Macenstein’s “Mac Chick of the Month” (September 2007): Ana Maria
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, Mac Chick of the Month
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
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 photos by Foto Club Mallorca |
Heralding from Majorca Island, Spain, Ana Maria may not speak very fluent English, but her love of Macs and tech gear in general comes through loud and clear in her Google-translated e-mail.
Quick facts:
NAME: Ana Maria
AGE: 26
LOCATION: Majorca Island, Spain
OCCUPATION: UV technician at Solmania
FIRST APPLE PRODUCT: iMac G3 Indigo. I also had a Macintosh G4 “lamp” – Broken but was the most wonderful and nice computer I had. No repair was posible :’(
I now have the MacBook Pro – The one of the photos, another gift for my husband. He bought me when the G4 failed, but I prefer to use desktop computers.
FAVORITE APPLE GEAR: Pink iPod nano 2Gb
FAVORITE NON-APPLE GEAR: Sega Master System II 
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Jericho, Lost, & Zorro: la espada y la rosa
FAVORITE MOVIES: The Labyrinth, Titanic, Ghost & The nightmare before christmas
FAVORITE BOOKS: The Little Vampire by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg (yes, I do not read so much!)
ON MY iPOD: I don’t have favorite band. I listen generally flamenco songs & 80’s songs
HOBBIES: Cooking & collect all 80’s vintage objects I see !!!
“Life itself need not be so complicated, so I use Apple things because they are easy & funny to use. My first Apple computer was a gift from my husband, an iMac G3, back in the 99 when we where just a starting couple. I still use it daily for internets and e-mail. My daily basis Apple gear is my iPod nano, I love it!”
Ana says she took these photos as a surprise birthday present for her husband (another Mac-head) so he could use them as his desktop wallpaper. If you’d like to add Ana to YOUR desktop, check out our desktop wallpaper of Ana below.
Do you think you or someone you know would make a great “Mac Chick of the Month”? Send us an e-mail, or check out our application guide here or on our MySpace page for details.
Due to popular demand, we are proud to offer a MCotM desktop wallpaper to enhance the beauty of YOUR Mac.
Click to download.
Apple drops NBC after NBC drops Apple
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
Fans of The Office may have to dust off their VCRs, as Apple today announced that it will not be selling the upcoming season of NBC television shows on its online iTunes Store.
The move follows NBC’s decision to not renew its agreement with iTunes after Apple claims they declined to pay more than double the wholesale price for each NBC TV episode. We’re not sure what the “wholsesale” price of a TV show is, but Apple says the proposed cost increase would have resulted in the retail price to consumers increasing to $4.99 per episode from the current $1.99. ABC, CBS, FOX and The CW, along with more than 50 cable networks, are signed up to sell TV shows from their upcoming season on iTunes at $1.99 per episode.
“We are disappointed to see NBC leave iTunes because we would not agree to their dramatic price increase,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We hope they will change their minds and offer their TV shows to the tens of millions of iTunes customers.”
Apple’s agreement with NBC ends in December. Since NBC would withdraw their shows in the middle of the television season, Apple has decided to not offer NBC TV shows for the upcoming television season beginning in September. NBC supplied iTunes with three of its 10 best selling TV shows last season, accounting for 30 percent of iTunes TV show sales.
Rampant Speculation: New 15-inch MacBook Pros Sept. 5th?
Filed under: MacBook, MacBook Pro, Rampant Speculation
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
Astute Apple shopper and faithful Macenstein reader Hendry pointed us to the online Apple Store, where for some reason the ship time on 15-inch MacBook Pros has slipped to 7-10 days. The 17-inch model, and all “normal” MacBooks seem to have ship times of 24 hours.
Such a supply delay would normally not be overly suspicious in and of itself, however, Apple has coincidentally set up a “Special event” (aren’t they all?) to be held 7-10 days from now (Sept 5th). Most people feel the focus will be iPod-based in nature, but perhaps there will be something more? (For the record, Amazon.com, whose inventory shortages have a long history of spoiling upcoming surprise Apple product refreshes seems to have a healthy supply of the 15-inch MBP ready for same day shipping).
The MBP is not necessarily due for an update, but it’s been about 90 days since the last refresh, so it isn’t entirely out of the question either.
So, make of it what you will. But you know us and our conspiracy theories. We’re now predicting 15-inch touchscreen MacBook Pros in 8 colors! What else could it possibly mean?!?
Anyone out there know WordPress?
[UPDATE: Thanks for the overwhelming response. We believe we have found our Wordpress guru, so thanks for your offers of help, but it looks like we're set. But perhaps we'll come begging again for the Macenstein Version 3.0 launch!]
