Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.


Q: I know you’re not really on the Security Bitch Watch beat anymore because, well, it’s March. But I was reading about the emails David Maynor sent to Apple and… wow. I mean, he initially contacts Apple about some wifi exploit but then he gives them code for a Linux exploit and then he won’t shut up about a Bluetooth exploit. What is up with this guy?

A: Well, as it turns out, David Maynor is actually composed of thousands of smaller David Maynors constantly competing for control of the larger construct we call “David Maynor.”

Q: Oh. You mean he’s schizophrenic?

A: No. I mean he’s actually made up of little people.

Q: Wow! But, I mean, shouldn’t someone like at MIT or the government or something capture him and stow him away in a facility somewhere and study him? You know, somewhere where he doesn’t have access to a Mac?

A: Well, yes. And, as a matter of fact, Crazy Apple Rumors Site would like to encourage all of its readers to contact their representatives and ask them to have David Maynor taken off to a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility for study.

Q: Awesome! Mine’s Ted Stevens so I just know he’s totally going to go for that!

A: Oh, man, I wish I had wacky representation.

Q: Oh, you do, dude. You do.


Q: I installed the iTunes update on two computers this week, one a Mac and the other a PC. Now here’s something that’s bothered me – I had to reboot one machine, and it wasn’t the PC. What’s up with that? I mean, why is Apple making its Mac-using customers do more work than its Windows-using customers?

A: Isn’t it obvious? iTunes on Windows is a mess.

Q: Hmm. Well, I guess that’s true. So, the reboot thing is just Apple’s way of making it all even out?

A: Well, that and it’s also that the piece that makes the Mac version of iTunes so much more stable is the part that requires a reboot.

Q: Oh. What part is that?

A: Hell if I know. Who do I look like? Bertrand Serlet?

Q: Mmm, no.

A: Do I look like Sina Tamaddon?

Q: Not so much.

A: Do I look like Tony Fadell?

Q: No. But, hey, what’s up with that dude’s Adam’s apple? Did he get punched in the throat or something? It’s, like, on the side of his neck!

A: No, no. I think he just swallowed a first generation shuffle.

Q: Oh. Why would he do that?

A: Some sort of executive hazing ritual.

Q: Oh, like swallowing gold fish.

A: Right. Man, I tell you what. Those guys are weird.

Q: I hear that.


Q: I’m a little concerned about this whole daylight savings change.

A: OK. Have you downloaded Apple’s operating system patch?

Q: Yes, but I’m just afraid something’s going to bite me and I’m not going to wake up on time to attend morning services at Our Lady of the Vaginal Yeast Infection.

A: Bite you? You mean like a venomous snake?

Q: Uh, no, just that my alarm won’t go off.

A: Oh. Well, OK, tell you what. Just apply Apple’s patch twice.

Q: Twice?

A: Yeah. So then you’ll be two hours ahead at least.

Q: Huh. Will that work?

A: Sure. Why not? I think it will. Maybe. I don’t know.

Q: You don’t really care about my concern, do you.

A: No. Of course I don’t. I mean, “Our Lady of the Vaginal Yeast Infection”? What the hell is that?

Q: Uh… we… believe in the miracle of the immaculate yeast infection.

A: …

Q: What?

A: That’s an oxymoron!

Q: That’s why it’s a miracle! Duh!

A: Mmm… you got me there.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.

Today’s Help Desk answers the musical question…


Q: How does Apple do that voodoo that it does so well?

A: Well, as a matter of fact, it turns out that it’s real voodoo. So, uh, as far as how they do it… I think it’s mostly chicken blood.


Q: I’ve owned Macs for about ten years now and I’ve always wondered, is Apple down with OPP?

A: Oh, yes, totally. Apple’s been down with OPP for, what, two years now?

Q: Wow. Really? Like, who? You said something about Melinda Gates the other day. Is it Melinda Gates?

A: What? What does she have to do with Other People’s Processors?

Q: Huh?

A: Other People’s Processors. You know… when Apple switched to Intel and got down with OPP.

Q: Uh…

A: What did you think it meant?

Q: I’d… rather not say now.


Q: Is this burning I feel for my MacBook an eternal flame?

A: While I’m sure you like your MacBook very much, no.

Q: Oh. So it’s probably just processor heat. Should I just get a Podium Pad or something?

A: Uh… well, sadly, in your case, only some of the burning is processor heat. The rest is VD.

Q: Oh. Wait a minute, how do you know?

A: Oh, we know. We know. For some reason we have sources at Apple and also down at the clinic. I’m still not really sure why.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.

Today – all iPhone, all the time!


Q: I am, of course, going to get an iPhone the moment they’re available. Mostly because of the interface and the feature set. But also… um… I’ve heard… well, it’s widely rumored that… uh, the iPhone will have a noticeably positive effect on… uh… the size of my…

A: Johnson?

Q: My package.

A: Your junk?

Q: My stuff.

A: Your unit?

Q: My family jewels.

A: Your hey, now, how do ya do?

Q: My meat and potatoes.

A: Your frank and beans?

Q: My bangers and mash.

A: Your cucumber salad?

Q: My freeway and onramps.

A: Your Wallace and Gromit?

Q: My catalytic… My “Wallace and Gromit”?

A: Yeah. Your tube sock.

Q: Ah! My trouser luggage!

A: Your soap on a rope!

Q: My hard drive!

A: Your roll of mints!

Q: My… uh… braunschweiger…?

A: Your… um… bakery-fresh cruller?

Q: Uh… sure. So, anyway, is that true?

A: Uh… what was the question?

Q: I was hoping you would remember.


Q: I’m kind of interested in the iPhone, but I have some concerns.

A: Lay ’em on me.

Q: OK, well, it looks awfully slippery. Is it going to slip out of my hand all the time? I can’t afford to buy one every month, you know.

A: Never fear. Already there are several third-party solutions in the works that will make it less slippery. Griffin Technologies, for instance, is going to make a 40-grit sandpaper that you can use to put some really nice grooves into your iPhone.

Q: Oh. OK. That sounds good.

A: Should give you a nice grip.

Q: And possibly void my warranty.

A: Uh… yeah. And that.

Q: But I’m also concerned about heat. It seems like the iPhone’s probably going to run a little hot and I’m worried about having it pressed up against my face for a long time.

A: Oh, don’t worry about that. Kensington is going to make a Bluetooth crotch adapter.

Q: A what?

A: You put your iPhone in your pants and then you just use a Bluetooth headset.

Q: You mean I put my iPhone in my pants pocket, right?

A: No. In your pants.

Q: Why would I do that?

A: Uh, to use the Bluetooth headset? Helloooo?

Q: Um…

A: Also, it keeps your junk warm.

Q: Oh, let’s not go there again.

A: Um… OK.


Q: I’ve got a concern I haven’t seen addressed in any of the literature I’ve read about the iPhone so far.

A: Shoot.

Q: If I’m holding the unit up to my head and my hand is covering most of it, how are people going to know I’m using an iPhone?

A: Well, that is going to be a problem. How do you effectively project your iPhone user status to the masses?

Q: Right.

A: I don’t have an Apple-endorsed answer or a third-party solution for you here, but I can tell you what I intend to do.

Q: What’s that?

A: Work it into the conversation.

Q: Huh?

A: Well, let’s say I’m calling my buddy to see what time we’re meeting at a bar. I ring him up and I say as loudly as I can “Hey, man, I just wanted to call you on MY IPHONE to see what time we’re meeting for beers.”

Q: Oh, yeah! So, like, “Hey, Gloria, I just got MY NEW APPLE IPHONE and I wanted to call you on MY NEW APPLE IPHONE so you’d be the first to know that I HAVE SYPHILIS!

A: …

Q: Kind of like that, right?

A: Uhh… I don’t think you need to emphasize that last part.

Q: Oh, but the people at the clinic were very specific about that. “Make sure she knows it’s syphilis,” they said.

A: Oh. OK. But does everyone else need to know?

Q: Um… I didn’t ask them that.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.


Q: I read recently that Apple had issued an enabler for 802.11n and I was wondering how I go about downloading and installing that.

A: Oh, you don’t want to do that.

Q: What? Why not?

A: Well, look, it’s one thing to be 802.11n. It’s another thing to be an 802.11n enabler.

Q: Ooh. Gosh. I hadn’t thought of that. I feel just terrible.

A: Yeah, I mean, it’s one thing for you to decide that you’re going to experiment with something that doesn’t even have a final spec, but to enable your Mac to get into the dangerous 802.11n lifestyle…

Q: I’m sorry! I didn’t think… Wait. What the hell are we talking about?

A: We’re talking about you and what a terrible, terrible person you are.

Q: All I wanted was a faster wireless network!

A: Pervert.

Q: I am not a… Well, OK, I am, but that’s got nothing to do with this!


Q: I was trying to install some RAM in my Mac Pro and, well, I kind of went a little crazy.

A: Oh. You mean you maxed it out?

Q: Oh, I maxed it out. I maxed the hell out of it.

A: Ooh! 16 GB?!

Q: Yeah. And then I got out the soldering iron!

A: You… what?

