The following entry I have been working on for over a week each night and I hope you enjoy reading it. It is a guide to every iPod released since the beginning. The article may be long but is great for seeing how long we have journeyed since the Apple press event back in 2001.

Click "Full Story" for the article

January 25th: One of our readers and conference pass attendees, Lennie Budgell, made two collages using photos from our MWSF photo gallery. Both are available for download. Thanks Lennie for the submissions. They look great!

Collage 1 (5.6 megabytes)
Collage 2 (2 megabytes)

Option click to download and view.

The Icewear line of iPod cases from Tunewear is an interesting addition to the family of silicon iPod skins. The Icewear is unique in the fact that, like its name, it only comes in a transparent white. The folks at Tunewear believe in making simple yes useful products, and the Icewear is just that. This silicon case is a very tight fit on your iPod, I mean a very tight fit, Tunewear even offers instructions on how to remove the iPod from the Icewear on their web site. Icewear are made of extremely durable silicone, this stuff is really tough, and rather than having a belt clip, the Icewear has two slots for your belt to slide trough for more security. The Icewear allows full access to the scroll wheel, charger, headphone jack, and hold button. However, this case provides no protection for the screen of your iPod and I only recommend it for those who would constantly keep it in the case. Tunewear makes Icewear cases for iPod mini, slick wheel iPods of all sizes, including the iPod photo and U2 iPod, and also the 3G iPod or button iPod ( as some call it ). Tunewear products can only be bought trough resellers, visit http://www.tunewear.com to get a link to an authorized reseller.

The “ iPod Xperts ” have come up with something really unique and fun for the iPod mini, Shieldz, are transparent plastic covers for the iPod mini. They are much more useful then I first assumed. Shieldz snap on and off easily, they provide protection for the screen and access to the scroll wheel. Shieldz are compatible with Apples belt clip and arm band as well as with XtremeMacs mini accessory kit. Now the real fun comes in when you mix and match the 6 different colors of the Shieldz with your iPod mini, you can create some totally new and snazzy looks for you and your iPod mini. The Shieldz are $12.95 each and can be ordered at http://xtrememac.com

Cybertip.ca launched to fight online child pornography

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IS CHILD ABUSE

The fight against child pornography received a boost yesterday with the national launch of Cybertip.ca, a tipline for the reporting of child sexual exploitation on the Internet.

A public awareness campaign was also unveiled to encourage Canadians from coast to coast to use Cybertip.ca to report incidents of suspected child sexual exploitation on the Internet.

Reports can be made through an online form at www.cybertip.ca or by calling a toll-free phone line at .

Gratis Network responsible for almost all the free product sites on the web is at it again, this time with the newly released Mac Mini. It works exactly the same as the other products, this time you need 10 referrals. Free Mac Mini

The Urban HardPack is on of the most fashionable bags I have seen to date, I really mean that, this bag is “smooth as silk”. The Urban HardPack is one of the few bags which achieves the much sought after combination of functionality and style. The HardPacks solid outer layer is sleek and shiny enough where you can see your reflection, at the same time it provides unsurpassed protection for whatever you are carrying. I mean this thing is “solid”. Its internal and external enhancements accommodate today's high tech Mac users. The HardPack has compartments with zippered pockets, a key ring clip and straps for securing personal belongings. Since the HardPack uses straps to secure your items, it accommodates most sizes of laptops, MP3 players, cell phones, PDA’s, and anything else the Mac user on the go needs to have. I would not however recommend this bag for any type of extreme sports, BMX, skateboarding, etc. Although this bag is very durable, and provides incredible protection for whatever is inside of it, the shiny front scratches very easily. Take one spill with this bag and you won’t like the way it looks. On the upside, Axio also makes quality soft front bags, for our more extreme users. The Urban HardPack is $149.95 and can only be ordered at http://www.axio-usa.com even of you are not interested in guying a bag I encourage you to visit their flash site, its really something else ( in a good way )

Radtech’s patented Optex material is being used everywhere now but the classic use as a case for your iPod is still being produced by the St. Louis based company. Their Podsleeve now fits every Apple iPod model including the new iPod photo with its large and larger 40/60-gigabyte capacities. We have reviewed the Podsleevz in the past and our opinions six months ago and those today are the same. In fact, I love the latest iteration more because it is the thinnest case for my iPod photo and the Podsleevz now comes in white.

