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.

iTunes 8 Helps You Clean

I would have thought otherwise, but I love genre tiles. How nice of iTunes 8 to ram those badly tagged tracks in my face. Are you like me, can you not stand 4 ways to say the exact same thing? Well iTunes helps you find those ID3 abominations so you can clean them right up.

BTW, the correct one of the 4 is "Hip Hop". I know this because Shadow says so.

Conquer Cord Clutter

My latest simplification involves taming cords on the kitchen counter. I saw the Socket Pocket and had to have one. I don't know why the comments on sites like lifehacker seemed to hate it so much. Are cords on the counter that big of a deal? Yes, when cats play with them. When kids yank on them. When you can't set groceries down because there is a cord pile in the way. These are all problems I don't want to have. The Socket Pocket is simple, not too ugly, and it gets the job done.



That's my wife's cell phone, and now it lives nice and tidy on the wall. The second one (they come in packs of two) is in the garage holding my bicycle light so I always know where to find it and it is charged and ready to blaze the night.

There are a few things I would change about the Socket Pocket. First, I'd change the construction and design and have it come in one piece. Currently in ships in 3 pieces -- the plate, the pocket, and the bottom of the pocket. The pocket is actually flat and you have to bend it to shape and slide it into slots on the plate. It works, but it is flimsy. Mold the pocket and plate in one piece. Having the bottom a seperate snap-in still makes sense the way the fingers in the bottom can flip up and snap back down. Second, give us something other than white plastic. I think stainless steel would be nice. Plenty of folks have stainless steel appliances these days, so stainless would fit in the kitchen nicely and it wouldn't look bad in the garage either.

Juice for Belvedere

Last October, I posted about combining a desktop valet and a charger. Apparently others had the same idea. A few months ago I saw a charging valet in the SkyMall catalog. Brookstone was the vendor.

You can see some more charging valets at Wedding Bee. They suggest using them as groomsman gifts. Seems like a pretty good idea to me. My best men got stormproof lighters :)

KangaRooM has a very reasonably priced charging valet as well.


I still think it would be fun to build your own. A drill and a power bar is about all you need.

The Apple Drawer

I have a drawer dedicated for Apple stuff. Somehow this topic came up with my friends at work. I got the feeling they thought it was a little weird, and a touch fanatical. I think it's just a sign of being organized :)

I don't know that there are any real surprises or curiosities in the Apple drawer. There's unused iPod docks, extra headphones, and the crappy iPod cases that ship in the box. There's also my wireless Apple mouse that is current unused as I'm using a Wacom tablet and mouse instead (great Christmas gift Jeff).

I like that I can easily find a spare set of headphones when I'm running out the door. I like that I can find the external video cables I need when I'm packing for a trip. I like that it looks like an Iowa winter when I open the drawer.

So, take a look, see what you can identify, and have a laugh at my expense because I have an Apple drawer.