The other day we heard of a professor who could not play a movie which he purchased on iTunes via a projector output from a new MacBook.  This was due to an HDCP issue in Quicktime which disallowed him to output protected content through the new Mini DisplayPort on the updated MacBooks.  Apple has now fixed this issue with the Quicktime 7.5.7 Update. 

The Update states the following:  This update is recommended for owners of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with Mini DisplayPort. The update addresses an issue where some standard definition purchases from the iTunes Store do not play on some external displays.

It’s great to see Apple respond so quickly to the issue of playing our own content.  This is sure to make many new MacBook owners happy.  You can get the update via software update or download it from their page.

[Download]

  Apple’s newest display is now available for purchase via their online store.  The sign sill says "ships in November", but the option to buy button, now allows for overnight, second day or 5-day shipping.  No word yet if you can get this in the store.  The price of entry is $899 for an 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, DisplayPort, built-in iSight camera and mic, integrated speakers, 3-port USB hub, and MagSafe adapter for your MacBook.

[Apple]

  You love your new MacBook and you love all things about it.  You legally purchase your movies, tvshows, music and software.  You are enjoying its sleek style and you decide you want to output your purchased movie through the new mini DisplayPort to DVI connector, into a projector to watch with your friends.  You have everything setup correctly and you select a movie in iTunes, click play and instead of the movie, you get a nice DRM message which says "This content cannot be played because a display that is not authorized to play protected movies is connected."  This is exactly what happened to a high school teach who was trying to show a Hellboy 2 clip to his students in a classroom.  The insanity of protected content just reared its ugly head once again, bringing more harm, than good. 

Now we know this is not Apple’s fault, but when someone pays for something, we should be able to use it when and how we want as long as we are not giving it illegally to others.  The good part is that not all movies in iTunes are protected, but the bad news is we have no idea which movies have HDCP or do not have HDCP.  The best thing Apple could do is inform us of which movies have HDCP with some sort of label, such as iTunes Plus.  For now, we will just have to buy the disc and get it into iTunes to avoid such unfortunate decisions by the content providers.

  Apple released an update for the trackpad on the new MacBook to correct the click issue many of the users were having. 

This firmware update addresses an issue where trackpad clicks may not be recognized on MacBook (Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (Late 2008) systems.

It’s great that Apple fixed the issue so quickly and could fix it with a firmware update.  You can get the update from the software update or via Apple.

[Download]

  While deciding to look at the Apple Store for a new MacBook I came accross the fact that it is currently down.  This could be simple maintenance given the time of its occourence at 4AM EST or earlier, but maybe there is a stealth update?  We would love to see a Mac Mini refresh or maybe it is just the premium headphones, or perhaps it is the iMac refresh we have heard of. Who knows?, we’ll just have to wait and see.

UPDATE:  The store is back with what appears to be almost no changes.  The Refurb Store has some different options now, but nothing else we see immediatly.

[Apple Store]