My god, it's Full of Macs!

New York has canceled the electronics recycling programs they were holding and has decided to allow people to include toxic electronics in trash destined for land fills.  This is a bad decision for many reasons.  Remember when the city cancelled all recycling for a while?  Well, it’s taken years for New Yorkers to even realize that it’s started back up again, and some still don’t know.

“Until July 1, 2010, NYC residents can discard unwanted or broken electronics (computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones) in the trash”  -DSNY

If you want to recycle a computer, turns out Apple will help.  For every new Apple computer purchase, you can get free recycling.  Or for $30 you can purchase a pre-paid shipping label from Apple to send in your old computer.

Recycle even if you’re not buying a new Mac.

If you haven’t opted in to the free program by purchasing a new Mac, or if you live in Canada, you can still participate in the Apple Recycling Program. Just purchase a prepaid shipping label from the Electronic Recycling Program or call 888-638-2761. The $30 (U.S.) fee covers all costs associated with shipping used products to the Apple recycling vendor. We’ll even provide packaging materials if you need them.  Read more…

Even better, Apple offers FREE recycling of ANY mobile phone or iPod:

The Apple Recycling Program offers free and environmentally friendly disposal of your iPod and any manufacturer’s mobile phone.  Read more…

Yes, Apple, it’s pretty.  But – by making the wireless keyboard and mouse the standard with your iMacs – aren’t you just adding piles of garbage to landfills?  Why doesn’t the iMac have a built-in battery charger for the “Magic Mouse” – that would really be magical.

I’m going to keep the wired keyboard and mouse for our specifications. What do you think?  Would you rather have this mouse, even with the environmental cost?

What’s the difference between the operating system and the retail store environment?  OS X, iTunes, Disney Stores?  It all makes sense in light of this strange news from Mac Rumors:

The New York Times reports that The Walt Disney Company is planning a ground-up revival of its retail stores using a high-tech “Imagination Park” concept and has turned to Steve Jobs and the retail store team at Apple for assistance with the project. Jobs became a member of Disney’s Board of Directors and the largest individual Disney shareholder when the company acquired Pixar in early 2006.

The involvement of Mr. Jobs, the Apple chief executive who joined the Disney board with the 2006 acquisition of Pixar, is particularly notable. For the first time, Mr. Jobs’s fingerprints can be seen on Disney strategy, in the same way that he influenced the look and feel of Apple’s own immensely popular retail chain. While Mr. Jobs did not personally toil on the Imagination Park concept, he pushed Disney to move far past a refurbishment.

“Dream bigger — that was Steve’s message,” said Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products.

Jobs reportedly provided Disney with inside information on Apple’s retail store development and operations, as well as allowing Disney executive to visit the Apple campus and convincing the company to build a prototype retail store to aid in refining the customer experience.

Disney’s “Imagination Park” concept apparently carries several other Apple-like aspects to it, from in-store theater areas to mobile checkout technology for sales associates. The concept has reportedly been approved by the Disney Board of Directors, and the company is currently negotiating with landlords to secure the high-profile locations necessary for the concept.

“Apple rejected a free iPhone application that advocated a single-payer health system, calling the application “politically charged,” according to the app’s developer.

Red Daly, a 22 year-old computer science grad student at Stanford, submitted his iSinglePayer iPhone app for Apple’s approval on Aug. 21. A little more than a month later Apple rejected it on the grounds of its content, Daly told Wired.com.”

Read more…

Also, you might not hear about these when they happen because Apple is putting rejections under NDA!

“If you’re a developer and Apple rejects your iPhone application from its App Store, the company wants you to shut up and get over it.

Apple’s serious about it: The company has extended the iPhone non-disclosure agreement, which prohibits application developers from discussing programming tips, to include rejection letters as well. Some developers in the past have shared their rejection letters on the web, but now, according to MacRumors, rejection letters include a clause that reads, ‘THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE IS UNDER NON-DISCLOSURE.’”

From Wired Gadget Lab via MyDD

Boo, Hiss! on Apple for this one!  (Gosh I find myself saying that a lot recently…could Apple and Google be the worst offenders out there now?  I really used to like them!)