We’re looking to update Macenstein’s look, and we could use some help. We’ve come up with a look for the site (for better or worse), we just don’t know how to code a theme out of it. It would appear CSS is our kryptonite.
Our good friend and sometimes contributor Brain in a Jar says he will “get to it eventually”, but he is swamped with more important (and higher paying) work for the next few weeks.
So, if there are any WordPress whizzes out there who think they can bang our a WordPress theme post haste, we want to talk to you.
Drop us a line at plotsuggestion@macenstein.com, and let us know what you can do.
Thanks!
-The Doc
How sad.
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
Above: It appears that Nokia has decided to combat Apple’s iPhone by releasing Apple’s iPhone.
[EDIT: Some people are saying that YouTube video shows up marked "private". It works fine for me, but Here’s a QT version.
Why George Hotz could face jail time
Filed under: News, Opinion, Rampant Speculation, iPhone
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
Everyone’s favorite hacker of the week, George Hotz, has enjoyed 13 of his 15 minutes of fame this week, appearing on news shows and conducting media interviews about his successful iPhone hack, and good for him. Let’s just hope his last 2 minutes are not spent in a courtroom.
As a fellow New Jerseyian, I am proud that first person to waste 2 months of their life attempting to unlock the iPhone came from the Garden State. However, I worry that George might be tempting the “lawyers that be” with each of his somewhat smug-sounding interviews.
In one such interview, George made it clear that he feels his unlocking of the iPhone is protected under an exemption made to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 2006 which says it is legal to unlock a cellphone’s firmware for the purpose of personal use. However, recently the story broke that George has traded his unlocked iPhone to a Kentucky-based mobile phone company in exchange for a Nissan 350Z, and 3 brand new locked iPhones.
So now that George has given his unlocked iPhone to someone else (and gained a couple thousand dollars worth of compensation) it stands to reason he is no longer “personally using it”. Odds are if they felt like it, AT&T (and more likely Apple, since they’re the ones who likely wrote the firmware) could go after George, arguing that his motivation for unlocking the iPhone was to make money and gain notoriety, not for personal use. And they’d have a pretty good case.
Now, as for whether either company wants to make an example of George is the question. George comes across as a likable enough fellow – an enthusiastic tech geek who was not willing to get a haircut before appearing on national TV. Apple probably wouldn’t bother to go after him, as unlocking iPhones can only sell more of them, but AT&T might. Their lawyers have already begun attempting to stop other iPhone unlocking companies from selling their solutions online. Hopefully George’s 17-year-old status and the fact he is starting his freshman year at college will soften AT&T’s heart and let him off the hook. After all, AT&T knew the iPhone’s unlocking was bound to happen eventually. Yet at the same time, AT&T, from all reports, invested quite a bit of time and money in landing the iPhone as an exclusive to AT&T’s service, and we could be talking about real financial losses, both in subscribers and stock prices, which could potentially spur AT&T to unleash the hounds. Even more than the cost of a Nissan 350Z.
And come to think of it, Apple may lose out too on unlocked iPhones. While they were able to trick negotiate a revenue sharing deal with AT&T, they are still attempting to do so with the carriers over in Europe and Asia. Odds are, if it is known the iPhone can be made to work on any carrier, Apple will have a harder time trying to negotiate a similar deal with foreign carriers.
As I said, George seems like a good kid, and while I do not wish jail time or lawyer’s fees on George, from what I can tell, it appears he is a Windows user who quotes the movie Galaxy Quest. So while prison seems a bit much, maybe I wouldn’t be against his receiving a stern letter from AT&T or Apple, just to freak him out a bit.
Review: Speck’s Holster-Pro for iPhone
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
Speck has a pretty impressive track record of delivering high-quality cases for the iPod and iPhone. While usually costing 10-15% more than competing cases, the build quality is traditionally top notch, and I have yet to be disappointed by any of their products.
The Holster-Pro for iPhone carries on Speck’s tradition of solid construction and attention to detail. While I am not a fan of the holster-style case in general, there is much to like about Speck’s approach. First, the unit looks cool. Designed with a black leather exterior with white accent stitching and a felt-lined interior, the Holster-Pro looks refined without taking away from your iPhone’s good looks. The case’s three “arms” snugly grip your iPhone and hold it tight – there’s little chance the iPhone will fall out, no matter how much jump roping you intend to do. Similarly, metal the belt clip on the back is solid with very little give, so odds are that once fastened, you’d have to try pretty hard to “accidentally” dislodge it (and if you are trying so hard, it wouldn’t really be an accident, would it?).
When in the case, you have full access to your iPhone’s controls and screen. The mouth piece and speaker are exposed as well, so the phone can be used without removing it from the case, however the dock port is covered, meaning it must be removed for charging.
