Apple recently filed a trademark application for the name “Mac Pro” - indicating that the future Macs might no longer be called “PowerMacs” - but “Mac Pros”. Although this name sounds much better than their MacBook Pro debacle - there is still the unresolved issue of what to do with the consumer machines.

When the “MacBook Pro” name was dropped on the public like a ten-pound pile of horse manure, people thought “Well, that makes sense - they can call the intel iBooks the ‘MacBook’ and have continuity in their line.” This logic, however, would also mean that if Apple called their professional-grade Mac’s the “Mac Pro” that they would then call their consumer grade macs simply “Mac.” This would mean that Apple would be slapping their biggest brand on one of their cheapest products - all by itself. No “Mac Junior” or “Mac Cheap” - just simply “Mac.” It is highly unlikely that Apple will do this.

I believe that the biggest delay in pushing out more intel-based machines is this dilemma over the name. I have the solution. Call the professional ones the “Pro” and the consumer ones the “Po” - for the “po folk”. This would help distinguish the high-end computers from the low-end ones, and give people with the extra money more reasons to buy the “Pro” (nobody who can afford not to would want to buy the “Po”) In addition, the use of ebonics in the brand naming strategy can help them sieze the lucrative African-American market - which spends twice as much time online as the caucasian market.

Here’s how the naming strategy would go:

• MacBook Pro - for “professionals” that want slower machines with less features than they can get in a G4 PowerBoook.
• MacBook Po - for “the rest of us” who want even less features than you can get in a MacBook Pro
• Mac Pro - for the “professionals” who need affirmation that they really are “pro’s” in their field
• Mac Po - for people who only use a computer to play Nanosaur and read email

They could have an add campaign with a bunch of homeless people using computers, with the caption “Think Po”… They could have TV spots starring well known poor people (okay, they would have to find well known poor people, but they’re Apple. They can convince people that not having a screen on a music player is a lifestyle decision - they can find famous poor people.)

If anyone would like to make a few mock ads for this “Think Po” campaign - or maybe come up with what you think the form factor for the “MacBook Po” would look like - feel free to submit them to me

Since 1994, BYU has had a “Study Abroad” program in the land of Nauvoo, Illinois. After 12 years of operation - the BYU board of Trustees says no more.

No official reason was given for pulling out - but there is speculation that the old Joseph Smith Academy building may be at fault. The building, acquired in 1998, is old.

“The facility is very old, the pipes are rusty and leaking, boilers are very old and the windows have become inefficient,” Evan Ivy (BYU Study program director) said. “It is estimated that it would cost $10 million to renovate.”

Although, you might not want to listen to what Evan Ivy says, because he also says that: There is a lot of sentimental attachment to the program and facilities used in Nauvoo, Some three to four generations have come to the program and use the building.” - Um… Evan? The program is only 12 years old. Sure, Mormons tend to marry young, but not that young.

BYU professor Milton Backman was in charge of starting the program, and still hopes - in his words - it can be “resurrected”. In the meantime he says that they will keep the Joseph Smith Academy open twenty-four hours a day as they give students the colllege credis they so desperately need to graduate prior to their long flight to Salt Lake. When it is all said and done, Backman has torch in the corner of his office waiting for the special moment.

“It’s tradition, you see… When we leave, things have to burn. I don’t want to trust lightning this time.”
BYU NewsNet - BYU Says Farewell Nauvoo

Creighton University has started giving their applicants the option of hearing back from them via text message - instead of via mail. This gives them near instant feedback from the admissions department - usually within 24 hours. (This would have saved some Harvard MBA students a lot of trouble earlier)

Imagine the joy of your children receiving their acceptance letter:

GR8 NEWS! U R IN! TTYL! - BYU

Or imagine their disappointment when they hear:

U SUK. - BYU

And if the housing department starts using the text message thing, Nicole’s old Virgin Mobile phone’s pre-written text messages such as “On top, or bottom?” would help them decide bunk-mate placement…

The future is bright.

College Texts Acceptance Notices

This guy on eBay is auctioning off a Mini-Wheats box with an American Airlines plane on the front, and a 9/11/01 expiration date on the top. For some reason, this guy thinks that this box is worth $100,000.

Sure, he says that he will donate 10% of the proceeds to some 9/11 children’s fund - but I doubt that children’s fund will pay 10% of the $$$ that eBay will take from him when the item doesn’t sell. (The listing fee is determined by your initial price… this listing probably cost him over a hundred dollars)

I emailed him and asked him if he had it in Strawberry. Raisin just isn’t work $100 grand to me… but Strawberry… Yeah, I’d take out a mortgage for that.
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Early Disappointment

Ever since I saw the keynote address, I wanted Tiger for one reason: The three way video chat. I mean: Just imagine being able to video conference with both my parents and my sisters at the same time? Of course, when Tiger came out we all soon realized that they failed to mention in that keynote that in order to participate in a 3-way video chat, you had to have a G4 processor > 1 Ghz - and in order to host a conference you had to have a dual 1+ GHz G4.

Finally Possible

When my dad upgraded his computer to a quad-processor G5, and cascaded his dual 1.25 GHz G4 down to me, the 3-way video conferencing was within our grasps. After nearly a year of waiting, we could finally use our expensive novelties iSights to talk to more than one person! Boy were we in for a surprise. (Pictures on next page)
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An Oregon man hurled both of his prosthetic legs at a police officer, striking him with one, after his son was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, police said today.

The dad got mad, and charged at the police officer several times. The officer knocked finally knocked him down to the ground, when - according to the police report:

Passenger removed a prosthetic leg and threw it at trooper, hitting trooper in chest. Passenger removed second leg, threw it at trooper but missed.

Now the father faces charges of assaulting a public safety officer. When the District Attorney was asked if they might issue a temporary insanity plea, he commented:

Well… They could try [an insanity plea] but they really don’t have a leg to stand on there.

Arrested for throwing legs - NEWS.com.au

I am sorry to keep you all in suspense. Those who haven’t yet voted or responded to what you think the baby will be can still do so - but those who want to just find out (and see a picture) can click on the “more” button to see it. (more…)

In case you were wondering what the baby needs, here is a good idea. The Sony SPK-HCA is an underwater housing compatible with a wide range of digital video cameras (the DCR-HC32 is one of them.) It provides a protective casing. It allows you to take the camera 16.4 feet deep - not worrying at all about the consequences.

The baby would then be able to spit up all over the video camera, and we could clean it off with an ordinary garden house…

Oh, and a side benefit of this housing would be amazing videos of some cool places in Utah.

If you want to buy it for the baby, here’s the cheapest place I found online:

Sony SPKHCA Sports Pack Digital Camera Accessory

Today we have our Ultrasound. We’ll post the results later on this evening - but be sure to vote in the poll (and if you chose, you can make your vote public by also commenting on this post).