Macworld NYC 2000 Events
Ah, summer (at least in this hemisphere), when a Mac geek’s thoughts turn to testing AirPort wireless networks outside, and to Macworld Expo in New York. After a rough first year, people are becoming accustomed to the idea of having Macworld Expo in New York City in July. General griping was down last year from 1998’s minuscule show, and I suspect it will be even quieter during this year’s show, which runs from July 19th through July 21st. It’s now clear Macworld Expo will be staying put in New York for the foreseeable future (watch it move next year just to make me look stupid!), so my approach has been to enjoy the opportunity to explore the city – it’s great for walking, museums, and people-watching. But after some of that the day before the show, I’ll be hoping to see plenty of TidBITS readers, so here is a brief guide to getting around in New York and finding me (and Contributing Editor Matt Neuburg) on the show floor.
<http://www.macworldexpo.com/>
New York Via Vindigo — It’s unusual for a cold PR call to be anything more than annoying, but the PR representative for Vindigo was right on target when she called me last week. Vindigo is a city guide – complete with information on restaurants, shops, and attractions – but rather than muck about with hefty and out-of-date books, you access Vindigo on your Palm OS-based handheld. Vindigo provides guides for New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., and for each city, you can tell Vindigo where you are or where you want to go by street intersections. Then you can tell it that you want to eat, shop, or play, and Vindigo displays matching restaurants, shops, or clubs. For any given place, Vindigo provides a review from sources like zagat.com and local newspapers, walking directions with approximate distances, contact information, and (of course) a related ad so the service can remain free. You can create your own reviews and ratings, and the next time you sync your handheld, Vindigo sends your notes to the centralized server and checks for updates so you don’t find yourself going to places that have closed or relocated. Vindigo has been shipping for Windows for several months, but the company has released a Macintosh conduit today, just in time for Macworld Expo. I’ll definitely be trying out Vindigo while in New York; if you’re a Palm user unfamiliar with New York City, it might be worth a look.
<http://www.vindigo.com/>
<http://www.zagat.com/>
Macworld Expo Pocket Show Guide — As long as we’re on the topic of Palm OS guides, it’s worth grabbing a copy of Palmtop Publishing’s Macworld Expo Pocket Show Guide. It’s a 64K Palm OS application that provides a searchable database of exhibitors, booths, workshops, and session topics. I’ve used previous versions of this guide, and it has saved my bacon on more than one occasion when I need to have a meeting at some company’s booth, but I don’t know where the booth is located. It definitely beats the paper-based show guide for finding information fast. You can download it at the URL below, or just send email to <[email protected]>.
<http://www.palmtoppublishing.com/macworld/>
TidBITS Events — As always, we have a number of public events which we encourage TidBITS readers to attend – we love to meet readers in person, and if nothing else it’s always good to have a few shills around lobbing softball questions and effusive praise when our publishers are within earshot! We’ll be happy to sign copies of our books – you can bring your existing copies, buy them at the show, or use the links below to buy through Amazon if you want to come prepared.
On Wednesday, July 19th at 5:15 PM, I’ll be on Macworld Contributing Editor Chris Breen’s Pundits Panel with Andy Ihnatko and Bob LeVitus as my illustrious companions. This panel discussion was a blast when Andy and Chris and I did it with Jason Snell of Macworld back in January at San Francisco – I highly recommend resting your feet for 30 minutes at the Mac Publishing booth (#531) on Wednesday.
On Thursday, July 20th at 11:00 AM, I’ll be at the O’Reilly booth (#181) doing a short presentation about the main irritations about Windows that bite Macintosh users (and there should be time at the end for signing copies of Crossing Platforms and answering questions). Then, at 3:00 PM, I’ll be at the Peachpit booth (#955) signing copies of my Eudora Visual QuickStart Guide and answering questions about Eudora and email.
<http://www.tidbits.com/bookbits/ staff.html#crossing>
<http://www.tidbits.com/bookbits/ staff.html#eudora>
On Friday, July 21st at 1:00 PM, I’ll be giving a 90 minute conference session on "Backup Strategies for Successful Restores" (Room 1E14) with Craig Issacs of Dantz Development. Also on Friday at 2:30 PM, TidBITS Contributing Editor Matt Neuburg will be at the O’Reilly booth talking about how children (of all ages) can learn to program with REALbasic.
<http://www.tidbits.com/bookbits/ staff.html#realbasic>
Macworld NY Netter’s Dinner — Al Tucker is once again organizing a Macworld Netter’s Dinner in New York City on Wednesday, July 19th, with everyone meeting at 6:00 PM by the doors leading out of the Javits Convention Center. Although being on the Internet is no longer unusual these days, as was the case when the first Netter’s Dinners took place in San Francisco, the dinner is still a nice chance for people who have been on the Internet a long time to get together for a meal. Pre-registration via Kagi is required, so make sure to visit the Netter’s Dinner Web page for the details.
<http://avalon.rockefeller.edu/nettersdinner/>
Macworld NY ’00 Events List Online — The indefatigable Ilene Hoffman has been gathering events for the Robert Hess Memorial Macworld Expo Events List, so if you’d like to see what there is to do at Macworld Expo in New York this year, check the list for public events and parties. If you’re hosting an event of any sort at Macworld Expo, you should make sure to submit it – after all, we’re talking free publicity here. And as always, we encourage anyone planning parties to read our "Macworld Geek Party Guide" from TidBITS-415 for tips on throwing successful trade show parties.
<http://www.xensei.com/users/ileneh/ partylist.html>
<https://tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=04694>
Have a great time at Macworld and New York City, and we hope to see you there!