Photos from AppleInsider

While we were initially disappointed by the lack of an Apple teaser banner at Macworld Expo, it appears Moscone is littered with banners that are covered behind white tarps. These banners will presumably be revealed after Apple delivers their keynote address. Phil Schiller will be delivering the keynote address on Tuesday, January 6th at 9 a.m. Pacific.

AppleInsider was able to get a number of photos of the covered banners as well as a true “spy shot” of the keynote rehearsal:

Quote:

We snapped a photo of the rehearsal live feed through the open door in Mira’s mobile unit. The individual on stage wasn’t Schiller, and actually looked more like Al Gore or Intel chief Paul Otellini. Probably just a random tech guy…

Macworld kicks off next week. First time attendees may find useful information at Macworldbound.com. MacRumors will provide live keynote coverage as well as ongoing floor coverage throughout the week.

Article Link: Macworld: White Covered Banners, Keynote Rehearsal Spy Shot

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iPhone snap of a Macworld banner by Steve Rhodes (CC licensed). Here’s some useful links for this week’s Macworld: iMacworld iPhone app — IDG has a handy-looking show guide for the iPhone (I haven’t tried it yet). The app, iMacworld, includes exhibitors, products and conference sessions. You can download the application here. Hess Memorial Events List — The [...]

iPhone snap of a Macworld banner by Steve Rhodes (CC licensed).

Here’s some useful links for this week’s Macworld:

iMacworld iPhone app — IDG has a handy-looking show guide for the iPhone (I haven’t tried it yet). The app, iMacworld, includes exhibitors, products and conference sessions. You can download the application here.

Hess Memorial Events List — The Hess Memorial Events List (named after the late MacWeek editor Robert Hess and maintained by Ilene Hoffman) is probably the most comprehensive list of happenings, but unfortunately isn’t in a calendar friendly format.

#Macworld and MWSF 09 on Twitter — The Twitter hashtag for this year’s Macworld is a battle between #Macworld and #mwsf09. Try also Macworld

Macworld on FriendFeed

Macworld on Upcoming.org

Macworld on SocialCalendario

Macworld 2009 on Flickr

Several links via Macworldbound.com — “The Definitive Guide to Macworld for First-timers.”

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Add a new layer of creativity to the things you can do with your iPhone and your photos - with iSteam, a cool new app from UK developer consortium, Great Apps. iSteam uses features of the iPhone and iPod Touch including the accelerometer, multitouch, microphone and speakers to turn the touch screen into something resembling [...]

Add a new layer of creativity to the things you can do with your iPhone and your photos - with iSteam, a cool new app from UK developer consortium, Great Apps. iSteam uses features of the iPhone and iPod Touch including the accelerometer, multitouch, microphone and speakers to turn the touch screen into something resembling your bathrooom mirror after a hot shower, or a window on a winter day.

Blow on the microphone to “fog up” the surface of the phone (iPod Touch users need an external mic) and use your fingers to write messages and draw, just like you would on a steamy window. Realistic water droplets form on the image and leave trail marks that can be manipulated by tilting the device; shake it up to clear the screen and start over. iSteam even has finger squeaking sounds included.

Images can be saved to the Camera Roll using the screen capture method (hold the Home key & press the lock button) or emailed to iPhone and iPod Touch owning contacts directly from iSteam.

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Apple has released a new version of its work suit, iWork ‘09. As well as major features being added, a big cloud computing push is being made by Apple to bring collaboration and working online to the forefront. Following up Seth Weintraub’s reports, our sources had explained that Apple was going to be making a big [...]

Apple has released a new version of its work suit, iWork ‘09. As well as major features being added, a big cloud computing push is being made by Apple to bring collaboration and working online to the forefront.

Following up Seth Weintraub’s reports, our sources had explained that Apple was going to be making a big cloud computing push with iWork ‘09. They were very accurate with Apple’s intentions and also with how Apple would present the new services, which are being offered free, in beta.

Apple’s Press Release: Apple® today introduced iWork® ’09, the latest version of Apple’s popular office productivity suite, which adds powerful new features without sacrificing Apple’s legendary ease of use. Keynote® ’09 introduces advanced object transitions, which automatically animate objects with a choice of effects and Magic Move, an innovative way to create sophisticated animations just by applying a simple transition. Pages® ’09 features a new Full Screen view that helps you focus on your writing and an outline mode to organize your thoughts. Numbers® ’09 introduces a quick way to group and summarize data and a dramatically simplified way to create complex formulas. Apple also announced iWork.com public beta, a new service Apple is developing to share iWork ’09 documents online.

iWork.com public beta, a new service Apple is developing to share iWork ’09 documents online. Using your Apple ID, just click the iWork.com icon in the Keynote, Pages or Numbers toolbar to upload your document and invite others to view it online. Viewers can provide comments and notes, and download a copy of your document in iWork, Microsoft Office or PDF formats. A consolidated online list of all your shared documents indicates when your viewers have posted comments.

The new suite of applications and online services are being made available today, and can be found at the Apple Store online.

