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"iPad in iBook" stand merges past and present
An enterprising Japanese iPad owner, who blogs under the name Dark General, decided to take matters into his own hands when he couldn't find an iPad stand that he liked. He took an old iBook G3 clamshell case and gutted it, replacing the LCD screen with the iPad and the iBook's keyboard with Apple's most recent USB keyboard. The result is the aptly-named "iPad in iBook" stand. It's a pretty cool setup, and it shows you just how far Apple has come in design -- and tech in general -- since the iBook G3 premiered eleven years ago. In 1999, "iBooks" were the latest and greatest in laptop hardware; in 2010, "iBooks" is a Multi-Touch software application that lets you carry tens of thousands of books around with you in a device that's thinner than the iBook G3's lid. Want to make an iPad in iBook stand yourself? Dark General has a walk through on his blog (Google Translation). via MacStories %Gallery-94860%
iBook modder finds a novel home for iPad
Remember the original iBook? And we're not talking about Steve Jobs's favorite, Winnie The Pooh. (Or was it Gramsci's Prison Notebooks? We always get those two confused.) We're talking about the classic, colorful clamshell laptop. Well, one loyal customer still has his -- and for this delightful mod he's retrofitted it as an iPad case. We were impressed with how much of a 'near fit' Apple's beloved slate was (along with the keyboard connection kit), although the modder admits that a little work will have to be done before the thing can be closed properly (and without damage to the hardware inside). All in all, we think it's a pretty sweet idea, but then again we have always been suckers for old school hardware. Get a closer look after the break.
How to: Creating custom iBook covers
Do you find yourself downloading a lot of the free Project Gutenberg public domain books in the iBookstore? Sick of your bookshelf looking like a series of paper bags with text printed on them? Me too, so I decided to create my own covers for all the free books I've downloaded. If you've ever added custom album artwork to an iTunes song, you get the basic idea of how to change the cover art of a Project Gutenberg book in your iTunes library. If you haven't, I'll quickly list the steps here: In your iTunes library, select the Books category in the source list. Select any book that shows it has no cover, right click on it, and select "Get Info." Select the "Artwork" tab. Drag and drop any image into the white box on the artwork tab and click Okay. Voila! You've just added a custom cover to your ebook.
iPad use case: Foodie
Over the past few weeks, we've heard many people say, "The iPad is cool, but what would I do with it?" This new series aims to answer that question. We'll examine one user case per post, from couch surfer to mobile professional, and describe just how that person uses his or her iPad. I love food. In fact, I probably love it too much. Part of the problem is that I was a ovo-lacto vegetarian for 17 years and a pesco-vegetarian for 5 years after that. Now, I want to eat all of those things that were "forbidden fruit" for 22 years, and it has really made me appreciate good food. Being a foodie isn't just about eating food, however. It's also about having the skill and desire to cook food. Yeah, that means being a wannabe gourmet chef. And there's one more piece to the foodie puzzle - beverages. I mean, what's the use of being able to whip up a killer bison chili without knowing what wine or beer would go best with it? What I've found is that the iPad is a much better foodie-puter than either a MacBook or an iPhone. I can turn off screen dimming, twist the Apple iPad Case around so that the iPad is standing straight up, and see recipes from across the kitchen. Even with the screen at regular brightness, I don't have to worry about my battery getting chewed up while I'm working on a time-consuming dinner. Want to know what apps I'm using to feed my foodie jones? Read on...
iTunes 9.1 now available, brings iPad syncing and iBook support
Hot on the heels of a ginormous OS X update comes this, the freshest version of the music management software that everyone loves to hate. iTunes 9.1 is live and available to download, bringing with it support for iPad syncing (you know, that little tablet that arrives on Saturday?) as well as the ability to "organize and sync books you've downloaded from iBooks on iPad or added to your iTunes library." The new version also gives users the ability to rename, rearrange, or remove Genius Mixes, but we're fairly sure you stopped caring after hearing the first point. It's weighing in at around 97.3MB (give or take a few KB), so fire up Software Update and get it going... if you dare. Update: We're hearing that the new version renames "Applications" to just "Apps" and the Genius Mixes / iPhone / iPod touch sync pages have been retooled. Anything else major? Let us know in comments! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple said to be using FairPlay DRM for iBookstore
Well, it looks like anyone hoping that books on Apple's iBookstore would be as DRM-free as music is on iTunes may be in for a bit of disappointment, as the Los Angeles Times is now reporting that Apple will be making its own FairPlay digital rights management available to any book publishers that wish to use it. Of course, that shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering that Apple still uses FairPlay for movies and TV shows sold on iTunes -- not to mention apps -- and it even still technically supports it for music as well, although it's pretty safe to assume Apple won't be going back down that road anytime soon. For its part, Apple is unsurprisingly staying mum on the matter, but March is fast approaching, so we should know for sure soon enough.
