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Jim Dalrymple and Dan Benjamin discuss the launch of the iPhone 5, its sale success, a redesigned Mac Pro, using an iPhone on the Verizon network, Corning’s relationship with Apple, WiFi issues with the iPhone 5, Billie Joe’s (of Green Day) breakdown at the IHeartRadio music festival, and buying the right amp.Sponsored by Igloo Software, Harvest (use code 5by5 for 50% off first month), Gazelle, and MailChimp.

Eric Schmidt dances Gangnam Style, and there isn’t enough bleach in the universe to get that image out of my eyeballs.

The problem that causes some Samsung phones to be reset by clicking a link apparently extends to other Android phones.

Barnes & Noble is continuing its fight against Amazon with new versions of its Nook e-reader, including a model that’s about the same size as the iPad.

Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset—just as I did on my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef last year.

Nice.

OhGizmo!:

Admittedly, the thing is pretty awesome, if only because it’s so ridiculous looking. But it’s also sort of smart. It’s a pillow with an opening for your hands, and for your mouth and nose. Your eyes are covered and your head is cushioned whether you decide to plop your noggin down on your desk or sleep in the airplane.

I’ve always wanted a foolproof “Dork Detector” and, if you’re using/wearing this, there’s no doubt – you are an absolute dork!

The Globe and Mail:

“Who better to lead America than a country already leading America in so many ways?” is just the beginning of Canadian Brian Calvert’s case, made in a YouTube video, for why Americans should vote for Canada to run the U.S. this fall.A scrolling list of things Mr. Calvert argues Canadians do better include healthcare, human rights, and the employment rate – along with big foot sightings, lumberjack fashion and bear attacks.

Seriously, America. Why not let Canada govern you for a while? What’s the worse that could happen?

Wired:

Usually, the only math required at a bar is tip calculation. But a new algorithm-based program from Miami company Drink Exchange makes ordering cocktails much like playing the stock market.If a particular concoction is popular, the software automatically raises its price. Conversely, the less popular a drink, the less it costs. Bar promotions (such as a sudden “market crash,” when all prices fall) affect prices minute to minute. Television screens and LED tickers display the prices so patrons can follow along—and throw elbows to get their orders in.The system is currently set up in 25 watering holes, and there are plans to be in 300 by year’s end.

Seriously? Would you do this? I don’t want to work this hard just to get a drink.

Congratulations to everyone at Pixelmator as they celebrate their fifth birthday and thanks for sponsoring The Loop.

Remember in my iPhone 5 review I said that developers would be doing more than just making their apps longer for the new screen size? This is a perfect example. When djay got updated they added functionality in that extra space.

MacTech Conference is a 3-day, immersive, technical conference specifically designed for Apple developers, IT Pros, and Enterprise.

You can register on their Web site.

The design features 3,650 cursor icons to symbolically represent every day the store was live. Printed in 2 hits of black with mirror chrome ‘liquid foil’ printing. Designed at Apple, Inc.

This looks very cool, except the cursor is white (Windows), instead of black (Mac).

Mashable:

Verizon believes unlimited data plans are on their way out, the company’s CFO told investors at a Goldman Sachs conference on Friday.“The good news here though is the dilution is not as much as we expected,” said Fran Shammo, explaining how the company hasn’t seen much attrition after dropping its unlimited data plan in May.Shammo added that “Unlimited is just a word. It doesn’t mean anything…”

No – it doesn’t. Mostly because you cell phone providers have made it meaningless. You used it to sucker in customers and once you got your hooks into them, you removed or “redefined” the word to suit your needs – but not the needs of the customers.

So you’re right, it doesn’t mean anything – when weasels like you use it.

Subscriber counts and stats have been missing for days for publishers. At least they acknowledge the issue. Feedburner’s biggest issue is being owned by Google.

Mashable:

Traditionally, people keep dead presidents in their hearts, history books and wallets. Here’s a new place to look for fallen leaders of the free world: your Twitter feed.

Twitter is great for keeping in touch with family and friends, chatting with people about the day’s events and now – you can converse with (fake) dead presidents.

But lately things have changed. It’s been a long, gradual shift, though I can definitely see it more clearly in the past year. Startups are hiding (or being hidden) behind a great firewall, intended to protect them until they’re ready … Continued

Now you can easily remove image imperfections or just about any image element you want, so your pictures look their absolute best.

That’s what I love about the Pixelmator guys. They keep making amazing software with features that everyone can use, not just the pros. Check out the video on their site to see the healing tool in action.

Many thanks to Pixelmator for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week.

Yahoo! Tech:

Could the days of having to turn your cell phone off when flying be nearing an end? Aircraft manufacturer Boeing seem to think so. It’s begun the process of outfitting new models of its 747, 777, and 787 airliners with hardware to allow incoming and outgoing calls, with the aim of making them available to airlines by 2013.While this technology sounds like a boon for air travelers who’ve long awaited the ability to make calls while flying, they shouldn’t start celebrating just yet. Whether or not you’ll be able to fire up your phone in-flight still depends on the approval of government agencies such as the FAA who’ll have the final call on, well, calls from 30,000 feet.

Please Boeing, I’m begging you – don’t do this to us.

Some great new features in the SoundCloud for iPhone app.

Josh Centers has some interesting thoughts on Apple’s strategy for Retina displays and which products we should expect to see them in.

Wired:

Alton Brown of Food Network had strong feelings against Twitter, but an even greater aversion to Facebook. When his agent demanded he choose one, he picked what he felt was the lesser of two evils and began tweeting.To spice up his twittering, he began hand-writing notes, then posting pictures of them. Sometimes he’d doodle a message in Morse code. Or draw a sketch. Or set half of a paper message on fire, then tweet a photo of the remnants.

You gotta love Alton Brown.

This.

Well now, this adds a little twist to things.

Wow…Swedes are more uptight with public displays of emotions than Canadians are.

Esquire:

Stealing magic has become a commonplace crime. Teller, a man of infinite delicacy and deceit, decided to do something about it.

Fascinating story about the magic of Penn & Teller and how magicians protect their secrets.

So, let me get this straight. Android is open and freely available until it’s not… and the Open Handset Alliance is even more open, unless you try to use something else — then you get threatened… but openly.

I think that’s it.

Camera maker Leica is collaborating with Apple’s head of design Jonathan Ive to design a camera – but just one. Ever.

There’s no love lost between Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos and Canada’s big Internet providers: “It’s almost a human rights violation what they’re charging for internet access in Canada,” Sarandos said during the Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment conference in Los Angeles Wednesday.

You said it, brother!