Time Machine for sale
Looks like Apple may have a little competition on the Time Machine front. Faithful Macenstein reader Dan S came across a listing on craigslist for a hardware competitor to Apple’s software Time Machine that will apparently let you travel not just back in time, but forward as well.
FREE TIME MACHINE:
Lack of funds have come up and put the skids on me finishing my dreams of building my time machine. I think I have it almost totally completed. I’ve run into one hill I can’t overcome with my small income. The time machine powers up and runs fine, however, the cryostaysis system doesn’t quite kick on. If anyone out there wants to take over my dreams of time travel, I will be willing to give this up for free. Imagine the chicks, the parties, all the bennies of knowing back then what you know now. This project should not fall into the wrong hands. I will be screening applicants. Thank you for reading my post.
Well, it may be a little rough around the edges, but the price is certainly right. This would be perfect for those times you not only want to retrieve your lost data, but for when you want to see what data you WILL lose on the future. I’m no Doc Brown, but I think all it needs is one of these home-made Flux Capacitors, and you should be good to go.
Using MacBook Pros and Fighter Planes to protect the Department of Defense’s Computer Network
Faithful Macenstein reader Charles Davey writes: “I took this picture at the 2008 Quonset Point (RI) Airshow yesterday. Seems like the Air Guard knows the best weapon for the job.”
Wow. 3 completely unguarded MacBook Pros left on a card table out in the open for anyone to steal. Or at least, that’s what the 102nd Information Warfare Squadron wanted you to think. According to their website:
“The 102d Information Warfare Squadron is an Air Combat Command (ACC) gained unit which provides Computer Network Defense (CND) services. CND incorporates those actions taken to protect, monitor, analyze, detect and respond to unauthorized activity within DoD information systems and computer networks.”
I’m pretty sure there were 3 fully armed jets circling above that tent, just waiting for someone to try something. Is it just me, or is it extra super awesome that the “Information Warefare Squadron” is using Macs to defend the presumably 90% PC DoD computer networks?
Let’s hope FOX NEWS doesn’t release a 3G microphone this July
Filed under: History, Humor, That's Weird..., Theft, iPhone
On the 1 year birthday of the iPhone, we thought a trip down memory lane was in order.
Remember all the craziness surrounding the iPhone’s initial launch? Big crowds, professional line-sitters, street magicians pretending their iPhone had X-Ray abilities? Well, for me what sticks out as the craziest moment of the launch was when FOX NEWS anchor Laura Ingles was mugged while interviewing Newsweek’s Steven Levy (who was showing off one of only four iPhones known to be in the wild at the time). You can see that despite a healthy lineup of easy-to-mug geeks waiting to go in and plunk down $600 on the iPhone, it is inf act Ingles’ microphone that seems to be in high demand.
Man, and that was just for the EDGE version of the microphone! Imagine the security needed if that thing was 3G! Good thing FOX NEWS reporter/WWF wannabe “Hollywood” was there to set things straight.
Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Charles
MacBook Airhead
Filed under: Celebrity Mac Chick, Humor, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Opinion, Photos
Look who just went Mac shopping! It’s Paris Hilton and her man of the hour Benji Madden.
Paris picked up a brand new MacBook Air, while Madden opted for the MacBook Pro. We spotted Hilton with a MacBook Pro of her own a few months ago, but we’re sure the MBP must have died on her. After all, she doesn’t seem like the kind to make extravagant purchases just on a whim.
Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Chris for the tip!
[Images: Ryan Fuertes via Mr. Paparazzi]
The next Apple is… Apple
AOL Finance has put together a list of the top 10 “hot” companies who have had outstanding growth in recent years, and what up and comers will be replacing them when growth inevitably slows. For instance, the next Applebees will be BJ’s Restaurants. The next WalMart will be Freds. The next GAP will be Zara. (Note to self: start buying stock in Freds…).
But one interesting thing about this list, pointed out by faithful Macenstein reader Art Vandelay, is that according to AOL, the next “Apple Computers” will be… Apple Computers. Yep. Apparently out of all the companies on this list, only Apple has the potential to keep its insane growth growing.
They cite the growth potential of the iPhone as a major factor, and point out Apple has “a brilliant distribution strategy in place with its 232 retail stores”.
(Note to self. Forget buying stock in Freds, buy more Apple).
Citation needed
Filed under: Humor, Slow News Day, Steve Jobs, That's Weird...
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – you just can’t trust Wikipedia, kids.
