Working for AppleCare (or anywhere else for that matter) as a technical support agent could prove to be quite taxing for an ordinary human being. I should know, I've been there. I was a customer service agent for a different IT company for maybe a couple of months and then I just couldn't take it anymore.

Adam Knight recounts his experiences - the good, the bad and the downright ugly - while working for Apple's support division, AppleCare, before calling it quits with the company.

After all the training you've been through, you hit the floor with so much idealism and desire to help that customer, but, after years of performing the same job over and over again, it all becomes routine. Eventually, you become something of a fixture: static.

More of the article after the jump!

As we have reported before, the release of the Intel Mac has spawned a series of highly competitive of benchmark tests designed to prove dominance once and for all. True objectivity has been somewhat lacking in some of the previous tests, and this one seems no different. The attitude of the person conducting this test is best summed up by a quote, taken from a site that created a good natured spoof of a recent Mac ad campaign, that can be found near the top of the page: "The Intel chip... For months, it's been trapped inside a Mac, inside a pretty little box, dutifully performing pretty little tasks when it could have been doing so much more. Starting today, the Intel chip will be set free, and get to live life in a Mac... running Linux. Imagine the possibilities."

The results: (see the full version for complete results)

In both tests the Mac had the poorest performance between the Intel machines running XP and several different configurations of machines running Linux. As a person who prefers Linux myself, it was refreshing to be reassured about something I already know. However, to be fair to Apple I felt that some of the criticism leveled at the company seemed to carry a general anti- Apple bias that led to some conclusions I did not agree with.

One thing is for sure, supporters on all sides will certainly continue their steadfast support of their favorite system. Most will be unswayed by these results. The marketing will continue, meanwhile the actual difference between products will continue to decrease.

Ok, so it's really a subjective thing, and everyone's experiences vary, but I'm writing this so deal with it! 

My wife and I both have PowerBooks.  Mine a 15" and hers a 12".  She's home with our boys, and they tend to destroy most things around them.  Her PowerBook has faired ok, but taken its scratches, tiny dents, and a couple sharpie marker lines on the casing.  Recently our little one pulled the 'R' key off the keyboard.  Not a big deal, right?  They normally pop back on and life goes on.  Well this time was different.  The key wouldn't stay on the board any longer.

So I took it over to the local (Aspen Grove) Apple store and asked the guys at the Genius Bar to take a look at it.  They didn't have the proper keyboard replacement on hand, so they ordered it and said they'd call us when it was in.  We got a call less than a week later and I brought the PowerBook back in.  It was near closing time, so I dropped it off for the night.  I was called first thing the next morning and went to pick it up. 

When they brought the PowerBook out, I initially thought they'd brought the wrong one.  The Sharpie marks on the lid casing weren't there.  It couldn't be mine.  But it was.  I powered it up and the correct user accounts were there and everything.  I can't tell if the ENTIRE keyboard is new, or if they just swapped out the right 'R' key for us.  Regardless, it came back to us in better shape than it left us in.  At zero cost to us, mind you.  The fact that they took notice, and then the time to clean the Sharpie marks off is just icing on the cake. 

I can't say I've ever had this kind of service with any other computer company, can you?

Segatoys have released the second in their iPod friendly pets. The iFish works in the same principle as the original iDog. You can plug your iPod or other MP3 device to it and it will act as a speaker which also moves and lights up in beat to the music. The iFish isn't waterproof, so I dont suggest you put it into your bath, but it does seem like a bit of a novelty feature. There is a video of the review which you can view in high definition below. Personally I preffer the iDog, its smaller and does seem a bit more user friendly, by watching the video you can probably see that the iFish seems a bit lethal as it swings about.

Download: [iFish Review Video]

Who would have thought that your MP3 player - with the special mention of the more popular iPod - could be the best travel companion you could ever have?

Whether you plan on getting tanned under the Hawaiian sun or going romantic in the cities of Italy, it's going to be a worthwhile experience if you have your iPods tag along.

More after the Jump.

It seems Singapore's government have taken a turn against modernisation and banned political groups from 'spreading the word' via PodCasts - during the next general election, at least.

In a statement released by Dr. Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, he states that there are rules and regulations for internet activities contained by political groups; these rules and regulations known as the 'positive list' contain do's rather than dont's. Dr Balaji continued, 'Podcasting does not fall within this list', and then went to describe PodCasts as, 'the provision of an audio feed over the Internet to subscribers.'

