Ok, so maybe only one of our predictions were true at the Phil Schiller keynote on Tuesday morning. No new iMacs, Mac minis, or iPhone nanos and we were left wondering, “Where’s the rest?” We have a full wrap-up of day one at Macworld Expo 2009 after the break.

The first announcements included iLife ‘09, with new versions of iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand. The coolest feature of the entire iLife ‘09 suite is the new Learn to Play feature inside of GarageBand. You can learn how to play the guitar, keyboard, or other instruments with guided tutorials. There are also Artist Lessons available for $4.99 each from John Fogerty, Sarah McLachlan, Sting, and other popular artists. The new iMovie ‘09 brings back some pro-style editing features that iMovie ‘08 was lacking. Some of them include precision editing, which allows you to precisely edit certain clips and their in/out points on the timeline. iPhoto ‘09 adds Places and Faces in addition to Events. Places brings your geotagged photos into Google Maps and allows you to see where your photos were actually taken since some cameras have built-in GPS now. Faces recognizes the people in your photos and sorts them on a corkboard-style interface that’s perfect for party photos. Facebook and Flickr export were also added.

The next announcement was the new iWork ‘09, with improved features throughout the suite. Keynote now brings us some of the features that Steve has used in his past couple of keynote addresses. One of them includes Magic Move, which picks an object that you want to move from one place to another between slides. It’s somewhat hard to explain, so there’s a tutorial and example available at the Keynote page on Apple’s website.

Both iWork (available now) and iLife ‘09 (available late-January) will sell for $79 or $99 in a family pack. You can also purchase the Mac Box Set in late-January for $169 which includes Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, iLife ‘09 and iWork ‘09.

After the software announcements, Phil moved onto hardware. He talked about how successful the new MacBook family was with the new precision unibody enclosure. He then went on to introduce the new 17-inch MacBook Pro, which brings the unibody enclosure to the thinnest 17-inch notebook available. The new 17-incher uses new battery technology, which can bring up to 8 hours of battery life (depending on the graphics chip used). The battery is non-removable, but it should have three times the life span of the industry standard. The notebook will be available in late-January and will cost $2799 for a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB DDR3 memory, Nvidia GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics, a 320GB hard drive, and a SuperDrive.

iTunes Plus was the last and final announcement at the keynote, bringing 256kbps AAC encoded songs to 8 million of the songs in the iTunes Store. In April, three pricing tiers will be introduced with songs costing $0.69, $0.99 cents and $1.29 with the majority of songs at $0.69 cents.

We’ll have more hands-on from the show floor tomorrow here on ConnectReviews.

Sound off in the comments below. Thanks to CoverItLive.com for making this live blog possible.

We’re in San Francisco and the Macworld 2009 keynote line has begun! Two people were in line as of 8:15 PM Pacific time and we expect the line to grow slowly until people get in the line early Tuesday morning. Photos have been uploaded to our Flickr account and video will be uploaded to our Blip.tv channel tomorrow from our trusty Flip Mino HD camera.

Our keynote coverage will begin tomorrow at 8:45AM Pacific time and you’ll find our coverage on our home page early in the morning. Bookmark this page to get the latest Macworld Expo 2009 coverage.

The typical shrouded Apple booth photos are now up on italian site SetteB.IT, along with the “Even the small talk will be big” banners that are not to be confused with the Apple banners typically seen (ex. “There’s something in the air”). These banners were put up by IDG World Expo show management throughout the South of Market (SoMA) area promoting the show.

However, something oddly missing are the teaser banners that we’ve seen in 2007 and 2008 from Apple that were highly speculated by the Mac community. Last year, “There’s something in the air” was predicted to be an ultra-thin notebook computer that would be added to the MacBook family, called the MacBook Air.

Two banners believed to be put up by Apple could hold what is being introduced on Tuesday.

There are two banners above the show floor entrances that seems to be put up by Apple however, folded up in secrecy. What could it be? Find out on Tuesday, January 6th during our live keynote coverage here on ConnectReviews. The best thing to do is to add us via RSS to your favorite feed reader.

UPDATE: AppleInsider has posted larger, higher resolution photos of the banners as well as a shot of the inside of the mobile production truck outside Moscone West showing an individual on stage.

Macworld is almost 4 days away, and here are my predictions for the last Apple keynote at the show. Phil Schiller is scheduled to give his keynote on January 6th, 2009 at 9am Pacific time, and we’ll be covering it live here on ConnectReviews.

