Weekly World News reports Macworld Expo threatened by death ray app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Weekly World News reports Macworld Expo threatened by death ray app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even though Steve Jobs has opted out of giving the keynote at this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, and Apple will not be attending another Macworld after this one, there will still be a keynote presentation -- it will just be given by Phil Schiller instead. Of course, since the keynote must go on, even without Mr. Jobs, there will also be speculation and predictions as to what Apple will announce during the keynote.

We at TUAW are not immune to this phenomenon and even though we will be liveblogging the keynote to provide you with the news as soon as it's actually announced, that won't stop us from engaging in a favorite pastime of the tech press: Macworld Expo keynote predictions. Of course, when considering this event and the impending announcements, especially in light of this being the last time Apple will take part, these questions, and many others, come to mind.

Will Phil be as entertaining as Steve? How long will Phil talk about the success of iTunes and the iPod before moving on to the other more exciting announcements? Who will be the musical guest? Will Phil be wearing a black turtleneck and jeans or will he try to start a new fashion trend of his own? Will Phil and Apple do anything "special" to commemorate the last keynote? What will be the "one more thing"? And, most importantly, will Phil talk about where Steve Jobs is and why he isn't doing the keynote?

Your intrepid TUAW writers have considered those very questions, and many more, through long days and nights of deliberation, discussion and discourse. In so doing, we have come up with some interesting, perhaps even controversial, prognostications, pre-visualizations and predictions of what new products and services will be announced at this this year's keynote. Read on for all our (at least partly serious) expectations.

For full Macworld Expo coverage, bookmark the TUAW Macworld Expo 2009 landing page.

Continue reading TUAW Macworld 2009 Keynote Predictions

TUAW Macworld 2009 Keynote Predictions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Macworld 2009 Keynote Predictions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPod tossed 154 yards by an Olympic thrower originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPod tossed 154 yards by an Olympic thrower originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the end of the year comes the cavalcade of best and worst lists, just in case you didn't know what was best and what was worst over the course of the year.

Apple made glassdoor.com's list of "50 Best Places to Work," placing 19th. It scored a 3.8 out of five, and 90 percent of employees approved of the job that CEO Steve Jobs was doing. 303 employees completed reviews at the site, contributing to its score. (The reviews themselves are interesting to read, incidentally, if you have a few minutes to kill.)

On the other hand, Apple made Fortune magazine's list of 21 Dumbest Moments in Business for the year, twice -- but the second time really wasn't its fault.

The first head-smacker, at number six, was for the approval (and subsequent removal) of the "I Am Rich" iPhone application. "The real losers?" Fortune asks: "The eight suckers who bought it."

The second blooper, number 19, actually goes to CNN and Bloomberg for two false stories about Steve Jobs' health. Bloomberg accidentally released an obituary on August 28, and retracted it the same day. In a similar gaffe, a post on CNN's iReport site falsely claimed that Jobs had suffered a heart attack. CNN took down the post -- but not after Apple's stock dipped 10 percent in 10 minutes. Ouch.

[Via Macsimum News and MacNN.]

Apple makes Fortune's list of bonehead moves (twice), still a best place to work originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple makes Fortune's list of bonehead moves (twice), still a best place to work originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone developers Chilli X are looking for a little help with the App Store promo materials for their new ToDo list app, Done. First, though, a little bit about Done.

You're probably thinking, "there are too many task lists available for the iPhone, and they all do the same thing." You'll get no argument from me there. For me, it's a matter of how well they do it, and Done has the potential to be very fluid to use, taking a little more advantage of the iPhone platform as a user interface. Not having tried it yet, I'm judging by the features listed on the promo page: multiple lists, priorities, colors, shake to sort, as well some more novel innovations. It looks simple ... maybe too simple for some, but potentially ideal for those who shudder at the mention of GTD (sorry, did I say that too loudly?).

One novel feature which I don't believe exists in other task managers, yet, is a snapshot capability which will replace your iPhone/iPod touch wallpaper with an image showing your top 6 tasks. The app was recently submitted to the App Store, and is awaiting approval. That's where you -- with your highly-developed sense of humor and savage wit -- come into play.

