions of 4K and beyond, SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.1) data and up to 100 watts of power–over a single cable.” That means new USB cables that adopt the new slimmer Type-3 standard can essentially also work as a full-fledged DisplayPort cable. The announcement was made today by The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), which worked with the USB 3.0 Promoter Group to offer the functionality:
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More 12-inch MacBook Air details: reversible USB Type C, MagSafe gone, slimmer fanless design

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Following a report earlier this month that claimed Apple was readying its long-rumored 12-inch MacBook Air in iPhone-style space gray and gold options, the Jack March is now back with more details of the next-gen Macbooks. According to the report, Apple will move from the current USB ports to the new slimmer, reversible USB Type C introduced last month by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group. It will also feature a “noticeably thinner design” and remove the current MagSafe charging solution. 9to5mac has reason to believe he has knowledge of Apple’s upcoming MacBook Airs.

Other details in the report line up with previous rumors of a 12-inch MacBook Air sporting a Retina display arriving in 2015 with a fanless design:
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New rumor claims 12-inch Retina MacBook Air will come in space gray and gold

Gold is best

Gold is best

If you’ve just been dying to get your hands on a gold MacBook Air, a new rumor floating around the web is sure to make your day. According to a tech website aptly named A Tech Website, the long-rumored line of 12-inch MacBook Airs that are expected to be released next year will be available not only in the usual silver, but also in iPhone-style “space gray” and gold.

This seemingly insane claim allegedly comes from “someone familiar with Apple’s plans.” More reliable sources have previously claimed that we’ll see a 12-inch MacBook Air sporting a Retina display sometime in 2015, possibly with a fanless design thanks to a more power-efficient processor.