Mac the Knife was the pen name (inspired by the homophonous well-known song "Mack the Knife") of an anonymous gossip columnist for the (now defunct) Apple Macintosh-focused trade publication MacWEEK.
[3] The column was known not only for its wide-ranging and often accurate Macintosh-related rumors, but for its gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson-like style.
During the column's heyday, the trophy mugs were occasionally sent randomly to Apple employees in order to obscure the true leakers.
[4] MacWEEK's party at Macworld Conference & Expo was named for this fictional character.
Today, none of the former Mac the Knife columnists write using this name.