Lunatic's Macworld | iWorld 2012 Roundup

Without Apple, Macworld Expo (Macworld | iWorld) is missing the big, industry-changing product launches at Apple's keynotes, so some people find it disappointing. Never having a badge that could get me into those keynotes, though, I always read the live blogs and watched the recorded video afterwards anyways. It was nice at Macworld Expo to get a first look at whatever Apple had to announce, but now everyone around the world with a nearby Apple Store can just go there on the day of an Apple product release to see it in person. Not only that but at an Apple Store you can buy it right away. At Macworld Expo you'd still need to leave the show and go to the nearby Apple Store to buy anything they just released, or get onto the Internet to buy it from Apple's online store.

Other really big names like Adobe and Microsoft have also been missing since Apple pulled out. Personally, I never found the products of the biggest companies like these to be all that exciting. As I wrote in my roundup of Macworld 2011, I look for interesting products that might have gotten overlooked by the mainstream press.

I especially focus on hardware products, since nothing beats trying a piece of hardware out in person. For software, in contrast, there's frequently a demo version available online, or a free version in the App Store, or a video walkthrough on the company's webpage.

I posted the pictures below to Twitter as I took them (@LunaticSX), including some comments that were constrained to Twitter's 140 character limit—reduced even more by including the offical "#MacworldiWorld" hashtag. On this page I've expanded greatly on the descriptions and observations, with links to the company's sites, Twitter accounts, etc.

You can click on any of the photos below to go to its Twitpic page and see a larger version.

Macintosh Products

I did a survey while at Macworld | iWorld of how many vendors of each kind were at the show. There were less than half as many Mac vendors as there were iPhone/iPad vendors (full survey results down below). Still, there were some interesting Mac products, and I found the following ones to be most notable.


Seagate has Thunderbolt adapters for SATA drives (!)
At $100 the Seagate (@Seagate) Thunderbolt adapter for portable drives is cheaper than any other Thunderbolt product I know of so far, aside from Apple's $50 Thunderbolt cable. However, since it only has one Thunderbolt port it has to be at the end of the chain. This is unfortunate for people who have something else that has to go on the end, like one of Apple's older Mini DisplayPort-equipped Cinema displays, or a display connected via one of the many Mini DisplayPort to DVI/VGA/HDMI adapters out there.

I asked the Seagate reps why they didn't include a 2nd pass-through port and they said it wouldn't fit. It would also increase the cost, of course. I suggested then that they could just make the connection a short Thunderbolt cable, as on their GoFlex adapters for USB/FireWire 800/eSATA. With only one port anyway you wouldn't be giving anything up, and you'd save $50 on a cable. I figured it'd add maybe $30 to the cost (still saving $20 overall), but they said it'd double the cost. I find that hard to believe, since it'd just be changing the female connector to a male one and sticking it out at the end of a short cable. Plus if a Thunderbolt cable currently costs $50, half of a Thunderbolt cable (only one connector) would presumably cost about half that. Oh well.

Seagate actually first showed off their Thunderbolt adapters at CES, but neither were available yet. The bus powered portable version was actually on sale at Macworld | iWorld and it's shipping now. The desktop version, which has a second Thunderbolt port and a power jack for the drive, will be $200 when it goes on sale in the next month.

BTW, I've been afraid that Seagate's GoFlex system used some proprietary new connector they invented. It turns out it's only standard SATA. So their adapters are just like the no-name brand ones techie types use to hook up bare SATA drives to USB or whatever. The drives are simply in plastic shells with cutouts to expose the connector. Now if Seagate made GoFlex drives available with only the plastic shells included presumably you could save a bit of money. As far as I can tell though every one ships with one of their SATA to USB adapters. This means if you use the system to swap multiple drives on just a one or two computers you're going to wind up with a bunch of extra SATA to USB adapters around.

