Meet Ken Segall — the man who dreamed up the name “iMac” and wrote the famous Think Different campaign.
Segall is a veteran creative director who worked at Apple’s agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day, back in the day.
“I’ve put in 14 years working with Steve Jobs on both Apple and NeXT,” says Segall. “I’m the author of the Think Different campaign and the guy who came up with the whole “i” thing, starting with iMac.”
Segall collaborated closely with advertising legend Lee Clow, chief creative officer of TBWA\Chiat\Day, whose retirement was widely — but prematurely — reported last week.
In this exclusive interview, Segall talks about working with Steve Jobs, how Jobs initially hated the word “iMac,” and the importance of the Think Different campaign to Apple.
Security software developers must think Mac users are quite daft. Tuesday afternon Symantec sent out a press release flogging its ‘discovery’ of a new trojan horse targeting Apple’s OS disguised as a ‘space invaders’ style video game in which killing invading aliens results in the program deleting files from the user’s hard drive.
Ooo.
The game in question is an art project called Lose/Lose that first appeared on the web back in September, created by digital artist Zach Gage and featured in Electrofringe’s current exhibition of online art, Electro Online 2009.
The idea behind the project is to use game mechanics to call into question the idea of mindless killing for fun. Are gamers so obsessive they must kill aliens at any cost? In the game, each alien is based on a random file on the players computer. If the player kills the alien, the file it is based on is deleted.
Gage asks, “Why do we assume that because we are given a weapon an awarded for using it, that doing so is right?”
The game has a clear warning at start-up that says, in scary red letters: killing aliens in this game will delete files from your hard drive.
Now Symantec is sending out an alert flagging the art project as malware.
“A new threat cleverly disguised as a classic video game is targeting unsuspecting Mac users,” Symantec said in an email to CultofMac.com. It continued:
The Trojan horse, known as Trojan.Loosemaque, is designed to look like a Space Invaders/Galaga style game. However, for every alien ship the user destroys, the program deletes a file from the home directory. Symantec – the world leader in online security – recently discovered this new Trojan horse targeting Mac users and video of it in action can be seen here. Online games are increasingly becoming a target for virus creators, and this threat shows it’s a possibility regardless of the platform. While the author of OSX.Loosemaque actually informs people on his website that the game deletes files, there’s nothing stopping someone with more malicious intentions from modifying it and passing it on to unsuspecting users who don’t have security software installed.
Symantec is not the first company to flag Gage’s project. Security blockers such as Sophos’ Anti-Virus and Intego’s VirusBarrier X5 also define the game as a threat.
So is it art or is it malware? Are Mac users equipped to know the difference? Seriously, what do security software companies take us for?
An Estonian website claimed Tuesday to have broken news of a major bug in iPhone’s Safari app that could put unsuspecting iPhone users at risk of running up huge bills with their cellular service providers in certain cases.
The danger appears related to Safari’s failure to close connections with web servers that run Motion JPEG to stream video over the Internet. In the case where an iPhone user uses Safari to browse, for example, to the webcam on the island of Keri and then closes Safari in favor of another app or simply returns to the iPhone’s home screen, data continues to stream over the phone’s 3G or EDGE connection from the Motion JPEG-running server.
The Estonian report claims to have been able to run up over 740MB of data transfer in a little over an hour in this manner and that the only way to get Safari to properly sever the data link is to browse to another site before closing the app.
The bug would appear to affect only those iPhone users who do not pay for ‘unlimited data’ as part of their standard service plan, and thus poses no risk to at&t subscribers using their phones in the US, or to many European users with similar plans in their home countries.
With the rise of limited data plans in some countries, however, and in the case of users traveling with iPhones overseas using limited International Data plans, this could cause a real problem.
A request for comment from Apple PR remained unanswered at press time.
George Hotz a.k.a GeoHot has released blackra1n RC3, which is an update to a 1-click jailbreak that adds activation options and an add-on blacksn0w, which unlocks latest iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS baseband version 05.11.07. To use blacksn0w, make sure you have this new baseband (check under Settings –> General –> About –> Modem Firmware) and if not, then update to a stock 3.1.2 firmware.
It is pretty easy to use and worked perfectly with my iPhone 3G. Besides the tool, there’s a blackra1n application that gets automatically installed on the iPhone after jailbreak, which gives you option to install Cydia and some other alternatives like RockYourPhone and the ‘sn0w’ option to use blacksn0w unlock solution as well.
