• Retweet: @vmwarefusion : Fusion 50% off today, one day only. Details: http://is.gd/9Gqi Coupon code "CyberMondayDeal" # 2008/12/01
• It's Thanksgiving Day in the United States. We're thankful for Apple's commitment to accessibility in their products. # 2008/11/27
• We've added social bookmarking and "Send this to a Friend" to the Mac-cessibility Site as a trial. Let us know what you think. # 2008/11/27
• Apple released Safari 3.2.1 today. No known accessibility changes, but a good update to have nonetheless. Stability is the focus. # 2008/11/25
• News: Comparing Accessibility of the Big Three Operating System http://www.lioncourt.com/?p=247 # 2008/11/21

Today in Cupertino, Apple announced significant changes to its line of notebook computers, a new Apple Cinema display model, and new pricing for these products.

The new MacBook and MacBook Pros employ a new manufacturing process which results in smaller, lighter, and more durable machines. These new MacBooks are made from a block of aluminum which is carved into the needed shape. This eliminates over half the parts needed in the previous generation of Apple notebooks.

Many of the new models include more powerful graphics processors from Nvidia. The MacBook Pro’s 15-inch incarnation includes both the GForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics cards. The user can choose which to use at any given time.

The newer aluminum MacBooks and MacBook Pros sport a glass trackpad which doubles as a mouse. It supports multi-touch and more gestures.

The new specifications and pricing are as follows:

• MacBook — The previous generation’s white plastic MacBook model will remain at a reduced price of $999.
• MacBook — 13.3-inch display, 2GHz Core 2 Duo / 3MB L2 cache, 2GB 1066MHz DDR 3 memory, GeForce 9400M, 160GB hard drive, slot-loading SuperDrive. $1299
• MacBook — Same as above except: 2.4GHz processor, 250GB hard drive, and a backlit keyboard. $1599
• MacBook Pro — 15.4-inch LED-backlit display. 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 3MB L2. 2GB 1066 MGhz DDR 3 memory. Nvidia GForce 9400M and 9600M GT cards. 250GB hard drive. Slot-loading SuperDrive. $1999
• MacBook Pro — Same as above except: 2.53GHz processor, 6MB L2, 4GB of memory, 512MB on the 9600M Gt, 320GB hard drive. $2499
• MacBook Air — Mostly unchanged. 120GB hard drive and now includes the Nvidia GForce 9400M video card.
• Options — Several configuration options are available, most notably a 128GB solid-state drive is available for most models.

Additionally, there has been some changes made to the ports. The MacBooks no longer include Firewire support. The DVI video ports have been dropped in favor of the new Mini Display port.

Check back for more details as they become available.

Apple Inc. has issued an invite to the media for an event on 14/October. The invite reads only "The spotlight turns to notebooks."

It has long been rumored that Apple would release new or updated models of their MacBook line of notebook computers this month, so the announcement is not a surprise. It is also being conjectured that Apple will be introducing new pricing for its portables, including a model set to compete with the sub-$1,000 notebooks that have become an important part of the market in recent years.

We’ll bring you all the news and commentary on Tuesday.

In episode #26 of the ScreenlessSwitchers Podcast, hosts Darcy and Holly are joined by Josh de Lioncourt of the Mac-cessibility site, Steve Sawczyn of the Assistive Technology Show, and Shane Jackson of the BlindWorld Blog and Podcast. The quintet discuss iTunes 8 accessibility, the new iPod Nano 4G and its speaking interface, Apple’s new accessibility site, accessibility improvements to OpenOffice.org, and the latest release of VMWare’s Fusion 2.0.