While the UK has been reporting a run on current-model iPhones recently, Gizmodo says that the shortage has reached across the pond to New York City. According to an anonymous staffer at the West 14th street Apple Store, "it's been out of stock all week." And to think, you were only worried about rice and flour.
If you check out the picture on Gizmodo, you'll see a line of about 30 people who are waiting for an iPhone at the West 14th street store. These people will probably be very upset in a month or two.
Sometimes you have to think that we'd all be better off if Apple's marketing and trademark folks just dropped the corporate legal department out of their Rolodexes. Last week Bloomberg & Wired reported that Apple is still challenging the New York City environmental initiative GreenNYC's logo, which does look like an apple but not all that much like this Apple's apple. The trademark dispute hinges on the likelihood of public confusion and the possible dilution of Apple's mark, both of which seem to fail the silly test -- but you never do know.
Considering that Apple was on the receiving end of a trademark fight with the Beatles for decades, it's not clear why it's prudent or necessary for the company to pick a fight with a city known as "the Big Apple" since before the invention of the vacuum tube. I guess once you stake out your orchard, you have to make sure those darn kids don't steal the fruit. More on this story from BloggingStocks and the NYT.
Update: Nilay Patel at Engadget (who is a lawyer) describes the opposition filing as a normal part of the trademark process. Still seems kind of petty.
Reader Roger Kenny tipped us off to his cool site for iPhone-using New York Subway travelers. We've seen iPhone subway maps for New York before, and of course Google Maps is always available on the iPhone, but Roger's site goes even further. Not only can you see maps of the lines (via links to the MTA's website) and get directions (via HopStop), but he's also put together an RSS reader that will scroll subway alerts, and other news sites, across the top of your iPhone. If you spend any amount of time navigating New York's subways, it's definitely worth a bookmark.
I wish we had something like it for Chicago. Yes, our El stops (although, strangely enough, while I was writing this story it occurs to me that everyone in Chicago actually calls it "the train"-- I haven't heard it called the El since I moved here) are on Google Maps, but has anyone seen an iPhone "transit portal" for the Windy City? If so, toss it in the comments below, and those of us with big shoulders will thank you.
Let's clear something up: as odd as it sounds, there really truly is a hip, fashionable and glamorous New York City neighborhood called "the meatpacking district." That's what it is: many meat wholesalers and associated businesses are located on Manhattan's far West Side, hemmed in by long-gentrified Chelsea to the north and the West Village to the south.
Mixed among the meat markets are other meat markets: hot bars like Lotus and Hogs & Heifers call the MPD home, and apparently soon so will Apple's new Manhattan store. It's expected to occupy the former Western Beef supermarket building at 401 West 14th Street (Google Maps | Google Earth links) with a massive new outlet.
The New York Post reported that Apple's lease for the site includes 32,000 square feet of space, spread across three floors of the low-rise building. If Soho is the boutique, and 5th Avenue is the Tiffany's, then 14th Street is going to be the Costco of Apple Stores (except, of course, for the bargain pricing). Personally, I'm just thrilled that there's finally going to be an Apple Store I can visit on my lunch break.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you New Yorkers get everything.* During this afternoon's financial conference call, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer announced that a third Big Apple store is being planned. It's been suggested that this building at 401 West 14th Street will be the third store's location. At 52,000 square-feet, it would house one heck of a store.
*Except when my Red Sox hand you three losses in a row. You're welcome.
Her new name is "Mrs. Right Place, Right Time." When shopper Elizabeth Rodriguez walked into New York's flagship Apple Store this past Saturday, she was showered with a MacBook, iPod, iPod Hi-Fi, and an Apple ProCare membership, all for being visitor # 1,000,000. The amazing thing is that the store reached a million visitors in only four months of operation (Fifth Avenue's average number of daily visitors is seven times that of other stores).
Congratulations Apple and Elizabeth. Enjoy your great new stuff.
Not all visitors of the NYC 5th Avenue Apple Store are having the retail experience of their lives, as one group of customers were trapped in the glass elevator for 45 minutes. Ultimately, the hydraulic lines had to be leaked in order to lower the elevator down to the store where the NYPD had to pry the doors open. Store employees who were looking for a fix before the boys in blue arrived were able to lower water bottles down into the elevator.
