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- Apple Announces New MacBook Pros
As rumored, Apple updated the MacBook Pro line this morning to use the latest screaming processors up to 2.4 Ghz from Intel and a more powerful GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor. The 15.4-inch machines also use mercury-free LED backlit displays,...As rumored, Apple updated the MacBook Pro line this morning to use the latest screaming processors up to 2.4 Ghz from Intel and a more powerful GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor. The 15.4-inch machines also use mercury-free LED backlit displays, delivering on the announcement that Steve Jobs made in the company's environmental roadmap. Disappointing that the 17" machine is still on LCD, according to the release, but this is a new technology. I can't wait to see how gorgeous the screens look up close. I might make it to an Apple Store this afternoon, so I'll keep you posted. Full details after the jump. They are immediately available.
Technorati Tags: apple, intel, macbook pro
From Apple's press release:
Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook Pro models are now shipping and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.The 2.2 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:
* 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440-by-900 LCD display;
* 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:
* 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440-by-900 LCD display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.The 2.4 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:
* 17-inch widescreen 1680-by-1050 LCD display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include the ability to upgrade to a 160GB (5400 rpm), 160GB (7200 rpm), 200GB (4200 rpm) or a 250GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple USB Modem, glossy widescreen display, 17-inch 1920-by-1200 high-resolution display and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include pre-installed copies of iWork™ '06, Logic Express 7, Final Cut® Express HD 3.5 and Aperture™ 1.5.
Pete Mortensen - Macs Used for Roomba Hacks at Maker Faire 2007
Maker Faire is an amazing event held annually in San Mateo, Calif. where people from all over the place come together to show off the crazy hardware hacks and contraptions they've cobbled together. As you might expect, it's not actually...Maker Faire is an amazing event held annually in San Mateo, Calif. where people from all over the place come together to show off the crazy hardware hacks and contraptions they've cobbled together. As you might expect, it's not actually a Mac-heavy location. If you aren't building your computer from spare parts you found in the neighbor's trash, you're sort of a second-class citizen.
Anyway, I went on Saturday, and met up with Tod Kurt, author of Hacking Roomba and the Todbot blog, who was showing off the latest and greatest in mods to make your robot vacuum cleaner do things it was never designed to, like play a sad sort of vacuum music or even act as a giant spirograph doodler (pic after the jump). Best of all, Tod and his boothmate, from the company he runs, ThingM, were an all-Mac shop. Hacking Roombas is great. Doing it with Macs is even better. It's all very easy over Bluetooth, apparently.
Technorati Tags: makerfaire, roomba
Pete Mortensen - Whose House? Apple's House
I snapped this photo walking home through Union Square the other night. It was a huge Volkswagen outdoor advertisement on a pillar, and someone decided to let the German carmaker know who runs San Francisco. It can only be Apple....I snapped this photo walking home through Union Square the other night. It was a huge Volkswagen outdoor advertisement on a pillar, and someone decided to let the German carmaker know who runs San Francisco. It can only be Apple.
Technorati Tags: apple, vw, sticker
Pete Mortensen - Readomatic Alpha Release: A Standalone App of Web App of Standalone App
General confusion and ambivalence about the continued value of stand-alone have gone mainstream as of...now. That's because German developer Gernot Poetsch has released an alpha of a new RSS reader he calls Readomatic. What's so weird about this app? Well,...General confusion and ambivalence about the continued value of stand-alone have gone mainstream as of...now. That's because German developer Gernot Poetsch has released an alpha of a new RSS reader he calls Readomatic. What's so weird about this app? Well, it's a standalone application of Google Reader, which is itself a replacement for a standalone RSS reader. Google Reader's great advantage is that it isn't standalone -- you can use it on any computer connected to the Internet and still have it keep up with all your readings.
We're now in the age of applications that take the limited functionality and GUI of a web app and give it the restricted, non-portable feature set of a standalone app. We're through the looking glass here, people. Still, it looks kinda hot. I'm not going to stop using Vienna, though.
Announcing Readomatic [poetsch.org]
Via digg.
