Good thing for us, we can find all sorts of gadgets and toys to lessen the headache that traveling can bring. Here are some of my favorites – some I have and more on my wish list.

1. Apple iPod or any mp3 player. I was having second thoughts about writing “any mp3 player” as most people I know will not accept anything but an iPod, but the point is to have music to soothe you or to pump you up while waiting for your flight or while you’re trying to get over your fear of flying.
2. Kindle or any other e-book reader. I do not have a Kindle, although I wouldn’t mind getting one this Christmas. What I use is the PSP, and it works perfectly well. There’s nothing like reading to pass time!
3. Netbook. A MUST. It combines the functions of items 1 and 2 plus more. Having a netbook handy can help you tune out the crowd as you watch movies, surf the net, write, listen to music, or play a game. I also like to lug around my USB wireless Internet dongle with me as I have no assurance of access to the Internet everywhere I go.

And what’s on your geek travel bag?

You’ll need:
2 vanilla pods
500ml double cream
70g sugar
3 egg yolks
How to make it:
1. Cut each vanilla pod down its length and extract the precious seeds. Add the pods only (not the seeds) to the cream and boil it.
2. When the mixture is boiling, add the sugar and stir.
3. Find a large bowl and whisk three egg yolks.
4. Stir the double cream mixture into the egg yolks.
5. Now take the mixture and pour it into another bowl, through a sieve.
6. Stir in the precious vanilla seeds.
7. Find a dish suitable for the freezer, and place the mixture in the freezer.
8. Wait 2-3 hours.
9. Take the ice cream out of the freezer. Take a flat knife and chisel the Apple logo into the top of the frozen ice cream. Announce it to your guests with the phrase, “One more thing…”

Up there’s the recipe from Crave, which apparently is part of Steve Jobs’ effort to get better after his much talked about illness. I wish I could be given these kinds of recipes for health reasons as well!

For more geek recipes, visit the whole article by clicking on the link above.

Alright! Marvel fans. This it, bring some of your favorite Marvel Comics characters without worrying about accidentally folding or damaging you Marvel collection. The iPhone App Comics has just gone public and is now a free download from the iTunes Store, and it brought along some of your favorite Marvel Comics available for in-app purchase from the iTunes Store.Some of the great titles that are currently available include – Joss Whedon’s 24-issue run on Astonishing X-Men, Robert Kirkman’s five-issue Marvel Zombies miniseries, Ed Brubaker’s first 30 issues of Captain America and two other X-men related books, X-23 and six issues of X-men:Age of Apocalypse . Comic prices ranges from $1-2.

If you want some other sources of Marvel Comics for your iPhone there are to others out there including two “motion comics” which are sold directly on iTunes. These include Spider-Woman and an adaptation of Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men.

via

Call it sheer geekiness or simply the lack of anything productive to do, but these two guys certainly deserve some credit for working on thees iPhone costumes. You might want to emulate them and create one that you can wear on Halloween. Who knows you might scare away your friends or neighbors who are still using the BlackBerry or Android Phone.

Incidentally, these two were the same guys who did a similar iPhone costume in 2007. So, definitely it was a 1st gen iPhone costume and lacks the current version of the costume’s LCD TVs plus actual car batteries to power-up them up.

And like I said, despite the lack of productive purpose, these two guys still deserve some accolades because those costumes weighs 85 pounds. You can just imagine how burdensome it would be to wear those costumes.

In case you’re wondering, those LCD screens are not touchs enabled. It would been great if they are.

via TUAW

I guess it will appeal to those who still use paper and pen for some things, or perhaps for those who want to design some funky new app backdrops while on the move and without their Mac laptop and iPhone SDK.

Considerably cheaper than the gadget itself, you can get it for $18 for 300 sheets. This gets you decent quality 80gsm paper. Sure, you can buy cheaper notepads, but that’s never the case when it comes to anything Apple related, is it?

Product page (via)

If you’ve maxed out buying the iPhone 3G S and a heap of other gadgets, and have barely any money left to protect them, then the recession case claims to be the answer.

It’s made from cardboard, so when it falls off your iPhone it’s easy to recycle.

