[NPMUG] Small Dog's email on MACWorld '09

Wed Jan 7 11:11:16 MST 2009

If you've already seen this, apologies offered.

  	New 17" MacBook Pro! 	By Ed Shepard <mailto:ed at smalldog.com> 	 

Today at MacWorld, Phil Schiller introduced a brand-new 17" MacBook Pro. 
The new MacBook shares the revolutionary aluminum unibody construction 
offered on the MacBook and 15" MacBook Pro. Other specs:

    * .98 inches thin
    * 6.6 pounds
    * The world's lightest and thinnest 17-inch notebook
    * Features an LED backlit display, with 1920×1200 resolution. 700:1
      contrast ratio, and 60% greater color gamut than the previous
      17-inch display.
    * Apple says "This is the best display we've ever shipped in a
      notebook."

    * 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Dual Core
    * 6MB L2 Cache
    * Up to 8GB memory at 1066 MHz DDR3.
    * Glass trackpad with four-finger gestures and multi-button support.
    * 320GB hard drive

    * Three USB ports
    * Mini DisplayPort for connecting to Apple's new 24" LED display
    * FireWire 800 (no 400!)
    * Digital audio in/out
    * ExpressCard slot.
    * Gigabit Ethernet
    * MagSafe power adapter (duh)

    * Built-in, non user-replaceable battery. This is an adaptive "smart
      battery" with built-in chips to maintain maximum charge and lifespan

    * The battery can last up to eight hours, is good for about five
      years, and can be charged 1000 times. It is also fully recyclable.

    * Battery life varies depending on graphics card used. With the
      9600GT, battery life if seven hours. It is up to eight hours with
      the 9400M integrated graphics.

    * All told, this is three hours longer than the previous 17-inch
      MacBook Pro, equalling a 60% increase in battery life.

    * Also, for the first time with the new unibody MacBooks, Apple is
      offering an anti-glare option. It costs $50 more than the glossy
      display because the bezel has to be removed after it's already
      assembled.

    * $2799.99

Click here to see this MacBook Pro on our website. 
<http://www.smalldog.com/product/72891>

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iWork '09: New Features 	By Kali Hilke <mailto:kali at smalldog.com> 	 

Some big changes were announced to the iWork suite of productivity 
applications today. Like iWork '08, iWork '09 includes Pages, Keynote 
and Numbers. Integration and sharing have been vastly improved across 
the suite, and it still offers excellent Microsoft Office compatibility.

The addition of iWork.com is huge. Much like Google Docs, you will be 
able to collaborate on projects by accessing your files online. Apple 
has not launched this yet in its full form, but it is available as a 
public beta once you have purchased iWork '09.

In the following articles, you'll find an overview of the highlighted 
new features.

Read more about iWork here. <http://www.apple.com/iwork/pages/>
Check out our coverage of Macworld 2009 on our blog. 
<http://blog.smalldog.com>

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iWork '09: Keynote 	By Kali Hilke <mailto:kali at smalldog.com> 	 

Featured updates:

    * Easily create sophisticated animations with Magic Move.
    * Add dramatic object and text transitions using new visual effects.
    * Visualize your data with new styles and animations for 3D charts.
    * Dramatically reduce file size without compromising quality.
    * Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using connection lines.
    * Choose from eight new Apple-designed themes (44 total).
    * Open, save, and email Microsoft PowerPoint files from within Keynote.

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iWork '09: Pages 	By Kali Hilke <mailto:kali at smalldog.com> 	 

Pages received a bunch of updates this time around, most notably:

    * 40 new Apple-designed templates (for over 180 total).
    * A new full-screen view option so that you can focus only on your
      writing!
    * Dynamic outlines allow you to organize your ideas as they come.
    * Mail merge with Numbers makes adding addresses, names and more
      really simple.
    * MathType 6 and EndNote X2 (both sold separately) integration
      allows you to insert equations or bibliographies (respectively).

As always, you can open, save, and email Microsoft Word files from 
within Pages.

