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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/282
40 MacDirectory DEPARTMENT MACWORLD 2009 > A NEW BEGINNING? CEO Andreas Hass on the Newton project. The Woz was on hand to demonstrate some enhancements he'd been working on to a throng of admirers and TV cameras. The company also debuted the new, high-end 17" ModBook Pro. Unlike the company's earlier products, this new tablet sported its own, custom-designed case, becoming more of a hardware transplant than a modification. The new design not only gives the tablet a distinctive new look, it lets Axiotron more easily integrate new Apple hardware into its product line. El Gato's booth was getting a good deal of attention thanks to a significant update to its EyeTV software and the number of Mac users' realizing that their MacBooks and iMacs may be their best option for HDTV viewing when the analog broadcast channels go dark. Sena had one of the show's most unique displays with old- world craftsmanship meeting high-tech marketing. This producer of custom- made, fine leather cases brought in one of its best artisans from Turkey to stitch together cases for buyers at the show. In the other exhibition hall, Trexta was ready to take them on, making its first U.S. appearance with its own line of ultra- luxurious cases. The show's most startling new technology came from vendors that were outside the perimeter of the show's major exhibitors. Microvision demonstrated a laser- powered, palm-sized projector for the iPod. The remarkable device, still in the prototype phase, is about the size of the phone and powerful enough to project the phone's video output onto any nearby surface. The production version is expected to be even smaller and will probably be a snap-on attachment for the iPhone or video iPods. CallWave, already well known for its innovative conferencing and presentation systems, demonstrated FUZE, its soon-to-be-released product that will allow synchronized, full-motion, high definition video playback for Internet- based videoconferencing. It takes advantage of cloud computing technology, where content is hosted remotely on huge server farms, and some remarkable software that lets high definition video be pushed out over standard wired or wireless network connections. As most attendees will attest, the wireless LAN at the show was more than a little overburdened, but the product still worked like a charm. And one more thing… Even an iPhone can be a real-time client for one of these high- def conferences. WebEx also announced its iPhone-based teleconferencing client that will be available to all WebEx subscribers. (And please, folks, no video teleconferencing while you're driving, OK?) Town Hall Discusses the Future Just weeks before Macworld 2009, Apple announced that this would be their last trip to the San Francisco Expo and, as we are going to press, rumors are beginning to buzz that the departure may just be a change of venue to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Signs all around the conference promoted the 2010 Macworld as "The Start of a New Era." A Town Hall held by IDG, the Expo's organizers for the past 25 years, set out to define just what that New Era would be like. Roughly 250 attendees, exhibitors and reporters filled the room for the town meeting-style event led by IDG General Manager Paul Kent. He began with a pointed rebuttal to Schiller's comments, noting that products from 90 percent of Macworld 2009's exhibitors were not to be found in Apple's stores. He went on to say that the event provided an experience and level of interaction impossible in a retail environment: "We come to Macworld to be inspired." Kent reassured attendees that exhibitors were already signing on for the next conference and some of the most popular presentations, including David Pogue's popular "anti-keynote," were already on the schedule. Beyond 2010, virtually everything was on the table for discussion: dates, locations and even the format of the event. For the second half of the meeting, he opened up the floor to comments, questions and ideas. It was obvious that those present unquestionably wanted the show to go on, however there was plenty of room for changes and improvements. In closing, Kent announced that registration for Macworld 2010 was now open and that exhibit hall passes would be free for those who signed up early. He also said that the organizers would continue to listen and welcomed comments and ideas. You can send yours to suggestionbox@macworld2010.com. And What Now? The departure of several of the biggest exhibitors from the show gave some of the smaller companies a larger share of the spotlight. And this could be a foreshadowing of a return to Macworld's grassier roots more typical of its precursor, San Francisco's AppleFest. Apple customers may no longer anxiously await their second Christmas morning in January. But they still know that a remarkable surprise could come from Cupertino at almost any time. Meanwhile, the annual gathering could go back to the mass of upstart vendors, developers and dedicated users who made Apple what it is today and hopefully what it always will be. It's entirely possible that the title of Tony Bennett's opening song at Apple's last (for now) keynote will be ironically prophetic: The Best Is Yet to Come. We're Mac people. We'll be there. Possibly the most newsworthy aspect of Apple's traditional conference-opening keynote was the lack of news... Not a word was said about Snow Leopard or the iPhone Nano, and even the Mac's upcoming 25th birthday escaped mention.