CultOfMac
Latest
Found Footage: Why we use a Mac
I'm sure it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but I think this video is really cute and it made me smile. Happy Monday! YouTuber CBGFilms put together a great compilation of why his generation uses a Mac. Interestingly, these are the same reasons I use a Mac. Stability, usability, tight product integration and elegant design are reasons why Mac users of all all ages drink the Kool-Aid (or the unicorn tears, as it were). Great job, Charlie! So why do you use a Mac? [H/T Chris Pirillo]
Happy 1st Anniversary, App Store!
What a difference a year makes. Apple has a promo on the store (yes, iTunes link ahoy) with their gushing congratulations to themselves and the App Store for the 1-year anniversary of Cupertino's bold experiment. Since the launch one year ago, we've seen over 50,000 apps hit the store (and only a fractional percent are fart apps), dozens of apps rejected for spurious reasons or no reason at all, a couple of apps approved that never should have seen the light of day, and well over a billion downloads. Would McDonald's have grown so fast if they served virtual hamburgers?In honor of this event I'm sharing a list of the very first apps I put on my secondhand 1st-generation iPhone. Yes, I was a little late to the party (and only signed up with AT&T for the 3GS almost a year later), but then, Apple was a little late to the SDK, weren't they? Remember when web apps were the thing? Yeah, me either.Share your first app downloads in the comments!
The mighty mini
While the iPhone, iPod and laptops get most of the glory, the Mac mini chugs quietly along, doing its job well and making owners happy. Earlier at my day job, I was working with one of our minis and recognized how I rely on it to perform a critical function without the slightest hesitation. In other words, it's time to give the little guy some recognition.When I'm not blogging for you folks, I'm managing the web presence and other tech goodies of a large museum here in balmy Massachusetts. When customers arrive in our lobby, they can view a slide show of what's new via a gorgeous HDTV hung above the ticket counter. Behind the HDTV is a Mac mini running Keynote. Once a week, the art department sends an updated Keynote presentation to the mini via Dropbox. This simple and reliable system is powered by an Intel-based mini.Here's the best part. Before our guests move on to the exhibits, they view a brief orientation film and slide show that displays sponsor information. Thousands of people watch both the orientation movie and slideshow every week. Behind it all is a G4 Mac mini (pictured on the right*). This machine has been absolutely rock solid. Again, the art department uploads new slide shows to it via Dropbox and the whole operation couldn't be simpler. When I look at the Laptop Hunter ads, and I see Lauren squealing over her Dell, I think, "Would I trust that machine to do what this mini does when it's 4 or 5 years old? Heck, no." The G4 in question is stock from the factory. Plus, if its HD croaks tomorrow, the only critical bit of data -- the slide show and movie -- lives on Dropbox so we're covered. In a pinch, we've got a Mac Pro that could take on the workload in under 10 minutes.In a world where the new and shiny gets most of the attention, the plain and reliable is often overlooked. So here's a post to praise the Mac mini. The tiny, go-anywhere, do-anything, ultra-reliable computer that I absolutely love. No wonder there are racks full of them at Macminicolo and other facilities.Now I'm certain there are others out there with dutiful minis. Home servers, media centers, carputers, etc. If that's you, send a snapshot to Flickr and tag it TUAWmini. We'll post some of our favorites this weekend.*No, it doesn't live on the floor. I moved it to compose the shot. Rest assured that it was returned to its cozy shelf immediately after.
iPod touch M110 sniper rifle: another reason to fear the Cult of Apple
We're trying... we're trying real hard to cling to our pacifist ways. But damn if the fusion of this US Army M110 Sniper Rifle and mounted iPod touch running the BulletFlight external ballistics calculator (available via the App Store) doesn't make us want to kill. Tap in the variables such as weather conditions, ammunition type, distance to target, and wind speed before exhaling and gently squeezing back on your second amendment right. God bless America. [Via The Firearm Blog] Read -- M110 sniper rifle with iPod touch mount Read -- BulletFlight App [warning: iTunes link]
C-Mac and Steve's excellent Cupertino adventure
Every other year for the last 7 years, Shawn King of the Your Mac Life podcast has given the Apple faithful a chance to go on a pilgrimage to 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, the location of Apple headquarters. As part of our continuing coverage of Macworld Expo 2009, Christina Warren and yours truly hopped on the bus along with about 30 other alpha geeks to visit the Mecca of Macdom and pick up some Apple swag at the Company Store. Former TUAW blogger and Realmac Software PR Ninja Nik Fletcher joined to take photos. I dropped some spendolas on Apple gear, including a logo hat, long-sleeve black mock tee, polo shirt, and three big coffee mugs. C-mac, being the resident TUAW fashionista, bought an Apple notebook (the kind with paper sheets in it), a couple of pens, a navy hoodie, a knit cap, two caps (one knit, one military), and a short sleeve tee. There were several prize drawings on the ride home, and I won an 8GB blue iPod nano courtesy of a "Secret Santa." Suh-weeet! It's too late to join this year's Tour de Cupertino, but keep your eyes and ears open before future Macworld Expos to see if Shawn is planning another trip. Check out the gallery below. %Gallery-40640%
China Mobile making things complicated?