One nice thing about GoFlex, however, if you're a FireWire die-hard, like me: You can get a separate GoFlex FireWire 800 adapter for 2.5" drives on Amazon.com for under $25, or their powered desktop adapter for 3.5" drives for $42.25 and hook up any bare SATA drive! (Suck it, USB! :-P :)


LandingZone MacBook Air dock
The LandingZone MacBook Air dock from infiniWing (@infiniWing) has a built-in 3 port USB hub on the back, 1 pass-through USB port on the side, 100 Mbps Ethernet, and a Mini DisplayPort pass-through—but NO Thunderbolt pass-through.

Is it Intel's licencing terms or cost that's holding Thunderbolt adoption back? Is it the cost of components? ($50 just for Apple's Thunderbolt cable??) Is it the difficulty of integration? I'd really like to see Thunderbolt adoption increase, so whatever it is I hope Intel puts some (more) effort into improving it.

A different take on notebook docks that does provide Thunderbolt pass-through is provided by Henge Docks (@HengeDocks). They were also showing off a dock for the MacBookAir at Macworld | iWorld as a new addition to their line of docks for all of Apple's notebooks. Their docks are simply pieces of plastic that you thread your cables into, though, with your Macbook held vertically, meaning you can't use its screen, keyboard or trackpad while it's docked. Henge's docks are $55 to $75. (I didn't take any pictures of them.)

Power for a MacBook Air in a LandingZone dock is provided by clipping in Apple's MagSafe cable, which is perfectly aligned to the computer's power connector when the dock closes. A small hole allows the LED charging status light to shine through. A light on the other side will shine to indicate when the Air is powered on, since it can be operated with its screen open or closed when docked. There's a separate jack for an optional power supply to switch the integrated USB hub from passive to powered. There's also a port on the side for a Kensington lock, which has to be unlocked for the dock to be opened. (You'd have to re-lock it after removing the Air if you're worried about someone stealing the dock itself.) The computer's headphone jack and the SD card slot on the 13" Air are left exposed for access.

Perhaps a future version of the LandingZone dock could take a cue from the Henge Docks and simply provide a cable clip for a Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort cable, similar to their MagSafe cable clip. However, with Thunderbolt integration the LandingZone dock could be able to provide Gigabit Ethernet instead of just 100 Mbps, and potentially other connection types like FireWire, USB 3.0, and/or eSATA. Plus it could possibly also provide monitor ports for DVI, HDMI, and/or VGA. I think this would be an opportunity for a high end, Thunderbolt integrated dock and a separate, cheaper one where the cable just clips in.

Separate models of the LandingZone dock are available for 11" and 13" MacBook Airs for $200 each.

ars technica has an article about the LandingZone MacBook Air dock, as well.


BulletTrain eXpress keyboard/trackpad platform
Last year the eXpress keyboard/trackpad platform from BulletTrain (@BulletTrainSF) was just being walked around by their CEO. This year BulletTrain had a booth, and the eXpress is lighter (polycarbonate instead of aluminum), cheaper at $79 for silver (formerly $129), and now available in multiple colors for $99.

While at Macworld | iWorld Cali Lewis (@CaliLewis) of GeekBeat.tv did a video on the BulletTrain eXpress.

Agent V6 2MP HD webcam

My FireWire Apple iSight camera, on right, for comparison

The Agent V6 is a USB 2.0 webcam with built-in microphone for both Macs and PCs that does 2 megapixel (MP) full HD video, for $100. Yep, Liquiddigital has re-invented Apple's old iSight webcam. It's supposed to work well in low light, and it's tripod mountable. They were also showing off the Agent PTZ Video Conference Camera, for $1000.

iPhone/iPad Products


iSupport DSLR-style iPhone handgrips
iSupport has DSLR-style handgrips for iPhones, with collapsable rubber lens hoods and 37mm threaded lens mounts for adding optional camcorder-style lenses. The regular plastic iSupport consumer model has a clamp system that will accept iPhones with cases on them, and comes in black, white, or grey for $49. The iSupport PRO is made of aluminum and comes in black, white, or silver for $79. Both have a threaded hole in the bottom to attach them to tripods/etc.

iSupport also has a cinematographer bundle (in the middle of the photo, above) with a 47mm threaded lens mount for optional lenses, three threaded holes on the bottom, and two threaded holes on the top for accessories. It comes with two handles, two mini ball mounts for top mounted lights/mics/monitors/etc., a mini tripod, and a neck lanyard. It's available in black for $189.

