Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs certainly wouldn’t agree, but I know a few of you grumps out there were disappointed when the iPad turned out to more of a big iPhone than a convertible tablet with a built-in keyboard. Even if you’re not one of those people, serious typing on the iPad pretty much requires lugging a Bluetooth-pairable physical keyboard around with you.

If you fall into either category, you might be interested in this case that transforms into an iPad stand, complete with integrated Bluetooth keyboard. It’s a great design: the keyboard’s chiclet keys get folded against the display when closed to protect the glass. Sure, it adds a bit more bulk to your iPad, but if you do a lot of typing on the go, this is certainly preferable to lugging a real keyboard around you.

Unfortunately, this convertible iPad dock is a bit expensive, costing just over $90… which seems like a lot of money to spend for what will only prove to be marginally convenient for most. Perhaps when it passes through the FCC and hits these shores, though, they’ll have figured out a way to lower that price. Halve that tag and this would be a no-brainer for me.

All the internet scuttlebutt at this point converges upon one big and tasty rumor: Apple will announce a new, iOS-driven AppleTV called the iTV in September, which will cost $99 and have no local storage, but support streaming media only.

If the rumor is true, it’s a bold plan by Apple to transform their “hobby device” into a veritable cable, satellite, HTPC and Netflix killer… but if content carriers aren’t on board and the price isn’t right, even iOS isn’t going to save the new iTV from the ignominy of its predecessor.

According to Bloomberg, though, Apple’s really close to inking deals with News Corp. and Walt Disney to offer $0.99 show rentals over iTunes.

Currently, renting a show for 48 hours through iTunes costs $1.99, which is just enough to keep iTunes from being a competitive way to watch a show, especially when it’s on both the boob tube and sites like Hulu for free… albeit with ads.

$0.99 is a much easier to swallow price for renting a show. It’s a no-brainer price point that is hard to resent, and easily justifiable for most consumers if they can watch a show at their convenience, legally and without ads. It’s also an imperative price point for a streaming iTV with no local storage to reach in order to succeed.

All the stars seem to be in alignment for the iTV: the price now seems set to be right for the device itself and the content it’ll play. If Apple doesn’t announce the iTV in September, this will end up being the most disappointing rumor of the year.

As Mac fans, we all know that Apple habitually throws an iPod event in September, where the obsolete iPods allowed to grow dusty in our love are whisked off behind the killing sheds, while the shiniest new models are simultaneously heralded. These events usually see an updated iPod Touch and a new version of iTunes, and this year, everyone’s expecting word on the new streaming iTunes features and perhaps a relaunched, iOS-driven AppleTV called the iTV.

Needless to say, excitement is high… but Apple still hasn’t tipped their hat on when we can expect the conference. Well, you might want to pencil September 7th in for following our iPod Event liveblog, because Bloomberg’s sources are now saying that date’s a lock.

Of course, since Apple traditionally doesn’t alert the press to an iPod Event until a week ahead of time, we won’t know if Bloomberg’s sources are right until the end of this month… but Apple certainly can’t put it off much later. If you’re hungry for a new iPod Touch or even an updated AppleTV, earmark some credit for that date.

Apple released a Mac OS X security update today that patches a critical PDF vulnerability and a handful of other security issues.

Security Update 2010-005 supplies a fix that addresses a “heap buffer overflow” that exists in CoreGraphics and the way it handles PDF files. The vulnerability could have allowed the “unexpected application termination of arbitrary code execution” via a malformed PDF file.

It is interesting to note that this sounds just like the exploit hackers used to jailbreak iOS 4 on the iPhone. It is possible that it is the same since the two Operating Systems are said to share the same code base. However, there isn’t any indication that this is true in Apple’s support document. Apple released the update for the iPhone exploit, iOS 4.0.2, a few weeks ago.

This update also addresses a “stack buffer overflow” that would allow arbitrary code execution through a malformed embedded font and the remainder of fixes in the update resolve problems with network security.

Complete information about this update can be found at support.apple.com/kb/HT4312.

Security Update 2010-005 is available for: Mac OS X v10.5.8, Mac OS X Server v10.5.8, Mac OS X v10.6.4, Mac OS X Server v10.6.4 via Software Update or direct download.

