As Sent!

Its been a few days after a crazy Macworld: a period of frantic running from one booth to another meeting hall to a late night tweetup. I’m fully relaxed now, so let me share with you the loot I came out with from the event. I’m only going to list the stuff I actually paid for, not the shwag which I eventually left the most of in my hotel room.

First, the Apple products. The only hardware item that was announce was the 17” Macbook Pro:

I admit that I’m a 15” Macbook / MB Air user so this product isn’t for me, but a member of my family would want to replace an earlier 17” with this monster. There was a lot of talk about Apples controversial decision to integrate the battery into this computer and I can’t wait to test Apple claim of 8 hours per charge.

The only Apple announcement that has been released is iWork. I just installed it this evening, and I’m warming up to it.

I’m truly excited about iLife, and especially iPhoto: as an environmental field worker, I find the geotagging feature by itself worthy of the upgrade..

And now for some other, non-Apple, products:

Since I mentioned Geotagging, the requirement of which is a GPS ready camera. Currently I use the Nikon Coolpix P6000, which happens to be the only major camera release with an integrated GPS. But what about other cameras, both Point-and-shoot or DSLRs?

For awhile I used software from Houdah software, which released version 2.0 of HoudaGeo, a free upgrade to current users of the software. What the package does is simply to chronologically splice GPS tracks to digital pictures.

Going a step further, adding GPS functionality to a DSLR to allow for the automatic geocoding requires some like the Nikon GP-1 unit. This device was announced sometime ago, and even at the Nikon booth at Macworld the attendants were not aware of its immediate availability or price. Luckily, Samy’s Camera offered it on a special sale price of $189.00 (down from $240) in their own booth. They sold out of the item quickly, so my own device will be shipped sometime later this week.

For years I’ve been considering getting an IntelliScanner for home organization, so this time I decided to get the Mini version with loads of bar code strips:

The lady who processed my order was the developers mother, and she commented that he started the company some 11 years ago at the tender age of 13, and now he want to retire!

And finally, this little beauty:

Yes, thats an HP next to a PC notebook. The HP MediaSmart Server works with both Macs and PCs, works with Time Machine and it allows for future hard drive expansions. The only caveat: it won’t be available for the international market until sometime later this year. There are rumors Apple is working on a Time Capsule-on-steroids-with-bells-and-whistles, and with this baby out they should bring it out sooner rather than later.

Thank you aljawad!

(Photos courtesy of our forum member “aljawad”) 

Our forum member and great contributor aljawad has posted exclusive pictures of the modbook and the Woz! Check them out at our forum here
Also make sure to join so we can read your comments!
Thanks again aljawad!

(Photo courtesy of our forum member aljawad)

Apple Just posted the video stream of the Keynote it held yesterday at Macworld 2009 SF.

You can watch the Video stream from apple site (Here)

UPDATE: 

You can also download the Keynote Via iTunes (Here) 

Our forum Member “aljawad” posted some insite pictures of that event on the forum that can be viewd (Here)

Okay.. Let’s put those rumors to sleep and see what apple has up its sleeves ! . We have a Live video channel update from the folks at tDL below where you can follow the announcements as they happen. In addition, we have a Live Chat Room with (webChattr) where you can chat with other Mac Fans all over the world to talk about the latest announcements . Not to mention that we will post up All Major announcements on the site as well.

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UPDATE :

Our Form member “aljawad” just posted his first set of pictures from the Keynote (HERE)

He also posted

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LIVE VIDEO From tDL : ( LIVE FEED ENDED )

(Photos Courtesy of our forum member “aljawad” )

Update!
New iLife 09 Coming out late January.
New iWork 09 available today.
Leopard + iLife + iWork Package also available for $169
New App for iPhone and iTouch to control your keynote presentation that works over Wifi.

iWork.com Beta To be released
New Macbook Pro 17″ with 8 hours battery life, Unibody design, Faster C2D Processor available late January for $2799
iTunes Music is DRM-Free starting today and you can download music over 3G on your iPhone.

Thats it! We will be providing an analysis of MacWorld 09 keynote Later and also stay tuned for more photos and tidbits from our forum member and great contributor aljawad!

Night! Power_boz, and G-Funk!

Each year, before every Macworld, rumors start to fly here, there and everywhere, all about what apple would bring out, new devices, software and all that hype we mac geeks drool for. we’ve managed to summer them in this post.

New iMac and Mac Mini – NVIDIA Based

While there has been talk about these updates for months, the most convincing evidence actually came from Apple themselves. The latest versions of Mac OS X were found to include references to NVIDIA-based iMacs and Mac minis. The NVIDIA chipsets were just introduced into Apple’s notebook line and promise faster graphics hardware for these new models.