In a bonehead move (IMHO), iSupport's business cards only had a big QR code on them. The guy at the booth was constantly flipping one over to write his name and other details on it. Srsly, guys? You're making a products for iPhones, which don't have built-in QR code support, and that's all your business cards have on them? (I look forward to the day when QR codes are made obsolete by augmented reality built in to phone cameras that can simply recognize any URL in the real world and let you just tap on it.)


olloclip is an iPhone clip-on wide angle, fisheye, and macro lens
The olloclip (@olloclip) lens system for the iPhone 4/4S flips around between its fisheye and wide angle lens, and unscrewing the outer part of the wide angle lens gives you a macro lens. It's available now in black or red for $70.


iPro Lens System
The iPro Lens System provides an iPhone 4/4S with wide angle and fisheye lenses, attached to a case, plus a handle and a tripod mount. The lenses store in the detachable handle when not in use. A bit pricey at $200.

They had a sample 2X telephoto lens at the show, too, which I'm especially interested in, but it's not available yet.

ars technica has an article about the iPro Lens System, as well.



iKeyboard snap on overlay for iPads
iKeyboard (@iKeyboard) is a snap on overlay for iPads that gives a physical feel to the keys so you can touch type in landscape mode. It's comes in black or white for $35 and will be available on Amazon.com once they've restocked (Amazon was already carrying them but they were sold out as of Macworld | iWorld).

The construction of the iKeyboard a plastic frame with a bunch of clear plastic bubbles you have to press your fringers through. A nice effect of this is that you can see what each key changes to when you switch to numeric or symbol keyboards. As you can see above, though, the bubbles are very shiny resulting in some glare off them as well as reflections of overhead lights. The bubbles themselves are also non-conductive, so if you're someone with long nails the iKeyboard is actually going to make it harder for you to type on the iPad—you'll have to angle your fingers back even more to push through them with the flesh of your fingertips.


Adonit Jot
Adonit (@AdonitNews) Jot is a precision stylus with a clear ring tip for touchscreens. $20 for the Jot Classic or $30 for the Jot Pro, which includes magnets to hold it to an iPad 2, and a rubberized grip. They also announced the Jot Touch, which will use Bluetooth to communicate with an iOS device and provide pressure senitive control in apps that have integrated support for it.

The Jot Touch was a Macworld | iWorld 2012 Best of Show winner, even though it's not shipping yet.


Nomadbrush Compose and Play
Nomadbrush (@nomadbrush) Compose and Play are capacitive brushes for "painting" on touchscreens. The $18 Nomad Play is designed for kids with its big handle and it comes in multiple colors. The Nomad Compose is available in either long (0.7") or short (0.4") bristle versions for $39 each. Both have a bevel bristle tip on the opposite end that's 0.05" long.

While at Macworld | iWorld Cali Lewis (@CaliLewis) of GeekBeat.tv did a video on the Nomadbrush Compose and Play brushes.


iKeep Charger carabiner/lanyard/charger for iPhones/etc.
The iKeep from Poldera (@MyiKeep) is a carabiner/lanyard for iPhones/etc. for $25. The iKeep Charger for $50 includes a charger with a snap out AC plug that provides power through the lanyard to the dock connector, plus a micro USB plug for other devices that can be rotated out. Both are avilable in a variety of colors.


Runnur (@GORUNNUR) sells $40 bandoliers loaded with pockets for gadgets like iPhones, wallets, etc.