Longing for the gaming arcade but stuck at your desk?  Well, the Pinball Magic [app]cessory from New Potato won’t fool you into thinking you’re at the real thing, but it looks like a cute way to kill both time and disposable income.  Slide your handheld iDevice into the mini pinball machine and Tilt Away:

Get ready for iPhone and iPod touch entertainment that’s in a class by itself! The Pinball Magic [app]cessory creates realistic and engaging gameplay, bringing classic pinball machine cabinet design and fun to iPhone and iPod touch. Pinball Magic, just like the classic cabinets (only smaller), works with the free Pinball Magic app to create a portable arcade experience, complete with flipper buttons and ball-launching plunger.

Perfect for entertaining miniature coworkers or family members.  Available soon at Best Buy for $40.

[via TUAW] [Chip Chick]

Blogger Brian Sweet of Gumball Tech claims to have beaten the world text-messaging record using the onscreen keyboard of his iPhone 4.

The record was recently set by a U.K. woman using a Samsung Galaxy S running the SWYPE keyboard. Melissa Thompson, 27, managed to swipe out the phrase: “the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human,” in just under 26 seconds. (Her feat is still being verified by Guinness).

Sweet claims to have thumbed out the same phrase in less than 22 seconds, besting the record by 4 seconds. “It’s not official,” says Sweet, “but it’s definitely better than what that woman recently achieved.”

If genuine, Sweet’s feat disproves the notion that the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard is slow. Typing on the iPhone has typically been characterized as slow compared to a physical keyboards, such as those on Blackberry devices.

See for yourself. Here’s a YouTube video of Sweet typing out the phrase. Watch those thumbs fly!

We know, we know: Macs don’t support USB 3.0 yet, which allows USB to pipe through up to a blistering 3.2 Gbit per second of data throughput. The good news is, we all know it’s coming: we just have to be patient.

But why wait for Apple to catch up when Iomega is now selling USB 3.0 compatible external drives in their eGo range, which are not only backwards compatible with USB 2.0 (and therefore, your Mac) but without any price premium over their USB 2.0 progenitors.

According to Iomega, they will be updating all of their eGo portable drives to support USB 3.0 by the end of October. The 500GB currently costs just $114, and the 1TB model weighing in at $189, although these are MSRPs and are quite often yet.

Iomega’s not stopping at USB 3.0 support: they are also adding in 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and promising the drives will be capable of withstanding seven foot drops without a hitch.

As for when we can expect our Macs to be able to take advantage of USB 3.0, Iomega’s Jonathan Huberman told Slashgear that Cupertino’s delay was “interesting,” but he expected them to move to USb 3.0 by Q1 2011.

The bottom line: if you think that Apple is going to shift to USB 3.0 at any time in the near future — and its hard to imagine they won’t — Iomega’s just given you a very compelling reason to pick up one of their new drives. They cost the same, they’ll work with your current Mac, and when USB 3.0 hits Apple’s line-up next year, you’ll be able to take advantage of your drive’s blistering speed the second you unbox your new Mac.

If you’re like us, you’ve got some serious requirements when it comes to a dock. In my house, we’ve got a couple iPads, an iPhone, a couple iPod Touches and even an old 160GB iPod Classic kicking around, always hungry for an umbilical to recharge. We’ve got a handful of docks for these devices, but if there was only some sort of uber dock that consolidated the syncing and charging of all our iDevices into one powerful, attractive desktop dock.

We’re delighted to discover today that there is just such a dock: the iPADock from PhotoFast Co.. This baby’s a beast: using this dock, you can sync and charge up to four iPhones, any iPod and up to two iPads at once. Wow.

And that’s just what you can slam into the dock. If you need to sync more Apple devices, there are seven USB ports in the back (although only four are powered), as well as a connector for the iPad Camera Connection Kit. There’s even several memory card readers, including Compact Flash, SD, SDHC, SDXC, mini SD, mini SDHC, micro SD, Sony’s MemoryStick and micro SDHC.

Amazing, particularly in this compact form factor. It’s also extraordinarily cheap: just $70 all told for all of this docking goodness. Consider the iPADock officially added to our Christmas lists.

Last week’s big news item was the arrest of Apple manager Paul Devine’s arrest for taking over $1 million in kickbacks for insider information.

It certainly looked bad for Devine, formerly of Apple’s iPod and accessories procurement operations department, who was busted by the Feds in what appears to be a seemingly iron-clad case for selling company secrets to various suppliers in Asia through various shell accounts. Apple certainly thought so: they’ve sued Devine in civil court.

Nevertheless, Devine pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Now prosecutors are saying, “O RLY.” They’re skeptical, and it seems like they have every right to be: they have just discovered $150,000 placed in shoeboxes under Devine’s bed.

