macworld09
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A quick walkthrough of the developer booths at Macworld 2009
Here's a quick (and shaky) tour of the developer booths in the South Hall. Enjoy! Video is on the next page.
TUAW Macworld Video: Marketcircle announces Daylite Touch
For businesspeople who want to take their work with them everywhere, Marketcircle has just created a new way to keep updated on projects, contacts, calendars, and more through the iPhone -- Daylite Touch.We interviewed Marketcircle CEO Alykhan Jetha this morning at Macworld Expo 2009, where he gave us a demo of the many features built into Daylite Touch. The app, scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2009, will be licensed with another announced product -- Daylite Server -- and will be free of charge to Daylite users. Jetha also noted that Daylite Touch will require the upcoming Daylite 3.9.Daylite Touch syncs with Daylite Server via Wi-Fi, 3G, and EDGE connections, and doesn't overwhelm the user with too much information on one little screen. This is one of the more complex iPhone apps I've seen since the iPhone arrived on the scene, and a lot of time and effort was obviously directed at the user interface.Click Read More to see our interview.
Macworld 2009 Day One: In Pictures
The Keynote might not have had everything we were expecting, but Macworld 2009 is still off to a super start.We're still busy hitting booths and rendering video, you can take a look at some of the fun we've been having.Highlights: The Delicious Monster booth looks just like Delicious Library 2 The Iconfactory team Obviously, the new MacBook Pro unibody. %Gallery-40751%
2009 Macworld Keynote video available
As usual, Apple has released a Quicktime video of the keynote address from this year's Macworld Expo. This one's rather historic, as well all know. It's simultaneously Phil Schiller's first and Apple's last.Right now it's available as a stream from Apple's website, but it typically shows up in the iTunes Store as a free download shortly thereafter. Be sure to grab a copy and "own a piece of history" as they say. Whoever "they" are.So, what did you think of this year's presentation? We think Phil did a great job and was greeted warmly by the crowd. Sure, a little bit of fanfare would have been nice, but that was Tony Bennet's role, right?
Macworld 2009 keynote line video
Here's to the crazy ones. Although, seeing as how this is the last Apple keynote at Macworld (so they say), perhaps they aren't too crazy...
Apple shares slide following keynote
Here's a shocker -- Apple shares slid 0.7 percent (as of this writing) after Phil Schiller concluded the company's last official keyonte address at Macworld Expo. Robert Francello, head of equity trading for Apex Capital hedge fund in San Francisco, blamed "...no true blockbusters" for the market's reaction.With that, we have a large part of why Apple has abandoned the show. Ten or twelve years ago, Apple needed such a high-profile event to get its products noticed by as many people as possible. Additionally, they'd pack as much into those precious 90 minutes as they could, while they had everyone's attention.Today, that's not the case. Phil Schiller noted that 3.4 million customers visit their retail stores per week, worldwide. The "lesser" press events, like the annual September iPod announcement, attract all the attention Apple needs. These are much less expensive to produce and allow Apple to release products when they're ready, not when the calendar reads "January." Therefore, there's no cache of goodies waiting for the Moscone Center, which always disappoints Wall Street and adversely affects Apple's stock price.Sure, it's sad to see Apple go, but the "why" is clear.[Via MacDailyNews]
Buy Leopard, iWork '09, iLife '09 via the Mac Box Set
As mentioned in this morning's keynote, the Mac Box Set lets you purchase Mac OS 10.5.6, iLife '09 and iWork '09 in one tidy package for $169US. Additionally, shoppers can install the Mac Box Set Family Pack on up to five Mac computers in in the same household for $229US. Call us crazy, but we don't remember seeing such a bundle from Apple before.Before you pull out your credit card, know that this won't ship until iLife '09 ships, which Phil identified as "Late January." However, TUAW reader Lou purchased iLife '09 online today, and his receipt listed "February '09" as the ship date. So, we'll see.If you happen to visit a store near a store in a major city today, have a look around or ask an employee if January is likely for this product. Let us know what you find. Thanks![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Video: SMART Table 50-inch multitouch Interactive Display Panel
The last time we ran into SMART Table, they were demoing a very sturdy multitouch table to a group of schoolkids in Chicago, but they're here at Macworld with some sexier tech -- 50-inch and 65-inch multitouch plasma screens that interface with any OS X machine. The tech allows you to use the screen just like the built-in multitouch trackpad on newer MacBooks, so it works in basically any app, and while it's super-pricey (they just smiled and said "thousands" when we asked), the main cost is the screen and not the touchpanel, so we could see it come down to earth sometime soon. Check the video after the break.
iPhoto, iMovie guided tours available
With new software from Apple comes new guided tours hosted by clean cut, well-dressed Apple employees in the requisite uniform.The iPhoto guided tour can be found here and features John, whom we've seen in other guided tours. It's a fun way to check out the new features that were demonstrated during the keynote, as well as others that didn't make the presentation.The iMovie tour can be found here, and again features our friend John. We must admit that the animated map is pretty cool, even though we expect it to be heavily abused in the next few months.Additionally, you'll find tutorials for the new versions of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb and iDVD here. Check them out and decide if you're willing to pay the $79US upgrade fee.