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iWork '09: Numbers 	By Kali Hilke <mailto:kali at smalldog.com> 	 

Noted features:

    * Easily create formulas, using visual placeholders with plain
      language text.
    * Perform calculations using over 250 functions.
    * Organize your data instantly using Table Categories.
    * Check your calculations at a glance with Formula List view.
    * Create two-axis charts and combine line, column, and area series
      in a single mixed chart.
    * Choose from twelve new Apple-designed templates (30 total).
    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Excel files from within Numbers.

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	Changes in the iTunes Store 	By Kali Hilke <mailto:kali at smalldog.com> 	 

Millions of cheers were heard 'round the world when Phil Schiller 
announced some of the changes coming to the iTunes Store in April. The 
main one: all DRM-free music, meaning that songs can be played and 
burned without restriction. The four major record companies (Sony, 
Universal, Warner and EMI) are all now on board with the change, which 
was crucial to feature songs without the DRM 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management> encoding.

Beginning today, over 8 million songs in the iTunes Store feature:

    * No DRM restrictions
    * Higher-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually
      unchanged from the original
    * Same price for song downloads onto iPhone 3G over their 3G network

The remaining 2 million songs in the 10 million+ iTunes library will be 
available without the DRM restrictions by the end of March. According to 
Apple, they will offer a "simple, one-click option to easily upgrade 
their entire library of previously purchased songs to the higher quality 
DRM-free iTunes Plus format" for 30 cents per song or 30 percent of the 
album price. Sounds intriguing, but it could get expensive... I say 
choose your favorites wisely!

In April, songs will be available at three price points: 69 cents, 99 
cents and $1.29. This will be dictated by what the music labels charge 
Apple for the above licensing.

Read Apple's entire press release here. 
<http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/06itunes.html>

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iLife '09 Update: iPhoto 	By Kali Hilke <mailto:kali at smalldog.com> 	 

iPhoto has gotten many updates in the iLife '09 edition. iPhoto is 
arguably the most-used application in the iLife suite, behind iTunes.

For starters, there are now three ways to sort your photos:

    * Events
    * Faces
    * Places

Events was a new way to view and sort photos with the last iLife 
release, but both Faces and Places are new.

Faces relies on face recognition, and assists in tagging photos. 
Amazingly, it will find a face and ask in other photos if it is the same 
person... I guess we'll see! There's also integration with Facebook and 
Flickr.

Places works with Google Maps to zoom in on a location. It uses latitude 
and longitude, and will automatically add a location to your photos. 
This is great because you'll be able to 'geotag' your entire set of 
photos. Phil uses the example of "Yosemite" in that if you have just 
taken a vacation there, it will geotag all of your photos from the trip!

I'm really excited to check iPhoto '09 out, especially the tagging and 
face recognition features. As Don mused, "will it be able to recognize 
dog's faces, too?" We'll be checking out iLife '09 in detail soon and 
will give you our feedback in upcoming issues of Tech Tails!

Learn more and pre-order iLife 09 here. 
<http://www.smalldog.com/product/72885>

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iLife '09 Update: iMovie '09 	By Ed Shepard <mailto:ed at smalldog.com> 	 

Apple has updated iMovie '08 to iMovie '09 as part of iLife '09. iMovie 
'09 was introduced with the statement that iMovie '08 "didn't have all 
the features that older customers wanted." Apple has added "a bunch of 
features that should please everyone." Phil Schiller continued to say 
that Apple has added "depth and power" to iMovie '09.

Some of the new features include:

    * Precision editor with expanded timeline for advanced users.
      Improved drag and drop of video clips and audio clips. Easier to
      insert, overlay, replace, and add audio straight from clips. Sound
      can now be extended from the first clip over audio from the second
      clip to give pro continuity to edits. Also now easier to skim and
      see edits before and after cuts.

    * Automatic video stabilization. The software identifies
      jittery/bumpy motion and reduces it by comparing frames of video
      to subsequent and previous frames. Video stabilization along with
      image stabilization in camcorders can practically create still
      photos. Two-step process. The first-pass is processor intensive.

    * Now possible to integrate maps into iMovie projects, including an
      option for Indiana Jones-style flyovers with a beginning and end
      point.

    * iMovie once again supports DVD chapter makers and titles for use
      with iDVD '09, which is very welcome news.

