Feedback Loop: 30 years of Mac, mechanical keyboards, Bitcoin alternatives and more!

Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There’s so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week.

This week, the Macintosh turned 30, so naturally, we had to share our fondest memories of our first Mac. We also dove into the complex world of mechanical keyboards, examined the potential health benefits of WiFi-connected LED lightbulbs, discussed the viability of Bitcoin alternatives and asked about the best laptops for software development. Click past the break and read what fellow Engadget users like you have to say.

What was your first Mac?

Thirty years ago, the Macintosh kicked off the personal computer revolution and created a generation of passionate and lovable fanboys. We took a moment to reflect on the past three decades and shared stories about our first Mac. I remember that start-up chime and new computer smell like it was yesterday. What was your first Mac and why did you get it? Share your story with the Engadget community.

Mechanical keyboard suggestions

Mechanical keyboard nerds, we have one question: What’s your favorite type of switch? PhilipPalermo is putting together a new desktop PC and wants to change things up by getting a new mechanical keyboard. What should he get to complete his new custom setup? Do you have a preferred type? Cherry Browns, Cherry Reds or, perhaps, Cherry Blues? Sound off in our forums and let us know which keys are pleasing your fingers the most!

Health benefits of connected LED lights

Products like the Philips Hue and LIFX offer users the ability to customize and control their home lighting from almost anywhere. Billysundays argues that these WiFi-connected bulbs aren’t just luxury items, they’re also actually essential to our health. Have you picked up one of these smartbulbs and noticed an extra pep in your step or a more frequent smile on your face? Or are these newfangled bulbs just a passing fad best suited to dorm room parties? Tell us what you think.

Litecoin vs. Bitcoin

Bitcoin is all the rage right now, but there are tons of other cryptocurrencies. Dogecoin, Coinye (now defunct), Litecoin and so many more. CookieMuncher wants to know if anyone is using these alternatives to Bitcoin. Are you able to reliably buy goods and services with them? Or are you hoarding them and hoping to eventually strike it rich? Give us your two cents.

Laptop suggestions for coding

Software development is demanding, and for some it’s more than a full-time job. Jausions wants something that will let him code on the go and he’s looking for a powerful 15-inch laptop to get his programming on (preferably of the non-Apple variety). What should he be using to get the job done?

That’s all this week! Do you want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!

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Apple Looking to Develop Mobile Payment Service

Apple is looking to develop a new mobile payment service on the back of its hundreds of millions of iTunes Store accounts, most of which have credit cards already attached, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The report claims Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president in charge of Internet Software and Services — including the iTunes Store — has met with other companies to discuss the company’s desire to handle payments in retail stores and elsewhere.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s iTunes and App Store chief and a key lieutenant of Chief Executive Tim Cook, has met with technology industry executives to discuss Apple’s interest in handling payments for physical goods and services on its devices, according to people familiar with the situation.

In another sign of the company’s interest, Apple moved Jennifer Bailey, a longtime executive who was running its online stores, into a new role to build a payment business within the technology giant, three people with knowledge of the move said.

Apple has been driving new payment technologies in its own retail stores, including the use of Bluetooth-based iBeacons and the ability to pay for smaller purchases through its Apple Store iPhone app, without the need to interact with a salesperson.

At the moment, Apple only allows accountholders to use their stored credit card information for purchases on Apple’s online and retail stores through its app as well as the iTunes and App Stores. The new Touch ID technology could speed up and authenticate purchases if Apple were to integrate that with its mobile payment service.

Tim Cook said last October that Apple would use its skills in building software, hardware, and services to create “great products” in categories that Apple does not participate in today. Passbook, the system that Apple released a few years ago to make it more convenient for customers using gift card or ticketing apps — along with Touch ID, iBeacon, and its vast collection of saved credit card numbers — could all be part of a larger mobile payments play by the company.

Mobile payments is a burgeoning industry, one that Tim Cook called “in its infancy” last year, with many players. Ebay’s PayPal, Google, Square, Visa, Mastercard and American Express are all examining — or have already developed — mobile payment platforms.

Apple Campus Celebrates 30th Mac Anniversary With One Republic Performance [Mac Blog]

In celebration of the Mac’s 30th anniversary, Apple employees are being treated to a musical performance by popular band act One Republic, which is currently going on at Apple’s Cupertino campus.

(Photo courtesy of @soulo1200s)
Apple holds a bi-weekly “Beer Bash” for employees at its campus that often include musical performances when a bash coincides with a special event. Previous Beer Bash performances have included Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Maroon 5, Cake, The Fray, and Phillips Phillips.

The company also decorated its Cupertino headquarters with several 30th anniversary posters, which list every employee who has ever worked at Apple by badge number, and several Apple executives, including Tim Cook, have given interviews about the Mac to celebrate its birthday.

Reports of iTunes Radio Working in the U.K. After iPhone Restore

Over the past several months, iTunes users in the U.K. and several other countries have noticed the availability of the welcome screen of iTunes Radio on their devices, hinting at an upcoming release.