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Apple has today released an updated version of their iLife suite of applications now titled iLife ‘09 that feature updates to iPhoto, iMovie, GrageBand and now include iDVD, and updated version of iWeb. iPhoto ‘09 iPhoto ’09 makes it even easier to browse and search photos, not only by when they were shot (Events), but [...]

Apple has today released an updated version of their iLife suite of applications now titled iLife ‘09 that feature updates to iPhoto, iMovie, GrageBand and now include iDVD, and updated version of iWeb.

iPhoto ‘09
iPhoto ’09 makes it even easier to browse and search photos, not only by when they were shot (Events), but by who appears in them (Faces) and where they were taken (Places). iPhoto automatically scans photos to detect people’s faces and when you assign a name to any face iPhoto will automatically find more pictures of that person. The library can be searched by name or browsed using the new Faces View. Places automatically imports photo location data from a GPS-enabled camera or any iPhone™ or you can manually assign a location to any photo, group of photos or event. Once iPhoto knows where photos were taken, you can easily explore them with a simple search or an interactive map. iPhoto ’09 lets you easily publish photos to Facebook or Flickr. Photos published to Facebook include assigned names, and name tags added on Facebook sync back to iPhoto. You can also share photos by creating a themed slideshow to play on your Mac, iPhone or iPod®, or create a beautiful travel book, complete with customized maps of your journey.

iMovie ‘09
iMovie ’09 adds powerful, yet easy-to-use new features to let you create a movie quickly, or add refinements and special effects to your project if you have more time. Drag and drop one clip on top of another to reveal new advanced editing options, including replace, insert, audio only, and even picture-in-picture or green screen. With the revolutionary Precision Editor, you can skim and click on a magnified filmstrip to view clips up close and fine tune any edit, like identifying precisely how much to keep, where to cut, use sound from one clip with video from another and more. iMovie ’09 analyzes video and reduces camera shake in clips when added to your project. New titles, transitions, cinematic effects, speed changes and animated travel maps add professional polish to your movie.

GarageBand ‘09
GarageBand ’09, the updated version of Apple’s popular software used by millions to play and record music, now gives budding musicians a fun new way to learn to play piano and guitar. Basic Lessons let you learn the fundamentals at your own pace with Apple instructors in beautiful HD video synchronized to animated instruments and notation. Artist Lessons feature original artists showing how to play their hit songs with everything from finger positions and techniques to the story behind the song. Choose from lessons by popular artists including: Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat, John Fogerty, Ben Folds, Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and Sting. Artist Lessons are sold separately at the new GarageBand Lesson Store, available inside the GarageBand ’09 application. GarageBand ’09 also includes exciting new guitar amp and stomp-box effects, and Magic GarageBand Jam that lets you play along with a virtual band that you create.

iDVD ‘09
iLife ’09 includes iWeb ’09 for authoring custom websites and iDVD ’09 for creating DVDs. iWeb ’09 adds new iWeb Widgets, such as iSight® video and photos, a countdown timer, YouTube video and RSS feeds. New integrated FTP publishing allows you to publish your website to virtually any hosting service and updates to your site can now be automatically added to your Facebook profile.

Pricing and Availability
iLife ’09 will be available this month for a suggested retail price of $79 (US) through the Apple Store®, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The iLife Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after January 6, 2009 for a shipping and handling fee of $9.95 (US). Artist Lessons are available through the GarageBand Lesson Store for $4.99 (US) each.

See Apple Press Release

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Apple announced a new 17″ MacBook Pro which will be available in late January. Utilizing the same unibody construction as the 15″ MacBook Pro and 13″ MacBook, the 17″ MacBook Pro will be available in a single alterable configuration for $2799 including the following:

- Three USB ports
- Mini DisplayPort
- Firewire 800 (no 400)
- Digital audio in/out
- Expresscard
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Magsafe
- $50 anti-glare option available

Like the 15″ MacBook Pro, the notebook includes both 9400M and 9600M graphic and a glass button-less trackpad. 320GB HDD standard with a 256GB SSD upgrade available. RAM can be upgraded to 8GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory.

True to rumors, the new MacBook Pro has a longer-lasting battery which will run for up to 8 hours, but is now non-removable. Apple claims the battery can take up to 1000 charges and will run up to 5 years. Apple is also offering a take-back and recycling program if you need to replace the battery.

Article Link: Apple Releases Aluminum Unibody 17″ MacBook Pro

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Addressing CEO Steve Jobs’ absence from this year’s Macworld Conference and Expo, Apple and the company’s board of directors have issued a pair of statements. Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs: Dear Apple Community, For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld [...]

Addressing CEO Steve Jobs’ absence from this year’s Macworld Conference and Expo, Apple and the company’s board of directors have issued a pair of statements.

Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs:

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

Statement by Apple’s Board of Directors

It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world.

As we have said before, if there ever comes a day when Steve wants to retire or for other reasons cannot continue to fulfill his duties as Apple’s CEO, you will know it.

Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation. He most certainly has that from Apple and its Board.

Both official statements can be found in the PR section of Apple’s website here and here.

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PC Perspective’s Ryan Shrout has released some information regarding a few upcoming products we may see at Macworld this week. While most of the information corroborates with what we’ve heard, new specs regarding a 28″ iMac and new Mac Pros have popped up as well. The report claims that Apple’s new iMacs should be making an [...]

PC Perspective’s Ryan Shrout has released some information regarding a few upcoming products we may see at Macworld this week. While most of the information corroborates with what we’ve heard, new specs regarding a 28″ iMac and new Mac Pros have popped up as well.

The report claims that Apple’s new iMacs should be making an appearance soon, most likely at Macworld, along with the widely anticipated Mac Minis. However, the 28″ iMac, along with supposedly new Mac Pros will begin shipping in February. Still though, Shrout believes Apple may announce these new machines at Macworld with a delayed shipping date.

Shout explains: The above five products (four iMacs and one Mac Mini) I feel nearly 100% confident are correct for tomorrow’s MacWorld Expo. There are some other parts that I have seen information on but haven’t seen creep up into the world of rumors quite yet. The most exciting of which is the possibility of a new 28″ iMac! Besides the much larger form factor and increased screen real estate, the hardware inside such a machine looks to be much different than the 20″/24″ iMacs; instead of using Intel’s Core 2 line of processors with the NVIDIA MC79 chipset these new computers are likely to use the new Intel Core i7 processor along with the Tylersburg chipset and platform.

Of the new iMacs expected, Apple Insider explains:

Instead of using the 9400M as its foundation, the system would use Intel’s X58 chipset and a processor using the Core i7 (previously codenamed Nehalem) architecture. As a result, it would not only include the four cores thought to be present in the upcoming Core 2-based iMac updates but would gain HyperThreading support that at times mimics the behavior of an eight-core system. NVIDIA at most would be used for dedicated graphics in the all-in-one computer.

Back in November, reports indicated that Intel leaks pointed to Mac Pro updates early in 2009, so the timing is naturally expected. The Mac Pro hasn’t been updated since January 2008, so some attention is due. In regards to Macworld, Our Rumor Roundup covers nearly everything that’s rumored for the week.

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We got to spend some hands on time with the new unibody 17″ Macbook Pro. Our first impressions are great, but there still may be a dealbreaker thrown into the mix for some. The new 17″ Macbook Pro is extremely sturdy. Just like its little brothers, the machine is smooth and feels precision perfect nearly all [...]

We got to spend some hands on time with the new unibody 17″ Macbook Pro. Our first impressions are great, but there still may be a dealbreaker thrown into the mix for some.

The new 17″ Macbook Pro is extremely sturdy. Just like its little brothers, the machine is smooth and feels precision perfect nearly all the way around. The body is seamless and the screen is big and bold. However, Apple decided to include a non-replaceable battery. They claim the battery will get nearly eight hours of solid runtime, and charge roughly 1,000 times for a five year lifespan.

As you can see, the bottom of the notebook is completely seamless which means you cannot swap the battery out. Many people travel with two laptop batteries and when one dies out, they have a backup. With Apple’s new 17″ Macbook Pro, that is not possible. Interestingly, Apple focused a lot of efforts on making the battery even easier to replace on the 15″ Macbook Pro.

When comparing the 15″ and the 17″ side by side, the size difference becomes dramatically noticeable. The thinness and weight of the machine is still really attractive, and the screen real estate is exactly what a lot of people have been waiting for, only with the new body style.

Overall, this machine is a beast. It’s capable of up to 8GB of Ram, and mobile power was clearly at the forefront for Apple when designing this notebook. The addition of a $50 anti-glare option for potential owners takes away what may have been a dealbreaker for many (glossy screen), but the embedded battery might make you think twice as hard before making the purchase.

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This year’s Macworld Conference and Expo will be Apple’s last year in attendance. Even though CEO Steve Jobs won’t be giving the keynote, excitement is still going strong, and there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of rumors either. (Here’s a recap that we’ll continuously update prior to the event)

New iMacs

READ ? Back in October there were claims that Apple’s all-in-one iMac would be getting a speedbump prior to the holidays which turned out to be incorrect. Still, an iMac refresh or speedbump is expected. Digitimes, which has become a fairly accurate source of information lately, has reported that new iMacs are expected in January. Whether they show up Macworld or not, is still unconfirmed.

A Strong Cloud-Computing Push

READ ? 9to5 perhaps brings the most solid track record to this year’s rumor roundup. They’ve kicked things off with some rumored updates to iWork and iLife. Apple may be taking a portion of these applications to the cloud, integrating deeply with Mobile Me and diversifying the offerings they have in the web-app space. Speculation has grown prior to the event, as people are unsure how Apple’s stability in this space has been measured after last summer’s shaky Mobile Me launch. Interestingly, MacBlogz has been able to confirm the information along with some pricing info, and an overall perspective on how Apple may present the new information. It’s also important to note that Phil Schiller debuted Apple’s latest foray into cloud computing, Mobile Me.

