Some rumor sites are saying we may see a new form factor for the MacBook Pro, which was last redesigned in 2008. Specifically something more along the lines of the MacBook Air. Thinner and possibly no more optical drive. Another rumor states we may see a screen resolution reaching 2880 x 1800.

The cable will set you back an even $49 from…. you guessed it.

High performance PC3-10600 DDR3 1333MHz 8GB memory modules are still very expensive. $1599 is required if you are looking to get the most from your new quad-core MacBook Pro.

AppleInsider recently acquired an E-mail invite to Intel’s Retail Edge Program. Included on this invitation is a promotion for a new MacBook Pro featuring Intel’s new Core i5 mobile architecture.  Specific details are still non-existent but at least we can confirm that Apple is finally getting ready to unleash a new wave of power into the Macbook Pro lineup.

Whether or not we see the whole line-up adopt the Core i5 or not is still up in the air, but more than likely we will see the i5 in the higher end 15″ and 17″ models.

“An LG staffer has made the very bold claim that 15in Apple notebooks equipped with OLED displays will appear within months… the mole added that once Apple’s unveiled its 15in OLED notebook, LG will then launch its own standalone 15in OLED panels later in the year.”

An interesting rumor to say the least. Would it be plausible to have this as a BTO option, or would we simply see this implemented in Apples higher end models?

You can find the original article here. 9to5mac

The Western Digital HD Media center is essentially a gateway for your digital entertainment files.

Whether it be photos, music, or videos, the WD TV will deliver in up 1080p goodness. It features both HDMI and SPDIF out for true HD sound and video. The part of this product that really makes it stand out from the rest is its likable list of supported audio and video formats:

Video

• MPEG1/2/4, WMV9, AVI (MPEG4, Xvid, AVC), H.264, MKV, MOV (MPEG4, H.264),
  MTS, TP, TS (If your curious, almost all HD downloads use some form of H.264 and/or .MKV)

Audio

• MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV/PCM/LPCM, AAC, FLAC, Dolby Digital, AIF/AIFF, MKA

All you have to do is connect an external USB hard drive or thumbdrive. The slick and elegant user interface will help you navigate your drive in order to find your media.

You can pick on up to day for as little as $89.99 Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player

• New 17″ MacBook Pro starts arriving at doorsteps

• Possible sneak peak of new MacMini -Video

• Apple discontinues 20″ cinema display

• Apple buying up all the RAM it can get its hands on

• Apple opens two new retail stores in France

• Turning the Dell Mini 9 into the Ultimate OS X Netbook

Keep your eyes open for my upcoming review of Linux Mint 6 (64bit) on the MacBook Pro as well more Apple tips, rumors, and news!

Interested in what I do when I’m not blogging? Follow me on Twitter to stay up to date. Twitter.com/lwestlie

• For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. (This means not leaving it plugged in 100% of the time
• Fully charge and discharge your battery at least once a month.
• Have a spare battery you don’t use to often? Don’t store it with more then a %50 charge. (if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may experience some loss of battery capacity)
• Be sure to store your notebook and battery at the proper temperature (Between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit)

Looking for more info on battery management? Try Apple.com/Batteries

1. WiFi – Don’t get me wrong, I love being connected but it’s not necessary 100% of the time. I like to blog on the go, but when I write I make sure to switch the WiFi off until I am ready to publish my post.
2. Screen Brightness – I will admit that a nice bright screen is very fancy, but at times, its just not all that practical. You can skip this if you have the automatically adjust screen brightness checked in system preferences. If you don’t have that checked, you can easily forget that you have your screen blasting as bright as it will go.
3. Keyboard Brightness – Handy as it may be, it’s just another drain on your battery. Keep it off unless you need it.
4. Bluetooth -  I use the Bluetooth feature on my Macbook Pro at least every other day, mostly to transfer stuff to and from my phone. Occasionally it gets left on, this can really kill the battery. It never hurts to check, make sure your Bluetooth is off.
5. Optical Drive – Hopefully you all know what a drain your optical drive can be. If it does not have to be in, take it out. all those times when you accidentally bring up spotlight can add up and take a toll on the battery.

So there ya go, simple and efficient. Do you have some battery saving tips? Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. -btw the reference to spot light is referring to the fact that it has to spin up the disc to index it.

Here are the pics: