Macworld2009 -- Engadget

Macworld2009 posts

Engadget Podcast 124 - 01.07.2009: CES day one

by Trent Wolbe, posted Jan 7th 2009 at 2:03PM

It's Wednesday in Las Vegas: a little chilly, a lot CES-y. Join your fearlessly caffeinated Engadget Podcast team as it pauses to reflect on the tranquility (and hardware) that came with the final Macworld keynote from Apple, and the technological wizardry that may, may not, or might have already come from the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. Stay tuned -- we'll be rolling out a new podcast for each magical day of the show!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Another One Bites the Dust

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G-Technology's external G-DRIVE mini / G-RAID mini appear with SSDs within

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:01PM

Across the way at Macworld, G-Technology has dropped in to launch what it (mistakenly) calls the industry's first family of external SSDs. Who knows, maybe it's playing up that "family" angle, but these certainly aren't the first SSDs to link up with machines from the outside. Minutiae aside, we're still pretty pumped about the G-DRIVE mini and G-RAID mini, both of which house 2.5-inch SSDs that promise to operate in a cooler, quieter fashion. The former unit is set to ship in 120GB and 250GB flavors, while the latter will arrive with 250GB or 500GB within. Also of note is the port assortment: USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and -- wait for it -- FireWire 400 (eSATA is included as well on the G-RAID mini). G-Technology asserts that the G-DRIVE minis will hit read rates of 75MB/sec and write speeds of 60MB/sec (the RAIDed siblings will top out at 195MB/sec), and nary a power supply is needed when using powered USB / FireWire sockets. Look for 'em to come pre-formatted for OS X later this month starting at $599.

WD pumps out My Passport for Mac / My Book Mac Edition

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:44PM

We'll wager you didn't know Macworld was going on today, did you? Pathetic jokes aside, Western Digital has lined up a pair of launches today in San Francisco to coincide with Apple's final Macworld keynote, as we're treated to the My Passport for Mac portable HDD and the My Book Mac Edition. Truthfully, the only real difference between these drives and their vanilla counterparts is the pre-format process; with these, they both come "pre-formatted for Mac," saving you the tiresome task of converting 'em to HFS+ Journaled yourself. Additionally, these USB 2.0 drives are made to work "seamlessly" with Apple's Time Machine backup software, and they'll arrive in capacities including 320GB and 500GB (My Passport) / 1TB (My Book). Both units should be available now for between $129.99 and $179.99.

Eos Wireless' Converge system streams audio all over your home

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 2:35PM

Considering that Eos Wireless is introducing its Converge wireless audio system at Macworld, it follows logic that the press release is geared towards Apple kit. So yeah, there's no question this stuff will stream jams from your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or Mac to any room in the house, but you should also know that the system plays nice with the anti-Apple (but pro-USB / auxiliary port) crowd as well. It promises a wireless range of 150 feet, and it seems to be available in a variety of "Groups" depending on how complex or simplistic your home setup is. Look for the components to ship in March for as low as $89.95 per piece.

Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 12:00PM

We're inside the building and waiting to jump into our seats. Stay tuned for all the live coverage you could possibly want (or need)!

Continue reading Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote

Apple announces iWork.com beta

by Donald Melanson, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:48AM

Well, it looks like Apple is competing with Google in more ways than one, with the company today announcing a beta version of the Google Docs-like iWork.com. The web-based app will apparently be tightly integrated with the OS-bound iWork app, and let you easily share documents with contacts who can add notes and make edits, again, much like Google Docs, albeit in an environment that closely resembles the standard iWork apps. What's more, while the beta will be free to those interested in trying it out, the final product will eventually be a pay service, though there's no word on a price just yet.

Verbatim cranks out ExpressCard SSD for PC and Mac users

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:00AM

While certainly not the first ExpressCard SSD we've seen (heck, it's not even the first one from this week), we're practically drooling at the thought of these becoming more pervasive. Here at Macworld, Verbatim has announced its new 34mm ExpressCard SSD for PC and Mac users, which promises to be some five times faster than USB-based ExpressCards thanks to its true PCI-Express interface. The drives will ship at the end of next month in 16/32/64GB sizes, and we're told to expect read speeds of up to 125MB/sec and write speeds of up to 30MB/sec. Curious about pricing? Try $99.99, $149.99 and $299.99 from least capacious to most.

Apple's final Macworld keynote is tomorrow, and we'll be there live!

