DisplayPort Standard with 8K Support for Notebooks and All-in-Ones Heading for Mid-2016 Launch

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) yesterday announced that it has officially published the Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) Standard version 1.4b, which brings the previous 1.4a iteration into the final stages of production-ready status for future notebook and all-in-one desktop displays. This final revision of the eDP 1.4 standard includes a few “key protocol refinements and clarifications” to ensure ease-of-integration for partners supporting it and an overall lower bill of materials costs to its implementation.

The eDP 1.4 standard was announced two years ago, with an improved eDP 1.4a standard arriving earlier this year setting the stage for future 8K support on notebooks and all-in-one desktop computers.

The association promises that GPUs and CPUs that run the DisplayPort 1.3 standard for external display connectivity with 5K support will also be able to eDP 1.4b for internal uses. DisplayPort 1.3 support is, however, still only in the early stages, with Intel’s latest Skylake chips not including it.

According to Bill Lempesis, executive director at VESA, “Since its introduction in 2008, eDP has become a central system element within the mobile computing market space. The standard has continued to retain its lead in display performance, supporting embedded panels with resolutions as high as 8K. We look forward to seeing systems incorporating the finalized standard come to fruition next year, broadening the number of consumers receiving clear, crisp visual information delivered by eDP 1.4 on their laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs and possibly even smart phones.”

Apple’s current 27-inch Retina iMac line-up uses its 5K Retina display to come in at 5120 x 2880 pixels, while the new eDP 1.4b standard could introduce an 8K monitor with a 7680 x 4320 display. The catch with the possibility of 8K is that it’s still far from being widely supported, with only a select few high-end television sets backing the ultra high-def standard. Apple itself just launched a new line of 4K 21-inch and 5K 27-inch iMacs, so 8K support from the Cupertino company is still a ways off as well.

VESA notes that while it positions eDP 1.4b as the standard for the future, current machines are just beginning to integrate with eDP 1.3 and even earlier. Still, the association predicts a mid-2016 incorporation for the first system displays with 8K support, “and the final standard should continue to increase in adoption and be used in production for several years.”

Phil Schiller Discusses Retina MacBook, Apple’s ‘Intense Collaboration’

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller recently met with Mashable editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff for a rare interview, discussing topics ranging from the new 12-inch MacBook to Apple’s “intense collaboration” that makes such products possible.

Schiller emphasized how Apple’s process from product conception to production has greatly changed over the past few decades, as a result of “intense collaboration” between industrial design and engineering teams within the company.

“From the beginning, the Mac has been about Apple taking responsibility for the whole thing: hardware, software, how applications can work and, increasingly, Internet services. But that means something different today than it did 20 years ago,” Schiller said.

“Today, those teams are not only integrated and designing something together, they’re actually thinking of features that could only exist because of that integration and solving problems that could only be solved because of that unique advantage.”

The interview provides a closer look at the new 12-inch MacBook, ranging from its ultra-small logic board to “speaktenna” combined speaker and antenna design, as an example of what’s possible because of Apple’s collaboration.

Some like to call it the “Speaktenna.” The black strip along the back edge of the MacBook speakers is a never-before-tried combination of speakers and antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s a fairly ingenious bit of space-saving technology that teardown artists ignored. […]

In the case of the speaktenna, Apple engineers did everything in their power to fit the maximum amount of technology possible into the tiny anodized aluminum chassis. This included creating new battery chemistry and forms to support a terraced battery design that marries perfectly with matching cutouts in the chassis. There’s even a deeper level of terracing cutouts in the body that aren’t for more battery power, but to cut down on the overall system weight.

Mashable‘s in-depth profile of Schiller goes into more detail about the 12-inch MacBook’s design process, how collaboration will continue at Apple’s upcoming Campus 2, the continued growth of Mac in a declining PC market and more.

Apple Stores to Start Selling Apple TV on Friday

Apple began accepting pre-orders for the Apple TV on Monday morning, but has not yet announced when the device will be available for purchase in its retail stores. Apple Retail employees that have spoken to 9to5Mac have shed some light on when we might see the new set-top box, however, suggesting it will be in stores on Friday, October 30.

Apple retail locations are set to receive shipments at the end of the week, with Apple Stores being reconfigured overnight on Thursday to focus on promoting the new Apple TV.

Friday is also the first day when pre-order customers who selected one day shipping will begin receiving their Apple TV orders. Some Apple TVs have already begun preparing for shipment and will be shipping out very soon. Best Buy is also accepting pre-orders for the new Apple TV, but isn’t allowing for in-store pickup until November 4.

The new Apple TV is available in 32 and 64GB configurations, with prices at $149 and $199, respectively. The device includes an A8 processor, a touch-based remote control that doubles as a game controller, a full App Store, universal search capabilities, and Siri integration.