Microsoft Office 2011 - Cyber Monday Sale

Want to get rid of the abysmal piece of software known as Microsoft Office 2008? Amazon has Office 2011 on sale for $79.99. As 9to5 Mac points out, it's a full $10 less than it was on Black Friday.

So get clicking and pick the Office that works for you.

Office 2011 - Student Teacher Edition

Office 2011 - 3 License

Office 2011 - Business Edition

Amazon via 9to5 Mac

Apple Store Cyber Monday

So you won't find any deals on that iPad you've been eying since March (and with 2 months before an almost sure annual refresh, we don't recommend it), but you can find great deals on many peripherals.

For example, I'm partial to this find: An M-Audio, 49-key MIDI keyboard. It's designed to work with Garage Band but it does also work with most DAWs out on the market including Reason, Sonar (for you Windows people), and Logic. For $69.95 it's a steal.

So check them out and get to those stocking stuffers as there are deals to be found.

Apple Store On-line

via Gizmodo

The Art of Apple (Destroyed!)

We've seen people do some pretty stupid things to Apple products in the past, and we don't condone that sort of behavior here at The Poor Mac. In fact we're all about appreciating the elegance of the product designs and the hard work that went from concept to actual product you can buy. Hey if it's good enough for the MoMA we sure believe it.

Although rule number 1 at The Poor Mac Blog is respect the product, sometimes exceptions must be made. Michael Tompert and photographer Paul Fairchild clearly fall under the exception.

Sure critics would say, "Ooo death as objects! We've never seen this before." But it would not detract from the beauty in the photographers composition or their subjects for that matter. Click the links below for the full gallery.

Fubiz via Boing-Boing / TUAW

Mayor Michael Bloomberg & Spider-Man Team Up on iPad

In a real-life Marvel cross-over team up; Spider-Man joined forces with New York City's Mayor-for-life Michael Bloomberg to fight the City's 9.3% unemployment rate.

An eight-page comic follows an out of work Peter Parker as his job hunt starts in the City's Subway system and a chance encounter with Mayor Bloomberg at the City Hall station (we're assuming the comic stays true to its source and it was on the 4, 5, 6 or R lines).

The comic was commissioned at the request of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment to spread the word of Workforce 1 Career Centers; the City's free to the public job resource center.

As Joe Quesada, Marvel Entertainment's Editor-in-Chief, said, "Even New York's most famous superhero needs a day job."

Available as a free Marvel Comics in-app purchase on iTunes for all iOS devices.

via Reuters

The Beatles on iTunes

Well, tomorrow is here and according to the clock designated 10AM New York, we're about an hour away from the big announcement. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that today's announcement will bring The Beatles catalog to the iTunes Store, a move that will bring one of music's all-time most profitable franchises to a digital retailer for the first time ever.

The negotiations between Apple, EMI, and members of the band have been an on-going saga that seems to be coming to a close.

The truth is this would be a tepid announcement on Apple's part as more and more customers are hoping for a lot more from the world's largest music retailer (I'm looking at you Lala). It would be great to hear that Apple will allow you to stream your content to any via the cloud, offer a subscription a la Zune Pass, or even just offer iOS syncing via wifi.

Well here's hoping to something with a little more substance.

UPDATE: Engadget is reporting that The Beatles page on iTunes went live about 5 minutes ago. So ummm... yeah get there. Screen cap from Engadget below:

via The Wall Street Journal

Full disclosure: I have purchased The Beatles catalog more than once and would probably buy it on iTunes as well.

iPad 2 Ads Shot & Ready For Post Production

We knew it was coming, but now reports of an ad being shot at New York's Pier 59 by David Sims means that it's officially a matter of 'when' and not 'if.' According to 9 to 5 Mac's report, the photographer used current gen models for the shoot and the new models will be rendered in during post production.

Clearly the new iPad 2 will be of similar dimensions to the current one; goodbye rumors of a 7-inch iPad. Since we know that an iPad 2 is forthcoming, is it too early to get started on the fake iPad 2 rumors? I'm going with full Flash support and Verizon exclusivity.

via 9to5 Mac

RIP Xserve - 2002-2010

Image via TUAW.com

Oh Xserve; I only begun to know you. Actually come to think of it I must've seen you about 4 times in your short life. You were something of an enigma huh? You were there and maybe we took it for granted that you'd always be there.

Guess El Jobso was right in saying, "hardly anyone was buying [you]."

Via TUAW

The HTC HD7 Is Now Available on T-Mobile (US)

Kudos to T-Mobile and their efforts to put out more and more interesting phones. In the last quarter we've seen the release of the Samsung Galaxy S - Vibrant, the G2, the myTouch 4G, and now the first Windows Phone 7 handset on T-Mobile - the HTC HD 2.

Spec wise the HD7 is no slouch offering a 1 GHz processor, 16GB of internal storage, 5MP camera with dual LED flash, and 3.5mm headphone jack. Pretty much standard stuff for a high-end smartphone. The only issue at present seems to be if it's too little too late for Microsoft, the developers are already entrenched in iOS and Android platforms.

Still, at $199 (2-year contract)/ $500 (sans-contract) it offers up another alternative to the dinosaur (RIM), fragmentation with skins (Android), and smartphones without AT&T (iPhone).

So can Magenta make an early adopter out of you?

UPDATE: It looks like AT&T also has two Windows Phone 7 phones available today: the HTC Surround and the Samsung Focus.

Magenta Takes Aim at Apple and AT&T With MyTouch 4G

T-Mobile has a new a flagship phone, the MyTouch 4G. Yes the G2 is a blogger darling, but the truth is the MyTouch is Magenta's flagship phone. T-Mobile took off the gloves in their latest ad blasting AT&T's 3G network as the iPhone's burden. Ask any iPhone user in NYC, SF, or just about any dense city and they may just agree with it.