Technorati Tags: rss, software
Pete Mortensen - FCC Says iPhone OK For Public Consumption
Our long, national nightmare is over: The FCC has approved the iPhone, which means that nothing is holding back the miracle device's release other than software issues so titanic that people got pulled off of Leopard development to fix it....Our long, national nightmare is over: The FCC has approved the iPhone, which means that nothing is holding back the miracle device's release other than software issues so titanic that people got pulled off of Leopard development to fix it. Yep, all hurdles cleared.
At the product's intro, Steve Jobs said he was taking the unusual stance of announcing the iPhone early so that the FCC wouldn't do it for him. So mark this day -- in an alternate universe where Steve doesn't believe in early announcements, even if it means screwing over the FCC, this would be the day that news of the iPhone broke. Can you even imagine how different 2007 would have been without all our wildest iPhone rumors confirmed.
News Flash: Apple iPhone receives FCC approval [AppleInsider]
Via Digg.Technorati Tags: innovation, iphone
Pete Mortensen - The Saga of a Fake Apple Internal Memo
In case you missed it, the full story of how Engadget came to post a fake Apple internal memo announcing delays of the iPhone to October and Leopard to January is now up at the site. The false news allegedly...In case you missed it, the full story of how Engadget came to post a fake Apple internal memo announcing delays of the iPhone to October and Leopard to January is now up at the site. The false news allegedly caused Apple to lose $4 billion in market cap in just six minutes.
It's pretty a long and pretty involved tale, but the most interesting piece is this: Someone with access to Apple's internal e-mail systems sent the original memo. Apple sent a second e-mail denying that the first message was real, but it all feels fishy.
After all, we know Apple has started fake rumors in the past just to flush out leakers. Could the Steve now be applying this logic to his own employees?
Regarding yesterday's Apple news [Engadget]
Pete Mortensen - MacBU Releases Word 2007 Document Converter
Microsoft, kings of irony, moved to the new Office Open XML document format with its new Office 2007 for Windows. It's ironic, because the format, well, won't really open on Mac OS X. Fortunately the Macintosh Business Unit inside MS...Microsoft, kings of irony, moved to the new Office Open XML document format with its new Office 2007 for Windows. It's ironic, because the format, well, won't really open on Mac OS X. Fortunately the Macintosh Business Unit inside MS is fighting the good fight, and in between latte-fueled coding runs on Office 2008, they put together a nifty little beta of a program designed to make Open XML more, well, open.
It's got an amazing name, as well: the Microsoft Open Office XML File Format Converter for Mac. I would have added "2007 Home Edition" to the end to really make it an MS, but it's a beta, so all in good time. The little program changes any .docx file into a charming and useful .rtf, OS X's lingua franca. Nice work, folks.
Thanks, Tammy!
Technorati Tags: microsoft, Unpacking, vista
Pete Mortensen - Apple Takes Page from Dell Playbook, Announces Most Incremental MacBook Upgrade EVAR!
Everyone on the planet is buzzing about Apple's next round of laptop upgrades since the company announced it would switch from LCD screens to LED screens in the very near future. Here we are less than a month later, and...Everyone on the planet is buzzing about Apple's next round of laptop upgrades since the company announced it would switch from LCD screens to LED screens in the very near future. Here we are less than a month later, and Apple has upgraded its consumer MacBook line to include -- features roughly equivalent to the existing MacBook line!
I know, I know, contain your excitement if you can. Why, instead of a base configuration of 512 megs of RAM, now every MacBook will ship with a full gig of RAM at the same price a year later! And instead of featuring either a 1.83 Ghz or 2.0 Ghz processor, now the 'Books ship with either a 2.0 or 2.16 Ghz part! It's almost like Moore's Law is in effect or something!
I've got the full specs behind the jump. The new MacBooks also have 802.11n now, which is a very nice feature, and it means that these are very good, very mature pieces of hardware. It also means they're about to get blown out of the water by Santa Rosa-based, LED-wearing MacBooks Pro. Sign me up for one of those instead, please.
