Seems like the big news over the past few days at the AppStore tends mostly to the questionably mature, if not downright asinine.

First, the re-emergence of Pull My Finger, an ingenious application that produces the sound of flatulence, generated over 200 stories in the Apple web-osphere yesterday. After initially rejecting the app as something with no discernible utility, Apple has reportedly sorted out how to handle this particular genre of application, according to Pull My Finger’s developer.

Then there there was the implication of either uncertainty or perhaps some discrimination with respect to apps intended for “mature audiences,” with developers of apps rated 17+ finding they cannot – as of this writing – issue promotional codes that other app developers were recently given to enable easier review and testing. Apple has described the restriction as a “minor glitch” that should be resolved shortly, according to a report at iLounge.

Finally, also on Saturday, the application Poo Price made its debut. Poo Price counts time while you’re doing your business on the toilet at work and tells you how much money you made during that time “working” based on your salary. What price good humor, eh?

The interesting thing about Poo Price, though, is that it may be an example of an app that works in the background, in violation of the SDK’s prohibition on such functionality, according to a piece at Venture Beat.

Amid recent concern that Apple may have given Google preferential treatment in approving the search giant’s voice search application for sale in the AppStore, and discussion over SDK restrictions that appear to be keeping Flash off the iPhone in any meaningful way, concern over how Poo Price keeps its timer going even when the user switches out of it while, say, checking email in the restroom, may not be the most pressing thing on many people’s agenda.

As MG Siegler writes for Venture Beat, Poo Price “is probably just another crude app in the new, racy App Store.”

Eelke Dekker has found a way to transform ordinary everyday clothing into functional, wearable notebook computer sleeves. Wrap a hoodie around your MacBook and hey presto!

Coming soon: trousers for G4 Cubes, dresses for G4 iMacs, and socks for iPods. Oh, that’s already been done hasn’t it?

Eelke explains his thinking in Dutch on his blog post, so I’ve used Google Translate to turn it into English. Apologies, therefore, for the rough-and-ready nature of the translation:

“After the blog post on jerseys that are transformed into the MacBook Sleeve, a friend came along with an old sweater. While he was in the kitchen to toil on a delicious Italian pasta, I stickte jersey quickly to a precise appropriate, unique laptop sleeve.”

(Photo used under Creative Commons license, thanks to eelke dekker.)

Satta van Dahl wants your old Mac.

They’ll be put to good use: the German-born, Melbourne based artist has an ongoing iPaint myMac project, in the works since 2006, which now counts 50 Macs embellished with stencils and paint.

So far they include an orange-and-red 1991 PowerBook 100 and a iconic Happy Mac Classic.

If you don’t have anything to donate, you can always follow the project on his website or Flickr stream .

His current wish list:
* iMac (the one with the half-sphered foot)
* eMac
* Cube (yes, iKnow, they are hard to come by, but hey, there might be the odd chance.. and if it’s just an empty case …)
* Macintosh Portable (they claim this was the first portable Mac, but it was so heavy, no way anyone took it anywhere)
* anything made after 2000 (there aren’t many dead ones to collect around yet)
* Classic, SE & Plus (I already have a few dozen of them, but I need more …)
* any type of Apple //, the legendary Lisa … ok, I’m dreaming now
* anything odd with an Apple logo on it (instruction VHS tapes, old PR material, shop displays, … you name it).

As part of the collection process, he also runs a “Mac surgery convention,” because most of the donated machines don’t work anymore, but there are enough bits to cobble one working machine out of two or three dead ones.
Last time he invited Mac savvy geek friends to bring their screw drivers around for an evening of pizza and computers, there were 10 running old Macs as a result.

Image via Flickr

This playful polka dot chair comes wired for sound with an audio jack for your iPod, two built-in 10-watt speakers and a 15-watt subwoofer.

The cotton canvas chair slightly rocks (to keep up with your head bobbing) and comes in brown and white dots or light blue and white dots.

