Hey hey, it’s Tuesday! Other than being the second day of the week, that doesn’t mean all that much, particularly for those looking forward to next week’s Thanksgiving holiday (at least here in the USA). But turn that frown upside down, because we’ve got some juicy MacBook rumors, a swanky new update to the Comic Zeal Comic Reader app, whispers of a new Apple TV on the way and a preview of what the Netflix app will look like on the iPad in a few weeks for this Tuesday, November 15, 2011.
According to a report from DigiTimes, there’s a new, ultra-thin 15-inch MacBook on the way, and suppliers have already started shipping “a small volume of components” this month, with the final product expected “as early as the second quarter of 2012.” The question is, could these suppliers be putting together a refreshed MacBook Air or is this the rumored super-thin MacBook Pro? No one knows for sure, but clearly the new “ultrabook” category is heating up, with Asus and others brazenly imitating Apple’s success with the MacBook Air.
Bitolithic has unleashed Comic Zeal 5, a major new version of their universal popular comic book reader for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The updated app features an all-new interface for organizing comics on your device, including the ability to load new CBZ, CBR, RAR or ZIP files via iTunes, Wi-Fi or even through other apps such as Dropbox. An innovative new slider allows users to push comics, series and dividers into a red ribbon at the right side of the screen, then simply drag them out at the intended destination. Comic Zeal 5.0.36 is now in the App Store for $7.99 and as always, it’s a free update for existing users.
You can always count on Taiwan’s DigiTimes to first barf up a good rumor and then clean up the mess only after everyone else has gotten it all over their shoes. Case in point: That recent rumor about Apple reducing its MacBook shipment forecast for the fourth quarter of this year, which the website is now debunking. Rumors of supplier Catcher Technology being ordered to halt production over foul odors emitted from their factory appear to have been overblown, and ODM partner Quanta Computer is planning to increase shipments for the last quarter of this year, up from 5.3 million units shipped in the quarter that ended in October. But did we get an apology for spreading the rumors in the first place? Heck, no...
Streaming giant Netflix may seem to be all thumbs these days, but judging from a new post on The Netflix Blog this morning, they may be working hard to get their mojo back -- starting with a stealth update to the Android tablet app which offers a new, “fully redesigned experience.” That includes the new Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble NOOK tablets, but the more exciting news for Apple fans is they won’t have long to wait for the new experience on the iPad as well. “This experience will be ready for the iPad in the coming weeks, so stay tuned,” Netflix mobile manager Zal Bilimoria writes. Among the changes are a new interface that displays twice as many movies and TV shows, and tablet-centric features such as swiping through rows of titles with larger artwork. No download is required -- Android users simply open the app and they’ll see the change.
The eagle eyes over at 9to5Mac are noting that Amazon.com has changed their listing for the second-generation Apple TV, now referring to it as the “2010” model with a price drop to $89.99 on top of it, matching a similar deal through Best Buy. Is Apple gearing up for pushing some little black boxes on Black Friday this year or does Amazon and Best Buy know something they’re not supposed to be telling? We’ll all know soon enough...
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