The annual Macworld Expo kicked off with a host of product launches for iPhone users, software geeks and even amateur developers. Learn more about Eye-Fi’s iPhone app, a new multimedia drive and tool for managing design projects.
If you’ve got Apple in your eyes, your attention is likely turning to San Francisco this week. The annual Macworld Expo will unveil hundreds of new products for Mac and iPhone lovers. In fact, this will likely be the last Macworld because Apple recently announced it will no longer appear at these trade shows.
Even before Tuesday’s highly-anticipated keynote by Apple’s senior vice president Phil Schiller, Macworld has already teased tech fans with releases ranging from apps to developer tools to hardware peripherals. See below to get a thorough overview of what’s leaking out of San Fran today:
Eye-Fi Shuttles to the iPhone
Remember that fascinating camera card Digital Journal TV profiled recently? It allowed digicam users to upload photos directly to their PC right after shooting pics, as long as they are connected to a Wi-Fi network. Now Eye-Fi announced its application for the iPhone, which does a similar task: after getting the app (free if you own the card), snap a few pics and when you are close to your PC and wireless connection, the photos upload automatically.
Also, users can upload photos taken on an iPhone to their computer and favorite photo-sharing Wite as long as the app is running. You don’t need to be close to your PC and wireless connection to make that magic happen
According to the press release, “The new application will let users aggregate all of their photos — from both an iPhone and a digital camera — into organized folders on a computer and to one of 25 online photo sharing and social networking Web sites.”
No word yet on when the Eye-Fi app will be released and if it will cost anything for iPhoners who don’t own the original Eye-Fi card.
ModelBaker Targets Wannabe Developers
Speaking of iPhone apps, the App Store has sparked a deluge of ideas from amateur developers who want to win some love in the mobile space. Coming to the rescue is Widget Press, which announced the launch of ModelBaker. This software package helps people create applications for the Web, iPhone, iPod touch and Google Android devices. The company says a user doesn’t need any developing experience — but certainly some background in coding wouldn’t hurt.
Users can create style sheets, images and themes, and can also flesh out ideas further using a text editor. It also allows the capability to build a corporate intranet from scratch.
Available today, ModelBaker costs $399 for a single-user license.
Filemaker Turns 10
Apple subsidiary Filemaker released its latest version on its 10th anniversary. The database application feature a new toolbar that puts features previously hidden in the main menu right at a user’s fingertips. There is also a “save search” function and the ability to make changes directly to the underlying data from within a report on-the-fly.
The press release states: “FileMaker Pro 10 also introduces Script Triggers, allowing both users and developers major new options for automating tasks and boosting productivity. Now you can specify that a FileMaker Script (similar to a spreadsheet macro) will run based on timing or whenever users take a specified action in Browse Mode or Find Mode, such as clicking in a field or exiting a viewing mode.”
Available immediately, Filemaker Pro 10 retails for $299.
A Sweet Treat for Creative Suite
Anyone obsessed with Adobe Creative Suite will be excited about this announcement: TypeTrax helps people manage projects on CS, and it tracks, organizes and pre-flights project files, such as fonts and digital assets. Users can also upgrade the fonts and find the font’s metadata.
It sells for $100 per workstation.
Ushering in a New Hard Drive
The tech world might not need another multimedia hard drive but Iomega is hoping to get the industry all a-titter about its Home Media Network Hard Drive. It lets you back up files and stream music, photos, videos, anything. The drive can shuttle data between computers, gaming consoles and networked TVs.
The 500GB giant comes with the necessary gigabit Ethernet jack, and a USB port for adding a shared network printer or extra capacity. Available later this month, it’s priced at $160.
Be sure to check out DigitalJournal.com on Tuesday for a full recap of the keynote address at Macworld.
