We will be at Macworld Expo providing full coverage. Keep watching http://macmegasite.com/macworld starting Tuesday Jan. 6 for live updates.
Browsing Posts tagged Macworld Expo
Now that Macworld Expo is over, most of us are home and recovering. Travel at SFO was difficult for most people, with bad weather canceling flights and extra security slowing things down. My flight, which went through Atlanta, was canceled due to snow. Luckily I was able to get rerouted on a different flight through Charlotte and I got home at 1AM last night, with my luggage several pounds heavier and bursting from the seams with swag.
This year’s show had more exhibitors and a bigger crowd than last year, yet there was nothing as revolutionary as the iPhone.
Best Mac not from Apple : Axiotron is now shipping their ModBook, which they first announced at least year’s expo.
Best product for photographers: Eye Fi, a 2GB SD card with built-in Wifi that can upload directly to Flickr & other photo sharing services from your camera without the use of a computer.
Best iPhone case: I have a collection of rejected iPhone cases that broke or I found too bulky or inconvenient to use. I finally found one I can live with: Capsule iPhone along with Vision Clip from SwitchEasy. This is a hard case that isn’t too bulky yet offers good protection and looks nice. The optional Vision Clip holster offers extra protection and holds it securely yet allows fast & convenient access.
Best Display: Apple’s MacBook Air ‘floating in air’.
Best Game: Guitar Hero 3, by Aspyr. It looks and plays as good as any console game. It also drew the biggest crowds.
Best place to buy accessories: Dr. Bott, with popular iPod & iPhone accessories, laptop cases, microphones, and earphones from lots of manufacturers.
Most attractive input devices: Kensington keyboards & mice are simply gorgeous.
Best way to get people to watch demos: Google gave out cards that you got stamped after seeing four different demos to get free swag.
Best Browser: Flock had a booth and was demonstrating lots of neat features. I decided to give Flock another try and I found that I like it.
Things that make you go huh?: Is this some kind of ‘Engrish’?
Biggest Monitor: NEC showed a 40″ curved monitor with a resolution equivalent to two MacBook Pro screens side by side.
Most innovative demo disks Rogue Amoeba gave out Live Discs with demos of their applications. It contains an application that will display the newest version of the applications, downloading a newer version from the web if one is available.
Best Vaporware: EA was showing Spore, which has been in development for 4 years and is scheduled to ship sometime this year.
You can see my complete photo galleries here:
Macworld announced their Best of Show awards a few days ago. Here’s a recap, as well as my own picks. I also have my Day 3 pictures up now.
First, the official list:
[list]
[*] Photoshop Elements 6
[*] Guitar Hero III – I definitely agree. I have it on my Wii and it’s very addicting. The USB guitar controller looks nicer than the Wii’s controller, but it’s not wireless.
[*] BusySync – shares iCal calendars
[*] Eye Fi card – SD card with built-in WiFi. I bought one the first day.
[*] Flow – tracks relationships between files.
[*] Dictate – voice command / dictation software
[*] NEC Multisync LCD3090WQXi – 30″ display.
[*] Omnifocus – task management software
[*] Parallels Server – virtualization for server class operating systems, including Mac OS X Server
[*] Vector Designer – drawwing tool
[/list]
Here are my picks:
[list]
[*] Guitar Hero III. One of the best Mac game ports. It looks as good as on a game console.
[*] Eye Fi Card. Despite the crappy hotel wifi, I was still able to transfer pictures wirelessly to my Mac.
[*] Kensington. The most beautiful mice & keyboards. I really like their ‘convertable’ wireless mouse, which can also double as a wired mouse if the batteries run out.
[*] Plasq products. I’ve been using Skitch for a long time. Now it’s in public beta. It’s my favorite screenshot utility.
[*] iPhone 1.1.3 update. I updated my iPhone as soon as I was able to get a fast & reliable internet connection. The upgrade went smoothly, although Patrick Scoble temporarily bricked his iPhone with the update. The map location feature is the coolest thing I’ve seen on the iPhone, although it sometimes shows the entire bay area for my location. Most of the time it’s accurate to about one block.
[*] Animation Master. Powerful animation software for only $50.
[*] Snowflake Mic. Almost every podcaster I know uses a Snowball mic. The Snowflake is a much smaller version that can clip to the top of your laptop, just like the old iSight.