Does that prove anything? No. Maybe Devine just doesn’t believe in banks. But that’s certainly a lot of fast, easy travel cash lying around. My guess is Devine was ready for a speedy departure if Apple or the Feds caught wind of him. Too bad he didn’t catch wind of them before they busted down his door.

Women out for a stroll at a busy farmer’s market found themselves starring in one man’s iPod video upskirt movies.

Erik Alvarado, 35, landed in jail after shooting video at least 15 women at Saturday’s downtown farmer’s market in Salt Lake city’s historic Pioneer Park.

A sharp-eyed shopper told a police officer that a man had “a mirror or something” inside his shoe, according to jail documents.

Police discovered that Alvarado was in fact walking around with an iPod Nano strapped to his shoe. Alvarado captured video with the Apple device by placing his foot under victim’s skirts.

We start another day of deals with another MacBook Pro bundle from Expercomm. This one includes a Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz MacBook Pro with 13-inch screen, bundled with 8GB of memory for $1,777. For iPhone owners, we have two great games – free. Atrim Escape is a first-person puzzle game, while Golf Putt Pro let’s you brush up on your strokes without leaving the comfort of your easychair.

Along the way, we’ll check out a 2-year iPhone warranty from Squaretrade, along with more iPhone games and cases. We also look at some Mac software and other items. As always, details on these and much more can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

Sony has just introduced a pair of new cameras that boast intriguing new translucent mirror technology, marrying the quick-focus of an SLR with the fast-shooting of a mirrorless camera.

Called the A33 and A55, Sony’s latest boast a 23.5×15.6mm APS-C CMOS sensor, a 3-inch LCD capable of tilting up to 180 degrees and rotating 270 degrees, as well as the ability to record full HD AVCHD (1080i) or MP4 (1080p) video while simultaneously employing an impressive 15-point video autofocus system. Otherwise, the only thing separating the A55 from the A33 is the former has more megapixels and a slightly faster Speed Priority continuous shooting mode, along with built-in GPS capability.

The real advance here, though, is the new translucent mirror used in both cameras. Essentially, this mirror allows light to pass directly through it to the camera’s sensors while simultaneously bouncing light up to the autofocus sensor.

What this means from a practical perspective is that you get a much smaller camera body and trade-in an SLR’s optical viewfinder for a digital one, while also inheriting a mirrorless camera’s live view mode. Better, you’ll get some truly impressive shutter speeds out of these cameras — up to 10 shots per second — since the mirror doesn’t have to lift in order to capture an image.

Both the A55 and A33 will come with an 18-55mm lens, with the A55 costing $850 and the A33 costing $750. Both cameras will be available in September.

Chris Nolan’s Inception is such a deviously complicated film that even an unseredipitously timed bathroom break is enough to reduce the rest of the film to mere gibberish. If you’re one of the many, many people who just didn’t get it, though, perhaps this informative Finder-based infographic explaining the dream structure in the film will help.

Of course, that big “Reality” parenthetical is as debatable as a wobbling top, but otherwise… if Finder can’t make sense of Inception for you, what the heck can?

[via TUAW]

Forget iOS’ execrable Notes.app: the best way to keep your post-its in order between your iPhone, iPad or Mac is the incredible Simplenote, which allows you to easily take notes on pretty much any device under the sun and sync it on every device you own.

Now Simplenote has gotten even better, thanks to a beefy update to both the free iOS app and the web backend.

What’s new? For one, tags, similar to Gmail labels (or, if you’re a blogger, your WordPress tags), which allow you to dynamically categorize your notes as you take them. You can also pin commonly accessed notes to the top of your list, making sure it’s always easy to open.

Another cool new addition is the ability to share a note to other Simplenote users, allowing them to edit a simple collaborative document in realtime… with new versioning ability allowing you to easily track changes… and if you want to share your note with someone who doesn’t have a Simplenote account, you can do it through email or the web too.

It’s a big update, and there’s half-a-dozen more new features to play with as well. If you’re not using Simplenote, what are you waiting for? It’s a free download. You’ll never use another iOS note-taking app again.

It’s back-to-school time, but some students may be headed for their headphones instead of campus or class. That appears to be the message from Apple’s Tuesday announcement of 300 million download in three years from iTunes U. The collaboration between the Cupertino, Calif. company and universities provides “iTunes users with an incredible way to learn on their computer, iPhone, iPod or iPad,” Apple said in a statement.

More than 800 universities worldwide have contributed 350,000 audio and video files. China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico and Singapore are just the latest countries to join the program. The free content allows anyone to get a taste of learning or virtually audit a classroom.

