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The Mac II Book
I'm going to go ahead and assume that this isn't an officially licensed Apple product. I have to admit, my favorite feature is the fact, while it's a laptop, it has a built-in wired mouse. Now that's some serious innovation! Think different, after all. [Photo credit: MJHagen]
Pad & Quill Giveaway: Attaché Leather Bag and iPhone 6 cases
Pad & Quill has a bunch of new products rolling out, and the company's owners are always thinking of TUAW readers. When the new Attaché Leather Bag (US$449.99, with $419.99 introductory price) and three new iPhone 6/6 Plus cases were announced, the company thought that a giveaway of this beautiful gear was in order. Let's take a look at the new product, and then you can enter our giveaway for an opportunity to carry your favorite Apple products in style. Attaché Leather Bag As a person who carries one of Pad & Quill's laptop bags (the Messenger Bag), I can attest to just how useful, good looking, and durable the bags are. There seems to be a spot for everything on the inside, and I know from looking at the construction that the bag is probably going to outlive me! Well, take the same attention to detail and quality that's in the Messenger Bag but make the bag entirely out of hand cut full-grain leather, and you've got the Attaché Leather Bag. It will hold up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display plus a variety of accessories, all in impressive beauty. It's available in either Galloper Black or Dark Chocolate leather finishes, and features the same unbreakable hardware found on the Messenger Bag. There's a dedicated iPad pocket lined with soft orange suede (just like the other pockets), and a extremely comfortable adjustable shoulder strap. iPhone 6 / 6 Plus Cases For the iPhone 6, Pad & Quill has upsized its popular Little Pocket Book ($64.99), Bella Fino ($54.99), Luxury Pocket Book ($84.99) and Traveler ($64.99) cases. For the iPhone 6 Plus, they've absolutely super sized the Bella Fino ($74.99), Luxury Book ($94.99), and Traveler ($74.99) cases. Over the past few years, I've had an opportunity to review the Traveler, Luxury Pocket Book and Bella Fino cases. In each case, I've been impressed with the quality, design, and usability of these cases. I can imagine that they're going to be very popular for Apple's newest iPhones. All of these cases come in a variety of exterior and interior finishes to make just the unique case that's right for you. Giveaway And now, the entry form you've all been waiting for! Pad & Quill is going to give away one grand prize of a Attaché Leather Bag valued at $449.99. Two other readers will get their one of any of Pad & Quill's cases for the iPhone 5/5s/6/6 Plus. To enter, all you need to do is fill out the entry form below. Be sure to tweet or post this giveaway on your favorite social media so all of your friends can have a chance to win, too. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before September 27, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected in a random drawing. One winner will receive a Pad & Quill Attaché Leather Bag valued at $449.99. Two other winners will receive their choice of any Pad & Quill case for iPhone 5/5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, values ranging from $34.99 to $99.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
YouTube Find: Very enthusisatic dumpster diver pulls MacBook out of the trash
While dumpster diving last year, "Mom the Ebayer" found a stash of electronics that housed a rare find -- a working MacBook notebook. Regardless of what you think about dumpster diving, you just gotta love this enthusiastic reaction to Apple hardware.
Dog Days of Summer: Apps by Jasper
Unlike Rosie from a few weeks ago, who wanted nothing more than to get her human away from programming and go for a walk, Jasper the Vizsla puppy is perfectly content to sit in owner William Smith's lap and help him code. We can't wait to see the apps Jasper's programmed! If you have a Dog Days nominee to share, let us know via our feedback page (and please remember that the photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple and its products -- don't just send us a photo of your canine buddy). For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Thanks, William and jasper!
The adorable MacBook bear
I'm enormously jealous of the bear on the right. Not because he's adorable, leads a carefree life, and has a friend he surfs the internet with -- no, that's all fine. I'm jealous of him because he has a black MacBook, and I don't. [Photo credit: Izzyplante]
Apple scores patents for surround-sound MacBook, GarageBand gestures
When it rains, it pours in the world of Apple patents, and today it's pouring. As Patently Apple reports, the company official scored 48 new patents today, a couple of which apply to GarageBand and a feature that may eventually find its way into the MacBook Pro. For starters, a patent for "Electronic percussion gestures for touchscreens" was awarded, covering gesture-based inputs like the ones used in the app's Live Rock Kit. More than just simple taps, the inputs are more specific commands like a touch-and-drag or two-touch gestures that alter volume and other aspects of the resulting sounds. Looking to the future, a patent for a notebook-based surround sound system was also awarded. It describes a system that includes an audio transducer located on the bottom of a laptop like the MacBook Pro. Along with a suite of speakers embedded on three different surfaces of the notebook, the system would produce a surround-sound-like effect. Of course, we've never seen anything like that in an actual Apple notebook, and the chances of any random patent resulting in a purchasable device are typically slim. Still, Apple's love of music would make it a great candidate to introduce a laptop capable of a stunning audio feat.
