The rumor on Apple's new line of iMac turns out to be half-true, half-false. Truth is that there will be an upgrade to the iMac. False is that it will be coming out next week. That's because the upgrades have already been revealed. Yep, the sweet changes have been confirmed and you may all check it out at the full article.

Apple mentioned that backing up using OS X Leopard's Time Machine does not support hard drives connected to the AirPort. However, let it be known that the recent firmware permits backing up AirPort USB drives using the Time Capsule, but it may be taken out in the near future. More on this in the full article.

Wondering what sort of fixes the upcoming Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.2 update will carry? While nothing's set in stone yet, we've picked up speculation that it may involve a fix for a previously reported display problem fro Blizzard's World of Warcraft MMORPG. More details up ahead in the full article.

If you're one of the unfortunate ones who bought an AirPort Extreme router think that it's compatible with Apple's backup software Time Machine, then you aren't alone in your suffering. Many others have voiced their complaints about the company's rather belated announcement regarding the hardware's compatibility issues with Time Machine.

For more information, check out the full article after the jump!

Macworld 2008 has officially started! The event is currently ongoing, but Steve Jobs has just started his keynote speech already with a big revelation of a new product: the Time Capsule, a companion product to the Time Machine. Read about Jobs' keynote speech in the full article. More on Macworld Expo coming your way, so stay tuned for updates!

Mac owners will be happy to know that the Apple site has just released a free demo of a new plugin for your use, dubbed WiFind version 1.1.

This OS X-based plugin will allow users to see if their wireless network is locked or unlocked, and will also show them their signal strength - easing up the task of finding a good hotspot for their computer's WiFi connection.

This application is designed to work from your Mac's AirPort menu, for OS X10.1 and above. That's all for the moment - stick around in case we pick up other handy plugins in the near future. Enjoy!

Download: WiFind 1.1  demo

Two juicy morsels of Apple tidbits comes our way today. According to an AppleInsider report, the next MacBook update won't deliver much in terms of new features. Apparently, Apple's 13-inch wonder won't be benefited with an LED-backlit display until a successive revision later this year. Also, it's unlikely that it would be enjoying the enhancements presented during Intel's Santa Rosa launch.

As for the MacBook Pro update, Apple is said to be focusing on boosting the grade of the MacBook Pro line. Enhanced set of features from Santa Rosa are also expected. If this happens, expect faster front-side bus speeds (800MHz) and second-generation mobile processors.

Now to the other juicy Apple bit - the ultra thin portable department to be exact. Apparently the company is hard at work to produce a sleek design for their MacBook ultra portable for it to cater to the Japanese market. AppleInsider adds that Apple is building the model around an ultra-thin, 13-inch LED backlit display. Here's what AppleInsider knows about the ultra-thin contraption so far:

• 13-inch ultra-thin, LED-back lit display
• No optical disc drive
• On-board NAND flash for faster application launching and boot times
• Built-in iSight webcam
• Thinner and lighter than existing MacBook offerings
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n enabled
• MagSafe power adapter
• Target launch late '07, early '08

If you've got a brand new Apple 802.11n AirPort Extreme (or if you're looking to get one soon), you might have noticed that it doesn't connect with the Xbox 360 - unless you bust out a few tweaks. A recent post on 25experts.com comes to the rescue of gamers who have yet to make the setup work.

There are actually two ways to do this: the easy way, and the safe way. If you don't give a rat's behind about wireless security and all that jazz, this is really easy. Just turn the wireless security feature off and you're good to go. Running an non-secure wireless networks is a bit of a risky move, though, so here's the nifty workaround from 25experts:

In Airport Utility, Option-Click (or alt click on windows keybaords) the radio setting button to get the hidden choices, and select "b/g compatible", NOT "n (b/g compatible), just straight b/g. That will limit each device to 54 Mbps, which is fine.

Next, Option-Click your encryption setting button and select "WPA Personal." Go into the Internet:DHCP settings (I think) and reserve an IP address for your 360 based on it's MAC settings to make sure it gets the same IP all the time. In the NAT options, select that IP as the "Default Host" so as to cause no issues with XBox Live functionality. Restart the Apple Extreme.

After it's up and running, start your XBox 360, go to the last blade of the Dashboard and select your network settings - it should let you select your new WPA-encrypted network and you're good to go.

Try it out and let us know if it works for you. Don't hesitate to leave a comment below.

 

MacNN reports that QuickerTek's Quicky USB Transceiver can now be used with USB-enabled Macs. The Quicky is essentially a network boosting device that, according to QuickerTek, can deliver "up to 10 times more RF wireless power than a stock PowerMac desktop." The extended wireless operating distances can make more networks available to the desktop system, so you can connect to it even while you're in your neighbor's bathroom.

To use it, just clip the Quicky to the top of your Apple LCD screen. It also combines a networking transceiver with an external antenna. Setup requires no special computer skills, and no extra steps are required to utilize the Quicky transceiver.

The Quicky USB Transceiver works with Apple's latest PowerMacs as well as all 802.11 b, g, and n Wi-Fi equipment. This includes Apple's new AirPort and AirPort Extreme wireless devices. Double wireless range at full speed comes with a price though: the Quicky carries a pretty steep US$ 225 price tag.

Yikes! We knew that the Airport Extreme had fits with the Xbox 360, but this issue takes home the "OMG! Surprise!" award. Let's get right into the details. IPv6 is a network addressing scheme that allows for more networks to be defined, unlike the IPv4 protocol. IPv6 stands for "Internet Protocol version 6", but of course you Appleheads already knew that. Snaps for you!

You see, the new Airport Extreme Base Station from Apple - yes, the wireless access point and router - that seems to be a favorite (look at that appearance, no wonder!) of wireless users and networks has some slight security issues.

The supposedly "secure" Wi-Fi, weight-scale-lookin' thingamajig has IPv6 enabled by default. Why is this a bad thing? Well, because there is no way you can turn it off. Yep, you heard us right the first time.

IPv6 is a nice little feature to have, in fact some of the newer networks on the Web actually use IPv6. The really bad thing is that the router itself gives your network at home IPv6 addresses that can be accessed by other IPv6 enabled networks worldwide.

All they need is for you to enable FTP or SSH on one of your Macs and voila! They'll be riding your box like a Trojan horse...err...wait, bad image there...

But you get the point, right? Don't fear, you may not be able to kill the IPv6 feature, but at least you can block any connection accessing your network on the IPv6 level. Head right over to the "IPv6" tab at the "Advanced" settings and click on "Block incoming IPv6 connections" and you can close the door. Still, having it enabled and not being able to use it to certain effect could be such a drag.