I wonder if this is what happens when you leave the Apple Store without purchasing anything?
[via UNEASYsilence. Thanks also to everyone who sent this in!]
Ok, so maybe it's just a joke, but it's still funny. Macenstein has written an amusing parody post, stating that the NYC cube (which is made of the same material as the iPod's screen) will don a protective case designed by Incase, after receiving a 30-foot scratch over the weekend. Nice one, Macenstein.
That's right, at the height of the opening madness this blogger, using only Gmaps Pedometer, estimated the line to be .45 miles long. Waiting in a line that long for the privilege of getting into a store, and perhaps getting a free t-shirt? I suppose there are worse things to do with an afternoon (though if the line were that long a Suburban Station I'm not sure I would have waited).
So, fess up, how long would you wait in line to get into an Apple Store?
I don't think this is what Apple had in mind when they decided to put up that website with time lapse photos of the grand opening of the Fifth Avenue Apple store. Some enterprising young geek (I'm assuming he's a geek) took three signs with him down to the store at around 5:30am, and proposed to his girlfriend (see picture to the right).
This is either totally awesome, or totally geeky (I think it is both). I wonder if she said yes.
Check out another picture after the jump.
Update: Jonathan sent in this direct link to the time lapse movie.
So the Mac web is buzzing with anticipation as we all wait for Apple Store Fifth Avenue in NYC to finally open for business on Friday, May 19. To help you get into the mood, ifoAppleStore will be hosting a camp out on Thursday night outside the store. The first 100 people to show up will receive the cool commemorative pin pictured at right. It should be fun, and please let us know if you attend!
AppleScript Pro Sessions is a week long conference and workshop event
that very thoroughly covers working with Applescript. Scheduled sessions include:
Starting Out
With AppleScript
AppleScript and Applications
Scripting InDesign
Graphics, Images
and PDF
Data, the OS, AppleScript Studio and Automator
Several bonus sessions are also available.
The event will take place at the Marriott
Courtyard Secaucus Meadowlands (now only six miles from Manhattan!), and registration is currently open. You can
get the full details here.
My AppleScript skills
are so rudimentary, I should really attend something like this. I've often thought, "I should write a script for
that," but never seem to get around to it.
Recenty, Apple abandoned the idea of opening a mini-store on the
ground floor of another NYC landmark building, the Flatiron Building on 23rd St. and Broadway.
Apple likes
high foot-traffic areas for their stores, and this is definitely one of them. This area and Herald Square is
tourist-central since the Empire State Building is once again the tallest building in NYC.
While the UK has been reporting a run on current-model iPhones recently, Gizmodo says that the shortage has reached across the pond to New York City. According to an anonymous staffer at the West 14th street Apple Store, "it's been out of stock all week." And to think, you were only worried about rice and flour.
Sometimes you have to think that we'd all be better off if Apple's marketing and trademark folks just dropped the corporate legal department out of their Rolodexes. Last week 
Reader 
Let's clear something up: as odd as it sounds, there really truly is a hip, fashionable and glamorous New York City neighborhood called "the 
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you New Yorkers get everything.* During 
Her new name is "Mrs. Right Place, Right Time." When shopper Elizabeth Rodriguez walked into New York's flagship Apple Store this past Saturday, she was showered with a MacBook, iPod, iPod Hi-Fi, and an Apple ProCare membership, all for being 
Not all visitors of the NYC 5th Avenue Apple Store are having the retail experience of their lives, as one group of customers were trapped in the glass elevator for 45 minutes. Ultimately, the hydraulic lines had to be leaked in order to lower the elevator down to the store where the NYPD had to pry the doors open. Store employees who were looking for a fix before the boys in blue arrived were able to lower water bottles down into the elevator.
Ok, so maybe it's 
I don't think this is what Apple had in mind when they decided to put up 
So the Mac web is buzzing with anticipation as we all wait for 
Looks like there may be a third Apple Store opening in Manhattan in the not too distant future. We all know
about the SoHo store and the soon-to-open 