Kicking the kickstand idea up a notch
The cool thing about the Holster-Pro (to me anyway) is its kickstand. For those of us who watch movies and television shows on our iPhone, the kickstand is something we have grown to appreciate. Unlike other holster cases with bulky, plastic, ratcheting clips (some of which almost double the girth of the case), the Holster-Pro’s metal clip allows it to maintain a relatively slim profile. But what’s really cool about the clip is that it is actually mounted on a hinged piece of leather, held tight by Velcro. When expanded, the clip provides a great kickstand support for iPhone video viewing (a small ribbon keeps the stand from opening too wide). The only potential downside to the fixed kickstand idea is that it is designed to hold the iPhone with the volume buttons facing down, but this is actually Apple’s fault, as videos (for some unknown reason) do not rotate with the iPhone the way photos do, so a “volume-button-down” orientation is the only one Apple allows. I am hoping Apple fixes this “bug” at some point, and if they do, then this could possibly matter, but right now, it doesn’t.
Issues
Like most holster-style cases, the Holster-Pro leaves your iPhone fairly exposed, which is good if you want quick access to controls, but bad if you often bump into tables or other hard objects. The corners of the iPhone are also completely exposed – the most vulnerable spots in the event of a drop. Also, similarly priced (or cheaper) holster cases often come with a screen protecting sticker and/or cleaning cloth, both of which are lacking in the Holster-Pro.
As I said, I never fully bought into the holster type of case for phones and iPods, as leaving my iPhone exposed like that, on my hip, just seemed like asking for trouble. Plus, I am a bit of a slob and have not had my shirt tucked in since my communion when I was 11, so clipping something to my pants or belt (if I wore one) would cause it to disappear under my shirt. I much prefer to just throw my iPhone, case and all, in my pocket. So really the only downside to the Holster-Pro as I see it is it is a holster-style case. If you like such cases, and are looking for a case designed more for fastening purposes than for protection, then the Holster-Pro is a nice choice.
Conclusion
Like most of Speck’s products, the Holster-Pro is well-made and stylish, and provides a secure way to carry your iPhone. The flip out kickstand clip provides a great way to view videos on your Phone without adding the extra bulk of other holster-type clips. The downside of the case is it provides little protection to the iPhone, leaving the screen and the majority of the sides exposed. Still, if you are a fan of holster-style cases, the Holster-Pro is a great choice.
The Holster-Pro for iPhone by Speck
Price: $29.95
Pros: Stylish, nice construction, flip-out kickstand clip for video viewing
Cons: Adds little protection from scratches and falls, no screen protector
KickApps First Social Media Platform to Support Web Video Sharing on iPhone
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
The iPhone’s lack of support for the Flash player has pretty much meant that the large selection of social media sites (which are pretty much ALL Flash-based) were off limits to iPhone users. That travesty has apparently come to an end, as NY-based KickApps has announced that any video uploaded to KickApps’ powered social media sites will be encoded into both Flash and H.264, meaning you can now watch uploaded videos on the iPhone directly through its browser. When a user plays a video, KickApps instantly detects which format is required and delivers the video via a compatible video player; in the case of the iPhone, videos accessed through its Safari browser are displayed via QuickTime. An example of the technology is available at www.KickFlix.net.
“Our platform is driven largely by the goal of eliminating barriers of entry to social media,†said Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps. “By supporting the iPhone browser, we’re providing our affiliates and their audiences with the flexibility to deliver and consume online video via one of the most exciting and innovative mobile devices on the market today.â€
Additionally, if you are developer, Kickapps has posted info on implementing the functionality at their KickDeveloper site.
In general I found the site worked well on the iPhone, although I found some page loads seemed to stall, requiring that I had to stop a page from loading and then hit “reload” to make it work. After the reload, however, the videos popped up quickly, and when clicked, went into “fullscreen” playback mode, which is very nice. Since I often use my iPhone to pass the time when waiting in lines, gas stations, or at the movies, it’s nice to now have access to a new source of crap to fill the void. Check it out, fellow iPhone users.
Review: The iPhone’s “Little Black Dress” – The iPhone Suede Jacket Case by WaterField
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
In part 3 of our 700-part series profiling iPhone cases, I thought I would showcase one of the more elegant and simple solutions to the problem of protecting your iPhone – the iPhone Suede Jacket Case by WaterField.
As I like to point out in iPod case reviews, the type of case you choose for your iPhone depends entirely on how you use it. While a Speck ToughSkin case is going to provide good deal of shock protection if dropped while exercising, it wouldn’t be my first choice to bring to a dinner party (especially knowing I’m gong to try to “casually” show it off to everyone I meet).