So is T-Mobile's myTouch and "4G" Network enough to take you away from your sexy iPhone 4.

PS - Lol @ "You can Face Time anywhere that has wifi like an airport."

ITunes Music Preview Times Now Tripled!

Image hosted at http://maci75.wordpress.com

The iTunes Store truly revolutionized the way we consume music online. Downloading your music was no longer an admission of guilt but rather a proclamation that you were the future of music sales.

Hyperbole? Not really; especially when you consider that the iTunes Store accounts for the majority of music purchases in the US. ITunes managed to do this by offering people a 30-second preview of every song in their catalog allowing you to try before you buy. Now, at least according to TechCrunch, it seems like Apple will be serving up 90-second previews for songs longer than 2-minutes and 30-seconds.

Will this mark the beginning of streaming music direct from the cloud? Probably. I just hope it comes sooner than later because I miss having my music library anywhere I went. I miss lala.

Blogging Tech

This photo is from last month's Back to the Mac Semi-Live Blog. From left: iBook G3, Powerbook G3 and Macbook (Core 2 Duo).

Is that an iPad?

Twitter user @KevlarMenace posted that very same question in response to Degree for Men's "Chain of Adventure" YouTube campaign. It looks like they made an attempt to disguise the iPad but it's probably one of the worse camo-jobs this side of a Cupertino beer garden.

Anyhoo; we'll let you decide for yourself.



Hat tip to @KevlarMenace.

Back to the Mac - Iron Lion Zion

Back to the Mac semi-live blog. Check back for updates.

1:07 EDT Tim Cook talking about the Mac- 18 straight quarters of growth outpacing the industry. 600,000 devs., with 30,000 new devs per month. Return of Autodesk's AutoCAD.

1:08 Talking retail. Expansion overseas: Paris 2nd store. Shanghai and Beijing stores.

1:08 Back to Steve

1:10 iLife '11 - Whip your apps back and forth

1:10 iPhoto - full screen modes. Facebook enhancements. Emailing. New slideshows. New photobooks and now cards. Phil Schiller demoing.

1:12 iPhoto fullscreen goodness. Map + photo location info looks good full screen

1:13 That chick looked like Grace Park

1:14 Photo albums look iPad-esque

1:15 Reflections galore in slideshows...

1:17 Emailing photos looks a bit gimmicky. Like really annoying HTML heavy emails. For what its worth you never actually leave iPhoto.

1:18 Facebook integration. Social networking related info displayed. Pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing.

1:20 Photobook editing looks cool though I don't think I'd ever use it.

1:22 Letterpress cards... How do they work? They show us. Gimmicky but noice.

1:24 Now... iMovie

1:25 New features: improved audio editing, people finder, and movie trailer creation, among others

1:27 iMovie demo. Admittedly I'm not interested though others might be.

1:28 Ken Burns effect. Drink one shot.

1:30 Trailers seems kind of cheesy. I can see the Youtube videos now.

1:31 London Symphony Orchestra provided the scores at Abbey Road Studios. Now we know where those $50 billion reserves go to

1:34 Making tea. Not the keynote. Me. In meatspace.

1:35 Movie trailer. Too. Campy.

1:36 Oh hello. The Grace Park look-alike again. Though less Grace Park-like

1:38 I have never so looked forward to a Garage Band demo.

1:41 Group matching feature.

1:44 Guitar lessons. Piano lessons. Most interesting bits for me so far.

1:45 Uses sessions recorded in Vienna. Fuckin' Vienna.

1:48 Jony Ive is sexy. iLife free with new Macs, $50 to upgrade.

1:49 Facetime for Mac. "More Facetime than the iPhone 4"

1:51 Landscape mode ownage.

1:52 Beta release today!

1:53 Iron Lion Zion!

1:55 Back to the Mac. Mac to iOs back to Mac. Compelling.

1:56 Multitouch.. not the way we think it works. Touch surfaces want to be horizontal.

1:58 Mac App Store. One-click downloads. Free and paid apps. Automatic installation and updates. License for all your personal Macs. Mixed feelings.

1:59 App homescreens.

2:00 Unify Expose, Spaces, Dashboard etc into Mission Control.

2:01 Lion demo time

2:03 "..death of boxed software" - Ryan Block. Whoa. big tings

2:04 LaunchPad is very iPad-esque way to manage your apps.

2:06 Mission control - expose, full screen apps, dashboard, dock. Click gets you ANYWHERE

2:09 Lion set for Summer '11 release.

2:10 App Store to open in 90 days. App submissions starting in November. Get on it devs.

2:12 "One more thing" is being thrown around to easily these days

2:13 "What would happen if a Macbook and an iPad hooked up?" The New Macbook Air.

2:14 Unibody 0.68"-0.11" 2.9lbs Full size keyboard and trackpad. 13.3" Display. 1440x900

2:16 No optical drive nor hard drive. Solid state storage.

2:17 Wireless web = 7 hours. Standby = 30 hours.

2:19 Also an 11.6" model weighing in at 2.3 lbs

2:20 $999 starting price - 11.6" 1.4GHz 64 GB

2:23 Ad for Macbook Air. Now design video.

2:29 It's over. Thanks for those that read this.

Back to Mac Apple Event

In about an hour we here at The Poor Mac will be meta-liveblogging the event.

If speculation and rumors are correct today we'll see the new Mac OS X release, dubbed "Lion" by the bloggosphere, a much needed update to the MacBook Air, and almost definitely the official announcement of the latest iLife software bundle. Beyond that it's a matter of specifics.

What not to expect today?

Well I'm not expecting any news of iPhone on Verizon or any iPad hardware updates. Neither should you.

As the name suggests this will be all about the Mac platform and a major update to the OSX line.

What I'd like to see?

The only obvious choice is to make "Lion" more iOS friendly and blur the line between the operating systems. This means a touch friendly OS that offers the convenience of the iOS platform with the power and stability to run full applications that we enjoy in OSX.