32GB iPhone

READ ? Back in early November, MacBlogz received an anonymous tip pointing to a 32GB iPhone to be released in January. “That rumored red iPhone… It’s not happening. The only iPhone news I know for certain is that it’s getting bumped to 32GB in January,” the tipster explained. The 32GB iPhone rumors have been around for a while. Information surrounding Apple’s aggressive hoarding of NAND flash also lends itself to the release of higher capacity handhelds. Recently, all iPhone retailers have been making more aggressive plays at cheaper pricing, but it remains Apple’s jobs to innovate the device itself. Additionally, MacRumors clarifies a few points regarding this information and what is technically available.

Snow Leopard

READ ? Many believe that Apple will at least show off a demo of Snow Leopard next week. MacRumors was first to make public a slide from Apple’s Director of Engineering of Unix Technologies Jordan Hubbard presentation. The slide explains that Snow Leopard is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2009. A Macworld release date might be premature, however a demo is entirely possible. Website TheGaurdian.co.uk also expects Phil Schiller to demo Snow Leopard at Macworld.

Mac Mini

READ ? Wired kicked things off regarding the Mac mini. Being a credible source themselves, they explained that a trusted person told them about the Mac mini and that is “a lock.” They expect Apple to unveil the Mac mini and kick-off Macworld with the announcement. Additionally, Apple Insider reports that the upcoming Mac mini will get dual display support, while Ars Technica leaves that confirmation up in the air. TUAW explained what they thought were upcoming design changes for the Mac mini, but the information doesn’t seem very concrete, as a contradicting report points out.

17″ Macbook Pro

READ ? Even though Apple left out the 17″ Macbook Pro from the latest round of notebook refreshes, it is still believed to be receiving the same unibody enclosure as its little brother. One report came in pointing out that quad core chips were ready and priced accordingly for this update. Apple Insider thinks that a delay was affecting the release of the notebooks, however Apple may have been waiting for additional internals in order to separate the 17″ Pro models from the rest of the line. Additionally, 9to5Mac has released some interesting information. According to their sources, the 17″ Macbook Pro will indeed be unveiled during Macworld, and it will have an interesting new twist surrounding the battery. They explain that Apple may have changed the Macbook Pro’s design to include a built-in, non-user replaceable battery. “The news is that Apple is making a super slim battery pack for the 17 inch MacBook Pros that will last much longer than current models,” Seth Weintraub explains. MacRumors has also heard whispers confirming the new battery.

MacBlogz will be at Macworld this year providing lots of exclusive coverage of the entire event. If there’s anything you would like us to cover at any point during Macworld, drop us line and let us know… We’ll check it out and get it up. As for live-blogging, we’ll point you to some of our friends that have cooked up some custom live-blogging solutions for the keynote.

Disney Artist Doodles with iPhone

Disney art director Stéphane Kardos has created a fascinating series of quick sketches with his iPhone using the Brushes app, most of them with a slightly gritty urban feel miles away from Magic Kingdom style. You can check more out on flickr where he intros the iPhone sketches by saying that they were done in [...]

Disney art director Stéphane Kardos has created a fascinating series of quick sketches with his iPhone using the Brushes app, most of them with a slightly gritty urban feel miles away from Magic Kingdom style.

You can check more out on flickr where he intros the iPhone sketches by saying that they were done in five or ten minutes, less for the sunset ones.

As we reported before, iPhone art even if not yet ready for art galleries looks like it may be moving in that direction.

Via cyanatrendland

Picasa for Mac and FileMaker Pro 10 Released
I just saw this for those interested http://picasa.google.com/mac/ I am so happy now!

Paper Football Comes to iPhone, iPod Touch

Just in time for the NFL playoffs, you can relive the glory days of your youth (applies predominately to American males of a certain age; your mileage may vary) with a free PaperFootball game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Just like you did on school cafeteria tables back in the day, use touchscreen swipe gestures [...]

Just in time for the NFL playoffs, you can relive the glory days of your youth (applies predominately to American males of a certain age; your mileage may vary) with a free PaperFootball game for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Just like you did on school cafeteria tables back in the day, use touchscreen swipe gestures to try and get a triangular “paper football” to hang over the edge of the table and even “kick” for extra points. Play against your device or against a friend.

PaperFootball has pretty cool, colorful graphics and is certainly nothing more than a time waster, but in this reviewer’s humble opinion, it’s better than having your mobile device make farting sounds. And I mentioned it’s free, right?