Technorati Tags: macbook, puppy
The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099 (US), includes:
13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
667 MHz front-side bus;
1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire® 400 port;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
Scrolling TrackPad;
the infrared Apple Remote; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.16 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:
13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
667 MHz front-side bus;
1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
Scrolling TrackPad;
the infrared Apple Remote; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.16 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:
13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
667 MHz front-side bus;
1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950;
Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
built-in iSight video camera;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
Scrolling TrackPad;
the infrared Apple Remote; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Pete Mortensen - John Mayer Betrays Apple with a (BlackBerry) Curve-ball?
John Mayer never ceases to irritate. Much as I love Steve Jobs and Apple, their insistence on putting the soft-rock crooner on the stage whenever they roll out a new product always grates. At this January's iPhone introduction, the rumor...John Mayer never ceases to irritate. Much as I love Steve Jobs and Apple, their insistence on putting the soft-rock crooner on the stage whenever they roll out a new product always grates. At this January's iPhone introduction, the rumor was that Paul and Ringo would take the stage to kick off Beatles music on the iTunes Store, but we got John Mayer yet again.
And now, to what purports to be his own blog, Mayer has allegedly announced that he has an advance copy of RIM's BlackBerry Curve, a direct iPhone competitor with a similar feature set, if implemented in a less-exciting way. In Benedict Arnold's own words:
Just got an advance of the Blackberry Curve... I guess you could say I'm ahead of the... Nevermind.
lights will guide you home...But never back to Cupertino. Who's with me? No more Steve-notes for Mr. Mayer?
Technorati Tags: blackberry, iphone
Pete Mortensen - Jobs Rolls Out The Zingers for Shareholders Meeting
Image by Mina Ramzy His Steveness was in prime form during last week's Apple Shareholders meeting, and AppleInsider's got the goods. The iCEO dissed Microsoft, acknowledged interest in 3rd-party iPhone apps and mocked the people of the developing world. He's...
Image by Mina RamzyHis Steveness was in prime form during last week's Apple Shareholders meeting, and AppleInsider's got the goods. The iCEO dissed Microsoft, acknowledged interest in 3rd-party iPhone apps and mocked the people of the developing world. He's so predictable that way:
"I wish developing great products was as easy as writing a check," he said. "If that were the case, then Microsoft would have great products."
...
When asked about the iPhone's closed development platform and whether the company recognized the need of large institutions to build their own applications for the handset, Jobs replied that Apple was "wrestling" to balance the requirements for security and stability with the desire for custom application development.
...
During the shareholders meeting, Jobs also entertained the suggestion that Apple could mimic Microsoft's strategy of offering developing nations Windows Starter Edition -- a low cost version of Windows XP as an alternative to the much more expensive Windows Vista. "Do you think we should offer Mac OS 9?" Jobs quipped in response.
"I think Apple could sell the developing world Tiger while selling Leopard here," the attendee replied. Jobs paused for a moment and said that could be an option.
Nice one, Steve! You just looked like a big ol' jerk. We're keenly aware that you're not interested in being perceived as a major philanthropist, but you could at least pretend some times... There's much more at the AI story.
Apple's Jobs addresses critics, new product directions [AppleInsider]
Technorati Tags: iphone, OS 9, Steve Jobs
Pete Mortensen - Apple's Retail Sales In Top 5 for First Time this Year
As if we need evidence that Apple's continued commitment to innovation and great design is paying off beyond the iPod line, check the March sales numbers of the company's computers. Through retail channels, Apple's MacBook family are the fourth-most popular...As if we need evidence that Apple's continued commitment to innovation and great design is paying off beyond the iPod line, check the March sales numbers of the company's computers. Through retail channels, Apple's MacBook family are the fourth-most popular laptop offerings in the U.S. at 10 percent of all sales, and its desktops are No. 5 with 8 percent. This does leave out Dell from the conversation, but it's always better to leave Dell out of things, isn't it?
Click through for the final numbers.
