Macenstein

Lionsgate Movies Now on iTunes

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Apple seems to be slowly but surely chipping away at the movie industry’s resistance to the unstoppable juggernaut that is the iTunes store. Today Apple announced that Lionsgate has joined the iTunes family, and will making about 150 of its back-titles (ie. no new releases) available on iTunes this month. This is similar to Paramount’s deal which (for the moment) also eschews new releases. But I think we all know it is only a matter of time... Read More

Mac rumor sites replaced by robots

Posted by Helper Monkey Uh-oh… it looks like the gradual takeover by the robots has begun, and they have started with something no less important than… Mac rumor predictions! Mactactic provides details on when the last time various Mac products were released and whether you should buy now or wait, similar to the Buyer’s Guide page over at Mac Rumors. However, the Mactactic twist here is they use that data to create countdowns that predict the exact day each... Read More

The Sports Bra that could save lives

Posted by Dr. Macenstein You may remember back in 2006 we brought you word of Gracie’s Gear’s POWER POUCHâ„¢ Sports Bra for iPod, and dubbed it perhaps “the single most important iPod accessories to ever have been made“. Well, now the most important invention ever is joining in the most important fight ever; the fight against cancer. Throughout 2007, Lauren Grace Updyke’s Gracie’s Gear is mounting a huge fundraising effort dubbed Gracie... Read More

Apple removes iPod nano MySpace Profiles

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Looks like the nano is too cool for MySpace. Starting Tuesday evening, Apple began sending not-so-subtle hints out to MySpace users who had added the 5 iPod nano MySpace profiles to their buddy lists that the nanos would be leaving, possibly going back to their home planet of Cybertron. Apple added these profiles back in October to promote the new colored nanos, and they had each amassed a sizable amount of “friends” over the months (over... Read More

Microsoft’s promotional Zune MP3s encoded using iTunes 6

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Faithful Macenstein reader rico has returned from his sabbatical to bring us this gem he discovered while cruising around Artistdirect.com. It seems Microsoft (and more specifically, the Zune division) have teamed up with Artist Direct for a Zune promotion which offers 35 free downloadable MP3 tracks (no registration required). The free tracks include artists such as Weird Al, Tom Waits, Tegan and Sara, The Postmarks, Spoon, Postal Service, Barenaked... Read More

Dear Steve, let’s ditch Apple’s software copy protection while we’re at it

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Yesterday’s open letter from Steve Jobs to the (European) record companies painted a very rosy picture of a theoretical future where all digital music would be sold DRM-free. In Jobs’ musical utopia, songs purchased via iTunes would work on all musical devices, not just iPods, and songs bought through competing music services like Sony and Microsoft would play just fine on an iPod. Jobs theorized that this would be a beneficial move for both... Read More

Review: Chub City i-Playaz iPod Vehicles and Characters from Jada Toys

Posted by Dr. Macenstein On a recent trip to my local mall I was amazed at just how many kids I saw talking on their mobile phones. Many appeared to be as young as 7 or 8 (although I could be slightly off, as my 32-year-old eyes seem to view almost anyone under 23 as a 7 or 8-year-old.) When I got home I began ranting to my wife, “What kind of parents would trust an 8-year-old kid with an expensive piece of gear like a RAZR phone?”. She gave me a “what are... Read More

Apple showcases Vista’s new Security features

Posted by Dr. Macenstein This is by far our favorite of the “Get a Mac” ads. We have a couple Windows XP PCs here in the lab, and most require clicking through 4 or more error messages after boot, and clicking on a couple virus scan notifications when doing almost anything. Is this the improved security Bill was talking about in his incoherent security rant?  Read More

Free on iTunes: “Little Black Dress� short film featuring Rosario Dawson

Posted by Helper Monkey Apple has made another of the Glamour Reel Moments short films available as a free download. This month, it is “Little Black Dress“, written and directed by Talia Lugacy, and staring Rosario Dawson. From iTunes: “When Kristy is asked to attend a National Sales Meeting at the last minute, havoc ensues as she races the clock to find a suitable dress and make it back to the banquet in time to impress the CEO.â€? It’s better than... Read More

Robot Chicken writers bring Steve Jobs to (Way-Off) Broadway

Posted by Dr. Macenstein How off? Try Philadelphia. But still, Eric Weiner and Jordan Allen-Dutton’s new musical, “NERDS: A Musical Software Satire” seems like a pretty good idea. Normally we aren’t fans of Broadway musicals which do not feature geysers of splurting blood, but NERDS seems right up our alley. The plot centers around Steve Jobs and Bill Gates’ respective rises to power, fame and fortune, complete with a Star Wars-esque battle of... Read More