Mac Mini to Launch at Macworld San Francisco?
Image: http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/mac-mini-to-launch-at-macworld-san-francisco/) TUAW believes (http://www.tuaw.com/2008/12/31/rumor-watch-new-mac-mini-go-for-launch/) that the Mac mini will indeed see an update at Macworld San Francisco next week. Rumors of a Mac mini update have been ongoing with most expectations pointing to Macworld. TUAW’s report is light on details but expects at least two major changes - The internal optical drive will be an SATA drive that can be swapped out with a second SATA hard drive - Design will change from the current white plastic to black plastic and aluminum. We also expect the new Mac minis to be based on the NVIDIA chipsets. This design change should guarantee the use of the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card at a minimum. This should improve the graphics capabilities of the mini significantly over the current design. Earlier this month, Wired also reported (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/15/new-mac-mini-at-macworld-san-francisco-2009/) that the new Mac mini would be released at Macworld. Article Link: Mac Mini to Launch at Macworld San Francisco? (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/mac-mini-to-launch-at-macworld-san-francisco/)

TUAW believes that the Mac mini will indeed see an update at Macworld San Francisco next week. Rumors of a Mac mini update have been ongoing with most expectations pointing to Macworld.

TUAW’s report is light on details but expects at least two major changes

- The internal optical drive will be an SATA drive that can be swapped out with a second SATA hard drive
- Design will change from the current white plastic to black plastic and aluminum.

We also expect the new Mac minis to be based on the NVIDIA chipsets. This design change should guarantee the use of the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card at a minimum. This should improve the graphics capabilities of the mini significantly over the current design.

Earlier this month, Wired also reported that the new Mac mini would be released at Macworld.

Article Link: Mac Mini to Launch at Macworld San Francisco?

Don’t forget to download your free New Years Blowout Horn and 2009 Countdown app Wednesday (if you haven’t already got this little NYE party favor). Blow into your iPhone’s mic, Ocarina-style, and hear the party horn. See the horn unravel on the touchscreen. Play Auld Lang Syne by pressing the i button. Comes complete with [...]

Don’t forget to download your free New Years Blowout Horn and 2009 Countdown app Wednesday (if you haven’t already got this little NYE party favor).

Blow into your iPhone’s mic, Ocarina-style, and hear the party horn. See the horn unravel on the touchscreen. Play Auld Lang Syne by pressing the i button. Comes complete with a countdown timer.

What will they think of next?

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Ars Technica has posted what looks like an incredibly promising bit of bluetooth iPhone hackery, courtesy of iPhone expert Ralf Ackerman.

What separates this hack from a few keyboard hacks in the past, is that this is a completely internal solution. It shows promising support for what may be a convergence of technologies used for general mobile computing.

“For the external approach, Ackermann modified a Robotech Bluetooth module, which he placed in an iPhone battery sleeve and connected to the iPhone (serial) connector port at the bottom of the unit. This allowed the the phone to communicate directly with the the module using the Bluetooth serial port profile,” Erica Sadun notes for Ars Technica.

The report goes onto explain that without Jay “saurik” Freeman’s Veency application, none of this would be possible. “Ackermann used a tiny libvncclient to generate keyboard events, which were then passed to Veency. Veency then provided the keyboard event injection using the iPhone’s private Graphics Services framework.”

Promising to say the least… Imagine an iPhone with a simple bluetooth keyboard connected to it, coupled with some recent tv-out discoveries and the device could turn into a truly mobile computer. Check out the full report over at Ars or follow Ackerman’s progress on his site as well.

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Image: http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/04/macworld-san-francisco-2009-rumor-roundup/) With Macworld San Francisco 2009 (MWSF) beginning next week, MacRumors provides this Rumor Roundup as a summary of major rumors circulating around the Mac Web before the event. The biggest news about Macworld came early when Apple announced (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/16/apple-jobs-will-not-present-at-apples-final-macworld-keynote/) that Steve Jobs would not be delivering the 2009 keynote address nor will Apple be participating in future Macworld events. While Apple’s official reason for the withdrawal was that trade shows are becoming less important, some believe that Apple simply wanted more control of their own release timetable rather than being dependent on this yearly event. Of course, health questions about Steve Jobs were again raised as another possible reason. While this rumor season started off slowly, the past few weeks have raised some interesting possibilities. Full Article Link: Macworld San Francisco 2009 Rumor Roundup (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/04/macworld-san-francisco-2009-rumor-roundup/)

With Macworld San Francisco 2009 (MWSF) beginning next week, MacRumors provides this Rumor Roundup as a summary of major rumors circulating around the Mac Web before the event.

The biggest news about Macworld came early when Apple announced that Steve Jobs would not be delivering the 2009 keynote address nor will Apple be participating in future Macworld events. While Apple’s official reason for the withdrawal was that trade shows are becoming less important, some believe that Apple simply wanted more control of their own release timetable rather than being dependent on this yearly event. Of course, health questions about Steve Jobs were again raised as another possible reason.

While this rumor season started off slowly, the past few weeks have raised some interesting possibilities.

Full Article Link: Macworld San Francisco 2009 Rumor Roundup

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“Dear Apple Community,” → Dear asshole bloggers, “For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote. “Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me [...]

“Dear Apple Community,”

→ Dear asshole bloggers,

“For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

“Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.”

→ You journalists are assholes too.

“I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.”

→ I want all of you to SHUT THE HELL UP.

“As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.”

