5/30/2006
Rejected iPod Engravings
As you may know, you can order an iPod from the Apple Store with a custom, laser-engraved message. However, not everything gets engraved. Apple has been rejecting some messages for editorial reasons.The following is a collection of engravings that were actually rejected by Apple, and some that probably should have been. Enjoy!
Full Story: Rejected iPod Engravings
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Copy Videos off YouTube
UPDATE: YouTube has reworked their site in response to this article. They absolutely hate us. If you get an error when trying to download a YouTube video, please try some of the plug-ins and scripts listed in step #3.YouTube.com is a great resource. Not many sites allows users to freely upload, view, and share video clips like YouTube does. YouTube even lets users easily post videos on their blogs and personal web sites. But because anyone can upload a video clip on YouTube, copyright violations are rampant.
In an effort to prevent the widespread distribution of illegal copied video files, YouTube encodes its video files in the Adobe Flash format, which prevents viewers from downloading files and making digital copies.
Here's a step-by-step MethodShop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for an iPod Video. This trick will work on Mac or PC using Firefox or Internet Explorer.
BeSocial: digg story | methodshop.com
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5/29/2006
iPod Purse Roundup
Although I love my custom engraved iPod, I abuse the hell out of it once it gets into my purse. Apparently when I'm not looking, the clasp on my wallet and my 49ยข Bic pen have been trying to shank my iPod like a couple of Oz prison inmates.But I can't let my rejected laser engraving get scraped all to hell... I need something to protect my iPod when I'm not.
Enter the iPod Purses...
Love it or hate it, but you certainly can't ignore it. The iPod has become the ultimate style statement. Here's a roundup of some iPod inspired bags for the fairer sex.
- Groove Bag
- Delapod
- Paul Frank Tornado
- Kangaroo iPod Pouch
- Electra iTote
read more | digg story | methodshop
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5/28/2006
Simpl A1 iPod Amplifier
Over the past few years I've had several iPods and they've been through the proverbial ringer. Given the innovative design and versatility of the iPod we've used it during commutes on the noisy NYC subways, road trips in the car (power cords), the centerpiece of my home audio system or a simple way to escape into a world of music with a nice pair of headphones.
BUT...some of the main problems with the versatility of the iPod is that everyone wants the most out of each and every song no matter how it's being used.
The Simpl A1 iPod amplifier enhances just about every application for your iPod by improving sound, enhancing performance of high-end headphones, extends battery life, and can be used to amplify any audio device with a stereo mini jack connection, while being compatible with all full-sized iPods.
BUT...some of the main problems with the versatility of the iPod is that everyone wants the most out of each and every song no matter how it's being used.
The Simpl A1 iPod amplifier enhances just about every application for your iPod by improving sound, enhancing performance of high-end headphones, extends battery life, and can be used to amplify any audio device with a stereo mini jack connection, while being compatible with all full-sized iPods.
[Via Treblemaker]
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5/26/2006
Free iPod Travel Guides
According to our friends at iPastudio.com, a company called Rough Guides released a series of downloadable travel guides for 10 major cities in iPod format. These full color gudies, called PodScrolls, even come complete with pictures and page numbers for easy navigation.Here's a blurb from the Rough Guides website:
"We've kicked off with eating and drinking guides to ten of the world's great cities, drawing reviews from our acclaimed Directions guidebook series. Best of all, we're giving these PodScrolls away for free. Bon appetit... PodScrolls work on all colour-screen iPods."The first 10 Podscrolls are available for download now and cover the following cities: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, London, Madrid, New York City, Paris, Prague, Rome, San Francisco.
If you own an iPod and plan on traveling to one of these cities, how can you go wrong? It's free.
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5/25/2006
NBC News Added to iTunes
Tired of all the drama and entertainment shows offered on iTunes? Feel like iTunes isn't informative enough? NBC and Apple apparently feel the same way.Apple has officially made NBC the first news organization to offer their content in the iTunes Store. Previous news related offerings from other networks were only available as Podcasts.
