A recent article on online site Mac Life discussed the everyday life of an Apple Genius - the guy manning the Genius Bar in every Apple Store. Don't get your hopes up too much though, they're not out to create a cure for cancer or bring world peace.

These tech-support guys aren't your factory-trained, straight-off-the-assembly-line kind of people. They have to pass an initial screening and go through a two week Apple certification course training for OS, Desktop, and Portable not to mention to re-certify every year.

In addition to technical knowledge, they are also given lessons on how to deal with customers, something other established companies need to invest in. While the training is all hush-hush, two geniuses gave the low-down on their experiences as Geniuses.

There are stories about weird customers and the tips they give on how to maintain electronics better. They even discussed one of the common problems that most gadget users are guilty of: rough handling.

Not all these guys may be Mensa members or possess really high IQs that modern science would brand them as geniuses. The way they have been trained and the professionalism they bring to their posts, though, is nothing short of, well, genius.

If you want to read more about how it is to be an Apple Genius, click on our Read link to take you the full article.

Sometimes messages need to be sent to the other camp to trigger some kind of response or to psyche out the opposition. Microsoft's Zune people earlier released an image of their "iPod Amnesty Bin" and had it find its way to Flickr. The weird picture drew bemused reactions from readers there.

Message sent, though no body's quite sure if it means anything at all. The only thing we all can be sure of is that the boys in green probably spent a bundle on those iPods. Either that or they already own iPods and placed them in the bin as props or something.

We're really not sure what to make of all this, especially the "bite me" message. It's just plain weird when you consider that professionals are behind this. Help us figure out the mysteries by posting your comments.

While most people find little or no sense in beating a dead horse, more find it full-out insane in taking a living, breathing thoroughbred behind the sheds and putting it out of its misery with no actual justification whatsoever. It just doesn't work that way. But it seems Apple has other ideas, with the ill-fated workhorse in question being the small, petite Mac Mini.

Retailing between US$ 599 and US$ 799, they offered customers on a budget an affordable, easy-to-use alternative to the ever-so-popular PC when they were released to the market two years ago.

Figure in the pros of being small, light, and pretty much making life less complicated without the forest of wires PC users often deal with, the Mac Mini could have catered easily to the needs of a space-conscious, non-gaming demographic, or those who just needed a personal computer without the hassle.

By all rights, the Mac Mini should have sold big. But it didn't, and all signs are now pointing to its inevitable demise - but it's not as if we didn't see it coming.

Even before the Mac Mini was released, the market it was made specifically for was practically one that didn't exist, as far as some Apple executives are concerned. Like the kid in the middle that fades into the background, neglected and ignored, the Mac Mini also received a grand total of four updates from Apple - including one that the company didn't even bother to write a press release about. Add to this the fact that the Mac Mini's processors had always been more than a step behind from its bigger, shinier cousins (the iMacs and MacBooks). It's a recipe for disaster, and Apple itself was the one to whip it up.

To be fair, Apple tried to give the Mac Mini a shot in the arm, with plans of a built-in iPod dock - but that too was canned even before it left the drawing board, replaced instead with Apple TV. People see this as the final act of letting go, or the trigger-pulling, so to speak. The little Mini was left to continue on its downward spiral towards obscurity.

It's great that Apple regularly puts out great new products that everyone falls in love with (at least after a significant price drop anyway), but they have to love their products back, most of all. It's like Apple is the computer world's Nintendo - but without the continuous support and love for its older children.

Atleast that's what AppleInsider thinks. Do you think the Mac Mini is dead? Let us know what you think.

Let's face it: Macs are great machines, but horribly cruel on the budget. Sure, Windows desktops are affordable, easy to upgrade, and very customization-friendly, but there's really nothing like a Mac running on your desk and handling all the important stuff. That's why Mike of the Send Mike to Space! blog decided to write an open letter to Steve Jobs himself, calling him out on a dare: to make a regular, affordable Mac that the PC-using community could purchase without stretching the budget too thin.

Will Steve Jobs take the dare up, or will it be ignored like other open letters to rich, powerful men? Time will only tell, but you have do admit, replacing that buggy, virus-ridden PC with a shiny Mac sounds too good to be true.

You can check out the letter in its entirety by clicking Read below.