→ None of this would have been an issue if you idiots hadn’t made it into one. But you did, and the share price tanked, and now I’m getting hassled about it from all sides. And I’m not even that sick, dammit.

“Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.”

→ I said I’M NOT EVEN THAT SICK. Do you people even listen to a word I say? I swear, sometimes this Reality Distortion Field is more hassle than it’s worth.

“The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.”

→ I. AM. STILL. IN. CHARGE.

“I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO.”

→ When I’m dying, I’ll let you know.

“I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.”

→ This is my company, I’ll do it MY WAY.

“So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.”

→ Bloggers and journalists: go screw yourselves. When you’re right, you’re obnoxious. But you’re always wrong. Apple customers: listen to what Phil says tomorrow, then go buy more stuff from the Apple Stores we have lovingly created for you all over the world.

(Photo: CC license from whatcounts.)

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Rumors and Speculation As we approach the final days to Macworld 2009 there has been an influx of what we may expect to see at the event and into the new year. READ ? - The Next iPhone: 60GB, Physical Keyboard and a D-Pad (Concept) READ ? - Apple to Introduce Quad-Core 17 inch MacBook [...]

Rumors and Speculation

As we approach the final days to Macworld 2009 there has been an influx of what we may expect to see at the event and into the new year.

READ ? - The Next iPhone: 60GB, Physical Keyboard and a D-Pad (Concept)
READ ? - Apple to Introduce Quad-Core 17 inch MacBook Pro?
READ ? - Larger Apple Touch Device Rumored to Launch Fall ‘09
READ ? - Quanta Expected to Manufacture Apple Netbooks in 2009
READ ? - Apple to Announce Web-based iWork at Macworld?
READ ? - Apple’s New Cloud Offerings May Be (Mostly) Free

iPhone nano Continued

Rumors of an iPhone nano have been swarming the web over the past couple of weeks, and we took it upon ourselves to note the cons of such a device.

READ ? - 7 Reasons Why the iPhone nano Is a Bad Idea
READ ? - Case Company “Vaja” Lists iPhone nano Section in Website

Patents and Works in Progress

Apple has been hard at work on some interesting new product ideas.

READ ? - Apple Working on Home Media Server for Sharing Music, Movies and Photos
READ ? - Apple Working on Cold Weather Multi-touch Capable Gloves

Mobile Market

Intel has explained that the iPhone has had a momentous effect on the MID market and France has begun to sell the device free of a contract. A bluetooth keyboard hack shows some promise and official UI screenshots of the upcoming Nuvifone resemble an iPhone and Android mashup.

READ ? - Intel: MID Market Was Established by the iPhone, Continues to Grow
READ ? - Contract Free iPhones Sell for up to $1,263 in France
READ ? - iPhone Bluetooth Keyboard Hack Looks Very Promising
READ ? - Garmin Nuvifone UI: Looks Like iPhone/Android Spawn

One more link we couldn’t help but throw in here is a first hand account by former Apple employee Chuq von Rospach. It’s a great read from someone who spent 17 years behind the scenes.

READ ? - Enjoying the show, avoiding the flamethrower: life inside Apple

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Three men were charged with the murder of a store owner in Fairbanks, Alaska after buying an iPhone with the dead man’s credit cards. According to court documents, the three men, two of them in the military and one discharged a year ago, allegedly killed 62-year-old Daniel Frederick, owner of Blondie’s military surplus, to hinder a [...]

Three men were charged with the murder of a store owner in Fairbanks, Alaska after buying an iPhone with the dead man’s credit cards.

According to court documents, the three men, two of them in the military and one discharged a year ago, allegedly killed 62-year-old Daniel Frederick, owner of Blondie’s military surplus, to hinder a military investigation.

Police tracked them down after they bought an iPhone at an AT&T Store.

One of the men paid for the high-tech phone using one of Frederick’s cards, but he added the phone to his existing account with the company, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

It was the start of an electronics spending spree that included a computer and DVDs that court documents state totaled thousands of dollars.

Frederick’s body was later found in a wooded area. The 62-year-old man had been beaten and strangled.

Court papers say the men killed Frederick in what was described only as “a matter that military authorities were investigating.”

Via AP, News Miner

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Rumors and Speculation

As we approach the final days to Macworld 2009 there has been an influx of what we may expect to see at the event and into the new year.

READ ? - The Next iPhone: 60GB, Physical Keyboard and a D-Pad (Concept)
READ ? - Apple to Introduce Quad-Core 17 inch MacBook Pro?
READ ? - Larger Apple Touch Device Rumored to Launch Fall ‘09
READ ? - Quanta Expected to Manufacture Apple Netbooks in 2009
READ ? - Apple to Announce Web-based iWork at Macworld?
READ ? - Apple’s New Cloud Offerings May Be (Mostly) Free

iPhone nano Continued

Rumors of an iPhone nano have been swarming the web over the past couple of weeks, and we took it upon ourselves to note the cons of such a device.

