We’re on the ground at Macworld Expo in San Francisco, waiting for things to kick off Tuesday (so be sure to check our Web site for breaking news from the show!). But before the keynote and ensuing craziness of the show, we have plenty of news to pass along. Apple surprised us last week by announcing new eight-core Mac Pros and Xserves, adding more intrigue to what might be announced tomorrow. Adam looks at the recent news of Amazon MP3 gaining more DRM-free music and wonders if a change at the iTunes Store is in the cards. If you’re coming to San Francisco or travelling in general, be sure to read our coverage of new rules for flying with computer and camera batteries, as well as Glenn Fleishman’s advice for protecting your wireless connections while at the show. We also note the releases of a beta of Parallels Server, NetNewsWire 3.1 (now free!), Interarchy 9, and Airfoil 3, with a peek at Rogue Amoeba’s Live Disc utility for distributing current software versions on CD. Lastly, Macworld Expo isn’t the only big tech event this month: our intrepid correspondent Jeff Porten reports on the latest gizmos, gadgets, and gewgaws from last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
New rules from the U.S. Department of Transportation forbid checking spare lithium batteries in your luggage; you must bring them in your carry-on luggage. Read on for details.
Amazon.com has signed up all four major music labels to provide DRM-free music for Amazon MP3. Can we expect Apple to announce an equivalent amount of DRM-free music in the iTunes Store at Macworld?
A new virtualization environment from Parallels allows Leopard Server to run as a guest operating system, among other interesting tricks.
NewsGator unleashes NetNewsWire and all the rest of its newsreader software for free in order to promote greater adoption of its corporate-focused servers. It's good news for the average individual, too.
The latest release appears of hoary file-transfer program Interarchy, now featuring a new Leopard look and a faster encrypted mirroring option.
The latest version of Airfoil synchronizes video to remote audio, and can stream audio to remote Macs, not just AirPort Express Base Stations.
Wouldn't it be cool if all those CDs containing demo software that are given away at trade shows could automatically ensure that their contents were always up to date? Rogue Amoeba has figured out how to make it happen.
When "the fastest Mac ever" doesn't make the cut for the Macworld Expo keynote, you have to wonder what Apple's up to. But in the meantime, check out the specs on the new Mac Pro!
Not content with updating just the Mac Pro before Macworld Expo, Apple also released a new eight-core update to the Xserve that mimics many of the Mac Pro's specs.
Macworld Expo will be a prime location for those with bad intent to snarf passwords and data as it flies through the air from unwary iPhone users and their unsecured iPhones. Laptop users are at risk, too, of course. Here are some hints and references for ensuring your privacy before attending the event - or visiting any Wi-Fi hot spot.
You may have thought that Macworld Expo is a big trade show, and it's not small. But compared to CES, as our intrepid correspondent Jeff Porten found out, Macworld is small and (luckily) highly focused.
CES is all about gadgets, and Jeff Porten has hunted down some of the most interesting ones, including a keyboard that can change the picture on each keycap, a USB flash drive that backs up files online, a head-mounted display for your iPod, and more.
Jeff Porten continues to wander the cavernous halls of CES in search of cool stuff... and this time he finds something that could help him get around: the 13 MPH iShoes! (Really. We're not kidding.)
CES is now over, but read on for Jeff Porten's final collection of products, booths, services, and more, along with an explanation of exactly how he ended up asking a Playboy Playmate for information on Tasers.
This week's discussions at TidBITS Talk deal with backing up large databases using Time Machine, the ongoing question of how much Intuit hates its customers, Apple's new Mac Pro release right before Macworld Expo, and a number of glitches that readers have encountered (and solved).