Corning and Sumitomo unveil 100-ft optical Thunderbolt cables ahead of CES

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Posted on : 01-03-2013 | By : Jake Smith | In : 9 to 5 Mac

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orning Thunderbolt Cable

Ahead of CES 2013 taking place in Las Vegas next week, Corning has unveiled a new optical Thunderbolt cable for folks who need extra long-reaching Thunderbolt access (perhaps to storage closets or for dummy terminals). Corning’s new cable, perfect for plugging peripherals into supported Macs and moving away from copper core cables, will ship in lengths of 10, 20, and 30 meters and boast the same data transfer speeds of up to 10GBbps. Corning plans to unveil a USB 3 cable as well. No launch date or pricing has been provided for the cables — only that they will be available sometime during the first quarter of this year. At any rate, you bet we’ll be taking a stop by Corning’s booth for a closer look next week’s CES.

Just last week Sumitomo Electric got the “world’s first” Thunderbolt optical cable certification and announced it would be mass producing the cables immediately. The cables are as thick as current copper cables(4.2 mm), can be bent 180 degrees or tangled in knots and still perform just like shorter copper cables.

A 100-foot Thunderbolt cable could let Mac users put their whole rig in a closet and run just a Thunderbolt cable to the desktop and connect to peripherals via the Thunderbolt display. If only there were a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac Pro…

TBT-----.

(via Engadget/ZDNet)



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Corning announces Gorilla Glass 3 ahead of CES 2013, touting 40 percent visible scratch reduction

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Posted on : 01-03-2013 | By : Jake Smith | In : 9 to 5 Mac

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Apple CEO Tim Cook likes to tout that the glass on Apple’s iOS devices is made by Corning in Kentucky.

Ahead of CES 2013 taking place in Las Vegas next week, the folks at Corning have unveiled Gorilla Glass 3, a new glass composition aimed at next-gen smartphones and tablets. The stronger Gorilla Glass 3 offers a new feature called Native Damage Resistance that brings 40 percent reduction in the number of scratches a device’s screen may take and 50 percent boost in retained strength after the glass becomes flawed.  Apple has incorporated Corning glass since the original iPhone with an epic visit to the plant by Steve Jobs.

Corning unveiled Gorilla Glass 2 at CES last year and though it isn’t mentioned by its brand name, it is undoubtedly the glass used in the iPhone 5.

We’ll be taking a closer look at CES with our hands-on coverage. (via Engadget)

While on the subject of displays, Taipei reports that Apple has made plans to switch to a new touch technology in the next iPhone to reduce the amount of touch issues that the current built-in touch panel has. No other details were provided, but we’ll let you know when we hear more.

Corning to Showcase Latest Glass Technologies for Consumer Electronics at CES 2013

CORNING, N.Y. – Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced its plans for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. The Corning booth, #14813 Central Hall, will highlight the company’s newest specialty glass solutions and their benefits for today’s consumer electronics device trends.
Corning plans to introduce two new products at CES 2013: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3, a new glass composition with durability enhancements; and Optical Cables by Corning, fiber-based, device-to-device connectivity solutions that significantly extend the data transmission range past the limits of copper-based cables. Full product details will be included in announcements planned for Monday, Jan. 7.

“This year at CES, Corning will demonstrate its industry leadership in specialty glass and fiber optic technologies with the introduction of two products designed to enhance and extend the capabilities of consumers’ favorite devices,” said Wendell P. Weeks, chairman, chief executive officer, and president. “These new innovations build on the increasingly important and continually evolving role of highly engineered glass technologies in delivering improved product performance and functionality through touch capabilities, protective cover glass, and device connectivity.”

In the Corning booth, experts will be on hand to discuss and present hourly demonstrations of the toughness of Gorilla Glass 3 as well as the connectivity and flexibility of Optical Cables by Corning. The booth will also showcase the benefits of Corning Gorilla Glass in larger format, multi-touch displays for education, entertainment and other applications.



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iHome teases new Lightning-enabled docks ahead of CES 2013

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Posted on : 01-03-2013 | By : Jake Smith | In : 9 to 5 Mac

iHomeLightning

Ahead of CES 2013 taking place in Las Vegas next week, popular dock/speaker manufacturer iHome has teased its first Lightning-enabled line. The iPhone 5, iPad mini, and fourth-generation iPad enabled speakers are set to be shown off in-depth at the company’s booth next week, something many speaker manufacturers will look to do to highlight their Lightning-enabled products. The first is the iDL100 Triple Charging Stereo that will ship for $149.99 and be able to charge two devices through Lightning docks, and it features a USB dock for other devices and a 3.5MM headphone jack. Secondly, iHome will unveil another one of its retro boomboxes for $199 (as seen below). The iBT44 features wireless capabilities with Airplay, which uses Bluetooth to stream audio, and it sports USB charging. You bet we’ll take a closer look at CES next week, as the iDL100 with its triple charging looks especially interesting.