Please note that if you have an iPhone 2G, you can still jailbreak using blackra1n but blacksn0w will not unlock for you. You must use BootNeuter available in Cydia for that purpose. Also, if you purchased an iPhone 3GS or iPod Touch (any capacity) in October or later, there is a high probability that you have a new model. Blackra1n currently performs only a tethered jailbreak for these new devices, which means you need to use blackra1n every time you boot the device, otherwise all your jailbreak data gets wiped.
Whether funky or fashionable, protective or passe; made of titanium or cardboard, most iPhone cases are predictable. IvySkins Tuesday introduced an interesting twist on the ho-hum case: integrated energy. The SmartCase ($79.99) claim to fame is an integrated an interchangeable battery that supposedly will extend your iPhone 3G or 3GS’ battery by 200 percent.
The key is the case will signal your iPhone to first feed off the SmartCase’s battery, then your handset’s. The device includes a five-LED indicator, built-in power charger and a USB cable. The case itself is made of a polycarbonate and a polysilicon coating protection.
If you’re looking for something a bit more basic, iaPeel has a print-and-peel alternative for $21. You use the included designer software to create your own ‘skin,’ print it out on any inkjet printer and then apply it to a generic case.
Adobe made its position on the unavailability of Flash for the iPhone clear Monday with a snippily worded announcement that points the finger squarely at Apple for any iPhone user who might end up at the ‘getflash’ web page.
But an interesting comment on the Reddit thread about the long-standing brouhaha makes it appear the Adobe folks might doth protest too much. Flash would suck the iPhone’s battery dry in less than an hour.
Here’s a couple of videos of the new 27-inch iMac in action as an external display. The new iMac is the first that can act as a monitor for another machine, but will only work with devices that output DisplayPort video, like newer MacBooks.
We start out with a number of deals on MacBooks and MacBook Pro laptops. The deals are flying off the shelves at the Apple Store, with a 13-inch MacBook for $899. A similar MacBook from PC Connection is selling for $925. A 17-inch MacBook Pro with AppleCare is offered for $2,348. Also on tap are a number of deals for iPhone and iPod accessories, along with various cases. Finally, we round out the top trio with a number of software deals, including price cuts from the App Store and other bargains.
For details on these and other items, check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page for the complete information right after the jump.
Customers check out the iPhone at a Beijing launch event. (photo: Bloomberg)
China Unicom executives said Tuesday the carrier has added one million subscribers since Oct. 30, but only 5,000 of those are for iPhones. The numbers from Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing are far less than the 500,000 iPhones Apple had expected to initially sell. The disappointing figures are prompting many to question whether pricing is to blame.
Although Hong Kong’s China Unicom Ltd. President Lu Yimin said the 6,999 yuan ($1,025) price was not too high for the iPhone 3GS, so-called gray market versions cost around $800 locally. The disparity may serve as “an interesting exercise in how to sell an inferior product at a higher price,” Duncan Clark, a Beijing consultant, told Bloomberg.
GeoHot, creator of the famous blackra1n jailbreak tool has now released blacksn0w. Blacksn0w is a full fledged software unlock solution for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, having baseband version 05.11.07 found in firmware version 3.1.2. Unlocking the phone enables you to use it with any carrier in the world.
This means if you have older firmware, you can now upgrade to a stock 3.1.2 and still have the ability to remain unlocked. Blacksn0w also enables the tethering option on these iPhones for you to share the data connection with a laptop or desktop computer.
The blackra1n application for iPhone installed as a result of the blackra1n jailbreak process then allows you to run blacksn0w and finally unlock the phone. However, those who already have the old version of blackra1n application installed on the iPhone can upgrade to the latest version by selecting the new ‘ra1n’ option inside the application. After installing the updated version, tap ‘sn0w’ in the application to unlock. For those who used the DevTeam’s PwnageTool to jailbreak, blacksn0w will soon be available on Cydia.
To accompany blacksn0w, there is a new hacktivation feature added to blackra1n, which activates the iPhone to be used without the iPhone specific plans from carriers like AT&T, O2 etc. But, if you have an officially activated phone already, this won’t interfere. The update to blackra1n tool also makes it a lot faster, enabling it to jailbreak the iPhone / iPod Touch in just 15 seconds. It also adds support for Mac OS X Tiger and PPC Macs along with the existing Windows and Intel Mac support.
Please note that if you have an iPhone 2G, you can still jailbreak using blackra1n but blacksn0w will not unlock for you. You must use BootNeuter available in Cydia for that purpose. Also, if you purchased an iPhone 3GS or iPod Touch (any capacity) in October or later, there is a high probability that you have a new model. Blackra1n currently performs only a tethered jailbreak for these new devices, which means you need to use blackra1n every time you boot the device, otherwise all your jailbreak data gets wiped.