Well in either case we'll see soon enough. What would you like to see in the next iteration of OSX? Drop us a line in the comments.

Keeping Secrets - But Not Really

It's always funny to see how people react to "secret meetings" of the most powerful companies in tech. Whenever a company like Apple keeps a secret, the press is immediately given a "we do not comment on rumors or speculation" and almost out of thin air, boom, an iPad (which was probably the best and worst kept secret in the tech world to date).

But what happens when other companies try to run a play out the Apple playbook? Well apparently that means a nearly 500-word piece in the New York Times' Bits Blog. In all seriousness this is probably a non-story about two CEO's meeting and trying to get some kind of strategy going for future releases or updates. We wish the best to both Adobe and Microsoft; and pretend like we didn't see Ballmer meet with Shantanu Narayen.

via The New York Times

UPDATE: Looks like Ballmer couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Google's Home Page Imagines a World Without War

Sure the headline is a bit servicey but wouldn't you like to imagine a world at peace. Of course you do you denizen of the interwebz. So go over to Google's homepage click on the doodle for today (10/8/2010) and enjoy Imagine by John Lennon.

In case you're too busy to imagine all the people being as one then check the video after the jump.

The Cardboard Box Hackintosh

This is the kind of ingenuity that we not just celebrate here at PMB - it inspires us! Hyperbole aside this is one hackintosh that we definitely approve of.

via TUAW

Etch-A-Sketch iPad Case

Take one good look at that and tell me you don't want one. In fact tell me it doesn't make you want to go out and buy an iPad just get this case.

Well if you did say such a thing I'd call you liar. And no one likes a liar. Not at all.

The case, well it's officially licensed by Ohio Art - makers of the original Etch-A-Sketch and will set you back about $40. While you're Etch-A-Sketching your iPad out, make sure to download the app as well (the app is not official).

Via TUAW

Update: Didn't mention it above but TUAW has a gallery with more pictures... so you know what to do.

Refurbished iPads now available in Apple's Online Store

In a sign that iPads availability is starting to improve, refurbished iPads are now going up for sale. The refurbished iPads start at $449 so it's just a tap to the price but who couldn't use an extra $50 in their pocket these days.

via AppleInsider


- Mobile Post via BlogPress

New iPads with FaceTime Due Out Q1 2011?

Here we go again with more rumors of a camera equipped iPad coming out in the very near future. Ars Technica brings us FaceTime ready iPad tease, citing Digi Times that various component manufacturers have begun testing a 9.7-inch iPad, pressumably with a camera for use with FaceTime.

Though no new info has really been announced in this latest rumor, the time frame - First Quarter 2011 - is spot on for the usual 1 year refresh rate of most Apple products (the iPad was announced in March 2010). Although sources have told AppleInsider that we can expect to see a new FaceTime compatible iPad in stores in time for the holiday season, I'm sticking to the conservative Q1 2011 guestimate.

via Ars Technica

Restoring a Sense of Child-like Wonder in China

Not only are you the proud owner of the 1st iPad sold in China and got hoisted like the hero consumer you are; you even made a shirt for the occasion: I BUY IPAD NO. 1

Good on you sir, good on you.

via Gawker

Would you take a hammer to your Macbook's case?

The product is Fast Mac's Pact Gel sleeve for the MacBook Pro line according to the manufacturers' MacWorld demo your MacBook is so thoroughly protected that you can assault it with a hammer with no fear of damaging your precious.

So what do you do if you're the new proud owner of this $50 sleeve? Well, if you're Twitter user @macfusiongirl you put it to the test.



I'm convinced it's worth picking up.

Hat tip to @mangochutney for putting us on to the video.

Twitter's Who's Who

Image via Gizmodo.com

Lady Gaga has some 6.7 million followers, the most of any user but she doesn't crack the top 100 most influential Twitter users.

Cornell University has a new formula to determine who human users are actively following; measuring retweets from folks as the primary factor in calculating a user's influence. Although the study was aimed at calculated the most influential media-news agency, it's just great to see a best of Twitter that didn't involve Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber. Check the full list here.

Oh and a special congratulations is in order to the folks at Gizmodo for making top 10.

New Scientist via Gizmodo

Exolife iPhone 4 Battery Case

The first iPhone 4 battery/case to market is here, the Exolife by EXOGEAR is a pretty sweet looking case. For $90 it's not a bad way to go. Be sure to check out Gizmodo's full review.

EXOGEAR

iOS4.1 is now live

That's right. Just as Steve had prophesized the coming of iOS4.1 in last week's Apple All About Music keynote it is now officially LIVE!

So run to your Mac (because of course you're using a Mac. Right?) plug your iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 and get you some update. And if you can't update you can see what all the buzz is about over at TUAW's gallery.

iPhone 3GS headed to T-Mobile

Another day, another iPhone on x carrier rumor.

AppleInsider reports of a fresh rumor citing an unnamed T-Mobile manager "casually" mentioning the iPhone 3GS was coming to T-Mobile to Wired's Chris Anderson. Just as Anderson and AppleInsider are carefully filling this as a rumor, we at PMB will as well.

Do keep in mind though that the likelihood of the iPhone coming to T-Mobile is highly probable in terms of hardware restrictions/requirements. Sure a lot of Verizon folks would love to see it sporting that red V (or red check mark), just keep in mind that T-Mobile didn't drop $100 Million bashing the iPhone.

via AppleInsider

Sermon on the Loop: Apple Special Event Semi-Live Blog

Can't catch the stream at work 'cause you're on a filthy, filthy Windows machine and have a crappy internet connection? Gizmodo/Engadget not providing enough fanboyism? Need a fellow Poor Mac's perspective? Check this space for the important updates*

*As long as your author's eyes do not glaze over or get distracted by all mighty Steve.

Live stream. Ready? Go!