Apple Laptops Grab 9.9% of Retail Sales, Desktops 7.7%[Apple 2.0]
Technorati Tags: marketshare, sales
Category: Laptops
Rank Brand Unit Share
1 Toshiba 26.2%
2 Hewlett Packard 23.9%
3 Gateway 13.0%
4 Apple 9.9%
5 Compaq 8.5%Total Dollar Volume: $696,976,800
Category: Desktops
Rank Brand Unit Share
1 Hewlett Packard 35.0%
2 Compaq 16.7%
3 Gateway 16.6%
4 Emachines 16.4%
5 Apple 7.7%Total Dollar Volume: $304,787,600
Pete Mortensen - Apple II Plastic Model Tshirt
The Chop Shop t-shirt website has a very unusual Apple II t-shirt design for sale. The front of the shirt looks like a template for a plastic toy -- like a model airplane. But turn the shirt around and the...The Chop Shop t-shirt website has a very unusual Apple II t-shirt design for sale. The front of the shirt looks like a template for a plastic toy -- like a model airplane.
But turn the shirt around and the assembled model is on the back -- an Apple II. The site says each tee comes with a limited edition temporary tattoo.
lkahney - Pretty, Obviously Fake MacTablet Images
Since Apple introduced the iPhone, we haven't had a fun product to speculation about in a month or two, and that means no ridiculous Photoshop renderings of unannounced hardware products. Well, we can't have that, can we? Thank goodness that...Since Apple introduced the iPhone, we haven't had a fun product to speculation about in a month or two, and that means no ridiculous Photoshop renderings of unannounced hardware products. Well, we can't have that, can we? Thank goodness that we have the still-mysterious Mac Tablet to think about. After all, it's not like Apple would create a truly mind-blowing form factor for the anticipated Centrino Pro (Santa Rosa) MacBook Pros, is it?
A forum linking off of Chinese site TechWeb posted some photos it purports to have uncovered of the actual Mac Tablet. Except that it's quite obviously cgi. Still, it looks cool, doesn't it? I'd use one.
Via Digg.
Technorati Tags: mac, rumor, tablet
Pete Mortensen - AwkwardTV Releases First-Ever Game for AppleTV, Omelette
Though Apple still won't acknowledge rumors that it's about to make a serious video gaming play beyond iPod games, a third party has stepped in and shown that the AppleTV is ready for games now. It's called Omelette, and it's...Though Apple still won't acknowledge rumors that it's about to make a serious video gaming play beyond iPod games, a third party has stepped in and shown that the AppleTV is ready for games now. It's called Omelette, and it's basically just Bejeweled. But hey, it works, right? Counterstrike is definitely going to be next.
Via Ars Technica.
Technorati Tags: appleTV, game, hack
Pete Mortensen - Analysis: Wait, Are Sun, Google and Apple Teaming Up or Ready to Kill Each Other?
Silicon Valley makes no sense. In January, Apple and Google got so close that the rumor mills buzzed with word that they would form an alliance with Sun to take on Microsoft...again. Yesterday, Sun made some pretty big announcements: They...Silicon Valley makes no sense. In January, Apple and Google got so close that the rumor mills buzzed with word that they would form an alliance with Sun to take on Microsoft...again. Yesterday, Sun made some pretty big announcements: They rolled out JavaFX development platform, which truly promises to deliver on the dream of "write once, run everywhere" that the company has promised since it launched Java more than a decade ago, and that always means more opportunity for apps to come to the Mac.
On the other hand, they showed off a mobile phone platform that will try to compete with Apple's iPhone by, you know, LOOKING EXACTLY LIKE AN iPHONE, but across manufacturers and at a cheap price. While I think Apple's ability to make data syncing a snap is the real competitive advantage of the iPhone and that the company's implementation of multitouch will be better than anyone else's, I still think other companies aren't out for the count yet. Sun might be making the platform for that competition. And the Valley is still buzzing on word that Google might release its own phone. So why are Apple, Google and Sun best buds one moment and worst enemies the next?
Technorati Tags: google, iphone, java
Seth Weintraub of 9 to 5 Mac makes some interesting points about Sun's recent love for Apple, but I don't know if it outweighs an overt competitive action like this. The only thing I can think is that it's simply a matter of battles chosen. There are places (enterprise, software development) where Apple and Sun can be natural allies because they have complementary strengths, with Google as a third leg in the triumvirate. Each has capabilities the others can't match There are other markets -- mobile phones, for example -- where Apple, Google and Sun each have the opportunity to carve out a major piece of the market, and current alliances aren't set up to last.
