Apple has signed a deal with LG for their display technology.  The deal begins with a payment from Apple of $500 million and will last 5 years.  The implications for both companies could be quite large.  LG will benefit in obvious ways, but Apple may benefit from a more cost effective display for a more pocket-friendly cinema display or maybe even their own TV’s, which had been rumored in the past..  The details at this point are sparse, but it will be interesting to see what product changes, if any come from this deal in the future.

[via MacWorld] via [Reuters]

  As anyone who follows Apple news knows, Apple has left MacWorld for good.  Although still technically a rumor, many people have been confirming that Apple will be moving to CES in 2010.  This may sound bad to the many who attend MacWorld, but is a great change to bring two separate shows to one venue.  Instead of having to choose or rush from one to another, everyone can now go to Las Vegas for CES instead.  The interesting part is Apple is saying January is not an idea product announcement time for their current plans. They may have said this just to make MacWorld feel better about the loss of Apple.  Either way this should turn out to be an interesting year.

[Apple Insider]

  Apple has announced an online application called iWork.com.  It will be announced in a beta soon, but they showed it off at MacWorld today for the first time.  

“iWork.com is a service for you to share with other people. You can notify other people that you’ve shared documents, and collaborate on them. They can review and edit documents online.”

“iWork.com is a service for you to share with other people. You can notify other people that you’ve shared documents, and collaborate on them. They can review and edit documents online.”

You can download a copy and your collaborators can download a copy, and each person can add notes and comments which are seen by everybody.

There can be multiple people viewing the document, all leaving notes to each other on the right hand side about the whole document. You can then download the doc directly from the website. What you can’t do is edit documents online–it looks like you have to download it and edit it offline.

To see other people’s comments that they’ve created online, you can click “show shared documents” in Pages, and view the documents you’ve uploaded. A blue dot shows a new note that you need to read.

By going back to the shared pages list, you can see the Keynote/Pages/Numbers docs you’ve shared, including all the notes people gave.

Customers can sign up free for the beta, but it will be a fee-based service once iWork.com launches.  Another use besides sharing documents with others is sharing documents with yourself, seeing your docs anywhere. It ships today.

  Apple has updated iWork today at MacWorld.  In Keynote, you can set up objects in slides, and the software will do the work in moving objects between slides. With magic move, it’ll transition whichever object you want automatically, like rotating and resizing.  There are also new transitions for you keynote, such as "crane move", which shows you fly around your slide and land in front of you.

You can now buy Keynote Remote for iPhone and iPod Touch which allows remote keynote presentations on said device.

For Pages, Apple has added an outline view, which allows you to put down you outline prior to writing your document.

For numbers there is Mail Merge, which can connect with tables and lists in Numbers.  They have added new Table categories and 250 functions (with function view), which has the appropriate mouseovers and color coding to make things easier to understand. Advanced chart options, like mixed chart types, multiple axis charts, trend lines, and error bars. 

There are 40 new themes and features in which customers have said they wanted.  They wanted to focus on their consumer feedback and have finally delivered.

iWork ships today and is $79 for one license or $99 for a family license of 5.  You can also buy it with a new Mac for just $49.

Pages ’09 New Features

Creating the perfect brochure, flyer, report, or resume is faster and easier than ever.

    * Choose from 40 new Apple-designed templates (over 180 total).

    * Focus on your writing with new full-screen view.

    * Organize your ideas with dynamic outlines.

    * Customize your documents using mail merge with Numbers.

    * Insert equations with MathType 6 (sold separately).

    * Create bibliographies with EndNote X2 (sold separately).

    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Word files from within Pages.

Learn more about Pages ’09

Pages ’09 icon

Numbers ’09 New Features

Create spreadsheets, organize data, and write formulas with simple yet powerful tools.

    * Easily create formulas, using visual placeholders with plain language text.

    * Perform calculations using over 250 functions.

    * Organize your data instantly using Table Categories.

    * Check your calculations at a glance with Formula List view.

    * Create two-axis charts and combine line, column, and area series in a single mixed chart.

    * Choose from twelve new Apple-designed templates (30 total).

    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Excel files from within Numbers.

Learn more about Numbers ’09

Pages ’09 icon

Keynote ’09 New Features

Now creating a show-stopping presentation is surprisingly simple.

    * Easily create sophisticated animations with Magic Move.

    * Add dramatic object and text transitions using new visual effects.

    * Visualize your data with new styles and animations for 3D charts.

    * Dramatically reduce file size without compromising quality.

    * Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using connection lines. 

    * Choose from eight new Apple-designed themes (44 total).

    * Open, save, and email Microsoft Powerpoint files from within Keynote.

Learn more about Keynote ’09

System Requirements

    * Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (500MHz or faster) processor

    * 512MB of RAM; 1GB recommended

    * Approximately 1.2GB of available disk space

    * 32MB of video memory

    * Mac OS X v10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later

    * QuickTime 7.5.5 or later

    * DVD drive required to install

    * Some features may require Internet access; additional fees and terms apply

Compatibility and Sharing

iWork ’09 makes it easy to exchange documents with anyone.

    * Open Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in iWork.

    * Save your iWork document as a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file.