READ ? - 7 Reasons Why the iPhone nano Is a Bad Idea
READ ? - Case Company “Vaja” Lists iPhone nano Section in Website

Patents and Works in Progress

Apple has been hard at work on some interesting new product ideas.

READ ? - Apple Working on Home Media Server for Sharing Music, Movies and Photos
READ ? - Apple Working on Cold Weather Multi-touch Capable Gloves

Mobile Market

Intel has explained that the iPhone has had a momentous effect on the MID market and France has begun to sell the device free of a contract. A bluetooth keyboard hack shows some promise and official UI screenshots of the upcoming Nuvifone resemble an iPhone and Android mashup.

READ ? - Intel: MID Market Was Established by the iPhone, Continues to Grow
READ ? - Contract Free iPhones Sell for up to $1,263 in France
READ ? - iPhone Bluetooth Keyboard Hack Looks Very Promising
READ ? - Garmin Nuvifone UI: Looks Like iPhone/Android Spawn

One more link we couldn’t help but throw in here is a first hand account by former Apple employee Chuq von Rospach. It’s a great read from someone who spent 17 years behind the scenes.

READ ? - Enjoying the show, avoiding the flamethrower: life inside Apple

Read the original post here:

Image: http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/iphone-nano-smaller-shuffle-and-cheaper-macbook-in-2009/) Craig Berger, an analyst with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co, reported today (http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200812311307DOWJONESDJONLINE000488_FORTUNE5.htm) that Apple is getting ready to introduce a “lower-cost version” of the iPhone. —Quote— “Some call this device the iPhone nano,” Berger wrote in a research note. ” Whatever one calls it, we believe this device is on its way.” —End Quote— Berger does not expect the product to be ready for a Macworld introduction. The basis for the information is based on “checks” with Apple suppliers. This report adds to a growing number of hints that Apple is preparing what many have labeled an iPhone “Nano” — a smaller, cheaper version of the current iPhone. Meanwhile, the analyst also believes that the iPod Shuffle may get even smaller and a cheaper version of the MacBook could also be introduced, possibly in the middle of the 1st quarter of 2009. He does not believe the cheaper MacBook would qualify as a “netbook” — a market Apple has specifically said they are not interested in pursuing at this time. Article Link: iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009? (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/iphone-nano-smaller-shuffle-and-cheaper-macbook-in-2009/)

Craig Berger, an analyst with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co, reported today that Apple is getting ready to introduce a “lower-cost version” of the iPhone.

Quote:

“Some call this device the iPhone nano,” Berger wrote in a research note. ” Whatever one calls it, we believe this device is on its way.”

Berger does not expect the product to be ready for a Macworld introduction. The basis for the information is based on “checks” with Apple suppliers. This report adds to a growing number of hints that Apple is preparing what many have labeled an iPhone “Nano” — a smaller, cheaper version of the current iPhone.

Meanwhile, the analyst also believes that the iPod Shuffle may get even smaller and a cheaper version of the MacBook could also be introduced, possibly in the middle of the 1st quarter of 2009. He does not believe the cheaper MacBook would qualify as a “netbook” — a market Apple has specifically said they are not interested in pursuing at this time.

Article Link: iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009?

Read the original post here:

Image: http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/01/imovie-to-receive-update-and-move-online/) In a Computerworld blog entry (http://blogs.computerworld.com/rumor_apples_imovie_to_recieve_significant_update_at_macworld), Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac follows up on yesterday’s rumor of iWork becoming a suite of web-based applications (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/iwork-to-become-a-web-application-at-macworld/) with a new report regarding a similar update to iMovie due at Macworld next week. Weintraub specifically points to several benefits of integrating iMovie into MobileMe’s “cloud” (http://www.apple.com/mobileme/features/): —Quote— iMovie in the Cloud would also offer users the ability to easily view their movies on iPod Touches or iPhones. If the application is entirely Web based, it means that potential customers include the “other 90%” of users who use Windows. —End Quote— The release of iMovie ‘08 in August 2007 received a number of complaints (http://www.macrumors.com/2007/08/14/imovie-08-transition-pains/) that ultimately resulted in Apple offering purchasers of iLife ‘08 the ability to download the previous version, iMovie HD 6, free of charge. Weintraub seems uncertain if this move means that iMovie (or iWork) will become a web application only or if the “cloud” component is simply an add-on to the native Mac versions. From a practical standpoint, it would seem that for high definition video, the Mac version would remain as it currently is. Article Link: iMovie to Receive Update and Move Online? (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/01/imovie-to-receive-update-and-move-online/)

In a Computerworld blog entry, Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac follows up on yesterday’s rumor of iWork becoming a suite of web-based applications with a new report regarding a similar update to iMovie due at Macworld next week.

Weintraub specifically points to several benefits of integrating iMovie into MobileMe’s “cloud”:

Quote:

iMovie in the Cloud would also offer users the ability to easily view their movies on iPod Touches or iPhones. If the application is entirely Web based, it means that potential customers include the “other 90%” of users who use Windows.

