Macworld2011
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Technocel's $70 PowerPak Duo battery pack doubles up on USB ports, ships April 1st
Technocel's original PowerPak (and Battery Boost) were both among our stash of gadgets used at this year's CES, and they proved incredibly useful for juicing up a dead MiFi or smartphone without having to remain tethered to an AC outlet. As you well know, we're pretty big fans of external battery packs, and it seems as if Technocel has addressed the one major gripe we had with the first-generation PowerPak. The Duo is essentially the same kind of gizmo, but with a lot more oomph and double the ports. It's a squared power brick with an internal 2500mAh lithium-ion battery (compared to 1600mAh in the earlier build), and rather than having a single USB port, this guy's got two; moreover, it's far easier to look at, and is said to provide up to 7.5 extra hours of talk time to the average phone. The company also throws in a half-million interchangeable tips that are compatible with around 95 percent of handheld USB devices, and based on word directly from Technocel, it'll go on sale April 1st for $69.99. %Gallery-115637%
Macworld Expo 2011: CrossOver goes to version 10 with Impersonator
If you want to run Windows apps on your Mac, there are now a few ways to go about it. First there's Boot Camp, the official solution that will let you boot into an installed Windows partition. Then there are virtualization solutions like Parallels or VMWare, which "pretend" to be a separate hard drive with an installed Windows partition. Finally, there's emulation, and that's what CodeWeavers' CrossOver does. Rather than an actual Windows installation, CrossOver pretends to be Windows and allows Windows apps to run on a Mac, even without an actual Windows CD. Impersonator is the company's code name for version 10 of the app, which was just recently released. CodeWeavers' Jon Parshall told me the most recent trends in emulation are away from standard apps like Office software and games, and into more niche apps like specific business and industrial software. CrossOver's compatibility list is better than ever, and the new version introduces a feature called CrossTie. CrossTie will both install CrossOver and get it up and running with a specific app directly from one file downloaded from CodeWeavers' website. For example, if you want to play Battlefield Vietnam with CrossOver, you can download the CrossTie file, follow some easy instructions to create a "bottle," hook it up to the game, and you're good to go. I saw one run in action in the company's booth (while surrounded by celebrity impersonators -- the company was good at grabbing attention during the show). It seemed really simple to set up, though I didn't spend a lot of time checking out how it ran. CrossOver has 8200 apps listed for compatibility, and there are about four to five hundred CrossTie files available, with more coming all the time.
Alphyn Industry jackets play iPad close to the chest, stick smartphones on your wrist
When startup Alphyn Industries speaks of jacketing an Apple iPad, the company means it in a literal sense -- this PADX-1 Ledge is a form-fitting polyester and silicone pullover with a zippered shelf to both protect your slate and offer easy access. Twin straps hold up the slate in a work-friendly position, connected to load-bearing straps built into the jacket that fully distribute the weight -- a technique founder Ben Raviv learned as a ballistics specialist for defense equipment provider HighCom Security. At $285, it's certainly an investment, but we found the garb both comfortable and quite warm when we donned it today at Macworld 2011, and though the close proximity of the screen to our chest didn't make for easy typing, it's more useful than other products we could name. %Gallery-115259% Alphyn's also got a second $285 jacket, the SOMA-1, which also quite literally sticks an iPhone or iPod touch up your sleeve. We weren't able to wear this one, but we admired the design, with a zippered channel that runs all the way up one arm to connect and store earbuds and a thick transparent film for wrist-mounted use. You'll find the PADX-1 available right now, and the SOMA-1 up for pre-order at Alphyn's website. PR after the break.
Elgato and OWC hawk upgraded Mac Mini HTPC bundles: Blu-ray burner, 12TB, TV tuner
Simmer down, son -- neither Elgato nor Other World Computing are actually shoving 12TB of hard drive space within a 2010 Mac Mini, but if you order one of their new bundles, you'll definitely end up with as much. OWC is now selling pre-pimped Mac Mini machines, complete with bolstered storage options, an internal Blu-ray burner, Elgato's EyeTV Hybrid tuner (or HD DVR), more RAM than usual and an Apple Remote. The company plans to offer both the 2.4GHz and 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo systems, and it swears up and down that the machine will arrive preconfigured and ready to rock your home theater. The addition of a Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 4-bay storage solution enables you to keep even a vast library of digital content nearby, but there's no telling how much the outfit will charge for such a luxury. Hit the source link if you're scrounging for details, but don't expect pricing or an order button just yet. Update: So, it seems that OWC isn't actually selling new Mac Minis itself, but will upgrade your own if you send it in. We'd like to take this opportunity to now recommend that OWC actually sell upgraded Mac Minis itself.
Navigon rolls out iPhone Car Kit for $50
The turn-by-turn navigation specialists at Navigon are pairing up their MobileNavigator iPhone app with an official Car Kit today, debuting at MacWorld out in San Francisco. As you might expect, said kit includes the usual array of car-mount necessities -- a USB car charger, an Apple-approved 5-foot iPhone cable, and the suction-style mount itself, which the company describes as "a stylish example of German tech design" featuring a "barely there look" that won't detract from your car's sumptuous, indulgent interior. The Kit is available now for $49.99 -- $44.99 through February 3rd. Follow the break for the full press release.
Get ready for Macworld and save on Expo passes or conference registration with TUAW
As we've done for a few years now, TUAW will be in force at Macworld. And as we did last year, we'll have a booth on the show floor. Stop by booth #1012 and say hello, because we'll be livestreaming from the show during the three-day exposition. This year we're doing something special for our readers, and with the help of IDG we're offering a $15 Expo-only pass or 10% off the price of the conference registration. Just follow this link to register, and you're set! What are you looking forward to at Macworld 2011? Let us know in the comments below.
MacTech Boot Camp gives Mac mavens pre-Macworld day of workshops
Hopefully, if you're headed out to Macworld Expo next year, you've already made some hotel and air travel plans, as reservations in San Francisco are already filling up if not filled up completely. But just in case you're still planning out the trip, make sure to try and include an extra day at the beginning. MacTech is going to be hosting a one-day boot camp for Mac folks who support the home, SOHO, and SMB (small to medium business) users. I just attended the MacTech conference a few weeks ago here in LA, and while it was definitely centered around the IT and developer side of things (or at least people who want to know more about those fields), it was also an excellent networking opportunity, offering up lots of contact with all kinds of the best folks in the industry. The Boot Camp is taking place January 26, 2011, the day before Macworld, in San Francisco. It includes a networking lunch, along with sessions on all kinds of topics. It's probably not for everybody, but if you have an interest in the subjects covered, it'll be a really nice way to start Macworld week off right. Just be sure to get those reservations in soon -- you'll need your hotel and air covered ASAP, obviously, and reserving for the boot camp by December 15th will save you $200 (registration will be $295 instead of $495). If you're going, we'll be sure to see you there.
Why wait? Register for free for Macworld Expo 2011 today!
Readers of TUAW know that we all enjoyed this year's Macworld Expo a great deal, and that we were able to talk to hundreds of vendors and Apple fans during the week that our team was on site. Many of you chose to join in virtually through our frequent livecasts and videos during and after the show. During Macworld 2010, IDG World Expo announced that next year's event is planned for January 27 - 29, 2011 at Moscone Center West in San Francisco, and today they surprised us all by announcing a one-week free registration window for the show. They're giving away free expo passes (no admittance to conference sessions or special events) for the next week. All you need to do for your free pass is to click here and fill in the requested information on the form. We want to see you in San Francisco next January, so take advantage of this great offer today.