Aimed at the teen market (unsurprisingly, the pink version was a sell-out) if it came in a more grown-up print or solids it’d be a great piece for the den.

$349.00 at PBteen

Via Tech Fever

Topping at least one luxe list of trendy items for Christmas are these customized iPhones from Continental Mobile.

The iPhone rimmed in 24k gold costs about $1,800 (£1,199), if that doesn’t wind you up there are ruby and diamond versions, about $4,600 (£3,099) and other serious stones like sapphires and emeralds. iPod Touch versions are also available.

If you decide to put this much sparkle under your tree, make it fast. Each item is “hand crafted in England” and takes seven to 10 days for delivery.

Via Black Book Mag

Palm, the Treo maker that has seen its profits crater and U.S. marketshare dwindle, is promising to stage a comeback at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show. The company plans to unveil a new operating system and handset, according to BusinessWeek.

Although details are sparse, Palm will “finally unveil an oft-delayed new operating system, as well as the first in a new family of smartphones,” unnamed sources told the magazine.

The tip may refer to Palm’s Linux-based software Nova, which the company had said it would introduce in 2008, then pushed back to sometime next year.

Netbooks outsold iPhones in the third quarter of this year, according to two recent reports. Netbooks, inexpensive laptops with a smaller footprint, sold 5.6 million units versus 4.7 million of Apple’s touchscreen handsets.

The netbook category grew 160 percent in the third quarter compared to 2007, according to DisplaySearch. Experts predict 14 million netbooks will ship by the end of 2008, boosting notebook PCs along the way.

“With the lone exception of Apple, all of the top 10 PC brands have entered the mini-note PC market, John Jacobs, DisplaySearch Director of Notebook Market Research said earlier this week.

This, lovely readers, is the Girl Who Balanced A MacBook Air On Her Head. Her name is Holden and she’s in San Francisco.

Next week, we shall show you The Man Who Wore An iPhone As A Tie (he lives in Edinburgh), and the Parisian Who Used A Pair Of Old G3 Blue-And-Whites As Boots.

(Photo used under Creative Commons license, thanks holden_helena.)

Soooo, this 3D interface that everyone’s been going crazy about; allow me to add a brief comment:

Arrrrrrrrgghghggghghhhhh.

More Apple-inspired handiwork from the same Japanese fan who ripened Apple logos on to the fruit.

Though not the first Apple nail decals (iPress on or glitter glam version, anyone?) these simple white Apple logo and iPod decals win for elegance, hands down.

Hmmm. Wonder if Apple logos that Mac enthusiasts can suntan on skin might be next? Sure, the execution would be more complicated (how long would you have to wear the sticker to brand your flesh?) but the surprise effect a sure winner.

Image courtesy Nobon

If you’ve got an old 1940s style rotary phone lying around and about 7 hours you’re not sure what to do with, you can contact Michael at fonejackerhacker in the UK and find out how he made this iPhone docking station. It’s powered by a 16W amp with one speaker behind the dial (10w) on the front of the phone and two speakers in the handset (2x 3w).

The IR sensor and controls are fitted to the side of the phone and the docking port is hidden under the receiver when the hand set is off. Because the speaker is an official ‘works with iPhone’ product all of the normal charging and iPhone features are uncompromised.

Michael is working on a version with a microphone on the handset and, with the use of an iPhone app that he is developing, you’d be able to use this as a handset for the iPhone, or as a headset.

Via SlipperyBrick

The developers at Mokugift, the kind-hearted people behind the iPhone/iPod Touch app A Real Tree, may not be the greatest app developers, but they are good at math.

For every one of the 99¢ apps purchased on Apple’s iTunes AppStore, one of Mokugift’s 12 internationally recognized tree planting partners will plant, yes, a real tree in places fighting deforestation such as Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burundi, Senegal, Zambia, India, Philippines, and Haiti. These countries are in tropical regions where tree planting is the most beneficial in the fight against global warming.

