Average Macworld is Average.

C’mon, Phil.

We didn’t want huge product demos. We didn’t want explanations of every single new feature. We didn’t want the constant stalling, the in-depth promos, or any of that stuff. Most of all, we didn’t want to pay $2100 for 4GB more RAM in our new MacBook Pro 17″, a machine that already costs $4499. 😮

$2100 for 4GB more RAM in the new 17.

$2100 for 4GB more RAM in the new 17".

…nor did we want to pay extra for a matte screen. 😮

$90 more for a matte screen? GTFO.

$90 more for a matte screen? GTFO.

We wanted new products. We wanted an iPhone OS 3.0 demo. We wanted Snow Leopard, Mac Minis, and an iMac speed bump.

What we got was 8 hour battery life. What we got was iLife 09, iWork 09, and the Keynote Remote. What we got was iWork.com, DRM-free iTunes Music, and the iTunes Music Store available over 3G/EDGE networks.

Sure, the updating of the 17″ MBP to a Aluminium Unibody with dual graphics cards for $100 more was nice of Apple, but I’m currently sitting on the fence – 8 hour battery life vs inbuilt battery. 😕

iWork 09? Meh, could be better. With the addition of iWork.com, this can be seen as an above-average update. Collaboration, sticky notes, and more!

Download the Trial today!

Download the Trial today!

iLife 09 actually looks alright. I have now fallen in love with iPhoto all over again – and now believe that the Mac platform rules for that kind of thing. You can’t go past Facebook/Flickr integration.

Facebook integration for the win!

Facebook integration for the win!

…those tagged names now come down to your iPhoto! Also new is geo-tagging, “Faces” (awesome new facial recognition), and “Places” (which obviously links into the geo-tagging). All come with that special Apple polish we all know and love!

Faces, and Places.

Faces, and Places.

The other thing that got me excited was the iWork updates. Full screen Pages, new text transitions in Keynote, and some funky features I didn’t really care about in Numbers.

iCONic.

iCONic.

New features in Pages 09

New features in Pages '09

New features in Keynote 09

New features in Keynote '09

However, the introduction of the Mac Box Set was a really huge improvement, but something they should have done a while ago.

They should have called it the Macs Box Set, as in Max. Box. Set.

They should have called it the Macs Box Set, as in Max. Box. Set.

One more thing – DRM-free iTunes music! You can upgrade your music right now for 50c per song to DRM free, which comes in 256kbps AAC.

I can haz DRM-free Music plz? Kthx.

I can haz DRM-free Music plz? Kthx.

However, even with all the song and dance, I couldn’t feel there was something missing. Where is our Mac Mini update? Where were the iMac speed bumps? Where was the multi-touch Mighty Mouse, Aiport updates (thanks, adamd), or Cinema Displays, Mac Pros, Home Media Server, or the Mac Tablet, iPhone Nano, or even the fabled Mac Pro Mini?

End of the day, it’s just another Macworld keynote. For now, download the iWork 09 trial (warning, it’s 500MB), and enjoy the rest of your day.

Beejive IM updated to 2.0

Beejive IM, the Swiss army knife of instant messaging on the iPhone, was recently updated to version 2.0. Beejive allows you to connect with many different instant messaging services including: AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN/Live, Myspace IM, and Yahoo messenger. This application was already top-notch in the previous versions and this new version just makes things a lot better. Let’s take a look at each of the changes to Beejive.

via Beejive IM updated to 2.0, includes audio messaging – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).

[iTunes Link]

Beejive IM is the best IM client for the iPhone, period.

Shame that it’s sooooo expensive! WHY?!! 🙁

Daring Fireball: Macworld Expo 2009 Predictions

As for what might appear in iPhone OS 3.0, here’s my wish list. First, a new home screen app (a.k.a. SpringBoard), designed from the ground up for a system where users have a few dozen or more extra apps installed. Managing dozens of apps on the iPhone today is simply a pain in the ass. Second, maybe an answer to the question of where the background notification API is — you know, the one we were told at WWDC to expect a few months ago, but which we haven’t heard a word about since. And maybe — pretty please, Mr. Forstall, with sugar on top — copy and paste.

via Daring Fireball: Macworld Expo 2009 Predictions.

iPhone OS 3.0 demo?!

Macworld?!

I wouldn’t bet on it. 😉

Say goodbye to tedious marshmallow roasting with the Spinmallow

The Spinmallow is a twenty-nine-inch rotating skewer, easily detached from its faux wood handle for easy cleaning. It spins at a “perfect” 92RPM, making for a precision-toasted marshmallow, according to its creators.

[…]

It is $10 whole dollars, or the price of a cord of wood and a handful of green twigs.

via Say goodbye to tedious marshmallow roasting with the Spinmallow – Boing Boing Gadgets.

It’s has been a while since I actually needed one of these, but even so – they’d be damn handy to have around.

One of those things that you’d almost never use, but would be super handy to have around, like most of the things in my room… 😀