Daily Marauder

TECHNOLOGY

Apple on Tuesday introduced updated models of its MacBook line of laptop computers that feature an aluminum casing and, on the MacBook Pro and MacBook, sport a glass touchpad that recognizes gestures similar to the company’s iPhone. Price points for the updated line go from $999 to $1,999. ClipSyndicate/Associated Press (10/14) , The Wall Street Journal (10/15) , The New York Times (10/14) , USA TODAY (10/14)

Global shipments of PCs rose 15% in the third quarter, according to the market-research firm Gartner, but much of the growth came from low-profit, Internet-centric PCs that often sell for under $500. While Gartner said it was hard to pinpoint the market penetration of low-cost PCs, their strong growth contributed to Hewlett-Packard‘s relinquishing its market lead in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for the first time since 2002. The New York Times (10/14) , CNET (10/14)

Makers of the handy dandy Flip Video camcorder have partnered with CafePress to create a new online marketplace to allow designers market their own cigarette pack-sized Flip Mino cameras. A design engine called the Pattern Generator provides tools to customize the outer shell of the camera. (Cynopsis 10/15)

Sharp will launch in Japan next month the Aquos DX, an LCD HDTV that the company is calling the first to have a built-in Blu-ray player. The model, which will be offered in a number of sizes, features an integrated HDTV tuner, speakers mounted on the bottom and a Blu-ray player that wraps around the back and side of the screen. Pocket-lint.co.uk (10/15)

With cable TV providers and others offering an increasing amount of their content in high definition, many consumers are opting not to buy Blu-ray disc players, according to this report. But with the holidays approaching, consumer-electronics firms such as Sony and Samsung are offering Blu-ray players with rock-bottom retail entry points in hopes of wooing consumers to the format. The Wall Street Journal (10/15)

InFocus, which once developed state-of-the-art video projectors for office and institutional use, has come out with the X9 DLP, a home-theater projector with native 720p resolution and VGA and HDMI connectors. The unit retails for $1,099 and, according to InFocus product marketing director Benjamin Joy, enables home viewers to “enjoy watching sports or entertainment in a stunning 100-inch image.” TWICE (10/14)