To be sure, the app is not going to wow the average game-addled, accelerometer-addicted iPhone user. When the app is launched an animated tree grows out of the ground into full bloom. Ta-daa! Tap once and watch a little bird circle around and land. But Mokugift’s Hans Chung understands that Apple has sold more than 13 million iPhones. “If every iPhone owner planted one tree,” he says, “the environmental impact would be equivalent to taking 500,000 cars off the road.”

Chung’s A Real Tree project works with organizations that provide materials and education to local communities to plant trees in an ecologically-beneficial manner. Local communities learn how to plant trees while avoiding toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. The trees they plant produce nutritious fruits and crops that they can live off and make a living on.

It seems like an effort worth contributing 99¢ to, doesn’t it? “People spent $8,000 dollars on that frivolous “I Am Rich” app, Chung said, “That inspired us. We knew we needed to develop something meaningful.” If that’s not enough to turn you over, Chung promised more small ‘Easter egg’ surprises will be added to the tree and the little bird with future updates.

Via iPhoneSavior

In the wake of developer Craig Hockenberry’s “Dear Steve” letter complaining about feeling forced to drift in a sea of 99¢ “ringtone apps,” and the inevitable charges of petulant whining that some accused him of in response, developers at Appcubby have published detailed financial records showing, down to the dollar, what goes into keeping food on the table for an iPhone app developer.

Among the things Hockenberry mentioned in his developers’ wish list to Steve were: ways to accurately track who exactly is downloading apps (and which ads/links they clicked on to get to the store), and the ability to offer free demo version of apps that expire after a given time, prompting people to buy the full app. Appcubby’s records would appear to support the view that Hockenberry was not just crying in his beer, and their post supports his call for free demos and more ad-tracking capabilities as two things that would greatly help the situation.

Via Gizmodo

For the discerning Apple fan on your list, or for yourself, GelaSkins may be just the thing to personalize and protect precious laptops, iPhones and iPods this holiday season. Made with a patented 3M adhesive, GelaSkins are easy to apply and leave no residue behind when you change or remove them. The adhesive allows you to reposition the skin easily for a perfect fit.

They feature richly colored, photo-quality graphics ranging from fine art prints to contemporary urban images designed by artists from around the world and certainly make any mobile device stand out in a crowd.

GelaSkins can be purchased online or at retail outlets world wide and range in price from $12.95 for iPod skins to $29.95 for laptop skins. The Gelaskin website has a convenient store locator with good contact information, and offers a web-only deal of a 4th skin free when you buy 3.

Check out the gallery of just a small sample of the arresting designs available below and head to the GelaSkin website for more. Definitely a “Think Different” gift idea.

The iPhone and BlackBerry have helped erode the market for inexpensive flip phones as Apple and RIM reshape the handset market, a new report said Thursday.

Touchscreen phones now amount to 10 percent of handsets, nearly triple the 3.6 percent of phones in use each month during 2007, according to ComScore m:metrics.

Phone designs including a fixed QWERTY keyboard, such as the BlackBerry Curve, now comprise 22.6 percent of the market, up sharply from 9.5 percent a year ago, the report said.

AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone 3G, Thursday began offering online sales of the Apple handset with home activation, a move not available through Cupertino.

The new ordering system is open to new AT&T customers or iPhone owners that would like to add a line, according to Apple Insider. iPhones purchased online can then activate the handset through iTunes.

Before today, iPhone purchasers had to trudge to an AT&T or Apple retail outlet.

Hollywood now classifies iTunes as a competitor to television networks. That’s the seeming reason behind Apple yanking a number of movies from its online video rental and sales, according to a recent report.

When Hollywood licenses movies for TV network airing, they provide a “release window” during which the broadcast is exclusive. In other words, if CBS buys rights to a movie, it can be sure NBC won’t air the same show during that timeframe.

But since first-release DVDs are also a lucrative revenue stream for Hollywood, that “release window” restriction has never been applied to brick-and-mortar retailers, such as Blockbuster or BestBuy.

Gizmodo has the scoop on the launch of Pastebud, a third-party workaround for basic copy/paste on the iPhone using a couple of clever bookmarks and a webapp.

