This bit from Brand Autopsy caught my eye:

At Apple, new-product development starts in the gut and gets hatched in rolling conversations that go something like this: What do we hate? (Our cellphones.) What do we have the technology to make? (A cellphone with a Mac inside.) What would we like to own? (You guessed it, an iPhone.) "One of the keys to Apple is that we build products that really turn us on," says Jobs. (Emphasis mine -K).

The key to Apple's success? Building things that solve problems, not cause them. Consider their approach, versus the way Microsoft handles things. And consider how that affects your job and your business. In a service-based economy, the best surprise is no surprise.

Definitive proof that Macs and Apple products make you more creative.

No word yet on Microsoft and rampant stupidity, but I'm sure that's coming soon...

Dozens of comic strip RSS feeds, all at one place.

Including classic Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes strips.

Heaven.

Despite all their problems, Polaroid can still do the right thing every once in a while.



Good idea.

Apple may be looking to integrate a DVR into AppleTV.

Good.

I like the idea of AppleTV, but it really doesn't offer me a big advantage over my TiVo Series 3, aside from full iPod/iTunes integration. Playback on computer? For some shows, yes, downloaded movies, no. (Advantage, Apple). Download movies and show on TV? (Yep, both of them). Record (rather than buy) TV shows? (Advantage, TiVo). Playback on iPod and iTunes (Advantage, Apple. Nullified somewhat because I don't have a video-capable iPod. Yet.).

If Apple wants to make their set-top box as ubiquitous as the iPod, they're going to have to exceed the ease of use and capabilities of existing boxes in the same way that the iPod blew away the capabilities of existing MP3 players back in 2001.

Want to know how Apple designs such cool stuff?

Michael Lopp, a senior designer at Apple, shows us how.

Now THIS is food styling!

Unidentified Funny Apple Thingy.

Hmmmn, judging by the fact it's an Apple Education developer, might we be seeing the return of the eMate?

"What we saw today (Apple's Software Development Kit for the iPhone. -Ed.) was the beginning of two-decades of mobile domination by Apple. What Microsoft and Windows was to the desktop, Apple and Touch will be to mobile."

- "Jason" of 37signals.com

Look, I'm as much of an Apple acolyte as the next freak, but that's going a little far for even me. Is it big? Yes. Is it the next Windows? That's asking an awful lot from one device.

...but oh so funny.

What if Saul Bass did the opening for Star Wars?

The Associated Press shuts down snappedshot.com with a bunch of nasty copyright infringement notices, then turns around and lifts a video from LiveLeak with no attribution whatsoever.

And then they wonder why no one trusts the media these days...