Faithful Macenstein reader Art Vandelay sent in the below shot taken from Steve Jobs’ bio (since corrected). See if you can spot the error:
Early Years
Jobs was born in San Francisco and was adopted by Justin and Clara (née Hagopian) Jobs of Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California who named him Steven Paul. It was discovered upon his birth that he was the second coming of Jesus Christ. His biological parents, Joanne Carole Schieble and Abdukfattah Jandali – a graduate student from Syria who became a political science professor couldn’t handle the pressure of raising the Christ child, and consequently put him up for adoption. Still wanting to have a normal kid that wasn’t the Lord, they later gave birth to Jobs’ sister, the novelist Mona Simpson.
Did you find it? That’s RIGHT! Steve was actually the 3RD coming of Jesus Christ, having been preceded by Eli Whitney, inventor of the Cotton Gin, in 1765. (Actually, Eli Whitney was more the marketing genius behind the Cotton Gin. It was Eli Wozniak who actually invented it).
Dear Apple: Please invent something else, I am sick of writing about the iPhone
The biggest benefit to writing an Apple-related blog is that traditionally your readers are as obsessed about what you are writing as you are. If you have even a remotely interesting opinion, even wrong ones like mine, you can quickly build a loyal following of faithful readers who are dying to read about even the most irrelevant piece of minutia, as long as it is Apple-related. The biggest drawback, however, is that Apple releases only about 1 new product every 2 years, and only 1 or 2 minor updates to its existing products in that same time period. This scenario leaves you with a ravenous audience, but not much to feed them.
It’s all about the iPhone
Judging from the various online news and rumor sites, the iPhone, now a year old, is still all anyone wants to talk about. A quick check of Digg’s upcoming Apple section shows a ridiculous 90% of stories involves the iPhone. Sites such as MacRumors and AppleInsider likewise fill their pages with predominantly iPhone-related goodies. From the amount of media attention surrounding the iPhone these days, you would think more than 5.4 million people owned one. And while I could write 5 articles a day focusing on iPhone-related “news”, quite frankly I am sick of it. I am officially burnt out on writing about the iPhone. I own one, I love it, I even occasionally dress mine in my daughter’s Barbie outfits and make out with it (did I just type that?) but I’ll be damned if I want to write about it.
Not much on the horizon
Unfortunately, the future looks grim for this blogger. If Apple IS bothering to make any new hardware (aside from the next version of the iPhone) they have been able to keep the rumor sites distracted by the barrage of iPhone news and leaks. Nothing promising, innovative, or drool-worthy looks to be on the immediate horizon aside from the requisite storage/speedbumps to the MacBooks and iPods. No flying cars, Apple-branded Segways, or touchscreen digital cameras with 3D holographic displays. Just speedbumps, and an OS update that will pretty much just speed up the current OS.
So please, Apple. Invent something cool today. And if you already have something cool in your basement, let up a little on the security detail there – just a little – just enough to let some blurry pictures begin circulating on 9to5Mac. I’m DYING over here.
Celebrity Mac Chick Sighting: Katherine Heigl
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, Celebrity Mac Chick, Photos
Yes yes, we all want to see Miss June, I get it! Trust me, I’m working on it. In the meantime, faithful Macenstein reader Thomas has decided to help us out with yet another celebrity Mac Chick sighting, the lovely Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up) seen here gabbing on her iPhone, hopefully ordering a pizza or something.
Orange reveals French iPhone details
Our good friend Arnaud over at French site Mac4Ever.com has uncovered exclusive details about Orange’s French 3G iPhone rollout. On the odd chance we have a French reader besides Arnaud, here’s the skinny…
iPhone 3G in France :
-will be 149 € for the 8 GB Model with one of the specific iPhone contracts or other high end contract (iPhone Contract + Origami contract + jet contract + First contract). 199 € for the 16 GB model.
-will be 99 € for previous iPhone owners (but they will need to sign for another 24 month contract). Orange will offer a ticket of 100 € on the new model.
-will be 199 € for anyone currently in contract with Orange changing their device (and who don’t already have an iPhone V1). 249 € for the 16 GB
Dell’s new “Dell Dock” looks familiar
Gizmodo has posted shots of Dell’s new “Dell Dock” that is shipping on all new Studio Laptops.
I know, I know, someone is going to point out that Linux has had a dock even before OS X, but Apple invented putting Jolly, candy-like buttons in it! Besides, do you think Dell is copying Linux?