The new version of blackra1n is available to download at blackra1n.com
Check out our guide on how to jailbreak and unlock using blackra1n and blacksn0w here.
The iPhone 3GS. Creative Commons-licensed photo by Fr3d: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fr3d/2660915827/
Not every touchscreen device is alike – or liked, according to new survey findings. Although 54 percent of Western European cell phone users think touchscreens are a nice idea, the number of touchscreen owners who say they’ll buy another slips below that 50-50 mark to 47 percent.
Apple iPhone owners are among the device owners most likely say they’ll buy another touchscreen device, announced research firm Canalys. HTC touchscreen owners were also highly satisfied. Least likely to purchase another touchscreen device: Sony Ericsson, with just 27 percent of owners reporting they’re next cell phone will use a touchscreen inteface.
Virgin Atlantic Airways recently released an app for flying phobes. Called Flying Without Fear it’s modeled on the company’s brick and mortar course which they claim has a 98% success rate.
What do you get for $4.99? Well, a reassuring message from Mr. Hot Air Balloon Sir Richard Branson himself, plus relaxation exercises, answers to fear-based questions, fear therapy and a handy inventory of on-board noises so you know everything’s ok.
Whoopie Goldberg recently got her wings back after an airplane hiatus of over 10 years thanks to the Virgin course:
“The program works, I was a skeptic. I hadn’t flown in 13 years but after doing their program, I understood that while my fear was real, there were many things I didn’t know or had misinformation about, which they were able to clear up. So what happened? I now fly. It’s that simple.”
While not everyone can attend Virgin’s £199 ($326) full day course, it’s worth wondering whether an iPod app can substitute the real thing.
I once had a co-worker for whom flying was a real drama — he ended up in such a state he regularly had to be taken off planes and usually booked multiple times before able to stay aloft in the friendly skies — and I don’t know if passengers more than a little discomfited by air travel would benefit by a few reassuring words and games.
Hearing his story, I also wonder if you’d be able to use the app during take off and landing, which seemed to be the critical moments.
Orange UK Tuesday promised to review its terms of service that could effectively ban iPhone users from conducting anything but telephone calls. The uproar comes a day after British iPhone owners complained the carrier had placed a 750MB limit on its “unlimited” data plan.
In the latest turn of events, a BBC correspondent pointed to language in Orange UK’s Terms and Conditions which said its 3G network is “not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange Internet based streaming services, voice or video over the Internet, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file sharing, non-Orange Internet based video).”
We might not be the biggest fans of Apple’s new Magic Mouse, but we know you want one anyway. Cult of Mac Facebook fans the world over submitted pictures of their workspaces that allowed us a look deep into their souls. New Macs, old Macs, and Macs wading in saltwater tugged at our hearts in a battle for a wireless peripheral that could truly drive each to creativity and productivity.
In the end, it was Nick Duarte’s optical illusion of an office that clinched the Magical Mouse. It could be that Cult of Mac was displayed on the screen, or the haphazardly hung pictures, but it was probably the wireless keyboard horribly paired with a USB mouse.
We can’t and won’t let you deal with this any longer, Nick. Your mouse is in the mail.
So, you know those off-the-mark iDon’t commercials Verizon’s using to hype the launch of the Motorola Droid? No removable battery, no physical keyboard, and a list of features only a developer could care about? Well, according to InfoWorld, that campaign could be turned against the Droid with the far more damning “DroiDon’t include free corporate e-mail access with a standard data plan.”
That’s right, in addition to the mandatory $30 data plan, equivalent to the iPhone’s, Verizon is charging Droid customers $15 per month extra to check their work e-mail — as they do all smartphone customers. It takes a lot to make AT&T look like the superior network, but Verizon has managed it.
And no, there’s no possible justification for this other than greed and foolhardiness.
Kara Johnson, a material scientist at design and engineering firm IDEO, has just posted up a fun behind-the-scenes look at how some of her colleagues created the above shot of a 12″ PowerBook for dinner as part of her book I Miss My Pencil.
It’s actually surprisingly hard to wreak such meticulous havoc, and it’s fun to see the process of great engineers up close — especially since IDEO and its predecessor David Kelley Design engineered a huge number of Apple products from the late ’70s into the mid-’90s.
Hit the link to see the full process, if you’re not traumatized by the sight of violence against a Mac.
