I intended to write about Apple going green when they launched the new Macs earlier this year, but I felt the urge to wait, and so I did. Apple has truly done it this time with their entire line of MacBook Pros and the iPhone 3GS.

The MacBook Pros are the greenest Macs Apple has yet to deliver. All models of the machine (13, 15, and 17 inch) are EPEAT Gold rated and meet the Energy Star 5.0 requirements, which isn’t even out yet. This makes the machines consume less electricity, and easier on the environment.

Speaking of the environment, both the MacBook Pros and the iPhone 3GS are made mostly out of earth-friendly materials, which are also easily recyclable.

• Highly recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure
• Mercury-free LED-backlit display
• Arsenic-free display glass
• BFR-free
• PVC-free internal cables

The iPhone 3GS shares a lot of these features as well. All of Apple’s products ship inside of much smaller packaging which is great for several reasons: Easier to ship more units per airplane, easier to carry, easier to store, less garbage in the dumps. Everyone wins.

It would be amazing to see companies utilize more environmentally friendly materials. This is a great start, and I am glad that Apple is trying to pioneer being fully green, or as green as they can be. Which other companies, other than the ones that specialize in green tech, actually manufacture products of similar nature? Post in comments below, please.

I predict that some day, we will have a way to teleport technology we buy straight to our homes. No jetplane delivery, no fumes, no packaging garbage.

To many, this year’s World Wide Developer’s Conference will be the most exciting and future defining Apple event to date. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 3.0 software on March 17, I knew that the iPhone was going to go beyond the existing lead it already held over its competitors.

Before the unveiling of the iPhone 3.0 software, I was absolutely certain that the Palm Pre and the Android platforms were going to give Apple a run for their money. Boy was I wrong. I always preach the idea that if a company doesn’t keep a heavy eye on its competitors, it will begin to fall short. When Apple set a goal to sell 10 million iPhones within the first year, they stuck to it and sold well over their desired mark. This is simply because they have an ingenious R&D department that knows exactly what needs to be done to stay ahead of the game.

Okay, enough about the software. The iPhone is close to hitting the 2-year mark and we have only seen 1 hardware update that wasn’t too significant (addition of 3G, GPS, and a flush headphone jack). Rumors around the web are going nuts trying to predict what the next major hardware update is going to be like. The original iPhone set a new industry standard for the things that should be expected in a smartphone. There have been no major performance upgrades in the last 2 years, yet the iPhone still outperforms most phones of its kind to this day. If the next version of the hardware is unveiled come the 8th, I cannot imagine how ahead of its game it will be.

Now to talk a bit about what’s to come for the Mac OS. More after the jump…

If you are serious about design, you probably take other people’s work pretty seriously – especially if they’re good. A lot of designers always talk about the great things they encounter on the web and in magazines, and wonder when their skills are going to match those of others. I have one word for them: Copy.

By trying to replicate the techniques other designers use in their work, you can learn how to approach things differently. For example, when I was new at Photoshop, I would always try to achieve various results by experimenting with all the tools, layers, masking, and so forth. If you think you lack the technical knowledge to do this, a simple Google search will perform wonders.

Things to do for Web Designers:

1. Put together a list of websites that you love.
2. Open your application of choice for web design and start laying out one of the websites.
3. Try to replicate color, gradients, shapes, and placement of content elements as best as you can.
4. If there is something you cannot do, you can find a tutorial, or do something you are familiar with that will look just as good.

More after the jump…

Today is day 1 into the second month of the New Year, and things are looking pretty bright at the moment! I would say that January was pretty productive, but more needs to be done. My internship has been going pretty well as major changes are going to be taking place very soon.

Now that school is back in session, my daily to-do list has grown 10 fold. So far, it has been a good thing since I have to stay on top of the game, but it is bound to get harder as my classes are advanced level design courses. One course I want to talk about in particular is Advanced Web Design. Our goal throughout the course is to develop and deploy a live website, indexable by search engines, with active affiliate programs. Most people in the class don’t have any experience in this, but it will be great to see what I am up against come this Tuesday. Continue reading…

By now, most of you have probably heard about the rumors of Steve Jobs preparing his retirement. Although we may never know whether or not this is true, it is clearly evident that changes are occuring.