Rupert Murdoch: Amazon now 'willing to renegotiate' e-book prices
You didn't think the price hike would stop at Macmillan, did you? In today's News Corp. earnings call, chairman Rupert Murdoch gave indication that his HarperCollins would also soon be changing its e-book prices with Amazon. As relayed by All Things D, the mogul has been unhappy with the $9.99 tier, that Apple's iBookstore "does allow some flexibility and higher prices," and here's the kicker: "And now Amazon is willing to sit down with us again and renegotiate." Nothing's changed yet, but we gotta imagine it's only a matter of time -- not just with HarperCollins, but probably all "big six" publishers before too long.
iBook G4 benchmarked against hackintosh netbook, comes out even
Apple's been pretty resistant to putting out an OS X netbook, and we might have an inkling why -- according to benchmarks run on a hackintosh'd MSI Wind variant, Apple's OS runs just about as well on your average 1.6GHz Atom / 1GB RAM machine as it does on a four-year-old iBook G4. Sure, the Atom boots a bit faster and outperforms the G4 on simple tasks, but it slows way down when the going gets tough. Of course, the iBook was a much larger machine than most netbooks out there, but with numbers like this we'd say those of you searching for an OS X netbook can skip the EULA violations and just hunt down an old 12-inch PowerBook G4. Check out all the stats at the read link.[Thanks, Penny]
Phil Schiller's death-defying stunt at MWNY '99
Everyone in the Apple community is eager to see Phil Schiller deliver tomorrow's keynote address at Macworld Expo. While we're uncertain as to what he'll do, we know that he won't be leaping onto an inflatable mattress while holding a laptop. Because he's already done that. At Macworld Expo '99 in New York City, Phil demonstrated a Tangerine iBook's wifi capabilities and accelerometer by falling from a significant height onto a small mattress below, thus ushering him into "The Demo Hall of Fame." It might not have been the Mother of All Demos, but still pretty cool. Way to take one for the team, Phil! Click below to watch the video. [Thanks to the folks at thinkingbricks for pointing this out]
Infectious offers discount for TUAW readers
I am a huge fan of Gelaskins, and my iPhone has boasted one since I discovered a display at a small Toronto store back in May. Adhesive art for your iPhone, iPod, and Mac is a fantastic concept and a great way to express yourself beyond the typical hardware case. Infectious is another site that offers art for laptops, cars, and more. They have recently launched a line for the iPhone. The site currently has 38 different pieces of art for the iPhone, and is currently on sale for $9.99. The Infectious stickers will fit both generations of iPhones. You will get a large piece of art for the back of the phone, and a smaller one for the front that goes over the Home button. The artwork for the front of the iPhone is a fantastic feature that Gelaskins doesn't have, and one that I find very attractive. It makes it easy to spot your phone without having to flip it over to check the back or activate the screen to check the wallpaper. Art for laptops is starts at $29.99 and will fit the Powerbook G4, iBook, MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The artwork is made on 3M vinyl material and can be easily removed to put on another piece. Infectious is currently offering a deal for TUAW readers. Use discount code TuawRocks for 10% off from now until December 31.
Oncore Power wants to charge every MacBook battery all of the time
If you find yourself burning through your MacBook or iBook batteries at an alarming rate, perhaps you require a charging solution that's, shall we say... more robust. That's where Oncore Power's psychotic 6-bay charging station comes into play. Never again will you have to suffer the indignation of a powerless laptop with the company's all-in-one solution to charge every brick in your arsenal at once. The device will juice up three batteries at once, letting you stagger the two bays of three slots so you're always one stylish wrist snap away from sweet, sweet power. Sure, it costs $395 (and presumably more for the version with included batteries), but you can't put a price on peace of mind, can you? Oh, wait. You can. It's $395.[Via Macworld]
FastMac releases external charger for Mac notebook batteries
FastMac announced a new line of Mac notebook chargers today. FastMac found a work around for Apple not licensing the MagSafe chargers. TruePower U-Charge allows you to charge your notebook's batteries externally. Note that this does not power the Mac, it only charges batteries.This charger will charge iBook G3/G4 12", PowerBook, MacBook, and MacBook Pro batteries without skipping a beat. FastMac also has plans for a 14.4V charger that would charge batteries for the clamshell iBook, iBook G4 14", and Ti PowerBook 15". The TruePower U-Charge comes in 2 different colors (black and white) to match your machine better. The prices for these chargers start at $69.95. You can purchase the U-Charge on the FastMac website.
FastMac reveals slimline 2x Blu-ray burner for Mac laptops
For those who look at their PowerBook, iBook or MacBook Pro and long for a Blu-ray optical drive, FastMac's got you covered. Of course, some Macs were already on its list of compatible machines, but the firm is now announcing that the trio of aforementioned systems have joined the fray alongside the iMac and Mac mini. The slimline drive writes to BD-RE at 2x, DVD±RW at 8x and CD-R/W at 8x, and provides up to 50GB of storage on a single disc. The unit is slated to ship within 30 days and is available for pre-order as we speak for a stiff $999.99.