Watershed Clutch wallet

Watershed Grid tablet bag

Watershed (@WatershedLLC) Clutch is a wallet for iPhones and documents that's waterproof down to 15 feet/2.5m... for $135. It was basically designed around a waterproof zipper that they found was available. Watershed also has the Grid tablet bag that's waterproof down to 300 feet/100m, for $97. The Grid bag and their other products like backpacks, camera bags, duffle bags, etc. use Watershed's own "Ziplock"-like sealing system. It was impressive to see the vendor close a small duffle filled with air and not just stand on it but actually jump up and down on it without the seal failing.


iFlashDrive by HyperDrive
The iFlashDrive is a USB Flash drive that allows you to access the files on it from iOS devices via its integrated dock connector. Photos and videos on an iFlashDrive will import into the iOS device's built-in Photos app (as long as they're in compatible formats). Accessing other files requires installing and using their using their app from the App Store, which will let you open files on the iFlashDrive or copy them off and store them on the iOS device. From their app the files can be opened in other apps in the same way as attachments are opened from emails. Music files are played via a built-in player, in directory order only (no playlists). A useful application of an iFlashDrive would be to copy one or more email file attachments to it from emails on your iOS device, then plug the iFlashDrive into a computer to access the files. Sure, you could just forward the emails with the attachments, but there may be reasons you can't or don't want to do this.

A huge drawback of the iFlashDrive is price: $100 for 8 GB, $150 for 16 GB, or $200 for 32 GB. Ouch.

I asked them about making a device that just has a USB port on it, allowing you to plug in a USB Flash drive you might have without a computer around (maybe someone else handed you the drive with some documents on it). They said it was really hard to get Apple to approve the iFlashDrive as it was, and it's supposedly the last device of its kind that's going to get approved. Now it's not like there aren't other non-Apple approved devices out there that use the dock connector, but since something like this needs an app to access the files Apple could still decide to not approve that in the App Store.

HyperDrive was also showing off the HyperDrive ColorSpace for iPad, "the world's first and only iPad compatible hard drive." What it does it plug in to the Dock-to-USB dongle of Apple's Camera Connection Kit (not inlcuded), allowing you to access and import any of the many gigabytes of videos and photos you can put on the drive. (Yep, it just makes the drive look like a very high capacity camera.)

This company was originally called HyperMac, but Apple apparently frowned on that so now they use the branding HyperDrive, HyperJuice, and HyperShield, and they sell their products from a site branded HyperShop (they're still @HyperMac on Twitter). The HyperJuice brand is for their external batteries for iOS devices and MacBooks, and their HyperShield brand is for iPad cases. This is the company, BTW, that was using MagSafe connectors off of Apple power adapters for the cables on their external batteries until Apple told them to stop. Now they include instructions for cutting and splicing your own MagSafe power adapter to use their batteries inline. Well, they try hard.


im.play wireless A/V transmitter
The im.play wireless A/V transmitter is like using AirPlay to an Apple TV, but no WiFi network is needed. It does need a dongle to be attached to the iOS device, though. For $99 I'm not sure why you'd get this over an Apple TV. Maybe to use it where WiFi networks aren't allowed? It does have a dock on the base station that can charge an iPhone, but if you're going to put your iOS device next to the TV anyway you could get one of Apple's composite or component cables for $50 that comes with a power adapter. Or get Apple's HDMI cable for $30 and use a power adapter and dock cable you already own. The video output only goes up to 480p, too. Well, good luck with that, guys.

I've gotta admit I'm a sucker for gadgets that hook up computers and iOS devices to TVs, though. At last year's Macworld I was quite interested in Awind's MacTiVia which mirrors a Mac's display via WiFi to an HDTV.

iPhone/iPad Cases and Stands

Cases, we're got cases... Oh boy, have we got cases. I'm amazed that any company came to Macworld | iWorld to sell just cases and/or screen protectors and had any expectation of getting noticed. The ones below were just the small fraction of what was available at the show that I found noteworthy. Although there were two other companies that got press coverage because they were making iPhone cases with integrated bottle openers. Original, but not very practical. One was called Opena and the other was appropriately called Intoxicase (well, there's truth in advertising). I got some pictures but didn't bother uploading them. If you're really interested you can do a web search, or check them out soon at someplace like Spencer's Gifts at your local mall.