Tain’t the heat, t’is the humidity… at least when it comes to iPhone moisture sensors in Hong Kong.

According to the South China Morning Post, numerous Hong Kong iPhone users are having a hard time getting their handsets covered under warranty because the moisture sensors — the small little stickers inside every iPhone that discolor when they get wet, indicating user error — max out at 95% humidity.

The problem? Hong Kong and other Asian countries regularly excess 95% humidity, with some areas seeing greater-than-95% humidity for 73 days between June 1st and August 16th. For an iPhone, this is the equivalent of spending two and a half months in a sauna.

For some users like Justin Hayward, this has resulted in it being impossible to get an iPhone fixed under warranty, and instead being dinged a massive charge for a replacement phone.

“I’ve never used it in the bath, gone swimming or anything like that,” Hayward said. “Let’s face it; many people do break the rules. But a significant number of people are making these kind of report. If the limitation is over 95 per cent humidity, they ought not to be selling the product here. I find it quite unbelievable – a real piece of corporate greed or a great oversight.”

I’m not going to blame this on corporate greed, but Hayward has a point: if the mechanism Apple uses to detect moisture in iPhones doesn’t work in real-world locations, they shouldn’t be denying warranty service on those devices when they fail with triggered moisture sensors.

This isn’t even a problem limited to the Far East: a California woman sued Apple earlier this year over the same problem, and faultily triggered moisture sensors is a rampant problem in the tropics. If Apple’s not going to honor service based upon a moisture detection mechanism that verifiably fails in real-world conditions, they should reconsider selling devices where you can cut the air with a knife.

We always like to tell readers when the ‘other shoe falls’ concerning Apple technology. Earlier this week we reported how Apple products are seeing huge growth rates compared to PCs in both government and business. Today, we see why: corporate IT gatekeepers are becoming more comfortable with iOS-based products, particularly the iPad.

Unlike when the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, the Cupertino, Calif. company has devoted time and effort to answering the concerns businesses expressed early on. Such issues included ways to encrypt information and establishing secure methods to connect to corporate networks, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The latest versions of iOS “adds features that make the devices easier for a tech department to manage, including the ability for businesses to distribute internally developed apps without going through Apple’s App Store,” the newspaper writes.

When we posted yesterday about a new Apple patent hinting at future touchscreen Macs, one of the excellent points made in our comments section was that one reason behind Apple’s reluctance to install touchscreen panels in their non-mobile computers is the ergonomics factor: it’s just not comfortable to constantly be leaning forward to poke and prod a screen.

A new patent from Apple shows how future touchscreen Macs might just solve the ergonomic dilemma. The patent describes a touchscreen iMac with a swiveling display that rotates into a more appropriate, horizontal configuration for multitouch. A built-in accelerometer could automatically determine the display’s orientation and trigger the appropriate interface or even operating system: for example, OS X in an upright position, iOS when prone.

At the end of the day, I don’t buy that a swiveling display is how Apple would go about solving desktop touchscreen ergonomic problems. It seems a little too finnicky as a solution. Still, at least Apple’s thinking about the problem, and if Cupertino’s history with multitouch mobile devices is anything to go by… when they finally do an iMac Touch, they’ll do it right.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhgfz0zPmH4&feature=player_embedded

Google Goggles is easily one of the biggest app advantages the Android operating system has over iOS… but Google seems ready to hobble their own advantage by releasing it to for the iPhone later this year.

Goggles itself is incredibly neat, allowing you to use your smartphone’s camera to take a snapshot of anything around you that you might want to search for on the Internet. For example, thwarted by your own swollen-tongued artistic plebeianism while on a date at the museum, you could take a snapshot of a painting you know absolutely nothing about and quickly get a list of talking points back about it. You can also use Goggles to scan text and then manipulate with it your phone, by emailing it to yourself or using a number as a contact.

It often seems weird to see Google obviate their own advantages over the iPhone, but all Google really cares about is getting as many people using their search engine — and therefore, viewing their search-targeted ads — as possible. Android’s just one means to that end; every other smartphone is another.

A dozen individuals have been arrested in the United Kingdom for laundering money through iTunes.

The twelve individuals’ plan was pretty simple, all things considered. Using stolen credit card numbers, they purchased tracks that they themselves had uploaded to Apple’s digital music delivery service. All things considered, they laundered over $300,000 worth of purchases in just four months.

