Another gem from Benj Edwards over on Macworld.
Category: Apple
So Much Aqua⇢
Man, Mac OS X 10.0.3 sure was stripey.
Hartmut Esslinger’s Early Apple Designs⇢
Hartmut Esslinger worked at frog design when the group was working with Apple in the 1980s. He’s opened up the vault to share some early Apple prototypes. There is pretty wild stuff in here.
Blindingly Obvious⇢
Robin Wauters at The Next Web:
I genuinely dislike writing up Apple-related rumors, but allow me to write up this one, if only because I think wearable computers will finally stop being regarded as a fad in 2013. Only time will tell (pun intended).
Sigh…
Two sources from the ‘supply chain’ told Chinese tech blog TGbus.com (relayed by the usually reliable Netease / Tech.163) that Apple and Intel are jointly building a Bluetooth-equipped smart wristwatch that can connect to other iOS devices, most notably iPhone and iPod devices.
Unsubscribe From Apple’s Emails⇢
If you registered a new device over the holidays, you probably will end up with some email from Apple. To stop it, visit this link.
The Nailed Nano
When I was promoted to the Lead Genius position at my local Apple Store, I was promptly sent three hours away, to the Green Hills Apple Store in Nashville, TN for training.
Then, the Green Hills wasn’t the shining example of an interior mall store that you see on Apple’s website. When I was there, it was half that width, with a tiny Genius Room in the back. Like we did at Saddle Creek, the staff there referred to it simply as the “GR.”
120 Titanium PowerBooks⇢
On Panther⇢
Thomas Brand:
Looking back, many people consider 10.3 to be an uninspiring evolutionary update to Mac OS X, but as an ex Apple Store employee working the sales floor at the time, I can tell you the release of Mac OS X Panther was an exciting time to be a Mac fan. iTunes, and the iPod were just taking off, giving additional interest in Macs. iChat AV, and the invitation to video conference with family members all over the world brought more people into the store than ever before. The Power Mac G5 was the world’s fastest desktop computer at the time, and its allure along with the Apple’s new line of Cinema Displays was the perfect platform to present Mac OS X Panther. The death of Mac OS 9 spelled out the future of Macintosh, and after over three years of development many long time Mac users were finally ready to upgrade to Mac OS X.
The eMate 300 Turns 15⇢
I love that iOS auto-corrects to the right capitalization of “eMate.”
TV Bobber⇢
If you’re wondering what TV shows are on sale in the iTunes Store at any given time, you should bookmark this site.
Breaking: Apple Retail Employees Just As Terrible As Other Retail Employees⇢
Gizmodo’s Sam Biddle:
The sources we talked to this summer described an Apple Store that wasn’t just poorly managed—it was a personal playground. Computers were traded for plastic surgery, iPhones were smashed like party favors, and employees outright stole from the back room for their own pleasure. It was a den of misuse and abuse, all under the gleaming white aegis of Apple Retail. The perfection is a myth.
The only reason this is “news” is that the stories posted took place in an Apple Store. No one is shocked when something shady goes down at Wal-Mart or Taco Bell.
NeXT Lives On⇢
Chris Foresman:
Apple announced the acquisition of NeXT on December 20, 1996, noting it wanted NeXT’s object-oriented software development technology and its operating system know-how. As part of the deal, Jobs came back to Apple, eventually taking over as CEO and making the company into the consumer electronics giant it is today. Sixteen years later, several technologies developed or championed by NeXT still survive in OS X and in its mobile cousin, iOS.