Mac Games and More The Blog

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]

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

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

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 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

Check it out

From Macworld:

“If you’re using Apple’s Safari browser, PayPal has some advice for you: Drop it, at least if you want to avoid online fraud.

Safari doesn’t make PayPal’s list of recommended browsers because it doesn’t have two important anti-phishing security features, according to Michael Barrett, PayPal’s chief information security officer.

“Apple, unfortunately, is lagging behind what they need to do, to protect their customers,” Barrett said in an interview. “Our recommendation at this point, to our customers, is use Internet Explorer 7 or 8 when it comes out, or Firefox 2 or Firefox 3, or indeed Opera.”

Safari is the default browser on Apple’s Macintosh computers and the iPhone, but it is also available for the PC. Both Firefox and Opera run on the Mac.

Unlike its competitors, Safari has no built-in phishing filter to warn users when they are visiting suspicious Web sites, Barrett said. Another problem is Safari’s lack of support for another anti-phishing technology, called Extended Validation (EV) certificates. This is a secure Web browsing technology that turns the address bar green when the browser is visiting a legitimate Web site.

When it comes to fighting phishing, “Safari has got nothing in terms of security support, only…”

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Fun etching at Make Magazine [via]

Watch it

You know. Valentine’s Day is TOMORROW. You haven’t planned anything for your sweetie, have you? Thought so. Here are some ideas.

[via]

A quick note to let you know I’ve posted this week’s picks early (as usual). Here it is:

iPod and Accessories Week

Note: For those of you who only use RSS readers, the week’s picks have a different rss feed. Here it is: Mac Games and More Weekly Picks RSS FEED

From the smh:

“Apple is to open its first retail store in Germany, according to a situations vacant advertisement on its German website.

The US lifestyle computer company has more than 200 own-brand shops in the United States, Canada, Britain, Italy and Japan. In Germany it sells its hottest trademark item, the iPhone, through Deutsche Telekom retail outlets.

“The store will be located in Munich,” Apple spokesman Georg Albrecht said, when asked for confirmation.

German retail analysts say that alongside Munich, a shopping paradise crowded with expensive boutiques, other suitable cities with plenty of affluent shoppers include Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt.”

From shaggymac:
“Avoid screen damage from key contact, dirt, oils, and residue. Even with a recessed keyboard, the MacBook’s lcd is still prone to the same problems faced by most laptops. Utilizing True Micro-Fiber Technology, the ShaggyMac Laptop Screen Protector boasts over 1 million fibers per square inch, which translates into the best possible screen protector available. This screen protector was designed specifically for the MacBook Air. The slimmer material is compatible with the magnetic latch, and all of the Air’s “Thinnovation.” The ShaggyMac Screen Protector even doubles as a screen cleaner to safely wipe away dust & debris. Sensible insurance for your screen….”

Order one now

Watch the slideshow at Geeksugar

If you haven’t thought about what you’re getting your sweetie for Valentine’s Day, what are you doing????! Here are some ideas for ya:

Godiva Chocolate Valentine Hearts – Designed by renowned pastry chef Norman Love, each handcrafted piece surprises the palate with a clarity and brilliance of flavor that makes every bite a memory to be savored. Offered for Valentine’s Day in gorgeous handcrafted boxes.

Valentine’s Day Fabric Heart Gift Box – Milk, dark, and white chocolates, including delicate ganaches, luscious pralines, rich caramels, sumptuous truffles, and more. In a heart-shaped fabric box with sheer ribbon roses. Make your sweetheart’s day.

See all of the gift ideas at Amazon

If you are looking for a great company that can host your server, I highly recommend Liquid Web. They are simply the best. Excellent and highly skilled customer service 24/7 – 365 days a year. That includes being open at 3am on Christmas! If you ever have any problems, they are on it right away. (Those of you outside the U.S. Do you think you can find a French server company open on the weekends, let alone on Christmas? Answer: NO.)

Liquid Web
4210 S Creyts Road
Lansing, MI
48917-9526, U.S.A.

I like my house the way it is but some people would kill to have a home that resembled their favorite store, the Apple Store. How can you do that? Here’s a handy DIY here: Build your own Apple store

[via adlab]

Optimism one point OH sounds tremendously happy but is, in fact, a serious software application that identifies the triggers of depression. It will help you make strategies to maintain long lasting mental health.

When people have depression and other related mental issues, there’s a huge obstacle to overcome and to finally get better and recover. However, the greatest challenge is staying well once you’ve recovered.

Users actively learn about their depression when they use Optimism regularly. They’ll monitor progress and patterns in their lives and they will begin to see the various internal and external factors that affect their meantal state. Once these factors are realized, it makes it much simpler for someone to take control of their life and leave depression far behind them. When using Optimism correctly, people will surely learn a great deal about what really triggers their depression. This type of diary will make someone realize that perhaps it’s a certain beverage like coffee or a food or lack of sleep – that triggers something negative in them. They will figure out that watching disturbing television or movies, working in a stressful work environment – does not help their depression and oftentimes triggers the depression.

Optimism helps people pinpoint exact triggers of depression, and that will help them to know what to try to avoid if possible. This software will allow users will learn so many important things about themselves, which will help them to get better. And when they get better and stay well and become in control of their lives, they will never have to deal with depression on the same scale again.

Download the free demo of Optimism now