Solid Line Slide & Type Bluetooth iPhone 4/4S keyboard case
San Francisco-based Solid Line's Bluetooth iPhone 4/4S Slide & Type keyboard case, for $75 in black or white, is the second one I've seen, after the $90 Boxwave Keyboard Buddy, but this one tilts. It's a little less smoothly designed, but this may be due to having a larger built-in battery which is supposed to provide 45 days of operation on a single charge, versus only 14. Plus the tilting mechanism might add some bulk. Both have backlit keyboards. The Slide & Type curiously has its cursor keys on the left.

I know someone who'd probably be interested in something like this for Android phones, since the models available with built-in keyboards are limited in number and frequently have unacceptable trade-offs. Any particular Android phone model probably doesn't sell in high enough volume to be able to generate enough of an ecosystem justifying the creation of custom fit third party accessories like this, though. Plus any single model's lifetime may be less than a year. As this keyboard case demonstrates, the iPhone 4S coming out with the same case design as the iPhone 4 was actually a boon for the accessory market, as well as for consumers who get a very wide variety of add-ons to choose from.


ibattz Mojo Removable Battery Case for iPhone 4/4S
Ever want a swappable battery for your iPhone? Mojo from ibattz (@goibattz) gives it to you in a case for $80.

I hate the bulk a case adds to my iPhone, so I prefer having an external battery pack I can keep in a pocket. A bonus is that with both an iOS dock connector and a USB port it can charge other things, or other people's non-iPhone phones. Your milage may vary.


iLID iPhone wallet case
The iLID (@iLID_iPhonecase) MK-1 is a case for an iPhone 4/4S that doubles as a wallet with space for a few cards, a clip for some cash, and space for a single key. I wouldn't want to have this as my only wallet, but I can imagine it being useful when working out or running with your iPhone in an arm strap. Going to a hotel gym you could use it to hold your room key card. Alternately you could use it just to conveniently carry business cards. A bonus they mentioned: You could use Find My iPhone to find your wallet, since it's also your iPhone.

Carrying credit or debit cards in an iLID iPhone wallet case is also kinda like paying with your phone via NFC like Google Wallet, with a little less convenience: you have to take a credit or debit card out of it, but it's much more universally accepted. :)


Nightmare Before Christmas iPad 2 case from PDP Mobile
Not that I ever use a case for my iPhone, but PDP Mobile (@PDPmobile) has licensed Disney iPhone/iPad cases. This includes Marvel Comics, and the Nightmare Before Christmas iPad case, above, that I would totally go for (except that my iPad is an original one, not an iPad 2 that the case above is designed for).


SlickWraps (@SlickWraps) has fluorescent iPhone wraps (the picture doesn't do them justice).
Why has no one done this before?


WaveCradle volume amplifying iPhone stand
WaveCradle (@wavecradle) is an iPhone stand that increases the speaker volume by up to 8dB. They're $20 for the Low Profile or $28.50 for the raised Classic. Both come in black, blue, or pink.


SMK-Link PadDock 10
SMK-Link (@SMK_LINK) PadDock 10 stand makes an iPad look like a little iMac... that rotates 360 degrees. It includes powered speakers behind the "chin" and charging/dock cables for $100.

Other


PolkAudio had a trampoline in their booth. I don't think attendees ever got to have a go. :(

Every year at Macworld( | iWorld) some poor sod is stuck in a stupid huge costume.

Last year it was this guy. In 2010 it was a group of people hired by Microsoft to wear giant versions of the Microsoft Office program icons. You know how some kids are scared of clowns? Good thing this isn't a circus.

...or is it?



There were two Charging Stations at Macworld | iWorld, upstairs on the 2nd floor of Moscone West with outlets & iOS device cables. Next year I sure hope there's more, and that some are downstairs! The battery in my iPhone 4 gets totally drained through a whole day at Macworld—taking these photos and posting them to Twitter (even though I only upload about half of them) uses a lot of juice.



There was a huge drum circle upstairs on the 2nd floor at the Macworld | iWorld closing. It was actually being led by the guy standing in the tan vest, so it wasn't just the usual cacophony of random drumming in a typical drum circle (which I hate).

