This morning, Data Robotics doubled the size of their Drobo storage line with two new products equipped with the proprietary BeyondRAID technology -- the Drobo S and the Drobo Elite.

The Drobo S (at right) is a performance storage device designed to answer the question "Why isn't there a Drobo with an eSATA interface?" Not only does the Drobo S have the eSATA interface that many have requested, but the device is now equipped with an even faster ARM processor for enhanced FireWire 800 connectivity.

Like the DroboPro, the Drobo S can offer protection from two simultaneous drive failures. To do this and still offer a large amount of protected storage capacity, the Drobo S has five drive bays instead of the four on the original device, while still maintaining a small desktop footprint. The dual-drive redundancy option can be switched on or off at any time.

As with the DroboPro, the new member of the Drobo family has self-healing technology built-in. The device constantly examines the blocks and sectors of all drives, and flags questionable areas. By scrubbing the drives, data is only written to "healthy" areas on drives in the array.

Mark Fuccio of Data Robotics told TUAW that the eSATA interface provides data transfer up to 50% faster than what was available with FireWire 800, or about 90 MB per second.

Earlier in 2009, the DroboPro brought even more expandability to the Drobo line with eight available drive bays and an iSCSI (Gigabit Ethernet) interface. While the DroboPro had immediate success in locations with a single server, it couldn't multi-host -- in other words, it couldn't be used by multiple servers simultaneously.

Over the past few days, Apple has been releasing updates for printer and scanner drivers in Snow Leopard, iSight cameras in LED Cinema Displays and QuickTime 7 for Windows.

First, Apple released printer driver updates for Snow Leopard for Lexmark printers and Brother, Canon and HP printers and scanners.

Next, Apple released a firmware update for the iSight camera that's built into the Apple LED Cinema Display. According to Apple, this firmware update corrects an issue with the built-in iSight camera on the LED Cinema Display where the camera may not be recognized by applications.

Finally, Apple released QuickTime 7.6.5 for Windows, which fixes an issue where applications weren't reliably loading libraries required by QuickTime at startup and the incorrect display of QuickTime movies embedded in a webpage using custom scale attributes.

All of these updates are available from the Apple Support downloads page and Software Update.

For some Magic Mouse users, the streamlined human interface device is not only a dog, but a dog that pees on the carpet, smells bad, and barks continuously. Apple support boards are beginning to fill up with complaints about tracking issues and Bluetooth disconnects. There are also complaints about the lack of a third mouse button, and some all-too-early hardware failures.

I liked the Magic Mouse when I saw it at my local Apple Store, so I took one home for my Mac Pro. It seemed to work for awhile, but now it is very erratic at tracking and speed, even when MouseZoom is installed. Its Bluetooth connection has dropped several times, and it either comes back after a long wait or simply fails to connect again.

When I moved back to my wired Apple mouse, I found that I had actually preferred the form factor of the Magic Mouse, and I missed the button-less scroll wheel.

The Magic Mouse seems to be working fine for many users, but there are some hints that the little rodents are having trouble with some older hardware. My 2006 Intel-based Mac Pro may be one of the computers at issue.

Apple will hopefully issue a software update, if that is the problem. In my case, the only magic I'm going to see from the Magic Mouse is when it disappears from my desktop.

How is it going for you?

Well, I got my Magic Mouse a few days ago, and I've been using it for my everyday tasks for a few days (and I'm still using it), and here are my impressions.

Packaging:



This packaging is clear, showing the actual Magic Mouse, just like the packaging that Apple has been using recently for the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch and accessories.

Downloading the update:

As we posted earlier, you'll want to to download the Wireless Mouse Update to enable the new features of the Magic Mouse, which is available for Snow Leopard and Leopard.

Set Up:


Once you've installed the Wireless Mouse Update, you'll want to go to the Mouse Preference Pane in System Preferences and click the new "Set Up Bluetooth Mouse..." button. You no longer have to use the Bluetooth Setup Assistant to pair, which makes it a little simpler. It will then search for your Magic Mouse, and make sure it's turned on, which is done by a switch on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. Once it's paired, you'll be all ready to use your Magic Mouse.

Read on below to see the how it was using the Magic Mouse....

'Tis the season to be buying. But what do you get for that special geek in your life?

I can't speak for your geek, but I know what I'm asking Santa for this year – I just hope he's a TUAW reader. Whether he is or not, maybe going through my list will give you an idea on how to max out your credit card spread some holiday cheer this year.


Dear Santa,

I've been a good boy this year. I've cut back on the booze, and they don't greet me by name at the strip club anymore. So instead of a stocking full of coal, could you find it in your heart to bring me one or more of the following items on the night before Christmas? I know it's a long flight to New Zealand from the North Pole, but you've got to admit, at least the weather down here is waaaay better than in Cleveland this time of year.

First of all, I'd like a shiny new 802.11n Airport Express. I like my Time Capsule (when it's not being a recalcitrant piece of junk), but the 5GHz wireless signal doesn't reach from my living room all the way back to my office. With an Airport Express, I'd be able to extend the wireless signal from my Time Capsule to the other side of the house and geek away in privacy. That way my wife won't have to grit her teeth every five minutes when the theme from Metroid goes off at 80 decibels and tells me I got a new e-mail. And since the Airport Express is 802.11n-enabled, I'd still be able to back up my data to the Time Capsule at a brisk pace.

