Cult of Mac

Rumors have been circulating for the last week or so about changes to Apple’s online and retail stores. Now a new one has cropped up about the Apple Store iOS app.

Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) have existed for quite some time on desktop machines. Logic Pro, Digital Performer and Pro Tools are just a few DAWs that are used in the daily workflow of audio professionals.

But now, thanks to the iPad, the digital audio workstation has officially become mobile. Say hello to creating pro-level music with the iPad.

Apple’s order status web page is down this week-end for maintenance. If you attempt to check the status of an existing order you’ll see the above message displayed for all online stores across the globe.

Intel’s family of Sandy Bridge processors is about to get a whole lot bigger as the chip manufacturing company ramps up production of new ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors that would be a perfect fit for my favorite portable computer — the MacBook Air.

The folks at All Things Digital have obtained a statement from Apple in regards to the explosion that occurred at Foxconn’s facilities in Chengdu China where the iPad 2 is manufactured.

Are you annoyed by the lack of a timer feature for the Camera in iOS? How about for the lack of a rapid shooting feature? Fortunately for jailbroken iDevices, PictureMe lets you do just that. It’s available for $1.99 in Cydia (a price of $0.99 would’ve been better), and integrates right into the stock Camera application.

After an unexplained absence, Apple products have officially returned to NBC’s The Office, which wrapped up its seventh season last night.

Apple gear was prominently seen and mentioned during the show’s earlier seasons. In 2005, for example, former boss Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) gifted a then-cutting-edge 5th generation iPod Classic (“video iPod”).

But as of late, HP replaced Apple for “promotional consideration”, as evidenced by the closing credits. Apple products continued to appear on occasion, but only discretely, the logo always obscured.

When the brimstone rains down and hell freezes over (or whatever the heck is supposed to happen) on Judgement Day, making sure my iPhone stays safe in Griffin’s damn near impervious-to-everything, military-spec Survivor case ($50) means I’ll be able to tweet the whole thing. Assuming there’s still Internet and power and stuff.

Hate patent trolls who try to extort money from small indie devs on the iOS Store? Wish Apple would clobber them? The Electronic Frontier Foundation does too, and they’re loudly and publicly hoping that Apple smashes Lodsys into a fine, gelatin paste.

Cupertino now has three out of the four big music labels signed, but even so, could Apple’s iCloud music locker and streaming service be delayed even later than its rumored WWDC launch? The music business is a tricky one, and although Apple’s got most of the labels signed, the negotiations with publishers are still in their early stages.

We close out another week of deals with a mix of hardware, discounts and accessories. First up is a 67 percent discount on select Apple items from MacMall. Some of the “best bets” include a deal on a Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon Workstation for $3,239.94. Next is a group of Mac mini desktop machines from the Apple Store. The items start at $599 for a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo computer. Finally, for all the iPad 2 owners, there is a deal on a Faux Leather Case for just $14.99.

Along the way, we’ll also take a peek at some iPhone cases, as well as more iPad 2 accessories and software for your Mac. As usual, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

You can now touch the Holy Land with your iPad and send prayers there with a new app called Terra Sancta. It’s the latest offering from the most wired priest in the world, Father Paolo Padrini.

Forget Kitten vs. Powerbook. Now it’s Kitten vs. iPad, thanks to a new collection of iPad games ames by Friskies.

In a recent motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Apple to stop Amazon from using its “App Store” trademark, Amazon argued that the term “App Store” was as generic as “book store” or “music store”…. and quoted several remarks by Steve Jobs referring to his competitors’ offerings as “app stores” as proof.

Now Apple’s filed a rebuttal: NUH UH! App Store isn’t generic at all.

Like two sharks fighting over the carcass of a dying whale, Apple and Android want a piece of Nokia’s huge (but shrinking) market share. To do so, some suggest the tech giant needs to unveil an inexpensive handset…. the iPhone Nano.

(Update: By the request of Apple’s legal department citing trade secrets, we’ve been asked to pull the images from this post.)

Screenshots of Apple’s new RetailMe application for internal iPads have surfaced today. Full of attractive new features, the software is expected to be the tool every Apple retail employee uses when ‘Apple Store 2.0’ goes live on Sunday.

If you’re trying to time when to buy a new iPhone, September is increasingly seen as your best bet.

Got an old iPhone laying around collecting dust? You can now trade it in for a discount on anything Amazon.com sells, including a new iPhone or iPad.

A few hours ago, an explosion rocked Foxconn’s Chengdu manufacturing facility, which is one of the main producers of iPad 2s within China…. and it’s looking increasingly likely that the explosion might have occurred on the iPad 2 production line.

Do you need antivirus or antimalware software on your Mac? Although Apple’s sales staff are quick to hype up the relative security of a Mac compared to a Windows PC, internally, they aren’t so confident. According to an Apple Store Genius speaking to Ars Technica, “Mac Defender has changed everything.”

Weather HD is already one of the most successful weather applications for iOS devices – featuring in our roundup of the best weather applications in the App Store. Now Vimov have brought their creation to the Mac App Store to change the way in which you view the weather forecast on your Mac.

Intel was quick to clarify reports yesterday that Apple had secretly filed for the Thunderbolt trademark in Jamaica a year before the chipmaker unveiled their next-gen technology, and in doing so, have put some fears to ease: Thunderbolt is not another FireWire.

For some time, production problems have made ordering the ultra-popular iPad 2 seem like a slow boat to China. Despite heavy demand for the tablet, Apple’s foreign partners have been the weak link. Friday comes word that the situation has ‘significantly improved.’

For the first time ever since the dawn of mankind, Microsoft has done something worth recognizing. Let us forget for a moment about Windows and all its other mistakes, and focus on its new back to school promotion that makes Apple’s look a little bit silly.

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