17″ MacBook Pro – Fixed Battery

New reports released in the past few days have revealed that Apple will be releasing the new 17″ MacBook Pro as early as Macworld. Aside from adopting the NVIDIA chipset and aluminum unibody design, the most notable change that was first reported by 9to5Mac is the elimination of a removable battery. Instead, Apple is said to have chosen a slimmer but longer-lasting battery that is not replaceable, as in the MacBook Air.

iLife ‘09. iWork ‘09 – The Cloud

9to5Mac indicate that Apple is going to make a major effort to turn portions of their iLife and iWork products into Internet services. This would allow some or all of iWork and iMovie to be accessed from your web browser and possibly your iPhone. Critics of the move, however, point to the problematic launch of Apple’s MobileMe web-services.

iPhone and iPhone Nano

We’ve reported earlier about it and also posted photos of cases after both XSKN and Vajacases posted teasers and case designs on their sites about a new iPhone Nano. This fact by itself may not have generated so much interest, but both sites also provided links and photos to iPhone 3G cases in May before its release.

Cinema Displays / Mac Pros / Home Media Server

Despite an early rumor that we might see new LED Cinema displays at Macworld 2009, there has been no other confirmation. While it seems obvious that Apple will be moving towards LED across all their displays, no one seems to have heard if Tuesday will be the day. Desktop customers may have to wait a little longer. Mac Pro-suitable processors will be released in the first quarter of 2009 but may not be available in time for a Tuesday release.

Snow Leopard

Probably the most anticipated rumor of all, everyone is waiting for Phil Schiller to take the stage and show the new features of the next Mac OSX release (Code Name Snow Leopard) .

Though some other rumors are all other the net and mac sites, but only time would tell which would come true. We’ll all know what apple has up it’s sleeves tomorrow.

Join us for a Live coverage of the event Jan 6th @8PM (Kuwait Time).

( Photo courtesy of our forum member “aljawad” )

9to5mac reporting that apple will announce a New 17″ MacBook Pro going to carry the same (Unibody) design as the MacBook Pro 15″ and the MacBook released october of last year. In addition, they are also reporting that the battery will not be removable, just like the MacBook Air, iPhone/ iPod Touch. 

Only after the Keynote that we’ll know for sure what will be unveiled, so stay tuned in Jan 6th @ 8PM (Kuwait Time) 

Source : 9to5mac.com

Few days separates us from the Final Apple appearance in Macworld SF 2009, speculators are expecting Apple to some BiG announcements from Steve’s company, though the Mac God is not presenting the Keynote, We are still can’t wait to see what apple has up it’s sleeves.

Rumors spread all over the web, (new Mac Mini’s, New iPhone Nano, New iMac’s, Enhancements to MobileMe .. Etc) , all of which awaiting to be true. Only time would tell, and only Apple Knows.

Be on the lookout for the usual coverage of the event as it happens Jan 6th 8PM Kuwait Time.

(Photo courtesy of our forum member aljawad)

aljawad Reporting!
Hopefully this will be the first of a series of reports from San Francisco and Macworld ‘09. I’ve included a picture of the banners that are spreading all over the city, but the interesting observation of the day is what appears to be a banner being prepared at the Moscone (South) center. Now this could be nothing more than a banner for Macworld ‘09, but last year the same spot had the “Something in the Air” teaser that heralded the introduction of the Macbook Air. Now some of those with access to the interior of the center have reported huge banners covered in black.

UPDATE:

More Live reports from our forum member “aljawad” (Here) , (Here), and (Here” Visiting the apple Campus” )

“iPhone Nano” is the rumor that is going take the spotlight ahead of this year’s Macworld.

Macrumors posts “what suppose to be” a mock up photo of the expected phone,  from the photo it looks like its close to reality, In the mean time,  The site also posts a screen shot from iPhone case manufacturer XSKN who’s manufactoring cases for the expected device and lists the new phone under the “iPhone” category .

Few days left till MacWorld, we’ll have to wait and see if this rumor is true… What do you think ?

Source : Macrumors

Apple has announced that Steve Jobs will not deliver the opening keynote presentation at the upcoming Macworld Expo in San Francisco on January 6th, 2009. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will take the stage in Jobs’ place. In addition, Apple announced that this is the final year in which Apple will exhibit at the Macworld Expo, pointing to the decreasing relevance of trade shows as Apple has expanded its direct contact with customers via retail stores and the company’s website.

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.

 

Source : Apple

Wired claims that Apple will be launching a new version of its Mac mini computer at Macworld Expo San Francisco in January.

Wired cites an Apple corporate employee as the source who could only confirm a release date at Macworld Expo. The Mac mini has been long overdue for updates leading many to assume that it had been abandoned by Apple. Recent reports have indeed suggested that a Mac mini update is imminent.

The author speculates the new Mac mini will adopt many of the recent physical and environmental improvements in physical design as well as include the newly introduced mini Display Port.

Source : Wired