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Buttongate explored

Buttongate explored

The best hacks, memes and reactions to the Mac mini's odd button position.

Leander Kahney
October 31, 2024

For many years, the launch of a new iPhone was always followed by some “gate” controversy — Antennagate, Bendgate, Batterygate.

That seems to have stopped with the last couple of iPhone releases. Potential criticisms just don’t seem to gain traction.

But the new Mac mini is currently in the full throes of “Buttongate” — an online collective meltdown over the placement of the redesigned computer’s on/off button, which has migrated from the back to the bottom.

While it remains to be seen whether this is actually a problem in real life, it hasn’t stopped the Apple community from throwing out some pretty amusing hacks, memes and reactions. We rounded up some of the best.

Also in today’s newsletter:

Recession? Inflation? Slumping economy? Tell that to Tim Cook, who’s likely to report record quarterly earnings for Apple this afternoon — once again!
No time to watch all the M4 Mac announcement videos this week? We compressed everything you need to know into just 90 seconds.
If, like me, you’ve been holding out for a refreshed 27-inch iMac, we have bad news for you.
There’s a nefarious reason for some online job postings. If you’re currently trying to land a job, this should make your blood boil.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

P.S. I think this week’s slate of Mac announcements worked really well for Apple. It allowed the press to give each machine the coverage it deserved — and gave customers time to take it all in, too. Hopefully, future product launches will follow a similar format.

Hacks and jokes ‘fix’ M4 Mac mini’s odd power-button placement

Is this the Magic Mouse charging port all over again? Internet hacks and jokes poke fun at the M4 Mac mini power button with "fixes."

Wall Street thinks Apple is doing great

Analysts anticipate record total revenue powered by strong iPhone sales.

How to get the latest HomePod 18.1 software update

HomePod Software 18.1 is out. Here’s how to make sure your Apple smart speaker has the latest software.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

This weather radar app gives you real-time data you can use

Stay ahead of inclement weather events with Weather Hi-Def Radar, a weather radar app that goes beyond your phone's usual weather alerts.

4 reasons why another 27-inch iMac is unlikely

Uncover the mystery of the missing 27-inch iMac. Learn the drawbacks and reasons behind Apple's decision to discontinue the desktop.

Are you wasting time applying for tech industry 'ghost jobs?'

Fake job listings from legitimate companies -- "ghost jobs" -- serve multiple purposes, some of them nefarious.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Save up to $90 on latest iPad Magic Keyboard from Apple

Save a bundle on the Apple Magic Keyboard for your iPad and unlock its full potential to act as both a tablet and a laptop.

Host your WordPress site for life with one low payment

Use Hostverge WPHoster to get a lifetime of affordable WordPress hosting with a single payment. No hidden fees, just the tools you need!

Apple Vision Pro to launch in South Korea and UAE this November

The headset continues its slow international expansion and will soon go on sale in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Watch Apple’s M4 Mac announcements in just 90 seconds

Apple’s announcements this week of the first M4 Macs were impressive and full of surprises. Watch our edit of it all in just 90 seconds.

Today in Apple history: iTunes video takes world by storm

Soon after launching video downloads with iTunes 6, Apple says it has already sold more than 1 million music videos. iTunes video is a hit!

Tweets of the day

Apple has pushed an OTA update for the Polishing Cloth, adding compatibility for the new M4 MacBook Pros, Mac mini, & iMac.
— Basic Apple Guy (@BasicAppleGuy)
2:05 PM • Oct 31, 2024

Holy COW! I provided Apple Stocks app image to ChatGPT and told it to recreate it in SwiftUI. This is the result.
My mind is blown away!!!
— Mohammad Azam (@azamsharp)
10:26 PM • Oct 29, 2024

So, this was the best I could come up with for a workplace Halloween party.
I’m Steve Jobs: the easiest Halloween costume in existence!
— Alice (@CorpsicleHearts)
9:42 PM • Oct 30, 2024

Wallpaper of the day

iPhone Wallpaper, American Eagle.
— Rodrigo Bressane (@bressane)
12:00 AM • Oct 29, 2024

One more thing ...

❝

You're asking, “Where does aesthetic judgment come from?” With many things — high-performance automobiles, for example — the aesthetic comes right from the function, and I suppose electronics is no different. But I've also found that the best companies pay attention to aesthetics. They take the extra time to lay out grids and proportion things appropriately, and it seems to pay off for them. I mean, beyond the functional benefits, the aesthetic communicates something about how they think of themselves, their sense of discipline in engineering, how they run their company, stuff like that.

— Steve Jobs, 1989.

Today’s poll

Is the Mac mini button a design blunder?

Results from yesterday’s poll: What's the most exciting thing about the new MacBook Pros?

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