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Cult of Mac

The Mac, iPod and iPhone -- and the People Who Love Them

Did You Know Your iPod Touch is a Phone?Yesterday

With the arrival, finally, of Apple’s Premium earphones with remote and mic, you can now use your iPod Touch as a telephone through the magic of free software from the VoIP pioneers at TruPhone.

Actually, that’s somewhat inaccurate. You’ve been able to partake of TruPhone’s magic previously using a microphone adapter that plugs into the dock connector, or a headset with built-in mic like the one that ships with iPhones, but now that Apple’s new headsets are on the way, TruPhone’s app seems much more interesting.

Once you’ve installed the software, you can make free calls—no matter where you are in the world—to other iPod touch owners, to customers of Truphone’s Internet telephony service and to users of Google Talk™ instant messaging service. Support for low cost calling to landlines (PSTN) is on the way, according to company reps, as is support for calling and instant messaging to Skype and MSN (free) and free check and set facilities for both Twitter and Facebook.

The software uses the iPod touch’s Wi-Fi connection to carry VoIP calls over the Internet to its destination. There is no monthly line rental, no subscription or other hidden charges, b

WTF iPhone Apps Of The WeekYesterday

First: here’s Dong Chang! (App Store) What is it, and what does it do? I think we’d better let the developer explain:

“It is every funny and easier to play. Try to sway your iphone/itouch Three dimensional direction, You can get three Hip-Hop’s accompanist. Whenever, any where you can dancing with your iphone/itouch. Come on, Move your body, geting Exercises! You will be enjoy it.”

Fantastic! Next!

Whacket! (App Store) “replicates the experience of playing your favorite racket sports - without the hassle of all those silly rackets.” Thank goodness for that. Rackets, eh? Who needs ‘em?

Tap Tap Tap Celebrates 10,000 AppsYesterday

The guys at Tap Tap Tap, responsible for the gorgeous Classics app, churned out this extra gorgeousness - made entirely out of iPhone app icons - to celebrate the App Store reaching 10,000 apps.

That’s 10,000 apps in less than half a year.

Just imagine what amazing stuff we’re going to see in 2009. I can’t wait.

We’re really going to need a better way to manage all our iPhone apps, though. All this flippy-flapping between screens is going to get really boring really quickly once there’s 50,000 apps competing for space there.

(Pic re-used here with Tap Tap Tap’s permission. Thanks guys!)

Anya Hindmarch Geekifies Gift Hamper with iPodYesterday

Anya Hindmarch is the handbag designer who made women club each other to proclaim to the world: “I’m not a plastic bag.”

She was tapped by UK department store Selfridges to fill their famous holiday hampers with goods.

Her credit-crunch defying “Ultimate Girl’s Hamper” (price tag: £1,000 or a staggering $1,475), includes some of the usual fare: Ruinart Champagne, 40 bottles of nail polish, Marshmallow Fluff and a “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” DVD.

You’ll notice from the image that just above the Fluff, however, is an iPod nano.

How did electronics creep into a holiday gift hamper?

Says Hindmarch: “I have always been fascinated by hampers, their history and Britishness. But am always disappointed by yet anothe

Is Apple Seeking Psystar’s Backers?Yesterday

With Mac clone maker Psystar potentially on the legal ropes, Apple may now be looking for the South Florida company’s unknown backers identified Tuesday as only “John Does 1 through 10.”

In an amended complaint against Psystar, Apple refers to the new defendants as “various individuals and/or corporations who have infringed Apple’s intellectual property rights” and the Cupertino, Calif. company’s user licensing.

Miami-based Psystar’s emergence and its retainer of antitrust experts Carr & Ferrell has “always been a bit puzzling,” wrote CNET’s Tom Krazit Wednesday.

Psystar failed to make its monopoly charges against Apple stick, with federal judge William Alsup in November rejecting the claim.

Tuesday, Apple added piracy charges, claiming Psystar violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by offering a disc permitting the OS X operating software be installed on non Macs.