Dog Days of Summer: Stop coding and pay attention to ME
There's nothing more annoying to a dog than being as adorable as Rosie and having your human ignore you while he's coding. "I mean, come ON - it's summer! And there are things to do outside! You're just sitting there staring at that screen and moving your fingers while I'm over here being cute! I want to go outside! NOW!" For Rosie's owner Daniel Bogan, it must be hard to get any work done with that sweet face looking at him. If you have a Dog Days nominee to share, let us know via our feedback page (and please remember that the photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple and its products -- don't just send us a photo of your canine buddy). For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Thanks, Daniel! Photo by Daniel Bogan, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Apple patent application hints at a Siri-like assistant for Macs
Siri might be making her way to a Mac near you. According to a patent application filed in February and released today, Apple's considering bringing the iPhone personal assistant to its desktop OS. The 92-page document details how you'll interact with Apple's "digital assistant," a term that occurs 574 times in the patent app (the name Siri never makes an appearance, however). According to the document, a desktop version could pair Siri's current actions with more complex functionality, such as file and system management. After calling on the assistant by using a specific gesture on the touchpad or clicking an icon in the dock, you could use it to send emails, find images or YouTube videos on the web, print documents or copy and "hold" multiple files. As TechCrunch notes, there's no reference to such an assistant in the Yosemite beta preview, so it'll probably be at least another year before Siri (or her better-equipped equivalent) arrives on the Mac.
Kids React to a Typewriter: 'Thank God we have iPads now"
The "Kids React" video series by The Fine Bros on YouTube is always great for a laugh or two, and whenever a piece of retro technology pops up on the show, it inevitably gets compared to an Apple product. Today's "Kids React to Typewriters" episode is no different, and the youngsters interviews just can't believe that anyone would have bothered to use such a cumbersome typing device, comparing it to an iPad and a MacBook along the way. When asked if they thought future kids would feel bad from them because tomorrow's technology would make modern computers look ancient, one girl even promises "The Mac will never be like this." Technology's relentless march forward suggests otherwise. It's telling how often these kids vs. retro technology videos end with the kids praising Apple specifically, while ignoring every other tech company. "I couldn't live without my iPhone" is never replaced with "I couldn't live without my Galaxy S5 Active." Either the kids on the show just happen to come from Apple-loving households, or younger generations automatically equate Apple with the absolute cutting edge of consumer tech, and do so by default. I'd put my money on the latter, which is fantastic news for the future of Apple.
Apple decal sellers saw a tremendous spike in sales following 'Stickers' ad
Your worst fear, confirmed: Engadget's staff laptop of choice is the MacBook Air. Other than the massive checks we each personally receive from Apple (har har), it's our go-to laptop because it's light, fast, and great for the kind of work we do. It doesn't hurt that it looks sweet with stickers as well, of course. And after Apple highlighted users' proclivity for decking out their MBAs in a recent video (seen below), the world of laptop decal sellers was suddenly cast in the spotlight. That spotlight resulted in a lot of new buyers, according to a report on MacStories. Quite a few more, actually. One of the vendors MacStories spoke with saw orders increase by 400 percent since the ad aired, and page views jumped from a typical 500 per day all the way up to a peak of some 4,500 last week. If you dug any of those stickers, well, our sister site TUAW searched out links for where to buy those 74 decals. And while a majority of those depicted are easily found online, for those that aren't, the site scoured Etsy and other places for suitable stand-ins. Now for the hard part: picking out the perfect decal. Ben Gilbert contributed to this report
Modbook will let you convert your Retina MacBook Pro to a tablet for $1,999
Modbook, the company behind those aftermarket Apple tablets, just launched a Kickstarter campaign for its latest product, the Modbook Pro X. After paying a pre-order price of $1,999 today, backers will be able to convert their own Retina MacBook Pros into a tablet beginning early next year. The conversion incorporates the laptop's original hardware, with components shifted from the lower half of the computer to just behind the 15.4-inch 2,880 x 1,800-pixel LCD.
