No, it's not what you probably think. Coke has not started adding artificial apple flavoring to its soda, yet. But they have apple-infused something else-their advertising-and not with a popular red fruit, but with the more technical form of Apple. That's right, Coca-Cola is now making a case study of Apple's print and outdoor advertising. Esther Lee, Coke's chief creative officer, commented on the “clarity” of Apple's silhouetted iPod ads. Something to look for in the coming weeks from Coke: “the image of the Coke bottle with the splash of color from the bottle spilling all over the facade of the building it is mounted on.” Meanwhile, I'm with these guys waiting to find some real Apple Flavored Coke.
[via ipodnn]
As with any company, Apple has it's heroes and it's villains, those who have done the company well and those who haven't. Now at it's 30 year mark, it's the perfect time to see who those people are. Lucky for us, a Wired News Blog post has categorized 27 different suspects. The page is complete with descriptions, events, photos, and titles for every suspect. Be sure to check it out before Apple enters it's 31st year!
Well, unfortunately it looks like Apple won't be holding a 30th anniversary event. Too bad, but on the bright side, you can still pretend like there will be one. Mac Geekery has released a series of products that could have been released at an Apple birthday event. Some of the products seem logical (a Wireless Mighty Mouse), but others are just plain strange (iPod Hi-Fi socks?). But either way, it's just nice to be able to sit back and imagine what if all of these new Apple products are real.
[via digg]
Reports the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
On April 20, a California Court of Appeal will hear arguments in Apple v. Does, a case with broad implications for all journalists. EFF is fighting to ensure that bloggers and other online writers get the same rights as offline journalists and can protect the confidentiality of their sources.As you may recall, Apple is suing several unnamed individuals, called "Does," who allegedly leaked information about an upcoming product code-named "Asteroid." Apple has subpoenaed Nfox, the ISP for PowerPage publisher Jason O'Grady, demanding that the ISP turn over the communications and unpublished materials O'Grady obtained while he was gathering information for his articles about "Asteroid." Apple has also been granted permission to issue subpoenas directly to EFF clients PowerPage and AppleInsider for similar information.
Wired News has just compiled a list of clips from Wired magazine articles on Apple. One of the best clips is from an interview with Woz describing his habit for collecting phone numbers:
"Among his other activities, Woz collects phone numbers, and his longtime goal has been to acquire a number with seven matching digits.... After more months of scheming and waiting, he had it: 888-8888. This was his new cell-phone number, and his greatest philonumerical triumph
[via digg]
I'm all over Macworld.com today. First, I assess Apple's impact on the computer industry over the last 30 years. And what 30th anniversary coverage would be complete without a podcast? I've brought in the big guns this time -- an interview with Owen Linzmayer, author of Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful Company, and a conversation between Macworld's Editorial Director, Jason Snell, and Macworld's President, Rick LePage.
Honestly, I hope that when I turn thirty I get as much recognition as Apple does. Otherwise it's going to be a major letdown. Of course, I hope that by the time I'm thirty, I'll have accomplished half as much as Apple has. In which case, I'd better hurry, cause I have about four years to go.
Crap.
Anyway, the celebrations continue today with two separate quizzes of your Apple knowledge, one from the BBC and one from the Sydney Morning Herald. Confident of my Apple trivia knowledge, I strode into the quizzes and proceeded to get utterly humiliated. Just goes to show you that pride does goeth before a fall...eth.
[via Infinite Loop]
In London today, the heartwrenching custody battleridiculous legal wrangling continued over whether or not Apple Computer is infringing upon Apple Records trademark with the existence of the iTunes Music Store. Apple Computer attorney Anthony Grabiner colorfully suggested that "even a moron in a hurry could not be mistaken about" the distinction between Apple Records and Apple Computer.
Now I'm not a lawyer (I don't even play one on TV), but it seems to me that he's pulling out the time-honored "moron" clause a little early here. I mean, that's the kind of quality legal defense that you really should save for your closing arguments, to drive the point home. Also, make sure you make eye contact with the judge while you're delivering it. And toss in "am I right, your honor?"
That ought to make your case for you.
[via New York Times]
Ah, if only we had a category for "Non-Events." So here's the funny thing. Lots of people have assumed there's going to be some sort of Apple special event to commemorate the company's 30th anniversary tomorrow. But what if it's all a big April Fools? I mean, I don't think Apple is necessarily trying to pull a fast one, but perhaps we've just entered some sort of mass shared hallucination.
Chris Stevens at CNet has it worse than most. He's threatening to commit suicide (hopefully of the social variety) if Apple doesn't hold some sort of media event tomorrow. Chris, man, take it easy. Just take it easy. There's so much left to live for. I mean, someday Apple's bound to come out with a touchscreen iP—okay, move over. There's room on that ledge for two.
[via Slashdot; Picture from Joy of Tech]
Alright, so it's been well-documented that iPods are getting over to Washington, D.C. Laura Bush has one, Dick Cheney has one, and yes, our beloved president, George W. Bush, has one. Oh, and Sen Ted. Stevens (R-AK). (And the campaign to buy iPods for senators continues, with the current tally at 12.)
But what about Macs?
Pete Stark (D-CA), representing California's 13th Congressional District in the Bay Area, is apparently an old acquaintance of Steve Jobs. He even bought nearly $2,000 worth of Apple gear in 2002.
Cliff Stearns (R-FL), representing Florida's 6th Congressional District, is apparently the only other member of Congress to use Macs in their congressional offices.
I'll check in with them later today to find out exactly what kind of Macs they are.
Update (1:20 pm PT) : This just in from Pete Stark's office.
Krista Venecia, a congressional fellow, told me: "Most of them are G5s."
I'm still waiting for Stearns office.
[Hat tip: Jason Snell, via The Technology Chronicles]
