Apple clone maker Psystar’s got some new lawyers who believe the federal case against the Florida company is difficult, but not “crazy.”
Kiwi Camara and Tim Nyberg of Houston legal studio Camara & Sibley agreed to defend Psytar in June. They’re taking a winner-takes-all approach, charging the Mac cloner a flat fee — only if they prevail over Apple in court.
“We take hard cases, but not baseless ones,” Camara told the Houston Chronicle.
We end the week with a grab-bag of bargains, including two deals on MacBooks, more accessories for your iPod nano, and App Store price cuts.
Details on these and other Apple items (such as an FM receiver for your iPod/iPhone) can be found on the CoM “Daily Deals” page.
You just installed Snow Leopard. Now what?
Here’s the best 10 tips and tricks we found for putting the beast to best use.
Sales of Sony’s MP3 Walkman outsold iPods for the first time in Japan for the first time since 2005.
Research firm BCN Inc. found that Sony’s share of the portable music market share rose to 43 percent last week, creeping above Apple’s 42.1 percent.
The uptick in sales is attributed to the W Series pictured above, which sells for under 10,000 yen ($108). Sony’s answer to the iPod shuffle is a 2G wearable headset that has generally met with favorable reviews.
But Sony MP3 players might not be as big in Japan as they seem. As Bloomberg notes, the jump can be at least in part attributed to people ditching iPods for the iPhone, so Apple wins either way.
Via Bloomberg
If you’re searching for a good deal on MacBook Pro laptops, today may be your day. We have two e-tailers vying for your attention. All are Core 2 Duos, with the screen size ranges from 15-inches to 17-inches. Philips also has a $50 iPod universal remote while TigerDirect.com offers this cool Photo ball/alarm clock and dock.
For details on these bargains and others (like a foldable USB keyboard), visit CoM’s Daily Deals page.
Coinciding with Steve Jobs return to the public eye next week, Penguin Portfolio is reissuing my book Inside Steve’s Brain with a new chapter about how Apple will cope without its dynamic CEO.
Published in April 2008, Inside Steve’s Brain was a New York Times best-seller and an international hit (translated into 15 languages and a best-seller in Brazil and Italy). But the book was written before Jobs’ recent liver transplant, so the publisher asked me to update it for a second edition.
Jobs will take the stage next week at Apple’s special press event to show off new holiday iPods to the press. He has to: If he doesn’t show up Sept. 9, there’ll be a media shitstorm and Apple’s stock will tank.
Jobs’ last public appearance happened exactly a year ago. Last Sept. 9, he presided over a similar iPod event at the same venue. Bloomberg had accidentally published Jobs’ obituary, and when he appeared onstage he flashed a slide with Mark Twain’s famous line: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Indeed. One liver transplant later, Jobs is still with us, thank God. But there will be a time when Apple will have to do without its supreme leader, and as I explain in the new chapter of Inside Steve’s Brain, the company will be both royally fucked and totally OK when the inevitable happens.
Cult of iPod won a prestigious design award for its eye-popping layout
—STEP inside design, March/April 2006 (Read more)
“A beautifully published and well-written book about the cultural phenomenon known as iPod.”
—ConsumerElectronicsNet, November 4, 2005 (Read more)
“A cleverly designed, attractive book . . . recommended for public libraries and universities with programs in popular culture.”
—Technology Electronic Reviews, December 2006 (Read more)
In this follow-up to his bestselling The Cult of Mac, Wired News editor Leander Kahney looks at how Apple’s distinctively stylish portable player is changing the way we store, carry, and use all kinds of information—and the way we interact with each other.
The Cult of iPod includes the exclusive back story of the iPod’s development and investigates the quirkier aspects of iPod culture, such as iPod-jacking (strangers plugging into each other’s iPods to discover new music), as well as the growing legions of MP3Js (regular folks who use their iPods to become DJs). Four-color throughout.
Cult of iPod is available from these fine booksellers.
Click here to download Chapter 5; or download the entire book using Bittorrent.