As of today, MacRumors has had a few reports from U.K. and Australian users that have been able to access and listen to iTunes Radio on their iPhones. While some MacRumors forum members in the U.K. have been able to access the service, others say that it is not yet available for them. Similar reports are coming in on Reddit and Twitter.

It appears that most of the users that are able to access and use iTunes Radio had recently wiped and restored their devices, which suggests that iTunes Radio may be accessible after an iPhone reactivates. MacRumors is not, however, recommending that users restore their devices, and it’s not clear if this is a temporary glitch as Apple prepares for the U.K. launch.

iTunes Radio, which was first announced in June at the Worldwide Developer’s Conference and later became available in September alongside the launch of iOS 7, has thus far been limited to listeners in the United States.

In October, Bloomberg suggested Apple would expand the service to Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand by early 2014, but the service has remained limited to the U.S. throughout January. While some U.K. users receiving access after a restore could indicate an imminent release, a similar situation arose back in October with some users in Canada and the U.K. temporarily able to access the service.

According to Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services Eddy Cue, launching iTunes Radio worldwide is a top priority for the company, with Apple ultimately aiming to have the service “in more than 100 countries.”

(Thanks, Mark!)

MacMiniColo Launches $99/Month Mac Pro Colocation Service [Mac Blog]

Popular Mac colocation service MacMiniColo.net has introduced a new Mac Pro colocation service with similar services to its existing offerings.

After being the first company to offer Mac mini colocation, we’ve been at it for nine years. Starting today, we’re happy to offer colocation of the new Mac Pro. For those who need extra power in the cloud, MacProColo is the way to go.

MacMiniColo owner Brian Stucki told MacRumors that the fan in the Mac Pro “does well getting air through the machine” and that heat dissipation will not be an issue in major data centers. However, he did note that the Pro draws significantly more power than the Mac Mini that they typically use which is the more difficult commodity to come by in a data center.

The company is offering two pricing packages, one with a 12-month commitment at $99 per month for 2TB of data transfer, and another at $119 with 3TB of transfer and no contract.

Unlike its Mac Mini offering, MacProColo will only colocate Mac Pro’s that users already own, rather than offering its own units for sale, because of extremely limited availability. Once stock improves, the company will offer Mac Pro units for sale and faster setup.

Yesterday, Stucki was testing a Mac Pro in his data center and noted that using a dummy HDMI adapter — convincing the Mac Pro that it has a display attached — has the machine running significantly faster because the Mac Pro’s dual GPU’s run faster when it believes a display is attached.

MacProColo.net isn’t the only company planning Mac Pro colocation services; MacStadium plans to offer a similar service in the near future.

NimbleBit and Milkbag Games to Team Up for New ‘Disco Zoo’ Game [iOS Blog]

NimbleBit, the developer behind freemium hits like Pocket Trains, Tiny Tower, and Pocket Planes, has teamed up with Milkbag Games‘ Matt Rix, creator of Trainyard and Owen Goss, who did Landformer and Finger Tied, for an all new animal-based game called Disco Zoo.

Through casual puzzle gameplay, rescue animals from around the world to live in your very special Disco Zoo. Earn coins from your exhibits and keep the party going for both visitors and animals with disco dancing!

According to our sister site TouchArcade, the game will offer free-to-play mechanics like other NimbleBit games and as can be seen in the trailer above, it also features a similar pixelated art style.

While a specific release date has not been made available, NimbleBit says it is coming to the App Store soon.

The original Macintosh 128K gets torn asunder by iFixit

The disassembly ninjas at iFixit are usually focused on splitting open the newest gadgets to see what’s inside. Today, in honor of the Mac’s 30th birthday, they’ve turned their tools on a thing from the past: the original Macintosh 128K. As is to be expected, there weren’t any wild revelations regarding the 128K’s innards when given the full teardown treatment. However, iFixit found that the old machine, perhaps unsurprisingly, is much easier to tinker with than its modern counterpart, the iMac, thanks to an uncomplicated interior design and the fact that it doesn’t have any adhesive, anywhere. Before you go diving into your old machine, however, be careful, as both the power supply and CRT run at voltages high enough to fry careless would-be modders. Want to see all of the OG Mac’s innards for yourself? The source has got what you need.

Filed under: Desktops, Alt, Apple

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Source: iFixit

Apple’s Tim Cook: ‘There is no backdoor. The government doesn’t have access to our servers’

Apple isn’t colluding with the NSA to hand over user data and CEO Tim Cook wants you to know that. In fact, Cook feels so strongly about this issue of security that he’s gone on record saying the government would need “to cart [Apple’s employees] out in a box” to get access to its servers. That choice soundbite comes from a sitdown interview, airing tonight on ABC, during which Cook elaborates on what he sees as public misperception stemming from the recent NSA scandal. To counter that, Cook said he’s been “pushing very, very hard” for more transparency into Apple’s internal practices, a move he hopes would help to set the record straight with the general public.

Cook is also expected to touch upon other topics outside of the NSA breach, like the company’s heavily-anticipated plunge into wearables, and the measures Apple takes to maintain secrecy surrounding its product roadmap. You can watch the teaser clip from the full interview with Cook just after break.

Filed under: Internet, Apple

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Via: TechCrunch