If you want to be even more environmentally friendly (or cheap), why not visit your local shopping mall and see if there are any old cardboard boxes going for free, then make your own. It’s not like you have to custom fit the cardboard to the nearest millimetre, after all.

Now, a bit of padded cardboard might protect your iPhone from minor drops onto softish materials, but it’s going to be literally rubbish if it gets wet, and as you can’t see through cardboard, don’t bother trying to use it as a screen protector.

I think I preferred it when people used their socks to protect mobile gear.

Product page (via)

OK, we know it’s just a really cool bit of animation from Manuel Eder, but what a concept if it was ever invented. It would almost certainly never happen because not only does Apple love the touchscreen keyboard so much, but it’s already squeezed in a hell of a lot into the iPhone casing, and there’d be no room for this keyboard.

Of course, using the internal circuit board as a screen stand might also not be the best method.

Never mind — this is a great piece of work. For anyone who really wants a keyboard for their iPhone, let’s hope someone brings out an add on.

Of course, Microsoft has been dissing Macs for a long time, mainly on the basis that they’re too expensive. Thing is, it’s hard to do that with Linux, given that it will run on exactly the same hardware (and in fact, less powerful hardware, too) as Windows bloated OS, and yet is available for free.

I guess consumers who are happy to go to Best Buy on their search for a PC aren’t really too fussed, and perhaps are more willing to trust the viewpoint of the sales staff.

Though Windows 7 is looking a lot better than its predecessors, Vista has really hurt Microsoft. I suppose it has to do all it can to ensure regular consumers don’t consider switching to an enemy system.

Via

The two devices have a similar shape, so were disassembled and then the iPod’s circuit board was connected up to the Apple Remote’s buttons.

There’s also some other clever stuff going on in there — without headphones it functions as the Apple Remote, but when the headphones are connected the device works like an iPod and automatically shuts off anything playing in iTunes on the associated Mac – though apparently it still functions as a remote which could get a tad annoying.

Anyway, it’s a cool little hack if only for its own sake.

Via

That space around the back of your iMac: what is it good for?

Not much, so why not put a BackPack on it: a sturdy little shelf that could hold a hard drive or even a Mac Mini (apparently).

They can be stacked up and rely on gravity and a couple of clips, so no damage will be done to the computer. There’s also the added benefit of ventilation for devices that need it.

Available for $29.99 each, or $149.99 for a six pack.

The MacBook Touch will be a fusion device, a mix of MacBook and iPod Touch/iPhone with a 9″7 touch screen.

There will be an iPhone emulator, functioning as Desktop widget. This will allow users to buy and use AppStore applications, but there wil be no option to make phone calls or send text messages. The first doubtful detail in the leak is that there will be no camera, which seems very unlikely considered how long Apple has been integrating the iSight in its devices already;

Downloaded AppStore applications will be allowed to be duplicated on the iPhone 3GS and only on the iPhone 3GS. Only one iPhone 3GS per MacBook Touch will be allowed to be synched in this way;

(Obviously) The MacBook Touch will ship with Mac OS 10.6, Snow Leopard. USB keyboards and mice will be functional, additional to the tactile keyboard;

There will be 2USB ports and 1 SD card reader. The MacBook Touch comes without optical drive but the SuperDrive known from the MacBook Air will be compatible
Further connectors are the MagSafe, audio port and Kensington lock;

Two different models will be available: 80GB hard drive (€849) and 120GB (€999);

Battery life will be 4hours which seems reasonable comparing the size of the device with the new MacBookPro and its autonomy. Obviously our mileage will vary deeply from Apple’s test;

A MacBook Touch dock will be announced as well at €79.

Disclaimer: This comes from the rumour kitchen and no confirmation has been made by Apple. The image is only for display purposes and the MacBook Touch may look totally different. Or may not be launched or have entirely different specs.
Sources can be labelled as a trustworthy little bird

Watch this little robot, apparently something that’s available to buy (somewhere) coupled with an iPhone 3G S. Let it wake you up, teach it movements, and watch it “dance”.

Not sure whether this big-eyebrowed smiley robot will ever make it into production, but it’s a cool little experiment.

Via

While not everyone might have a fascination for dictionaries, I suppose that we can all see the value in having one handy, especially for students. And for those who do not care much for the traditional “paper” dictionaries, the Oxford University Press is making an effort to reach out and share their expertise.