I say basic, because it is dependent on the bookmarks and so will only work with Safari, or with webapps that run within it.

I think the most interesting thing about Gizmodo’s scoop is the comment by Bandit underneath:

“No gadget in 2008 should require someone to create a workaround like this, let alone a gadget from a company as prominent as Apple. Apple should be embarrassed.”

You said it, Bandit. You said it.

Apple unveiled a number of firmware upgrades aimed at addressing several hardware problems experienced by owners of newly-introduced MacBooks, including the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

The firmware updates were designed to improve stability of the new laptops introduced in October, Apple explained in a note.

“This update improves the stability of MacBook computers and addresses issues with sleep-wake, USB and device compatibility.”

Tune Up, already a popular iTunes plug-in for Windows, makes its OS X debut on Thursday, promising to automagically bring order to your hopelessly unorganized iTunes Library and bestow upon you missing cover art, concert information, music videos and news about your favorite artists, all without your ever having to leave iTunes.

Nicely presented to a snappy backing track in the video above, Tune Up will first analyze your library, presenting you with information on all the megabytes of music you have labeled Track 1, Track 2 and so on, all the Unknown Artists, Unknown Albums and missing information keeping your database from being fit to be housed in the Library of Congress.

Once you’ve been shamed to learn how sloppy you’ve been about importing music onto your Mac, Tune Up gives you the chance to clean up your mess and the automagical stuff really starts to happen. Using a secret forensics algorithm, the program takes an “audio fingerprint” of each mislabeled track and compares it to the 90 million song Gracenotes® Global Media Database and automatically fills in the missing information.

“All of us here are entrenched in music. We’re cranking tunes all day,” says CEO and founder of Tune Up Media, Gabriel Adiv. “We’re also the type of people who want all of our cover-art, don’t like missing concerts and spend hours online looking for YouTube videos, news, and merch from our favorite artists.”

Once your library has been cleaned and all your cover art rendered, Tune Up knowingly displays upcoming local concerts for every artist in your collection, and fetches YouTube videos, Google news and Wikipedia bios related to any playing track. The best part of this feature is that it’s built in – no filling out extra forms or compiling lists of favorite artists or albums from scratch.

For a limited time, a full-featured version of Tune Up is available with 500 “cleans” and 50 cover art “finds” for free. “Tune Up Gold” provides unlimited cleans and cover art finds for a one-time fee of $19.95 or an annual subscription of $11.95. The OS X version launching Thursday requires Leopard, but the company plans a release supporting Tiger soon, as well as support for Windows Media Player and AOL’s WinAmp later in 2009.

Geek rapper GOSHone shot a video for his song “Newteknowledge” on an iPhone 3g.
He says it’s the first music vid shot entirely on an iPhone, but whether someone else has done it or not, the song is catchy as hell (though we do wish he’d given “props up to my fellow nerds” on CoM instead of CNET) and the video where he looks like the overtaxed nerd next cubicle over is clever.

He filmed the clip with Cycorder (the app “rocks,” he says but only works on jailbroken phones) and edited with After Effects, because Final Cut had issues with Cycorder resolution and frame rate.

The song is part of GOSHone‘s album “ctrl_alt_ego” which can be downloaded gratis from his website. A three-year labor of love, it includes tracks like “Laptop Muzik,” “Big Brains” and “Data Flow.”

Via podcasting news

Promo App Codes, a  web forum, tradingpost and clearinghouse for iPhone app developers and the people who love them, launched this week and seems to already be generating considerable interest on both sides of the aisle.

For developers, the site is an oppportunity to promote their work and share Apple’s recently authorized promotional codes, a device for getting early-release and review copies of AppStore approved apps quickly into the hands of up to 50 app testers/reviewers. For reviewers/bloggers/app-nuts, the site provides an easy way to learn about new apps and to establish relationships directly with developers while giving them the valuable feedback to optimize and improve their applications.