The release of iMovie ‘08 in August 2007 received a number of complaints that ultimately resulted in Apple offering purchasers of iLife ‘08 the ability to download the previous version, iMovie HD 6, free of charge.

Weintraub seems uncertain if this move means that iMovie (or iWork) will become a web application only or if the “cloud” component is simply an add-on to the native Mac versions. From a practical standpoint, it would seem that for high definition video, the Mac version would remain as it currently is.

Article Link: iMovie to Receive Update and Move Online?

Read the original post here:

Leading up to this year’s Macworld, Apple Insider has gotten its hands on a few photos of the event. While they don’t reveal much, they stir excitement leading up to the even none-the-less. There’s usually a few banners that Apple displays which remain completely covered up with white tarps prior to the event. During the keynote, [...]

Leading up to this year’s Macworld, Apple Insider has gotten its hands on a few photos of the event. While they don’t reveal much, they stir excitement leading up to the even none-the-less.

There’s usually a few banners that Apple displays which remain completely covered up with white tarps prior to the event. During the keynote, when CEO Steve Jobs has historically unveiled new products, Apple drops the covering tarps and reveals the banners. This year, it will be Phil Schiller addressing the crowd at Macworld, not Steve Jobs. But banners concealing new products have still been raised.

Both photos reveal very little. Reports of a disappointing Macworld led many to believe nothing new would be announced this year. Still, the covered banners stir the notion that something will most likely be unveiled.

“We snapped a photo of the rehearsal live feed through the open door of Mira’s mobile unit. The individual on stage wasn’t Schiller, and actually looked more like Al Gore or Intel chief Paul Otellini. Probably just a random tech guy…” AI explains.

Photos via AppleInsider

Read the original post here:

We are documenting the move by a business and professional from a Windows PC workstation / notebook to the Mac OSX platform. Today, what are the subjective initial impressions gained from unboxing a MacBook Pro?

After working hard and saving my pennies for a number of months, [...] Read the original post here:

Ars Technica has posted what looks like an incredibly promising bit of bluetooth iPhone hackery, courtesy of iPhone expert Ralf Ackerman.

What separates this hack from a few keyboard hacks in the past, is that this is a completely internal solution. It shows promising support for what may be a convergence of technologies used for general mobile computing.

“For the external approach, Ackermann modified a Robotech Bluetooth module, which he placed in an iPhone battery sleeve and connected to the iPhone (serial) connector port at the bottom of the unit. This allowed the the phone to communicate directly with the the module using the Bluetooth serial port profile,” Erica Sadun notes for Ars Technica.

The report goes onto explain that without Jay “saurik” Freeman’s Veency application, none of this would be possible. “Ackermann used a tiny libvncclient to generate keyboard events, which were then passed to Veency. Veency then provided the keyboard event injection using the iPhone’s private Graphics Services framework.”

Promising to say the least… Imagine an iPhone with a simple bluetooth keyboard connected to it, coupled with some recent tv-out discoveries and the device could turn into a truly mobile computer. Check out the full report over at Ars or follow Ackerman’s progress on his site as well.

iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009?
Image: http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/iphone-nano-smaller-shuffle-and-cheaper-macbook-in-2009/) Craig Berger, an analyst with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co, reported today (http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200812311307DOWJONESDJONLINE000488_FORTUNE5.htm) that Apple is getting ready to introduce a “lower-cost version” of the iPhone. —Quote— “Some call this device the iPhone nano,” Berger wrote in a research note. ” Whatever one calls it, we believe this device is on its way.” —End Quote— Berger does not expect the product to be ready for a Macworld introduction. The basis for the information is based on “checks” with Apple suppliers. This report adds to a growing number of hints that Apple is preparing what many have labeled an iPhone “Nano” — a smaller, cheaper version of the current iPhone. Meanwhile, the analyst also believes that the iPod Shuffle may get even smaller and a cheaper version of the MacBook could also be introduced, possibly in the middle of the 1st quarter of 2009. He does not believe the cheaper MacBook would qualify as a “netbook” — a market Apple has specifically said they are not interested in pursuing at this time. Article Link: iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009? (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/31/iphone-nano-smaller-shuffle-and-cheaper-macbook-in-2009/)

Craig Berger, an analyst with Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co, reported today that Apple is getting ready to introduce a “lower-cost version” of the iPhone.

Quote:

“Some call this device the iPhone nano,” Berger wrote in a research note. ” Whatever one calls it, we believe this device is on its way.”

Berger does not expect the product to be ready for a Macworld introduction. The basis for the information is based on “checks” with Apple suppliers. This report adds to a growing number of hints that Apple is preparing what many have labeled an iPhone “Nano” — a smaller, cheaper version of the current iPhone.

Meanwhile, the analyst also believes that the iPod Shuffle may get even smaller and a cheaper version of the MacBook could also be introduced, possibly in the middle of the 1st quarter of 2009. He does not believe the cheaper MacBook would qualify as a “netbook” — a market Apple has specifically said they are not interested in pursuing at this time.

Article Link: iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009?

How to replace the top panel and keyboard on a 13? MacBook

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