The Oxford UP has gotten together with WhiteParkBay.com to create versions of some of their most popular dictionaries for the iPod Touch and the iPhone. Some of these dictionaries are:

-Oxford Dictionary of Politics
-Oxford Dictionary of Law
-Oxford Dictionary of Computing
-Oxford Dictionary of Music
-Oxford Dictionary of Business and Management.

You can see the complete list of specialized dictionaries at www.dictionaryapps.com.

The interface of the dictionaries is pretty cool, making full use of the features of the iPhone. For instance, turning the device horizontally or vertically allows you to have different views – either a list of entries or the main entry plus detailed information.

These dictionaries are available at the App Store for $14.99 each. Not bad! After all, you can’t put a price on learning!

There’s not much to say about the game other than that it allows you to show off your bacon baking skills on your iPhone. And it’ll rip you off for $1.19. Dept. of Uselessness as far as I am concerned, not because we don’t like bacon here at FG. we love bacon, if used interestingly but this is just another stupid money costing app.

My finished wood ipod mini. This has been such a fun project for me. It’s handmade (with special thanks to my 8yr old dremel) from Australian red cedar, Camphor Laurel for the clickwheel, brass plates, brass screws and the guts from the first ipod i ever had.
I was given a new ipod mini for christmas and I just couldn’t leave my trusty old mini to sit unused somewhere. So I decided to finally try a wooden shell mod on him that I had wanted to do for a long time.

More photos at the Wooden iPod Mini set on Flickr.

Tomorrow, June 17th 2009, Apple servers will probably crumble under the huge amount of downloads when the iPhone 3.0 OS release is published. The hype around the new operating system for Apple’s Jesus phone is big. For the first time since the iPhone was released the phone will offer more standard features, features as we know them from competitor phones. Basic features such as BlueTooth and MMS.

I have been playing with OS 3.0 GM since almost a week now and must say that I enjoy the update. Sadly Apple’s phone will continue to be a crippled device and make my colleagues laugh at me whenever they want to share pictures or multimedia files with me.

Apple, get your act together and offer me decent, fully compatible BlueTooth features!

Unlike many you will not hear me complain about the update prices, I do tend to use my phones longer than only 12 months. I still am bound to a contract and to be honest it makes more sense to me to wait some more months than to upgrade immediately. If I buy a car now and the manufacturer updates the model next year, I will not buy the new one the day it comes out either.

What I do expect from my Jesus phone is to finally be able to connect to other phones and share files. I am aware of the possibility to send photos via email, or MMS at final last, but I also want to be able to finally send/share my music library. I did understand why BlueTooth was no option as long iTunes DRM’ed was, but now iTunes is DRM free. And many of us paid to upgrade our media to DRM free format.

I really wonder if these basic features are asked too much, especially now the new model, iPhone 3GS with video camera comes and even a compass on board has! I do not really care about a compass or voice control, what I want is fully fledged BlueTooth, FFS!

Note the new Voice recorder app.

More pics after the jump.

New icons for SMS, Phone and iPod

Horizontal orientation also in Mail.app

Copy and Paste

Shake to undo

Spotlight search phone wide.

MMS option for pictures

About this iPhone

Amazon UK has made a move that just might spark a “war” between online music stores. Yesterday, Amazon UK slashed its pricing on songs! We all know that one of the most popular online music stores is iTunes. In fact, I don’t think I have ever bought music from Amazon. That is why a lot of people are saying that this move by Amazon is actually a bid to attract some customers from iTunes.

With their current promo, Amazon is selling some of its top music downloads for a mere 29p! Compared to iTunes, you can make up to 70p savings on one song. Add that savings up if you buy lots of songs, and you make really considerable savings! Imagine having to pay only 3GBP for an album. Now isn’t that really cheap???

This move is really making waves everywhere. The Guardian even ran a feature on the promo, which by the way, is running indefinitely. Here are some of the tracks that you can get for 29p:

…Lily Allen’s The Fear and Lady GaGa’s Poker Face – to 29p.

On the bargain list, which spans pop, hip-hop, rock, classical and jazz, music fans can also find older tracks such as Oasis’s Wonderwall, the Dambusters March played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World.