Chilli X would like to have clever task lists in the promo shots for the app. They are -- by their own admission -- developers and not comedians. You can see their prior attempts at their website, but -- and I say this with love -- they're not great. If you think you have the comedic chops to write a truly fun, interesting and humorous list, leave a submission here in the comments. Chilli X will be watching and picking their favorite entries, the authors of which will receive free copies of Done, in addition to the glory of having their carefully-crafted task sequences displayed in the screenshots of the app in the App Store.

I've heard rumors indicating that App Store glory is often accompanied by prolonged health benefits and above average success with dating prospects, but your results may vary (the TUAW legal department kindly asks me to inform you that TUAW makes no such promises, and takes no responsibility for this post).

Chilli X does offer one stipulation: "keep them clean(ish) and don't say nasty things about anybody." Easy enough.

Chilli X seeks the savage wit of TUAW readers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chilli X seeks the savage wit of TUAW readers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Christmas iPod touch and iPhone gifts boost App Store volume originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Christmas iPod touch and iPhone gifts boost App Store volume originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Look: Will It Blend? for iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Look: Will It Blend? for iPhone and iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mac vs. PC - More than meets the eye originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mac vs. PC - More than meets the eye originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell executive Bob Pearson decided to comment on Apple's "green" ad campaign. It was hard to understand. We were confused. Fortunately, Robert was nice enough to translate. The original post, on Dell's site, is here.

"Several Dell folks were surprised and perplexed to see Apple's new 'green' MacBook ad since its release last month and we've been watching the discussions in the blogosphere. After chatting with our environmental teams about the topic, we realized that instead of ignoring it, we should have a conversation about the real meaning of being green from the viewpoint of a Fortune 500 company."

In a desperate attempt to dredge up this environment issue from October, I bought lunch for a few of my subordinates, ordered them to be in the "Sunset Plains" conference room at noon, and told them we would be discussing this.

"Our view is that companies who choose to lead have an obligation to be open and transparent. We have a responsibility to engage in dialogue about the environment, whether we agree or disagree with an individual person or group. It all contributes to the greater good."

We like to sit around and shoot the breeze about stuff. When there isn't enough breeze-shooting, we shoot it ourselves, con-sarn it.

"What is not good is to skip steps, avoid dialogue and pray that people aren't smart enough to figure it out. That doesn't help any of us and it certainly doesn't further the environmental cause for those of us who care deeply about it."

Honestly, talking is the only thing we do well.

Continue reading Dell comments on Apple's green commitment, TUAW translates from PR-speak to English

Dell comments on Apple's green commitment, TUAW translates from PR-speak to English originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dell comments on Apple's green commitment, TUAW translates from PR-speak to English originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SnOwned tries multiplayer snowball on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SnOwned tries multiplayer snowball on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To say that MobileMe hasn't made everyone happy may be a bit of an understatement. We don't generally hear from the satisfied customers, but we have received a fair amount of email from dissatisfied users of Apple's "cloud computing" solution. Given the barrage of negativity, it's nice to hear a positive take now and then. TUAW reader Rob had just the thing ...

While at the dry cleaner one day, Rob's iPhone was stolen. He immediately chalked it up as gone forever, and proceeded to purchase a brand new one that same evening. It was the next day when unfamiliar contacts began to appear on the new phone. The (not-too-bright) thief was unwittingly supplying him with names and phone numbers of his or her closest friends, via the magic of MobileMe synchronization from the stolen phone to the cloud and eventually to his new phone. "It didn't take long for me to realize that MobileMe was leading me right to the thief!" wrote Rob.

Thanks to the fact that he caught on to it before he'd had time to remotely disconnect his account, MobileMe provided the groundwork for a little social engineering. Rob made quick work of wrangling a name and phone number from the provided contacts, supplying the police with everything they needed to get Rob his phone back. By the end of the night, he had his original iPhone in his possession.

There you have it, a MobileMe success story! Sure, this doesn't make up for the problems which have plagued MobileMe, but it's a great story. The recovered phone is "pretty much brand new," according to Rob, and is currently up for auction on ebay.

