Nicole Martinelli - page 13

A few short months ago, we wondered whether the wee ones should be learning their ABCs with iPads.

The answer appears to be yes: Fall 2011 brings a bumper crop of U.S. preschools launching iPad programs. From Maine to Tennessee, kids are saying teary goodbyes to their parents and being greeted in schoolrooms with sympathetic teachers (we hope) and Apple’s magical device.

Since we can no longer carp about people smoking, it would seem we have to find some bone to pick with fellow diners in restaurants.

Case in point: a server in a busy San Francisco restaurant (where else?) wonders if it is a breach of etiquette 2.0 to bring your own mobile entertainment to the table.

Parliamentarians in Western Australia demanded a trial of Apple’s tablet computer, waging the kind of epic battle between users and the IT department that happens in companies around the globe.

The lawmakers it so badly 15 of them threatened “industrial action” if iPads were not allowed on the list of devices for their laptop allowance after being told by the ICT gurus that the device did not yet meet existing IT infrastructure or security standards.

If you’re in the vicinity of the Tice’s Corner Apple retail store in New Jersey on Saturday, check out this iPad Art event and class.

An Apple-related tidbit from the Carol Bartz-Yahoo saga that perhaps confirms the iPad’s dominance with corner office types. Her 42-word message about getting fired as CEO (over the phone, ouch) this afternoon ends with the “Sent from my iPad” signature.

Water cooler alert: a new poll names Steve Jobs as the coolest man in tech, helping propel his fellow U.S. citizens to the position of coolest people on the planet.

Social networking site Badoo.com asked 30,000 people in 15 countries to name the coolest nationality. Big win for the red white and blue: America won the top spot.

Social networking, schnetworking, right? Yeah, I know. I am so overshared I feel like a sexted pic at an 8th grade dance sometimes.

But I could still use good ideas about what apps or games are worth my time. Enter Kinetik: a free app whose goal is to help you share the apps you love for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad and get suggestions from others about what is keeping them distracted during commute time or entertained during meetings.

This caught my attention over coffee and the Sunday paper (I know! Weekend luddite, is what an affectionate — I think — friend calls me) a book entirely devoted to fonts called “Just My Type” by Simon Garfield.

Your mom or tween daughter might not recognize them, but Tim Cook and Jonathan Ive are both more influential than Lady Gaga, according to Vanity Fair.

The iconic Conde Nast mag just released its 2011 New Establishment list, and this year it is dominated by people who can still probably go to the mall without being asked for autographs.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xfXIPJBUY8

It looks as if just about every expat in Asia with a black turtleneck and some specs is working as a Steve Jobs impersonator.

Following the resignation of  Steve Jobs last week, a host of handy folks got busy making stuff to ride the wave of his popularity. Here is some SJ-related merchandise you could spend your money on, but probably shouldn’t.

After the Fukushima disaster, bogus radiation testing apps abounded – now Scosche has launched what it’s calling a true pocket radiation tester for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

The portable radiation sniffer called  RDTX-PRO, priced at $350, might cost more than your device, but it looks like it’s a hit. Launched yesterday, at this writing it’s already out of stock on the company website.

Apple stores are expected to reopen today, August 29, after being shuttered complete with designer sandbags over the weekend, but Apple’s website advises people to call ahead for opening hours.

“We will reopen Monday, August 29. Please call the store for details regarding opening time.”

First person to send us pics from the re-opened Apple stores wins something!

The fake advice book on the bestseller list in Taiwan may be — wait for it — the clone of an earlier fake book first released in China.

Called “Steve Paul Jobs’s Eleven Pieces of Advice for Young People Today,” and written by a certain John Cage, as we noted it’s a best seller in Taiwan.

George Pelecanos is a novelist dubbed by Stephen King as “perhaps the greatest living American crime writer.”

Pelecanos has a new book out called “The Cut,” the first in a series. To get the sufficiently creepy ambiance just right, the writer rode around Washington, D.C. on a bike using his iPhone shooting video and taking pics in back alleys.

Even bracing for a natural disaster, Apple knows how to brand.

Here are some pics of the shuttered Apple stores in the New York area, closed in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, complete with sandbags in the company’s signature metallic gray with white sheets over the windows instead of tape strips.

The San Francisco Chronicle has a Sunday feature with some A-list former Apple employees turned entrepreneurs about what they took from the Cupertino company and working with Steve Jobs to their new endeavors.

Hurricane Irene is shutting down Apple stores in New York, in contrast to the 24/7, 365-day a year store hours listed on the site Apple has issued a warning that the stores will be closed.  The Fifth Avenue, Upper West Side, West 14th, Soho stores are all bracing for the storm and will be open again on Monday.

The official message: “Due to weather conditions, we will be closed beginning Saturday, August 27. We look forward to reopening Monday.”

The desperate may want to consider a trek to the Garden State, as of this the writing the Parmus, New Jersey store is still scheduled to be open over the weekend.

We’ll keep you posted.

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Forget draping yourself in the flag: in hopes of gaining votes, a politician in Taiwan dressed up like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Apple has posted Steve Jobs’ resignation letter (and no, apparently there’s not an app for that). Like you’d expect, it’s short and sweet. Full text below.

Steve Jobs and Apple may not have an official presence on Twitter but within minutes of his resignation as CEO, the Cupertino company is a trending topic.

Four out of the five trending topics were Apple-related at this writing: CEO of Apple, Tim Cook and STEVE JOBS RESIGNS (caps not ours).

While it’s not surprising that a shift at the helm of the one of the world’s most powerful companies trends on the microblogging service, it’s still surprising to see how fast it happened.

We’re going to skip over all the iQuit jokes; a few of our favorites so far:

“Steve Jobs sets all-time high-score on second attempt, retires undefeated.” Matthew Vosburgh

“Steve Jobs’ resignation as CEO of Apple should be no surprise to anyone. It’s been listed on page 46 of iTunes terms & conditions for weeks.” Bill Walton

“Steve Jobs has done more to change our world, the flow of information, technology, the economy and perception of what is possible…” Mark Davidson

One of Apple’s education profile stories has caught some heat for highlighting how Mac products are teaching a new generation of journalists the trade.

Some question whether those would-be Woodward and Bernsteins at the Missouri School of Journalism should be pledging allegiance to Apple, one of the world’s most powerful companies.

An new police app takes the game of cops and robbers to a different level: concerned citizens – plus hooligans, miscreants and various and sundry – in Surrey, U.K. can now see where the police are.