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Many users of the new MacBooks have experienced issues with the new glass trackpads and Mactropolis recently reported on the issue — after a period of use, the glass trackpad would not recognize clicks for a some time. Shortly after many users spoke out about the issue, and after several lengthy threads on the Apple Discussion Forums, Steve Jobs promised there would be a software update to fix it. And now it’s here.

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

If you’re a new MacBook user who experienced issues with the glass trackpad, please let us know if the update has fixed it for you. I’ve had a new MacBook for a few weeks now but I am yet to experience the trackpad problem! Touch wood.

A post made in the MacRumors forums by member Hardmac details the possibility of four-finger gestures on the original MacBook Air. At present, this feature is enabled through a hack but proves how simple it would be for Apple to allow this feature on early 2008 MacBook Pros and Airs through a software update. Hardmac wrote:

I can confirm the four finger gesture is possible on pre-October 2008 laptops, and I currently have four finger Exposé and Application Switching working on my January 2008 MacBook Air.

Four-finger gestures were introduced to the new MacBooks in October and allow things like Expose and application switching to be operated from the trackpad. Apple are yet to announce that this feature is possible on previous multi-touch trackpads.

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This is definitely something handy! If you currently own a Mac and you purchase a new one, it’s fairly easy to transfer all of your data from one to the other. Now it’s just as easy if you currently have a Windows computer and are thinking of switching to a Mac!

Belkin have released their ‘Switch-to-Mac’ cable. It costs $49.99 and is currently available in the US. It will be coming to Europe, Australia, Asia and Canada next Friday. The cable is compatible with both Windows XP and Vista and Mac OS X 10.4 and above. Don’t worry if you’re purchasing a new MacBook — the cable uses USB 2.0, not Firewire!

The cable joins both your current PC and your new Mac together to allow easy file transferring when you make the big switch. When you transfer you data, it will automatically copy your files and settings from the default folders on your PC, to the default folders on your Mac.

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On Friday Kensington issued a correction notice following previous reports that the new MacBooks were not compatible with Kensington locks. Users were claiming that because of the aluminum unibody on the new notebooks, the lock would not fit. One user even claimed he had contacting Kensington regarding the issue and technical support had stated “we are sorry to inform you that the security slot of your late 2008 aluminum MacBook is not compatible with Kensington locks.” Kensington also advised that users can purchase a ‘K-Slot’ adapter that would need to be glued to the unit. Yes, glued!! Who in their right mind would glue something to their shinny new MacBook?

Kensington have now stated that their locks are indeed compatible with the new notebooks and that they have even tested them extensively on the aluminum units. They also added that Apple have followed the company’s specifications when building the unit, which are available to all manufacturers.

Rob Humphrey the director of Kensington also added a bit of advertising — “as always, Kensington recommends consumers protect their investment in the hardware they purchase and the data contained on that hardware. The simplest way to provide protection is with a Kensington MicroSaver Notebook Lock.”

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Despite reported issues regarding the upgrading of RAM in the new MacBooks, vendor Other World Computing are to start shipping 4GB and 6GB RAM kits for the aluminum notebooks.

Apple has stated that the new MacBook will take “up to” 4GB of RAM, therefore the 6GB kit to be released by OWC will push the capacity beyond what normal upgrade options will allow. The new MacBooks feature DDR3 modules whereas prior to their release, MacBooks used DDR2 modules. Many users believe that just this difference is enough to see a significant improvement in performane

The 6GB kit is said to cost $750 and will consist of a 2GB and a 4GB module. The 4GB kit will cost $130 and will consist of two 2GB modules. At present, there is no indication of when OWC will make the kits available.

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In a recent interview at the Web 2.0 Summit, the CEO of AT&T Ralph De La Vega confirmed that we will “soon” see an official tethering option for the iPhone.

Tethering is the the ability to connect the iPhone to your computer or notebook and use its built-in 3G modem to access the internet at 3G speeds, sharing your iPhone’s connection. This means you could access the internet in places that don’t feature a WiFi hotspot.

Tethering the iPhone was breifly possible via an application in the App Store called NetShare. However after a short period, the application was removed by Apple. AT&T currently charge customers an additional $30 a month for the ability to tether their smartphones.

