Mac Games and More The Blog

From Science Daily:

“Whether you are a Mac person or a PC person, even the briefest exposure to the Apple logo may make you behave more creatively, according to recent research from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the University of Waterloo, Canada.

In work to be published in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, Professors Gavan Fitzsimons and Tanya Chartrand of Duke, and Gráinne Fitzsimons of Waterloo, found that even the briefest exposure to well-known brands can cause people to behave in ways that mirror those brands’ traits.
“Each of us is exposed to thousands of brand images every day, most of which are not related to paid advertising,” said Gavan Fitzsimons. “We assume that incidental brand exposures do not affect us, but our work demonstrates that even fleeting glimpses of logos can affect us quite dramatically.”
To assess the effects of brands on behavior, the researchers selected two competing brands, both well respected by consumers, with distinct and well-defined brand personalities. “Apple has worked for many years to develop a brand character associated with nonconformity, innovation and creativity,” said Chartrand, “and IBM is viewed by consumers as traditional, smart and responsible.”
The team conducted an experiment in which 341 university students completed what they believed was a visual acuity task, during which either the Apple or IBM logo was flashed so quickly that they were unaware they had been exposed to the brand logo. The participants then completed a task designed to evaluate how creative they were, listing all of the uses for a brick that they could imagine beyond building a wall.

People who were exposed to the Apple logo generated significantly more…”

Read the article

It’s out and it’s awesome. Some say it’s like Galaga, but it is so much more than that. Try it out to see for yourself.

Download it now

From Appleinsider:

“Apple Inc.’s Mac mini, a tiny desktop system previously pegged for extinction, won’t fade into the distance after all, at least not yet.

Last Memorial Day, AppleInsider cited sources in reporting that it appeared to be the end of the line for the itsy-bitsy Mac, which had seen limited adoption and an uncertain role during the first 24 months on the market.

Since then, the product line has remained in a state of limbo, with subsequent updates consisting of minor component swaps that required little if any engineering effort.

For the first time in nearly a year, however, people familiar with the matter tell AppleInsider there’s new life in the Mac mini department, where a small team of engineers have recently been tasked with gutting the diminutive desktop and applying fresh internals.

Thanks partly to Intel’s rapid phase out of previous generation Core 2 Duo mobile processors and associated components…”

Read the full article

Picks are up: click here: mac games!

Though it started already on the 21st, it’s still not too late to head over to the biggest demo scene event in Europe. (read here for info about what demo parties). Sorry, I was a bit late to post about this.

It’s held in Bingen am Rhein, Germany and for more info, check out the Breakpoint 2008 website.

Check out a unique Apple friendly restaurant in France, Ma Pomme Tao here: Why travel to France

Charlie Rose (PBS TV journalist) loves his MacBook Air so much so, that when he took a fall, he decided to land on his face, to protect his Mac. Gotta love the guy.

[via]

4th Saturday of every odd month, except where holidays conflict.

Premier Event: Saturday, March 22, 2008.

Mac Day L.A.
CBS Studio Center — “Radford Studios”
4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City CA 91604
Website: Macdayla (for details and required RSVP)

Just uploaded this week’s mac games and software picks. Here they are: mac games

If you missed last week’s game, Build a Lot, make sure to download the free demo and play it because it’s really fun and I’ve become very addicted to it. Basically, it’s a real estate tycoon simulation game.  Download it now

The iPhone Dev Team has announced that it has fully unlocked the iPhone, patching its firmware to work with any carrier and allow the installation of any application, not just what Apple distributes through iTunes.

[From Wired]

From Consumerist:

“Do you remember Charlie? About a year ago, Apple refused to sell her a computer because she had “too many gift cards.” The story became very popular (thanks, digg!) and Apple eventually let Charlie buy her computer.

If you thought this meant that you could use as many gift cards as you wanted in order to buy a computer from Apple, you’d be wrong. Rather than correcting the problem, they simply changed their gift card FAQ. It now reads:

Can I use multiple gift cards when making a purchase?
Yes. You can use up to six cards when making a purchase at a retail Apple Store and up to four cards at the online Apple Store

That’s too bad for reader Rhys. Rhys, like Charlie, has 7 gift cards and no access to the Apple Store.

I have exactly the same problem.
I have 7 gift cards totaling $1250. Apple refuses to sell me a computer despite having $1250 upfront.

As soon as I found I could not enter more than half my gift cards on the Apple website, I used their online chat facility. That didn’t work out so I rang Apple and was passed from Sales to Customer Service and told “no” all the way. I have filed a complaint against them with the Better Business Bureau.

Right now I’m more interested in getting money back on my gift cards than in ever getting an Apple computer, given the stupid nonsense they’ve been giving me. I understand that New York law treats gift cards like cash and states that a refund must be given for them so I might follow that route. Having said that, my next most immediate thing is to look into SC law.