Thanks for sending this in, Rob!

iPhone thief thwarted by MobileMe sync originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone thief thwarted by MobileMe sync originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stop the presses: Apple cancels Christmas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stop the presses: Apple cancels Christmas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Check Twitter immediately before going to bed? Possibly while in bed? From multiple devices?
  
• Have a stagnant blog, but a bulging Twitter stream?
• Stare at the display for hours at a time so as not to miss a landmark follower or tweet (like #500)?
• Added his or her Twitter handle to business cards, web sites, etc?

• Twitterrific (Desktop) - Free ad-supported version, $14.95US premium version
• Twitterrific (iPhone/iPod touch) - Free ad-supported version, $9.95US premium version
• TweetDeck - Free
• Tweetsville - $3.99US
  
• Twinkle - Free
  

• Dictionary of Concise Writing - $14.95US at Amazon
• Webster's New World Thesaurus - $14.95US at Amazon

Continue reading Gift Guide for the Twitter addict

Gift Guide for the Twitter addict originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gift Guide for the Twitter addict originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Found Footage: Pete's FishCam originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: Pete's FishCam originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I don't know how comfy a quilt made out of t-shirts would be, but maybe the fact that they're all Apple t-shirts will help. That's exactly what this quilt is made out of -- it's up over on eBay right now, and while the price is only around $36 at the time of this writing, it's probably gone up since then. There are about 20 t-shirts in the quilt total, and they look like they range from the late '90s (there's a bondi blue iMac on there, I believe) up to the Tiger release (at least those are all the ones I recognize). And they do seem like official store t-shirts, which means whoever made the quilt probably is or knows an Apple employee.

If you can get over the fact that someone probably once wore your quilt, it might be a nice Apple-themed bedspread to grab. I've been looking for a good quilt lately, and while this is a little too patched together for my interests, maybe Apple is missing something here. What would an Ive-designed quilt end up looking like?

Apple t-shirt quilt available on eBay originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple t-shirt quilt available on eBay originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's the end of the year, a time of reflection, in which we look back at the year that was and what happened during. But The Independent isn't stopping there -- they went back and dug up some of the world's most famous incorrect predictions. And yes, Bill Gates' 640k is in there, as is Ken Olsen's "...there is no reason for any individual to have a computer at his home." Whoops. But there's also a good iPod one in there -- apparently on the iPod's release, someone from Amstrad claimed it a fad, saying that, "Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, finished, gone, kaput." A few Christmases have come and gone since then, and of course, the iPod is still huge.

That list also reminded me of the famous Nano hater, Motorola's Ed Zander, who said of the iPod nano's release: "Screw the nano. What the hell does the nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?" He, of course, was distraught that Apple's then new invention might take attention away from his new Rokr phone, and despite the fact that Motorola later claimed he was joking, we all know the Rokr went on to not only become the USA's most popular handset, but it's the Rokr who has ads all over the place this holiday season.

Oh wait. We might be wrong about that one. Everyone makes mistakes, no?

Thanks, Jean!

"Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, gone, kaput." originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, gone, kaput." originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you've looked out your window and noticed your neighbors living in refrigerator boxes on your sidewalk, you know the US economy is in the tank. More and more of our friends are getting pink slips, some of whom work at highly-regarded and once lucrative tech companies. These are the same people who, a year and a half ago, had no trouble shelling out $599US for a shiny telephone with no buttons.

So much has changed in our little world since then. Including, for the better, the cost of a shiny telephone without buttons.

But as the global economy continues to nosedive, and our personal economies struggle to remain intact, it's getting harder and harder to justify extravagant purchases. While a new $199US iPhone might not be over the top for most, a $1,799US MacBook Air requires more of a gut check.

Two things are certain. Death (of our laptop batteries) and taxes (the proverbial Apple taxes).

So how does one justify paying twice as much for a Mac when a decent -- albeit mostly unusable and impossible to look at -- Windows kit can be had for under $800US?