1. New iMacs & Mac minis
With the recent introduction of the new 24″ LED Cinema Display using the new DisplayPort standard, the iMacs are unable to connect to these new displays. Expect a new iMac, with a slimmer design and a Mini-DisplayPort replacing the older Mini-DVI port. The new systems should include the new NVIDIA MCP79 platform chipsets that are already inside the latest MacBook line. All systems will be upgraded to newer generation Core 2 Quads available in mid-January. The Mac mini has had it’s fair share of updates, but it hasn’t had one since August of 2007. This either means the Mac mini will be phased out and replaced with a new Mac mini-tower with more expandability, or upgraded to the latest standards that the new iMac will include.

2. New Cinema Displays
The older aluminum Cinema Displays have not been updated since WWDC2004, and still look dated compared to the black glass and aluminum style of the latest products from Jobs and Co. Along with new Cinema Displays using LED-based panels and Mini-DisplayPort, look for an adapter to connect these new displays to older Macs using DVI and Mini-DVI connections.

3. iLife & iWork ‘09
I don’t know what Apple could add to their iLife suite, so it may not get an update, however, another revamped version of iMovie with more pro-style features would be nice. In iWork ‘09, there will be small enhancements and tweaks to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. There’s also a possibility that Apple will put the office suite up in the “cloud”, similar to MobileMe, which brings these applications to the PC. Steve has been showing off new Keynote transitions and builds in his latest keynote speeches, so these should be expected.

4. iPhone nano
A smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone 3G, with 4GB of storage, available in multiple colors like the new iPod nano and with features like “Shake to Shuffle” and Nike+iPod integration.

5. Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Apple will totally put Microsoft behind with the latest incarnation of Mac OS X. Snow Leopard (10.6) will include a long-awaited Cocoa-based Finder, expanded use of Data Detectors used in Mail.app, and OpenCL technology that will optimize use of the Intel processors in every Mac. Phil will show off increased speed in iLife ‘09 apps like iPhoto and iMovie.

Get a reminder for our live keynote coverage below!

What are your predictions? Leave them in a comment below!

It’s almost that time of year, where the Apple fanatics gather for a week in San Francisco to experience the latest and greatest products from Apple (for the last time) and the other vendors. We covered Macworld Expo last year on MacSpark, our sister site for all things Mac, but for this year’s coverage, we’re consolidating things here to provide you with a better experience. Details for keynote coverage and show floor coverage are inside!

We want to cover the expo in a way you can enjoy, but we need your suggestions folks! Leave a comment below and we’ll take them into consideration.

Stay Updated

Subscribe to our RSS feed in your favorite feed reader, or right inside of Firefox or Safari. Don’t know what RSS is?

Bookmark our Macworld Expo 2009 page that will show all the latest posts, and give you a brief rundown of the announcements after our keynote coverage ends.

Keynote Coverage

We are planning to cover the Phil Schiller keynote live on our website on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 starting at 9am Pacific time. Details as to where the keynote coverage will be located will be announced shortly.

Photo & Video Coverage

Photos and video coverage of the expo will be uploaded daily starting on Monday, January 5th and continue until Wednesday, January 7th. Visit our Flickr page for photos, and videos will be uploaded to our Blip.tv channel.

Happy New Year from the ConnectReviews team!

Pocket video cameras are a great stocking stuffer this holiday season. There’s a huge selection available, and the best one we’ve seen is the Flip Video Mino. It comes in white or black, and stores up to 60 minutes of video on the 2GB of internal storage. The camera gets its “Flip” name from the flip-out USB plug which allows you to plug it into your computer without a cable. The Mino shoots up to 640×480 video and you can preview it using the 1.5″ display on the back. To record, just press the large red button, it’s as simple as that. Grab one from Amazon.com today for just around $150.

Budget gifts will be a huge success this holiday season with the recent economic and financial troubles. Here are a few choices to get you started.

• Gift cards - Give an Amazon.com gift card this holiday season, available in amounts from $5 to $5,000, they’re perfect for anyone. With the number of products that Amazon sells, there’s got to be something for everyone.

• Apple iPod shuffle - The cheapest and smallest MP3 player available to date, is even cheaper than last year. Now available in 1GB ($49) and 2GB ($69) models, it’s perfect for adults, teenagers, and children alike.

• Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 - The best webcam is a perfect gift this holiday season. Now you can see your loved ones in stunning quality as they unwrap their gifts and join in with the holiday spirit. Grab one today for less than $70 bucks at Amazon.com and get free shipping with gift wrap while your at it.

• Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset - The top selling Bluetooth headset on Amazon is our pick this holiday season. It’s the most comfortable, and it won’t break the bank. Grab it for under $50 at Amazon.com with free shipping.