China Mobile, the service provider in talks with Apple to distribute the iPhone in the world's most populous country, is still expressing interest in selling the handset, but has plans to open its own online app store. According to Macworld, Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's chairman and CEO, said at a recent conference that "We will set up our own shop, and we hope, welcome all content providers to sell their software applications and games and songs and any other products in our application shop." Cult of Mac's Ed Sutherland notes that Apple and China Mobile are still in talks to bring the handset to China, according to Wang. Dan Nystedt of the IDG News Service speculated that China Mobile's app store would sell apps for Linux- and Symbian-based mobile phones, but it's unclear how this will affect China Mobile's burgeoning relationship with Apple. Apple, of course, already has the iTunes store, which offers music, games and apps for the iPhone platform. China Mobile's store is unlikely to interfere technically with the iPhone/iTunes ecosystem, but it would compete financially with Apple's offering. Not that there's anything wrong with competition, of course. An agreement with China Mobile would mean having the iPhone available to a market of 400 million existing subscribers, and perhaps millions more new subscribers. For comparison, the total population of the United States last year was just over 300 million people.
Analyst roundup: iPhone sales could drop, production cuts possible
Several analysts have been lowering their expectations for iPhone sales during the first quarter of 2009, pointing to possible cuts in the number of units manufactured, according to a series of articles by Cult of Mac's Ed Sutherland. Barclays Capital today cut its estimate of iPhone sales to 5 million handsets, down from 6.2 million. Yesterday, BMO Capital lowered its expectations to a slightly-better 5.6 million units, but still down from an earlier estimate of 6.6 million. On Wednesday, UBS said iPhone production could drop to 6.7 million units, down from 9 million in the last quarter. Earlier this week, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger said that Apple could have already cut iPhone production by 40 percent. Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes suggested that Apple could cut prices on iPhones and develop a new low-end handset to stimulate sales, taking the lead from how the iPod and iPod mini sold. Reitzes also speculated that a low-cost laptop could sell 3.5 million units per year. It's unclear if Apple will take Reitzes' advice, as Steve Jobs said at last month's laptop event that "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that."
For us 80s kids: Get a cassette case for your iPod nano
Cult of Mac turned me on to an awesome iPod nano case manufactured by Contexture Design in Vancouver, BC: it's made from a recycled cassette tape. Radical. But move fast -- there are only about a dozen left of these one-of-a-kind cases, which fit first- and second-generation iPod nano models. Each case is C$45 (≈US$38) with C$4 shipping. What better accessory for your feathered hair, fringed leather jacket and roller skates when you go all Xanadu for Halloween? [Via Cult of Mac.]
TUAW Gallery: Apple Vanity Plates
It looks like a lot of you TUAW readers have been pimpin' yo ride with Apple vanity plates.After a couple of weeks of waiting for these plate pics -- several readers had to wait for their cars to be detailed before shooting the glamour shot -- TUAW is proud to present this gallery of Apple cultism on wheels. Enjoy! %Gallery-23667%
The Apple crop circle
Reader Marc sent us pictures and video of his "Apple garden," which appears to be a large Apple logo on his spacious lawn in Jersey, just off the coast of France. At first I thought it was just a cutout of the grass, but his picture gallery shows that it's growing, so it must be seeded that way. Interesting. Does whoever plays (is that lacrosse?) on the field mind?Marc also tells us the airport is nearby, and so he says it's something for travelers to look at as it goes by. He's planning to do a flyby with a paraglider, and maybe even some timelapse footage of the thing growing. Cool stuff. For some reason, I can't help but think of crop circles while looking at this, and that makes me think of Close Encounters: "This... means something."
If Apple made...everything
In the past few years, Apple has moved beyond computers and operating systems to create other digital devices. The iPhone is a marvel, as is the iPod. But what did you expect for a company that's know for impecable, thoughtful design?Now, what would happen if Apple took on even more projects? It's fun to think about, as the folks at la Repubblica have done. Check out their collection of 19 "impossible objects," as designed by Apple (if only in their imaginations). Our favorites include the fire extinguisher (what exactly comes out of that thing?) and the iBal (yes, it's what you're thinking).Thanks, Marco!
Line Walk, AT&T Store Union Square
Click To Play See the line at NYC's Union Square AT&T store as of 4:30 pm.