Update 12:55 EDT: Woz is there. And they're playing Alanis Morisette. Wait. Now Eric Clapton

Update 1:01 EDT: Steve!! It's Starting. Shouted out Woz and told him to stand up!!! Fanboy-gasm

Update 1:05 EDT: Apple has over 300 retail stores in 10 countries. Spain will be the 11th. Lots of good architecture and restoring historic buildings where their stores are located.

1:10 EDT: 230,000 Apps in the App Store. 200 Apps per second. iOS 4.1 fixes proximity, bluetooth and iPhone 3G bugs. HDR Photos. More

Update 1:10 EDT: HDR photos being explained. Don't look like the over saturated HDR photos you see on Deviantart, thankfully.

Update 1:13 EDT: Game Center - means of finding your friends to play iOS games. If you don't have friends it'll find you some at a similar skill level. Nice. Also Project Sword demo.

Update 1:15 EDT: I'm not much of a gamer but Project Sword looks GOOD

Update 1:20 EDT: iOS 4.2 coming to iPad in November. Adds printing and the typical iOS4 features you've been missing.

Now. iPods

Update 1:22 EDT: 275 Million iPods sold so far. All new line up. First off: Shuffle.

1:24 EDT: Combination of previous two generations of Shuffles. Nice. 2GB for $49

1:26 EDT: Nano - smaller and better. Has multi-touch, ditches clickwheel. Has a clip.

1:30 - Nano prices: 8Gb = $149 16GB = $179

1:32 - iPod Touch has 1.5 Billion entertainment app downloads to its name.

1:35 - iPod Touch has a Retina Display! A4 Chip. Gyroscope. iOS 4.1. Front facing camera. Face Time!!! Rear camera with HD video recording. (Told you guys not to buy your Touch in the summer!) Frickin' beautiful. And runs iMovie for iOS

1:38 - iPod Touch prices: 8GB for $229, 32GB for $299, 64GB for $399

1:40 - iTunes 10. New iTunes icon. New iTunes layout. Less space taken up by "Album" section, replaced with album art.

1:41 - Ping. Social networking for iTunes. All about music. Nice.

1:43 - Livestream is stuttering. Damn you Gaga!!!

1:47 - Ping demo. Hipster music galore.... oh Katie Cotton!

1:48 - Gaga killing the live stream again.

1:50 - Ping on your computer and on your iOS device.

1:51 - One more thing... AppleTV

1:52 - AppleTV is tiny! 1/4 the size. Fits in your hand!

1:57 - $4.99 HD first-run movie rentals. 99¢ HD TV show rentals.

1:58 - Netflix streaming!!!! Youtube. Flickr. MobileMe.

2:00 - Rotten Tomatoes tomato meter and reviews

2:03 - Sorry, got distracted by Iron Man.

2:05 - Sigh, wanted to see "Summer in Korea" Photo slideshow.

2:08 - AirPlay is awesome. Play content from iOS devices.

Price is $99!!!!

2:11 - Steve reviews all of today's news. It was all pretty exciting. Good job Apple.

2:12 - Steve introduces musical guest... Coldplay.

2:13 - Correction: Chris Martin of Coldplay.

2:14 - Sounds good. Awesome.

2:19 - Viva La Vida. Is this an infinte loop?

2:24. - Chris Martin is a funny dude. Song in chord i-minor. Designed by Jon Ive.

2:30 - The Event is over but the Live Stream seems to be a few minutes behind. Lots of loops that last several seconds. Maybe the servers aren't 100% ready.

2:33 - Well with that said. Thanks a lot Steve, Apple and anyone who took the time to read this. Look forward to some post-keynote Poor Mac thoughts.

Rumor Time: iPod Nano - Touch?

We're two days away from Apple's "Music" event (scheduled for Wednesday September 1st) and that can only mean: more rumors!

We've already glossed over an iPod Touch sporting a Retina Display and dual cameras (for Facetime without an iPhone), 99-cent movie/tv show rentals on iTunes, a more cloud-centric iTunes, and now all but confirmed, a new touchscreen iPod Nano.

Last week Engadget had reported the emergence of a new iPod Nano or iPod Shuffle that was only a 1.7-inch touchscreen. The case above from Alibaba.com suggests that this mysterious micro version of the Touch may be real.

PMB feels it could be a new touchscreen Shuffle as it's about due for a refresh and the tiny, no button interface of the current Shuffle was less than a hit. Also, trading the Nano's video camera (which at the $150 price range) that allows Apple to compete with the Flip camcorder for a 1.7-inch touchscreen would be a step backwards in our opinion.

Alibaba via Engadget

Why I Haven't Made The Jump to AT&T

Yup another satisfied customer.

Via The Consumerist

- Mobile Post via BlogPress

Smash-And-Grab San Diego

In the early morning hours, two hooded men smashed the front windows of the University Town Center mall's Apple Store and made off with several iPhones. This is yet another smash-and-grab burglary to hit an Apple Store in less than a month.

To the thieves and would-be thieves out there: Hey fucktards, would you take a brick to St. Patrick's Cathedral? Would you think it okay to smash a section of the Prayer Wall in Israel? How 'bout try to steal the meteor fragment from Mecca. No you wouldn't so please let's put an end to these smash-and-grabs. The pristine glass facade that adorns each Apple Store is a testament to restored sense of child-like wonder that awaits on the inside; just be sure to buy that sense of child-like wonder and don't do anything that would be illegal.

10news.com via EBone (twitter)

Rumor Time: Apple TV/ iTV 99-cent Rentals coming to iTunes Store

Image originally posted on www.slipperybrick.com

It's almost September, which can only mean one thing: Apple Event - Apple Rumors! It's always a fun time around an Apple Event, the rumor mill is churning double time and this year's "Music/iPod" keynote does not disappoint.

Already we've heard plenty of rumors regarding a new iPod Touch featuring a Retina Display and front facing camera, which of course means Facetime that doesn't require an iPhone. We're also hearing about a new 7-inch iPad, but I wouldn't hold my breath on this one.

