6 January 2009 @ 11:28Macworld Expo 2009 Keynote Highlights

Here are some highlights from Phil Schiller’s keynote:

Last year was the biggest year ever for Apple, selling 9.7 million Macs.

iPhoto ’09 includes a new feature called “Faces”. Photos can now be organized by person with face detection technology. Faces can be tagged. Face detection is also used in slideshow creation to help with proper photo positioning.

The next feature is called “Places”. This takes advantage of the geotagging abilities of many new digital cameras. Photos can be located on a map that comes from Google Maps. Locations may also be entered manually for those whose cameras don’t have GPS.

iPhoto ’09 now has built-in support for Facebook and Flickr.

iMovie ’09 builds on iMovie ’08′s complete revamping of the video editing application. New features include: context-sensitive menus for clips, animated travel maps, and auto-stabilization for shaky video. iMovie ’09 is actually starting to look a little like Final Cut Express. Demo of stabilized, slowed down, and aged film effect applied and played back in real-time.

GarageBand ’09 includes a new feature called “Learn to Play” which is designed to teach the user how to play an instrument. Nine basic lessons for guitar and piano are included. Teachers include John Fogerty, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Sting, Norah Jones, Colbie Caillat, and Sara Bareilles. GarageBand ’09 has a built-in store where lessons can be bought and downloaded for $4.99 each.

iLife ’09 is a $79 and family pack is $99. It will ship on all new Macs.

iWork ’09

Keynote ’09 includes some new transitions as well as “Keynote Remote”. Keynote Remote is an app for iPhone or iPod touch which allows you to control your Keynote presentation with just a flick of your finger on the iPhone or iPod touch.

Pages ’09 includes a new full-screen mode that allows you, the writer, to concentrate solely on your document in order to reduce distraction. More new features: dynamic outlines, Mail merge in Numbers, MathType & Endnote support, 40 new templates.

Numbers ’09 includes table categories, formula writing, advanced chart options. Charts are dynamically linked between Pages and Numbers so that charts automatically update when data is updated. Numbers also includes some templates.

iWork ’09 is $79, $99 for family pack, and $49 with the purchase of a new Mac.

Mac Box Set includes Leopard, iLife, and iWork for only $169, and will ship in late January.

New service called iWork.com (currently in public beta) for sharing and collaborating online. Works with Mac or PC. Currently beta is free, but iWork.com will be a paid service sometime in the future.

17-inch MacBook Pro
The new 17″ laptop gets the same unibody design as its smaller siblings. It is the world’s lightest and thinnest 17″ notebook. Measures 0.98″ thick. 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display, 140-degree H and 120-degree V viewing angle, 700:1 contrast ratio, 60% greater color gamut. A $50 anti-glare option is available. I/O is the sam e as the other Pro notebooks, as well as the glass trackpad.

New generation Core 2 Duo processor and support for up to 8GB of RAM. New nVidia graphics. Onboard storage can be upgraded to 256GB SSD.

In order to make the thinnest and longest lasting battery possible, it will not be removable. The 17″ MacBook Pro’s battery is capable of delivering 8 hours of runtimeand can be charged 1000 times (more than 3x the typical battery). Battery lifespan is expected to be 5 years.

Base model is 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo/6MB L2/4GB DDR3/320GB HDD/Nvidia GeForce 9400M/Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT 512MB/slot-loading SuperDrive for $2799, ships in late January. 17″ MacBook Pro at The Apple Store.

Environmental checklist: arsenic free, BFR-free, mercury free, PVC-free system, highly recyclable, smaller packaging, longer-lasting battery.