Macenstein

Trend towards “DIGITAL CONVERGENCE� may make Apple’s “iPhone� inevitable

Posted by Helper Monkey In a recent survey of technology executives conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the overwhelming majority see a new “tech boomâ€? on the horizon, spurred by a new “Digital Convergenceâ€?. This convergence is described as “the effort to bring together computer, phone, recording and broadcast technologies within an all-digital environment enabling new, flexible uses of products and services.â€? Apple’s iPod was originally... Read More

Apple adds NBC News Programs to iTunes (sort of…)

Posted by Lab Rat Are you feeling the current offerings on iTunes are not informative enough despite the new Discovery Channel additions? Well, you’re in luck. Apple has added a bunch of NBC News programs to iTunes. Shows include: NBC News Specials (Brian Williams special reports), NBC News Time Capsule ( A news retrospective), Tom Brokaw Reports (specials giving us his :insightful coverageâ€? of important topics), Meet The Presidents (Meet The Press staff interviewing... Read More

Nike/Apple unveil Nike+iPod Sport Kit

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Well, it looks like our exclusive predictions of the Nike/Apple partnership did indeed come true. Hooray for us. We finally got one right. And we weren’t even that far off when we jokingly suggested a new shoe that changes songs on each step might be in the works. Apparently all the to-do was about a new Nike+iPod Sport Kit which is designed to transmit information about your running workout (such as distance, time, calories burned, etc.) from... Read More

RUMOR: Update on Nike/Apple Partnership

Posted by Dr. Macenstein 2 weeks ago we reported on a possible Nike/Apple partnership. At the time, reports suggested we might have seen something official last week, although nothing concrete ever showed up. Well, Macenstein reader Oregon Runner throws a little more feul to fire by pointing out the following: “If anyone finds this interesting, do a whois domain search for the website www.tuneyourrun.com and you’ll see a recently registered website to NIKE.â€? The... Read More

Report: Apple’s 5th Avenue Store already has a 30-foot scratch

Posted by iGor The All-Glass 5th Avenue Apple Store is still 4 hours from opening, yet it already has a giant 30-foot scratch on it. Apparently the store — designed by the makers of Apple’s popular iPod music player— was actually made from the same materials as the portable music player’s screen. “We negotiated a terrific price on the material we use for the screen from our vendors, and figured it might be a good way to shave a few bucks off the... Read More

Magician David Blaine to attempt to escape from Apple’s Fifth Avenue Store

Posted by iGor Fresh off his recently televised underwater-escape failure, magician David Blaine has announced he will attempt a slightly less risky stunt in NYC this summer. “ I plan to spend 9 hours encased inside Apple’s giant ALL-GLASS 5th Avenue store, after which time I will attempt to leave the store via a staircase also made entirely of glass.â€? Blaine said in a press conference earlier this afternoon. Apple’s inescapable glass cube. When pressed... Read More

MacBook’s “Glossy� screen annoying

Posted by Dr. Macenstein I happened to be in the Short Hills, NJ Apple Store today, so I figured I would take a peek at the newly released MacBooks. Now, this is totally my opinion, but I was immediately struck by two things about the new MacBook. First, the black MacBook looks about as nice as a generic Dell Laptop, and second, the new “Glossyâ€? display is pretty annoying to use. I was initially happy to see Apple release a non-white MacBook, but the pictures on... Read More

REVIEW: iPod Hi-Fi… Overpriced, even for Apple

Posted by Lab Rat Apple has a long tradition of taking a good idea, perfecting it, simplifying it, encasing it in white plastic, and then charging way too much for it. As a loyal Mac user I have come to appreciate that as good as Apple’s products are, Apple’s marketing department is even better. Those looking for proof need look no further than Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home Stereo. Reinvented. Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi (I wonder if they had to... Read More

Apple (finally) releases the MacBook

Posted by Dr. Macenstein After months of speculation and false rumors, Apple today released the 13-inch MacBook, a replacement for not only Apple’s iBook line, but also its 12-inch PowerBook. It is available in both white and black (for $200 more) models, and pricing starts at $1,199. Coming as somewhat of a surprise is the new MacBook ships with a 2.0 GHz Core Duo chip instead of the rumored Core Solo. The graphics are handled by a 64 MB integrated Intel chip, like the... Read More

RUMOR: Apple/Nike “Mystery Product” this Thursday?

Posted by Helper Monkey We have received a report that a possible Apple/Nike partnership is in the works on a mystery product, and could be unveiled as early as this Thursday. From an anonymous submission: “i work in the footwear industry, and a little birdie told me to expect some nike/apple news very soon, i would guess at the thursday thing. i’d heard about a year ago that they were pairing, based on info from adidas contacts who had approached apple only to learn... Read More