Q: I got some solder and I soldered a whole crap load more on top of it!

A: Huh?

Q: Yeah! So, I’ve got 64 GB, but the problem is I can’t access it all.

A: Uh, well, yeah, that’s because it won’t take more than 16 GB.

Q: What? Sure it will. You just have to get out the soldering iron and…

A: No. Look, you can solder it all day long and…

Q: Actually, it took me a couple of days.

A: …you won’t be able to access any more than 16 GB.

Q: Mmm. No. I think you’re wrong. I think I just need some more solder.

A: Well, you give that a try and let me know how that works out.

Q: Oh, hey, do you know where I can buy solder by the pound?

A: Nnno.


Q: I got a new iMac few weeks ago and I’m trying to do some web development work on it but I’m having trouble configuring MAMP.

A: OK. Where are you hung up?

Q: Well, I have Apache set up. And I have MySQL configured and running. And I have PHP running. It’s just that I can’t seem to get the Old High Latin language XML running.

A: The what?

Q: But that’s not really crucial. What I really want to dig into is diagonal class inheritance.

A: Diagonal class inheritance?

Q: Yeah! When you’re coding you can inherit from the parent class or the one next to it! Or any class diagonal to the one you’re coding!

A: What? I’m… pretty sure that’s not right.

Q: Sure it is. Oh, and I really think I could leverage the option to compile packages with pretty bows.

A: Uh… you’re not really a programmer, are you?

Q: I like pretty bows.

A: Of course you do.

Friday Feature: Crazy Apple Help Desk.

Every Friday, the staff at Crazy Apple Rumors Site answers common help questions based on our vast experience with Apple products and our fervent belief that we know more than you do.

Today we take pity on our Windows-using friends and provide some much-needed technical support in advance of the Windows Vista Mega-Cool Super-Awesome Launch 2006!

Uh, I mean 2007!

Was… really supposed to have been, like, 2004, but…

Whatever.


Q: I’m really confused about the different versions of Vista and I’m hoping you can tell me which one to install.
A: Well, I’d recommend Vista Home Premium. It has the see-through windows and pretty much all the consumer-level benefits of the operating system.
Q: Huh. Well, I like computers, but I don’t really consider myself a “premium” kind of guy. I just want a little Windows, you know?
A: Oh. Sure. Then how about Windows Vista Home Basic? it doesn’t have the see-through windows, but it has most everything else.
Q: Hmm. I don’t know. I live in an unfurnished apartment. I think “Home” is kind of a stretch.
A: Oh. Well, OK, maybe you should look at Vista Starter. You can only run three applications at a time and it’s limited to 256 MB of RAM.
Q: Three applications?! Jeez, who am I? Merlin Mann? All switching between applications and being all productive?
A: Uh, well, no, because Merlin’s a Mac user.
Q: Oh.
A: Look, maybe you should just get Windows Vista for Dummies.
Q: Ooh! That sounds good!
A: Oh, it’s not. Limited to 32 MB of RAM, one application and you get an electric shock every five minutes to remind you to reconfirm your license.
Q: Awesome! Man, Microsoft is so innovative!
A: It is… something… alright…


Q: I’ve been thinking about getting Vista, but I’m really concerned about this catch-phrase they’re using: “Show us your ‘Wow’.”
A: Why does that bother you? Other than that it’s really stupid?
Q: Well, it’s apparently in the EULA. If you install Vista, you have to show Microsoft your “Wow.”
A: Really? That seems wrong.
Q: I know. I mean, I don’t even know what it means and already I don’t want to do it. I’m really hoping it’s not anything like showing them my “Oh!” face.
A: Ugh. Me, too, because the first “Show us your ‘Wow'” page is Bill Gates’.
Q: Eww.


Q: My problem with upgrading to Vista is less technical and more existential.
A: Oh. OK, lay it on me.
Q: OK. See, I know I’m supposed to want to upgrade to Vista, but somehow the whole thing is just leaving me feeling empty. Alone. And kind of used.
A: How come?
Q: Well, it just seems so pointless after all this time. I mean, if I’ve been using XP for five years, why the hell should I bother upgrading now? I’ll have to run out and buy a new video card or a whole new machine… and for what? So I can see through my windows? Is that it? Is that what life is all about?
A: Life?
Q: Yeah. Will that provide meaning to my pathetic existence? Is this going to help me meet a girl?
A: Uh…
Q: I mean, all I want at the end of my meagre existence is for people to look at my life and say, “Jim Allchin: he was a really great guy.”
A: Jim… Allchin?
Q: Oh. Uh… I’ve got to go. [click]
A: Huh. That was weird.