I'd also like these Shure SE115m+ earphones. I've been using a set of Shure E2cs for about three years now, and I love them, but the one big advantage the SE115m+ has is the controls built into the cord that would allow me to pause, play, and skip through tracks on my iPhone. I'd also be able to take calls, and it even has a built-in microphone. Santa, if I had these earphones I'd be able to put those white earbuds that came with my iPhone into a drawer and never look at them again, and that would make me a very happy boy indeed.

You know how I like to shoot HD video, right Santa? But not those kinds of videos, because that would get me on the naughty list. My MacBook Pro does a good job of encoding video – it works pretty close to real-time – but if I had an Elgato Turbo.264 HD Video Encoder, it would go so much faster. Like 3-4 times faster. That way I could spend less time waiting for videos to encode and more time drinking helping old ladies across the street.

If I'd been a really good boy this year, like if I'd won the Nobel Peace Prize or employee of the month at TUAW, I'd ask for a bona fide guitar amplifier. But since I haven't been that good, I'd settle for a Zoom G2.1U Guitar Effects Pedal with USB interface. This thing will simulate all kinds of guitar effects for me, and it'll plug right into my MacBook Pro. So far playing my guitar through Garageband has been an acceptable substitute for a real, live amplifier, but the one thing I definitely miss is all my effects pedals. Garageband includes lots of neat software effects that simulate pedals, but you can't stomp on them to switch them on and off. I know – I've tried.

Last thing, Santa: if none of those other things will fit in your bag, could you just get me a big, fat iTunes gift card? I've got nearly US$120 worth of songs I want to upgrade to iTunes Plus so I can stop worrying about DRM nonsense on my previous purchases and get higher-quality music in the process.

Thanks Santa. Next year I promise to be more helpful and honest and say fewer naughty words about New Zealand's telecommunications companies.

I stopped by my local Apple Store (Tucson) today for a quick look around and saw many people playing with the new Magic Mouse. I tried a few 'moves' with in and it seemed a bit nicer and more responsive than I expected. My old Apple wired mouse was starting to wear out so I asked one of the Apple guys when they were coming in. He said "20 minutes ago," so I was snared.

My first 'thrill' was opening the damned box. Like most Apple designed products, the plastic container is very pretty, but was a bit of a struggle to open. I needed a sharp knife, and then had to find the hidden tape that keeps the Magic Mouse attached to a little plastic base.

Since this is a Bluetooth mouse, I paired it to my Mac. It worked out of the box, but I knew there was a software update with new drivers, so I checked and downloaded the new software.

After a reboot, all was well. I have to say that the Magic Mouse has the fanciest control panel in system preferences I've ever seen. There is a little video illustrating how it works. I left the settings to the default, and started mousing away.

There were really no surprises. I have a 30 inch monitor, and can't get all the way across it with a single swipe because I have limited desk real estate. None of the settings would make it better.

The top surface is smooth and comfortable. The mouse does sit lower than a standard rodent, but I wasn't bothered by it. Clicking on the right side of the surface gives you the second mouse button with no pain or problem. You can switch the left and right 'buttons' if you are so inclined.

Scrolling was smooth, and you can adjust the momentum of the scroll. I especially like the 2 finger swipe for going backward and forward in web pages and iPhoto.

The only thing I think was missing is that I'd like the surface of the mouse to mimic the iPhone gesture of pinching and spreading for zoom in / zoom out. You have to use the control key to enable zooming, and I'd rather not have to go to the keyboard for that.

Otherwise, everything was good. I'll get used to the different feel. The mouse comes with batteries already installed so you're ready to go -- once you get the damned package open...

Some of my colleagues here at TUAW will be sharing their thoughts shortly. So far, even though this was a bit of an impulse purchase, the Magic Mouse seems fine.

If you just happen to have a Magic Mouse, and are wanting to use its Multi-Touch features, there's now a Wireless Mouse Update available from Apple that lets you do so in Mac OS X. You still probably can't find a Magic Mouse around unless you buy an iMac, but if you happen to have one or want to prepare for when you get one, you can go ahead and download this update before you get it.

This Update is available for Snow Leopard or Leopard, and can be downloaded from the Apple Support Downloads page.

Surprisingly, the Mac mini, Magic Mouse, iMac, MacBook, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule updates are not the only things Apple updated today. Several other products were updated today, which include:

• Apple Wireless Keyboard: This keyboard, the subject of several update rumors, did get revised today. It now only requires 2 AA batteries, down from 3 in the previous model.
• Apple 60W MagSafe Power Adapter: This adapter now has a aluminum connector, much like the one found on the 45 watt adapter for the MacBook Air; it should be more durable for use.
• VESA Mount Adapter Kit: This model for the 24 inch Apple LCD Cinema Display and the previous 24 inch iMac now supports the new 27 inch iMac.