(Sensei Tanaka of San Francisco Taiko Dojo would call drum circles "urusai!" ("noise") :)




The Macworld | iWorld "Thank you for attending. See you next year!" banner, with (hard to read) show dates of January 31–February 02, 2013.

General Notes

Booth babes were alive and well at Macworld | iWorld: Both SellYourMac and MacKeeper had them, only 2 booths apart, with the girls wearing black mini-dresses in both! Opena, one of the vendors selling an iPhone case with an integrated bottle opener had them too, also in all black, but in shorts instead of skirts. Another booth I didn't bother to catch the name of had booth babes in shiny purple bodysuits, with QR codes hung over their behinds and a large company or product name at their waist in front. Yeah, that didn't work very well for getting me to remember it. Then even HP had a couple of booth babes on Saturday, dressed as San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders (how does that relate to printers?). Lots of blog posts were generated over the presence of booth babes, and every one of the three tech podcasts I listened to where Macworld | iWorld was discussed touched on them; sometimes at length.

One nice thing at Macworld | iWorld was that the OS X Zone pavilion of smaller Mac companies was in a row, rather than a smaller hard to navigate group as in previous years. Frequently these smaller Mac developers were all crammed together at the back of the show floor behind Apple's towering floor-to-ceiling central booth. While it's now nice to have this pavillion in a wider aisle, it needed to be part of one that's full-length, rather than having to cross over into once you'd gone partway down the adjacent aisle. People were missing it when going up and down each aisle, since it didn't start from the very front of the show floor.

The iOS Mobile Apps Showcase, in comparison, was a tightly packed square of 86 vendors, with each having about 2 feet by 3 feet of space. I barely had time to thread my way through them all, rushing to just count how many there were.

There's always at least one vendor at Macworld with "cute" USB thumb drives. How about a "cute" hub instead, like a dinosaur, so the drives are its back spikes? Now, does LEGO make USB thumb drives? You could build onto them, and build them into other LEGO creations! I'd totally buy one of those! It'd probably be twice the price for the same capacity as a typical drive, though.

OWC was at Macworld | iWorld, but don't have show specials, this year. And Dr. Bott wasn't there at all. Nor was B&H. I missed the opportunity to get deals on a range of products. Frequently other vendors at the show will have one or more of those companies selling their products, too. Then instead of selling them out of their own booths they'd just point attendees over there. It may be that iOS device-based Point of Sale systems like Square make it so much easier now for a vendor to sell their own products that it doesn't make as much sense to make a deal with a general product vendor. Plus lots of the products at the show were initially funded via Kickstarter, and that might also be affecting the economies of selling via general product vendors.

One thing that's great at Macworld | iWorld is some of the Macworld Live panel presentations on a big stage at the back of the show floor. It was amusing that the "State of the Mac" panel spent 10 minutes, halfway though, talking about JC Penny (now being run by CEO Ron Johnson who had been Apple's Senior VP of Retail Operations)... That was predictably followed by 10 minutes talking about the Nest thermostat (created by Tony Fadell who had been Apple's Senior VP of the iPod Division). The hour was rounded out in the last 10 minutes as a "State of Microsoft" panel with all three panelists (Jason Snell, Andy Ihnatko, and John Gruber) heaping praise on Microsoft! Strange times.

I wonder which company is next for an Apple exec to leave Apple to become CEO of and "Apple-ify" their business/product? (Maybe... Microsoft??)

I didn't catch much of the Macworld | iWorld wrap up panel since I was trying to finish my survey to count how many vendors at the show were Mac-only vs. iPhone/iPad-only. There were two things I did hear, though: 1) All five panelists admitted that they hadn't spent much time on the show floor! If you're going to be on a wrap up panel shouldn't you make sure to get a good look around at the show? 2) Jason Snell said he'd like to see the show become more like San Diego Comic Con. :) Including "more costumes!" In response to his repeat of that on Twitter I sent back "Like this??"

Luckily anyone who couldn't make it to the show or who was at the show but but too busy to catch the panels live can check out videos of the panels online. They can also be downloaded as podcasts from Macworld Magazine's podcast page.