And I think that's just the way Silicon Valley acts. Everyone is close friends until they betray each other, and then they become friends again later when it suits them. If you're outside of that social context, it just doesn't make sense. But failure and competition get things done here. After all, Yahoo and Google are as likely to be teaming up as they are to be at each other's throats.
Sun and Apple Forging Alliance | 9 to 5 Mac
Found on Digg.
Pete Mortensen - Academic Journal Beaten Down In Pursuit of Apple Design Group
Every few years, another writer who hasn't followed Apple's design heritage for very long decides to figure out where it comes from and why it's been such a success. And every few readers, they end up talking with people extremely...Every few years, another writer who hasn't followed Apple's design heritage for very long decides to figure out where it comes from and why it's been such a success. And every few readers, they end up talking with people extremely tangential to the process who haven't been involved for at least 9 years. The latest is poor Daniel Turner, writing for the MIT Technology Review:
But the omerta that prevails at Apple proved too strong. Company representatives declined to speak with me, and sources only tangentially engaged with the industrial-design process said that they could not talk either. When I asked Paul Kunkel, author of the 1997 book AppleDesign, for tips on obtaining interviews, he laughed and said, "Go sit outside the design-group offices with a pizza." What follows is as clear a picture of the Apple design process as we could get.
Which is to say, very out of date and filled with speculation. Don't get me wrong -- I think this as good a job as anyone could do analyzing Apple's design group without getting behind the veil, but it's nothing new to anyone following Apple long-term. I think it's particularly telling that the writer couldn't even get someone from Frog that worked on Apple products in the 1980s to speak on the record. A designer with no Apple ties had to step up.
Give it a read, though: It's worth it just for the shocking revelation that Steve Jobs just might have a major impact on the final design of the company's products. Huh. Couldn't have guessed that!
The Secret of Apple Design: Technology Review
Via Digg.Technorati Tags: apple, design, innovation
Pete Mortensen - Two Online-Only "Get a Mac" Ads Available -- And Bad
As if to counter the high quality of "Choose a Vista" and the other two official "Get a Mac" ads rolled out yesterday, two rather poor and underdone unreleased ads have trickled to the web. And they're dire, making lame...As if to counter the high quality of "Choose a Vista" and the other two official "Get a Mac" ads rolled out yesterday, two rather poor and underdone unreleased ads have trickled to the web. And they're dire, making lame jokes about drivers and viruses. Let's just hope these literally came from the cutting-room floor, shall we?
Technorati Tags: get a mac, viruses, vista
Digg - Two New Websclusive "Get A Mac" ads:
Pete Mortensen - New 'Get a Mac' Ads Mock Vista Again and Again
The more I try to cantankerously deny my love for Apple's "Get a Mac" ad campaign, the more they manage to win me over. The best of a new crop posted Monday night is "Choose a Vista," which features John...
The more I try to cantankerously deny my love for Apple's "Get a Mac" ad campaign, the more they manage to win me over. The best of a new crop posted Monday night is "Choose a Vista," which features John "PC" Hodgman spinning a game wheel to select a version of Vista. Cries of "Big Operating System! Big Operating System! Daddy needs an upgrade!" Will stay with me for a long time. The other ads, "Genius" and "The Party's Over" are after the jump.Technorati Tags: get a mac, vista
Pete Mortensen - PC World Posts Anti-Apple Article Editor Allegedly Quit Over
We at Wired set off quite a catty-wumpus last week by reporting that one of the reasons PC World Editor in Chief Harry McCracken departed the publication was that a piece called "10 Things We Hate About Apple" upset the...We at Wired set off quite a catty-wumpus last week by reporting that one of the reasons PC World Editor in Chief Harry McCracken departed the publication was that a piece called "10 Things We Hate About Apple" upset the company's publisher, who supposedly favored a pro-advertiser bent to editorial.
As if to deny such reports, the magazine has now posted the article and its lovey-dovey companion piece, along with a cryptic reference to its tortured origins that doesn't quite mention what really happened:
By now, you may have heard something about a couple of articles we've been planning about Apple and its products. We sure have.