Also, the wired mouse-formerly-known-as-Mighty Mouse -- which is still available -- was renamed to "Apple Mouse." This is consistent with the trademark for Mighty Mouse (the computer mouse) being finally picked up by Man & Machine, instead of CBS and Apple.

Are you going to enjoy the improvements in these products? Let us know in the comments below!

Today, as is frequently the case, the Apple Store Online was taken down and modified to feature new goodies from our favorite fruit-flavored technology company. Now that the store is back up and ready for your ordering pleasure, what's changed?

Well, Apple introduced a whole slew of new and updated products today. Here's the highlights of what's new and different at the store:

New iMac - Revamped to include, among other new features, LED-Backlit screens, dual core and quad core processors and up to 16GB of memory.

New MacBook - Entry level MacBook redesigned to feature unibody enclosure, built-in battery and LED-Backlit screen.

New Mac mini - Revised to include more memory, larger hard drives and with a special "Server" version featuring dual 500GB hard drives and Snow Leopard Server.

New "Magic" Mouse - Gone is the trackball, replaced by a seamless top-shell design that acts as one button or two, It also features a Multi-Touch surface with gesture support.

New Apple Remote - Not as exciting as new Macs but still, kinda cool if you like to control your Macs, um, remotely.

Other items of note reflected in the new products today include the removal of Firewire 400 from all Macs and the removal of the last Mac with a replaceable battery. End of an era folks, end of an era.

Be sure to keep it right here at TUAW all day for in-depth reports on all of today's Apple announcements.

OK, so it's not nearly as exciting as a shiny new iMac or a Mac mini server, but the Airport Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule also received a mild update today. Both are now certified to the 802.11n specification (not draft-n), and along with this certification come improvements in antenna design, which promises 50% better Wi-Fi performance and 25% better range.

So, not earth-shattering, but for those of us who rely on complex Wi-Fi setups, having the extra range and more optimized antenna design may make or break the setup. And with many more non-geek homes adding devices that stream media in places where they never thought they'd ever need a wired network connection, better throughput can make all the difference.

Price is still $179 for the AEBS, $299 for the 1TB Time Capsule, $499 for the 2TB Time Capsule.

We reported on the abundance of Time Capsule failure-to-boot after 18 months in September. A new site has emerged from the mist to help Time Capsule owners who are struggling to get Apple to acknowledge the issue. TimeCapsuleDead.org exists as a register for the owners of dead Time Capsules and has links to self-help discussions as well as the Apple Feedback page. Of the devices that have been registered thus far, the average time until ports-up is 17 months and 29 days -- eerily close to the estimated 18 month mark.

We'd like to give you a friendly reminder that our own Lauren explored the AppleCare agreements, and found that any computer-centric AppleCare agreement that's in force should cover this Time Capsule failure (as it's considered a peripheral used with the Mac). That does not mean that our readers who don't have a current agreement should be left begging on the streets by Apple. This is something that needs to be addressed. Hopefully this new site will be a good resource for all of our readers.

Thanks, Pim and KB!

No doubt the company wants the mouse to be mighty, but it's unlikely the Cupertino-company will call it "Mighty Mouse" this time around.

Man & Machine, which specializes in making computer peripherals for the medical industry, has won the trademark on the term "Mighty Mouse" from the United States Patent and Trademark Office as it pertains to tech, though CBS still holds the mark for the cartoon mouse who comes in singing to save the day.

In its press release announcing the win, Man & Machine doesn't mention any other "Mighty Mouse" maker, though it does note, "Others have used the name Mighty Mouse for their computer mice and have sought registration of that trademark, but now the United States government has spoken."

The big question now: what will Apple call their new, touchy-feely pointer and clicker? While I'm partial to "Danger Mouse" (both the musician and the British cartoon), Apple does have friends at another mouse-house. Then again, with the touch sensitivity likely to be touted, shouldn't there be some tie-in with Lenny and George and a mouse you can pet?

[via TechCrunch]

Engadget's Nilay Patel adds some legal analysis here.

A few weeks ago, we ran a short post about the release of OWC's Mercury On-The-Go Solid-State Drives. The drives, which come in the same miniscule transparent drive enclosures used by OWC for the rest of the bus-powered drive line, use SSD technology to provide users with more shock resistance and higher read speeds than traditional "spinning platter" hard drives.

OWC provided a demo unit for TUAW to try out, and I had an opportunity to use the drive in both day-to-day Time Machine backup work and for backing up some large video files. While the drives, which come in 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB sizes, are more expensive than their hard drive counterparts, they do offer benefits that may be critical for some users.

We've been hearing a lot about a new mouse from Apple lately, and earlier today images and additional documentation about a new Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse (using Bluetooth) showed up in the FCC database. The new keyboard has a model number of A1314, while the mouse has a model number of A1296. The dimensions of the new wireless keyboard are smaller than the current Apple Wireless Keyboard, particularly in the distance between the top and bottom of the keyboard. There are still few details on the new mouse at this point.

The FCC images were quickly pulled from the FCC database, then re-added later in the day with details cropped out, but they can still be found in all of their original glory over on our sister site Engadget.

[via Engadget]