• Joby Gorillapod - Get the perfect shot this holiday season and mount your camera to almost anywhere for that Kodak moment. The Gorillapod is one of the best gadgets of all time, and it’s available in a variety of different version.

Ergonomic keyboards have been a popular staple in the office, and not many of them have been made specifically for the Mac platform. Today I’ll be taking a look at the newest one for the Mac, the Kinesis Freestyle Solo.In addition to being an ergonomic keyboard for the Mac, it also has two very interesting add-ons: the VIP and the Incline. The Incline accessory transforms the keyboard into something similar to the 12-degree split that the Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 (another very popular ergonomic keyboard) features, which we had reviewed previously here on ConnectReviews. By folding We’ll get to more on these accessories later.

The Freestyle Solo for Mac isn’t just a traditional keyboard that’s split into two pieces. It has some unique features that set it apart from the others. Some of these features include ten left-side hot keys for cut, copy, paste, select all, and dedicated keys for Mac users such as Force Quit, Brightness, Exposé, Dashboard, and all the other keys you’d traditionally find on an Apple keyboard. Those who use the number pad often will be disappointed, since the Freestyle Solo doesn’t offer a built-in number pad, however, Kinesis has listened to your needs and offers a separate numeric keypad that connects separately via USB.

Switching to an ergonomic keyboard does require some time for your hands to adjust properly to the key layout, as required by any keyboard. However, your hands will thank you and will feel more relaxed as you type. The keys feel somewhat mushy, compared to more tactile keyboards such as the famed IBM Model M, but there was still good tactile feedback.

Freestyle Solo shown with optional Incline accessory.

On the accessory front, both offer near equal amount of ergonomic comfort, with the VIP accessory offering up to 15 degrees of tenting compared to the Incline’s 10. I preferred the Incline since both halves of the keyboard were always stable and equally spaced. The VIP offers more control over position and tenting.

I was a bit skeptical before receiving the keyboard, since I didn’t know how comfortable it would be, and whether it would find a home inside my office closet. Little did I know how much better my hands felt after using the keyboard for just a few days. Although the Freestyle Solo for Mac has it’s flaws, it’s one of my all-time favorite products, and will continue to find its place on my desk.

The Kinesis Freestyle Solo for Mac keyboard is available for $99 from the Kinesis website, along with the VIP and Incline accessories which sell for $40 each.

Pros

• Ergonomic design without sacrificing Mac functionality.
• Two different ergonomic accessories.
• Dedicated media and Mac-centric keys.

Cons

• Lack of number pad.
• Somewhat mushy keys.

In a recent review, I knocked the Das Keyboard for having a high price point. Little did I know that I hadn’t seen the beginning of an expensive keyboard. Today we review the Optimus Maximus Keyboard, with a MSRP of around $1600 USD. However, how good of a keyboard is it for that price? Read on to get the scoop.

After hearing that price point, you may be wondering what makes this keyboard so special. Well, the answer lies within the keys, literally. Embedded into each key is a tiny, 48×48 pixel, OLED display, capable of producing up to 10FPS video. This display is fully programmable from the Optimus Maximus Configurator software, which works on both OS X and Windows. Depending on which application is active on your computer, the Optimus can change the displays according to what you set. For example, you could have a regular QWERTY layout, but and when you open Photoshop, the keyboard could automatically load a layout that is specifically designed for the application, with icons for specific hot keys, or whatever other customizations you prefer. Another option would be someone who frequently types documents in mutliple languages, and would like to be able to go between both rapdily. When the Optimus detects that the language has been changed in it’s host operating system, it changes the layout to the default layout for that language. I tested this option in windows, and it was extremely fast, especially with the language option in the toolbar, just a click away.

As you would expect from a product that was developed by a studio who specializes in industrial, graphic, web and interface design, this keyboard is extremely ascetically pleasing. The sleek, clean design draws attention to the magnificent keys. Even without all of the fancy key changing, and specialized layouts, the keyboard looks stunning. The OLED keys look spectacular; in fact this is one of the only products that you can find OLED displays in, save for a few specialized applications and a Sony TV (which runs for about $2500 for a 11″ display, which makes the Optimus seem like a bargain.) The attention to detail on the hardware of this keyboard is also nice. An ambient light sensor changes the keyboard brightness depending on the light in the room. The switch to reset the software on the keyboard is even hidden away in a spot that I have never seen before, inside of the the Kensington Security Slot. The hardware however, is just the tip of the ice burg.  The software is also elegantly designed, and extremely simple to use but extremely powerful. In the software, you have the option to individually program each key, import an Optimus layout file, or even import just a plain image file, which will then be tiled across the keyboard. Also, the option is given to open a blank layout in a photo editing software, which then can be applied to the keyboard.