Radtech’s President stated white Podsleevz had a difficult dye process but has been perfected and it looks great because it matches your iPod. I was skeptical that the white would pick up more dirt but after a week of use, I can barely notice any dirt on it at all. Don’t forget, Optex can be washed so any thing that does get on it comes out easily. The Podsleevz for every iPod, including the photo, is shipping now and the white version will be available at the end of March for $24.95.

The SportWrap is another Xtreme item that made its debut at this years Mac World, San Francisco. The folks at XtremeMac have designed what I personally believe to be the best iPod case for any kind of exercise or sport on the market today. I have taken it out jogging and biking, and its perfect for those types of activities. While I do not recommend deep sea diving with the SportWrap, its made of water resistant neoprene which will protect you iPod from water to a certain degree. The back of the SportWrap is velcro, to secure your iPod to your arm, while the front is protected by a plastic screen that is durable but still allows you to control your iPod. The arm band adjust to fit most arm sizes and there is an extra slot to store your extra cords out of your way. The SportWrap is very comfortable and secure. It comes in four designer colors, black, red, blue, and yellow, and can be ordered at http://xtrememac.com for only $29.95. This case is well worth it if you are into sports or just like to run, and cant stand the hassle of trying to work out with a regular iPod case.

January 17th: It seems that the "Free" stuff company has jumped on the another promotion adding to their freeipods, freeipodphoto, and now FreeiPodShuffle. The new site is offering a 1gb shuffle iPod for yourself if you get three friends to sign up for it as well and get three friends. One of our writers, Matt Jackson used the service and got his 20gb 4th gen iPod. This promotion is no different. Kinda nice, you only need three friends this time around. Of course, this is from the same company that did the other promotions, so the jury is out whether this one works as well. There have been mixed reviews on working or not.

FreeiPodShuffle.com

Macworld was a fantastic time, as it was last year, but each show I attend there are more and more white earbud on the expo floor and around the city. When I left home, I knew 10 iPod owners in my city and all Mac fanatics. There were also 4 iPod owners at the gym I work out and that is all I know of for our area. San Francisco is synonymous for tech (since in the heart of Silicon Valley) and you see more Macintosh computers and iPod than anywhere else, from my experience. This year, iPod headphones were much more prevalent. Every fourth person I passed on the street had something Apple made going into their ears and when I was spending time with the owners of other Mac enthusiast websites, it seemed they had developed anger towards those wearing the headphones.

For years now, Macmice, Inc. has been creating phenomenal products and true to their name, they have kept the “mice” in Macmice. There is a variety of mice all with the same form factor and usability features. Released in September, The Mouse BT, is the newest addition able to connect to Bluetooth enabled Macintosh and PC computers. Other “The Mouse” models used USB and were the same three button style as the new mouse. BT, standing for Bluetooth, makes the mouse usable up to 125 feet (theoretically) and takes away the cord from the mouse, which is one of the main reasons this historical peripheral was called a mouse from the start. Either way, Bluetooth has taken off at an amazing rate since Apple decided to adopt the technology into its OS in OS 10.1.5.

The AirPlay FM transmitter for the iPod and iPod mini is one Xtreme piece of hardware. It is a member of a small family of FM transmitters that works in all frequencies. There is no software to install and no cables to hassle with, you simply plug it in, tune it, and enjoy your iPod on any free FM frequency. The AirPlay feeds of the iPods battery so you never have to plug it into anything, charge it, or feed it expensive batteries. The AirPlay will wirelessly play your music trough any FM radio and is perfect for use in cars. The AirPlay has an easy to read screen which lights up in bright blue. The screen turns off after you are done tuning to conserve the iPods power, and the two tuning buttons easily change the frequency. It is about half the size of a fortune cookie. The folks at XtremeMac.com claim that the AirPlay is smaller, simpler, and better than any FM transmitter on the market, and there is no arguing that fact. The AirPlay even shuts off when the iPod is not playing. The AirPlay is compatible with the 3G iPod, Click Wheel iPod, iPod Photo, iPod Mini and U2 iPod and I can honestly say that this is the best top mountable FM transmitter available. The AirPlay goes for $39.95 and can be ordered at http://www.xtrememac.com

After a week of coverage in San Francisco California, MPG and its partner, The Different District (DD) have completed our coverage and will be heading home. The week was full of exciting adventures, long days (and nights) and meeting our readers and advertisers. Macworld, espcially Macworld San Francisco, is my favorite week of the year and makes for memories you will never forget. I would personally like to send thanks to Macworld Expo, IDG World Expo, Waterfield Designs, Quizno's on Geary ST, Sony Metreon, The Redwood Room, The Adelaide Hotel, iSkin, Inside Mac Radio, Macteens, The Mac Mind, iPodlounge, Apple-x and most imporantly my family of writers whom have taken time out of their lives and from work and family to spend one - five days covering the most exciting week of the year in the Mac universe. Our site traffic rose 2000% this week and although I can't disclose the numbers, it was a successful week. For those that told people about the site and volunteered news and help in planning the trip via e-mail, we are most grateful.

