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Steve Jobs' vintage wardrobe is up for auction
What's an Apple fanboy or fangirl supposed to do once they've filled their basement with vintage Apple hardware? Start filling up the closets with Steve Jobs' old clothes, of course. As TechCrunch reports, a whole wardrobe of the late Apple founder's shirts, bowties, watches, ID badges and other tossed-off goods are currently up for auction.
The anti-Apple fanboy
Yikes! Watch out for this dude the next time you're chatting on your precious iPhone in public. [Photo credit: Nathan Rupert]
PBS Game/Show asks 'Are Angry Fanboys Bad for Games?'
PBS' Game/Show is back again, and this time we're going to sit and talk about our feelings, m'kay? Specifically, host Jamin Warren wonders if our feelings of anger and disapproval toward games we don't like are harming the industry. Warren points out how negative attitudes toward creators have propagated thanks to the internet, and cites the departure of several high-level industry personnel as evidence that something in our lines of communication is broken. We all get angry, frustrated or disappointed with our games every now and again, but are we expressing that properly? "We should support our favorite creators for how they create, not always for what they create," Warren argues in the video. "In film, you might be a fan of Kathryn Bigelow or Quentin Tarantino, but that doesn't mean that you expect them to make 10 sequels to Point Break or Pulp Fiction. ... It's important that we give game designers the exact same latitude." Check out the episode, consider the behavior being talked about, and tell us what you think in the comments. [Image: PBS]
How fictional Apple fans watch a product keynote [Video]
With so many mediocre Apple spoofs littering the internet -- do we really need another parody of an Apple product-introduction video, white backdrop and all? -- it's nice to finally see a video poking fun at Apple fans with some comic muscle behind it. From the talented folks over at Vooza, check out this hilarious depiction of how Apple fans act during an Apple keynote. While some bits are naturally exaggerated for comic effect, others are incredibly spot on. Enjoy: A few of my favorite lines include: - When the fanboys, at the beginning of the media event, begin clamoring for Tim Cook to "give me those stats!" As anyone who has relentlessly refreshed an Apple media event liveblog can attest, Cook loves kicking things off with cold hard data. - Q: What was Microsoft's marketshare again? A: Nothing like that. - The hoopla surrounding Craig Federighi's hair is great: "I have nightmares that his hair's not there." - "Jony Ive! Look at that bald head.. it's so minimalist." - "Gooooooooold!" The gold iPhone viewed through the eyes of a soccer fan. - And of course, eagerly waiting around for a "one more thing" announcement that never comes is something I'm sure we can all relate too. "He's really just walking away."
Reuters: Machinima mulling Netflix-like streaming service
While Machinima lets you produce epics out of your gaming exploits (occasionally resulting in comedy gold), so far it's kept non-fanboy productions confined to YouTube. According to Reuters, that might change soon, as the company -- which just received $35 million in Google-backed funding -- is looking for another $80 million to start a subscription-based online video service. It has reportedly sought investment from the likes of Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures, who already produce content for Machinima's infamous YouTube channel and Xbox 360 app. Calling its typical user "crazy, engaged and ravenous," CEO Allen DeBevoise said it wants to "be a company in the spirit of HBO and AMC, but in an over-the-top (online) world." He added that it wants to license full-length, 44-minute fare (sans ads), to which it would retain foreign marketing rights. With 20.4 million viewers who stayed an average of 76 minutes last month, Machinima is already YouTube's 7th largest channel -- so, it's no surprise that it'd like to become the Netflix of gaming.
Daily Update for August 30, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
This is the Modem World: Curiosity Killed the Fanboy
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. Usain Bolt is fast. Really fast. So fast, in fact, that we all revel in his quirky personality and dig the fact that he comes from Jamaica. We're all Bolt fanboys. The Olympics, born as a celebration of the human body and spirit, bring the world together every two years in a peaceful competition and allow us to transform nationalism into a spirited, peaceful chant for our own countries. Usain Bolt displayed the Olympic spirit during a post-race interview when he stopped the affair to wait for the American national anthem to finish as another athlete received her gold medal. Respect.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World was worth the wait
Folks, I have to be brutally honest: I'm old. I have a family, two jobs, and more time-consuming hobbies than one man should. And yet it pains me to log out of The Secret World. Last Saturday I slew demons (and Illuminati) in Funcom's new MMORPG for 10 hours straight. Actually, I took a 30-minute dinner break, so I guess it was more like nine-and-a-half. The point is that I looked up at my clock, said holy crap when it told me that the sun was about to rise, and scratched my head trying to remember the last time that happened. I've been playing MMOs since the late 1990s, and when I say that I've pretty much played them all, that's not hyperbole. Right now, TSW is running a close second to Star Wars Galaxies as the most enjoyable title I've experienced to date. And keep in mind that it's been live for two weeks.
Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Starstruck by someone in the WoW community
Each week, Blog Azeroth hosts a Shared Topic for bloggers to answer on their own blogs and then link to in the forum. This week, dragonray from Azerothian Life asks: Are you starstruck by anyone? Does someone in the community respond to a post or a tweet and get you all speechless because they actually responded? Is there anyone you are waiting to have respond directly to you? Is there someone that you would like to chat to, but are too chicken? Am I the only one who puts other bloggers on a pedestal? This is such a weird and awkward question to answer for so many reasons, particularly because of where I work. I guess that's a bit of a Captain Obvious statement. I work with so many people I admire -- really amazing writers, and knowledgeable too. I am very fortunate. Every time I get thanked for linking to a blog post from the general WoW community, I get a thrill. After all, I'm only linking it because I admire the work. It's not like I'm randomly choosing blogs from a bingo tumbler cage thingy. Hmm, it would be rather difficult to write blog names on those little balls. OK. It's not like I'm randomly choosing blogs from some random blog-name generator thingy. "Cynwise's Warcraft Manual! You have been chosen by the random blog-name generator thingy! Here's a link." Yeah ... no.
ThinkFlood WiFi remote for Android goes beta, but still requires iOS
ThinkFlood is best known for its universal remote control systems, but now it might become famous for something totally different: discovering a way to bring peace to the tiresome iOS/Android fanboy wars. Its new beta app for Android provides complete control over the company's RedEye and RedEye Pro products, which in the past were strictly iOS-only. In turn, a RedEye system allows a range of IR-equipped devices in a home to be controlled via WiFi -- so in principle you should now be able to control your home theater and other kit using your Android tablet or smartphone. But here's the twist: users of the beta app will need both an Android device and an iOS device in order to get full functionality, because the Android app can't yet handle configuration. The company insists this limitation will soon be fixed, but we say keep it. If all apps required us to own both platforms, things would be so much more harmonious. Full PR after the break. [Thanks, Martin]
Steve Jobs portrait made out of Apple products mosaic
As reported by MacStories and created for Italian magazine Panorama by Tsevis Visual Design, this picture of Apple CEO Steve Jobs is entirely made up of Apple's white products laid out to create a visually arresting portrait. The creative director of the magazine asked Tsevis for the "white on white" portrait and ran the image on the cover of the the financial section titled "Panorama Economy." Looking closely, one can see the incredible detail of the mosaic, which encompasses a large selection of products from Apple's history. After seeing how great the white on white version came out, the designer set out to make a version with a black background as well, and both of them are available for download under the Creative Commons License Scheme. Over on Flickr, you can access both the white version and the black version of the portrait. A few years ago we saw a colorful Apple product mosaic in the likeness of Steve Jobs from these guys, and we've also seen Steve Jobs in doll form, but I wonder -- do you think Steve will be hanging one of these new ones up in his office? [via MacStories]
Visualized: here's looking at you, fanboy!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to mock the above self-portrait without resorting to obvious jokes about the iPhone needing a bumper, the iPad lacking a camera of its own, or prefixing insults with the letter i. Come on, it's Christmas, let's be a little more like San Diego and keep it classy. For his part, David Polette, the author of this piece, admits to no Photoshop trickery whatsoever, having relied simply on his camera, Apple gadgets, and no small amount of patience to line things up just right. Android users, care to play along as well? [Thanks, David] Update: Ask, and ye shall receive! Tipster Antonio did up his own version of this with a Galaxy Tab and a G2. Check it out below!
Edible iPhone birthday cake
And you thought that store-bought $10 cake you got for your birthday was cool. Sure to be the envy of Apple fanboys everywhere, Chris Samuels -- an independent iPhone and iPad developer -- received this detailed iPhone cake for his birthday from his wife Cath. Everything on (and inside) the cake is edible, with the icons carefully made from frosting and food coloring. With all the work that must have gone into this cake it would almost be sad to eat it. Almost. This certainly isn't the first Apple device made in cake form. Check out this iPhone wedding cake, these icon cupcakes and this tasty chocolate Apple I cake. Happy Birthday, Mr. Samuels. We look forward to seeing what Cath makes for you next year. Maybe a chocolate-covered iPad? Some iChocolates? Be sure to let us know!
7 anti-Apple cliches that need to die
PC vs. Mac flamewars are older than the web itself, but it seems like the more popular/successful Apple gets, the more heated the argument gets on both sides. Almost any debate about the relative merits of one platform or another is guaranteed to degenerate into an all-out shouting match. In the midst of all the fighting and name calling, the oddest thing happens: almost every time, you'll see a lot of the same points being raised by both sides again and again. Some of these points are so tired and worn out, they've reached cliche status. In online debates, there's an informal rule known as Godwin's Law, whereby if you invoke references or comparisons to Nazis or Hitler, you've automatically lost the debate. I say the items on this list have become so worn out they've reached automatic rhetorical failure status on their own. I know that every time I see one of these points appear, I immediately stop any serious consideration of any other arguments from the person who brought it up. I'm focusing on Apple haters and their cliches for this article, but don't get the idea that Apple users aren't just as guilty of cliche-ridden arguments when they argue against using Windows. If, for example, you're an Apple user and you do any of these things: -- Cite the Blue Screen of Death (or BSOD, as he's known to his closest friends) as a point against Windows -- Insert a dollar sign into Microsoft's name (Micro$oft, M$) -- Use "clever" alternate spellings of Windows (Windoze and other less family-friendly revisions) -- Call Internet Explorer "Internet Exploder" you're employing a heavily-cliched, Godwin-esque talking point, too. Read on for the seven deadly cliches of anti-Mac attacks.