Amanuel Tewolde, a developer and founder of Promo App Codes, told Cult of Mac, “When I first heard that Apple will give me 50 promo codes for my apps in the store, I didn’t know who to give them out to.” The site was conceived as he began to consider that “user testing is expensive, and these codes provide a cheap alternative, not to mention help with some positive buzz.”

Potential reviewers and developers alike register for a free account on the clean, simply designed site, with developers having the opportunity to post app information and screenshots in blog-fashion. Registered users have the opportunity to post comments on each “post” about an application.

Users/reviewers/bloggers create profiles and add apps to a “wish list,” entries which show up to developers as interest in their apps, and developers then contact users with free promotional codes. The site maintains a rating system for each app and hosts a forum where all interested parties can communicate with one another. At this writing the site has registered 685 accounts in the two days it’s been open for business.

“We still have lots to learn and do but things look very exciting and the timing seems right,” says Tewolde. “It is christmas season, could there be a better time to start a site where people get free apps?”

UPDATE: This post has been edited for clarity as to search results on the US iTunes store.

Informed of racist content in the music of German neo-nazi band Lancer, Apple moved to pull the content from Germany’s iTunes store within two hours, according to a report at MacBlogz.

Landser had been banned by a German federal court in 2005 for brazenly racist songs with titles such as “Polacken Tango” (Polack Tango) and “Zigeunerpack” (Gypsy Vermin), but an Apple spokesperson was mystified as to how the bands tracks made it on to iTunes, saying, “I don’t know how it made it into the store. We do not tolerate this kind of content.”

Computerbild, a German technology publication apparently made the discovery, while a spokesperson for Jugendschutz, a German youth protection agency, was quoted saying, “the right-wing extremist scene has long identified with and used music to exercise their influence on young people.”

The iTunes Terms of Service for the US store clearly states that “you agree to use the Service at your sole risk and that Apple shall have no liability to you for content that may be found to be offensive, indecent, or objectionable.” A quick search on the US iTunes store for music produced by Detroit-based Resistance Records (alleged to be closely associated with the US Skinhead movement) turned up tracks from outfits such as hard core punk label Fat Wreck Chords and compilations from Rot Records and Riot City Records, though nothing by affirmed neo-nazi bands such as Landser, No Remorse, Bound for Glory or Skullhead.

We reported last week on internet voice service provider Truphone’s mobile app that enables Voice over IP phone calling over WiFi using Apple’s iPod Touch. Wednesday, the company announced availability of Truphone Anywhere, an update to its iPhone app that lets iPhone users make VoIP calls “even if you’re not connected to WiFi or a 3G network.”

With TruPhone Anywhere you pay for a local connection – meaning your call is routed to the cellular network – before the rest of the call is connected using VoIP. Change-o, presto: cheap international calling is here.

Except that it’s been here for more than a year. San Francisco-based service provider RF.com has enabled the same type of calling with any VoIP provider (Skype me, anyone?), and even Asterisk, since shortly after the debut of the original iPhone.

Another mobile VoIP provider, JAJAH, had an app to enable VoIP-completed cellular calling ready for the AppStore launch this past July, but Apple rejected it “because the VoIP service is active over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15 is prohibited: ‘If an Application requires or will have access to the cellular network, then additionally such Application: – May not have Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality,” according to JAJAH spokesman Fredrick Hermann.

Perhaps Apple is less concerned with enforcing the SDK’s VoIP via cellular prohibition today; perhaps Truphone’s “Anywhere” functionality slipped through, or perhaps its app will be pulled from the AppStore tomorrow, or next week. As usual, Apple isn’t saying anything publicly.

Either way, VoIP over iPhone is here to stay.

Via GigaOM

Morgan Stanley analyst Kathryn Huberty Wednesday cut Apple’s target price to $95, down from $100. Huberty pointed to a survey indicating weaker consumer interest.

Huberty also trimmed her expectations for calendar 2009 iPhone sales to 14 million handsets, down

By contrast, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster expects Apple will sell 45 million iPhones next year.