Up to this point in the review, despite the price tag, this seems like an amazing keyboard. This is what everyone I have shown the Optimus Maximus thinks, until they attempt to type on it. This is the major downfall of this keyboard. The OLED displays are inside of the keys, with a clear plastic coating over it, so you aren’t physically pressing down on the displays. This makes sense, but the plastic coating seems slippery to me, and it seems to slow down how fast I can type. Also, it seems that the mechanical switches arent strong enough to support the weight of the keys. Unlike keyboards like the Apple Aluminum keyboard, or the Das Keyboard, the keys feel sticky and soft, as compared to solid and clicking when you press the key down. This is a major downfall for anyone who would plan to type on this keyboard as their main keyboard, but it could be used for things like video editing, or photo editing where you may need specialized layouts for each application.

However, despite the hefty price tag, I have noticed some faults with the keyboard that I don’t see as acceptable for any item that costs so much. So far I have gone through 2 of these units with none working perfectly. Perfect for me has a loose definition when it comes to quality control. As long as it works to all specifications, it is fine for me. The first unit I received had 2 dead keys, and one key that periodically distorted the image. The second unit had one dead key, and the Configurator software on multiple computers would not detect the keyboard. This was fixed by digging into restoring the firmware, after I had to hunt on Google for the instructions. When the keyboard works well, it is fantastic, but I cannot recommend buying this keyboard without first being informed about the potential problems.

The Optimus Maximus is available for $1681.77 directly from Art.Lebedev Studios online, or at their retail store in New York City.

Pros

• Fully programmable.
• Brilliant displays.
• Can display video.

Cons

• Extremely high price.
• Shoddy build quality.
• Requires external power source.
• Sticky/slippery keys.

Ahead of our review of Adobe’s latest version of Acrobat, version 9, we did an interview with Rick Brown at Adobe. He tells us about the Acrobat user base, how the PDF got it’s start, and the roadmap of Acrobat.

1. Starting off, can you tell the ConnectReviews readers about yourself and your position at Adobe?

As the senior director for Adobe Acrobat product management, I am responsible for managing the overall Acrobat product family definition. This basically means my team is constantly working with customers to better understand their needs and use cases and then translate that into products and product features that are developed by our engineering team. We are looking at what customers need right now and also looking forward to emerging opportunities. We then help our development team turn that into products and services that allow people to work and communicate better with Acrobat and PDF.

2. How many users are currently using Acrobat products in their daily workflow? Do you see this number growing in the future?

We have shipped over 30 million cumulative, new unit licenses of Acrobat and, in the last couple years alone, distributed over 500 million copies of the free Adobe Reader. That number is growing every day. In business, the creation and exchange of documents is frequently the way people get their everyday work done. Projects and specifications are defined in documents, transactions are recorded in documents, people are informed and trained through documents, products are marketed and sold through documents, information and data are collected through documents. There is a huge opportunity going forward to make these interactions more expressive, more collaborative and more efficient, which in turn makes documents more effective while taking time and cost out of the equation.

3. Many people are now accustomed to PDF and the ease of creating PDF files for transmitting documents via e-mail. How did PDF get its start in the business?

PDF was the brainchild of Adobe founder, John Warnock, who anticipated the need for a platform independent and graphically rich portable document format. Acrobat 1.0, which was originally codenamed “Carousel,” shipped in 1993. PDF’s emergence as a standard really began a few years later in 1994 when two things happened: 1) Adobe decided to give away the Adobe Reader for free and 2) Internet usage began to explode. Suddenly, there was a widely available medium that created huge demand for portable electronic documents and related applications. Adobe was there with the right solution at the right time and the freely available Adobe Reader insured zero barrier to adoption.

The new version of Acrobat supports embedded video.

4. How do you think the Acrobat application has evolved over time, have there been any milestone releases?

Nearly every release has been a major milestone. Acrobat 2.0 was the release where we made the Adobe Reader free; Acrobat 3.0 was the release to feature integration with the browser; Acrobat 4.0 introduced key features for the expansion of PDF in electronic document applications, including forms and digital signatures. I could go on! I think Acrobat 9, which is the most recent release, is incredibly significant because it is the first release where we were able to bring some of the incredible technology assets that came via Adobe’s acquisition of Macromedia. A key development has been the integration of Flash with PDF in Acrobat 9, which has completely transformed what we can do in electronic documents.

5. It’s clear that Acrobat and the PDF document format is the gold standard for transmitting documents over the internet, what kind of new features in Acrobat 9 make this release even better?