As of this morning, Apple added the following NBC News pages to iTunes:
- NBC News Specials - a mix of big news events
- NBC News Time Capsule - older news from the NBC archives
- Tom Brokaw Reports - several of the special reports Brokaw has done since leaving the Night News anchor chair
- Meet the Presidents - interviews with presidents and world leaders from Meet the Press
- Dateline: Crime & Punishment - kidnappers, serial killers, and psychopath... Oh my
- CNBC Specials - Mad Money with Jim Cramer and CNBC documentaries
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5/24/2006
Rocket Launch Ringtones
The rocket scientists over ReallyRocketScience.com have come up with a clever way to promote their blog - free rocket launch ringtones. They combined a launch "countdown" with actual audio of an Atlas rocket liftoff and converted it into a mobile phone ringtone.In case you are curious, the countdown heard in the ringtone wasn't recorded live. There were too many other voices and static to get a clean recording at the time. So while in the studio for the ASTRA 1KR launch last month, Don "The Voice of Atlas" Spencer sat down and recorded a clean countdown for the ringtone, which was later combined with actual liftoff audio.
The ringtone is actually pretty funny. The next time your cell phone rings, you'll feel like you only have 10 seconds to get it before it launches into voicemail.
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5/23/2006
Batman Fight Graphics
Boff, Bonk, Pow, Plop, Kapow, swa-a-p, whamm, zzzzzwap, bam... Are these the sounds of your kitchen exploding or a typical 1960s Batman fight scene?Remember the visual sound effects on the 1960s TV version of Batman starring Adam West? Everytime someone got punched, kicked or hit during a fight scene, a giant Pow or Bonk graphic was sure to follow.
Many people found these graphics a little corny, but fans of the 1960s Batman TV show might want to check out the Batmania website. They have made it their mission to collect and catalog screenshots of every fight scene graphic and how many times it was used during the run of the show (1966-1968).
These fight scene graphics served a dual purpose. They helped tie Batman back to its comic book origins while covering up the terribly choreographed fight scenes (most punches never landed on the body of the intended victims).
Some common phrases used on the show included BAM! BLAM! CRASH! POP! POW! but here's the top 5 most used fight graphics according to Batmania:
Top 5 Most Used Batman Fight Graphics- Kapow 50 times
- Pow 49 times
- Boff 43 times
- Zap 42 times
- Sock 41 times
read more | digg story | methodshop
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5/18/2006
Apple's Glass Cube
Did Apple just bring back the failed Power Mac G4 Cube?According to AppleInsider, construction workers haven taken the cover off the 32-foot glass cube entranceway in front of Apple's new Midtown Manhattan flagship retail location. Inside the glass cube is a giant backlit Apple logo that appears to float in the middle of the structure.
The combination of the cube shape with the giant Apple logo immediately brings to mind the failed Apple Power Mac G4 Cube released in 2000. In July 2001, Apple posted this press release saying that production of the Power Mac Cube was being put "on ice", but the product was not being officially discontinued. Is this new glass structure Apple's way of bringing the Cube back to life?
There are thousands of glass cube images on flickr but Cult of Mac blogger Leander Kahney found a great aerial view on Boingboing.
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5/16/2006
MacBook Has Replaceable Hard Drive
On Tuesday, Apple announced their new consumer laptop called the MacBook (prosumer users should check out the MacBook Pro). This new laptop features an Intel Core Duo processor and a 13" inch glossy widescreen display.
But what really has people excited about the MacBook is a new user replaceable hard drive feature. According to Apple Insider.com, MacBook owners will find that upgrading or replacing the computer's hard disk is as simple as adding more memory. Just flip over the MacBook and pop out the battery. You will immediately see the RAM slots and the MacBook's hard drive. Previous Apple laptop models required the skilled hands of an authorized service provider to perform a hard drive replacement. Now, any savvy MacBook owner (with some guts) will be able to upgrade their laptop's hard drive without completely disassembling the computer.
Beyond the replaceable hard drive feature, the stats for the new MacBook are great. Take a look:
The new Intel MacBooks can be purchased directly from Apple's website.
