Turn on – Tune in – POD OFF!

iPiss people offWell, the world is still going completely mad. Not only are Apple trying to own anything that starts with a ‘i’, they are now taking steps to stop products and brands with the lettters POD in it.

“… As set forth below, Apple is concerned that the application for and use of the PROFIT POD mark infringes its trademark rights and dilutes Apple’s famous IPOD brand…

…We believe there is confusing similarity between Apple’s IPOD mark and the PROFIT POD mark. PROFIT POD is a POD-formative mark and incorporates a substantial portion of Apple’s IPOD mark. The products are likewise related. Both devices receive and transmit data and are used with computers, both are used in connection with video games, and both have other similar components. Moreover, it has not gone unnoticed that, like Apple’s IPOD device, the PROFIT POD product is a small, flat, round corned rectangular device with a display screen. In addition to the likelihood of confusion between the products, because Apple’s mark is famous, it is entitled to protection from dilution attributable to the PROFIT POD mark.”

For f*cks sake – what’s the bloody point? It’s idiocy if you ask me. No bloody wonder people have to make up such stupid names without vowels etc to create a new brand! I had to say it – “piss off Apple!”

It reminds me of whem Sun decided to stop all things j-a-v-a, which annoyed me years ago when I owned vajava.com πŸ™‚

How will this nonsense fare for the likes of PODcast.com, PODshow, PODnet, PODtech etc, etc, etc.

Expect more swearing. πŸ˜‰

I’m the proud owner of an Apple MacBookPro and a MacMini (along with 8 Windows 8 PCs), but now I just remembered why I hate Apple so much. They LOCK YOU IN – they take away your FREEDOM. Sure, they have cute design, but can you build your own Mac? NO! Never. Arse!

Are Apple rewriting your podcast MP3 ID3 tags??

On today’s Daily Source Code, Adam Curry mentions that when a podcast gets downloaded and synced through iTunes, Apple are rewriting the ID3 tags in the MP3 file – editing it and replacing some fields with info from the RSS feed.

WTF?? – Was my initial reaction. But I do wonder what people think about this, if it;s true. It’s clearly just as bad as the feed manipulation Podshow were seen to be doing.

At least poshow fixed it. I doubt Apple will.

What do YOU think?

Apple still make it impossible to copy and paste a podcast RSS feed (hidden behind the ‘i’ icon, AFTER you susbscribe using iTunes) so you can subscribe using a different reader. I suppose the only thing to do is use another podcast feed reader (podcatcher).
The KoolAid effect around the iPod is staggering. No one who owns one has any idea how the rest of the world without an iPod or iTunes is doing things. It’s like AOL’s early walled garden kidding users that there was not a world wide web out there. So many people think that to get podcasts, they need an iPod. So many people are forced into using iTunes, which is one of the worst bits of software I have ever been forced to use. I mean it.

I got an iPod to just see for myself what all the fuss is about. Sure, I too can get swept off my feet my a lovely, well-built gadget but the user experience with iTunes and the iPod has been awful. I wonder if it would be different if I didn’t know as much as I do about the alternatives and freedom available.

I’m amazed Steve Jobs didn’t announce an iPadlock at yesterday’s WWDC. Foolproof lockin for the masses.

I do love my MacBookPro though. Can’t wait for the winter. Mmmm, toasty. πŸ˜‰

MacMini Lasted Two Minutes!!

So, I went and bought myself a nice new MacMini to use a home dev box and for some other video stuff. So, I unpack it all and plug it all in, and the power button:

*BONG* it said, and happily went about welcoming me in lots of different languages. Then we start setting it up and saying what language and keyboard I have…. THEN…

…. *NOTHING*. It just turned off! And i WONT TURN BACK ON! WTF!!?????

The power brick seems to be buzzing gently, so that’s OK. But the MacMini just will NOT TURN ON AT ALL!!!

I am PISSED OFF!! It means I’m going to have to traipse back into town tomorrow to replace it.

I found a couple of pages online for troubleshooting (after TWO BLEEDIN’ MINUTES!!) if your MacMini won’t turn on. But they do not fix my problem. This sucks. BIG time.

Apple! WHAT THE F*CK??????? It’s CRAPPLE, so far!!! GRRRR!! Not a good first experience. At all.

Apple XP Boot Camp!

Wow. Apple are officially supplying some software for the new Intel-based MacBooks which lets the user install their copy of WindowsXP alongside the Mac OS X, providing a dual-boot setup! 

Now, I'm just about to get in the market of choosing a new laptop, as the one I have just doesn't have enough grunt to do the things I want to do, while on the move. This could well be the solution I have been looking for, as I like to use a Mac too, to test things and also to utilise the great UNIX-like development system (Darwin) which the Mac OS X has under the bonnet. The 'Boot Camp' software will appear in the next release of OS X, due for preview in August.

I wonder how well my Windows apps will perform though, compared to native Windows/Intel setups. Also, will this present a load of support issues with those apps that might not work correctly, once people intall them to this new platform.

Surely a matter of a short time until we see some benchmarks appear from people who have tried this. 

Apple in hard core photo scandal!!!

News just in: Apple has been found in a rather compromising position according to these photos. Apple can be seen involved in what can only be explained as hard core porn in hotel bathrooms around the United States of America. In one of the photos you clearly see two Apple representatives blatantly engaging in what purveyors of such delinquency call a 'side her'. 

Please take extreme caution when viewing these incredible photos, obtained from a secret sauce, who's name will be obvious to many at such a time as this.

You have neen warned

1 2