Powered by good old valves, the Wall of Sound iPod Speaker claims to the most powerful iPod speaker available.
It’s for “people who believe that music should be listened to loudly,” the company’s website says. “It looks frightening, and it IS frightening.”
Handmade by a company called by Brothers of Stockholm, the first edition of this monster speaker is sold out, so the company is taking pre-orders for a second gen speaker. Only $4,495.00 — sign up here.
Apple is reportedly talking with TV executives about delivering content via iTunes for $30 per month. The arrangement could start as early as 2010 and Disney may be the first studio to accept the offer.
According to MediaMemo’s Peter Kafka, TV heads are “intrigued” but no programmer has made a firm commitment. The plan would bypass Apple TV for iTunes, which the Cupertino, Calif. company claims has 65 million accounts.
Has streaming songs to your car’s FM radio become passe? Looking to go beyond in-car GPS for your iPhone? Sirius XM Radio Monday introduced the XM SkyDock, a hardware and software combo delivering satellite radio to your auto’s iPhone or iPod touch (1st and 2nd generation).
Along with listening to XM programming, you’ll be able to charge your iPhone or iPod. Subscribers can also tag songs they enjoy, purchasing them via the iTunes Store.
We start November with a mix of gadget deals, ranging from hardware to software. First up is a FM transmitter and car charger for the iPhone 3G and Apple iPods. The $4.44 transmitter uses most FM frequencies while the 12-volt car charger works with most iPods that have a dock connector. Meanwhile, if an ordinary Etch-A-Sketch just doesn’t cut it bling-wise, how about an iPhone app that lets you doodle with gold? For the latest iPhone and iPod touch apps that’ll cost you zip, be sure to read the new App Store freebies.
For details on these and other bargains (such as the Gym pack for MP3 players), check out CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.
Nothing like a customer service tale with a mostly happy ending: Nathan switched computers and lost everything he bought from iTunes (music, ringtones, movies) as a result.
So he wrote to Apple ([email protected]) and they agreed to let him re-download all the music he bought at no extra charge:
I understand the titles you purchased from the iTunes Store with account [redacted] were lost. I know how upsetting that can be. My name is Jesse and I would be more than happy to help you with this today.
Seeing that you have been a loyal customer since September, 2004, the iTunes Store would like to give you the opportunity to re-download (at no charge) all the titles you purchased on this account that are still available. This does not include any item that has been modified or removed from the store since you purchased it. Please note that you may download your purchases only once, so this is an exception. Also note that Apple does not offer protection for the loss of data from your hard disk, so I recommend that you back up your iTunes library as soon as possible…Full email from Apple at Consumerist.
Nathan was also able to re-download ringtones, but not movies though the rep did not provide an explanation for why not.
If you want to sync your iPhone with a Windows 7 PC using Intel’s latest chipset, you may have to cool your heels while Apple and Microsoft investigate.
When iPhone owners attempt to sync their handsets using iTunes 9 for Windows and Intel’s P55 chipset, they only receive a cryptic “error 0xE8000065” message indicating an “iPhone-connection failure notification,” according to The Register. Although iPhone users have been complaining for six weeks on Apple’s discussion boards, the Cupertino, Calif. company has been mum, the report claims.
A 70 percent increase in capital spending could signal Apple is preparing to chart a new course with some products. The Cupertino, Calif. company told federal regulators it will spend $1.9 billion in capital expenditures during fiscal 2010 – a jump from the $1.1 billion spend in 2009.
In its 10K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple mentioned some of the money would go toward ‘product tooling and manufacturing process equipment,’ a sign the company may be “reversing course to actually build certain products/components in-house,” Caris & Company analyst Robert Cihra told investors Monday.
Apple appears to have frozen-out fans tired of waiting for an official Cupertino netbook, dropping support for Intel’s Atom processor from the latest build of Snow Leopard 10.6.2, according to reports. The move may signal Apple is clearing the way for its own netbook in tablet form.
For some time, Apple has dismissed the growth of small, low-powered notebook computers, refusing to join the army of computer makers producing so-called ‘netbooks.’ Apple COO Tim Cook described netbooks having “cramped keyboards, junky hardware, very small screens, bad software” and were not worthy of the Mac brand. In response to the lack of an official Apple entry, Mac fans have created hackintoshes able to run Mac OS X on netbooks using Intel’s Atom processor. Although 10.6.2 is currently only in the hands of developers, if the Atom omission is retained, the lack of support could either force OS X-based netbooks to vanish or restrict the hacked hardware to remain frozen at 10.6.1.