For the record, this isn’t a security vulnerability with iTunes. Transacting digital goods is actually a common way to get money off of a stolen credit card number: I myself had $1500 stolen from me a few years back when someone got a hold of my credit card number and simply lost game after game of online poker against another account that he controlled.

The same thing pretty much went on here, and Apple wasn’t the only company to get hit: Amazon’s MP3 service was also used by the criminals in question.

Should this worry you? Probably not: in most cases of credit card fraud, credit card companies are quick to side with the card holder. In my case, all I had to do was assure Mastercard that neither I nor my girlfriend were secret gambling addicts. If you ever do see a suspicious iTunes charge come through on your credit card statement, give your bank — not Apple — a call, and they will very quickly set things right.

In a bid to prevent another ‘antennagate’ when the iPhone 4 reaches China in mid-September, Apple’s exclusive carrier there will offer free cases, according to a local news report.

“The iPhone 4 is expected to suffer from the same issues related to signal reception in China, but China Unicom will be offering cases to customers as a free gift,” reports Caixin, an English-language online news site. The iPhone 4 will be introduced in China on September 16.

Following numerous reports of dropped calls when the the iPhone 4 was held in a certain position, Apple eventually announced it would provide free cases to affected customers. Apple is eager to introduce its record-selling iPhone 4 in China, a nation where the Cupertino, Calif. company plans to build 25 stores and has seen 144 percent growth.

As temperatures soar to new records here in San Francisco, quench your thirst at tonight’s Ubergizmo’s Digital Summer party, a festival of fashion, photography, tech and fun.

At 8PM, San Francisco’s glamorous people will gather for Digital Summer, an annual fashion show/tech-showcase that attracts throngs of the city’s brightest young things. Last year, there was a line around the block. (Check out the glamorpuss pictures below).

Full disclosure: We’re a media partner.

This year’s event promises a live runway fashion show, studio photo shoots, a future of fashion display from Intel and hands-on demos of Motorola’s Droid X and Verizon’s Wireless MiFi Mobile Hotspot. Verizon is also recycling old cell phones, so bring them along.

Digital Summer is at the Temple nightclub on Howard Street. It’s $5 with a RSVP (get one here), or $10 on the door. Here’s the Facebook event page, and the full itinerary after the pictures:

People who quilt are also nerdy. Or nerdy people also quilt. Either way, there’s some bitchin’ stitchin’ happening — as per this compendium of Dr. Who and Harry Potter blankets — but we especially like these Apple-related sewing projects. Quilt different!

iNerd Mini Quilt

Liz Harvatine made this for her husband as kind of an emblem for the North Hollywood Classic Mac Collectors Club of which he is one of two proud members. It’s a nice banner to be under…

Image copyright Mercury Records

So much for the web being dead. John Mellencamp, the increasingly craggy Indiana roots rocker famed for singing about “Jack and Diane,” “Pink Houses” and having the middle name “Cougar,” has clued the world into a major news story: the Internet has destroyed the music business. Apple’s bad, too. From the Globe & Mail:

“I think the Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb,” he said. “It’s destroyed the music business. It’s going to destroy the movie business.”

Seriously, you guys. Not content to make Lars Ulrich look like a visionary, Mellencamp went on to deliver the stunning revelation that MP3 audio is technically inferior to what you would get from a CD or LP.

He recalled listening to a Beatles song on a newly re-mastered CD and then on an iPod, and “you could barely even recognize it as the same song. You could tell it was those guys singing, but the warmth and quality of what the artist intended for us to hear was so vastly different.”

Now, I’m not one to question John Mellencamp’s ability to competently rip an album to a portable digital format, but I will say that I never heard him speak up about inferior audio quality when he was selling millions of cassette tapes per year.*

The music business has changed. Apple reinvented itself by understanding how and why it was changing almost a decade ago. And lots of artists, such as the Arcade Fire and Lady Gaga, understand well how to take advantage of those changes and carve out a successful living that’s less dependent on record labels than their own businesses. And dinosaurs like John Mellencamp have no idea how to be successful in the iTunes era.

And that’s a good thing. Remember: The music business needed destroying.

*Not to mention, MP3s were successful because they were good enough sounding, which allowed them to spread like wildfire. Their inferior quality was a feature, not a bug. There’s a reason why lossless audio still hasn’t caught on for portable players.

Via TUAW and Edible Apple

And here’s Percolator, today’s Best Thing Ever for people who love their iPhone photography.

What does it do? It re-renders photos in glorious approximation, creating gorgeous mosaics out of roundels of color.