Ünnecessary Ümlaut

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A surplus of geekery by :: Fred Abercrombie

iPhone: Inside Apple’s Kid A-like Testing Facility

Located deep in the heart of the Apple campus is the $100 million Infinite Loop Lab. Engadget scored a look inside the former “black lab” and revealed what seems like a pretty-damn thorough testing facility.

KID A-pple
Although the chilly, dark ‘n glitchy goodness of Kid A‘s “Everything in Its Right Place” makes an ironic-enough soundtrack, this Radiohead rarity is even more fitting …

NOBODY TESTS IT BETTER
Radiohead “Nobody Does It Better” (Carly Simon)

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Those blue spikes are made of sound- and signal-dampening foam. The room above tests signal strength at any angle by strapping the device to a rotating arm. When Engadget arrived there was an iPad being tested. They asked why and Apple responded “…[we’ve been testing the iPad] for years.” Interesting.

• •   • •

Testing the iPhone pain threshold in the MacHAL 9000 Iron Maiden. Or something to do with WiFi networks.

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MP3: Friday Five 04.03.09 Double-LP Covers Edition

fridayfive_040309

A double-shot of covers for this fine Friday.
Rock out with the Umlaut:

Side A
Donny Hathaway “Jealous Guy” (John Lennon)

Radiohead “Nobody Does It Better” (Carly Simon)

Maritime “Boy From School” (Hot Chip)

Dawn Landes “Young Folks” (Peter, Bjorn & John)

Crooked Fingers “When You Were Mine” (Prince)

Side B
Beck “Do You Realize?” (Flaming Lips)

Jonny Polonsky “In Bloom” (Nirvana)

Killer Watts “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly” (Ennio Morricone)

7 Seconds “99 Red Balloons” (Nena)

Good Riddance “Come Dancing” (The Kinks)

Rock out with the Umlaut every Friday.