BeSocial: digg it | methodshop.com
But what really has people excited about the MacBook is a new user replaceable hard drive feature. According to Apple Insider.com, MacBook owners will find that upgrading or replacing the computer's hard disk is as simple as adding more memory. Just flip over the MacBook and pop out the battery. You will immediately see the RAM slots and the MacBook's hard drive. Previous Apple laptop models required the skilled hands of an authorized service provider to perform a hard drive replacement. Now, any savvy MacBook owner (with some guts) will be able to upgrade their laptop's hard drive without completely disassembling the computer.Beyond the replaceable hard drive feature, the stats for the new MacBook are great. Take a look:
13" inch widescreen; 1280x800 display- 2 colors: sleek black and bright white
- 1 Firewire 400, 2 USB 2.0 ports
- Built-in iSight camera
- Integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64 MB shared graphics memory
- mini-DVI with extended display support
- Airport Extreme + Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Standard
- Front Row (remote control media center)
- 512MB 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
- Intel CoreDuo chips: 1.83 - 2 Ghz
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Low prices: $1,099 - $1,499
The new Intel MacBooks can be purchased directly from Apple's website.
BeSocial: digg it | methodshop.com
Labels: apple
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5/10/2006
Steve Jobs kills Disney Happy Meals
Apparently toys are off the menu when it comes to promoting Disney movies in McDonald's Happy Meals. The two companies are ending their 10-year, $1.3 billion cross-promotional deal at the end of the 2006 summer movie season.What ended the relationship? Disney board member Steve Jobs doesn't care much for the food at McDonald's and wants to stop using it to promote Disney/Pixar films like Finding Nemo and Cars to kids. According to the LA Times, Steve Jobs expressed his uncertainty about using Happy Meals to help promote films in a conference call last year. Jobs, Apple CEO and Pixar Animation Studios chief, is now Disney's largest shareholder after Disney's recent purchase of Pixar.
Steve Jobs is a pescetarian (a vegetarian who eats fish), but his distaste for McDonald's isn't without basis. According to nutrition information posted online, the average US McDonald's Happy Meal contains 670 calories, with 26g of fat and 4.5 g of trans fat (cheeseburger, small fries and Sprite). This isn't exactly a healthy kids meal considering about 19% of American children under age nine are considered overweight.
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5/09/2006
Fox Shows Added to iTunes
Despite contradicting reports, Fox has put several of their TV shows in the iTunes Music Store.You can now purchase episodes of 24, Prison Break, Unan1mous, Stacked, and several other "Fox Television Classics" including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Lost in Space for $1.99 each. However, several Fox cartoon standouts like Family Guy, The Simpsons and Futurama are missing from this current offering.
Being able to download the latest episode of 24 (that your TiVo forgot to record) is an awesome convenience for fans of the show. 24 has a major presence on underground P2P networks like BitTorrent [tutorial link] and Fox needed to make a legal download option for the show ASAP. However, for older shows like Firefly, you might want to shop around before buying episodes on iTunes. The Firefly DVD box set can be found for $20 at some places. Think about that before spending $28 for the iTMS versions.
Link: Fox shows on iTunes
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5/08/2006
Beatles Lose Apple Battle
The battle of the two Apples is over.... for now.
Apple Corps, The Beatles record label, lost their ridiculous court battle with Apple Computer over its iTunes download service on Monday. The Judge ruled that Apple Computer used its logo in association with its store, not the music, and was not in breach of an earlier 1991 agreement between the two companies. If Apple Computer had lost today's court battle, iPods and iTunes products would no longer be able to carry the Apple name and logo.
If you aren't unfamiliar with the Apple vs Apple saga, the two companies have been in legal battles since the 1980s. Apple Corps believes that there is consumer confusion if both "Apple" companies are engaged in audio or music related business.
Part of the lawsuit involves a disagreement in the similarity between the two "Apple" logos. Let's take a look:
Honestly, Apple Corps is a joke. Koo Koo Ka Choo. They are a small time record company founded by The Beatles in 1968. The Apple Corps website is nothing more than a single page placeholder with a phone number on it. When you hear the name Apple, who do you think of... iPods or The Beatles? There is no consumer confusion over Apple Computer products and Beatles CDs. This lawsuit was just about greed and the judge made the right decision.
If only The Beatles could just "Let It Be."
