Artist Ben Fino-Radin clicked the needles together for this faithful repro in yarn of a 1980s Macintosh 128k computer.
You can catch his “fibrous reinterpretation” of this and a few others at the Current Gallery, in Baltimore or see more Mac-inspired work at his site.
Via Make
John McCain and Barack Obama gave a list of their top 10 tracks for Blender this summer:
BARACK OBAMA
1. Ready or Not Fugees
2. What’s Going On Marvin Gaye
3. I’m On Fire Bruce Springsteen
4. Gimme Shelter Rolling Stones
5. Sinnerman Nina Simone
6. Touch the Sky Kanye West
7. You’d Be So Easy to Love Frank Sinatra
8. Think Aretha Franklin
9. City of Blinding Lights U2
10. Yes We Can will.i.am
JOHN McCAIN
1. Dancing Queen ABBA
2. Blue Bayou Roy Orbison
3. Take a Chance On Me ABBA
4. If We Make It Through December Merle Haggard
5. As Time Goes By Dooley Wilson
6. Good Vibrations The Beach Boys
7. What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
8. I’ve Got You Under My Skin Frank Sinatra
9. Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes The Platters
As the campaign winds down, journalists scrambling for something to say have analyzed these iPod ready playlists again.
Would either of these rock your vote, one way or the other?
Custom made or off the rack, these cashmere cases from Italian company iKashmir, or IK for short, dress your Apple gear in style. We’re especially fond of the black kimono models, but more classic button-down men’s and women’s sweater styles are also in the mix.
Available for your iPod, iPhone and laptop in range of colors and in wool felt, right now you’ll have to visit the Milan showroom to get them.
Recycling in my building is vetted by an angry old man who knows exactly what to do with Tetra Pak, then loudly berates anyone who doesn’t get it right.
For those of you who don’t have such a helpful neighbor there’s Recycler. Siavash Ghamaty developed a free iPhone app that helps you keep track of what plastic recyclables are allowed in your local pickup.
San Diego-based Ghamaty says he developed it “to remind myself of what items I can throw into my recycling and which just don’t go.”
It looks pretty no-frills, but it could save some headaches.
“High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens is almost never without an iPhone. She hides behind it and prefers to consult it rather than notice that she’s with beau-star Zac Efron in Paris.
Still, even she has to put it down every once in awhile. Here Hudgens catches a limo toting a Mac laptop, dangerously sans case.
Via Bauer Griffin
You may wonder how people at rock concerts wave lighters in the air now that only pariahs smoke and carry Bics.
Enter “American Idol” winner David Cook, whose new single Light On can be downloaded from iTunes for $1.99. It comes with a “lighter” app that illuminates the screen of an iPhone or iPod Touch.
“There’s a little semblance of rock mythos to it,” says the 25-year-old carefully scruffy Cook. “You get a lighter during a rock ballad and nobody burns their thumbs.”
Eco-friendly, yeah. Non-inflammatory. Sure. Cool, not really. You could turn the screen of your iPod or iPhone on and wave it around without an app. But it does open the way for music-related apps. Disturbia anyone?
Via USA Today
The grown-up version of Juicy Couture’s jelly iPhone cases, this black or dusky pink leather case with a clear plastic cover brings the bling with a gold chain and charms.
$75 At Nordstrom
The most memorable product placement on US network TV in the last month was for the iPod, which appeared in the Sept. 18 episode of “Supernatural.”
Quick recap: in the show, brothers Sam and Dean Winchester travel the country investigating paranormal escapades in a 1967 black Chevy Impala.
In the product placement scene, Dean asks Sam about the Apple iPod hooked up to a jack in their car.
Dean is not impressed with the iPod (“you were supposed to take care of her (the car), not douche her up”) and chucks it into the back seat.
Nielson says it was the most recalled product placement in a broadcast network scripted series for the period between September 15 and October 12.
They gauge the number of views who can remember a product placement 24 hours after seeing the show.
The other top two memorable product placements were Tupperware (Cold Case) and Playboy (Two and a Half Men). There’s a joke in there somewhere, don’t disappoint me.
Via TV by Numbers
No frills for this Sportsuit convertible iPhone and iTouch case, but the three-in-oner goes from an armband case to a clip-on case or a slim-profile sleeve.
A belt clip lets you take the iPod or iPhone with you in the car, on a bike and to the gym; we do not know if the handiness of the case makes you work out harder resulting in these biceps.
In black or blue, $34.99. From Marware.
Supermodel and celebrity Mac spokesperson Gisele tools around Paris with an iPod for company. She stays in touch with her current flame, Tom Brady, however, via Blackberry.