Terminator 5: Revenge of the Microsoft Fanboy (video)
We know things can get pretty hairy in the war between man and machine. Even in times of peace a foul-mouthed forum troll slagging off your favorite consumer electronics company can be too much to bear. But violence is never the answer. Yes, we're looking at you Mr. Down-on-his-luck series 800. Watch the Leon Wang created story unfold after the break.
Stink Different with an Apple toilet
We've long heard jokes of the iCar, the iToilet, and other iCrap, but until now we'd never seen a real, working example of one of these things. Well, here's your iToilet, gang. It doesn't connect to the internet in less than three steps, but it does connect to a series of tubes. Tipster Mike Jones actually had this made for himself, but through Rival Toilets, makers of custom, printed potties. Yep, the owner of Rival, Fred, has figured out a way to get decals under a coat of specially-formulated finish (a trade secret), resulting in some glorious toilets you see in the gallery. They last, they are custom and they are really quite something to see. Rival's specialty? Sports team toilets with rival team logos in a "special" place on the bowl. I'm told the Apple version seen here has a similar "rival" logo in the bottom of the bowl. I'll leave the specifics to the reader's imagination. I don't think it's IBM, however. %Gallery-78192% Share
WoW Insider Show Episode 107: Fighting the fanboy
Here's our podcast from last weekend, when both Amanda Dean and Adam Holisky tuned in to join Turpster and I and talk about the biggest stories of the past week in Warcraft. Unfortunately, it was a bad day for Skype, so we had some rough tumbles with lag and audio problems, but we did manage to get in some good insight about Matt Low's thoughts on why you probably shouldn't play a Priest, the incoming lore reasons on why those new race/class combos are possible, Adam's challenge to Blizzard and their veiled release information, and what our faction transfer survey came up with in terms of conclusions. Despite the technical issues, I'm told it was still a pretty good show, so tune in below to hear it for yourself.This week, we're going live at a special time (and yes, apologies to the guy who last week that we were switching around times constantly -- this is only because I'm embarking on a cross-country move later in the week, and the rest of the year we should always be found on Saturdays). We'll be live this Wednesday evening, September 16th, 2009 6:00 PM EDT right over on our Ustream page. I know that's probably a little late for you EU folks, but the last few shows have been earlier than usual, so this one's for the Americans getting home from work. And of course if you can't make that time, we'll definitely have the show on the iTunes feed later on for your listening enjoyment. See you then.Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
Xbox contest searching for Canada's biggest Halo fan
Over the next week, Xbox Canada is searching for the biggest Halo fan across the Great White North. In order to enter the contest, fans must submit an image proving their Halo devotion to Xbox Canada's official Facebook fan page. The ultimate Canadian Halo fan will score a trip for two to the Halo 3: ODST launch party being held later this month in Toronto, Ontario.Now, to clarify any confusion -- the contest isn't looking for the "paunchiest" Halo fan, but someone who can prove (via image) that they outshine all other Canadians as the most dedicated UNSC fanboy across the nation. If the winner also happens to be "portly," it's just one of those win-win situations. [Image via Jason S on Flickr]
Found Footage: A fanboy's Mac mini concept
The Mac mini has an amazing following. It's a great machine for switchers who want to use their existing keyboard, mouse, and monitor, there are companies devoted to using them as small colocated servers, and the mini is the machine to use for all sorts of cool hacks.TUAW reader, designer, and Mac mini fanboy Sait Alayali decided that it's time for a new look, so he created his own conceptual design for a new mini. Rather than the little flat box we know and love, it's designed like a right angle. It has a low-speed fan for quiet and effective cooling, a design that makes it simple to swap out drives, and it can be placed on a surface in a number of ways. Call me old-fashioned, but I like the "boxy" look of the existing Mac mini. They're easier to stack and there are plenty of matching peripherals. I'd prefer to see a new Mac mini made with some of the MacBook Air tech so it could be thinner and smaller. How 'bout you? Leave a comment with your ideas for a new Mac mini design.The New Mac Mini Concept from Sait Alanyali on Vimeo.
Video: Super Xbox Fanboy's dungeon of terror
Let's get one thing straight. We are Xbox 360 Fanboys, but we're not, you know, fanboys. We're all for extravagant gaming setups. Hell, we helped create one. But this ... this defies description, and frankly we're not sure how we missed it (it's been up for two years, apparently). In the video above you will see the Xbox 360 room of an extremely dedicated man. You might be with him while he's showing off the 360-themed paintjob. You might be willing to follow him along when he shows off the built-in mini fridge. You'll probably be losing him around the time you see the furniture covered in neon green fur. But for us, the abject terror set in when he turned on the green LED lights, giving the whole room an eerie, otherworldly glow.It was then that we realized this is no game room. This is a dungeon. This is where someone stores you while he prepares to make a suit out of your skin.[Via poeTV]
