I’m a huge fan of OQO and what they’ve been able to accomplish with their amazingly small system designs. This, however, is the coolest. Some guy has managed to install Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” on his OQO, a configuration which isn’t supported by Apple. Its really, really cool, though. He even has some YouTube video. I warn you, the guy doesn’t talk on the video for around two minutes and its blurry, but you should be able to see how wicked cool this is.

written by Tyler Regas

You know its bad when we’re covering new AOL clients, but I have to say that AOL is heading in a rather solid direction with its new Mac version. Currently at Beta version 14, the new AOL Desktop For Mac is a lot cleaner and faster than older versions. The browser is tabbed and is likely based on Firefox. The toolbar is a lot slicker, though it still needs more work. Even application preferences have been nicely trimmed to just whats needed. Overall, the new AOL Desktop For Mac feels more like a new browser than the horribly clogged ad machine previous iterations were.

written by Tyler Regas

If you’ve been looking to get into the Mac market, but don’t want to pay the Jobs Tax (read: actually pay a reasonable price to get quality hardware) then Psystar has come to the rescue… sorta. That white box to the left (also available in Black) is what’s called the OpenMac. It is a product of the underground movement called OSX86 which was formed when Apple announced its move to Intel-based processors. It is, for all intents and purposes, a Mac inside. It uses most of the same components, which are generally available Intel parts, to mimic the hardware architecture of most mow to midrange Macintosh systems.

So, why “sorta”? Because its not really a Mac. Sure, you can install Mac OS X on it without having to use an illegally hacked copy, but because it [uses an EFI emulator] so its not compatible with some hardware updates. In other words, this isn’t your grandpa’s Mac. If you’re into minivans, being a soccer mom, cruise the web for the latest investment ideas, or relish the idea of more pictures of your neighbor’s litter of kittens, this system likely isn’t for you. If, however, you hack kernels before breakfast, slipstream ISOs in your sleep, or can name at least 20 Apple project codenames without pausing, then you should investigate this US$399 little creature. [Editor's Note: The last time I checked, the site was available. -.Ed]

written by Tyler Regas

While I find some of the people in this trailer to be a little more than “off”, I think overall this looks really cool. I guess that makes me a MacHead.

written by Tyler Regas

Now that all the fanbois are out in force, the image gallerys are starting to get pimped. I’ll start with one from Italian blog, setteB.it, who actually got inside the Moscone Center and snapped some useless shots. I seriously doubt there’s any secret gear in the shrouded-in-mystery Apple booth, anyway. Next up is a small series from Mac|Life editor, Roberto Baldwin. He’s funny. In this set we get to see the architectural side of Engadget, which kind of makes the Moscone Center look like street sets in the Beeb’s The Avengers. MacNN has a few of the Italian’s images and some of their own? Gizmodo doesn’t have anything, but here’s an interesting rant from Brian Lam defending their prank using TV-B-Gone clickers at CES 2008.

[Editorial side note: Brian, all of the failures of the press you mention are valid and true, yet what Gizmodo did was wrong, and its irresponsible of Gizmodo to compare the two. Secretly slinking around CES and turning off TVs to satisfy your juvenile need for attention is merely an expression of a lack of maturity, not journalism. Your thinking is flawed if you believe that you are delivering news to the consumer at the same time you are railing against big business. It is the mere existence of these corporations that create what your site requires to exist. That's not pandering or being bought out. Its just news. I've been doing this for no profit for 7 years now. I get review samples here and then, but have never been offered a trip, yet getting gear or taking a flight will not change my opinions. That's what is behind integrity, not the ability to prank TVs at CES. -Ed.]

written by Tyler Regas

While I don’t normally pair up the terms “Fun” and “Microsoft”, Gates does have a sense of humor and has a fondness for rendering that to video. Since this recent keynote was his last one, he had another funny video whipped up, and this one is entertaining. Trifilms produced it, so its on their site as a promotional video for their services. Take a gander.

written by Tyler Regas

Okay. I’m not sure what they’re thinking, that Nokia, but they can’t possibly believe that Jobs & Co. would be galled into joining Nokia’s OVI media portal project just because they do it in public. Understand here that I’m not against the idea. I would be thrilled by the prospect that Apple would open up its DRM and widen the field. Sure, Apple would lose UI control of 3rd party DMPs, but it would gain a significantly stronger grasp on the DMP market as well as a vastly improved “Feel Good” factor. It would be like Microsoft’s PlaysForSure initiative, except it would work.

written by Tyler Regas

If you were looking for some new games you could play at work, stop looking! Ok, for reals. PocketMac creators, Information Appliance Associates, is getting into games, namely ones designed for adults to help relieve the stress of the work-a-day. While they are offering no-brainers like Tic-Tac-Toe and Hangman, they are also offering their take on Mahjongg, called Taiwan Tiles. While they have pre-formed tilesets, they also offer an innovative random tileset generator. They also offer a cute little title called Lunar Mines where you use a spotlight to freak out moonmen intent on shutting down mining operations. Tic-Tac-Toe is US$9.95 while the others are US$19.95 and they are available now exclusively for the Mac.

written by Tyler Regas

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. PodCastingNews has published its annual list of iCrap, a list of the worst in iPod accessories. Heed the list well when choosing gifts for the holidays. Also keep in mind that some of the items are not for younger audiences. For some more questionable product griping, also take a look at Popular Mechanics list of the 10 worst gadgets of 2007. They’re both a real hoot.

UPDATE: Engadget found an abusive little device you can use to torture your fish with an iPod. I can’t even begin to imagine.

written by Tyler Regas \\ tags: fun, ipod, news