We’re disappointed to hear that Apple is still treating their customers this way, because we thought the issued had been resolved. We know Apple can process this order because they did it for Charlie.

We guess that solution was just to stop all the negative PR.

What a shame! Apple has $1250 of Rhys’ money and Rhys has no computer.

Here’s some Apple people Rhys can send a complaint to:

abarney@apple.com
katiec@apple.com
dowling@apple.com
lfox@apple.com
anuj@apple.com

In addition, he could call Diana at (408 974 6401) or Sam Spoor at 800-676-2775 ext. 46447.”

I didn’t have a chance to include this software in ths week’s picks so I’m writing about it here.

From BlueCubit:

“Allows for automatic layout, automatic resizing, and automatic rotation all to get images to fit best on a page in a single click. Other productivity features include: scaling, rotation, cropping, crop to size, ICC profile controls, single image nesting controls, cut marks, and layout controls.”

Download it now

Check them out here: mac games!

Sort of like pointilism but instead of using dots to paint a picture, Steve is painted with Apple products.
Source

Last generation MacBook Pros are really cheap right now at Amazon.

Still in beta, Apple released iPhone 2.0 software (official release is planned for June).

The iPhone 2.0 beta release includes both the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) as well as new enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide secure, over-the-air push email, contacts and calendars as well as remote wipe, and the addition of Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks.

Read more about it at Apple

From Fortune:

“Jobs likes to make his own rules, whether the topic is computers, stock options, or even pancreatic cancer. The same traits that make him a great CEO drive him to put his company, and his investors, at risk.

In October 2003, as the computer world buzzed about what cool new gadget he would introduce next, Apple CEO Steve Jobs – then presiding over the most dramatic corporate turnaround in the history of Silicon Valley – found himself confronting a life-and-death decision.

During a routine abdominal scan, doctors had discovered a tumor growing in his pancreas. While a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is often tantamount to a swiftly executed death sentence, a biopsy revealed that Jobs had a rare – and treatable – form of the disease. If the tumor were surgically removed, Jobs’ prognosis would be promising: The vast majority of those who underwent the operation survived at least ten years.

Yet to the horror of the tiny circle of intimates in whom he’d confided, Jobs was…”

Continue

From appleinsider:

“Over the last year, many observers have wondered when Apple would deliver Adobe Flash support on the iPhone. At the company’s shareholder meeting on Tuesday, Steve Jobs made comments that indicate that support isn’t coming anytime soon, thanks to architectural limitations in Flash itself. A full explanation of those limitations follow.

Less technically inclined pundits have expected Apple to release a Flash plugin for the iPhone that works identically to the plugin used on desktop computers, similar to how the iPhone supports viewing PDF documents or Microsoft Word and Excel files. The problem is that the Flash runtime has never been designed to work on anything outside of a desktop computer, which has almost unlimited access to processing power and few constraints on battery use, available RAM, or heat dissipation…”

Continue

Try these:

Griffin Courier Case for iPhone (new!) – All praise the bicycle courier. Street warriors. Bi-pedal bicycle workaday daredevils. Taking their lives into their own hands when they hit the streets bearing your packages. Any time, any day, in any kind of weather. That’s the life they have chosen. And this is their iPhone case.

Griffin Leather Sleeve Case for iPhone – includes a removable two-way clip to attach the case to a bag, briefcase or backpack strap for multiple carrying options. To help you keep your iPhone as clean and fresh as theday you bought it, a static peel screen protector and premium cleaning cloth is included with every Elan Sleeve.

iPhone Ranger Case – This one is the best for carrying the iPhone externally, regardless of price. By externally, I mean clipped to your belt, bag, pack, etc. The clip is strong yet does not intrude or poke into your flesh like some do, especially the swivel clips. The horizontal orientation ensures one can sit comfortably while ‘wearing’ the phone. The magnetic closure is quick and secure. I don’t like push snaps because I don’t want to risk undue pressure on the phone. It holds the phone securely, yet with the strategically placed openings on the corners and bottom, it is easy to extract with one hand. The interior is soft against the phone and very stiff to protect it. Comes in different colors.

Black Leather Holster for iPhone – Featuring a horizontal belt-clip, the HipCase provides the utmost in comfort and accessibility. As with other smartphones before it, the iPhone’s dimensions virtually require a horizontal waist holster for optimal comfort–and the HipCase delivers.

From cosmo:

“Hot spot: The Apple store
The draw: Most guys are natural gadget lovers, and with sales of iPods and MacBooks skyrocketing, more men than ever are stopping by Apple boutiques. The vibe at the stores is conducive to man meeting too: You can check your email among cuties, take a free workshop on anything from Photoshop to podcasting (a great opportunity to strike up a conversation), or just survey the, ahem, good-looking merchandise.
Find it near you: There are 142 Apple stores in 31 states. Check out apple.com/retail…”

Read the Full article

[via]