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Apple has released the new Magic Trackpad, a Bluetooth accessory that brings multi-touch gestures originally available on new MacBooks, for use with desktops. This accessory is $69 and available in Apple Stores as well as online. In addition, they released a new battery charger for wireless devices such as the Magic Trackpad, Apple Keyboard, and Magic Mouse.

Magic Trackpad

The Magic Trackpad is made of smooth glass and aluminum, much like the trackpads that are on current-gen MacBooks. It offers the patented multi-touch technology, which will allow users to scroll smoothly up and down on pages with 'inertial scrolling', pinch zoon in/out, image rotation, and three finger swipe through for web pages and/or photos.

It can be configured to support single or two button commands and also supports tap-to-click as well as the physical click (the entire trackpad is the button).

This accessory had first leaked early in the summer, and just got FCC approval only earlier this month. At that time it was only identified as a mysterious Bluetooth device.

Apple Battery Charger

In addition to the Magic Trackpad, Apple released a new Battery Charger, in which they claim to set a new industry standard by having the lowest standby power usage of any similar chargers on the market.

When other battery chargers are done charging up batteries, they are still drawing energy even though there aren't batteries to charge. The Apple Battery Charger will sense when batteries are done charging in order to automatically reduce the amount of power that it needs in standby.

The batteries that come with the charger are designed to maintain a high charge capacity for hundreds of charges. This should take care of the old task of needing to buy new batteries every couple of months.

A single Battery Charger will come with six AA NiMH batteries, which is enough for any Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse or Apple Keyboard, allowing spares as well.

"Unlike many other reusable batteries, these batteries have an incredibly long service life — up to 10 years," Apple said. "Which means you can finally break the cycle of buying and disposing of those toxic, single-use alkaline batteries. The batteries that come with the Apple Battery Charger kit also have an extraordinarily low self-discharge rate. Even after a year of sitting in a drawer, they still retain 80 percent of their original charge. That way you always have backup power when you need it."

Source: AppleInsider

If you are a Citibank customer and have their iPhone app, now would be a very good time to check for an update.

The Wall Street Journal and other wire services have reported that the Citibank app had a hidden security flaw. The app would save personal account information in a hidden file on the user's iPhone.

The information that is saved would include the account numbers, bill payment information, as well as security access codes. All of this information would also end up on their computers if they sync their device. Leaving all of this information in a hidden file could leave it vulnerable to threats such as hackers.

"We have no reason to believe that our customers' personal information has been accessed or used inappropriately by anyone," Citi said.

There is a new update out for the Citibank mobile app [iTunes link] that is considered a 'mandatory update' for all customers.

Source: TUAW