'Like a podcast, but silent'
Bad Apple, Good Apple
One of the great things about Apple is the huge
army of faithful religious zealots the company engenders -- who tend to be
counterbalanced by legions of Apple haters. I've been accused over the years of
being one or the other -- sometimes both at once. I love hate mail, and that's
why I enjoy writing about Apple. So here -- for my own enjoyment, and hopefully
yours -- is a random smattering of Apple news, both pro and con, designed to
fill my inbox:
BAD APPLE
Apple Steals Yet Another Video Idea
Apple has
STOLEN yet another video look-and-feel for an ad. Its new TV commercial
advertising Intel-based laptops is "remarkably
similar to a music video from The Postal Service for the song "Such
Great Heights." The Postal Service is
"extremely disappointed"
in the rip-off. Apple is already in hot water over its
Eminem ad, which appears to be a
rip-off of a Lugz ad. So why is the video so similar? It was directed by
the
same people who are, shall we say, "recycling" ideas.
Apple Caught Cheating On RSS standard
The Photocasting feature in Apple's updated iPhoto application
VIOLATES numerous internet standards. Nasty comment from random
developer: "IPhoto 6 does not understand the first thing about HTTP, the first
thing about XML, or the first thing about RSS."
Apple to Run Out of Intel Laptops
Apple Computer will likely
RUN OUT of
its first Intel-based laptop when the machine debuts next month, according to
company suits.
Apple 'Doesn't Mind' If You Load Windows On iMacs
Apple won't sell Windows on its Intel-based iMacs, but
DOESN'T MIND if you
install Windows. Gratuitous nasty Apple executive quote: "If there
are people who love our hardware but are forced to put up with a Windows world,
then that's OK."
GOOD APPLE
What Is Apple's 'Mobile Me'?
Apple recently trademarked four applications that fall under
the "Mobile Me"
umbrella that cover computer services, providing music over a local or global
communication network, portable digital electronic devices and software, and
telecommunication services.
Apple's iPod Dominance Forces Competitors Into
'Weirdcasting'
The "pod" in podcasting is an obvious reference to the Apple iPod -- and also
something of a branding NIGHTMARE
for companies that make media players that compete with the iPod. Creative is
boldly calling podcasts "ZENcasts" after their ZEN player. Will it catch on? If
a media player plays a video in the forest and nobody is around to listen, is it
really playing? Good luck, guys.
iPod Plays 'We're In the Money' For Apple
Apple is ROLLING
IN DOUGH, announcing a $5.7 billion quarter, in part on the strength of
iPods, iTunes and accessories for the music players. (The bad news: Investors
are still
pessimistic about the company's future.)
Please send hate mail to:
[email protected]
Mike's List o' the Week
Twisted Game o' the Week
- Avoision: Sort of like Michael Jackson and his creditors.
Wacky Web Site o' the Week
- Finally: An online support group for people who have lost their spouses to
computer games.
Gotta-Get-It Gadget o' the Week
- Your mouse is ringing.
Gotta-Forget-It Gadget o' the Week
- A laptop bag with a human touch.
Reader Web Site
o' the Week -
(Send me your Web sites, folks!)
Ad Creep o' the Week
- Ads are increasingly penetrating computer and video games. Here's how to
do it.
Big Number o'
the Week - 50:
The number of computer games China banned last year.
Cell Phone Folly o' the Week
- An "upskirt" pervert with a camera phone decided to take pictures up the
dress of a minor. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only one with a camera.
News You Can Lose o' the Week
- Welsh farmer Steve Crossman received a ticket -- issued automatically with
a speed camera -- for doing 85 MPH. In a tractor.
Tax Dollar Waste o' the Week
- The Pentagon wants to create an all-purpose "bad person" detector (bad
person: anyone who's nervous).
Car Craziness o' the Week
- Super-light, aerodynamic hybrid car gets 330 MPG -- which is great, until
you get crushed to death by an SUV.
Computer Crime o' the Week
- Chinese hackers are using customized e-mails to steal secret documents
from the UK government. Fortunately, they're running Norton.
Science Project o' the Week
- A cell phone battery for when you really have to go -- and call.
Unfortunate Design Idea o' the Week
- New, high-resolution 3D digital video camera uses two Mac Minis for image
processing.
Marketing Mistake o' the Week - Trying to sell the world's smallest MP3
player? Hire the world's smallest spokesman!
Worst USB Gadget o' the Week - Treasure chest won't open unless you
enter the secret code.
Stuff You'll Love
Mystery Pic o' the Week
What is it?
Send YOUR guess (be sure to say where you live). If you're
first with the right answer, I'll print your name in the next
issue of Mike's List!
LAST
WEEK'S MYSTERY PIC:
No, it's not "a babe on a park bench," a "bathroom scale
with a built-in picture frame," or even "a scanner with a
clear top" as suggested by some readers. In fact, it's an
eStarling Wi-Fi picture frame. The eStarling does a
couple tricks that standard digital picture frames don't:
Namely, you add pictures to its slideshow by e-mailing them
-- even from your camera phone. You can also set up an RSS
photo feed on Flickr, and it will go get its own pictures.
Mega congrats to Justin Carter of New South Wales,
Australia, who was first with the right answer.
The
Raw Feed - The