The other seemingly yearly ritual is of a much needed update to the Apple TV line. First Engadget reported that the new Apple TV will not feature 1080i or 1080p playback but will offer apps similar to those found on the iPhone/iPod Touch. They also announced a rebranding of the device to iTV. It's been years since there's been any significant update to the Apple TV line, so we're hoping that this is true.

The biggest, understated, rumor of the year is the reported deal to bring 99 cent 48-hour rentals to the iTunes Store. This would be the biggest innovation to how we consume television (at least here in the US). According to Bloomberg, Apple is in advanced talks with several media outlets on getting this deal done in time for their September Keynote (Bloomberg is also saying it'll take place on Sept. 7th).

Just to get an idea of just what kind of impact this could have on cable companies; if you watched 3 shows Monday - Friday at 99 cents each you're monthly viewing would run just under $60 ($59.40 per month). UNDER $60! I wish my current cable bill was even $100 per month. Here's to hope.

Bloomberg via TUAW

UPDATE: Gizmodo.com reports that the Music Apple Keynote will be held September 1st in San Francisco. That was fast.

Mmmmm.... Stickers

Who doesn't love customizing their favorite gadgets? But sometimes we get a little carried away. Thankfully most of these Etsy decals are full of win instead of full of gaudy. Sure a purist will feel like we've somehow desecrated the temple of Ive, but how could you resist putting on a new face when they look like this.

Personally I think it's time my Macbook got a facelift a la Totoro.

Etsy via I New Idea

Rumor Time: iPod Touch Getting Retina Display and Dual Cameras

Well we're officially well into August, which can only mean one thing: iPod Rumor Time! John Gruber of Daring Fireball casually mentioned an iPod Touch with Retina Display and dual display.
Oh yeah, there's also something there about a Dell something or another.

via Daring Fireball

FBI Priorities: First Copyright Infringers THEN Missing Persons

I don't know about you but when I think of the F.B.I. I get images of Dangerous Minds in my head. Some of the country's top cops thinking outside the box, finding dangerous criminals, solving unsolved crimes, and finding missing persons. Apparently that may not be the case; TechDirt reports that the F.B.I.'s to-do list now ranks copyright infringement higher than identity theft and missing persons.

From TechDirt:

Specifically, the FBI has consciously decided to give such cases lower priority in the FBI's laboratory, which is used to look at DNA evidence.

So if ever you're looking for one of the 719,558 people reported missing in 2009, just tell the F.B.I. that they may have illegally downloaded The Hurt Locker and the latest Kanye West album. They may just find them that much quicker.

via TechDirt

Ono says, 'Oh No!'

Originally posted at SilverlingingOpticians

Growing up on of the first gadgets that I became enamored with was my father's stereo and record player. The records the wall unit's recessed shelf became my own treasure chest of classic rock, Motown, Stax Records, and The Beatles.

At this time in my life I was drawn to The Beatles' Yellow Submarine album (I'm sure it was the album artwork - tripping on acid and being 6 are eerily the same) and it instilled a deep love for music. Today, more than ever, I continue to be a Beatles fan as I dabble in music production/engineering - their recording techniques truly changed the way music was made and heard.

So no surprises I've been keeping up with the ongoing soap opera that is downloading The Beatles records legally via an online music store. Well if you've been waiting for the day (as I have), you can pretty much continue to wait. In what I can only describe as an effort to ensure no one will ever be able to make legal digital downloads of the Beatles catalog available to fans (new and old), Yoko Ono again cites an impasse (though never says what it is) in their dealings with Apple's iTunes Store.

Although, to be fair the deal would have to get approval from two living members and the two surviving widows of George Harrison and John Lennon, Ono (Lennon's widow) has been the most vocal of her resistance to making the catalog available for digital distribution. Hell to be honest I'm amazed that Beatles Rock Band ever made it for sale. Time and time again, Ono has alluded to John somehow being against the conversion from physical media to digital distribution (often being quoted as it being "what John would've wanted").

As a music lover, an iPod owner, and having spent too much on more than one "re-release" of the Beatles catalog, Yoko here me out for a second: If John were alive, he'd want a divorce and Olivia Munn.

via 9-5 Mac

Saudis Drop the Banhammer on RIM

Image via cameraphonesplaza.com

Hey there PoorMacs using a BlackBerry device (it's for work right? RIGHT?), planning on visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia anytime soon? Well don't be surprised when some of your BlackBerry's functionality doesn't work.

According to The Bangkok Post, at midday local time BlackBerry messages stopped functioning. The KSA recently announced it's plan to disable BlackBerry service earlier this week after the United Arab Emirates announced it's plans to shut down the service citing security concerns (read: They want unrestricted access to user's information). The UAE will reportedly shut down BlackBerry on October 11th.

Though RIM has vowed to fight both the KSA and UAE's decision to block the service, and getting the attention of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, neither of the Arab States seem to be backing down.

Via Bangkok Post

Review: Ostrich for Safari

Apple's recent update to Safari brought us a number of enhancements to their browser; among one of the most notable additions has been extensions. Folks using Firefox or Chrome are already familiar with extensions and how they add functionality to your browsing experience. Ostrich is a Twitter extension for Safari that allows a user to keep up with their Twitter account without logging in on a tab/window or using a separate app like Tweet Deck or Twitterific.

So how does it fair? Here's what makes it work for me; if I'm browsing the web I tend to want to focus on the task at hand (i.e. I should be finishing this post) instead of obsessively checking to see if there are any updates - jumping between tabs or apps. Sometimes firing up Tweet Deck is a bit over kill; I don't plan on staying on my computer long enough to justify starting an app solely for Twitter when I should be checking my e-mail. Ostrich gives me the flexibility and a discrete enough footprint to do what I have to and indulge on my Twitter habit.