As expected, Apple releases iWork '09 at Macworld Expo
During today's Macworld Keynote Phil Schiller announced the immediate release of iWork '09. We previously reported this was fairly likely given the slip-up over at Apple.com. The updated version of iWork is definitely more evolutionary than revolutionary.KeynoteThe first new feature of Keynote are the "Magic Move" transitions. Essentially, you set up your slides and Keynote automatically animates your objects and moves them from slide-to-slide. Additional text and object transitions have been added as well. For example, the text from one slide can morph into the text on the following slide.The Theme Chooser has been updated as well. It now allows you to easily and quickly view and apply a theme as well. The Theme Chooser also makes it easy to quickly apply a particular slide size. The 3D charts and graphs have been updated as well to include additional textures and new animations. The killer new feature in Keynote is the introduction of the Keynote Remote application for the iPhone or iPod touch. Using Wi-Fi you can view your slide as well as notes on the slide wirelessly from your iPhone or iPod touch. If you rotate your device into a landscape orientation you can view the current slide as well as the next slide. In true touchscreen form you can swipe your finger across the screen to advance to the next slide.Click the read link for more information about iWork '09.For full Macworld Expo coverage, bookmark the TUAW Macworld Expo 2009 landing page. If you missed our liveblog coverage, you can review it here.
iTunes pricing and DRM schemes updated for 2009
Phil Schiller today outlined Apple's new pricing scheme for iTunes music, and announced additional music that will be available DRM-free. In April, depending on the label, songs will be available at three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents, and $1.29. Apple says many more songs will be priced at 69 cents than $1.29, but new releases will likely cost more. Albums will mostly remain at the $9.99 price point. 69 cent songs will have greater restrictions on how they can be used: For each song, users will only be able to download it to one Mac, burn it to one CD, and copy it to one iPod. Turns out this was idle speculation from one of our colleagues, and not part of the changes today. Sorry about that. -- RP More songs will be also be made available as part of the iTunes Plus program, which features higher-quality, DRM-free music files. Eight million (of 10 million total) songs will be available through iTunes Plus today, and every track will be available DRM-free by the end of March. (Thanks, Chris!) iPhone users that connect to the Internet via 3G also got good news: They will be able to connect to the iTunes store via both WiFi and 3G starting today. Update: Others with first-generation iPhones here in the Media Center report that the iTunes store appears to work over EDGE, too, but weren't able to test it. As many expected, Schiller announced new sales figures for the iTunes store, saying Apple has 75 million accounts, and is now the number-one music retailer in the United States.
TUAW Macworld Video: Kensington new product demos
Kensington is well-known in the Mac and iPhone space as a provider of peripherals. At Macworld Expo 2009, they've introduced a ton of new products, many designed to help you (in the words of Jim Morrison) keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel.I visited with Olantha Boeker of Kensington on Tuesday to see what's new from Kensington. There's the beautiful SlimBlade Trackball for those who prefer using trackballs, the new Bluetooth Hands-Free Visor Car Kit, some new wireless mice, power peripherals, and more.Check out the video on the next page for more details, and visit the Kensington website to see what's new for '09.
New 17-inch MacBook Pro unveiled with integrated battery
In Phil Schiller's keynote speech this morning, Apple announced a new version of the 17-inch MacBook Pro that features a long-life, non-removable battery, thinner profile, and an optional anti-glare screen. The laptop is less than an inch thick, and weighs 6.6 pounds. It features a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo process, 6 MB of L2 cache, GeForce 9600M GT video card, and supports up to 8GB of memory. The default configuration with 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard disk ships for the same price as before: $2,799. The 17-inch MacBook Pro now features a non-removable battery with an estimated eight-hour life. The battery will also last for 1,000 cycles, according to the presentation. The battery is 40 percent larger than its predecessor, which allows for a greater charge and better life. The trade off, of course, is the fact that it's not user-replaceable. Apple is touting the new MacBook Pro as among its greenest line of laptops ever. The new battery for this model has three times the life of older MacBooks, lasting up to five years, which for many may be the life of the computer. It also earns an EPEAT Gold rating, and it contains no arsenic, BFR, mercury, and less PVC.
Apple introduces iLife '09 at Macworld Expo
Earlier today at Macworld Expo, Phill Schiller announced that availability of iLife '09. Not a huge surprise, as a few of us guessed we'd see an iLife update today, but it does offer some cool new features.iPhotoiPhoto has been updated with two features called "Faces" and "Places." Faces, as you may have guessed, lets you tag photos by subjects' faces, similar to what Facebook and Picasa have done. iPhoto makes its best guess as to the identity of a subject based on previous tags and asks for confirmation. Of course, Phil called it "..the best technology we've found for face detection."Places allows for geotagging of photos. Some cameras and the 3G iPhone will use GPS information to tag photos on longitude and latitude. iPhoto then organizes those photos by location, or "place." Also, Flickr and Facebook support are built-in. Those without GPS access can retro-tag photos by hand.Other iPhoto features include enhanced slideshows and travel books.Click below to read more about iLife '09Update: Reader Lou purchased iLife '09 today, and says his receipt shows a ship date of Feb. 09.For full Macworld Expo coverage, bookmark the TUAW Macworld Expo 2009 landing page. If you missed our liveblog coverage, you can review it here.
