iMac Stop-Motion Unboxing Video

Enjoy!

iTunes LP creation tools released

Apple has finally released creation tools for iTunes LP & iTunes Extras.

iTunes LP content

Check them out here.

Apple’s US Black Friday Deals have just gone live

Apple’s Black Friday deals for the US have just gone live – and in terms of percentage, they are much the same as the deals countries such as New Zealand and Australia have already received.

Apple's Black Friday deals for the US have just gone live

For the entire iMac and MacBook Pro range, $101 has been taken off.

For both the iPod nano models (8GB & 16GB), $11 has been taken off.

For the iPod touch 8GB, $21 has been taken off, for the 32GB, $31, and for the 64GB, $41.

And for the Apple TV, $21 has been taken off.

Of course, there are also plenty of price cuts on both Apple & 3rd-party accessories. View the full range here.

While the deals are not amazing, and did not live up to the expectations of many, one has to remember that Apple really doesn’t need to try and ‘lure’ customers in with spectacular discounts. They’re already making plenty of money.

So, my advice: don’t like the discounts? Don’t buy. Like them? Buy.

Seems simple enough.

Apple’s New Zealand Black Friday Deals

In New Zealand it is the 27th of November today which means that Apple’s Black Friday deals are finally live on their online store. That’s right, America – we constantly live in the future – you guys are still celebrating Thanksgiving.

Apple's New Zealand Black Friday deals

So what are the deals like this year? There is a set price off on all iMacs and Macbook Pros, $171, which is about 8.5% off the base model of each product (e.g. the base model iMac is $1999 – $171 is approximately 8.5% of that). The higher up models have the same price discount.

There is also a set price off on all models of the iPod touch and iPod nano – $35 & $15 respectively. That’s about 10% off the base model of the iPod touch & 5% off the base model of the iPod nano. Like with the Macs, all the other models have the same discount.

There’s also about 8% off the Apple TV – a $35 saving.

And, of course, there’s heaps of savings on both Apple and 3rd-party accessories.

Remember, of course, that these price cuts are for the New Zealand store only – I’m not sure what the American discounts will be like. However, I’m betting that they’ll be very similar in terms of percentage.

If you want to have a look at the deals yourself go to this page.

Apple’s Black Friday Deals

So… I wonder what Apple’s Black Friday deals will be like this year?

Apple's Black Friday teaser

As usual, Apple hasn’t said anything about the savings we are likely to receive, but judging from previous years, it’ll probably be somewhere between 5-10% on most products. It would be nice if those numbers were bumped up a little bit, but I don’t think that’s very likely. Apple doesn’t need to have an all-out Black Friday sale to entice people to buy from them, they’re making enough money as it is.

Because I live in New Zealand, November the 27th comes to us before anyone else in the world. That means we’re also the first country to be offered Apple’s Black Friday deals. I think the store will be updated at midnight with the new prices, so I think I’ll stay up and be one of the first people to see the new prices.

After reading that, you probably think I’m mad. I mean, it’s not the unveiling of the rumored Apple tablet or anything like that, is it? Still, I might be buying something from the store tomorrow and I don’t think I could wait until the morning :)

Anyway, I’ll send out a Tweet when the store updates to tell you the percentage cuts we receive – I think its the same all over the world.

So tell me… will you be taking advantage of Apple’s Black Friday deals?

I have exams so I won’t be able to post much here over the next few weeks :_(

This is just a quick post to say I’m sorry that I haven’t been keeping this blog updated – I have been quite busy lately with exam study.

Until the exams are over, in about 4 weeks, I will probably only have the time to write about 1 post a week. I promise that I’ll write a lot more afterwards when I’m on holiday.

However, I’ll still be keeping my Twitter and my Facebook page actively updated so there’s no need to worry – I’ll still be answering all of your questions (it’s easier to keep a Twitter page updated than a blog – Tweets are much more simple to write :)).

Thanks for understanding.

Daniel James

Apple CEO Steve Jobs tops the “most admired entrepreneur” list of American teens

Steve Jobs, or King Jobs (as some like to call him) is currently the most admired entrepreneur in the eyes of American teens.

Steve Jobs: Teens most admired entrepreneur.

In a survey of 1000 U.S. children between the ages of 12 and 17, Jobs took the top position with 35% of all votes.Oprah Winfrey took the second position with 25%, Tony Hawk took the third position with 16% and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took the fourth place with 10%.