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jan 5th 2009 at 11:45PM

Don't forget kids, Apple (and our main man Phil Schiller) will be doing its final Macworld thing live and direct come Tuesday morning, and as usual, we'll be there doing what we do: liveblogging the hell out of it. Set your alarms, wake the neighbors, and settle in for the mind-blowingest keynote you done ever seen. Here's where you need to check in on Tuesday, January 6th:

Live from the Macworld 2009 keynote

At these times:

07:00AM - Hawaii
09:00AM - Pacific
10:00AM - Mountain
11:00AM - Central
12:00PM - Eastern
05:00PM - London
06:00PM - Paris
02:00AM - Tokyo (January 7th)

NEC debuts 26-inch LCD2690WUXi� for professionals at Macworld

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 5th 2009 at 9:09PM

Hard to believe that the original LCD2690WUXi was introduced over two years ago, but the squared version is finally getting official here at Macworld. The 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi² packs an IPS active matrix LCD and is clearly aimed at pros and pros alone; some of the super swank features include 97.8% coverage of AdobeRGB, compatibility with NEC's SpectraViewIITM color calibrator, auto luminance control for consistent brightness and color, support for 12-bit lookup tables and an ambient light sensor. Additionally, you'll notice a 1,900 x 1,200 native resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 320 nits of brightness and a trio of selectable inputs (DVI-I, DVI-D and VGA). The panel is shipping as we speak for just $1,199, which ain't bad at all for a screen of this caliber.

[Via Electronista]

Microvision's PicoP-based SHOW WX pocket PJ makes debut

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 5th 2009 at 12:28PM

While Microvision isn't new (per se) to the pico projector arena entirely, it certainly lacks the namesake of, say, Dell or Optoma. Of course, it's not letting that fact damper its excitement about the PicoP-based SHOW WX. The pre-production device is being unveiled today at Macworld, and it promises to boast a 25% package-size reduction over the company's own SHOW prototype. The diminutive beamer will eventually arrive with a WVGA native resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, a battery good for around two hours of usage and a chassis that measures just 4.6- x 2.4- x 0.6-inches. The outfit anticipates that commercial production will get going in Q2, with mass availability ready by 2H 2009; regrettably, pricing still remains a mystery.

Eye-Fi functionality comes to iPhone via new application

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 5th 2009 at 10:31AM

We'd be fibbing just a wee bit if we said that Eye-Fi functionality for the iPhone has always been imminent, but now that it's real, we suppose we aren't too surprised. Announced today at Macworld, the Eye-Fi application will enable iPhone owners (that just so happen to also own an Eye-Fi card) to upload images taken on their handset to their computer and the web. Reportedly, the app will allow users to aggregate all of their photos from both the iPhone and a digital camera into "organized folders on a computer and to one of 25 online photo sharing and social networking websites." The app is also said to support geotagging just like the Eye-Fi Explore, though two crucial bits of info are sorely missing. First off, what happens with folks that don't own an Eye-Fi card? And second, when is this app even coming out?

Mac mini update with dual display support, banner unfurling rumored for Macworld festivities

by Ross Miller, posted Jan 4th 2009 at 8:17PM

We've got less than 48 hours until Apple's last Macworld keynote, and the rumor mill keeps hinting that Phil's gonna announce new Mac minis, which so far are purported to have the Macbook's NVIDIA chipset, aluminum casing, and an SATA optical drive that can be swapped out for a second HDD. Go ahead and add dual display support to that list, which is what Apple Insider is speculating based on their sources saying the new minis will sport both a mini DisplayPort and a mini DVI connector. Additionally, the site has managed to snap some shots from the Moscone Center of the expo being set up. There's a picture of a monitor showing what's presumed to be a live feed of the keynote rehearsal with a blurred figure that kind of looks like Al Gore, and inside the south hall there are several mysterious banners concealed in white cloth. So pretty much status quo, though is it just us or do the banners seem to look a little tired and thin this year?

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Read - Apple's next-gen Mac mini to get dual display support
Read - Macworld site rife with concealed banners

17-inch unibody MacBook Pro with non-removable battery rumored for Macworld

by Laura June, posted Jan 4th 2009 at 4:50PM

9to5Mac is reporting that a unibody, 17-inch MacBook Pro will be announced at Macworld, following in the footsteps of the previously released unibody 13 and 15-inchers. The rumor, backed up by some "whisperers" at Macrumors, isn't really an earth-shattering surprise -- though the accompanying revelation that this model is expected to have a slim, extended-life, non-removable battery is rather eye-opening -- and somewhat disappointing, considering the lameness of non-removable batteries. We'll know for sure on Tuesday at the keynote.

Update: Apple Insider is now independently confirming the imminent arrival of the unibody 17-incher, and also corroborating the fixed internal battery theory.

Read - Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro to go Unibody, sans removable battery (Silver-Zinc replacement?)
Read - 17" Unibody MacBook Pro with Non-Removable Extended-Life Battery?
Read - Sources: 17-inch MacBook Pro, NVIDIA Mac mini due shortly

Apple announces final MacWorld, Steve Jobs won't deliver keynote

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Dec 16th 2008 at 4:51PM

Watch this space folks -- it's the end of an era. Apple has just issued a press release stating that this coming MacWorld in January will be its last, and Steve Jobs won't be on hand to say goodbye. Instead, Phil Schiller will be heading up the proceedings, thus marking a quiet end to a conference that's been the launching point of some of the most important pieces of consumer tech in recent memory. In Apple's words:

Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple's Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.

Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.

Update: Oh, and just to clarify, this is merely Apple's last MacWorld, not the last MacWorld. IDG just made a statement confirming that it's on for an Apple-free MacWorld 2010 at the Moscone Center -- January 4th through 8th if you're planning ahead.

[Thanks, JBCornelius]