[*] USB missile launcher. A company in Moscone West is showing lots of fun devices, including the USB missile launcher, a folding piano keyboard, and a USB drum pad.
[*] Hydra. Inexpensive, easy to use software that generates HDR images. Unlike most HDR software, you don’t need a tripod to take the individual pictures; it lets you choose matching points in the pictures.
[*] Free beer (after 4PM) and a fast, reliable internet connection at H&R Block’s Blog Spot in Moscone West.
[/list]
Worst of show:
[list]
[*] Lack of internet connectivity. The only place to get a fast, reliable wifi connection in Moscone South is the corridor outside the exhibit hall. Microsoft’s Bloggers Lounge has the worst WiFi; it usually took me several tries to connect.
[*] Overpriced food. Don’t buy lunch in Moscone. Go to Chaat Cafe on Third Street, just south of Moscone, or one of the restaurants in Metreon, on Fourth Street north of Moscone.
[/list]
Vaporware of the year: Spore. EA says it will be released “some time this year”. Spore has been under development for 4 years by the author of The Sims.
Dishonorable Mention: Pickwick Hotel’s internet connection. It was down most of the time, and when it did work it was unbearably slow. Last night I couldn’t obtain an IP address at all.
Macworld Products That IT Executives Had Better Know About
Apple’s offerings traditionally are considered consumer products. The exhibit hall at this year’s Macworld conference, however, had a stronger business influence, with hardware and software that may excite even the most buttoned-down corporate IT departments.
http://www.cio.com/article/172573
I’ve posted several photo galleries from Macworld Expo. I’ll have more later.
SAN FRANCISCO (Macworld), Jan. 17, 2008 – Filmmakers and content owners now have an opportunity to showcase their work online and to generate revenue doing it via a new video delivery platform created by mDialog ([URL]www.mdialog.com[/URL]), an innovative web video 2.0 company. mDialog today introduced its pay-per-download engine that is intended to generate revenue for content producers every time a customer subscribes to their pay-per-download channel. A beta version of the system will be online by February, 2008.
Filmmakers who publish their own customized channels using mDialog’s platform can choose to offer access to viewers at very affordable price points, including “pay-what-you-can.”
The latter is based on the open access model that some artists have offered to their fans.
Producers will receive 60 percent of the revenues generated and are free to incorporate product placement or other types of sponsorship into their own programming.
“mDialog’s ability to offer high resolution film and video content and a means to monetize it is a win-win outcome for both viewers and filmmakers,” said Greg Philpott, founder and president of mDialog. “We’re interested in not only showcasing the extraordinary work of producers but also in rewarding their time and efforts, and making mDialog the place to go to watch great content.”
Using mDialog’s pay-per-download engine, producers will have the flexibility to devote a dedicated “channel” to a single film or series of episodes and to charge for its access. This format lends itself well to hosting episodic programs, and previews will be made available to viewers at no charge. As an alternative to broadcasting their content web-wide, producers can “narrowcast” their programs, making them available only to a select group of viewers of their choosing.
[B]About mDialog[/B]
mDialog.com provides an open, state-of-the-art platform for both the professional producer / filmmaker and amateur video enthusiast. Through its innovative mLoader software, mDialog enables content producers to easily encode, describe and upload h.264 high-resolution video from their desktop. mDialog also enables viewers to watch or download videos to Macs and Apple video devices (which include an iPhone / iPod Touch optimized version of the service) and PCs; subscribe to mDialog channels via iTunes; and engage filmmakers and other audiences through advanced social networking features. mDialog is a subsidiary of mDialogue Corporation, which was founded in 2005 and is based in Toronto, Canada with offices in New York City. Visit [URL]www.mdialog.com[/URL].
Since I was unable to find reliable WiFi for most of the day, I’ve now had almost a day to think over yesterday’s announcements and get other people’s reactions. The general feeling seems to be one of disappointment.
This is the first keynote in a long time where I didn’t want to run out and buy something immediately. The MacBook Air is gorgeous, but I can’t really use one because it’s not powerful enough to use as my main system, and there’s no easy way to sync it with another Mac. If they had the rumored docking station, I probably would get one.
