Apple is working on an inexpensive iPhone model that will come in multiple colors, according to Japanese site Macotakora. The same story also said that Apple was working on the expected iPhone 5S, and that this device might also be available in different colors. Bryan Chaffin weighs the information.
Apple’s 1984 ‘Blue Busters’ Marketing Video in Full
When it comes to Apple lore, 1984 is best known for Apple's 1984 Super Bowl commercial, but the company also produced the gem below for its annual sales meeting held in Hawaii. Called Blue Busters, the video is a takeoff of the hit movie Ghostbusters with an Apple-oriented remake of the song by Ray Parker, the artist who recorded the titular Ghostbusters song. Apple's Blue Busters harkens to a time when IBM was the Big Bad and the Cupertino was trying to get Apple II, Lisa, and now Mac computers into businesses. Note the Macs on the Blue Busters' backs. Good times... [Via Wired]
Apple Drops Prices on Refurbished iPad 4 & iPad mini
Apple quietly dropped the prices on refurbished iPads with Retina Display (4th generation) and iPad minis. The company used to offer them at a 5-6 percent discount off retail, but the new pricing puts the entire at 15-17 percent off.
2 Mac Tips for Moving Your Dock & Guarding Your Secrets
Two readers ask Nancy Carroll Gravley questions about the Dock and Passwords.
Apple Ads Stay Positive Despite Microsoft’s Negative Campaign
Apple has yet another new iPhone commercial out touting the smartphone's features by showing it as a personal device and a part of people's daily lives. In contrast, Microsoft's latest ads take a more negative spin by trying to show Apple's products are inferior.
AT&T Hits Customers with a New Administrative Fee
AT&T Wireless added a new US$0.61 a month administrative fee in May its customers will pay as part of their regular bill. The fee may be new to AT&T, but it's already standard practice at Verizon and Sprint.
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Like it or not, cell service providers can add "administrative fees" and consumers will have to pay. At least AT&T didn't try Verizon's short-lived $2 fee for paying your bill by phone.
Google, Facebook May be Facing Waze Bidding War
Facebook isn't the only company interested in buying up the community-fed mapping and navigation company Waze. Apparently Google is negotiating with the Waze, too, and that could drive the company's price up over US$1 billion.
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Assuming the Waze team really is interested in a buyout, a bidding war would be a great thing. While there is a lot of value in the company, the bigger value in the end for Facebook and Google may be keeping Waze out of competitor's hands.
Terminal: Using “lsof” When Files Won’t Delete
Got a file that's preventing you from emptying your Trash? Got a disk image that won't eject? Then we've got a Terminal trick you'll like. This command will show you what programs are accessing a file or volume, so you can quickly figure out what to quit to get on with your life.
Judge Cote Likely to Side with U.S. Against Apple
Judge Denise Cote said on Thursday that she expects the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will be able to prove that Apple conspired with publishers in the run-up to the release of the iPad. The judge issued a "tentative view" to attorneys representing the DOJ and Apple to that effect, adding that the opinion is based on reading through some of the evidence.
The Mac Observer Spin The Mac Observer Spin is how we show you what our authors think about a news story at quick glance. Read More →
This case drives us nuts. On the one hand, Apple mostly likely did act as ringleader in getting the publishers to shift to the agency model for pricing. At the same time, before Apple did so, Amazon had monopoly power in this market and was dumping books to gain that power and shut down competitors.
Microsoft Commercials Take Swipes at Apple’s iPad
Microsoft is taking pot shots at Apple's iPad in its efforts to promote moribund sales of Windows 8 tablets. In a new series of commercials, the Redmond, WA company harnesses Siri to disparage iPad's one-app-at-a-time nature, and compares specs to show an Asus device is thinner and weighs less than iPad.
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Bryan Chaffin
Nancy Gravley
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