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Canada's first Apple retail store will finally open its doors this Saturday, May 21st at 9:30 am in the Yorkdale Shopping Center. The first 1500 people to visit the store will receive a free Apple Commemorative T-shirt. Additionally, customers can enter the Grand Opening Contest to win a Digital Lifestyle Collection valued at $2985. Read the full article at: www.appleinsider.com
On most weekends, Apple stores located in highly trafficked shopping malls are barely able to accommodate the foot traffic of the purchase-happy patrons.
"Frankly, after a couple of hours on a busy weekend, our store starts to smell because of the masses of bodies flocking in and out," one Apple employee said....
In many malls across the US, Apple is looking to upgrade the size of its store locations or secure a lease for an adjacent store in order to expand into adjacent areas. The company currently categorizes its existing stores into five distinct footprints: mini-small, mini-large, 30-foot, 45-foot, and flagship....
But the ordinary 30-foot second-floor location, Apple Store #37 (or R061), often ranks amongst the top 10 US-based Apple store locations in terms of volume sales; it will soon give way to a store double its size.
Estimated to be at least 60-feet wide, the new Westchester location will open directly adjacent to the existing Apple retail location, occupying the former retail spots of both The Body Shop and KB Toys. ... see the full story...
I came across an article propposing that Apple add the ability to connect the iPod to cell phones and cameras via an SD memory card slot. Summarizing:
"Hadley's statement on Nextel, Verizon blocking the iTunes mobile version got me thinking - if the smartphone market is going to be so crucial, what can Apple do to bypass these wireless companies but still have a presence in the smartphone market ?
...Thanks to IDC's IdaRose Sylvester who opened up the iPod Shuffle and identified the key components - a Sigmatel STMP3550 chip (costs $7.50 volume pricing) and a Samsung 512MB/1GB Flash memory chip.
...If the iPod SDIO really existed it could instantly be added to a Smartphone (based on Palm OS or PocketPC OS) with a SD slot with SDIO capability, and iTunes mobile software could take advantage of the GPRS/EDGE or EVDO services so that customers could directly access the iTunes store and download songs completely bypassing the wireless company but using the data service offered by the wireless company.... Also if the Smartphone is like the latest Samsung with 3GB storage (although Samsung uses Transflash slot, this idea could be extended), the iPod SDIO could use its internal flash chip just for buffering but store the tunes on the smartphone's internal hard disk."
Note: This looks to me like it could be done by a third party. Read the full proposal at: sastwingees.blogharbor.com
This is becoming a terrific program for doing FTP transfers. It has been updated to work with Tiger and has a Widget for dashboard to make FTP transfers easier than ever.
Download a trial version or buy it for $29.95 at: www.panic.com
You should update your copy of Tiger. The new version improves reliability. Some of the improvements are in file sharing using AFP and SMB/CIFS network file services, uses DHCP in wireless networks, better cynchronization with .mac and much more. Read about it at: www.apple.com
MacWireless AirPort antennas extend the wireless range of PowerBooks, PowerMacs, iMacs and eMacs. They also offer a pair of high-end outdoor omni antennas, suitable for anything from mounting on your RV, to sharing an internet connection with neighbors. Several new items have been announced. www.MacWireless.com
I have been working on a presentation on RSS Feeds for the Cowtown MUG. I came across this page that lists TONS of readers/aggregators. But they appear to be PC only. For example, I really liked Feed Demon on the PC and am looking for one for the Mac that will filter listing as nicely. It is listed on this site.
Besides this nice list, Mark, the administrator is running it as a blog that is aimed at people building blogs and needing to market them. Read more...
Well, since you have to add a monitor, I don't think the mini will ever be that portable, but adding a battery sure looks like fun. ... see the full story...
According to Researchbuzz.org, it is now possible to get RSS feeds direct from your Congress man or woman. Just go to www.plogress.com to sign up. You will probably have to look hard for the page for your Representative however. Read more...
This one is also from ResearchBuzz. Pretty timely I would say. This is a site that uses Google Maps to tell you where the cheap gas is. Unfortunately, the number of cities is currently limited. See it at: http://www.ahding.com/cheapgas/
The story from ResearchBuzz is at: www.researchbuzz.org
(Some how I missed this when it originally appeared.) ZDNet UK's Peter Judge has an fun article about theme songs at Apple. It is from December 2002, so you can take a trip down memory lane. The songs included are:
1) "Apple is Breaking Through" with a set of lyrics.
2) "Ripples" which he says is "Possibly the worst IT anthem every recorded."
3) "Apple II Forever", unfortunatel, the link to that one doesn't work.
4) "Power! Passion! Apple!, "a screaming dance track." ... see the full story...
Give your members access to content from Safari's thousands of technology books, right on your site--for free--and raise money for your user group at the same time. Get or more information and to sign up for the Safari Affiliate Program
Neat Image /Mac is a digital filter plug-in designed to reduce visible noise and grain in digital photographic images. It is a tool for owners of digital cameras, flatbed and slide scanners; and is for use by both professional photographers, and digital image processing enthusiasts. PowerPC G3, G4 or G5; Mac OSX; Photoshop CS, 7, 6, or Elements 2, 3 Download ... www.neatimage.com
Freeware for Mac users -- This series of interactive screensavers presenting a fantasy children's book, is very well drawn, sophisticated cartoons, professional work. The savers are based on Flash technology, which makes them look like kind of games for smaller children. Besides, users can listen to a (rather long) first chapter of the book. All in all - good fun, maybe for the whole family. It's free, requires Dual 1.8 GHz PowerPc G5 -- Download www.ghostforest.com
"Organizations exist only for one purpose: to help people reach ends together that they couldn't achieve individually."
- Robert H. Waterman
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. "
- Neale Donald Walsch
Have a great week... (See last week)
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