Notebook News: New 802.11g chip, Apple iBook Repairs, iTune Giveaway, Alienware award

New, single-chip embedded 802.11g

Atheros has created the first single-chip embedded module for 802.11g wireless networking. The new design, like the 802.11b modules used in many wireless handhelds, combines all the neccessary hardware except the antenna into a single package. Its single-chip nature reduces cost, size, and complexity of integrating 802.11g into laptop and PDA designs. The company expects to sell the unit for $12 each in quantities of 10,000.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/01/26/Hnatheros_1.html

Apple Launches Repair Program for faulty iBooks

In the last several months, there has been increasing chatter on Mac community message boards about problems with the logic board, one of the building blocks of a computer. Apple said that problems can include, scrambled or distorted video, unexpected lines on the screen, an intermittent video image, video freeze, and the computer starting up to a blank screen.

Apple said that either Apple technical support or an authorized Apple service provider will determine if the component failure identified for the repair program affects a user's notebook, and, if it does, will arrange for the repair.

The program began on Wednesday and applies to iBooks with serial numbers in a range of UV220XXXXXX to UV318XXXXXX and that were manufactured between May 2002 and April 2003.

Contact Apple if your iBook is affected, here's the link to their support site:

http://www.info.apple.com/support/applecare_products/service/features.html

Apple iTunes Giveaway

In more news regardingApple, this time good, if you like downloading iTunes to your notebook computer, then checkout this promotion Apple is doing with Pepsi:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/pepsi/

Apple will be running a Super Bowl ad in conjunction with a 100 million iTune download give away. Buy a 20oz bottle of Pepsi and you might win a free download.

Alienware wins Computer Shopper award

The redesigned Area-51m, the first mobile system to feature Alienware Do-It-Yourself User Upgradeable Mobile Graphics Technology, garnered the Best Performance Notebook award as Computer Shopper commented, “Gamers on the go responded enthusiastically to Alienware’s Area-51m for its flamboyant, colorful appearance and its powerful performance.”

“Computer Shopper readers’ acknowledgement of Alienware’s dedication to building the world’s best high-performance computers is very gratifying,” said Kevin Wasielewski, vice president of marketing for Alienware Corporation. “Alienware continues to focus on performance and innovation in every aspect of our systems including design, quality, value and customer service.”