Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince coming to Mac...

Electronic Arts has announced that the famous boy wizard Harry Potter will again see the Macintosh, as the company rolls out Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in the Fall. Players resume the role of Harry in the sixth part of the series, where he must work with Professor Dumbledore to discover hidden dangers in the castle that will lead to Lord Voldemort's undoing. The game is set to coincide with the theatrical release of the movie, but pricing has not yet been announced.

Apple exclusive on PowerVR SGX chipset?...

Apple could have exclusive rights to a new 3D chip for its next incarnation from Imagination Technologies – the company behind the current device's Samsung-constructed graphics platform. AppleInsider reveals that the processor manufacturer entered into a secret licensing deal with Apple last July to supply the latter with its new graphics chipset, the PowerVR SGX. Samsung is currently licensing the SGX design for manufacture.

Leaked iPhone template hints at new design?...

As the impending 3G iPhone release approaches, rumors of its potential design, specifications, and features are abound, but some theorize that people are confusing multiple devices which could indicate an "iPhone nano". iLounge writes that select launch partners have supposedly received design templates that point to a 3.5-inch screen on the new version, countering observations that put the screen size at 2.8-inches.

Rogers to offer 200MB iPhone data limit?...

Rogers Communications recently unveiled plans for a Canadian iPhone release, and while official details are scarce, RBC analyst Jonathan Allan predicts the plan will include a "virtually unlimited" data portion of 100 to 200MB per month. According to the National Post, Rogers would offer consumers 250 to 500 anytime minutes, as well as unlimited evenings and weekends after 9PM. Allen suggested the data plan could run for $35 per month, while the phone plan itself would range between $80 and $100.

Macminicolo moves Time Capsule backup offsite...

Las Vegas-based hosting company Macminicolo is offering an unusual new service, intended to provide extra redundancy for Mac users. Called Transport, it involves hosting a user's Time Capsule drive in the company's data center, where it is protected from disasters that might otherwise affect a customer's home or office. While a Capsule can be used for remote Time Machine backup, it can also be used for more traditional backup, or alternately as a file server.

HyperEdit 1.6 adds Safari 3.1 Web Inspector...

Tumult has posted an update to HyperEdit, its central piece of software. The program is described as a "lightweight" editor of HTML and PHP code, with a particular emphasis on live preview; instead of having to manually refresh a browser, users can watch code change in a side panel as they continue to type. The app uses the same rendering engine as Safari, and any lines violating W3C standards are underlined in red.

iLuv dips into HD Radio with iPod dock, more...

iLuv today branched out of its comfortable field of iPod-focused stereos with its first HD Radio-capable systems. The i169 represents the flagship and includes both a top-mounted iPod dock as well as the newer digital radio feature, which improves on the quality of AM and FM stations, adds multiple stations to the same frequency, and allows for basic data such as weather. The i169 also serves as a dual alarm clock and will wake up either to an attached iPod, a radio station, or a simple buzzer. An aux-in jack for non-iPod devices will also be standard when iLuv ships the radio at the start of May for $170.

Briefly: PowerPhones Pro review...

In brief: We have a review of PowerPhones Pro headphones, RAM upgrades for the new iMacs are available, a guide to FileMaker-driven Web sits debuts, and an iPod cord wrap for tangle-less headphones has been released... We have posted a review of the PowerPhones Pro headphones, which ship in a simple easily recyclable cardboard box, but inside the earphones are tucked in a stylish silver case. A velvet storage bag and an extra set of flanged silicone ear buds for smaller ears are carefully packed under foam in the case. For the price, I expected a second set of each size in a zip-lock bag, as are found in many other comparably priced earphones. The unique PowerPhones Pro design makes them easier to use when moving. An around-the-neck lanyard doubles as a headphone wire and the weight of the headphone wires reduced the possibility of the ear buds accidentally popping out of the ears.

ComputerWorld: Value of SSD drives overrated...

People contemplating SSD versions of computers like the MacBook Air -- which costs approximately $1,300 more than the HDD edition -- may not find the performance difference worthwhile, writes Computerworld. The magazine has conducted a test of 32GB SSDs by Crucial and Ridata, in comparison to two 7200rpm hard drives by Seagate. All four drives used cloned copies of Vista Home Premium, and were benchmarked by software called HD Tach.

Marketcircle posts Daylite 3.7.3, Delivery 1.1...

Marketcircle has updated two of its key business applications, including the Daylite suite, and one of its add-on components, Delivery. Daylite 3.7.3 is said to improve the speed of online and offline database syncs by as much as five to 10 times, particularly in the case of some offline syncs. The software can additionally archive or strip attachments for e-mail, letters and notes, and schedule multi-day appointments in its calendar, as opposed to just multi-day events. Licenses for Daylite start at approximately $187 per user, with discounts in bulk.

Sans Digital ships five-drive HDDRACK5...

Sans Digital has released a new storage rack for hard drives, the HDDRACK5. The tower holds up to five 3.5-inch SATA hard drives, locked into place with turnbuckle screws; when attached to a 20- or 24-pin ATX supply, an on/off switch controls the power of all drives simultaneously. For dissipating heat the tower uses a 4.7-inch fan, and a hollow aluminum frame.

AKVIS Sketch 7.0 adds post-effects...

AKVIS has released the seventh version of Sketch, one of its foremost rendering tools. Operating either as a stand-alone or a plug-in, the software converts photos into either sketches or watercolors, in color or black-and-white; results can be tweaked for more precise effects. Version 7.0 adds a variety of new post-effects, such as rotational blur, or blending of the final illustration with the original photo.

Apple extends early WWDC registration

Apple has announced that it is extending its early registration program for people attending this year's WWDC conference. The offer is now valid until May 9th, and may be extremely important to developers from smaller houses, as Apple notes that registering in time may cut $300 off the price of a ticket. WWDC is scheduled from June 9th to the 13th in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, and includes a heavy focus on iPhone development alongside traditional Mac concerns; it is widely anticipated that Apple will officially announce a 3G iPhone at the event.