So many famous moments have been recorded into the history books at these events throughout the years, primarily the iPhone. I wonder if Apple is going to do something HUGE for their last and final Macworld appearance, or if it will be a quiet departure.

Continue after the jump for the list:

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are dealing with a high or drunk person, keep one thing in mind: Agree to whatever he says, and try to walk away from the situation!

The last thing you want is getting into some kind of trouble by upsetting the irrational man, who can possibily be a danger to you, others, and himself. On the other note, try to refrain from being that person people may want to avoid as well. I don’t believe there’s any excuse to hurt your body in such way to experience temporary pleasure (if that’s what you want to call it).

Question: Have you ever been in a dangerous/uncomfortable situation involving an intoxicated person?

When companies use efficient technology to operate their business, less people are needed to get the job done. Yes, I am referring to the recent technical specialist layoffs from Netflix due to the simplicity of Microsoft’s Silverlight video player. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to easy to use technology, but what’s next?

Good design, maybe? I think so. I firmly believe that good design is a major part of what makes something a pleasure to use. Whether it’s software or some kind of a device, companies will invest in producing better products to reduce support funding. Now, this isn’t exactly the best thing for the job market as it will reduce the amount of jobs for support specialists, but competition will surely be on the rise.

It’s too early to determine the exact direction companies will take, but it would be great to see an increase in the design & development departments, working to create better products. We will hopefully see a rise in the quality of products now that mass production does not work as well as it did yesterday. Things will eventually start to pick up again when confidence levels stabilize.

All I can say to the people running these businesses is this: Create, innovate, care, and pay attention!

An article written by the NYTimes a couple of days ago helped me finalize my stand on bailing out corporations. You may have read in the papers that Archway Cookies has been shut down, and the employees that relied on the company health plans are now stranded with nothing. It is absolutely devastating that thousands upon thousands of people are losing their jobs with all of their benefit going down the drain.

Yes, bail out the companies that are failing. YES, make them pay the consquences for building shitty products. Yes, create or reform a national health policy that protects hard working people from losing their coverage.

I hate having to hear about people cancelling their surgeries, prolonging their pregnancies, and living with controllable illnesses that they can’t help because of they just can’t afford health care. This applies to millions of Americans, and it shouldn’t be that way.

Just in November 2008, over half a million jobs were lost, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. We are all facing tough times, but people don’t have to suffer like this. Corporate, political, and social corruption need to end. Without this, things won’t start getting better until it’s too late.

A little over a week ago, I stumbled across something that had me in awe. Adobe is working on a video editing technology that brings object placement and integration to a whole new level. Instead of trying to explain it, just watch this:

Imagine all the possibilities this will unravel, and the amount of jobs that will be lost because of the ridiculous ease of manipulating objects. Nonetheless, I would love to see the technology implemented into future versions of After Effects and the likes. If you are into video editing, what are your thoughts particularly – is it a big deal, or no so much?

A recent article over at NYTimes got me thinking about the impact MMA is having around the world. Just several years ago, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was banned from over 30 states, now Mixed Martial Arts is making its way into high school gymnasiums.

Many people, including students, don’t take UFC and MMA seriously. Some believe it’s too brutal while others believe it is just a bunch of sweaty guys rolling around in their underwear. Being an avid martial arts fan and a former practitioner, it is easy to see the level of skill being displayed. Unfortunately it is not so for many.

People often taken interest in martial arts when they feel the need to be able to protect themselves. Often, they’re afraid of getting hurt and/or being vulnerable, thus taking on a form of martial arts to change that. Proper discipline from any type of martial art will teach self-control and confidence, as well as many other valuable lessons. Additionally, physical conditioning and health improvements are imminent. Read more about the jump…