Apple Pillows

Decorative pillows can be interesting and telling additions to any couch and Throwboy has created a Kickstarter to create pillows based on retro Apple products. The products don't feature Apple logos due to copyright reasons, but they are easily identified. In order of release, there's the Apple II, the original Macintosh, the iMac G3, the original iPod, and the original iPhone. Not counting early bird pricing, the pillows are $33 for one in true Apple style.

iPod Mini Quickly Appears on the Apple Online Store

Yesterday, the iPod Mini was spotted on the Singapore Apple Online Store [Source: MacRumors]. While this was most likely a glitch, it's cool to see these in present day on the store. My first iPod was a second-generation green iPod Mini, the same iPod as was listed. In addition, if this was real, it would technically be the only device on the entire online store that has a 30-pin connector. The listing was removed quickly.

Image Credit: MacRumors

iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano Discontinued

Apple has discontinued the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, the two music players that didn't support Apple Music. The iPod Touch remains as the final iPod. It's the end of an era in some sense. The industry moved on from having a thousand songs in your pocket to having an infinite library in the cloud. It could be argued the iPhone ultimately killed the iPod. While the iPod is almost gone, it will live on in Apple Music.

Original iPhone Prototype Showcases Click Wheel

Sonny Dickson has shared what appears to be an early prototype of the original iPhone. This iPhone was heavily inspired by the successful iPod line, as it featured a click wheel, instead of a touch screen. The original iPhone was made to combine an iPod, a web browser, and a phone into one revolutionary device. With a click wheel, it's questionable whether there would be a web browser. The video is below if you'd like to see the emulation of the prototype in action.

The iPod Turns 15 Years Old

15 years ago yesterday, Apple redefined the music industry by putting 1,000 songs in our pockets by announcing the iPod. While the iPod is largely considered obsolete today, it would go on to help inspire the iPhone. On November 10, 2001, the iPod would be released to the public for $399. Here's to another 15 years.

iPod Refresh 2015

Today, Apple quietly unveiled new iPods. They all have new colors, but the iPod Touch has some new features. For one, it has a 128 GB storage option. This is the first iPod since the iPod Classic to have that capacity. Also, it has an A8 processor, M8 coprocessor, and an 8MP camera. Be sure to check out these new iPods from the Apple Online Store.

Apple Constraining Certain Products To Third-Party Retailers

An inventory analysis from Target shows that Apple will be constraining some products. Products affected include the entire iPod lineup, iPad mini, iPad mini 2, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2. This points to a color refresh in the iPod lineup, leaked in an iTunes update. The iPads are most likely be removed in favor of the latest iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. This seems to confirm a lot of recent rumors.

Image Credit: Target Employee

New iPods Coming July 14

Discovered in the data of iTunes 12.2 earlier this month, Apple will release new iPod models in new colors. According to iGen.fr, these new iPods will come on July 14. While the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle would just have a color refresh, the iPod Touch would have 64-bit architecture.

Image Credit: MacRumors

iPod Shuffle Won't Be Discontinued Anytime Soon

During the week, Apple was running out of iPod Shuffles, which made people think the iPod Shuffle was going to be discontinued. It would make sense as they haven't been updated since 2010 and that iPods are a diminishing market with iOS devices. Billboard says that the shortage is due to a supplier change.

"Rather than being discontinued, however, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Billboard that Apple is actually going thorough component supplier changes that have interrupted production of the Shuffle. 

Apple declined to comment." 

Recycling Your iPod Classic

To give your iPod Classic new potential, you can try this little trick. Plug it into a Mac and (NOTE: This will remove all data from the iPod and cannot be recovered; This procedure turns your iPod into a backup drive) go to System Preferences (app) > Time Machine > Select Disk > and find your iPod. If done correctly, you should have a working backup drive on your iPod Classic. Because of the iPod Classic's large hard drive, it can hold 160 GB of storage.

Apple Online Store now offers the refurbished iPod Touch 5th Gen.

The title says it all. The fifth generation iPod Touch is now available refurbished. It's been six months since it has been released. The refurbished model is at a 16% discount ($249). I hope this helps.

Link:
Apple Online Store

iTunes 11: Review

iTunes 11 gave me an interesting experience. First of all, this is so simple a newcomer to Apple can use it with the fundamentals or so simple that a veteran may not be able to live without the sidebar. Lucky for you guys I can fix all of that.

You can still get the classic iTunes experience
with a modern feel.

I found a quick way to easily get the old sidebar back. Simply go to the menu, hit View > Show Sidebar. And there it is.

Back to the review, the new iTunes is great. It does what it has said. The only thing it has removed is iTunes DJ. It lets people vote on the next song from their iPhone and iPod Touches. Not on iPad. Other than that, I give the new iTunes five-out-of-five Geek Glasses.