Apple Corps, The Beatles record label, lost their ridiculous court battle with Apple Computer over its iTunes download service on Monday. The Judge ruled that Apple Computer used its logo in association with its store, not the music, and was not in breach of an earlier 1991 agreement between the two companies. If Apple Computer had lost today's court battle, iPods and iTunes products would no longer be able to carry the Apple name and logo.
If you aren't unfamiliar with the Apple vs Apple saga, the two companies have been in legal battles since the 1980s. Apple Corps believes that there is consumer confusion if both "Apple" companies are engaged in audio or music related business.
Part of the lawsuit involves a disagreement in the similarity between the two "Apple" logos. Let's take a look:
Apple Computer Logo:
Apple Computer was founded in 1976 and helped launch the personal computer industry with products like the Lisa and the Macintosh. The Apple Computer logo is an abstract apple with a section removed from the right side. The Apple looks like someone took a physical bite (or maybe a byte of data) out of it.Apple Corps Logo:
Apple Corps was set up by The Beatles in 1968 and is represented by a green Granny Smith apple (without a bite). The Apple Corps logo was designed by Gene Mahon and based on a Rene Magritte painting owned by Paul McCartney.
Honestly, Apple Corps is a joke. Koo Koo Ka Choo. They are a small time record company founded by The Beatles in 1968. The Apple Corps website is nothing more than a single page placeholder with a phone number on it. When you hear the name Apple, who do you think of... iPods or The Beatles? There is no consumer confusion over Apple Computer products and Beatles CDs. This lawsuit was just about greed and the judge made the right decision.
If only The Beatles could just "Let It Be."
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5/03/2006
Trapped Miners Get iPod Relief
UPDATE: The miners were rescued at approximately 9PM US EST [May 8, 2006]. If you were trapped underground for a few days, what would you want more than anything in the world? Probably not to be trapped underground... Anyway, to help relieve the extreme boredom of two trapped Australian miners, rescuers have given them iPods.
According to The Age, two iPods and some food were slid down a plastic PVC pipe to these poor guys while rescuers try to come up with a rescue plan.
So what would you put on their iPod playlists? Here are a few suggestions from an iTunes iMix.
- Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
- Above Ground - Norah Jones
- Baby I Just Wanna Go Home - Kevn Kinney
- Come On Home - Franz Ferdinand
- Theme from "Shaft" - Isaac Hayes
- Coming Home - Cinderella
- One Last Breath - Creed
- Let Me Go Home - Camera Obscura
- Mama, I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne
- Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
- Down Under - Men At Work (Colin Hay)
- Staying Alive - Bee Gees
- Every Breath You Take - Police
- New York Mining Disaster 1941 - The Bee Gees
- Working In a Coalmine - Science of Sound feat. Lee Dorsey
- Trapped In a Box - No Doubt
- Digging the Grave - Faith No More
- Mine Shaft - The Truffauts
- Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn
- Don't Fear The Reaper - The Blue Oyster Cult
- Canary In a Coalmine - The Police
- Gold Digger - Kanye West
- Down In a Hole - Alice In Chains
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5/02/2006
3 Men and a Little Gravy Podcast
First Lauren Weiss gave men an inside look at the world of women. Now 3 Men and a Little Gravy let you eavesdrop on the disturbing things that go on in the minds of men.Patrick Walsh, Josh Shurtleff and Ian Friedman cover such diverse topics as Pat's spelling bee race scandal, Josh's humiliating fitness test, and Ian's sadistic view of relationships. Send your kids to bed, grab your headphones, and get an audio podcast assault from these 3 Men and a Little Gravy.
There are a few ways to subscribe to this podcast (iTunes is best, but you don't need it just to listen). See below:
1. iTunes users: Open iTunes, go to the iTunes Music Store. Search any of our names: Josh Shurtleff, Ian Friedman or Patrick Walsh. You should find a podcast labeled patrickwalsh.blog-city. Click and subscribe.
2. No iTunes or too confusing? Go to Patrickwalshblog - and subscribe in the top-right corner. You can subscribe using iTunes or Yahoo Music.
3. Or, go to http://patrickwalsh.blog-city.com and download the mp3s - no iTunes necessary.
The 3 Men and a Little Gravy podcast is like NPR, but with dick jokes. Enjoy!
[WARNING: Explicit language and topics]