Have a great weekend. We will return next week. The writers will be sleeping until Monday, at least.

We had some great times this week. Meeting people (new and old), making contacts, learning new skills and of course the nightlife was great as well *wink*. Here are some pictures (390 of them) from our week and they are divided in seperate galleries. Enjoy.

Apple Headquarters
Expo Hall
MPG and its Friends
San Francisco: The City
Expo: Last Day

Evil Chick has submitted some MWSF photos as well

Well the week is over, we got kicked out of the expo floor and are leaving for Florida at 8:00 PM tonight. I am incredibly sad that the week is over, but I have some great memories to hold on to, putting aside Mac world, getting a week off from school and receiving around 500$ worth of free merchandise, I realized I just had a blast hanging out with my best friend Adam and the DD crew all week. San Francisco is a great city and I really fell in love with it during this week. As the picture above suggest, even thought I was malnutritioned, cold, and deprived of sleep, I had a smile on my face the whole time. The best thing I will be taking home with me will be memories of great times and great friends. I cant wait to go next year................

One of our Pt-time writers, Mike Livsey submitted this story as a short review of his experience at the Adelaide Hostel in San Francisco. A funny story and we could not help posting it. Some of the MPG writers stayed in the same hostel and it was a great place with plenty of room, satellite TV, wi-fi internet and the rules were very few. Of course, with Mike's luck, he is the one that gets into trouble. Here is his post...

Click "Full-Story" for the rest.

Today I was awoken by Adam at 10:00 AM, apparenly, he had to attend an Adobe sponsored breakfast. We set out for the Expo and got here just in time for the free food. After eating the first eal food we have had for the past 24 hours we set out to do what we do best, interview companies. We met up with our favorite vendor, Julie from iSkin, who is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet, iSkin is releasing some great new products. Expect the review on their newest cases soon, we also met up with the folks from Marware, who agreed to submit a " guy pack " of their newest cases to our site for review. After that everything went normal we talked to a few other companies and made a few contacts. We also saw what is probably the first dog to attend MWSF, he was assisting a disabled person.

MWSF is over and, as with all good things, time flew by. We all went to Macworld to celebrate our iLives and their randomness, here's what happened:


Click "Full Story" for more...

Our Chief Columnist, Matt Jackson has posted some interview of some Macworld Expo attendees. They are available for download…



opt-Click to download link 1
opt-Click to download link 2

January 13th: The first automobile giveaway to all Macworld atendees took place today at the MacMice booth. An event sponsored by Mazda and DVForge / Macmice was to give away a maxed out 2005 Mazda Miata "Speed" in bright red to a lucky expo attendee. The rules were very simple. Those not affiliated or employed by MacMice can walk up to the booth and submit a piece of paper with their information. Then, Thursday(today), a winner was chosen at random to take home this beautiful automobile. I had to post audio to this event because the ammount of time Jack Cambell and crew try to find a winner is hilarious. The audio is 20 minutes long but well worth it to hear the end of an intense giveaway. Thanks to MacMice and company for allowing us to get so close to the event and capture audio & interview the winner. MacMice and their other ventures are located at http://macmice.com

opt-Click to download link

Apple has been getting farther away from the PC using world since the turn of the century. They have been successful with the iPod because it is affordable, small and easy to use. Every other product they have made is pushing the limit in terms of how intimidating it can be. The PowerMac G5 is a huge box of metal sitting higher than most monitors and looks ready to launch a nuclear bomb. The Powerbook, especially the 17”, is gigantic and brushed metal takes industrial design to a new level being fashionable but setting itself aside from other notebooks. The iMac, flat panel and G5 are great looking machines but are so far away from anything on the PC market, it scares the switchers away. Pcs are all one look and the same price range. Not only are you asking a user to switch software, operating system and more; you are asking them to buy a white 3x2 foot slab with everything integrated. Mac users are accustomed to Apple’s “ahead of the trend” behavior but Pcheads have needed a reason to switch.