The article itself is pretty toothless: "5. Where's the BluRay?" Ooooooo. I'm shaking in my boots. Can this really have ended a respected tech journalist's career?
PC World - 10 Things We Hate About Apple
Via Digg.Technorati Tags: ethics, PC World
Pete Mortensen - Apple Most Innovative Company for Third Year Running
BusinessWeek released its list of the top 50 most innovative companies over the weekend, and, as usual, Apple won. This is the third time in a row. Now, far be it for me to knock any effort that names Apple...BusinessWeek released its list of the top 50 most innovative companies over the weekend, and, as usual, Apple won. This is the third time in a row. Now, far be it for me to knock any effort that names Apple the winner of anything, but I'm not terribly convinced by the methodology used to put the ranking together by BW and Boston Consulting Group. Surveying senior executives just seems so 1980s, and it inevitably means that quite shallow measurements are advantaged -- flashiest product intros, most profitability attributable to new products, etc.
I mean, how honored can you be as most innovative in the world when Microsoft is No. 5? Or Sony moving up three slots to No. 10 in the year that they introduced the PS3 while Nintendo is at No. 39? Or Wal-Mart at No. 11 when Target's down at No. 15? The entire index is suspect. Except for the part where Apple wins, of course.
Note to the senior executives of America: "Most Innovative" does not mean "hottest on the stock market."
The 50 Most Innovative Companies [BusinessWeek]
Technorati Tags: apple, innovation
Pete Mortensen - New UK Get a Mac Subway Underground Ad
The Macbook's power cable is--bar none--one of the most useful hardware innovations to come about it years, on any platform. So it's always surprising that Apple doesn't make more of it in its advertising. It's saved me from many disasters,...The Macbook's power cable is--bar none--one of the most useful hardware innovations to come about it years, on any platform. So it's always surprising that Apple doesn't make more of it in its advertising. It's saved me from many disasters, and I'm glad to see it turning up in this London Tube ad. Be sure to see the entire set.
Photo by quatzacoalt
Mat Honan - iPods Should Be Required in Schools, Not Banned
Pix by nathan Mike Elgan in Computerworld makes the convincing argument that iPods should be required in schools, not banned: So many college students I've met -- even at some of the nation's top universities -- are there because they...Mike Elgan in Computerworld makes the convincing argument that iPods should be required in schools, not banned:
So many college students I've met -- even at some of the nation's top universities -- are there because they have an aptitude for memorization. Many straight-A high school students have few interests, little curiosity and zero inclination toward intellectual discovery. Our system rewards the memorizers and punishes the creative thinkers.
An iPod, when used during tests, is nothing more than a machine that stores and spits out data. By banning iPods and other gadgets, we're teaching kids to actually become iPods -- to become machines that store and spit out data. Instead, we should be teaching them to use iPods -- to use that data and to be human beings who can think -- and leave data storage to the machines.
lkahney - Leopard to Feature 3-D Dashboard Implementation?
We're down to just a month until Apple takes the wraps off what few unannounced features remain for Mac OS X Leopard. So let's all sit back and revel in rumors of what Apple might do next, courtesy of AppleInsider:...We're down to just a month until Apple takes the wraps off what few unannounced features remain for Mac OS X Leopard. So let's all sit back and revel in rumors of what Apple might do next, courtesy of AppleInsider:
According to the filing, different Dashboards could contain one or more of the same widgets and "state" information for a widget could be maintained separately for each Dashboard in which the widget appears, or it can be commonly maintained across all Dashboards in which the widget appears.
"Different Dashboards can be available or 'owned' for different users of a computer or other electronic device, such that each user can only access their own Dashboard(s)," Apple said in the filing. "A user can specify a Dashboard as being available to other users, if desired. A user can also specify, for any or all of the Dashboards he or she creates, whether other users are permitted to make changes to the Dashboard(s)."Uh...sounds good!