Macworld 2009 keynote liveblog
Welcome to the TUAW liveblog of the Macworld Expo 2009 keynote address. The keynote has ended; to read the full report click 'read more.' Quick summary: iLife 09, iWork 09, 17" MBP, and iTunes (Plus for all, tiered pricing, and buy songs over 3G). We're keeping on covering every bit of Macworld via our front page and show-specific page, so stay with TUAW.
Skype for Mac 2.8 Beta offers screen sharing
Good news for Skype users. Skype has announced the availability of Beta 2.8 for the Mac, which offers two huge new features: Screen sharing and WiFi access for a MacBook or MacBook Pro via "Skype Access."Screen sharing works via the Skype video channel, of course, and allows for a complete view of a participant's screen. For now, only a Mac may act as a source, though a Linux or Windows machine can view its screen. File transfer is also possible, though a lot of detail wasn't available on this.The other major feature, Skype Access, offers WiFi access for a MacBook or MacBook Pro via any Boingo access point. These include McDonald's, hotels like Marriott and Hilton and more than 500 international airports. Skype Access will run you $0.22US (€0.16) per minute using Skype Credits.While we haven't had a chance to play with it yet (we're a bit distracted by a little trade show today), the pitch from Skype sounds interesting. Let us know if you give this a try.
The cat's out of the bag for iWork '09
Take a stroll on over to Apple's downloads page and peek at the 5th entry under Top Downloads. What you will find is an entry for iWork '09 -- which has yet to be announced.We currently don't have any information available as to what changes would be present if iWork or iLife were updated. However, you can bet that if the Philnote features any dazzling effects not previously seen, they are likely a part of the updated suite. Given that Apple is so secretive this seems like quite the slip up. While not featured in our rumor roundup, we would not be at all surprised for an update to both the iWork and iLife suites to be announced. If you have any hot features you'd love to see in an updated iWork or iLife suite throw them down in the comments.Thanks Nick for sending this in!
Surprise! The US online Apple Store is down
As expected, the US online Apple Store has become unavailable as it's prepped to sell this afternoon's post-keynote goodies. While you're waiting, why not take a last gander at the rumors, check out our photos from Macworld Expo or dust off your credit card in preparation for a new Mac mini?To our readers outside the USA: is the online Apple Store down in your neck of the woods, too? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TUAW for our live coverage of the Phil Schiller keynote later today.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
BusyMac announces BusyCal
BusyMac, makers of the awesome BusySync, has just announced its newest offering: BusyCal. BusySync is a great way to share and sync calendars across a LAN and sync with Google Calendar. BusyCal is a calendar application with the BusySync technology baked in. The screenshots have BusyCal looking very iCal-esque (BusyMac's website even says to think of BusyCal as "iCal Pro"), but with some additional features: Display graphics, icons and themes Add sticky notes to your calendar and share them across your network Live weather feeds within the calendar Rich text support Multi-user editing/offline editing Sync with the iPhone via iTunes and Mobile Me Sync with Google Calendar Sync with other Macs on your network with Bonjour So the inevitable question is, "Why not just use BusySync or Google's Calaboration utility?" Because iCal's To Do lists don't work with Google Calendar. Specifically, you can't create a To Do for a calendar that is set to sync with Google Calendar. So if you are like me, that means you have to maintain separate calendars (often an identical calendar) just to keep a To Do list or have a calendar integrated with a GTD app. The beauty of BusyCal is that you can add more stuff to your desktop calendar without losing support for MobileMe or Google Calendar or Sync Services. BusyCal will require OS X 10.5 Leopard and will debut this Spring. Pricing is $40 US, but if you use BusySync already or buy it before BusyCal is released, the upgrade will be just $10 US. BusyMac is at Macworld 2009 and we'll be sure to stop by the booth and take a closer look.
C-Mac and Steve's excellent Cupertino adventure
Every other year for the last 7 years, Shawn King of the Your Mac Life podcast has given the Apple faithful a chance to go on a pilgrimage to 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, the location of Apple headquarters. As part of our continuing coverage of Macworld Expo 2009, Christina Warren and yours truly hopped on the bus along with about 30 other alpha geeks to visit the Mecca of Macdom and pick up some Apple swag at the Company Store. Former TUAW blogger and Realmac Software PR Ninja Nik Fletcher joined to take photos. I dropped some spendolas on Apple gear, including a logo hat, long-sleeve black mock tee, polo shirt, and three big coffee mugs. C-mac, being the resident TUAW fashionista, bought an Apple notebook (the kind with paper sheets in it), a couple of pens, a navy hoodie, a knit cap, two caps (one knit, one military), and a short sleeve tee. There were several prize drawings on the ride home, and I won an 8GB blue iPod nano courtesy of a "Secret Santa." Suh-weeet! It's too late to join this year's Tour de Cupertino, but keep your eyes and ears open before future Macworld Expos to see if Shawn is planning another trip. Check out the gallery below. %Gallery-40640%