What, no iPhone?
Via Popsugar
Given the title, there had to be some Apple action in this teen flick revolving around mix-CDs, break-up mix-ups and all-night quest in Manhattan for a band called Where’s Fluffy?
Norah (Kat Dennings) discovers something in common with Nick (Michael Cera) by scrolling through his iPod.
She declares: “You’re, literally, like, my musical soulmate.”
The line has sparked off a debate about whether personality is really defined by playlist.
The trouble with iBone, a plush squeaky toy for dogs modeled on the iPhone, just slightly larger than the real thing, is that it’s unlikely to discourage Fido from playing around with your iPhone, should it get within paw reach.
Via Nerd Approved
Though it does appear a good time to ask if diamond earbuds, gold-enhanced cords and this Swarovski-covered MacBook (the custom decoration costs £700, about $1, 207) are recession proof, the ideas keep blinging on.
Let them listen to Hard Luck playlists, we can enjoy the shiny shiny, while it lasts.
Via the Independent
Cool alt-designs for your iPhone or iPod touch wallpaper, for free, thanks to designers, artists, illustrators and “dopey street bums” over at Poolga.
There are over 50 designers on the roster, designs range from retro family collages to Sex Drugs Rock Roll, written in Spaghetti-os, on toast.
Via Swiss Miss
If you live where the weather behooves you to go out without gloves or freeze your pinkies off, you’ve probably been caught fumbling for speed dial with warm woolies on.
These black leather or stretch gloves with flick-back fingers called Freehands let you “stay warm and keep in touch.” The fingertips stay back with magnets, a handy feature.
Why are they for the iPhone, specifically?
Well, because the guy who designed them, Josh Rubin, father of CoolHunting, said they are.
Rubin also went to the trouble to photograph the gloves with an iPhone, which is more than Fox could do launching its iPhone-optimized service, so we’ll take his word.
$40 for the leather version, $20 for fleece. Bike messenger-techno-geek chic.
Via Bunch of Nerds
You can’t live without your iPhone, now you can live inside an iPhone.
That’s the idea behind The Pad in Dubai. Its designers are billing it as the “most technologically advanced building in the planet.”
One thing’s for sure: the 231 “smart apartments” on the 24-story building are meant to look like an iPhone.
Back in 2006, architects wanted it to look like an iPod. In keeping with the times, they’ve upgraded the theme to iPhone. The basic shape is still pretty much the same.
Not surprisingly, all the nifty doodads are called iFeatures.
Although the site’s a little fuzzy on the details (maybe they should call the iPhone hotel folks?) amenities include iArt, which lets homeowners to download artworks and update their collection.
An “iReality” feature projects the real-time skyline view of any city in the world on to the walls of your flat. So you can live in Dubai but be California Dreamin’.
There’s a health monitor to keep track of your weight in the bathroom and you can clickwheel your pad, moving rooms around to catch a better view.
The Pad should be ready by the end of 2009.
No excuse for boring water-cooler conversations: now you can follow must-see TV like “Night Club Confessions” and “Reality Binge” on your iPhone.
“Given the ease of use of the iPhone…we believe that the experience of the user will be exceptional,” said Ed Skolarus, Vice President, Business and Operations, Fox Reality Channel. “Reality fans everywhere will receive real-time updated information along with new and exciting reality content on a daily basis making the service a must have.”
Those in the know say there’s a dearth of loboto-tainment for iPhones, and hey, the “Search for the New Elvira” is one way to fill it.
One sign that iPhone entertainment could use a killer app: the non-iPhone illustrating the iPhone press release from tech partner Transpera.
Designers really like the idea of plopping the ultra-thin MacBook Air into cases that look like envelopes.
Here’s Grantwood Technology’s rough and tumble version, made to mimic a manila envelope.
The MacVelope, in vinyl, with nylon lining and Velcro closure, has a cute red string tie, furthering the theme.
At $24.99, it’s a nice way to tell the world you’ve got mail.
The LA Times, nothing if not the newspaper of hard knocks, offers this feature of best tunes for the economic blues, assuming you haven’t “pawned your iPod weeks ago.”
Picks include:
The Clash, “Career Opportunities”
Crystal Waters, “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”
Bob Marley “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”
Still working out whether this is supposed to be funny. And wondering why “Working in a Coal Mine” (Devo’s version especially) and “Hard Candy Christmas” didn’t make the cut.
Buddy, can you spare a Shuffle?
Threadless, online purveyor of uber-cool community-designed tees, now has an iPhone app for on-the-go purchases.