Since purchasing the iPhone, the ability to tether it to my MacBook is something I’ve been waiting for. In the UK, not many places feature a WiFi hotspot at present and using my iPhones connection to access the internet would be ideal. Although, this announcement has come from AT&T and not O2, the network provider in the UK.

Although an announcement of this feature is yet to be made, MacRumors believe we could see the feature make its debut in the 2.2 firmware release.

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Apple's new button-less trackpad made of glass.

Recently we posted an article regarding the trackpad issues with the new MacBooks — many users were finding that after a number of clicks, their trackpad would not respond to clicks for a short period. The new trackpads, made of glass, do not have a separate physical button. Instead, the whole of the trackpad acts as a button.

Users who are experiencing this issue will be pleased to know that Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, has annouced that a fix for the non-responsive click is coming soon via Software Update. AppleInsider who have contacted Apple regarding this issue claim to have received an e-mail response from the man himself that says “software fix coming soon”.

Many will be releived that the issue is indeed software related and not a hardware problem with the new trackpads. Mind you, I won’t speak too soon!

Following our previous post on the rumors that we are to see an updated iMac and Mac Mini next week, Apple have confirmed that this will not happen before the new year.

Apple made a statement to Macworld after the rumors circulated that we should expect updated systems — they confirmed that customers should expect no further hardware updates before the end of the year and that there are no plans for new products before the holiday season — “our holiday line-up is set,” they confirmed.

It is usually unlike Apple to make such a comment, however it is believed that on this occasion the announcement was made to prevent potential customers delaying their purchases in the hope of seeing a new product release. Apple are yet to rule out that we will see the hardware updates at the Macworld Expo that many people are eagerly awaiting in January.

The last time we saw an update to the iMac was in late April of this year when it was revised to include the same processor technology present in the new MacBooks, however the last update to the Mac Mini was back as far as August 2007.

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Many people are anticipating the launch of the new iMac and Mac Mini so they can upgrade their current machines. Not so long ago, we reported a rumor that the Mac Mini may have been discontinued but it has since been rumored that a refresh is on the cards.

Sources for MacNN have reported that they expect the new Apple machines to be unveiled in as little as 7 days away on November 10th, rather than at the Macworld Expo in January. If the rumors are true, Apple will break the tradition of announcing the ‘consumer’ machines at the January Expo and may instead announce a new ‘prosumer’ machine in the new Mac Pro, which is also due and update. It is believed that the reason for this change is that the new chips for the Mac Pro will not be avaiable in sufficient quantity until January and on top of that, Apple would like to cash in on holiday sales of the iMac and Mac Mini.

At this time specifications for the updated machines are not known, although it is believed Apple will opt for the NVIDIA graphics chips, keeping in line with the new MacBooks. It’s possible the updated iMac will also ship with both the 9400M and the 9600M GT, giving the user a choice depending on need, just like the new MacBook Pro. It also seems likely the Mini will see a graphics boost and be equiped with the 9400M that has impressed us in the new MacBook.

Although the sources behind these rumors all have different stories, it definitely seems as though Apple is up to something.

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Apple's new button-less trackpad made of glass

We recently highlighted a few of the issues new MacBook adopters were having with their machines. It seems that together with the loose battery case and slanted keys, trackpad issues are to be added to the list.

Crunch Gear have reported that a ‘tipster’ with a fleet of MacBooks is recognizing that the new button-less trackpads are not recognizing clicks up to 60% of the time. It seems however that their tipster isn’t the only one with the issue — there is also a huge thread on the Apple Support Discussions pages where many users are voicing the same problem.

We’re hoping that this is just a software issue that can easily be solved by a future update. One user on the Apple discussion claims he’s found a temporary fix:

I have found one solution that I think did work for me (could be a placebo effect but I figured I should share regardless).

In System Preferences go to Trackpad, than at the top move the slider for “Trackpad Speed” up one notch, I was uncomfortable at first but got used to it and it seemed to make the problem better.

I’m not sure how changing the trackpad speed in any way would have an effect on the hard click but if it works, it works! Maybe it will work for others until a fix is released.

I’ve had my new MacBook for nearly a week now and as of yet, I haven’t experienced any issues. I’ve had the battery cover off a few times and it’s not yet loose and I’ve used the keyboard extensively and haven’t suffered the slanted keys. However, I can’t comment on the trackpad because I mostly use a wireless mouse. I just hope I’m one of the lucky ones and continue to experience no issues!