When a new tweet comes through you get a visual notification on your toolbar. Simple. Non-intrusive.

Clicking on the Ostrich button will bring down a drop down "window" displaying your timeline, mentions, and favorites. No fancy animations or graphical frills here - just a utilitarian interface that puts the info you're looking for in front of you.

Ostrich isn't for everyone though, if you're looking for a hardcore twitter extension that includes access to your lists, trending topics, followers, statistics then you should really consider using HootSuite. Again, Ostrich's strengths lie in its simple approach - have your timeline available to you even when you're not technically logged into Twitter.

Another feature that I'd like to see in future versions of Ostrich would be hyperlink shortening. I mean an extension that allows you to browse freely should incorporate the ability to (over?)share with everyone that follows you on Twitter. ("Hey guys I feel for a sandwich. http://bit.ly/9Zz3N3")

Overall, it's a solid extension that's worth giving a try. Ostrich may not have it all but it's a damn good start.

UPDATE: Check the gallery for some more screen shots.

Ostrich for Safari 5

Holy Hot Dang Batman! IPhone 'Jailbreaking' No Longer 'Illegal'

This one comes in from the U.S. Copyright Office, a ruling was released today stating that "jailbreaking" your iPhone is not, as Steve Jobs had once put it, "illegal." The ruling clearly address the installation of "non authorized" software such as firmware, software, DVD content, and E-books!

I make that determination at the conclusion of a rulemaking proceeding conducted by the Register of Copyrights, who makes a recommendation to me. Based on that proceeding and the Register’s recommendation, I am to determine whether the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works is causing or is likely to cause adverse effects on the ability of users of any particular classes of copyrighted works to make noninfringing uses of those works. The classes of works that I designated in the previous proceeding expire at the end of the current proceeding unless proponents of a class prove their case once again.

Hooray for consumers' rights!

via U.S. Copyright Office

No No Apple is not Giving away free stuff

Well apparently someone mistook Samsung's generosity as Apple's and decided it would be a good idea to smash-and-grab $22K worth of merchandise from an Apple Store in Suburban Square, PA. The burglary occurred at 5:18AM, the thieves ran off with " 11 laptops and three iPods plus iPhones, including the iPhone 4"

These smash and grab burglaries have gotten the attention of multiple police departments; although there doesn't seem to be any link between the robberies, law enforcement officials have begun sharing information in hopes to create a multi-State dragnet of sorts.

via Cult of Mac

Shots Fired! This is heating up.

Hey all you PMBs out there, 9-to-5 Mac is reporting that Samsung is so confident in their Galaxy S that they will give any iPhone 4 customer one for free if they're willing to switch. That's more than just big talk, that's calling you out then trying to eat your lunch.

According to the data on 9-to5, each 16GB phone nets Sammy $50 while each 32 GB phone nets them $75; this ain't peanuts we're talking about. So act now kiddies, if you're willing to give up your iPhone, as Samsung's UK twitter indicates there's only a few left.

Samsungukmobile (twitter) via 9-to-5 Mac.

Samsung to Apple: "Helllllo"

Shots fired.

White iPhone Delayed - Again

Well, the unicorn of the mobile world proves to be as elusive as ever. Today Apple released a statement announcing the delay of the much coveted white iPhone 4. Yet again there seem to be issues with the manufacturing process. See the full release below:

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

After confirming yet another market defying quarter and weathering the antennagate scandal, this bit of news will not be welcomed over in Cupertino. His Steveness is not amused.

PRNewswire via Engadget

Apple to Recall iPhone4?

As if the Consumer Report's retraction of their recommendation of the iPhone 4 isn't enough, Cult of Mac spoke to some PR heavy weights and they all seem to be convinced the only option for Apple at this point is a full-on recall of the iPhone 4.

Many of the tech, business, news pundits have all chimed in calling this "Apple's Toyota Prius;" it's not. Not by a long shot.

First, let's put this into perspective - the Prius was allegedly suffering from an issue where the car would randomly accelerate due to a brake defect. This defect would've theoretically affected millions, resulting in injury or death. That's heavy.

The iPhone by contrast is just that - a luxury cellular phone with lots of bells, whistles, wrapped up nicely in PR magic. Things like Retina displays, Face Time, helicopter windshield grade glass, and of course the blood of unicorns powering this sucker. Great sounding stuff but at the end of the day it's a phone; unless it started blowing up in users hands a recall would be heavy-handed all around.

The truth is that a lot of people have had the problem with disappearing bars; a lot of people have only heard about the issue through blogs, magazines, or television news. Apple's biggest folly in all this is their reluctance to admit there may be an issue in the first place. I'd be amazed if Apple didn't 1. acknowledge the actual problem (instead of their previous responses) or 2. offer some kind of "fix" like offering a free Bumper.

Addressing the issue will allow them to focus on the bigger issue: making sure that all future iPhones sold will NOT have the "death grip" problem. I've read research that suggests in instances where a doctor lost a patient, the families of the decease were less likely to sue if a doctor were to admit fault; those who feel spited by Apple may well fall into this line of thinking. Points for Apple PR and brand image.

The Bumper is a silly rubber band that costs $30; but having the Bumper on your iPhone will improve reception because you're no longer directly touching the antenna (the steel bezel). Realistically this makes sense; the Bumper costs YOU $30, Apple makes these cheaper: f=Cost of manufacturing product < msrp =" Profit.">

The last possible option - one that won't be announced at this afternoon's keynote - is a silent recall. It's not a matter of secrecy but a matter of effectively handling customer issues. A recall will prompt all iPhone owners to seek a replacement phone whether or not they have a problem. Again, this isn't a problem that may cause bodily harm just a big ass annoyance.