Much like the Tag Show queries on Flickr or Picasa, the app connects to the Threadless database of new shirts and loads designs on your iPhone for quick perusal.
Fringe benefit: the T-shirt designs also make cool wallpaper.
The free app was designed by Ian Marsh.
Via App Craver
Better late than never: Oxford and Cambridge have joined scores of prestigious universities around the world making lectures available for free on iTunes.
So far, iTunes U offerings from Oxford include J. Craig Venter on genomics and and intro series about the university narrated by noteworthy alum, ex-Monty Pythoner Michael Palin. It will expand to 150 hours.
Rivals Cambridge allow users to download over 80 Naked Scientists “enhanced podcasts” (not sure we want to think about what the enhancing involves) by Dr. Chris Smith.
Oxford Vice Chancellor John Hood said, “We hope that this service will make Oxford’s diverse range of audio and video material more widely accessible to applicants, alumni, supporters of the University, and the intellectually curious.”
Wow. Blown away to discover that Tommy Hilfiger, the man whose clean-cut, simple designs spell yesteryear americana rocks out on his iPod.
Here are two of three selections on his hot button:
“The Rolling Stones: Sympathy for the Devil I like the lyrics, I like the drums, I like the guitar my favorite band ever.
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced? It reminds me of the Fillmore East, in New York, but I also loved Hendrix’s style. I thought the way that he created this vintage rock’n’roll look was very cool.
The trouble with these features, meant to replace the “top ten desert island album” party question, with the amount of storage even on a Shuffle, how can he give such a miserable selection?
I mean, does he really have only three songs, three playlists on his iPod? C’mon.
Via The Sunday Times
A California Inn is dubbing itself the world’s first “iPhone hotel.” When guests check into the Malibu Beach Inn, they’re asked if they have an iPhone or iPod Touch. If guests have got the gear, hotel staff loads an app called “Hotel Evolution” from Hollywood software firm Runtriz, to the device. If they don’t, they’re given a 16gb iPod Touch (with the application pre-loaded) to use during their stay.
Guests punch in room number plus security code for access to hotel services: order room service, set a wake up call, request dry cleaning, extra blankets or replace forgotten toothbrushes, check your messages or set your room to “Do Not Disturb.” Shopping, eating and cavorting info for the area is on tap, too. Cost to the hotel is about $10 per room, no word on whether the cost is passed on to guests.
Feeling a bit like an over-Botoxed actress on this one, I’d like to get excited, you know, move some facial muscles, but just can’t.
First, because the usual hotel Flintstone phone service, paper “do not disturb” sign and flesh-and-bones concierge do just fine most of the time. And the fact that most people travel with electronic gear — cell phone, mp3 player, pda, computer, watch — means that stuff like the wake-up call function isn’t all that necessary. The idea of a loaner iPod Touch is cool but you just know it’d be left in a cab, stolen, get stepped on or something. Then what?
It’ll be more interesting if it were to catch on and be widely available abroad, where lost-in-translation mishaps are the order of the day or for foreigners in the U.S. in a bunch of other languages to avoid that problem of not understanding what was just mumbled at you from across the counter.
So, what do you think, is the iPhone Hotel future perfect or conditional?
Via Washington Post
There were some good cameos in Adam Sandler’s guffaw-fest “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan,” like Charlotte Rae, (Mrs. Garrett in “Facts of Life”) as a superannuated, sexed-up hair salon client, but Mariah came through with a spot-on Mac endorsement.
Mariah plays herself in the movie. While she’s in her dressing room, Zohan comes in to fight nemesis Phantom there. The fight is interrupted when Zohan gets a phone call. The dialogue detours into product placement territory, starting with the make of his phone, then this gem, about two-thirds through the scene…
Mariah: “I can never figure that Bluetooth shit out though.”
Zohan: “Mariah, it’s very simple you stick it to your PowerBook. Go ahead, Phantom will tell you.”
Phantom: “Mac or PC?”
Mariah’s assistants, in unison: “Mac.”
Spotted a Mac in a movie or magazine? Let me know.
Swiss designers Big Game have just launched a collection of pimped everyday objects called “New Rich” by replacing one plastic part on each with real gold.
In it are Apple earbuds with a gold “bolo tie” look, lending a hint of bling to your iPod. Subtle, yes. Practical, no. Cool, definitely.
The idea behind it?
“We’ve picked standard, universal products, and replaced a part of each object by an equivalent in gold”¦We love the shrewd blend between the down-to-earth functionalism of mass-products and the ultimate precious material: gold.”
Prices to come…
via Josh Spear