Further through his words, Dr Balaji explained that bloggers must be careful too, as if they continue to consistently propagate or promote political beliefs, they must register with the MDA (Media Development Authority) in an attempt to lessen the risk of explicit political imagery and content. The current party, the People's Action Party, have ruled for over 41 years, and the current Prime Minister has been in office since 2004.

So I'm chilling back, getting funky to some Gnarls Berkley on my iPod in the college common room, when I get a bit annoyed by the constant muttering of a fellow student in the corner of my eye. After about 5 mins I rip off my cupped headphones and demand to know what he was listening to, I receive 'Nothing, just a sermon I downloaded off the net'. To this I was a bit amazed, I knew it had to come some time, but it looks like the religious in us have developed a skill of transferring sermon's over to iPod. Of course I'm talking about PodCasts, however, this beauty is know becoming known as GodCasts.

A simple search on the net points us to a multitude of sites offering PodCasts with religion on the boards. Many of you may know first hand how difficult it is to get the youth of today to have an open mind and stand by and learn from religion, but it looks like this method might just catch on. Now teenagers dont have the excuse that they have no time, or that they find religion boring, cause now all they have to do is bang on their favorite MP3 player, and begin multitasking while acknowledging Jim Cymbala's lesson's on life.

This is an example of how Apple have managed to change our lives further. Of course it'll be impossible to say what the take-up on religion would be, solely down to GodCasts, but something inside me tells me its gonna be a small number, but it'll strengthen those who already are faithful. For those out there who do not follow religion, well, you still have a vast library of PodCasts including The Simpson's and even match highlights.

Now I'm all up for modding and weird changes that can be made to PC's and Macs, however they have to be practical. In this sense I feel this person failed. I was trawling through the blog section down at Yahoo Technology News which pointed to a projects piece based on the Mac website.

Now it seems that certain individual has attempted to make himself a fully fledged Media Centre, Mac Style. He's done this by using some very random bits of equipment and material including 8 Apple speakers and a Subwoofer, a toilet roll, an iSight and an IR port. This has all been cocooned in a wooden box covered in varnished ply, all of which wont do wonders for his cooling. He's succeeded at making something at which we should take note of, however I do wonder why this guy turned a perfectly portable unit into something, where the furthest its going to travel is in the back of the removal van when he moves home.

Either way take a look at it, and make sure that check out the rest of the projects based on the site:

So here I was sitting with my hot mug of coffee, and my laptop searching around for anything I could scoop on Apple or one of its founding fathers, Steve Jobs. It hit me, after going through about 20 odd sites, I realised about 12 of them were dedicated directly to Steve Jobs. Some were either contributing information on his history, or just being outrightly obsessive. I tend to think that some people have what is becoming commonly known as Stevenular Jobinum of the mental state.

So I've put together a few of my favorite and quite weird contributions to good ol' Steve's popularity, I hope you find them as humorous as I did:

Steve Job's unofficial Biography, erm, enlightening

What does Steve wear exactly? Over $1000, that's what

Good old Wikipedia's take on Mr Jobs, factual

If Jobs ever needed a Job, here's his Resume

Quite an amusing video on Steve's iPod release (skit)

You out there can say without lying that they haven't gotten hooked on one or two of Apple's most recent ads, whether for good or for bad? At first, the dancing silhouettes seemed like a pretty cool idea, one that you'd expect from the likes of an innovative company like Apple. After a while, though, they've gotten to be a little stale, at least in my opinion.

In its history, Apple has produced many memorable ads, including one of the most ambitious and expensive: a 1984 ad that ran only once and filmed by acclaimed director Ridley Scott. The company's marketing department is sure to keep itself busy thinking up the next great ad. I know I'll like it when it comes out, but for how long is anybody's guess.

Forbes writes: "The quality of Apple's advertising is consistently above average," said Allen Adamson, managing director of the New York offices of brand consultancy Landor Associates. "And more often than not, it's world-class." Apple's ads are powerful in part because they all reinforce the same branding message. Apple prides itself on appealing to the discerning customer, the person who, as one slogan famously had it, thought differently. And that message--of creativity, counterculture and good taste--is one that Apple has portrayed consistently in their advertising for the past 30 years.

Which one is your favorite?