Apple gives Retina MacBook Pros a speed boost ahead of Yosemite rollout
After rumors surfaced yesterday about an incoming MacBook Pro refresh, Apple's store went down earlier today, and now, hey presto! New MacBook Pros. The updated models haven't changed significantly, but look to be better equipped to handle the next version of OS X due in the fall, Yosemite. All 15-inch MacBook Pro Retinas now have 16GB of RAM standard instead of 8GB, and the priciest model has an optional 1TB PCIe-based SSD. The larger Retina models were also bumped by 200Mhz to the latest 4th Core-i7 CPUs, with the top-liner getting a Core i7-4980HQ which hits the magical 4.0GHz mark. Surprisingly, Apple has stuck with NVIDIA's GeForce GT-750M for its top model with discrete graphics rather than updating to the latest GeForce GT800M series. The upside, however, is that the price for that model has dropped by $100 to $2,499 (or £1,999 in the UK).
I searched for all 74 of the stickers in Apple's new ad so you don't have to
Putting stickers on your MacBook is cool. I know this because the majority of you told me you're totally cool with it in a recent poll. Oh, and also because Apple just ran a TV ad showing just how amazing your MacBook can look with a little bit of vinyl applied. If you saw something you liked on that fast-moving ad, you're in luck because I did the legwork of searching for every funky sticker that made an appearance. Well, ok, not every sticker -- I ignored the section of the ad with the generic music stickers -- but every sticker you probably care about. All 74 of them. Not every sticker Apple shown is actually available for purchase... anywhere. Others are clearly inspired by decals you can buy, but they're not exactly the same. Apple definitely fabricated some of these specifically for the ad itself, but others are available for you to buy right this minute. I've listed all of them, and noted their status. If there is a sticker similar to the one shown in the commercial, I've linked it. If not, I've linked an alternative for most that has a similar theme. Enjoy. Shutter shades (Close, not exact) 3D glasses Headphones Baseball cap Hat and tie Heisenberg Mowhawk Afro Aperture Simple camera (Close, not exact) Abstract camera Rectangular camera (Close, not exact) Polaroid Guitar pick Turntable (Not available, alternative) Vinyl record Gramophone Record player (Not available, alternative) Round tree Simple tree (Not available, graphic found here) Bonsai tree (Not available, alternative) Palm tree (Close, not exact) Design for nature Tree w/birds Birdcage New York skyline Golden Gate Paris Toronto London (Close, not exact) Sydney Nashville Tokyo Pyramids Dubai King Kong (Not available) Red lipstick (Not available, alternative) Vampire mouth (Not available, alternative) Cat (Chi's Sweet Home) eating Apple Scrat (Not available, alternative) Cookie Monster (Close, not exact) Snoopy (Close, not exact) Snow White Pac-Man Homer (Not found, alternative) Pointing (Not found, alternative) Bullet (Close, not exact) Dandelion (Close, not exact) Batman (Not available, alternative) Tasmanian Devil (Not available, alternative) Catwoman (Not available, alternative) Wonder Woman(Not available, alternative) Hello Kitty (Not available, alternative) Hello Kitty peeking (Not available, alternative) Space Invaders Galaxy (Close, not exact) Skydive (Close, not exact) Atom (Close, not exact) Divers Donut (Not available, alternative) Black cat (Not available, alternative #1, alternative #2) Saturn ring (Not available) Rings (Trance) Zebra Abstract (Not available) Inferno Flash (Not available, pattern found here) Pink leopard (Close, not exact) Mickey hand Skeleton hand (Close, not exact) Simple hands (Not available) Zombie hands (Not available) Heart hands
Dog Days of Summer: Look at me! I'm a YouTube star!
While some dogs like last week's Dog Days subject Zandra work hard every day, others are busy checking themselves out on YouTube. TUAW reader Kim Frandsen sent us a photo of standard poodle Louie doing just that. Kim says that Louie's "a big fan of YouTube videos ... especially ones starring him." It looks to me like Louie is just about to go for the trackpad on that classic white MacBook to click the play button! If you have a Dog Days nominee to share, let us know via our feedback page (and please remember that the photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple and its products -- don't just send us a photo of your canine buddy). For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link.