One MacBook, Well Done
We've seen scorched Macs before, but nothing quite like this. After a devastating fire at their Boulder home last week, Gwen and Paul returned to find their formerly sleek white MacBook decidedly crispier. From all of us at TUAW, here's hoping that they get back on their feet fast and back to doing whatever they do best.[via Wandering Stan]
Cult of Mac: "Ten Questions Apple Must Answer in 2007"
Leander Kahney and Pete Mortensen at Wired's Cult of Mac have penned Ten Questions Apple Must Answer in 2007, an article which thankfully delves beyond the typical 'where's my iPhone?' to examine interesting aspects of Apple's future. Leander and Pete briefly discuss that second campus Apple recently bought, what they see as the company's relatively stagnating industrial design, where the iPod can go next and - of course - whether Apple can stay successful once Jobs inevitably steps down. The article is a nice, short summary of many of the key points Apple very well has to wrangle with during the next year, and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Getting started with your new Mac
Someone must love you, since there was a shiny new Mac waiting under the tree for you this morning. I know you're excited to get it up and running, and it'll be easier than you think. There are some tips I would like to share with you, oh newly inducted acolyte to the Cult of Mac, that should make your Mac adventure even more fun. Toss aside the included mouse: All desktop Macs now come with the Mighty Mouse (except the Mac mini, of course), which is a multibutton mouse that pretends to be a one button mouse. Toss it aside and get yourself a real mouse (the Logitech MX Revolution Wireless Laser Mouse is currently my favorite mouse of all time). If you received a portable Mac you should also pick yourself up a mouse. The included Trackpad is nice, but a mouse is much nicer. Download Quicksilver and Growl: You might not get why Quicksilver and Growl are awesome. You might not get it for awhile, but when it clicks your Mac experience will become even better. Trust me, would a blogger lie to you? Enable Tabbed Browsing in Safari: Launch Safari, go to 'Preferences,' 'Tabs,' and check the 'Enable Tabbed Browsing.' You might also want to check out many of the Mac only variants of web browsers: Omniweb, Optimized Firefox, Camino (which is still my personal favorite), and Shiira. Drag your Applications folder to the Dock: I wrote a post, about a year ago, detailing how to move your hard disk into the Dock for easy access. I have since amended my setup to include only the Applications Folder in the Dock, since that is where I needed to go most of the time anyway. Follow the instructions in my previous post, but just drag the Applications Folder in the Dock instead of the entire hard disk. Charge the battery, but not too much: If you found a MacBook or MacBook Pro under the tree make sure that you plug it in the first time you use it. Apple has a list of tips for maximizing the battery life of portables, give it a read to ensure many happy cycles on your battery. Read TUAW: I admit that I am a little biased, but we here at TUAW strive to be that Mac geek friend of yours that knows where to find all the cool Mac stuff on the web. Our knowledgeable bloggers (and me!) are always ready with new tips, tricks, and news to share so make sure you come back often.
Thomas Hawk Switches
San Francisco photo-geek and Zooomr evangelist Thomas Hawk has a secret. Two weeks ago, he walked into the Apple Store in Palo Alto and plopped down the cash for a brand-new MacBook Pro, which he says is "f**ing amazing!"For some reason I can't seem to fathom, Hawk felt so ashamed of this that he kept his new illicit love hidden from the world until he came to grips with his new OS orientation. Why the sudden change of heart? The standard PC user gripes apply; Windows is buggy, Dells are badly designed, and things tend not to work. More interesting to me than the simple fact of Thomas switching is this anti-Apple counter-culture which has become more prominent with the rise of the iPod. I know more than a few otherwise intelligent people whose only reason for not buying an iPod is that they don't want to be like everyone else. But my point to them is always that maybe everyone has an iPod because it's really the best out there! Why subject yourself to a sub-par audio player or computer simply because you want to be the "rebel." Now, I've only seen this philosophy present in people who are deeply involved in the circles in which I run; bloggers, designers, and as one called us, "The San Francisco Hippy Crowd." So I guess what I'm really observing is people trying to be the counter-culture to a counter-culture. Interesting, eh?
Paging Jack Miller of As the Apple Turns
Pete Mortensen, writing on Wired's Cult of Mac blog, is looking for Jack Miller of As the Apple Turns. The site hasn't been updated in a long while, Jack isn't returning emails, nor is he returning phone messages.If anyone knows about this where abouts please let Pete know, he's worried (and now I am as well).Ah, As the Apple Turns. It was the first Apple related site I would visit with regularity.
Wired posts Apple fan art gallery
Leander Kahney, author of the successful Cult of Mac book, has posted an interesting gallery of Apple fan art at Wired. While I think I recognize some of these images from browsing the Cult of Mac book at the local bookstore, this gallery is an interesting look into just how far Apple's loyal following are willing to go to show their love for the Mac.While I'm glad to see posts like this, I have to wonder: where are the Cult of Windows books and art galleries?
Is Steve's "one more thing" yet to come?
Leander at the Cult of Mac blog has been feeling like Steve's keynote from this past Tuesday just didn't have the polish or energy that Macworld keynotes typically do. He was discussing this with a friend recently who, he says, is very much "in" at Apple, when his friend had something quite interesting to say. Namely, that "key products" had to be omitted from the keynote due to "supply issues." Now, this is rumor, of course, so do with it what you will. Leander writes:"'They can't get enough Core Duo (chips),' said my source. He also said that if he were me, he probably wouldn't order one of the new MacBook Pros. I asked if there would be MacBook replacements for the 17-inch and 12-inch PowerBooks, but he said, 'Oh, it's much cooler than that. Much cooler.'" Here we go again. So, what didn't we get to see and when wiill it be released? Let the baseless conjectures begin!
