Cult of Mac

The BrudaCase for iPad 2 is a sleek, elegant case made out of wood to protect your iPad while still maintaining a classic look that is truly worthy of holding your favorite tech treasure. With its nod to the past, while still looking to the future, the BrudaCase is one of the most beautifully manufactured iPad cases I’ve come across. Handcrafted in the heart of Amish Country Pennsylvania, the case doesn’t set out to be just another piece of beauty, as it also brings a lot of thoughtful functionality with it.

The case is made from slabs of cherry or maple wood that have been precision trimmed, sanded, and finished by an Amish cabinet-maker. The two pieces are held together by two discrete hinges inside the case. Padding lines the interior cavity to protect your iPad 2 from scratching, while four magnets secure the two sides together to prevent the case from opening accidentally. One of the neat things about the BrudaCase is how they addressed the need for different viewing angles. Two different notches inside the case allow the user to adjust the viewing angle of the iPad based on preference or the need to do some typing. The typing angle didn’t feel that comfortable though as the angle of inclination was a bit greater than that of a SmartCover, and to achieve the typing angle the iPad is recessed a bit too far back in the case for my liking.

Shortly after announcing big changes to its web application, Twitter has pushed out an update to its free application for the Mac. Version 2.1 boasts an improved user interface and new features that make the application a whole lot nicer.

A handful of components said to come from the guts of the next iPhone have hit the web. Or they might just be a piece of junk taken from some tinker’s pockets. If they’re for real, though, consider at least a couple of the juicier rumors about the hardware of the iPhone 5 debunked.

We’ve seen DIY versions of iPad necklaces, now one enterprising former robotics student hopes to bring this wooden version to stores near you soon.

Desmond D. Dixon designed, engineered and models (that’s him in the pic above) these iPad and iPod chains. The iPod chains will go for $25, the iPad chains $49 when they go on sale in fall 2011.

A new patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reveals that Apple is working on a ‘smart’ keyboard that provides users with tactile feedback using proximity sensors and air vents on individual keys. It could radically change the way we do everything with our keyboard, from sensing a letter being pressed before it’s typed to allowing us to ‘feel’ a video game through our finger tips.

After 13 years, Microsoft will no longer be scrutinized by the Department of Justice. The timing is apt, because Apple has supplanted Microsoft as the biggest company in tech — and with Apple’s rise in fortunes come its own anti-trust concerns.

Looking resplendent with its iMac adornment, this super-cheap desk is entirely made out of cardboard.

It was designed by Hong Kong born Savio Ku, who is at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, as part of his final year studying 3D design.

Keyboard launcher Alfred just got updated to 0.9, and there’s a lot of lovely stuff included.

Most of the new features are for users of the optional paid-for Powerpack, but there’s some nice bits for free users too.

False alarm, guys. Despite fears, the latest 4.2.2 firmware for the second-gen Apple TV is still just as jailbreakable as it ever was, despite an update to iOS 4.3.

For years, publishers have been fighting Apple for the ability to collect user data from iOS subscribers without their consent. It turns out, though, they don’t have to: over half of all subscribers give up their personal details willingly.

If you want to find an available hooker nearby, there will soon be an app for that on the iOS App Store.

Sources in Apple’s supply chain have revealed that Foxconn Electronics is currently facing supply and labor shortages that could delay shipments of both the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2 during the second quarter.

A number of users are reporting problems with Wi-Fi or 3G data connections after upgrading their iPhones to iOS 4.3.3. I’ve encountered the problem myself on 3G and a friend called me the other day to complain to me about the problem on both Wi-Fi and 3G. He was pretty frustrated about it and I cannot blame him since it seemed to come and go for him.

You’ll notice the problem manifest itself whenever you try to access a network resource and the busy indicator to the right of the carrier signal label seems to get stuck and nothing happens – mail isn’t downloaded, a web page doesn’t load, etc. I haven’t noticed the problem on my iPad 2 nor have I seen people complain about it happening on their iPads.

The SyncMate 3 program from Eltima Software has been providing Android users with a way of seamlessly syncing their phones with their Mac for some time, but the latest update integrates support for Android powered tablets as well.

Twitter mate of mine Giles Booth posted this on Flickr the other day, and it had me doing a double-take for a moment.

No, it isn’t actually running Newton OS. It’s displaying a picture. Just like this other image of a Kindle “running” Macintosh System 1.

You can put custom pictures on your Kindle if you like – try using these instructions. See what other classic Apple software you can “run” on your Kindle. Clarisworks? Eudora? Hypercard? Ahh, memories…

(Photo by Giles Booth, re-published with permission)

As jailbreak tweaks go, this one is probably the most simple, but it’s also rather handy. It’s never a good idea to continue to charge a battery way beyond its full charge, and this tweak ensures it doesn’t happen by alerting you when your device’s battery is full.

Mac Pros released in early 2009 can now support six-core Xeon CPUs and faster 1,333MHz RAM thanks to a new firmware hack. By installing an EFI firmware update, users can convert their machine into a mid 2010 model Mac Pro.

Twitter announced on its blog yesterday that the company is finally rolling out an update to its mobile web application which will integrate HTML5 and introduce some nice new features, meaning it will no longer suck so much under mobile Safari.

Sick of iPhoto ’11 splitting all your events into fragments when you import your iPhone photos? Version 9.1.3 is here, and should set you right.

Expect as much as twice as much storage to be stuffed into 2012’s MacBook Airs. Industry market research firm Gartner says that the price of solid state drives will drop below a buck per gigabyte by the second half of 2012.

The popular IM+: Instant Messaging application from Shape Services has just been updated to introduce an innovative new feature called ‘Neighbors’, which offers users the ability to find new friends in their vicinity who share the same common interests.

When users are signed into the Neighbors service, they will be greeted by a map that allows them to locate and chat with friends in their area, post and view local announcements, and initiate conversations with other people nearby.

When I first got my Macbook Air, I fell in love with its diminutive profile, speedy boot times and incredible portability, but after living with it for a few months, one thing became glaringly apparent – 128GB was simply not enough room. Having convinced myself it would be at the time or purchase – I have recently found myself umbilically attached to a 500GB USB hard drive for music and photos.

Now, 6 months in, I was faced with two choices – stick the current MBA on eBay and stump up the extra cash for a larger capacity Air – or invest in a 3rd party storage solution. The first option is just stupid, so an upgrade was on the cards.

Got a second-generation Apple TV? Get it while it’s hot: a new update has just hit Apple’s update servers.

And they say iOS isn’t customizable… Fortunately for jailbreakers, it certainly is! DreamBoard, a $2.99 tweak that’s available in Cydia, will completely reinvent the way your home screens look. It’s very easy to use, and there are a number of different themes available. Check them out below!