Here's something interesting. A while back, Macenstein posted about an unusual entry in the built-in Dictionary/Thesaurus app that ships with Mac OS X. According to the post, someone from rave.com noticed that if you type the word "democracy" into the Dictionary widget and then switch over to the thesaurus, you get the following example usage of the word:

It's an odd and slightly controversial example, so the guys from Macenstein checked with the people from Oxford University Press to get their side of the story. After three weeks of waiting, they finally got a response from the dictionaries editor of the Oxford University Press.

The editor said that he "checked the hardcopy of the New Oxford American Dictionary & Thesaurus and did not find in it any sample sentence attached to the definition of democracy." The editor also added that he suspects it was "added by the Apple programmers."

Did a border programmer add that little nugget of knowledge? We can't rightly say. Still, we're leaving you guys with another example from the same widget. Feel free to tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

Most people would rely on Photoshop to create or customize pictures and images. MS Paint, well you could use them to get a screencap or use them to resize images. Well, a user may just prove you wrong. He (or she) managed to draw an almost perfect Apple iPod, which is complete with shadows, breaks, and all that jazz. The finish product looks like this:

Still skeptical? If you are, we couldn't blame you because we didn't believe it at first as well. So for all the Doubting Thomases out there, we have found a Google video of the iPod drawing. Click on play to quench your doubts.

Since Apple allowed universities to post lectures and other educational items on iTunes, universities have grabbed the opportunity to spread the knowledge. George Washington University, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and Ohlone College are just some of the universities that have joined iTunes U.

With that, a bill was put forward on Michigan recently that includes a proposal to give out US$ 38 million in iPods or other mp3 players as instructional tools for every student in the state. But even if the Michigan legislators mean well, they were still questioned by school representatives. According to Don Wotruba, spokesman for the Michigan Association of School Boards:

My members are telling me they have much more pressing things theyÂ?re worried about, like whether theyÂ?re going to be able to make payroll in May.

We thought we were done with this story, because it's so 2006. Down Under, an Australian MacBook owner by the name of mattyb posted on the MacTalk (AU) forums the story of his close brush with Dell death. The short version of this story is that his MacBook battery seemed to have problems and finally went up in smoke (and flames) one early morning one day ago.

Unabridged version of his story is at the Read link, but the gist is that he's been having odd battery problems the past couple of weeks. The real weird part of the story is that he bought his MacBook end of June of last year - so this thing occurred within the 12-month warranty.

Based on the evidence (not to mention the damage pattern), the battery is suspect - but that will depend on whatever Apple Australia finds if and when mattyb sends his damaged unit in for repair autopsy.

Guess we're going to have to repeat the PSA we've aired last year. Don't overcharge the battery, if that MacBook gets abnormally hot, start worrying, if at any point those batteries are swelling up to the point of bursting out of their MacBooks, really start worrying, and don't wait for the smoke to start pouring. You know how hot the MacBook can sometimes get, right?

Oh, and mattyb also suggests on checking your smoke alarm detectors. You don't want them malfunctioning when a fire starts while you're sleeping.

The Cupertino-based company, called Apple Inc., is in need of a "Senior Panel Process Engineer". The company, who is traditionally tight-lipped about job postings and new plans, has revealed that they are planning on incorporating multi-touch display panels in more of its future products.

The job opening, posted on their site last Thursday mentioned that they are seeking individuals who will "lead the engineering activities to develop the new process and design for the multi-touch panel used in Apple products". This lucky son of a gun would also serve as a focal point in the designing and the process development of advanced multi-touch panels from concept to product ramp.

Interested? Read up. The ideal candidate, says Apple, "will need to have hands-on experience and proven track record in the design and development of the thin film process and its integration, or the front-end process in flat panel industry, including array, color filter and panel design."

 

Well here's a nice bit of free publicity for Apple. In the recently released "Wild Hogs," William H. Macy is seen giving an out-of-the-blue hardcore advert for the computer maker. As seen in the picture above, there's a scene in the movie in which Macy, in an attempt to prove himself as a master of the way of the bike, gets himself a tattoo. The catch? His tattoo's the Apple logo:

Dudley: "I'm a biker, dude! I got a tat!"

Doug: "ItÂ?s an AppleÂ?"

Dudley: "I know. Trademarked. But what are they gonna say? It's in my skin b**ch!"

Not exactly one of the best lines in movie history, but it brings a geeky tear to our eye to see our little Apple grown so big and strong. *sniff*