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prank posts

Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, Apple, iPhone

Flickr Find: Jailbroken iPhone at Apple Store


Just like Macenstein, I can't actually tell you whether this photo is real, photoshopped, or just staged (my guess is staged), but it is funny. This iPhone, seemingly on display at the Apple Store, has one too many icons, and so apparently what the AT&T salesman told a customer in front of me at the AT&T Store when I went to buy my iPhone is untrue: you can, in fact, put your own applications on the iPhone. Who knew?!

That said, we at TUAW can't recommend you do something like this yourself-- those geniuses at the Apple Store don't get paid enough to put up with your mischievous behavior, so give 'em a break. Plus, it's only funny once. But this one time, it is pretty funny.

Filed under: Humor, Software

Mac OS X kernel panic screensaver - let the pranks begin


What's better than a Dashboard widget that can display a Mac OS X kernel panic? A full-on screensaver that can simulate one, of course! Mark Johns of Doomlaser has built an eerily realistic kernel panic screensaver, right down to the slowly dropping grey shade of despair, that will surely induce panic in the hearts of its victims in the way that only the haunting question of "oh crap, did I save?!" can. For a nice touch of style, it can even pause iTunes to really stop the show.

Watch a demo of the screensaver here in this post, or head over to YouTube for the original. Finally, you can snag your own pranktastic copy from Doomlaser.

Filed under: Humor, Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs: Smooth Criminal

Steve's a smooth guy, we know this. Witness his near-flawless execution of the keynotes. Marvel at how he keeps a straight face when asked about secret projects. Not that he always keeps his cool, but I certainly wouldn't want to play poker with the guy. The criminal part? Well, I'm not talking about stock options, I'm talking about crimes Steve has committed in front of us all, or admitted to publicly.

So remember the prank call to Starbucks during the keynote? Word on the street back in my school daze: prank calling is illegal! Of course, there's a right way and a wrong way to prank call (ask the Jerky Boys). Steve was wise to end that call before someone started pouring the coffee...

Now think back to November 2006, when Universal Music Group's CEO made the bold statement that iPod users are thieves, or, at least, their iPods are full of stolen music (I was just holding it for a friend, officer, honest!). Well hey, maybe he's right. I still don't see the Beatles on iTunes, and yet, somehow Steve had them on his iPhone... So Steve, do we get a copy of Limewire on our iPhones or what? You sneaky devil!

Lastly, don't forget Jobsy's hacker roots. OK, Woz was the real hacker, or prankster in this case. Steve's clicker failing provided everyone in the room with a trip down memory lane. Back when the FCC didn't really worry about a couple of college kids jamming the airwaves and wreaking havoc on nerds in the common room... And then there's the association with a certain Captain Crunch, aka John Draper, and tinkering with Woz's Blue box. That was certainly a crime, although one that was apparently never pursued (despite Draper's arrest and conviction). Boy Steve, what other criminals do you hang with today? Are they as smooth as you? I forgive ya, as long as I can call for free on the iPhone by emitting a 2600 Hz tone...

[Asbestos claim: this is tagged as humor, please make a note of it]

Tip of the Day

Holding the Command key (aka the Apple key) and pressing Tab will cycle through your open applications. It's easier to Cmd-Tab if you are Copy (Cmd-C) and Pasting (Cmd-V) to and from various applications.


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