    * Email your document as an iWork, Office, or PDF file from within iWork.

    * Share your work on iWork.com, Apple’s new document-sharing service, now available as a Public Beta. (Apple ID and email account required to publish documents and use the publisher link.)

What’s in the Box

    * DVD containing Keynote, Pages, Numbers, fonts, themes, and templates

    * Printed and electronic documentation

*The Family Pack Software License Agreement allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple software on up to a maximum of five (5) Apple-labeled computers at a time as long as those computers are located in the same household and used by persons who occupy that household. By “household” we mean a person or persons who share the same housing unit such as a home, apartment, mobile home, or condominium, including students who are primary residents of that household but reside at a separate on-campus location. This license does not extend to business or commercial users

[iWork09']

 Today at MacWorld Apple released their new iLife 09′ suite of applications.  They have added quite a few features to iMovie such as image stabilization, geo tagging and different film styles.  iPhoto receives geo tagging and facial recognition, which recognizes faces ad allows you to tag them. Finally, Garageband was updated to include music lessons from various stars such as Sting, Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan.  The app ships free with all new Macs and is $79 for single user and $99 for the family pack.

iPhoto ’09

Organize and search your photos in new ways.

    * Easily find photos of the people in your life using Faces.

    * Explore your library based on where you took each photo using Places.

    * Instantly create stunning slideshows with animated titles and multiphoto layouts.

    * Publish photos directly to Facebook and Flickr™ with a click.

    * Create travel-themed photo books complete with custom maps.

See what’s new in iPhoto ’09

Watch the iPhoto ’09 Guided Tour video

iMovie ’09

Create a movie in minutes or edit your masterpiece.

    * Fine-tune your movies with the new Precision Editor.

    * Use enhanced drag-and-drop to easily edit your projects in just a few clicks.

    * Smooth shaky clips with automatic video stabilization.

    * Apply themes to an entire project with matching titles and transitions.

    * Add eye-catching animated maps to your travel videos with a few clicks.

    * Choose animated titles, new transitions, and cinema-quality video effects.

See what’s new in iMovie ’09

Watch the iMovie ’09 Guided Tour video

GarageBand ’09

Learn to play. Start a jam session. Record and mix your own songs.

    * Learn to play piano or guitar at your own pace, with interactive lessons that combine video instruction with animated notation and instrument views.

    * Let leading artists – including Sting, Fall Out Boy, and Colbie Caillat – teach you how to play their hit songs, then practice along with the band².

    * Play and record with new guitar amps and stompbox effects.

    * Jam with virtual instruments in Magic GarageBand using a new full-screen view that lets you mix, play along, and record.

See what’s new in GarageBand ’09

iWeb ’09

Design, publish, and update your own websites – no HTML required.

    * Easily add YouTube videos, RSS feeds, iSight videos, and other dynamic content to your web pages.

    * Link your iWeb site to your Facebook account and automatically notify friends when you update your site.

    * Use built-in FTP publishing with virtually any web-hosting service.

    * Easily manage multiple websites and publish one site at a time using MobileMe or FTP.

See what’s new in iWeb ’09

iDVD

Turn your home movies and slideshows into gorgeous Hollywood-style DVDs.

    * Get started quickly with Apple-designed themes featuring animated menus.

    * Author customized DVDs with a range of options for customizing menu screens.

    * Combine video and photos for stunning, high-quality slideshows.

Learn more about iDVD

System Requirements

    * Mac OS X v10.5.6 Leopard or later.

    * Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor.; iMovie requires an Intel-based Mac, Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), or iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster); GarageBand Learn to Play requires an Intel-based Mac with a dual-core processor or better.

    * 512MB of RAM; 1GB recommended. High-definition video requires at least 1GB of RAM.

    * Approximately 4GB of available disk space.

    * DVD drive required for installation.

    * QuickTime 7.5.5 or later (included).

    * AVCHD video requires a Mac with an Intel-based Core Duo processor or better. Visit iMovie ’09 Camcorder Support for details on digital video device and format support.

    * 24-bit recording in GarageBand requires a Mac OS X compatible audio interface with support for 24-bit audio. Please consult the owners manual or manufacturer directly for audio device specification and compatibility.

    * Burning DVDs requires an Apple SuperDrive or compatible third-party DVD burner.

    * Some features require Internet access and/or MobileMe; additional fees and terms apply.

See additional requirements and details.

What’s in the Box

    * DVD with iPhoto ’09, iMovie ’09, GarageBand ’09, iWeb ’09, iDVD, and QuickTime 7.5.5

    * Printed and electronic documentation

   1. The Family Pack Software License Agreement allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple software on up to a maximum of five (5) Apple-labeled computers at a time as long as those computers are located in the same household and used by persons who occupy that household. By "household" we mean a person or persons who share the same housing unit such as a home, apartment, mobile home, or condominium, including students who are primary residents of that household but reside at a separate on-campus location. This license does not extend to business or commercial users.

   2. GarageBand Artist Lessons are sold separately and are available directly through the GarageBand Lesson Store in selected countries.

iPhoto print products are available in the U.S. Canada, Japan, and select countries in European and Asia Pacific.

Flickr service is only available in select countries.

[iLife 09']