As I mentioned above, the integration of Flash has been a huge leap forward in Acrobat 9. The integration of Flash with PDF’s capabilities as a packaging format enabled us to create PDF Portfolios, which make it very easy for customers to create customized user experiences around sets of related content. Not only does Flash enable customers to create custom user experiences on top of their content, it also means content can be anything supported by PDF or Flash, including native MP3 files, H.264 video, Flash animations, 3D models, interactive forms, etc. The range of content that can be represented in a single, integrated format is really incredible.

6. Can you share with us a little about the future and the vision of the Acrobat brand and the PDF format?

We have only scratched the surface of what is possible in terms of Flash and PDF integration. We believe customers will increasingly want to leverage the range of rich media that is available to them as part of their everyday communications. General business workers want to differentiate their communication and take advantage of rich media as much as graphic designers and web developers. Our goal will be to make it easy and effective. You should also look for us to leverage the growing range of hosted services we are providing through Acrobat.com. These services make it incredibly easy for general business users to create collaborative business processes around documents without any IT investment or technical expertise.

Are you regretting neglecting wiring your house with Ethernet when you built it? Just don’t want to deal with the hassle of cutting holes in your walls? Read on to find what may be the perfect solution for you.

When thinking of networking, most people think about a traditional hardwire and wireless connectivity. One reason for this is due to the lackluster performance of the original powerline adapters. While the original powerline technology was slow and unreliable, the Actiontec MegaPlug AV Powerline Gaming Kit crushes any preconceptions you may have of powerline Ethernet networking.

The MegaPlug AV works with a two unit system. First you plug a transmitter into your router, and then an open power outlet nearby. (Note, Actiontec recommends that this is not plugged into a surge protector to insure optimal performance, which may create problems for some power users’ setups.) Next, the receiver unit is plugged in wherever you chose, and the Ethernet is plugged into your device nearby, and you are ready to be connected to the Internet, no complicated setup necessary. The connection is then routed using the preexisting powerline infrastructure in your house, which eliminates the need to route Ethernet wires through your walls, which can be expensive and very time consuming.

So you may be thinking, “This is great, but how well does it actually work?” In my tests, I found the difference between being hardwired into a router, and the MegaPlug AV adapter to be none at all. When using my Xbox 360 on the MegaPlug AV kit, I could not tell any latency or speed decrease from what I am used to with my standard wired setup.

While the MegaPlug AV is not marketed for this use, I have also tested this kit on a computer, and could not tell any difference. When running a speedtest from my computer, it returned a result that was exactly the same as my hardwire or WiFi setups. Also, transferring files over the Internet was fast, at around 100mbit, due to constrictions with my PC hardware, where as the adapter supports up to 200mbit. I even took the extreme of having 2 computers, and my 360 all connected at once using a switch, and I have seen no noticeable difference in surfing the Internet and other normal daily tasks.

At an average price of $150 online, it is more expensive than the Xbox 360 wireless adapter, but performs much better than it in my testing.

Pros

• Fast 200mbit speed.
• Easy setup.
• No need to run wires in wall.

Cons

• Price.
• Cannot be plugged into surge protector.

It’s almost been a year since we reviewed the HP Blackbird 002 gaming PC, featured on our 2007 Holiday Gift Guide. In June of this year, HP revved up it’s engines and released the new Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition, featuring the latest NVIDIA GTX 280 graphics. How does it perform compared to the previous model? Read on to find out.

First, let’s start with the specs of this beast:

• NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra Motherboard
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 at 3.2GHz
• 2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 in SLI
• 4GB Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 RAM
• Super Multi Blu-Ray Disc and HD DVD-ROM Drive
• Windows Vista Ultimate Edition

The Blackbird 002 EE looks no different on the outside, but on the inside, it’s got the latest and greatest components available on the market. We were blown away by the performance numbers of the original Blackbird 002, and the Exhilaration Edition takes it to the next level, by only a small margin however.

In our PCMark Vantage tests, the Exhilaration Edition pushed out a score of 5617 PCMarks, compared to the original Blackbird’s score of 5389. Not a huge improvement. In our CINEBENCH tests, the EE performed somewhat slower than the original:

What irks me a little is that the Exhilaration Edition’s processor wasn’t overclocked like many other gaming machines on the market and in my research, only uses two SLI cards instead of a triple SLI configuration. Since the CPU is water cooled, I’m pretty sure that HP could have pushed the system even further.

It’s certainly a speedy system, and will play all of today’s latest games, but priced out at over $6500 bucks, it doesn’t give the exhilaration that it should for that kind of price.

Pros

• Crysis-capable.
• Latest and greatest components.
• Easy to upgrade.

Cons

• Not the performance boost we were hoping for.