AP launches iPhone-targeted news service

It’s like a newspaper in your phone. I like the idea of location-targeted news from the Associated Press coming straight to my iPhone (and probably iPod Touch); it’s like the local page from your newspaper, but without the cow-tipping updates.

A lot of the big news corporations are on board, which means you won’t be getting locked out of good local content. There will, of course, be ads, but you’ve got those in real 3D newspapers too. They say they’ll be launching a service “Monday,” and today is Monday, so go check.

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New Boston Apple Store Largest In the World

Later this month, Apple is opening its latest flagship store on Boylston Street in Boston. The store's main claim to fame? It's huge. We're talking largest Apple Store in the world, by square footage. The store, in the city's historic Back Bay district, looks like a four-story glass cube. It's the first store inside Boston proper and the first with (finally) easy subway access. According to a store employee, it's a good thing Boylston Street is so big: Apple estimates 1,500-2000 customers/hour will visit — more than 10 times the 160/hour that the average store gets. It's something else inferiority-complex ravaged Bostonians can hold over New York.

• More and a complete gallery via Gizmodo

AT&T/Starbucks Free Wi-Fi Disabled... For Now

AT&T's free Starbucks Wi-Fi for iPhone usersdeal didn't last very long. Users on the MacRumors forum say that locations where Wi-Fi worked just days ago now have the free iPhone access removed. Considering AT&T never made an official mention of the service, it's possible somebody at the Death Star jumped the gun and the mistake has been corrected. Or maybe the company found out that a simple hack would let anybody with a friend's iPhone number get a free ride.

• [source: MacRumors]

Mozy hits 1.0, no more beta backups

We’ve talked about Mozy before. It’s a backup service that allows you to save your files to an offsite location. Using this software/service combo, you can keep your vital files saved to a place safe from disasters such as a fire in your home. Offsite backup is a part of any complete backup strategy (because all of you have that, right? right?).

Up until yesterday, the service was in beta, but no longer. It’s in final, supported form. If you’re interested in trying it, you get a free 2 GB of data space to back up to (more than enough to save most of your vital documents). Should you decide you like it, $4.95 per month will buy you unlimited back up space. I hope you have a net connection with fast upload should you choose to back up all your data this way.

via MacUser

GTA 4 totally disses Apple

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last month, you’re at least aware of the existence of Rockstar Games’ new Grand Theft Auto 4, which by all accounts, is ridiculously awesome. One of the many things this game is praised for is its unparalleled depth of gameplay. Your character can listen to the radio, watch tv, or even browse the internet.

As it turns out, if you browse the internet enough on GTA, you might come across an Apple ad parody. The not so subtle mockery of Apple consists of a computer ad for “Fruit”, that implores you to “THINK Simple. THINK Minimalism. THINK Overpriced.” Ouch.

There’s also an ad for a banana shaped “iFruit Phone” with “No buttons. No Reception. No storage capacity. All ego.”

Looks like the folks at Rockstar aren’t too impressed by the iPhone either. Oh well, you can’t win em all.

[Via tuaw]

Apple positions head south by southwest

Well, there are likely to be about 174 people in Elk Grove, CA who may be a little miffed with Apple. The company has decided to shift jobs from their facility there, about 122 miles northwest of Cupertino, to a location in Austin, Texas. Elk Grove employs over 1,100 workers, primarily in support positions: call center, warehousing, and distribution.

The jobs in question are telesales positions, including 99 online store reps, 19 customer service tech support reps, and 37 of those lovely people who will chat with you online when you’re feeling lonely. On the upside, they’ve been offered the option to apply for a new position at Elk Grove or keep their existing jobs and relocate to lovely Ausin (I hear it’s pretty nice, if you don’t mind the yearly invasion of mild pretension). It is kind of a long trip, though.

via MacUser

Men’s Health brings you free workout videos for iPod

So you wanna get fit, do ya? Getting rid of that excess flab and replacing it with bulging, rippling muscle won’t be easy, but don’t give up your underwear model aspirations just yet. Lifehacker points out that Men’s Health magazine is offering four free workout videos that can be placed on your iPod to help whip you into shape anywhere you go.

The routines range in intensity from the at-home muscle plan to the kinda intimidating sounding “Ultimate Strength-Boosting” and “Marine Corps” workouts. Free registration is required, but once you do that, you can download the videos and drop them right into iTunes.

Keep up with these plans and you should be looking like a 300 extra in no time. Or of course, you could always forego working out and just drink Power Thirst (NSFW).