Day 2 of the MacWorld Expo San Francisco didn’t exactly go according to plan, we didn’t wake up until 10:00 PM because the guys stayed out late at the iSkin party which I couldn’t go to because I am underage. So we didn’t get to the Expo until 12:00 PM, everything went smooth from there, I made a lot of important contacts and received several products for review, and a book. You guys can be expecting products reviews coming soon from Radtech, Rain Design, Timbuk 2, Crumpler, Brenthaven and as earlier mentioned Xtrememac. We also received a signed copy of 'Revolution in the Valley', I had it signed to “ Fans of Mypersonalgetaway.com. ” So if you haven’t guessed it, that’s right, MPG will be giving away a copy of 'Revolution in the Valley' to commemorate MacWorld San Francisco, I will post the details on the giveaway by the end of the week. After the we were kicked out of the media room by the Macworld staff at 6:00 PM, we spent about five minutes at the Macworld After Dark concert before we decided that it royally sucked, after that we went out to dinner with “ The Mac Mind “ and “ Apple-X “ crews. After that we could all either go to a party or the movies, “ The Mac Mind “ and “ Apple-X “ guys wimped out on us and went home, they all had decent reasons which will not be mentioned here. Adam and me ended up exploring the city for about 3 hours, we made it all the way up to China town and got back to the hostel around 11:30 PM. Adam has work to do and halfway dead so its time for me to get some sleep. You royal fans of mine stay safe and have fun.

Well its here, the first day of MacWorld San Francisco, Tuesday the 11th, the door to the Expo finally open to the public, Adam and me got up at 4:30 AM to hand out doughnuts to the first lucky people trough the door. We bought 3 dozen doughnuts and they were gone in about 30 seconds. Then we set up in the media room. We soon learned that we would not be seeing Steve Jobs live at the Keynote as promised, instead we were piled in the "OverFlow" room along with every other internet based media representative. We watched the whole thing on a silver screen. So many people we dissapointed, sad, and even angry. Apparently Macworld managment had issued too many media passes. This is a miscalculation on the part of the Macworld staff and we at MPG do not support the way the Macworld staff handled this, we did not come 2000 miles to watch Steve on a silver screen.

Each year, thousands flock to the Moscone center in San Francisco to see the latest products, enhance their skills from leaders in the Macintosh and tech sectors and some users just want to hang out with fellow Mac users. All attendees share a common interest and motivation for attending and that is Steve’s keynote. For years, the keynote address at MWSF has set the tone for the year ahead and given users some brand new toys for which to play. Steve Jobs has delivered the address since 1998 and each time users love to hear him discuss the going ons at Apple Computer, crack a few jokes and generally make people excited about the technology the same way he feels.

For those that can't wait until 6PM or even thirty minutes, I am posting a 96k encoded MP3 of the entire show (1.5 hours) for download. Please do not stream. Right-click or Option-click and download to your HD. We will have photos up very shortly from Apple's booth.

Low Bit Rate (26 Megabytes)
High Bit Rate (52 Megabytes)

Welcome to the MPG Macworld Keynote entry. This entry will be updated starting at 8AM Pacific time with details and again updated when keynote starts until it ends. We encourage you to our our XML (https://mypersonalgetaway.com/index.xml) and iChat (iChat type Command+G and type "MPG") to get the updates as well. It will save bandwidth. There will not be cell phone notification. We will be posting audio of the keynote and very rough pictures thirty minutes after keynote ends. A better audio and much better looking photos will be posted later.

The following people have made this possible:
Adam Jackson (Planning)
Ben Redmond (Updating our sources from home connected via Cell Phone, and iChat)
Matt Jackson (Photography/ Audio Recording)
Judy Westcott (Syndication 'Spymac.com')

Also, I am giving Mac and PC sites alike rights to reprint this in any form or media but you must credit Mypersonalgetaway.com for use and notiy me via e-mail if you used the transcript.