Apple forced to pay up over iBook G4 flaw
Just months ago, the Consumer Complaints Board in Denmark announced that it had "proven" that the logic board within a slew of Apple's iBook G4s were faulty, and now it seems that Cupertino has been forced to cough up reparations. According to InfoWorld, a US-based Apple spokeswoman stated that it "disagreed with the DCCB's findings based on its own investigation, and has a strong track record for customer satisfaction." Apparently, the counter report that Apple assembled wasn't enough to persuade the board that the swarm of customer complaints were unwarranted, and now Frederik Navne Boesgaard (of the CCB) has said that Apple "paid up" after conceding the point.
Tilt Scream Pong makes you look insane
Want to install a game that makes you look as crazy as the poor woman in the video above? Look no further than Tilt Scream Pong, a game that utilizes both the Sudden Motion Sensor and the built in microphone in your Powerbook, iBook, MacBook or MacBook Pro. The basic game is really a solitaire pong game (like Breakout without the blocks), but the ball apparently moves faster and faster. Oh, and your paddle grows in size the more noise you make-- that's why this woman is screaming at her computer while flailing it around awkwardly.Anyway, it seems a lot like Wii Sports in that you look like a dork while playing it, but it's actually fun to play. The game and source are available for free, and future plans hint at maybe eventually a two player game, or even two player network play. Check it out-- but do it behind closed doors or risk people thinking you're strange.[via Videosift]
Ive wins National Design Award
It seems like Apple's Johnathan Ive does two things: design great products, and win awards for designing said products. So today's Ive news is of the second order-- at the National Design Awards in Washington on Wednesday, Ive picked up the product design award. According to the Washington Post, Ive was recognized for his work on the iMac, the iBook, and the iPod, but we can't help but think having the iPhone now under his belt didn't hurt either.Awards also went to Adobe for creating Photoshop, the "gold standard" of photo manipulation software, and a few other architects and designers from various places around the country. The awards were handed out by First Lady Laura Bush, who said Ive's work "...has made it more fun to go back in time and play oldies on our iPods." She's still listening to oldies? Someone show this woman the podcast page on iTunes!
DIYer hacks iBook into hardbound server
Not since the epic P-P-P-PowerBook! saga have we seen an Apple laptop wrapped up inside of a hardbound enclosure more suited for literature, but this hack manages to actually provide a hint of utility to those willing to undertake it. Upon receiving an iBook with a non-functioning screen, what better to do than strip the "i" prefix, trim down the inessentials, and wrap it in a hardcover book case in order to create a literal book server? If this sounds like your bag, the journey only requires a partially destroyed iBook, a bit of wiring knowledge, and a gutted book for it to call home. Personally, we'd pony up for a built-in AirPort card so it could serve media whilst parked elegantly beside Of Mice and Men, so be sure and give the read link a visit for the step-by-step if you're scouting new reading material.[Via MAKE]
iBooklet server
How we love enterprising geeks. "This machine isn't dead," they say, "it's prepped for re-purposing!"Thus was Jonas' thought process (maybe not verbatim) when he came across this 500mhz G3 ibook with a busted display. Other than the screen, the computer functioned perfectly, making it a good server candidate.He removed the display, optical drive and battery. Next he whittled the case down to the bare minimum that would contain the remaining parts. Finally, he went to a used book store and found a hardcover book that was slightly larger than the resized laptop and cut out all of the pages.He then used some plastic and velcro to secure the 'book in the book, put it on the shelf and the iBooklet server was born. He claims that there have been no heat issues. Still, I wouldn't go to sleep with that thing running.[Via Make]
Repair your iBook's logic board with a candle
Mark at Geek Technique received a 700mhz G3 iBook with video issues. The machine would boot, but produce no image on the display or when connected to an outside source. In fact, the issue he was experiencing has been documented by Apple, and a repair program was put in place. However, the program had expired by the time Mark received his 'book. What's he to do? Set that sucker on fire, that's what.Mark found an article that describes how the video chip becomes detached from the logic board, and how it can be re-soldered back in place. Lacking the proper tools, he tried a tea light, which didn't reach the required temperature. Finally, he burned some alcohol and White Spirit on the board, rebooted the machine and it worked! The video chip had been re-attached, and the iBook was functioning perfectly.Well done, Mark.
How to uprez your iBook, if that's your thing
It might surprise you to see what some people will get up to with their computers. In a desperate attempt to increase the resolution of his/her clamshell iBook's display from 800 x 600 to a majestic 1024 x 768 (via replacing the LCD), one MacNN forums user went through both hell and high water, as recounted in seven mind-expanding pages of sheer modding madness. In the end, he/she got his/her resolution jump, but we think we can safely say that in this case it's the journey -- not the destination -- that counts. Check the read link for the whole amazing saga.
