You can now easily adapt any new post-2012 iMac for VESA mounting

NewerTech now has a new adapter that makes it much easier — nay, possible — to mount any 2012-or-newer iMac, even the new Retina 5K iMac with the universal VESA system. The NuMount VESA is a machined aluminum bracket that clamps through the power-cable passthrough in the iMac's stand, adding both a quartet of screw holes for a 100mm x 100mm VESA mount and a shelf above that for storing items you want nearby but neither want to see or need to reach (say, an external hard drive for backups).

The NuMount VESA exists because iMacs purchased since 2012 had to have VESA mounting specified when ordering — it's either an attached stand or four screw holes drilled into the back. So if you purchased your iMac at a retail store, or you ordered it with a stand and now you find you want to mount it up on the wall or an arm, you have an option.

Apple offers a VESA adapter for older iMacs and the aging Thunderbolt Display, but there's no such option to pop off the integrated stand on iMacs made after 2012. So now there's the NewerTech NuMount, although you'll be paying $99 for the privilege.

• NewerTech NuMount VESA adapter for iMac - $99.00 - Buy Now

Source: NewerTech

Apple sued for false advertising by plaintiffs that don't understand iPhone digital storage

A pair of iPhone owners from Miami are suing Apple and seeking class action status in doing so, alleging that Apple has falsely advertised how much storage is actually available on the phone. They're not alleging that the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus actually have less physical storage than Apple claims, no, they're perturbed to the point of legal action that when Apple advertises a 16GB iPhone it only comes with around 13GB of free space out of the box because that pesky iOS 8 needs to take up space.

Said the plaintiff's attorney, according to the Wall Street Journal:

"In reality, nothing close to the advertised capacity of the Devices is available to end users. Indeed, the discrepancy between advertised and available capacity is substantial and beyond any possible reasonable expectation."

It has been common practice for years, nay, for all of consumer computing device sales history to advertise the complete storage volume of a device, not the space available out of the box. It's simply impractical to advertise the available space (except for some fine print to say that available storage capacity will vary) because that available space is going to vary. The size of iOS fluctuates with each update, as customers of filled-up iPhones and iPads found out when they tried to update to iOS 8 and didn't have enough storage space.

What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is either a ill-conceived plan to get money out of Apple for following a standard industry practice, or a pair of plaintiffs that don't understand how computers work and decided the best way to find out was to sue. The plaintiffs also allege that Apple does not allow microSD expansion of the storage space on iPhones, which is of course entirely true. But also in no way a surprise or worth the filing of a lawsuit — you can buy any number of Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone smartphones that offer that feature. Although it's worth noting that all of these manufacturers also advertise a nice whole number storage capacity as well.

In the meantime, if you're looking at buying a new iPhone, we suggest you consider buying at least the 58.21GB version, though you should be warned that there are some other apps on there taking up space, but at least you can delete those if you really need that space.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Reflect on the past you never had with Choice of Robots

There are plenty of games you could pick up and play on the eve of the new year. Do you play an:

A) RPG
B) party game
C) co-op game
D) first person shooter
E) text-based interactive sci-fi novel about robotic sentience, nostalgia, and the very meaning of humanity

Today, I picked E and downloaded Choice of Robots, a text-adventure game that captivated my mind and won my heart.

As part of working at iMore, I have a lot of little games lined up to test, play, and otherwise review. I wasn't planning on actually playing Choice of Robots today, but after just about every one of my game-loving friends started praising the text adventure, I sat down and opened it. My initial intention was to play the first chapter or so while I waited for some article photos to upload; and yet, two hours later, I found myself glued to my iPhone for the closing scene.

Choice of Robots is just that good. The basic plot starts you off as a graduate student about to invent a robot, but it quickly unspools from there, sending you across time as you live out the paths of their life — through hedonistic parties, corporate espionage, war, rebellion, and robot ethics.

The story is backed up by excellent writing, intriguing story branches, moral quandaries, and even a bit of romance. It creates an incredible empathetic experience for the player; the game got into my head the way few first-person titles dare to, and on more than one occasion had me questioning my judgements: Am I really speaking for my character, or for me? Would I make that choice in real life?

On the eve of 2015, when most of us are questioning and reflecting the decisions we've made over the past twelve months, Choice of Robots lets you step into the life of another person and make another set of decisions — ones whose consequences are revealed much faster than the passage of a year's time. I don't know if there's a better game to play tonight.

• Choice of Robots: $3 - Mac / iOS / Google / Kindle

LG announces new curved 34-inch Thunderbolt-compatible monitor and more

LG Electronics has announced that it will introduce a new line of "UltraWide" 21:9 monitors next week at CES 2015 . This includes a curved, Mac-compatible 34-inch IPS monitor. It connects using Thunderbolt 2, making it compatible with the latest version of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, the Mac Pro, and the new 5K iMac. LG is marketing this model to creative professionals like photographers, video editors, and graphic designers.

Among the other monitors that LG is introducing next week are the 34-inch gaming monitor with AMD FreeSync, the multi-display set up, and a new Digital Cinema 4K monitor. Pricing for the line has not yet been announced.

Source: PR Newswire

Apple's 'Start something new' website hopes to inspire you to create with Apple products

Apple has introduced a new site that showcases creations made using Apple products. Called "Start something new," the site hopes to inspire you to create something, showing you the devices and apps these artists used for their pieces, including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPad Air 2. Apps featured include VSCO Cam, Brushes 3, and Apple's own iMovie.

From Start something new:

Every piece in this gallery was created on an Apple product. Every brushstroke, every pixel, and every frame of film was brought to life by talented Apple users from around the world. As you explore their work, we hope it inspires you to create something new.

In addition to devices and apps, the site also gives you a short story about each creator and how they created their pieces. "Start something new" launched earlier this week on Apple's Japanese website, and is now available through Apple's sites in the United States and in several other countries.

Source: Apple - Start something new

TWiT 24 hr. New Year's party!

I'm in Petaluma, California, just an hour or so north of San Francisco, where Leo Laporte and the TWiT are doing their annual 24 hrs. of New Year's party. That's where they start with the first time zone to hit 2015 and keep going until the last time zone hits it. Yeah, marathon. But it's all for a great cause — to raise money for UNICEF.

So far I've done Dance Central with Chad Johnson, badly, had a panel discussion on whether robots will one day eat us with Steve Gibson, Jeff Jarvis, and Randal Swartz, argued iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus, and gotten beat at chess. And it's just gone 9:30am here. There's lots more to come, including a segment where I'll be attempting to show Leo some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves. Yeah, disaster-in-the-waiting. I'll be embedding all the videos below as they go live, but if we want to tune in as-it-happens, head on over to live.twit.tv, and if you can, please donate!