Alright, so I was fairly impressed with the Macworld keynote. Lots of neat little bits, and the MacBook Air is a pretty amazing sliver of a machine. But it’s not what many of us had hoped for. All I really wanted for Macworld was a 13-inch MacBook Pro. A serious but compact workhorse, not a sexy will-o-the-wisp. And now I’m too scared to even buy the current 15-inch MacBook Pro. Why?
Naughty gadget maker Tenga has unveiled their “New Adult Concept” lineup of “onanism cups” that offer male users five “never before experienced sexual sensations.” Choose from the Deep Throat Cup, Soft Tube Cup, Rolling Head Cup, Air Cushion Cup, and the invigorating Double Hole Cup. The devices are disposable, and Tenga stresses that you shouldn’t be using them repeatedly by “rinsing them out.” Ha Ha…gross! The devices are available now starting at 1500 yen ($16) —Japan only (sorry horny westerners!). [Product Page via Digital World Tokyo via Wired]
The Gadget: iV iPhone case and battery, which adds 4x as much battery time to the iPhone while not adding too much more bulk. The Verdict: The rubberised plastic feels nice, the LED flash/flashlight on the back is good for finding your keys or taking low-light pictures, and it clips neatly onto your belt if you’re one of those belt dudes. There’s also a USB port on the back for charging another device while your iPhone is being charged/docked. $US79. [Fastmac]
Just in case you missed anything, here is all of the news from Macworld 2008:
•Apple Announces Time Capsule Backup Server •Hands On With the TIme Capsule Backup Server •Apple Adds Mail, Maps and More to iPod Touch For $20 •Details on the New MacBook Air •Hands on With the New MacBook Air •Hands on With the Apple Multitouch Gesture Pad •Adding a 64GB SSD To the MacBook Air?$1300 Extra Please •MacBook Air’s Fatal Flaw: Battery, RAM, HD Sealed Like an iPod •Apple’s Official 60 Second MacBook Air Tour
newVideoPlayer("macbookair360.flv", 475, 286,""); Want a sense of how thin the new Macbook Air really is? Here is full rotation of the Macbook suspended in Air, showing you all sides, and providing a perfect visual reference to how surprisingly thin the computer is. [Full Macbook Air Coverage on Gizmodo]
Hey Microsoft, did you really think you were going to eat into MacWorld coverage by announcing a new paintjob for the Zune 80 for Valentine’s Day? You can’t just cut into someone else’s party like that; it’d be like Apple announcing some major product during CES or something. If you are so inclined to get a red Zune for your sweetie for V-Day, though, be sure to order by Feb. 4.
newVideoPlayer("macbookairtour_giz.flv", 475, 286,""); Why sit through all 7+ minutes of the MacBook Air guided tour when we have what you need right here? Take a look at the Air’s thin frame, check out a hand gesture or two, and learn how to install software via Remote Disc, from a Windows PC or a Mac. Stay until the end for two bonus shots of the MacBook Air up close. If you can handle more, hit Apple’s site for the full-length video. [Apple]
newVideoPlayer("iphonefirmnew.flv", 475, 292,""); We’ve got the walkthrough video above, but here’s what we think of iPhone Firmware 1.1.3.
The MacBook Air is an amazing piece of hardware. It’s iPod sexy, but there’s an iPod catch. Because just like an iPod, you can’t just crack it open to replace the hard drive, memory or even battery, according to the Apple employees on the Macworld floor. Obviously a slew of services and devices will fill this battery replacement gap, but just know that when Apple pitches you 5 hours of runtime with the Air, that’s all you get.
newVideoPlayer("appletv2.flv", 473, 326,""); Apple TV’s new interface is looking really fantastic, sucking only the best parts of Cover Flow for eye candy, while keeping the interface efficient and large-scaled for plenty of data accessibility. The biggest surprise? Streaming is lightning quick.