Other features include new themes complete with titles, transitions and 
credits. "Clip adjustment" includes a slider to speed up or slow down 
video clips (which was mystifyingly absent in iMovie '08). A new Project 
Library shows you all your film clips. New video effects have been added 
with instant previewing; no rendering is necessary. Read all new changes 
by clicking here. <http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/new-features.html>

Personally, the announcement of iMovie '09 was the most exciting event 
at this Macworld. I can't wait to try it out. It sounds like creating 
engaging, attractive videos will be more fun than ever.

Learn more and pre-order iLife '09 here. 
<http://www.smalldog.com/product/72885>

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iLife '09 Update: GarageBand 	By Ed Shepard <mailto:ed at smalldog.com> 	 

At Macworld, Phil Schiller introduced a new version of GarageBand. The 
biggest new feature is called "Learn to Play." It is designed to teach 
people to play instruments such as guitar and keyboards. You see the a 
representation of the instrument on the screen with a video of the 
instructor facing you.

Celebrity instructors include Sting, Sarah McLachlan, John Fogerty, and 
more. Apple says "learn to play a hit song from the artist who made it 
famous," which I think sounds pretty cool. Additional video lessons can 
be purchased from the new GarageBand store for $4.99.

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	iLife '09 Update: iWeb, iDVD 	By Ed Shepard <mailto:ed at smalldog.com> 	 

iWeb also received minor updates for Macworld. In iWeb, it's now easier 
to upload websites and website changes to MobileMe or to your own server 
via FTP with a single click. Like iWeb '08, iWeb '09 uploads only your 
changes when you publish, so you'll enjoy quick site updates.

iWeb will now notify your Facebook friends when you update your site. 
Simply link any iWeb site to your Facebook account. Following an update, 
iWeb adds the changes to your profile, alerting your friends and 
providing them with a handy link. It's now also easier to add web 
widgets to your site that update automatically.

iDVD didn't appear to get any new features beyond performance and 
stability improvements. iMovie once again supports DVD chapter makers 
and titles for use with iDVD '09, which is very welcome news.

Learn more and pre-order iLife '09 here. 
<http://www.smalldog.com/product/72885>

  	<http://blog.smalldog.com/techtails/> 	 

  	Picasa for Mac - Better Late Than Never! 	By Ed Shepard 
<mailto:ed at smalldog.com> 	 

On Monday, Google finally released a public beta of Picasa for the Mac. 
Picasa is a free desktop app for importing, editing, organizing and 
sharing digital images--particularly digital photos.

Picasa for Macs is a free download from Picasa.google.com/mac/ 
<http://picasa.google.com/mac/>. You need an Intel Mac running OS 10.4 
or later.

Picasa has been a popular photo app on the Windows side for years. It 
shares some features with iPhoto, and adds some unique killer features. 
These include the ability to sync your Picasa desktop and Picasa Web 
Albums edits, screen captures, create and edit movies within Picasa, add 
text/watermarks to photos, manage folders on your computer, a collage 
creation, screensaver creation, and Facial-recognition technology. 
Privacy and sharing settings can be adjusted for individual photos, 
collections or for your entire library.

Preliminary tests show Picasa to be as fast or faster than iPhoto and 
easy and elegant to use. We'll test further and review Picasa in detail 
in the future.

Google also offers Picasa Web Albums, which is an excellent web service 
for sharing and organizing photos. This has been Mac-compatible for 
years. There is an iPhoto plugin if you want to use Picasa Web Albums 
without necessarily using the desktop version of Picasa. Click here to 
download this. <http://picasa.google.com/mac_tools.html>

Also, the new version of iPhoto '09 looks amazing. News about Picasa for 
Mac has been swept under the rug with the announcement of iPhoto '09.

Picasa Web Albums integrates tightly with Google's Blogger service, 
along with many other blog platforms and web services. Picasa Web Albums 
is very easy to use, uploading is a breeze, and photos are nicely 
displayed online. Picasa Web Albums offers up to 1GB ("enough space for 
4,000 wallpaper-size photos") of photo hosting for free.

Flickr is still more popular and has deeper social network components 
then Picasa Web Albums. Again, we'll do a detailed comparison in the 
near future

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