Apple

Apple today quietly refreshed its entry-level MacBook laptop, boosting the processor speed and inserting a longer-life battery. The MacBook remains priced at $999.

Apple bumped the MacBook's Intel Core 2 Duo processor speed to 2.4GHz, up from 2.2GHz, and replaced the battery with a 10-hr. battery to match the estimate that it uses in the higher-priced MacBook Pro line. Like the batteries used in those more expensive cousins, the MacBook's is within the case, and cannot be swapped out by the user.

Apple has posted two new Java updates for Mac OS X, iterated for Leopard and Snow Leopard, respectively. The Snow Leopard download -- Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 2 -- brings the operating system's version of Java SE 6 up to 1.6.0_20. The install file is 78MB, and requires at least Mac OS X 10.6.3.

Apple pressed local police to investigate the loss of a next-generation iPhone a day after Gizmodo published photographs, telling investigators that the prototype was so valuable, a price could not be placed on it, according to court documents made public Friday.

In response to arguments made by CNET and other media organizations, a San Mateo judge unsealed documents that provide a detailed glimpse into an April 20 meeting between Apple lawyers and executives, and law enforcement.

Initially when the Apple iPad was launched, it was SIM unlocked. Hackers and Modders were successfully able to use SIM cards from different operators on their iPad.

Well, Computerworld now reports that Apple has decided to sell carrier locked models of the iPad 3G in Japan. The iPad 3G will be carrier locked to Softbank Mobile.

A second iPhone HD fourth-generation handset has apparently escaped into the wild, this time in Vietnam, and we’re starting to wonder if Apple’s much-vaunted security are taking a nap. The 16GB iPhone HD was “found” by Taoviet and matches the previously leaked phone which is the subject of an ongoing legal inquiry.

The markings on the processor inside the latest photographed next-generation iPhone prototype reveal the system-on-a-chip includes the Apple A4 and 256MB of Samsung DRAM on two dies.

The information was revealed to iFixit through the marking seen on the device, which was photographed in Vietnam. The markings "APL0398 339S0084" indicate the hardware includes the A4 microprocessor, while "K4X2G643GE" reveals the 256MB of system RAM from Samsung. Both were also found in the processor inside the iPad.

We reported last month that some Apple (AAPL) iPads were having problems with DHCP leases when in standby mode, and other WiFi connectivity issues. These issues caused some Universities in the US to temporarily ban iPads, and even iPhones and iPods, from their networks.

Some enterprising hackers, and University network admins, detailed the issues and why they thought they were happening. (Details at the bottom of this article). But Apple did not acknowledge the issue at the time.

Apple has long ago announced that OS 4.0 will not support iPhone 2G, but an independent Rebuilding OS Group, which has a self claimed track record for modifying the PSP system and Nintendo have already announced that the iPhone 2G users will enjoy the new firmware from Apple. Team members are passionate about open source and have already collaborated on the development of UNIX for the European Community and were also engaged in work on the code of Windows 95 and 97.

Online security experts Sophos has identified a fake Apple $50 iTunes certificate that spreads malware currently doing the email rounds. Sophos's Graham Cluley, writing on his blog, warns the malware email attachment can infect Windows computers.

"Clearly the hackers are hoping that in your excitement about receiving a $50 iTunes gift certificate that you will throw caution to the wind and open the attachment," Cluley notes. Sophos detects the malware, contained inside a ZIP file as Troj/BredoZp-AM and Mal/FakeAV-BW.

Apple's arrogant air when it comes to security has yet again come back to bite it. This time Danish security research firm Secunia discovered yet another vulnerability in the web browser Safari, which they billed as "highly critical" -- their most serious rating.

Secondary confirmation of the bug came from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) (part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security), which issued an advisory after Polish researcher Krystian Kloskowski disclosed the bug on Friday.