Macenstein

7 things Apple can do to REALLY clean up the App Store

When Apple decided to make its somewhat arbitrary iTunes “porn” (and I use the term loosely) purge last month, one of the made up reasons it gave for justifying the move was that developers and customers were finding it hard to find quality apps amidst all the “adult” material. Well as we saw, removing those 5,000 apps (or less than 3% of all apps) did more or less nothing to fix the issue. While we certainly do not wish to see ANY developers’... Read More

Some things are just so stupid that they’re awesome…

… and some things are just stupid. I am somewhat on the fence here about the Retro TV Dinner Turkey Corn and Mash Potatoes Gadget Case for the iPhone/iTouch. Sure, it seems like a good idea for a joke gift, but at $20 it rivals the cost of many “real” iPhone cases that a person might actually use. Now, if it looked like bacon, that would be different. But as it stands, there are simply too many carbs for me. [etsy via TUAW’s twitter]  Read More

Review: Ultrasone’s Zino S-Logic Natural Surround Sound Portable Headphones

I often find it funny when I meet someone who is obsessed with their iPod or iPhone, yet continues to use the stock earbuds that ship with the device. Yes, they’re not the worst earbuds in the world (although they ARE some of the most overpriced if you need to buy a replacement set) but if you use them as your sole conduit of sound between your music player and your ears, then you are missing out on a large part of the music listening experience. To truly get the most... Read More

World’s Fastest IPhone Texter does 56 word per minute – iPhone melts

Wow. This is either Bishop from the movie Aliens, or the world’s best secretary. That’s right, using the iTextSpeed app, this cyborg was able to pump out 56 words a minute on the iPhone’s virtual keyboard. And we’re talking ACTUAL, grown up words, no TTY and LOLs and such. Just wait ’til he gets an iPad… his fingers will probably go back in time or something. [via metacafe]  Read More

“The 12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaway: Day 40 – A JBL ON STAGE 400P

This contest is closed. Congrats to faithful Macenstein reader Paul. On the Fortieth Day After Christmas, Macenstein gave to you (or, more accurately, gave you a chance to win…) A JBL ON STAGE 400P ! Yes, the The 12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaway is slowly winding down, but we’re going out with guns blazing! And speaking of blazing, your head will probably explode when you hear the blazing audio of the JBL ON STAGE 400P ! That is, assuming you win, which... Read More

Video surfaces of the iPad nano

iPad Nano from Creighton on Vimeo. Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader TheWarpedOne for the link!  Read More

Review: Livespeakr proves good things come in small, rotating, rechargeable packages

If you’re looking for a pretty cool last minute gift for that iPod touch or iPhone user in your family, I would highly recommend the Livespeakr iPod/iPhone speaker by Livespeakr. Costing only $40 and available in both White and Black (Amazon), the Livespeaker provides some truly surprising sound in a very compact and versatile design. Design The Livespeaker consists of a rotating cradle/dock which can accommodate both the iPhone and the iPod touch (due to the different... Read More

Attention pushy, over-achieving parents: All Brain Quest iPhone titles on sale now

Whether you are a domineering parent set on your little Doogie Howser congratulating medical school at age 16 or just someone who’s having a hard time justifying buying your 6 year-old their own iPod touch simply to play games (guilty), you really can’t go wrong with the insane price cuts on Modality’s Brain Quest Titles. I actually bought the Brain Quest Grade 2 and Brain Quest Grade 3 versions for my daughter a couple months ago at $9.99 a piece, but this... Read More

Memovator: The Toughest Game You’ll Ever Love (or love to hate)

When it comes to the iPhone, it seems casual games have enjoyed the greatest success, and it doesn’t get any more casual than a game that almost always ends in 2 or 3 minutes. Memovator is just such a game, or at least it is for me. Like most great games, Memovator is extremely simple to play, yet extremely difficult to master. The game puts you in the role of an elevator operator – an occupation not seen since the days of Looney Tunes cartoons. As each person enters... Read More

Apple’s new iPod touch web ads almost makes you think the touch is a real gaming machine

It’s no secret Apple is pushing the iPod touch as a gaming machine – Steve Jobs said as much when lamely trying to explain why the new iPod touches didn’t have a camera (as if game makers couldn’t find a creative way to make use of one). But if there was any lingering doubt that Apple was trying to push the iPhone/touch platform further into the mindset of hard core gamers, this new web ad on super gaming site IGN ought to clear up any misconceptions. Unfortunately,... Read More