High school students raise thousands of dollars repairing, selling old MacBooks
One of the best things about owning Macs is that they hold resale value far longer than many of their competitors. Students at South Portland High School took advantage of that fact, repairing the district's lot of broken MacBooks and raising thousands of dollars in the process. After converting to Apple's iPads for student use, the school district had hundreds of old MacBooks, which it had purchased from the state, left over. Of the roughly 750 machines that had been replaced, all but 400 were repurposed for other school use, while the remaining machines were too broken or beat up to be handed out in their current state. But rather than simply trash them, the school's 20-student computer repair team began tearing them apart to create new units. Snagging the working parts from the various machines, the students pieces together roughly 200 fully functional MacBooks that it has been reselling for anywhere between US$175 to $450. All told, the team will double its original $6,500 investment through its resale efforts. I think I see some future entrepreneurs on the way.
Caturday: Under the (MacBook) cover
Pink is a lovely cat who, according to owner and TUAW reader wouter, loved to sleep on his old white MacBook back when she was only about six months old. All I can say is "that can't be comfortable"! Pink resides with Floyd, naturally, in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Wouter says: We've got two cats: Pink and Floyd. This is Pink. When she was just about 6 months old, she was a real fan of my white MacBook and loved to sleep on it. I've switched to a 15" MacBook Pro, but apparently she doesn't like the all aluminium body, because these days it is the sleeve that is her favourite sleeping place. Floyd is more of a Samsung fan, because she loves to watch nature films on the 40" Samsung. No wonder they're fighting all the time... And now for some very sad news. I regret to say that Ruby, the Internet Famous Cat passed away on June 7, 2014 at the age of nineteen years and six months. She will be greatly missed by her human mom and dad, as well as her fans on TUAW TV Live. In addition, we'll be starting up our Dog Days of Summer feature on July 5, so we'd like to ask our canine-owning readers to start sending in those pics of their favorite pups hard at work on "their" Apple devices. If you have a Dog Days nominee to share, let us know via our feedback page (and please remember that the photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple and its products -- don't just send us a photo of your canine buddy). For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to Wouter for the humorously uncomfortable picture of Pink!
Flickr Find: Looking beyond a MacBook screen
This is a lovely and creative way to reflect on what is in front of you, don't you agree? Image is from Flickr member Jim.
How many stickers is too many?
We ran a poll back in April asking how you feel about stickers on your MacBook. Not surprisingly, a whopping 41% of you said you'd never consider such a thing, while just 19% embraced the practice enthusiastically. But how much is too much? I have a feeling that the MacBook Pro pictured above falls into the "WHY!?" category, but I'll leave you to decide. I count at least 35 stickers here, which is quite an achievement in its own right, but I can't help but feel that the little glowing Apple logo smothered underneath them is crying out for help. [Photo credit: Roo Reynolds]
HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase: A TUAW Video Review
Sometimes you need the professionalism of a briefcase to carry your MacBook; other times, you need both hands free so a backpack is the answer. The HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase (US$109.95) provides both a clean-looking briefcase and a race-through-airports backpack in one sleek package. Check out the specs below, watch the video review, and then enter our giveaway to win this versatile bag. Specifications Outside dimensions: 16.5 x 11.5 x 8.75 inches (41.9 x 29.2 x 22.2 cm) Weight: 2 lbs, 2 oz (approx. 1 kg) Interior padded & fleece-lined 15" MacBook slot, interior zippered gear pocket, external zippered iPad pocket 2 external gear pockets and rear document pocket Quickly converts from a briefcase to backpack Zippered pockets designed for both horizontal and vertical orientation Slim profile design Conclusion While the HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase is certainly versatile and can handle a 15-inch MacBook Pro, it's a bit pricy compared to other laptop bags and somewhat plain-looking. If you're carrying a 13-inch or smaller MacBook Pro or Air, you might want to consider the equally-versatile and much sportier Hayward or Westmore Convertible Laptop Sleeves and save fifty bucks in the process. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway With summer travel heading your way both for business and pleasure, the HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase could be just the thing for carrying your MacBook Pro all over the world. We're giving one away, courtesy of HEX. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 24, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase valued at $109.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Flickr Find: Even Stormtroopers prefer a Mac
You would think that, with his villainous personality, Darth Vader would force his stormtroopers to use Windows machines to keep them in a constant state of frustration. Instead, the Dark Lord allows at least one Empire soldier access to a lovely array of Macs. I bet all his trooper buddies secretly are jealous. The above photo was taken by Danny Choo and was originally posted as part of a series on Japanese Mac Rooms. Did you know that TUAW has a Flickr pool? And that we encourage readers to submit their own Apple related images. Please share as we'd love to see your photos.