Prbably the most frustrating thing I found about this year's show is that the show floor was only open until 5:00pm on Thursday and Friday, and then only 4:00pm on Saturday! Whose bright idea was that?? It was nuts. For both 2010 and 2011 the show was open until 6:00pm on all three days. This allowed people to possibly leave work early to catch a bit of the show during the week. People who only got to go to the show on Saturday this year had two less hours to see everything. (That's why I had to rush to finish my survey of all the booths.) I read reports and saw photos that so many attendees showed up just on Saturday that there was a line out the door at noon for people to get their badges. As a result those people got maybe three and a half hours on a single day to see the whole show. Plus many vendors will start packing up about a half hour before the show closes, regardless of what time that is. I really hope they go back to the 6:00pm closing times next year. This will also work better for people going to the parties, as there'd be an hour less time to kill between the end of the show for the day and the party start times.

Vendor Survey

Speaking of my vendor survey, here's the results:

Total number of vendors by my count: 285. 167 in booths, 32 in the OS X Zone, 86 in the iOS Mobile Apps Showcase.

Mac-only vendors: 43 in booths + 32 in OS X Zone pavilion = 75.
iOS-only vendors: 72 in booths + 86 in iOS Mobile Apps Showcase = 158
Vendors supporting both Mac OS X and iOS = 32
Non-Mac/iOS vendors (furniture, services, periodicals, etc.) = 12

So, Macworld | iWorld 2012 already had over 2x as many iOS-only vendors as Mac-only. This counts the 86 in the Mobile Apps Showcase, though. Each of those vendors had so little space I can't imagine they were paying that much to exhibit there. From a business perspective those won't sustain the show.

Note: There were zero vendors of iPod cases/accessories, if you don't count the 7 headphone vendors or 4 speaker vendors. I'll bet the last time vendors showed up selling iPod cases/accessories was the Macworld Expo two years ago, before the introduction of the iPad.

Macworld? Or iWorld?

There's been a fair bit of discussion about the name of the show. Even a year ago people would've probably been pretty angry at the name change to include "iWorld." Certainly two years ago, before the introduction of the iPad, people would've been up in arms, since it would've meant "admitting defeat" to the prevalence of iPod case vendors. They were still probably outnumbering the companies selling iPhone products at that point. Now, though, there's acceptance and even a few suggestions that maybe the show should just drop the "Macworld" part and become solely "iWorld." I posted on Twitter that I'd kind of not mind that if only for the shorter #iWorld hashtag as a result...

If Apple would approve I think an even better idea than just iWorld for renaming Macworld | iWorld would be to resurrect the name AppleWorld! If Apple's not going to be at the show, though, I doubt they'd allow that. A somewhat tongue-in-cheek idea I had would be the name "iHalo Expo," since it's now a wide showcase of companies making money in the surrounding "halo" of Apple's products, with a hole in the center where Apple used to be.

I expect IDG wants to keep the "Macworld" name recognition with their Macworld Magazine, though, at least for another year. Maybe after that the name of the magazine will change to "Macworld | iWorld" or "Macworld, incorporating iWorld"...

Will the show keep going at all? Well, the number of vendors was about the same as at the 2011 show: a bit under 300. The number of attendees stayed stable too, according to IDG, at 25,000. I expect if these numbers are at least maintained then the show is going to continue, under one name or another, for the forseeable future.

More Coverage

If you felt my roundup wasn't enough, and/or you want to see alternate viewpoints of the show's products, try these other articles and galleries:

Macworld | iWorld 2012 Best of Show winners
(A lot of the Best of Show winners were software, which I mentioned above I didn't focus on.)
TidBITS Cool Products at Macworld | iWorld 2012
TidBITS iOS Photo and Video Highlights of Macworld | iWorld 2012
MacWorld-iWorld Expo 2012: Top 10 Must-Have Gadgets, Software and Apps
Macworld 2012 in pictures | The Verge
Live 105 Macworld iWorld Photos 2012 (76 photos. Lots of cases. No text descriptions.)

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