Apple filing depicts interactive Dashboard cube interface [AppleInsider]
Technorati Tags: leopard, mac os x, dashboard
Pete Mortensen - Crazy Rumor: Apple Seeds OS 9.3 to Developers
Sometimes, the alternate-universe humor mocking Apple is only 3 percent more insane than actual Apple news. The hilarious Crazy Apple Rumors Site just announced the launch of Mac OS 9.3: According to sources at Apple, the company is entirely at...Sometimes, the alternate-universe humor mocking Apple is only 3 percent more insane than actual Apple news. The hilarious Crazy Apple Rumors Site just announced the launch of Mac OS 9.3:
According to sources at Apple, the company is entirely at a loss to explain where this seed came from.
"I didn't do it," said senior vice president of software engineering Bertrand Serlet. "I can't even get Leopard done in time. I'm swamped. Stupid iPhone and Apple TV. Nobody asked me whether or not we should make those. I mean, I haven't gone to the bathroom in three weeks. OS 9? Je pense que non."Sign me up!
Image via Answers.com
Via Digg.
Crazy Apple Rumors Site » Blog Archive » Apple Seeds OS 9.3
Pete Mortensen - Greenpeace Thrilled By Apple's Green Announcement
Wondering whether Apple's public pledges of environmental responsibility would appease the company's Green critics? Wonder no more. Greenpeace just publicly lauded the company's suddenly forward-thinking stance on its own impact on the environment: It's not everything we asked for. Apple...Wondering whether Apple's public pledges of environmental responsibility would appease the company's Green critics? Wonder no more. Greenpeace just publicly lauded the company's suddenly forward-thinking stance on its own impact on the environment:
It's not everything we asked for. Apple has declared a phase out of the worst chemicals in its product range, Brominated Fire Retardants (BFRs) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) by 2008. That beats Dell and other computer manufactures' pledge to phase them out by 2009. Way to go Steve!
But there's always more to be done, of course:
But while customers in the US will be able to return their Apple products for recycling knowing that their gear won't end up in the e-waste mountains of Asia and India, Apple isn't making that promise to anyone but customers in the USA. Elsewhere in the world, an Apple product today can still be tomorrow's e-waste. Other manufacturers offer worldwide takeback and recycling. Apple should too!
Either way, a big change. One other note: In all the excitement yesterday, I somehow missed that Steve's environment made a public commitment to start using LED displays this year, all but confirming a long-standing rumor that upcoming laptops would soon transition away from LCD technology. All of which makes me extra-happy that I have held off on buying a new computer, eh?
Eh? Enh.
Tasty news from Apple! | Greenpeace InternationalTechnorati Tags: apple, green, Greenpeace
Pete Mortensen - PC World Editor Quits Over Anti-Apple Story
PC World Editor-in-Chief Harry McCracken quit suddenly on Wednesday. According to our colleagues at the magazine, the sudden departure resulted from pressure to kill a story called "10 Things We Hate About Apple" that allegedly displeased CEO Colin Crawford. It's...PC World Editor-in-Chief Harry McCracken quit suddenly on Wednesday. According to our colleagues at the magazine, the sudden departure resulted from pressure to kill a story called "10 Things We Hate About Apple" that allegedly displeased CEO Colin Crawford. It's pretty sordid.
The piece, a whimsical article titled "Ten Things We Hate About Apple," was still in draft form when Crawford killed it. McCracken said no way and walked after Crawford refused to compromise. Apparently Crawford also told editors that product reviews in the magazine were too critical of vendors, especially ones who advertise in the magazine, and that they had to start being nicer to advertisers.
Yikes. Good for you, Harry.
Technorati Tags: PC World, ethics
Pete Mortensen - Real Steve Follows Fake Steve's Lead on Being Green
Weight Recycled as % of Past Sales. Credit: Apple In a case of life imitating art, the Real Steve Jobs is following the Fake Steve Jobs' green lead. On Wed. April 11, Fake Steve wrote: By the end of this...Weight Recycled as % of Past Sales. Credit: Apple
In a case of life imitating art, the Real Steve Jobs is following the Fake Steve Jobs' green lead.