“Mr. Kahney’s writing reflects a genuine warmth and love for the iPod, as his writing style is both informative and enthusiastic . . . This book is a designer’s delight . . . Once you get going, it’s hard to put down.” — Northwest Apple Pickers (Read more)
“Visually stunning . . . Kahney’s writing style transmits the ecstasy that accompanies the phenomenon.” — University of Waterloo (Canada) (Read more)
News about STEP inside design award for book: “Way to go Derek Yee, Leander Kahney and No Starch Press!” — 800CEORead, March 23, 2006 (Read more)
“The wide variety of material will keep you turning the pages until you reach the end . . . Then you’ll flip back and go through it again, since you cannot possible absorb it all in one sitting . . . the depth is enough to keep your interest long after you’ve forgotten the latest thriller novel.” — The Jem Report, March 22, 2006 (Read more)
“Leaves no stone unturned, as it uses an abundance of witty repartee to take readers on a tour of everything iPod with gorgeous four-color photos, stylish layout, and design.” — AVN Online, March 2006 (Read more)
“Everything a great book should be . . . It excites as it educates and encourages one to think about the ripple effect of this little device.” — Computing Canada, March 3, 2006 (Read more)
Leander Kahney interviewed on popular NPR show, broadcast nationwide; available as a podcast. — TechNation, January 31, 2006 (Download and listen)
“It’s an eye-opening look at how the iPod itself has changed the nature of music.” — Midwest Book Review, January 2006 (Read more)
“The Macintosh is more than a computer, it’s a way of life. This book is about what it is to be a Macintosh person. It gives insight into the greatest love and loyalties of any product of our era.”
—Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-founder
“If you want to know what’s happening in the Apple underground, talk to Leander Kahney.”
—Eric Hellweg, CNN Columnist
There is no product on the planet that enjoys the devotion of a Macintosh computer. Famously dedicated to their machines, many Mac fans eat, sleep, and breathe Macintosh. The Cult of Mac is the first book about Macintosh culture, arguably the largest distinct subculture in computing.
Written by Wired News managing editor Leander Kahney, The Cult of Mac is an in-depth look at Mac users and their unique, creative, and often very funny culture. Like fans of a football team or a rock group, Macintosh fans have their own customs, with clearly defined obsessions, rites and passages. From people who get Mac tattoos and haircuts, to those who furnish their apartments with empty Mac boxes, this book details Mac fandom in all of its forms.
The paperback edition includes an all-new chapter about the iPod, updates throughout, and new photos that reflect current Apple technology.
Cult of Mac is available from these fine booksellers.
Click here to download Chapter 8; or download the entire book using Bittorrent.
“This unique coffee table book is not only a must for any Mac fan, it also makes fascinating reading for anyone interested in the intersection of technology and popular culture, or discovering the unique people who live their lives by Apple’s ‘Think Different motto.” — Corporate Media News and AEC Newsroom, Sept. 9, 2004
“This account of Macintosh fanaticism will strike a chord with anyone who’s ardently defended (or cursed) an operating system… sure to end up on Quadra-based coffee tables everywhere.” — Wired Magazine, October 2004
“Who knew there were so many Mac tattoos out there?” — Village Voice, Oct. 21, 2004 (Full review)
“I’m certainly glad this book came out before Christmas. Now I know what I am going to give a couple of my fellow Macaddicts.” — Slashdot, Oct. 29, 2004 (Full review)
“To some extent, Newton loyalty fits into the broader context of Apple loyalty, which is the subject of a new book, ‘The Cult of Mac,’ by Leander Kahney.” — New York Times, Oct. 31, 2004 (Read article)
Mr. Kahney’s informal history of the Mac is interspersed with trivia and delightful details, and intriguing photos, and is wrapped up in an entertaining style. This is a coffee table book that only a geek might love — but it’s also one lots of people will enjoy reading.” — Washington Times, Nov. 23, 2004 (Read article)
5/5 Rating: “This is a wonderful book to look at and read. Many of the stories are captivating, and made me want to look up more information online of the people he writes about in the book… Written with detail in mind, The Cult of Mac is a large and ambitious project that was put together with loving care by the author.” — MyMac.com, December 2004 (Full review)
Hot Review: “A fun book, one that any self-respecting Mac addict will delight in receiving as a present, and displaying on the coffee table. That is, if they can keep wiping the drool off the pages.” — MacNN, December 2004 (Full review)
We’re big fans of the unauthorized doc “Welcome to Macintosh” — a true love letter to the history of Apple and its community.
Now this indie film is available on iTunes.
Well, it’s also available on Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Netflix etc., but we love the idea that what is a totally handmade film (tagline: “a documentary for the rest of us”) is now worthy of being sold by Apple.
The more I play with Snow Leopard, the more it looks like it’s designed to run Apple’s upcoming tablet.
Look at Expose in the Dock — the new feature that reveals all an application’s open windows when you click and hold the application’s icon. It’s tailor-made for fingers. Even more convincing is Stacks in the Dock. Hit a folder icon in the dock, and up pops the folder and all its files. Each icon is a big target for your finger, and the window has a big, fat slider for scrolling up and down (no more fiddly little arrows at the top or bottom). Both of these UI tweaks scream ‘touchscreen.’
And then today I discovered an unheralded feature that the minute I saw it, I thought, “Game over! Here’s rock-solid proof that Snow Leopard is designed for touchscreens. This is a tablet operating system.”
