512 Pixels

Another gem from Benj Edwards over on Macworld.

Man, Mac OS X 10.0.3 sure was stripey.

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.

via The Verge

On this holiday episode, Myke provides an update on his Lego Death Star. Then, he and I reflect on the news and apps that made 2012 unique.

• Lego Death Star

• Death Star Images: <a href=“http://d.pr/i/de0O” mce_href=“http://d.pr/i/de0O” title="“ class=”“>One | <a href=”http://d.pr/i/GB5X“ mce_href=”http://d.pr/i/GB5X“ title=”“ class=”“>Two | <a href=”http://d.pr/i/KF1N“ mce_href=”http://d.pr/i/KF1N“ title=”“ class=”“>Three

• <a href=”http://www.dinosaurlive.com/uk/“ mce_href=”http://www.dinosaurlive.com/uk/“ title=”“ class=”“>Walking With Dinosaurs

• <a href=”http://instagram.com/p/Tv9lrknWjI/“ mce_href=”http://instagram.com/p/Tv9lrknWjI/“ title=”“ class=”“>Myke’s Dinosaur Cup

• <a href=”http://news.techmeme.com/121223/2012–20-terms“ mce_href=”http://news.techmeme.com/121223/2012–20-terms“ title=”“ class=”“>Techmeme’s Top 20 Terms of 2012

• <a href=”http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/12/24/apple–2012-in-review/“ mce_href=”http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/12/24/apple–2012-in-review/“>Apple’s 2012 in Review: Archetypes, executive shuffles, patents and still no televisions

• <a href=”http://5by5.tv/systematic/11“ mce_href=”http://5by5.tv/systematic/11“>Systematic #11: Pure Genius With Stephen Hackett

• <a href=”http://dayoneapp.com“ mce_href=”http://dayoneapp.com“ title=”“ class=”“>Day One

• <a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8“ mce_href=”https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8“ title=”“ class=”“>Evernote

- <a href=”http://www.70decibels.com/512podcast/2012/3/28/006-a-memphis-notebook.html“ mce_href=”http://www.70decibels.com/512podcast/2012/3/28/006-a-memphis-notebook.html“>The 512 Podcast: 006 - A Memphis Notebook

• <a href=”http://twitterrific.com/ios“ mce_href=”http://twitterrific.com/ios“ title=”“ class=”“>Twitterrific

• <a href=”http://flexibits.com/fantastical-iphone“ mce_href=”http://flexibits.com/fantastical-iphone“ title=”“ class=”">Fantastical

I didn’t study broadcast journalism in school, but I sure hope they show these kinds of videos to students.

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.

According to the same sources, the Apple smartwatch could find its way to the market in the first half of 2013 and sport a 1.5-inch OLED display with indium tin oxide, aka ITO-coated glass, made by Taiwanese PMOLED panel manufacturer RiTdisplay.

Seems legit…

Whether this rumor pans out or not, the potential for an Apple-branded Bluetooth smartwatch has always been blindingly obvious. It would be the ultimate affordable iPhone accessory for many, and if anything the success of Pebble‘s Kickstarter campaign – over $10 million raised from nearly 70,000 backers – proves there’s demand for such a product.

$10 million is pocket change for Apple, but let’s move on…

For now, let’s take the Intel-Apple smart watch talk for what it is: just another rumor. But definitely one that has legs.

I just don’t see it.

Over at Tools and Toys, Shawn and I are giving away three NeuYear wall calendars. Entering is easy, and boy, are these calendars awesome. I’ve got one hanging up in my office, and I love it.

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.

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.”

The Lead Genius there had been with the company for years, and had trained numerous other Leads across the Southeast. While he didn’t have my back in some of the events that led up to my leaving Apple, he was a great teacher.

Upon arriving at the Green Hills store for my first day of training, I noticed a red iPod nano that was mounted on the bulletin board in the GR.

Well, most of an iPod nano, as you can see.

Turns out that the nano had belonged to a kid who lived in the area. One day, on his way home from school, this kid got jumped by some dudes who beat the shit out of him. They took his belongings — including the iPod — and trashed them. The music player ended up getting nailed to a tree.

When the kid’s parents came in to the store, the staff was overwhelmed, and gave the kid a new iPod out of store stock, free of charge. Since it wasn’t a true repair/swap, the staff kept the iPod nano, putting it on display in the Genius Room.

I have kept these photos for several reasons, but the big one is this: Apple — most of the time — is on the same team as its customers. I’m sure that kid’s parents came to Green Hills ready to drop $150 on a new music player for their son, but the staff there wanted to surprise and delight them. Did a new iPod nano make up for the fact that the kid had some serious injuries as a result of this incident? Did it bring justice down on those who beat him up? Of course not. But it was the decent thing to do, and in that moment, Apple wasn’t a beaming white wall of a corporation, but a friend, and a helper.

That’s why I went to work for Apple. I wanted to be able to help people when their stuff was broken or acting up. I got to connect with lots of customers in meaningful ways.

I miss that.

I’m sure the Apple of today would still take care of this kid. While Apple is a lot bigger than it was when I was a Genius, being decent to its customers has remained a core component to its success.

I love the Titanium PowerBook, but this seems like a crazy auction, even to me:

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.

David Waters:

Ulises Posadas, being treated for leukemia at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, rarely hears his mother’s voice.

Last week, his mother, Dolores Posadas, was captured trying to cross the U.S. border from Mexico. She was detained in a cell near Laredo, Texas, for several days, then released and returned to Mexico.

Screw our immigration laws. This is just wrong.