The iPhone Suede Jacket Case by WaterField is the equivalent of the “little black dress” in every woman’s wardrobe. It looks refined, it goes with any occasion, and it can be used to wipe fingerprint smudges off the person wearing it. Well, OK, maybe that’s not a major selling point of the little black dress, but it IS a nice added benefit of the suede case. Like the black dress, I consider this case to be the type you would use in social situations – ones where you think you might be asked to show off your iPhone – and the fact that the case itself can be used to also give it a quick cleaning before (or after) handing it to an eager would-be iPhone convert is a great plus.
The case is very similar in design to the one Apple ships with iPods these days, and to be honest, it is the case every iPhone should have been shipped with. It is a simple pouch, perfectly tailored to hold your iPhone snugly – almost too snugly, in fact. Removing the iPhone from the case involves 2 hands, and unlike other more “functional” cases, you pretty much have to remove your iPod from the case to do anything. But again, this case is something you use when you want to experience the sleek thinness of the iPhone’s design.
The case provides a good deal of scratch protection in a pants pocket with keys or inside a purse, leaving just one end exposed. You can put your iPhone head first or tail end first, but if you are expecting a call, I would suggest putting the speaker side facing out, as the case does muffle the iPhone’s ring a bit.
Conclusion
There’s really not much else to say about the Suede Jacket Case, except that it is one of the most affordable, as well as stylish cases you’ll find. Costing only $9 and available in black, black, or black, it is not the best case for every situation, but it is a great choice for the type of user who who is careful with their iPhone, and is more worried about avoiding inadvertent scratches than a concussive impact. Plus, for 9 bucks, it is a cheap way to expand your iPhone’s wardrobe while still leaving some money left over to buy the iPhone Malibu Beach House and iPhone Corvette.
The iPhone Suede Jacket Case by WaterField.
Price: $9
Pros: Looks classy, very affordable, provides a good deal of scratch protection, case itself can be used to clean the iPhone’s screen, does not add bulk to the iPhone.
Cons: No real shock absorption to speak of in the event of a fall, no place to carry headphones.
My conspiracy theory – expect an iPhone update with new features soon
Filed under: Opinion, Rampant Speculation, Updates, iPhone
Posted by Dr. Macenstein
According to Engadget, the iPhone was officially unlocked today. A rag-tag group of rebels over at iPhoneSIMfree.com were able to unlock the iPhone’s SIM to work on any carrier, freeing it from AT&T’s shackles. Apparently, this “hack” is the real deal, as even an iPhone restore doesn’t cause a problem. Yet while this is the news many iPhone hold-outs have been waiting to hear, I am a little hesitant to endorse T-Mobile customers rushing out and plopping down $600 on an iPhone.
I am a big conspiracy theory buff, so let me preface this by saying this is pure speculation, and I am likely insane, but I think there is a very real chance those people could be wasting money, and here’s why.
As popular as the iPhone is, and as hyped as it is, there are still a couple basic features that everyone thinks it should have, things $100 phones have had for a year or more. While their omission at launch baffled many phone enthusiasts and the tech media in general, the iPhone has seen two software updates in 2 months, yet nothing but minor bugs appear to have been addressed. No major feature update has hit the iPhone yet.
Why is that?
Well, what if (and this could be the whiskey talking), what if Apple was waiting until someone unlocked the iPhone before releasing such an update? What if they now design (or have designed) a way to make sure that only AT&T customers could update their iPhones and add these features? Or, what if you need to update iTunes in order to get the cool new features, and the iTunes update detects your carrier? You would be stuck at the current software versions indefinitely.
I am not saying Apple would necessarily “brick” an unlocked iPhone, but what if, by unlocking your iPhone, you will be perpetually stuck with iPhone 1.0.2 software, and iTunes 7.3.2 on your computer? Apple would be under no obligation to customers who decide to unlock their iPhones, as those user agreements we all clicked through made it clear you are not supposed to mess with the iPhone, and more than likely Apple IS under an obligation to AT&T to do their darndest to keep their part of the AT&T exclusivity deal.
As I said, this is just a theory, born from boredom and my desire to see Apple come out with a feature-packed iPhone update. Odds are I am just desperately looking at the iPhone’s unlocking as a potential impetus for Apple to deliver some of the iPhone’s “missing” features. This is one of those “time will tell” scenarios that I think we shall not have long to wait to see the outcome of. Given the iPhone’s hype, Apple and AT&T will have to address the issue via an official press release soon, and I predict AT&T will be somewhat insistent that Apple do something. As a “legitimate” iPhone owner (I don’t consider adding a ringtone or two with iFuntastic a real violation of the iPhone’s TOS), I am hoping Apple’s response comes in the form of an update.