The answer is simple. When the pink slip comes and groceries become luxuries, I'll at least enjoy searching for a new job, selling my car on Craigslist and begging my wife to take me back from the comforts of my $2000US MacBook Pro.

If you're like me, and would rather eat trees than give up the Mac, here are practical, everyday tips you can use to justify your Mac habit during an economic downturn.

• Save heating costs by firing up Final Cut and rendering some video. My MacBook Pro gets soooo hot when I do that, and I mean that literally (although, really, it does get excited too.) Bonus: place it on its side, against a wall, and pretend you're back in your old college dorm room. Just add hissing noises and you've got a very expensive radiator.
• Did you receive a new replacement power adapter for your iPhone 3G a few months back? Sweet. Hope you saved the box. It's big enough for you and your kids to sleep in. Bonus: use the included 300 cubic yards of foam as a mattress. Better than a Tempur-Pedic.
• Wish you could hit the pub for a few cold ones, but can't afford to pay the barkeep? Download one of the many beer mug simulators from the App Store and fake yourself drunk. Bonus: the only way to win the game is not to play. Just sayin'.
• Tap the Stocks app on your iPhone. Quick, turn your iPhone upside down. Wow, things look better now huh? Bonus: Do this with the Stocks Dashboard widget by turning your monitor upside down. Extra bonus if you have a 30-inch Cinema Display.

These are just my ideas. I'm sure you have more. Let us know in the comments.

How to justify the 'Apple Tax' in a recession originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How to justify the 'Apple Tax' in a recession originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And a closeup...

I haven't found any more unique items added to this app, but if anyone else finds Christmas or other holiday-related goodies in any other iPhone apps, let us know!

Flick Bowling Holiday "Easter Egg" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Flick Bowling Holiday "Easter Egg" originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Dave and Mike discussed during last night's talkcast, Sunday's episode of The Simpsons included plenty of wink-wink-nudge-nudge references to our favorite fruit company. (The video is also available on Hulu.com.)

Lisa discovers a "Mapple store" has appeared in the Springfield Mall, complete with "myPods," "myPhones," and even a "Brainiac Bar." Comic Book Guy wants to know why OS 4.2 is built so poorly, and Krusty the Klown wants to get rid of his myPod.

Mapple CEO "Steve Mobbs" also makes an appearance, with typical Simpsons hilarity ensuing. While not particularly biting social commentary, the sketch pokes fun at Apple Mapple customers' willingness to shell out big bucks for their products.

The Simpsons have taken on Apple before, with the now-famous Newton "eat up Martha" gag. You might say this is one more thing to add to the list of gags that The Simpsons have done. In the words of Steve Mobbs and Steve Jobs, it's "insanely great."

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

The Simpsons take on 'Mapple' originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Simpsons take on 'Mapple' originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While purists may sneer, there are a lot of us who love apple pie for Thanksgiving dinner instead of the traditional pumpkin pie. After seeing this Apple Mac mini pie and the dough-logo Apple pie, you may never want to eat pumpkin pie again.

The geniuses at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories provide step-by-step instructions on how to make your own Mac mini Apple pie. While not everyone has a 45-watt carbon dioxide laser to cut the fancy Apple logo-shaped lattice on top, I'm sure you can get perfectly fine results using an X-acto knife or some other sharp cutting instrument.

For those of you on the West coast of the U.S., there's still time to run out, buy a square Springform pan, pick up a carbon dioxide laser, and get one of these pies cranked out just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

Don't have the engineering acumen for a square pie in a round-pie world? You could use the overlay method that Dana Knisely attempted successfully this year, for a well-branded and well-browned postprandial treat.

There's no word on whether sun-stamped apples were used in the making of either of these scrumptious desserts. (Update: Dana's husband Matt reports that her pie features 100% organically grown Pennsylvania apples. Yum!)

For all our readers in the US and friends across the globe, TUAW wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks to tipsters hc & Chris for this Thanksgiving treat!

Mmmmm...Hot Apple Mac mini pie for Thanksgiving originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mmmmm...Hot Apple Mac mini pie for Thanksgiving originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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