Click "Full Story" For the entire Keynote Transcript

January 11th: At the trip to Apple cafeteria today in Cupertino I was getting something to drink with my sushi meal and saw the water I have been trying to track down for a while now but never knew the name. It seems Steve really likes this water a lot. The brand is "GLACE'AU smartwatersport". It's website is http://drinkbetterwater.com and is bottled in New York. The water has electrolytes to enrich taste and is two dollars a bottle at the Apple "Cafe' Macs". For years I have seen mutliple threads on message boards asking about his water and some thought it was a french title but instead it is a U.S. company and bottled here but it not claiming to be "Spring Water". Albertson's carries the companies' vitamin water but the mineral water we are unsure of.

BTW: While drinking the water, I noticed you make a sound when you take your mouth from the pop top due to suction. Now, thinking back to old keynotes, you never hear that noise when Steve Drinks. I am betting he really practices before keynote to make sure the *pop* does not blast through keynote Speakers.

And now, the Gallery.

January 11th: Spin Doctors will be performing Tuesday evening at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. They are performing at the Lennon Bus Tour stage w/ iGuitar as a sponsor. Media and selected groups got to watch the rehearsal today at 6PM as the group performed a couple of their biggest hits and discussed how Macs and the sponsors' software has affected how they record and perform. MPG was able to take photos and audio from the event w/ images of performance and the Lennon Tour Bus as well as the decent recording of "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", a 1991 hit.

Gallery
Song Sample

January 11th: Sunday was awesome! We met up and had a total of seven people hanging out with us as we went all over SF all excluding the Mission and Golden Gate. We had dinner at a Thai place in Castro. We went split into groups and went to the hotel and I went to the Redwood Room to meet some friends I met last year. From there, went to a club called, "Pink" and the music was great. I would touch on things more but it is 3AM right now and I have Macworld coverage at 5:30. I have 200 photos to title, rotate, touch-up and post to our site.

The plan for day 2 of our San Francisco trip was to meet our MPG support group at the Moscone center at 8:30 AM, but since Adam and me stayed up really late the night before, doing totally different things. I was walking around the slums of Downtown San Francisco trying to find my way to the hostel ( took me like 2 hours to finally get a ride with a Police Officer, while Adam was out partying.

As I write this first entry of MPG’s MWSF trip, I am on an airplane over Oklahoma. The entry I will update and post Monday morning. I have some updates to provide in regards to our trip and would, first, like to thank you all for stopping by for MWSF updates.

As many of you know the Macworld Expo doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday, however Adam and me decided to come two days early to explore the wonderful city of Saint Francsco and find out what it is all about. It’s an awesome change from Florida. Florida and California are polar opposites, while Florida is a flat, thrilless wasteland devoid of life and exitement, California is a rugged and beautiful land, and everywhere you look there is something to get your adrenaline pumping. Adam and me got in to San Francisco at 9:00 AM this morning, after getting our luggage we preceded to our dwelling place; we share our room with four other strangers at a local hostel home.

Clarification on Sunday's MWSF events. I had some people confused of our plans and I wanted to reiterate. I may do this daily.

Myself and colleagues arrive Sunday around noon. We will all meet at 1:30-1:45PM in Union Square (downtown). Union Square is 2 blocks north of the Apple Store on Market. Or just find Macy's and it is the next block north from the large Macy's. Anyway, there is a large tower in the center of Union Square. We will meet there and decide on lunch and from there tour downtown including, Union, Market, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, SOMA and dinner on Castro.

We will be getting back to hotels around 10PM. Have a great day and we will post pics later that evening.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it, the 8th of January, 2 days until Macworld San Francisco. As most of you know me and Adam Jackson will be attending this year, along with a few eager MPG fans who got a sweet deal on their airline tickets and hotel rooms trought Mypersonalgetaway.com. Macworld San Francisco is the biggest mac event of the year, every year............ coincidentially it is also my moms birthday today. I do feel a little bad about leaving on her birthday but the reservations have been made and the bags have been packed ; there is no turning back now, we are in it for the whole deal. I bought her a huge bouqet of roses to make up for it, I actually think shes happy to have me out of the house. On a more professional note, MPG will be covering the Mac Expo from day one to the last second. There will be 2 seperate tittles for articles concerning Macworld on Mypersonalgetaway.com, Matts Blog and Adams Blog, that is pretty self-explenatory, but i can guarantee that Matts Blog will be tons better ........... :) Just kidding, well its 8:00 pm here in beautiful St. Augustine Florida and Adam will be here shortly, I will post again when we touch down in San Francisco, Hopefully ill see some of you there and as for the rest of you, I hope you make it next year and stay safe. >..<