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iHOME UNVEILS NEW PRODUCT LINEUP AT CES 2013
Introducing iHome’s First Lightning Docks, Expanded Boom Box Line,
New Bluetooth Audio Products and Headphones

RAHWAY, N.J., January 3, 2013 – iHome, the leading brand in digital audio devices and the company responsible for one out of every four digital speakers sold in the US*, is unveiling its 2013 product line at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This year’s new product line delivers an exciting selection of Lightning Docks, Bluetooth solutions, headphones, boom boxes and mini-speakers, and showcases a variety of new innovative features, including the incorporation of USB charge and play to a variety of docks, and a new Cord Cruncher Cable to an expanded line of headphones.

“The products we’re unveiling at CES 2013 feature increased capabilities that address the ever-changing landscape for accessories,” said Evan Stein, Director of Marketing, iHome. “This is one of our richest and most diverse product lines that we have introduced at CES. We encourage you to come visit us in Ballroom C of the Las Vegas Hotel.”

Headlining this year’s ensemble of new products, iHome introduces its first Lightning Docks, compatible with iPhone 5, iPad mini, iPad with Retina Display and iPod touch:

iDL100 Triple Charging Stereo FM Clock Radio With Two Lightning Docks and USB Charge/Play for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch: the ultimate iHome Lightning docks with a triple 2.1 charging hub for your iDevices, the iDL100 includes two Lightning docks as well as a universal USB dock to charge and play audio from legacy devices. An auto sync feature syncs the unit to iPhone/iPad/iPod time, while an aux-in jack is also included for audio devices equipped with 3.5mm headphone jack. The iDL100 is expected to retail for $149.99.

Additional iHome Lightning Docks include: iDL45 Dual Charging Stereo FM Clock Radio With Lightning Dock and USB Charge/Play for iPhone/iPad/iPod. (MSRP $99.99.)

Wireless audio solutions continue to be in high demand, and this year iHome offers more Bluetooth capable products than ever before, including iHome’s hugely popular retro boom box:

iBT44 Bluetooth Portable FM Stereo With USB Charging: The next iteration in the retro boom box line, the iBT44 now features wireless connectivity to stream audio from your iOS, Android, or other Bluetooth enabled devices. It operates on six D batteries or universal voltage adaptor, and lets you charge via USB. Powerful amp pushes two woofers and 1″ tweeters for huge sound. Comes with a magnetized remote control and features new colors. (MSRP: $199.99.)

Additional new Bluetooth enabled products include the stylish iBT20 Bluetooth Wireless FM Alarm Clock Radio With USB Charging (MSRP $79.99), the modern and sleek iBT88 Bluetooth Rechargeable Mini Stereo Speaker System, and others.

This year, iHome is featuring an expansive collection of its popular headphones – from Bluetooth and high-end, noise-canceling units, to its new FIT sport line and fashion forward styles. Additionally, many of the units offer new features, including the innovative Cord Cruncher Cable and iHome’s eco-friendly cord wrap hangtag packaging in select units. Headlining the new collection is the new luxury model:

iB85 Bluetooth Wireless Foldable Headphones With Mic, Remote and Travel Pouch: Enjoy dynamic, enhanced bass response and detailed sound with tons of high-end features including Bluetooth audio with built-in mic and convenient on-ear remote; padded ear cushions and adjustable padded headband; USB charging cable; foldable headband; and travel pouch for portability. (MSRP $99.99.)

Other new and noteworthy headphones include: iB10 Sport Earhooks with award-winning Cord Cruncher Cable (MSRP $19.99); iB22 Rubberized Noise-Canceling Headphones With Pouch (MSRP $14.99).
To see iHome’s complete lineup of 2013 products, visit their new and expanded booth in Ballroom C in the Las Vegas Hotel . For more information about iHome, visit http://www.ihomeaudio.com.



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Apple to report Q1 2013 earnings on January 23

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Posted on : 01-02-2013 | By : Jake Smith | In : 9 to 5 Mac

tim cook

Apple just announced on its Investor Page that it will report its Q1 2013 earnings January 23. As it does once a quarter, Apple will issue a press release at 4:30PM EST with the numbers and follow with a conference call at 5PM EST to discuss the results with CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer and more. The report will give us a close look into how Apple fared during the holiday shopping season and its outlook for 2013. As of the last earnings report in October, Oppenheimer said he expects revenue of about $52 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $11.75 for Q1 2013. Past numbers, questions from investors on the conference call typically bring out new, interesting pieces of information from Apple, and you bet 9to5mac will provide full coverage. [Apple]

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Apple aknowledges Do Not Disturb New Year’s bug, says it will automatically start working after Jan. 7

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Posted on : 01-02-2013 | By : Jake Smith | In : 9 to 5 Mac

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Apple has detailed in a support article on its website that the Do Not Disturb functionality found within iOS 6 will return to normal functionality after Jan. 7, 2013. As we previously covered, the New Year brought some problems with the feature. It would not turn off at the scheduled time for many users, causing the opportunity for missed notifications. Until Apple’s fix goes in place, the company advised you to manually turn the feature on or off. The Williams twins can’t be happy.

(h/t The Next Web)



This post was written by Jake Smith from 9to5Mac.
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