This week was definitely devoted to the MacBook Air and the hype-filled annual keynote of Steve Jobs at the annual Macworld event in San Francisco. In just four days, the world's littlest laptop managed to spawn controversy and carrying cases, and steal the thunder of everything else that happened this week in the tech world. If you got caught up in the MacBook madness, check out our slideshow to see what else you missed!
We've all seen engravings on iPods and laptops, but I don't think I've seen them look quite so tattoo-like as I did at ETCHamac's booth at Macworld. ETCHamac does custom engraving exclusively for Apple products (which you can now purchase new from their website and choose a design), and is newly engraving iPhones as well. I would definitely have a hard time choosing a design to tattoo on my body, but maybe it could be a low-commitment substitute to put it on my laptop instead?! Then again, Apple's products are so well-designed that I would have a hard time messing up their pristine surfaces. Have any of you engraved your gadgets, or would you?
No sooner had Steve Jobs announced his tiny treat during Macworld keynote did companies and designers put their noses to the grindstone to pop out cases for the forthcoming MacBook Air. How bummed would you be to get your new Air in a couple of weeks and not have anything to put it in? Of course, that thing's so teeny and my purses are so big, I'd have no trouble at all finding a spot for it, but I'd want my little Mac baby to be well protected. My favorite new case has to be the riff on Jobs' manila envelope bit — you can literally (ok, so it's not exactly literally) stuff your new MacBook Air in a manila envelope. See the slideshow for more brand spanking new MacBook Air cases.
Let's face it, Apple could be selling an actual apple and the keynote would still be exciting. So I'm cautiously optimistic about Apple TV and its new enhancements; Steve Jobs certainly made it sound cool and revolutionary, but how welcome is it in the world of movie rental?
I'm all for renting movies in the most convenient way possible (hence my love for Netflix), but I'm not sure I want to put down $229 for the box and then $3 to $5 each time I rent. Rental prices are equivalent to those you would find at brick-and-mortar stores, but I feel like a monthly flat fee (in Netflix's case, under 20 bucks for unlimited three-at-a-time rentals) is more reasonable, even with snail mail factored in. I have to admire Jobs's tenacity, though — the man has been riding high on knowing what people want.
It seems as though Apple didn't announce the release of an e-book reader because, in his words from yesterday's New York Times interview, Amazon's Kindle won't go anywhere because "people don't read anymore." I have to assume that based on that, he thinks people are not only renting movies more than ever, but they want a better way to do it.
There was a party happening at Macworld yesterday, and it was in the Skullcandy booth! A live DJ was spinning some tunes while I checked out their large inventory of hip and edgy products which not only included their signature headphones, but mp3 players, iPod Docks and backpacks as well!
I have to say that there was one MP3 player in particular that instantly caught my eye. Appropriately dubbed "The Macgyver", this baby stores up to 1G of music in—wait for it—a watch! This may be old news to some of you, but this watch is totally stylish and comes in two flavors, pink and black, so it's sure to suit everyone's tastes. But dual functionality watches were not the only products being offered up from Skullcandy, there were many other items I wanted to take home. Have a peek at my slideshow to see what else I was pining over and more!
I couldn't be more stoked about the MacBook Air, Time Capsule, and the new capabilities of Apple TV, but what I was unreasonably excited about was the firmware update to the iPhone. It puts a stake through the heart of iPhone critics who have been waiting for "the next version of the iPhone" — this is it! Though it was arguably the smallest reveal of yesterday's keynote (and confirmed those prior firmware update rumors) , it was both something for my beloved iPhone and the first thing I could get my hands on. After updating my phone, I instantly added geeksugar to my home screen, so I am always one step closer to you!
There was a semi-dearth of crazy and creative iPod docks at this year's Macworld event, which, whatever their functionality, are usually great eye candy. Good thing I spotted this adorable iPod dock by Vestalife that is named for exactly what it resembles — a ladybug! Its two wings collapse when it's not in use for easy portability, and they expand when you're ready to rock.
There are a few solid, bright colors, but I really like the Ladybug that's hiding a design inside its "wings." I can't wait to toss this in my bag for a weekend away or set it on my desk to gaze at . . . I mean, listen to!
Not to be confused with Gucci Couture, Gilty Couture creates fashionable luxury lifestyle products for tech savvy consumers. As I was cruising around Macworld yesterday, I got the chance to examine Gilty's 14k gold iPhone case that can also come adorned in Swarovski crystal accents.
So maybe it's not exactly like Pharrell's 18k solid gold case, and maybe you can't dock your phone when it's on, but it is gold plated and includes 138 hand set Swarovski crystals. All of this for only $125, which I have to say is quite reasonable for the additional bling. On that note, love or leave this one?
My alter ego must be an audiophile, because when I saw Belkin's new portable mixing board called the Tune Studio at Macworld, I totally geeked out. A full-on, four-channel mixer that records right onto iPod classics, second and third gen Nanos, and fifth generation iPods to capture jam sessions, podcasts, and of course, tinkerings from the garage in 16 bit, 44kHz quality.
To demo the mixer, Belkin recorded a live band earlier in the day via Tune Studio. From the playback, my ears couldn't even tell that it wasn't a professional studio recording! I was impressed to say the least. Believe it or not, it seems really simple to use: Plug in up to four different sound sources, attach your iPod and computer, pump out some tunes and you'll end up with some pretty impressive high-quality digital recordings. High-quality jamming by band mates, however, is not guaranteed.
The "Something Is in the Air" Apple theme made its way into the Griffin booth during Macworld yesterday. At first glance I thought these rockets were small radios or even shuffle docs, but it turns out they have a much geekier purpose.
The RocketFM transmits music from apps like iTunes or Garage Band, and it can even stream Internet radio to any FM receiver within 30 feet. Totally useful if you have a Mac or PC in one room, but need to rock out in another. Since it's open to just about any FM frequency from 88.1 to 107.9, you are sure to find a signal all to yourself — just plug in and choose your station! Plus the design is oh so geek chic, I almost can't resist getting one for myself!
