Apple Plans to Own Your Living Room

Macworld Conference & Expo is one month away and already there s a gathering buzz about Apple s digital media ambitions. Alongside oft-reported rumors of the Mac mini transforming into a media hub like never before seen, there are suggestions that Apple is preparing to take a commanding lead in the digital home entertainment industry. Rumblings are that Apple will be making available an expanded amount of digital content, including TV shows and feature-length content, as an on-demand service of sorts. Deals with big-time Hollywood companies including NBC and CBS are also rumored, making all of this a distinct possibility in just one month s time. Coupled with the new Mac mini, you could be watching the latest episode of The West Wing, or whatever else Apple gets its hands on, on your nice HDTV that Santa just brought. More »

Macworld SF: The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel

Well, Macworld SF is starting up like your next door neighbor's busted Camaro at 3AM. Our spies tell us there are lines around the building to get into the keynote and that seating is first come first served, which means some folks are going to have to sit on each other's iLaps. More »

SlingBox 4 Mac

SlingBox, everyone's favorite box that slings, will finally drop a Mac version today. They'll be giving out the free software in a few months and it appears it will only tune in C-SPAN, which might suck for some. More »

JBL On Time Alarm Clock

JBL takes its audio standings a step further with this crazy-looking On Time iPod Alarm Clock. Not anyone's standard clock, the On Time includes something called halo acoustics that is supposed to give you 360 degrees of sound, as well as a large, backlit LCD, an iPod Universal Dock, an alarm clock, AM/FM radio and a line-in for other audio products. More »

MacWorld SF: Out here it's still early

Six AM. Kourosh isn't here yet. Didn't he know about the big line? The line for Jobs' keynote wraps halfway around the block. More »

Say WHAT?

With Macworld being all the hype today, we thought we'd bring you a little reminder that not all things iPod have to be good. According to the Wall Street Journal, doctors are starting to see younger folks coming in with signs of noise-induced hearing loss, which they are attributing to the constant use of MP3 players and earphones. Not to worry, much of the same worries were raised when Sony brought out its Walkman those many years ago, but it does seem that because of the advanced technology in the new players (meaning more storage space and longer lasting batteries) we're all listening to our tunes just a little longer than before. And get this—hearing damage is directly related to the duration of exposure, not just the volume. Who knew?

Hearing specialists at centers such as the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, Children's Hospital Boston and the American Academy of Audiology say the effect they are seeing now may be only the beginning, because accumulated noise damage can take years before it causes noticeable problems. "We're only seeing a few teenagers with hearing loss at this point," says Brian Fligor, director of diagnostic audiology at Children's Hospital Boston. But, he adds that many others may have subtle hearing loss that they have yet to recognize, "and by the time they do, they'll have done substantial damage."

But don't fret too much; there haven't been enough studies to be sure about anything yet. And if you're really worried, you may want to start thinking about noise-canceling headphones, which will block out the background noise and let you listen to your music at lower levels. More »

Macworld SF: They Might Actually Announce TVs

Jobs's keynote starts in an hour. The media holding pen is full; up the stairs we can see the BETTER media holding pen, though Dan Lurie assures me they're just VIPs of some other sort. "They actually get food and water," he says, bitter that the Moscone Center has no water fountains (the better to extort $10 from you for a bottle of Aquafina). More »

DLO HomeDock Deluxe

Here's something to look for out of MacWorld. The Digital Lifestyle Outfitter (DLO) HomeDock Deluxe Home Entertainment Center for iPod with On-Screen Navigation (a mouthful, but quite worth it), looks like the first ever iPod dock to let you look at—and control—your media on the TV. That includes music, video and pics. Very advanced idea, though it may take a while to figure out the 18-button remote it comes with. Retails for $150. More »

Intel iMac - First Looks

So let's recap - We've got a new iMac that is two to three times faster than the iMac G5. Nice stuff. It will come in 17- and 20-inch versions. More »

Live at Macworld: Apple Rumored to Plan 12" and 17" MacBooks

Dan Lurie, who's been guiding the poor Compaq-using member of the Gizmodo team, overheard two Apple employees in the hall as they left a briefing: More »