MOBODOJO » In Los Angeles

MacGathering Surveying For 2009 Los Angeles Show

Tyler Regas — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:19:36 +0000

The people over at MacGathering, the biggest little Apple-focused tradeshow promotion group on the planet, is gearing up to run a show in Los Angeles and they are seeking to gauge your interest with a survey. The aim for this show, to be held at the same place the SCALE show is, is to have both vendor booths on the show floor and full-day Bootcamps. Among the Bootcamp topics will be iPhone and Mac OS X development, Web site building, SEO, graphics design, beginner, intermediate, and advanced Mac usage topics, and others. I’m hosting the survey for the show and they have put on other shows here in LA which have been successful. This would be one of the largest Apple-specific shows in the US outside of Macworld Expo.

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Hangin’ At MacDayLA

Tyler Regas — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:13:56 +0000

I’m here at Radford Studios, part of the CBS Studio City group, hanging with my Mac nerd pals at MacDayLA. I’m actually on the panels today as an expert (whoduhthunk?) and I’m giving Q&A session on virtualizing Windows on the Mac. The first guy to come to my table at breakfast asked me, “Why would anyone want to run Windows when they have a Mac?” I told him that not all developers had “gotten it” just yet. Its rather sad, really. Considering the fact that Microsoft is spiralilng downward in the ranks of quality (let’s just say they don’t have a long way to fall). It seems like 4 of every 5 people I speak to today (no, they’re not all Mac users) have one or more significant complaints about Vista.

It seems that overall people are getting sick of Microsoft and Microsoft isn’t taking notice. People are tired of the high fees for software, the limitations of being held within the Microsoft universe, the glitches and security problems, and the lack of responsiveness from the Redmond corporation. This frustration is being shown in greater numbers of sales of Mac laptop and desktop systems and more and more people moving from Windows to Mac OS X. PC World magazine declared the MacBook Pro as the best laptop on which to run Windows Vista! None of this bodes well for Microsoft and Ballmer’s not doing much to change that perception.

As usual, time will tell the tale. Right now I’m listening to Scott Bourne, a fantastic photographer and a very funny speaker.

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MacDayLA: Hands On With Axiotron’s ModBook

Tyler Regas — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:43:52 +0000

I’ll start by offering my apologies. The ModBook has been in play for some time now and I have failed to get one, despite the fact that their offices are located mere miles away from ours! So, at MacDayLA who else do I come across but Axiotron and their slick ModBook. I sat down and spent some time with the ModBook with Sigthor from Axiotron’s marketing department. One interesting tidbit, the founder and creator of the ModBook is Andreas Haas, the last director of operations for Apple Europe’s Newton division. Yeah. The guy has a thing for handhelds and handwriting recognition.

All the better for us, I say. Apple has been very reluctant to enter the tablet arena for as long as I can recall. I do remember that a 3rd party company did offer modified PowerBooks for education and people with learning disabilities, but I couldn’t find any information or even an image. If you browse around Google searching for “Mac OS X tablet computer” you’ll find many people asking for one, asking about the, or just making their own. So, Axiotron decided to just make one. At first, they simply bought MacBooks and made their ModBooks, hence the name. Now you can buy them. Now that Axiotron is a Proprietary Systems Provider officially recognized by Apple they purchase them directly from Apple.

So, what is a ModBook other than simply a tablet PC? Simply put, the ModBook is a MacBook which has been taken apart and rebuilt as a ModBook. To do that, Axiotron removes the screen and the panel into which the keyboard and trackpad are built. This leaves the base of the unit which contains everything which makes it a computer. They then install a titanium frame and their custom bezel. That new top is what makes the ModBook a tablet computer. It contains a new display which is a layered system containing the pen grid, the display, and a special glass top. Just for kicks, Axiotron also slots in a GPS antenna (the white bar at the top of the screen).

The ModBook itself is very slick, only weighing in at a few ounces heavier than a standard MacBook. Sigthor told me that most people are surprised at the weight, but I can tell you from personal experience that equivalent devices of this type weight just as much. He also told me that the ModBook is being targeted at designers and graphics people. This is a smart path since using Photoshop on the ModBook is a dream. The pen, which has changeable tips of varying types, has an eraser on the back and a Right Click button on the side. I started with the standard tip, but soon changed to the felt tip which makes it feel like a Sharpie. Very nice, indeed.

Axiotron only adds two applications; a GPS driver interface utility (you need to buy your own Mac-compatible GPS software) and Quick Click, Axiotron’s onscreen keyboard. Everything else is handled by Apple’s own software, including handwriting recognition via Apple’s Ink Services. If you activate on-screen handwriting recognition, you can activate a text field and just start writing. Ink Services will translate it and insert into the field. Flip the pen over and you can erase. It works remarkably well and feels very natural. Drawing was also very natural. I’m no artist, but I do some cartooning. I was able to whip up several small, funny pieces in mere minutes, something I wouldn’t have been able to do with a mouse.

Everything from the original MacBook is retained in this process. The camera and optical and all ports are all there. It works just like a real MacBook. The only thing missing is they keyboard and trackpad, which you can use if you plug them in or connect Bluetooth models. One nice benefit from the conversion is that the new ModBook is far more rigid than the MacBook. Overall, I was very pleased with the ModBook and I look forward to seeing more from Axiotron and Apple.

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MacDayLA: First Post!

Tyler Regas — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:09:09 +0000

Well, I’ve arrived and I’m in the Features session where people in the audience are asking questions of some Mac gurus. I ducked out when they started a digital photography session. I take bad pictures and I’m proud of it. I don’t need my family history to look like a feature in Time Magazine. I moved over to the TableTalk sessions and sat down with Jim Lee of Tropical Software. They make the TopXNotes notepad application for Mac OS X. Jim gave me the demo and I’m impressed. I’ll wrap that up by saying you need to take a look at it. Its a very powerful tool and it has features I’ve never seen before. I’m going to get a copy, as well. Just with its functionality I can really start to organize things (and maybe get reviews out in a timely manner!). [Editor's Note: I've fixed the link, thanks to an observant reader! -Ed.]

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MacDayLA To End Sluggishness!

Tyler Regas — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:43:21 +0000

I know, I know. There’s been very little to post about and we’re behind in our reviews. However, today is MacDayLA in Los Angeles and I will he heading out there to schmooze with fellow Mac heads, look at some new gear, and take in some information. For more details on the MacDayLA event, check it out here. I’ll be posting on the event later on. Oh, and no, I will not be posting about the FCC bandwidth auction until the embargo has been lifted and I can report on all of it.

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Cool New Game Store, Japan Arcade

Tyler Regas — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:16:44 +0000

If you were to throw a rock in Los Angeles, you’d likely hit a video game store. Unfortunately, it would either be a GameStop, EB Games, or one of a handful of National video game chain stores. Of course, they’d call the cops on you. There are, however, a few remaining stalwarts run by those who love video games. One such hardy soul is Reflex Gamer in the Little Tokyo Shopping Mall (3rd and Alameda) in Little Tokyo just Southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. From my conversation with Vance I found that they will be treating domestic games and imports with equal importance, so this will be a fine outlet for hard to find titles from Japan and Korea. What makes it even cooler to check it out is that its neighbor is Japan Arcade, a small, clean, and dynamic arcade which carries Japanese coin-op machines we don’t see here in the US. Most games run for one or two tokens, though the larger dance and music systems and the Initial D games run four tokens.