Apple

Over at our sister site, ZDNet, Jason O'Grady says Apple Computer has come clean about MacBooks that were coming from the factory with plastic film covering the rear exit vent, which made them run hot. O'Grady was one of the bloggers who had previously written about the problem.

In an article on its support site, Apple acknowledges the problem, adding that the plastic film was meant to prevent dust from getting into the computer, and should be discarded.

The Apple article also says that some MacBooks will run hot after extended periods of use even with the obstruction, … Read more

Peter Harper's Web site is a classic example of how online social networking is redefining tastes in entertainment. Each month readers vote on four artists and four musicians; the winners then get to submit additional works and contact information while earning a permanent link on the site.

Harper told Blogma that the grassroots marketing system, which allows artists to sell their works as well as raise their profiles, has been in operation "for the last four years, and it has been a huge success." It's just one way that artists and performers are breaking old rules … Read more

Apple Computer is out with a summer promotion that offers free iPods for college students, educators and PTA/PTO members who buy a new MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac or Power Mac G5.

The Apple promotion starts on Monday and lasts through Sept. 16, 2006 through an Apple retail store, or via its Web site. College students who buy Mac computers from Apple authorized campus resellers are also eligible.

The eligible computer and iPod must be purchased at the same time to qualify for the rebate. Depending on the type of computer purchased, customers will receive a free iPod nano or … Read more

It appears to be a year of reflection for many in the blogosphere, as indicated by such posts as Damien Katz on identifying lousy programmers and Emil Stenstrom on CSS knowledge. Roger Johansson has followed with a post of his own in this vein, addressing the widely varying "levels of HTML knowledge" throughout the Web industry.

As this post by Boing Boing shows, there's more than one way to recycle old computers--at least two, in fact. Here, Apple owners have converted a G4 and a G3 into a mailbox and a planter, respectively.

Is it really possible to build an iPod recharger with a couple of standard AA batteries and an Altoids gum tin? This post gives step-by-step instructions to assemble what it says is a "very powerful USB charger for your MP3 player, camera, cell phone, and any other gadget you can plug into a USB port to charge." And if you have more spare tins lying around, you can try your hand at some other homemade gadgets.

News about the 60GBroundtheworld.com project, in which a black 60GB iPod sails across the globe, is gaining some mileage.

The iPod, itself, however, is just starting its journey.

The venture, dubbed a "modern message in a bottle," involves a traveling iPod, which will collect content such as photos, videos and music, as it is handed off from person to person, country to country.

The enterprising scheme, conceptualized by 23-year-old Mirko Kraemer, of Germany, is ready for an official launch June 9.

Aside from getting media attention, the experiment will serve as an investigation into the human side … Read more

The late great front man to The Beatles is re-introduced as the iPod's true inventor in this clever video starring British comedian Peter Serafinowicz. It spoofs on the case of Apple Computer v. Apple Corps, in which a U.K. judge ruled the technology giant's iTunes Music Store in the U.K. doesn't breach a trademark deal. The agreement, made in 1991, prohibited Apple Computer from distributing music on physical media.

The video on YouTube showcases flawless impersonations of 1980s era Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as they take us back to 1968, the magical year of … Read more

No matter what they do, a lot of people seem to think an alternative to the universal JPEG format is a good idea. They just wish it wasn't coming from Microsoft.

Knee-jerk criticism, and even downright hatred, of Microsoft has softened in the last couple of years thanks to Google's ascension toward world domination. But bloggers and News.com readers indicate that some things--namely skepticism toward anything Microsoft does--may never change.

Ultimately, Microsoft may end up being the Barry Bonds of technology: No matter what the company does, it may never be trusted.

Blog community response:

"This … Read more