I guess I am outta here – have to check the other tracks!

VRI Technology built in Logitech’s force feedback wheels and pedals to the smart seat chassis constructed from polished stainless steel, anodised aluminium fittings and a fully-adjustable seat.

It should work with Xbox, PS3 and PC and a variety of racing games. The rig is available now in the UK for ?699.99, with add-on accessories including the VR3 Gearshift Mount, VR3 LCD Stand, Logitech G25 Racing Wheel and Logitech Driving Force GT.

Take a closer look at the rig in our gallery.

Sold at about US$11.50 (and so cheap!) right here, the iPhone Stylus and Touchscreen Cleaning Kit cleans your touch screens with a special cleaning fluid from an internal (refillable) reservoir. You just flip the cap open, motion the sponge tip in a firm swirling action and see those fingerprints and other grime “wash” off.

Now if after cleaning you feel a little guilty using your fingers… this unit comes equipped with a courtesy stylus too. It also includes an indispensable nifty pin to help remove obstinate iPhone SIM cards. It just keep getting better.

This is a perfect spring gift for friends who are so clean with their stuff.

With today’s Apple’s iPhone 3.0 event and the wildest guesses about an Apple tablet circulating again, rumours the FG HQ does not believe in, no matter how many caffeinated drinks we enjoyed already this morning, we thought it was more important to announce Apple’s newest upgrade to an even simpler UI, thus simplificating the switch from Windows to Mac more even day.

The iMac Shuffle

No price has been announced yet, but we expect the price to be competitive with the new unibody MacBooks. Features and specs after the jump.

Amazingly Uncomplicated
Taking out the screen allowed us to make the iMac even thinner. Seriously, if we turned it to the side, you nearly wouldn’t be able to see it. We’ve also built in our latest technology – VoiceOver. We liked moving the iPod controls out of the iPod shuffle so much that we decided to replace the keyboard and mouse with the same elegant input device…our inline remote. With the combination of VoiceOver and the remote, you’ll never miss your old screen. Who needs all those colors anyway? We’ve enclosed a complete 72,000 page manual that will tell you everything you need to know about navigating using the remote. Using just those 3 buttons, remote, you can easily jump to any window, launch any program…edit multi-layered Photoshop documents, anything your heart desires, you can imagine doing.
Ports? Who needs those?
We’ve also taken out all of those unnecessary USB, Firewire and display ports. We always remove at least one useful port/storage device at random from each new Mac revision, so we figured that we’d just get a jump on ourselves and remove them all this time. Normally we replace them with a newer port/device (Floppy to CD-ROM, or DVI to Mini DisplayPort), but since we’re so far ahead of ourselves, we honestly just don’t have anything to replace them with yet. After removing them, we found that we enjoyed the clean lines of this smooth metal chassis so much that honestly, we just might not bring any ports back.
What’d we leave in? The power button and the bottom-facing speakers. That way you can hear the amazingly impressive Mac startup chime and VoiceOver in all its glory.

It’s the same iMac you love inside, with nothing to get in your way on the outside.

Any color you want…The choice is yours!
The new iMac shuffle is available in any color you want, as long as it’s silver on silver.

iMac Shuffle

Here’s a refreshing way to put the Mac Mini to the colorful road. A company online is offering to skin it for about US$199. I know, quite a little on the expensive end is it?

For those who don’t know, anodizing is a scratch resistant finish applied to aluminum that comes standard on most Apple computers. The only problem is, they don’t offer this finish in different colors. So to fix that problem, we now offer anodizing in a rainbow of colors and styles. Similar to plating, anodizing can be finished in a flat, brushed, or a polished look designed to make any color you choose stand out of the crowd. Mac Mini’s start at $199 USD.

Now we understand why it’s so expensive. If you need or are in the urge to color-up, I think this is the best you can get out there.

Claims about Steve Jobs’ health and the decision of the shareholders to re-elect the Apple Board throw a weird shadow on new releases and their _special_ features such as yesterday’s iPod Shuffle update.

With every new release it seems as if the actual Apple team decides to develop less and less for Joe Average but once more opts for their own little nice, a nice of hardcore fanboys and adepts.
The iPod Shuffle headphones conundrum and choice for the glass screen for the MacBook, as well as the decision to drop FireWire on the MacBook and the solitary position of the 17″ MacBookPro seem a clear message to its userbase.

