Macworld/iWorld 2013
Macworld in San Francisco wasn’t the crowded event that it was just a few years back. Like last year, and maybe the year prior (if memory serves me correct), it’s held in Moscone West, the smaller sibling to Moscone’s main buildings. This year Ashton Kutcher was among the keynote speakers, talking about his role playing the late Steve Jobs in an upcoming movie. In past years I’d wake early to stand on a very long line to listen to Mr. Jobs give his keynote. However, I couldn’t bring myself to even attend the event Mr. Kutcher was speaking at. It seemed too flat in comparison. Yes, I hit that age when I can easily ramble on with statements that start, “I remember when …” That being said, I still enjoy attending, seeing what’s new, and taking a few classes to brush up on skills.
This year Adobe had a small presence, mainly showing off Photoshop Touch for the iPad. I’d think by now most people already own it. I wonder how Photoshop will fare in the coming years. While it remains my favorite tool, there are a lot of powerful apps for a teeny fraction of the cost.
After Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath, it’s no surprise that gear from Goal Zero immediately caught my eye. Both Derry and I got the Goal Zero Nomad 7 solar charger (which sells for $99). We also got the Guide 10 Plus battery pack, which includes four rechargeable batteries, solar and USB inputs, and a handy LED flashflight. That unit sells normally sells for $59.95, but it was included as a show special (nice deal!). You can find information about the solar charger here. While I do have two other decent chargers, I really like the idea of a solar charger, especially when out on the road.
Above is the Jot Touch pressure sensitive stylus I mentioned in the post below. You can find more information about it here, including how to pre-order it for $89. It has something called “palm rejection technology,” meaning you can rest your hand on the iPad while using it, and only the stylus itself will make a line rather than your hand (or finger). There are 2,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, and you can turn on and off the palm rejection feature. I suspect if I had a bit more money to toss about, I’d pre-order one. Right now I’m still holding off. I use the regular Jot stylus, which I got last year at Macworld (and, funny enough, won another this year). It has the same round, clear disc that glides along the surface. For the most part, I like it, although every once in the while it skips a bit. To get around the pressure sensitivity, I work in a lower opacity and build up color. Even so, after trying it and the Hex3 from JaJa, it really is quite nice. Here’s info on the Hex 3. I see their price is also $89.95. Another artist I spoke with told me her favorite stylus is the iFaraday (not pressure sensitive). I couldn’t find it at the show and thus didn’t try it, but you can find info on it here.