Why Steve Jobs? Most teens own an iPod, and a large proportion of the ones that don’t plan to buy one in the near future. Almost every teen that purchases music legally uses iTunes. And while the iPhone is currently not owned by many youth, 22% intend to buy one in the next 6 months.

“We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, so it’s no surprise that teens admire famous entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey, who have built brands around their personas as well as around their products,” said Jack Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement, the company that conducted the survey.

Two thirds of respondents that selected Jobs said that they chose him not because of his wealth but because they felt he had made a difference in their lives. The other third said that they chose him because his success in many fields made admirable as a businessman.

Apple has made a significant impact on current pop culture with products such as the iPod, the iPhone and the Mac, all of which are viewed as “hip” and “cool” by many youth, especially when compared to Microsoft’s counterparts. And since Steve Jobs has built Apple around himself, he is generally the one that is given credit for this.

If I had taken the survey I would have definitely chosen him :)

Miley Cyrus deletes her Twitter account!!

Did Miley Cyrus delete her Twitter account because of love?

On Wednesday I decided to follow Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) on Twitter. I had no idea that this was a pointless thing to do because only a few hours later she decided to delete her account – permanently.

No, this was definitely not because of me – she has absolutely no idea who I am. The real reason may have had something to do with love.

Apparently, her reported boyfriend (and co-star in the upcoming film “The Last Song”) is to blame. He doesn’t have a Twitter account, and was encouraging her to get rid of hers. “FYI Liam doesn’t have a twttr & he wants ME 2 delete mine w/ gd reason” she says in her last Tweet. She must have listened to him, because not long after she pulls the plug.

This did not go down to well with Miley’s fans. A new hashtag was born – #mileycomeback – which countless Twitter users are using to express their displeasure. Fans are saying things such as “R.I.P. Miley Cyrus’s Twitter page – I’m still crying – I made my Twitter page when I found out she had one!” & “Miley Cyrus has left Twitter, the world will never be the same again :_(“.

Will she ever send another Tweet again? Her fans sure hope so. Now we just have to wait and see who has more influence over her in the long run – her millions of fans or her boyfriend. At the moment, it’s clear who.

Microsoft Fail

Found: Microsoft Fail

Yeah, I know many of you have probably already seen this – it has been around for a while. But I couldn’t resist posting it. Now that I’ve got my new blog, I’m looking for anything that I deem important, interesting or funny to share with you guys.

It’s good to know that even Microsoft employees know that their software probably wouldn’t last a full presentation without crashing or malfunctioning. And there’s definitely no room for stuff ups when the presentation is being done by Mr. Microsoft himself, Steve Ballmer (Bill Gates lost that title when he retired).

So it’s good to see that Ballmer is taking out some insurance by using a Mac. That’s right, the King of the Redmond Giant is using a computer from his competitor, Steve Jobs.

And I think we can safety say that his presentation will be a breeze.

Is that an Apple logo I see there?

Note: Yes, it did occur to me that this picture might be photoshopped. But, nonetheless, it is still damn funny :-)

Note 2: If you are a Microsoft lover, then you probably shouldn’t be reading my blog. So don’t send me hate mail or leave abusive comments – I don’t do anything like that on anti-Apple sites. Wait a minute – anti-Apple sites? Do they even exist?

Note 3: Yes, Ballmer could be running Windows on that Mac (Boot Camp, Parallels, etc) but even if he is he is still using Apple hardware – which is still a fail cause they’re meant to be enemies (apparently).

New Macs!!!

Fatty.

YAY! It is rumored that Apple is soon going to remove the veil on a updated Mac Mini, MacBook & iMac lineup.

Three new Google ads have appeared on Google’s search engine in the Netherlands that appear to confirm this long-standing rumor.

The ads are as follows:

Mac Mini: Faster and more affordable than ever. From only €499. Order immediately.

MacBook: Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today.

iMac: Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only €1099. Apple Store.

The Mac Mini currently costs €599, so, judging from the ad, it looks like Apple is set to make its cheapest Mac even cheaper – a change I’m sure will go down well in these tough times. It also looks like it will be getting speedier – probably a faster processor and more RAM.

The same goes for the MacBook  in terms of speed – a faster processor and more RAM. Also, expect it to be even thinner and lighter than before – though probably still built out of the same material – the white polycarbonate shell.

And, finally, it looks like the iMac will have a bit of bulk carved off it. This is a change I’m very happy about because I think the current iMac is a bit too bulky.

Now all we can do is wait…