Due to the large backlash from both mainstream media outlets and the blogosphere, Apple hastily scheduled a press conference/announcement for today (1PM EST); we here at PMB will keep up with all of today's news.

via Cult of Mac

World Cup Champs Get Their Own iPhone Case

The World Cup may be over but that shouldn't stop you from showing your love of the Beautiful Game. So suit up your iPhone with the colors of La Furia Roja.

Via GeekSugar

The ArkHippo: Saving your iPhone from it's own good looks.

Ever thought to yourself, "The iPhone is waaaaaay too skinny. Who even wants it in their pocket anyhow?" Well if you have boy is this the iPhone case for YOU!

According to Engadget, the ArkHippo will be made of a special "proprietary material "similar to Crocs shoes," So you can look spectacularly tacky with your orange Crocs and matching ArkHippo.

Sure it just looks like a silly foam box around an iPhone but at least the commercial has a cool song playing:

ArkWhat via Engadget

Humor: LeBron James Edition iPhone

I hope a celebrity version of the iPhone is a reality that we never see but I just found this funny as all hell.

via Twitter

Deal of the Day: Starbucks Now Has Free WiFi

Pretty much a done deal; just head into your local Starbucks, turn on your wifi enabled device, agree to the terms of service, and there you go. Free wifi.

Straight from the horse's mouth:

Starbucks will turn on free Wi-Fi with one click on July 1 at U.S. and Canadian company-operated stores as a part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing the customer experience.

So head out fire up the MacBook(Pro) or the iPod Touch and enjoy free WiFi with your latte.

via Starbucks

And Now... The Kin's Dead.

In less than 2 months after it's launch, various sites have reported that Microsoft's KIN devices are dead. And it's a damned shame. PMB will not be apologist here and say that Microsoft isn't partly to blame for their device not catching on with the masses but don't think for a second that we didn't see the potential here.

Just a refresher on the Kin: It's somewhere between being a smartphone and a feature phone. It was the next evolutionary step of the Sidekick. This made sense since this was the reason why Microsoft bought Danger a couple years back. The Kin was in the perfect position to be an alternative to the very expensive smartphones (primarily very expensive service plans) and far too dumb cheap feature phones. Microsoft had effectively launched a device that had a built in market ripe for the picking and somehow missed the boat.

We teased Microsoft for their confusing marketing strategy right here on PMB; but badvertising alone does not a flop make. No. Microsoft saw big bucks where there weren't any to be seen. Their partnership with Verizon all but guaranteed that the Kin would be a failure.

Again, the main draw of an in-between device like the Kin was price. The handset had to be free or close to it: +1 for Microsoft. The service plan would have to be tailor made for tweens/teens/hipsters (see mom/dad won't spend $80 per month for the kids' phone) and 20-somethings on a tight budget without restricting what they were looking for: access to Facebook, Twitter, and the internet. Verizon may be great in terms of coverage and coverage area but never have they been lauded for great prices.

Microsoft could've easily walked away with a considerable piece of Android's pie (Don't believe me go to your local T-Mobile store and see what's the new Sidekick - MyTouch 3G/Slide). Microsoft could've changed the smartphone scene; switching the focus from hardware to service. But for want of an exclusive carrier, they walk away heads down in defeat.

All may not be lost, both Gizmodo and Engadget have reported that (at least for now) the Kin group will be integrated into the Windows Phone 7 team. Maybe the Spot will make it to Windows Phone 7?

Reminders: Apple iOS4 Goes Live

Hey Poor Macs, a friendly reminder for those of you with an iPhone 3GS/3G, Apple's iOS4 goes live in a few minutes. Run to iTunes at 1PM EST for the update.

Hat tip: Kaiser_Machead via Twitter

UPDATE:
The update is free for both iPhone users AND iPod Touch users. (iOS4 update will only work with 2nd gen iPod Touch or later.)

Mac Mini. Redesigned in a Very Big Way.

It's a unibody Mac Mini. A 7.7" aluminum square that is 1.4" tall. This thing looks amazing. There are two versions as before - the "regular" one with optical drive and the server with dual 500 GB hard drives instead of the hard drive/optical drive set up. Also, this baby packs 4 USB ports, a Firewire 800 port, Mini-Display Port and HDMI for the home theater PC crowd. With the same base price as the previous Mini, $699 for the regular and $999 for the server, this looks like a good buy for all the Poor Macs out there.

Correction: Base price for the previous Mini was $599, originally this post alluded to it being $699 like the current offering. Hence the strikethrough. However the server has the same base price for what it's worth.

Twitter for iPhone: the official app

When Twitter acquired atebits and announced their intent to release an official Twitter client I must admit I felt that will be end of a good thing. The idea of an official app that was geared to their search algorythm was just plain scary to me (after all the last thing I wanna see when I openup the Twitter client is how high Justin Bieber is trending).

In actuality Twitter for iPhone is a solid app. Without a doubt it is the fastest Twitter client for iPhone and although Tweetie 2 users may not be thrilled with the limited background themes you'll deal.

iPhone 4 Pre-orders begin tomorrow

It feels like just yesterday that we were all focused on the Moscone Center for the unveiling of the latest iPhone, and starting tomorrow you can pre-order one.

You can pre-order via Apple online, your local Apple Store, AT&T corporate retailers, Best Buy, Radioshack, and even Wal-mart. How's that for covering your bases?

Now there some different things to expect for each retailer and PMB will be updating a little later tonight.

Life Moves Fast - Better late than never.

I realize that I may be late here but I saw this after tonight's NBA Finals Game 3. It's Palm's, yeah you know the guys that had a really great smart phone that nobody cared about because it wasn't an iPhone, latest ad campaign titled "Life Moves Fast."

The 30-second spot is for the Palm Pixie and it features a woman going about her day (listening to Mos Def I might add) and using the phone to track down shoes. She's checking email, directions, listening to music all at the same time. In fact, if I weren't into these sorts of things, I'd actually have a pretty damn good idea as what this phone does! It might even make me want to find a store that sells it and you know buy it.