Could it be that Steve Jobs has accepted that his days as CEO are counted but wants to leave Apple, Inc. leaving a battlefield behind: at one side the shareholders who obviously expect that Apple tackles the larger market now and from the other side, the products Steve Jobs and his team want to develop.
Why would Apple decide to launch the new iMac with the small keyboard and lock itself out of the corporate culture, the world of spreadsheets?

Will the new, planned, joint single Blu-ray license be the next step of separation? Can we expect an update to the MB and MBP or will only the MBP receive a BD-RW update after summer?

Their is no doubt that the corporate structure of AAPL split is at this moment. Shareholders obviously want the company to grow, continue it’s market share growth, but does Steve Jobs have the same aim? Does Jobs want to become the next Dell, biggest computer manufacturer and seller, or continue to develop high quality niche market products for a small group of users?

One is sure, Apple lately has decided to take things in own hands again and continue to force the user to be restricted, and _follow_ as Christopher Breen notes

But I’m not the target buyer for this device. If you walk along any city street, ride a subway or bus, or wander through the local gym, you’ll see that nearly everyone uses the stock Apple earbuds. It’s not that their ears are any more ideal for these things than mine, it’s just that most people don’t care or know any better. This is what I got, this is what I’ll use.

And what they get is what Apple decides they get, is what Steve Jobs decides you get. Get on with it.

Until the re-election of the Board.

Apple seems to be making raves around the tech video blog these days because they have just released their new version of the iPod Shuffle with a refreshing new design and one unexpected feature. Loaded with Natalie del Conti has scooped-out Cali Lewis of Geekbrief.tv with this release (though I’m sure they’ve got a quite different following anyway), but knowing Cali she’d bounce back with a fun take and a close-eye on the new iPod Shuffle. I wouldn’t be surprised if she would clip it to her nose as a gleeful gesture. She’s a Mac. :)

Well, ok… it’s still a clip-on (and I wouldn’t have it any other way) yet this time it seems to follow the shape a small clothes pin. I can tell you the iPod Shuffle has not seen any product revision and yes, it is really due for a re-design. Great for Apple because if they waited a little more, this product line may have seen the end of its life.

It comes in two colors only, as a debut, silver and black. It’s literally “faceless” except for the Apple logo because the usual controls were moved from the iPod itself to its wires. Hmmm… not too sure about this Apple, it may have been better off placed in the iPod Shuffle itself. Question now for everyone is… “so does this mean I always need to buy a replacement earphone set from Apple?”

Well, what’s really interesting is this new “Voice Over” feature. Somehow, Apple has squeezed a “voice” inside the new iPod Shuffle that can audibly tell you what the song’s title is and the artist name.

“Musically speaking, the new iPod shuffle is brilliant, thanks to an exciting new feature called VoiceOver. Say you?re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you as the music dips down. It even announces the names of your playlists. And when your battery needs charging, VoiceOver tells you that, too.”

It begins selling at Apple.com right now, at the moment they are accepting reservations. Unit price… about US$79.

Check out the features below:

- Smallest iPod shuffle ever
- 4GB of storage (up to 1,000 songs)
- Easy access controls
- VoiceOver – tells you song titles, artists, and playlist titles through your headphones
- Durable, anodised aluminium case with stainless steel clip

There’s a reason for that, Steve. No-one else would be silly enough to put that feature on their players – and even if they did, they wouldn’t shout about it.

OK, it’s a lot smaller as well, but it’s only a 4GB player so, really, what’s the big (or should I say small) deal there?

No, the amazing feature is that Apple is using VoiceOver technology (presumably in the same irritating voices that come in Mac OS X) so that the shuffle can tell you the name of your tracks, artists and playlists.

Of course, the main reason that you’d need this is because the shuffle has no display. Seriously, though, is anyone going to put on four gigs of music onto their shuffle and really not have a clue what they’re listening to?

Part of the problem is that the shuffle is trying to compete with higher capacity models. Back when it only had 512MB, it was unlikely that you were going to need to worry about playlists and huge swathes of songs. Now it’s got 4GB, it’s more complicated to find out exactly what’s on the SSD when you’re away from the computer.

