She made the Macintosh smile
Anyone with an older Mac probably knows this icon: A boxy all-in-one computer with a simple smiling face on screen.
Like all good symbols, the Happy Mac serves multiple purposes. The official reason it exists is to tell you that your Macintosh has begun the process of booting up without error.
More than that, the Happy Mac was a symbol of intent from Apple: This computer is friendly. It doesn't have an impenetrable interface filled with text you don't understand. The Mac has pictures. And it's smiling at you!
Susan Kare was the graphic designer who created the Happy Mac. She spoke to us about the process behind that and many of the other icons that made the original Macintosh so different to any computer before it.
New Star Wars to be done by Disney
Like it or not, there will be new Star Wars films. Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015. There will likely be many more to follow.
And they'll be made by Disney.
The "House of Mouse" has acquired Lucasfilm in a blockbuster deal.
What do you think of this mega-merger?
Star Wars, Segmented
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... or rather in 2009 on the internet, the "Star Wars: Uncut" project was created. More than two years later, it has become a movie. It is a crowd-sourced remake of the original Star Wars film, "A New Hope". FULL POST
Top Gun Day
I'm not sure what's harder to believe: That "Top Gun" is 25 years old, or that there's a whole day dedicated to the movie.
Either way, being the 80s movie buffs that we are, News Stream just had to join in the fun and celebrate Top Gun Day... which we did with a little help from our good friends at iReport. And aviator sunglasses.
Why "Top Gun"?
There's something about that movie that's struck a chord with people that makes it memorable 25 years on. It's hard to say it's a great film - but it's inspired so many to send us a ton of great iReports.
It is intensely cheesy. And yet it is incredibly enjoyable. It's extremely clichéd, but also eminently quotable.
It simultaneously panders to both sexes: Men get gratuitous shots of fighter jets set to rock music; women get that volleyball scene.
And while most movies have one iconic song associated with them, Top Gun has four: Danger Zone, Take My Breath Away, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', and Great Balls of Fire. (And I'm not including the theme!)
There is something strangely compelling about Top Gun that endures to this day, proving that it's always a good time to buzz the tower.
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