Most of the predictions were pretty accurate this time, although some of the more interesting rumored products didn’t materialize. Some people were very disappointed that Apple didn’t release new cinema displays with a built-in iSight, and the lack of iPod announcements (other than the Touch) was surprising.
The new Apple TV looks very nice. For the first time I’d consider buying one.
iPhone software 1.1.3 looks great and is pretty much exactly what was leaked to several rumor sites. The lack of video is still disappointing, though. At yesterday’s Apple Universe Live event, Daniel & Scoble were streaming live to Qik.com from their Nokia N95s, and those of us with iPhones still can’t do that. The Phone SDK will probably change that, though.
The keynote had a much bigger crowd than last year, even though there were fewer surprises. Last year I got on line at 6AM and was able to get into the main hall easily. This year I got there at 5:30AM and could only get into the overflow room.
MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO–January 15, 2008–Apple today unveiled MacBook Air, the world’s thinnest notebook. MacBook Air measures an unprecedented 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76-inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks. MacBook Air has a stunning 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, and a spacious trackpad with multi-touch gesture support so users can pinch, rotate and swipe. MacBook Air is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.
“We’ve built the world’s thinnest notebook–without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “When you first see MacBook Air, it’s hard to believe it’s a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is.”
MacBook Air has a vibrant 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display that is energy efficient, and its spacious trackpad offers multi-touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to browse and rotate photos or zoom into web pages in Safari. MacBook Air features a full-size keyboard design in a sleek and durable aluminum enclosure. The backlit keyboard makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls, and a built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the display brightness for optimal visibility.
MacBook Air delivers up to five hours of battery life for wireless productivity and includes AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, which delivers up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g*. Apple’s Migration Assistant software now enables users to quickly transfer files, applications and preferences from your old Mac to MacBook Air right over your wireless network.
MacBook Air users can buy the companion MacBook Air SuperDrive, a compact external drive designed for MacBook Air, for just $99. The MacBook Air SuperDrive is powered by MacBook Air’s USB port, eliminating the need to carry a separate power adapter. Many MacBook Air users will not find a need for an optical drive now that they can wirelessly rent movies from the iTunes Store, wirelessly backup files with Time Capsule and access the optical drives on remote PCs or Macs to wirelessly install software applications on MacBook Air.
MacBook Air is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz, and includes as standard 2GB of memory and an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive. An optional 64GB solid state drive contains no moving parts for added durability. Every MacBook Air includes a micro-DVI port so users can connect to Apple’s gorgeous 20-inch or 23-inch Cinema Displays to extend their desktop or connect to projectors and other displays via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video adapters. MacBook Air includes USB 2.0 for plugging in peripherals or charging an iPod or iPhone, a headphone jack and Apple’s acclaimed MagSafe Power Adapter designed especially for mobile users.
Every MacBook Air comes with iLife ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing. The new MacBook Air also comes with Leopard, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Leopard introduces Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a MacBook Air over the Internet while out on the road.
The new MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, a material highly desired by recyclers; Apple’s first mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass; and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables. In addition, MacBook Air consumes the least amount of power of any Mac, and its retail box, made primarily from 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, is 56 percent smaller by volume than the previously smallest MacBook packaging.
Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook Air will be shipping in two weeks through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), and includes:
[list]
[*] 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with 1280×800 resolution;
[*] 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache;
[*] 800 MHz front-side bus;
[*] 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
[*] 80GB hard disk drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
[*] Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
[*] Micro-DVI port (includes Micro-DVI to VGA and Micro-DVI to DVI Adapters);
[*] built-in iSight video camera;
[*] built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
[*] one USB 2.0 port;
[*] one headphone port;
[*] multi-touch TrackPad with support for advanced multi-touch gestures including tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe; and
[*] 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
[/list]
Build-to-order options and accessories include the ability to upgrade to a 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor; 64GB solid state drive, MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include pre-installed copies of iWork ‘08, Logic Express 8, Final Cut Express 4 and Aperture 1.5.
MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO–January 15, 2008–Apple today announced iTunes Movie Rentals featuring movies from all the major movie studios including 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Lionsgate and New Line Cinema. Users can rent movies for as low as $2.99 and watch them on their Macs or PCs, all current generation iPods*, iPhone and Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals launches today and will offer over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound which users can rent directly from their widescreen TV using Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals are priced at $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, and high definition versions are just one dollar more with library titles at $3.99 and new releases at $4.99.
