OS X 10.8.3 in development and other news

Welcome, MacValleyites and friends! News from around the Web.

1. OS X 10.8.3 is on its way. Apple has seeded the latest update today. People familiar with the release told AppleInsider that Tuesday's build notes are identical to the previous two seeds that came out in December, with developer focus areas including AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, Graphics Drivers and Safari.
2. An item from Appleinsider’s Backpage says that Apple will start selling refurbished 15” MacBook Pros with the Retina Display for $300 to $550 off retail price. Look in the Special Deals sections of the on-line Mac Store.
3. The Wall Street Journal says that Apple will bring out an entry-level iPhone in the second half of this year. The new device could be unveiled later this year and be marketed as an entry-level model to Apple's flagship iPhone. Sources say the cheaper unit may take on the form factor and design of the current iPhone with a chassis made from less exotic materials like polycarbonate. Other parts could "remain the same or be recycled from older iPhone models.
4. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Corning brought out optical cables for Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. You could get a Thunderbolt cable at a maximum length of 100 feet (30 meters) while the USB 3.0 cable could run up to 330 feet (100 meters) in length. No pricing as of yet; and Corning said to expect these cables sometime in the first quarter of 2013.

My thanks to Appleinsider.com for text and picture.

Tom Briant

Editor and Media Manager, MacValley UG