I can see this being used for practical jokes by renaming playlists and songs on iTunes and then giving it to an unsuspecting friend who then gets sworn at by their new toy. Or, imagine if the shuffle could get viruses (I think it’s impossible, but just imagine) – something a bit like that virus that appeared on PCs that told computer users they were idiots, then farted at them. Now that would be much more fun.

Still, if you like the idea you can get the new shuffle for $79. You don’t have to turn VoiceOver on.

This really makes me want to laser etch my unibody MacBook

If you were waiting for a reason to jailbreak your iPhone, this might be exactly that moment you have been waiting for. Mini vMac is a complete emulator of the classic Mac Plus for the iPhone, admitted rather useless but oh so nerdy!

Named Fork ported this originally Mac OS X app to the iPhone. Because of restrictions in the iPhone OS, the jailbreak is required. Mini vMac is free and available via Cydia.

The Mini vMac app emulates the Mac Plus hardware, but you will need to provide your own OS. Once the original OS is installed you can play classic games (which you also need to own or you could find them somewhere online)

As you’d expect, the community has something to say about that. Fairly good-natured from what I’ve read, but then this isn’t Digg.

Now the fee ($1.99/£1.19) isn’t exorbitant – let’s face it, you splashed out on an iPhone in the first place – but it seems a bit strange that there isn’t a decent web app for the service given that so many other online tools do.

Nice bit of marketing with the “take a picture of yourself with a newspaper and a spoon” idea but only five people got the benefit of that. Meanwhile, the developer will likely get a headache from everyone who thinks it’s their right to have a bug-free app because they paid for it. Good luck, 280north. Mind you, only one person has posted a review on the iTunes app store so far, which in itself is surprising.

Apparently there’s going to be a free ad-supported version in the future (called iReddit Lite, perhaps?). What’s funny is that 280north’s first application was a browser-based slide show generator, so they can build them.

There’s no doubt that iLife is one of the best apps available on the Mac platform, yet it’s probably one of the few pieces of software that you don’t really hear them shouting about. Frankly, if I’d designed it I would be screaming for a port to PC, so sure would I be that it would sell in the thousands of copies.

iLife has been a hidden jewel in Apple’s crown, quietly revolutionising photograph management, movie making, music making and website creation. The most recent version, Apple iLife 09, provides some extremely welcome updates to the four main apps, which I’ve included some further information on below. If you have a Mac, I’d certainly recommend checking the newest version out.

iPhoto 09
The newest version of this software includes face detection, face recognition, geotagging and a wide range of editing options. Naturally, the new options allow for a wide range of organisation including who is in the photographs and where they were taken. There’s also sharing options with Facebook and Flickr with a single click.

iMovie 09
There’s a new drag and drop editing option available in this movie editing software, making it an easy way to edit films even if you’ve never even changed so much as a single frame. Also new is the precision editor that allows for fine tune editing. Other options include animated travel maps, video stabilisation and dynamic theme options.

GarageBand 09
If you’ve ever thought of picking up an instrument, then GarageBand 09 might just become your best friend. Basic lessons are offered for guitar and piano to educate you from the first steps all the way through to the major and minor scales. There are also artist lessons, guitar features and a Jam session you can set up.

iWeb 09
This new software is designed to take the pain out of web design by making everything intuitive, simple and exactly as you want. It’ll guide you through all of the relevant steps from design, customisation and adding widgets all the way through to management and publishing of your new web space.

Overall, Apple iLife 09 is a great package and is available now for £69.

Lim Ding Wen is of Malaysian descent and is definitely a prodigy by his own right.  At the age of 2, he started using the computer (I think I was only starting to recognise letters at that age!).  He was 7 when he first started programming.  By the time he turned 9, he was already fluent in no less than 6 programming languages! How many do you know?

Anyhow, his iPhone app is dubbed Doodle Kids and allows iPhone users to draw using their fingers.  Finger painting, if you wish to call it.

So how did he come up with the idea for the app?  He says that he created Doodle Kids for his sisters who love to draw.  He also says that he “is happy that people like it.”  Well, with more than 4,000 downloads from the iTunes store in less than 2 weeks, it does seem that people really like Doodle Kids.