Here's some screenshots I've captured: 

iTunes 11: Finally!

iTunes 11 finally came out. I hope to get a full review out as I have not tried it yet but first, I want to go over what we've been waiting for.

First up is Up Next. It's a feature that should've been added a long time ago. However, it's my favorite because its such a simple thing. Right-click on any media, click "Add to Up Next", and you're done! It's so simple. I just wish that it was for iOS. I tend to play music more on my iOS devices rather than my Mac. Granted, there is the remodeled Remote app that allows you to use Up Next for your Mac from your iOS device. Why not for iOS? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am sure that Up Next isn't for iOS.

Now that I'm done with that, let's get on to the Mini Player. Mini Player has been in iTunes for such a long time and it keeps getting better. It gives you the standard play/pause and fast-forward/rewind controls. It also has an AirPlay button that lets you stream your media to speakers and the Apple TV. Up Next is also included and a search box is packed in to allow you to find any media quickly.

The new album layout is stunning. It acts as if you have an entire album even if you only own one song. The new iCloud integration works within your library. Meaning you don't have to go to the store to re-download something.

Those are the key and my favorite features of iTunes 11. I hope to review it soon! To learn more about iTunes 11, go to apple.com/iTunes .

Laser Pointer in Keynote for iOS

To use the laser-pointer feature in a presentation on Keynote for iOS, open the Keynote app. From here, you must select the presentation that you would like to use. Press the play button at the top-right corner. Finally, tap and hold at any point on the screen and there's your laser pointer.

Keynote is available for iOS for $9.99. The app is made by Apple.

Evolution of the iPod Connector

The iPod Connector has much more history than you might think. When the iPod was introduced, it used FireWire instead of USB. FireWire is a port that is mainly on Macs. These connectors are much bigger than your new Lightning or even 30-pin connector for an iPad. PCs couldn't use them. Soon, it used USB. And syncing data across FireWire was removed from history. Just so you know, during this entire time, the iPod Shuffle uses the headphone jack as a data port. With modern products like the iPad, Apple made a 30-pin connector that snaps and stays in place. And then came the Lightning cable. The fast and reversible connector that we use today. With eight pins parallel on each side, this is the smallest cable yet. And that's the evolution of the iPod connector in a nutshell.

Evolution in Pictures:

With FireWire.

Larger with USB.

Snaps into place.

Reversible with eight pins.

Remote Shutter

Whether it's "Geek's Night Out" or just a casual picture, you can use the remote on your headphones to take a pictures. Not all earbuds have a remote. Most Apple made earphones, including EarPods, have a remote. Some third-party earbuds also have a remote. The remote looks like the small buttons in the picture below. The remote tends to be located on the cord. To take a picture, go to the camera app and use the volume up or down button (the top or bottom portion of the buttons) to take the picture. It's the perfect shutter!

The remote on a pair of EarPods.

iPod Shuffle doesn't have EarPods

Well, that title was pretty much self-explanatory. Yes. The new iPod Shuffle doesn't have the new EarPods. Instead, it has the older Apple Earphones. It may be because of the small packaging. There are many variables. Short-story-that's-trying-to-be-longer short, there are no EarPods.

The iPod Shuffle is currently $49.

To learn more about the iPod Shuffle, go to http://www.apple.com/ipod-shuffle/.

The new iTunes. Simplicity is a beautiful thing… a beautiful thing that's been delayed

If you go to the new iTunes site, you will find a new release date of "November". Apple said this iTunes would come in October. Many people blame the recent firing of Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iOS Software. Many people (including me) are calling it a very bad mistake for Apple. You just don't fire someone from Stanford. Apple Spokesman Tom Neumayr had a say in this.

"The new iTunes is taking longer than expected and we wanted to take a little extra time to get it right. We look forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its dramatically simpler and cleaner interface, and seamless integration with iCloud before the end of November."

- Apple Spokesman Tom Neumayr 

To learn more about the new iTunes, go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/new-itunes/. 

iPod Nano Review

Yesterday, I went to the Apple Store and I found the new iPod Nano. Yes, the new iPods are here! It is super light. The video is awesome with the returning widescreen. I love this thing. Even the watch is nice without the square screen. And music is never as nice as listening on a iPod. It has a beautiful iPod player. I only wish you wouldn't have to connect to your computer to buy music. I also love the blue color. I'm giving the iPod Nano five out of five geek glasses.

To learn more about the iPod Nano, go to http://www.apple.com/ipod-nano/.

P.S. The new EarPods do come with this iPod.

No iPod Demos 4 Geeks

If you're thinking of going to the Apple Store to test out the new iPod lineup, good luck. At least at my Apple Store, they don't have them on display! I am dying to test out an iPod Touch and the iPod Touch Loop. But they only have them in the back storage for paying storage. Please comment if you got your hands on a demo. Thanks!