On Wed. April 11, Fake Steve wrote:By the end of this year I want Apple to be known as the greenest company in the world -- not just in tech but in everything. If we've got to make hydrogen-powered computers and iPods that run on solar energy, so be it. Let's get this done.
On Tue. May 2, Real Steve wrote:
Apple has been criticized by some environmental organizations for not being a leader in removing toxic chemicals from its new products, and for not aggressively or properly recycling its old products. Upon investigating Apple's current practices and progress towards these goals, I was surprised to learn that in many cases Apple is ahead of, or will soon be ahead of, most of its competitors in these areas.
lkahney - Jobs Announces 'A Greener Apple'
Steve Jobs just broke Apple's relative silence about its environmental policies, a move that will either hearten or frustrate the company's critics, who contend that Apple is not sustainable enough. One of the larger bones of contention over time has...Steve Jobs just broke Apple's relative silence about its environmental policies, a move that will either hearten or frustrate the company's critics, who contend that Apple is not sustainable enough. One of the larger bones of contention over time has been the company's unwillingness to declare public goals for its electronics recycling programs. That unwillingness is gone, and Steve's personal letter to the world even explains why it was there in the first place.
It is generally not Apple's policy to trumpet our plans for the future; we tend to talk about the things we have just accomplished. Unfortunately this policy has left our customers, shareholders, employees and the industry in the dark about Apple's desires and plans to become greener. Our stakeholders deserve and expect more from us, and they're right to do so. They want us to be a leader in this area, just as we are in the other areas of our business. So today we're changing our policy.
The rest of the letter details what Apple has done for the environment and intends to do in the future. It's pretty much a point-by-point rebuttal to their critics, including public pledges to remove the use of polyvinyl chlorides form all Apple products by next year, and audacious recycling figures that ramp up to 28 percent of weight of products sold by 2010. The company claims that figure will surpass HP and Dell in the next three years.
At any rate, this is a stunning announcement. Next thing you know, Apple will pre-announce one of its flagship hardware products more than five months before it ships. Oh, wait...
What do you think? Has Apple finally gone far enough? What additional environmental commitments do they still need to make? Will Greenpeace stop showing up with giant worm-ridden apples at major conferences?
Thanks, Andrew!
Image via Greenpeace.
Pete Mortensen - SlingBox Now Rocking a Mac Near You
Though DVRs are still far from mainstream technology, some folks are already moving from the time-shifting of a DVR to the place-shifting offered by Sling Media, which uses a hardware/software combo to take incoming TV streams and make them available...
Though DVRs are still far from mainstream technology, some folks are already moving from the time-shifting of a DVR to the place-shifting offered by Sling Media, which uses a hardware/software combo to take incoming TV streams and make them available at any time at any place over the Internet. But until yesterday, the software didn't run on Mac. No more. the new Sling Player for Mac OS X is compatible with a wide variety of sources and viewing hardware:With this software release, Slingbox owners can now view their television directly on their Macintosh computer screen. With full remote control, they can watch content from their home entertainment system whether from cable, DVR, DVD and even a full range of Apple entertainment products including: Apple TV®, Front Row, iPod® in Apple's Universal Dock® or iPod in an iPod Hi-Fi™.
They did a great job meeting Apple's own interface standards, judging from the screenshot. Anyone already got it up and running? How's it going?
Sling Media - Sling Media's Popular SlingPlayer Now Ready For A Mac Near You
Technorati Tags: slingplayer, slingbox
Pete Mortensen - The Face of Steve Appears in a Latte
\ The Virgin Mary has nothing on the patron saint of our cult! Photo by Luke Edgar Seeley, who notes: I ordered a medium latte at a local cafe and was surprised to find that the barista had, with his...\
The Virgin Mary has nothing on the patron saint of our cult! Photo by Luke Edgar Seeley, who notes:I ordered a medium latte at a local cafe and was surprised to find that the barista had, with his mastery of steamed milk, poured a face and the words "I Love Steve Jobs" into my latte.
I don't know if I believe it, but I want to believe. Who could ask for more?
A Steve Jobs Latte on Flickr - Photo Sharing
Via Digg.
Technorati Tags: espresso, Steve Jobs
Pete Mortensen
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