On the technical side, Lim Ding Wen created the program using Pascal.  And how long did it take him?  Oh, I don’t know, just a few days.

This is real, no joke at all! Just before I hit the sack I tried pulling up Amazon.com to see what is there I can find interest in. Page after page was all too boring, but when it’s time to hit the final click… viola! The iCarta iPod dock tissue dispenser! LOL.

Currently on-sale is one used and one unused unit. Boy, will that used unit stay there forever!

This seems to drive my suspicion a little further that they’re making iPod docs out of everything these days… there’s the iLamp, the iChair, the iEverything… now the iI’veseeneverything! The iCartca tissue dispenser for the toilet.

Here’s a brush stroke of features for you:

- Made For iPod – Compatible with all iPod models with dock connectors
- Audio selector allows you to play iPod shuffle or other Audio device
- 4 Integrated high performance moisture-free speakers deliver exceptional clarity and high quality sound – Speakers – 2 tweeters for highs, 2 woofers for lows
- Integrated Bath tissue holder that can be easily folded as a stereo dock
- Requires AC Power (AC Adapter included)

You can get one right here.

Will Steve Jobs be happy with this??? hmmmm….

Ah now isn’t this such an eye-turner! I know this is the first of its kind as I’ve never seen anything come close to it. Sure some would say it’s killing more trees and we’re all trying to be environment friendly the most we can. BUT the idea is something to take notice of. We can make “tree-like” design anyway.

Ok, back to the subject… the Wooden MacBook case is, for now, specifically designed for the MacBook and the MacBook Pro line. For now it’s made of real wood (and I don’t know which kind), and the inside is lined with leather, to ensure that your MacBook doesn’t get scratched.

Nah, not even a space for a nano-studded USB wireless mouse as it snug fits with not even a wiggle room to spare. Question is, will it allow us to use our crystal cases too? Darn it, I hope so!

It also features a magnetic clasp to ensure your Macbook stays nice ans secure inside the case. No word on official product release, nor of its pricing. You can camp out at this page to wait for further announcements.

Apple is currently going through some relatively tough times right now with Steve Jobs decision to temporarily step down as CEO to address the health issues that have been hounding him over the past year. The company is taking a bit of a beating in the media for allegedly hiding the details of Jobs’ health from investors.

This controversy may put a cloud over the people at Apple but there is also something to be happy for. Tomorrow, January 24, Apple will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of the Macintosh line.

The Mac has helped pave the road for the level of acceptance and ubiquity that PCs now enjoy and their 25th year just illustrates how far we have come from those first attempts at making an affordable computer. Consider — the first Macintosh only had 128kb of on-board RAM and was priced at a whopping $2,495. Contrast this with today’s Mac that is thousands of times more powerful at just barely over half the price.

Here’s to another 25 years of Apple ingenuity.

I own a Macbook and I couldn’t tell you how thankful I am that NumberKey is now available. NumberKey helps convert your iPhone into your own personal number key pad. What’s even better is that it is available for purchase right now for US$1.99. How cool is that?

NumberKey is an application you install in your Apple notebooks. It connects wirelessly through wifi. It has about four graphic skins that make sure it’s a visually good pair with your trusty Macs.

So if you’ve been holding out in getting a Mac all these years because it doesn’t have a numbers keypad option AND you use an iPhone, hey, this is a no-brainer. Get that Mac you’ve been wanting all these years. All your Excel files will run with the equivalent Mac program Numbers. Get NumberKey installed and talking with your iPhone and, viola (!).

Good news today, Google Earth has just released its iPhone and iPod touch versions. Google Earth is Google’s map software that let’s people scan the entire globe and zero in on a point of interest getting detailed roadmaps for some areas or terrain snapshots.

The iPhone version brings the PC experience to your palms and great to note that this is also the first time that Google Earth is being made available for a mobile phone. With the iPhone’s multi-touch and gesture features, I think it will be much easier to use than the original PC versions.

The only difference I see is that the iPhone version has limited information layers vs. it’s PC versions. But don’t worry, I’ve hopped into the Google Earth download page and saw tons of raves about this software.

This software is FREE by the way. And you can download it right here, from the Apple store website.