“iTunes Movie Rentals instantly brings great movies from all the major studios directly to your iPod, iPhone, TV or computer–without having to drive to the video store or wait for DVDs to arrive in the mail,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Movie lovers can now discover and enjoy movies as simply and easily as music lovers discover and enjoy music today on iTunes.”
“Apple has created an incredibly easy and innovative way to rent and enjoy movies,” said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. “Millions of movie lovers will be able to watch wonderful movies from Fox and the other major studios whenever and wherever they want, be it on their computer, TV, iPod or iPhone.”
iTunes Movie Rentals feature iTunes’ legendary ease of use, which makes discovering and enjoying movie rentals as simple and easy as buying music on iTunes has always been. Once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 24 hours to finish it–or watch it multiple times.
The all new Apple TV software delivers an entirely new user experience centered around iTunes Movie Rentals, allowing movie fans to rent and watch movies right from their widescreen TV, with no computer required. Users can also view photos from their computers, Flickr and .Mac Web Galleries on their widescreen TV as slideshows or screen savers, and anytime photos are updated on Flickr or .Mac they are automatically updated on Apple TV. Apple TV users can now browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 125,000 video and audio podcasts, view over 50 million originally created videos from YouTube, or choose from a selection of six million songs, over 600 TV shows and 10,000 music videos to purchase directly from their Apple TV. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user’s computer for enjoyment on their computer, iPod or iPhone.
Apple TV easily connects to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort 802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV now automatically plays all of your iTunes content without setup or management**.
Pricing & Availability
Movie rentals from the iTunes Store for Mac or Windows require iTunes 7.6, available as a free download immediately from www.itunes.com. iTunes Movie Rentals require a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only and are $2.99 (US) for library titles and $3.99 (US) for new releases, and high definition versions are priced just one dollar more with library titles at $3.99 (US) and new releases at $4.99 (US).
The new Apple TV software will be available as a free automatic download to all Apple TV customers later this month. Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, is available from the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price $229 (US) for the 40GB model, and for $329 for the 160GB model. Apple TV requires an 802.11g/n wireless network or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet networking, a broadband Internet connection and a high definition widescreen TV. iPod games will not play on Apple TV.
MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO–January 15, 2008–Apple today unveiled all new software for Apple TV that allows movie fans to rent movies on the iTunes Store directly from their widescreen TV, and lowered the price of Apple TV to just $229. With iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV, users can just click a button on their remote to effortlessly rent movies from a catalog of over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, with no computer required. DVD-quality iTunes Movie Rentals are $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, and high definition versions are just one dollar more with library titles at $3.99 and new releases at $4.99. Apple will provide the new Apple TV software free of charge to existing Apple TV owners when it releases the new Apple TV priced at $229 in about two weeks.
“With the new Apple TV and iTunes Movie Rentals, movie lovers can rent DVD-quality or stunning HD movies from their couch with just a click of a button,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “No more driving to the video store or waiting for DVDs to arrive in the mail.”
iTunes Movie Rentals feature iTunes’ legendary ease of use, which makes discovering and enjoying movie rentals as simple and easy as buying music on iTunes. Once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 24 hours to finish it–or watch it multiple times.
With Apple TV, users can also view photos from their computers, Flickr and .Mac Web Galleries on their widescreen TV as slideshows or screen savers, and anytime photos are updated on Flickr or .Mac, they are automatically updated on Apple TV. Apple TV users can now browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 125,000 video and audio podcasts, view over 50 million originally created videos from YouTube or choose from a selection of six million songs, over 600 TV shows and 10,000 music videos to purchase directly from their Apple TV. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user’s computer for enjoyment on their computer, all current generation iPods* or iPhone.
Apple TV easily connects to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort 802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV now automatically plays all of your iTunes content without setup or management.
Pricing & Availability
The new Apple TV software will be available as a free automatic download to all Apple TV customers later this month. Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, is available from the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $229 (US) for the 40GB model and $329 (US) for the 160GB model (US and Canada). Apple TV requires an 802.11g/n wireless network or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet networking, a broadband Internet connection and a high definition widescreen TV. iPod games will not play on Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.