Full commercial below:

Some brief thoughts on Safari 5

I’d like to start off by saying that currently I am waging an inner struggle to determine what my “main” browser will be. Prior to today the battle was between Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. My biggest issue with Chrome has been that there is no bookmarks menu as there is in Safari or Firefox (or Opera, or Camino, or Flock et al). Rather it just throws your bookmarks into folders visible on your browser window. I don’t like having all my bookmarks visible, that’s what the bookmarks menu is for - to have a bunch of bookmarks that you don’t use that often but are still worth keeping. My biggest issue with Firefox is the lack of support for the HTML5 friendly version of Youtube. Oh and another pet peeve is that on my iGoogle page, which is my Home page, the Google chat sidebar never looks right. The fonts are either strangely extruded or cutoff and the search bar looks crooked. So I am not sure which pet peeve is worse and the battle rages on between browsers... when... all of a sudden... HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER!

Safari 5. Safari has always had a special place in my heart. It was never a bad browser but I felt it lacked many of the cool extensions that are available for Firefox (and Mozilla based browsers like Flock) and Chrome. It has always been quick and since Safari 4 has had some quite beautiful eye candy, and little things like web clip that proved useful every now and then. And it is the browser that best suites OS X visually and integrates nicely with other standard Mac software like Mail and iPhoto. I think Safari 5 is a great addition to the dilemma of choosing your “main” browser. It has opened itself up to having extensions developed for it. Granted, prior to 5 you could have plug-ins like the ever popular 1Password and Safari AdBlock, which I never used for some reason. Now Safari 5 looks like it is set to have extensions more like Chrome and Firefox, built around scripting languages like JavaScript and CSS as is the case with Chrome extensions. That was my only major issue in fully accepting Safari as my main browser. Now it would hopefully be possible to have something like AdBlock Plus on Safari, and the various Youtube video-downloading extensions.

That is the not-to-distant future, but the one stand-out feature you can use right now is both remarkably simple and remarkably awesome. That feature is Reader. Essentially it is Quick Look for reading articles on the web. It looks like a Quick Look preview within Safari and has the benefit of showing you just the pieces of the webpage that pertain to the article you’re reading like the text and associated images. You basically get rid of any unimportant or distracting information on the page. Great for those of us with limited attention spans. This is great if you’re reading the NYTimes with all its superfluous webpage stuff, or a blog like Gizmodo where you don’t necessarily want to block their ads (those dudes deserve to get paid) but would like to focus more on the content. All you have to do to activate this awesome feature is click the “Reader” button that appears on the address bar on compatible webpages. Reader alone is worth using Safari 5 extensively. Trust me. It. Is. Cool. Look!
Good news, bad news time. Good news. If you’re running OS X 10.5 and up you can get Safari 5 via Software Update. Bad news. If you’re one of the many Poor Macs running 10.4 you’re left out in the cold. There is a Safari 4.1 update that has some of the characteristics of 5, such as the return of the blue inline progress bar in the address bar and um, more HTML5 friendliness. Really it’s not bad, you’ll live. Just not that awesomely.

P.J. O’Rourke once said that we should “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it”. Safari 5 and Reader will make sure that if you die reading a webpage at the very least you will look good doing it.

More info on Safari 5: Apple

Cosmic 140 - If you're not in this constellation map, you're just not worth 140 characters

I love infographics. I just do. Maybe because I'm an information sponge, maybe because I have too much time on my hands; but whatever the case is the Cosmic 140 by InformationArchitects (or iA) is nothing short of amazing. IA compiled the 140 most influential people on Twitter and charted their position in the twitterverse. It's really nothing short of breath-taking.

Via Gizmodo

Freeware of the Moment: XLD

I recently stumbled upon some old hard to find albums in FLAC format (open-source, Creative Commons types of things I can assure you). Roughly 3.75 gigs worth of music. The beautiful thing about it was that it was all properly tagged and had album art. A beautiful find indeed.

The problem came when I wanted to add these albums to iTunes so I could then add them to my iPod. This of course meant that I would have to not only convert the files to a format playable by iTunes (AAC or MP3 or WAV, Apple Lossless or AIFF if I want to be fancy) but also add tags and album art all over again when using my usual method of choice.

Prior to this, I had been using the shareware version of Switch, a pretty good program even in its shareware version. I was hitting a snag however: Switch would keep crashing on some of the files. Plus I still had all these files that I would have to tag all over again. Thus the Google search began. My criteria, as a Poor Mac, was that the software I needed should be free, possibly open-source, and that it should look good and just work.

A quick Google search turned up XLD - X Lossless Decoder. It is free (donations encouraged, and I will donate when I am not-so-Poor), you can take a look through the source code if you're into that sort of thing, and it works really really well. I took 17 tracks (about half a gig worth) and outputted all to 320 kbps AAC in under 2 minutes. A LOT faster than my previous method. Oh and it kept all tags and album art. There isn't much to the UI. If you're using it, it's there, if not it isn't (which you could either love or hate but works well in this context). You only see the necessary progress bars for the files as they are being converted and when it's all done the windows disappear. There are lots of preferences and output formats (MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, Apple Lossless to name a few). You can rip CDs, export wavs and flacs with .cue files to CD, batch change, edit metadata, output to several formats and add to iTunes.

XLD is awesome. It's fast. It has features I haven't played with yet, but so far, everything has been working flawlessly. The only caveat I have encountered is that there is no support for Windows Media Audio, which I am sure there is some Mac user out there that will be thoroughly pissed. Not this one though, I can easily over-look this short-coming. Did I mention XLD is free? Oh and it works with Mac OS 10.3 and up. So for all you Poor Macs out there, you can run this on your G3. Huzzah!

A parting thought: John Cage when quoting Sri Ramakrishna said "...music is a means of rapid transportation to life everlasting". XLD is a means of rapid conversion and decoding for your music, so make of that what you wish.

Get it here: XLD