MagSafe on a Desktop?

When the Apple LED Cinema Display was launched, I was immediately drawn to the multi-headed cord that supplied video, USB, and power. This was no iMac, but it was again attacking the number of cables you need to snake around your desk. A single power drop to the floor is fantastic...but only if you're using a MacBook or MacBook Pro.

I won't admit that the Mac mini is dead, and the number of rumors surrounding it suggest it is ready for an update (but we've heard that many times before). I'm wondering if Apple would release a new Mac mini with a MagSafe connector. Certainly the desktop computer is a different beast than a notebook. People shout "I wouldn't want my computer to shut off when I trip over the cable!". To those folks I say, why in the world are you tripping over your computer's power cable? Do you trip often? Do you drink a fair amount? Do you like to host double dutch tournaments with your power cords in the living room?

Personally, I'd me more than happy with a MagSafe connector on my desktop. I can't say I've ever tripped over the cord of my desktop, so I'll take the risk that it'll get yanked out at an inopportune time in exchange for fewer cables.

That leaves the cost argument. Folks in the market for a Mac mini aren't the target market of an LED Cinema Display. However, since that's the only display Apple makes, that would be a nice little carrot to get them to spend the cash.

Here's hoping for a new Mac mini in '09. Let's see what it brings. My mockup including the Mac nano is included here. If Apple really does this, I'd expect the cables out the back.

Cover Flow on an iPod

When Apple finally releases a wide screen iPod I really hope that it can run the Cover Flow effect. I wanted to see what it would look like, so I did a quick mock up. I think it would work ok, and I really hope they put the scroll wheel on the backside.

The Last Words

Yesterday a lunch conversation prompted an interesting idea. Many times I'll have emails that I get on a regular basis. These could be deals, status, or in this example, recent record releases. I don't always have time to get to these emails as they come out. Usually they are obsoleted by an email that comes out the next week. The old emails really don't have any value once a newer one has come out.

I figured there had to be a way to create a Smart Mailbox in Mail.app to let me just keep the last email from a particular sender. Unfortunately, you don't get to limit a Smart Mailbox to a number of messages. Seems like a simple enough thing to add. Smart Playlists can be limited to a certain number of tracks.

I whipped up a quick shot of what this would look like. I just pasted the option from a Smart Playlist screen in to the Smart Mailbox screen.


BTW, I also explored Automator for a solution and didn't come up with much so I gave up.