MacProVideo releases Keynote '09 video tutorials

Mac video tutorial specialist, MacProVideo, on Friday released a new series of tutorials for users of Apple's Keynote '09 presentation software.

In this four hour video, trainer Gary Atkins will teach you how to create, edit, manage, and deploy complex presentations. Gary shows you how to build slides, use transitions, and add objects to your projects.

Chapters included in the tutorial include "Working with the Fonts Window," "Moving Around Your Presentation," "Adding a Text Box," "Resizing and Positioning Pictures with the Inspector," and "Placing Audio on a Slide from iTunes."

Core Keynote '09 is available for $19.50, around 13, from the companies Web site.

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Skype for iPhone confirmed for Tuesday

Skype has confirmed that a version of its VoIP client will be available to iPhone users through the Apple iTunes App Store on Tuesday

iPhone users have been playing catch-up as other mobile phone platforms have begun running Skype natively. In addition to Skype for Windows Mobile and Skype Lite for Java phones, there's a version for Google Android phones such as the T-Mobile G1.

Currently, iPhone users must use third-party services like Nimbuzz and Fring to access Skype.

Skype's software, which should be available for free via iTunes, will allow iPhone users to call other Skype users on computers or supported mobile phones free if they are in a WiFi hot spot, or to landlines for, typically, a low fee.

Skype for iPhone will use phone numbers directly from your phone's address book, so there's no fear of duplicated contact lists.

iPod touch users will also be able to use Skype, but they'll need a microphone, or headphones with a built-in microphone to chat.

"The number one request we get from customers is to make Skype available on iPhone. There's a pent-up demand," said Skype chief operating officer Scott Durchslag, speaking at the CTIA annual mobile showcase in Las Vegas.

Those with BlackBerry smartphones will have to wait until May for Skype to be available to them.

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WWDC rumours abound after Apple schedules conference

Apple announced June 8-12 as the dates for this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center West. With the date confirmed, we turn towards the rumor mill surrounding what becomes the most anticipated date for Apple watchers in 2009 now that Apple decided to bow out of Macworld Expo.

Apple says this year’s WWDC will be all about the Mac OS X and the iPhone. But really, who knows what who or what will actually show up on stage? There are already piles of speculation and rumour out there, so let’s dive in!

Return of the king?

Steve Jobs has been out of the public eye since he said he was taking time off for health reasons. At the time of his announcement, Jobs said he would be back in late June, but Apple loves surprises so who knows? There’s no doubt that a Jobs appearance at WWDC would invigorate the Apple-loving masses.

However, Silicon Valley Insider’s Dan Frommer wonders if Jobs will use WWDC to announce his retirement instead. Jobs has apparently stayed out of the loop in planning WWDC ’09, or at least he hasn’t interacted with Frommer’s Apple contacts. It may also make sense for Jobs to ease his way out of Apple in stages since people identify him as the heart and soul of the company. In the end it’s all guesswork, but it’s worth considering as Apple looks to the future.

QuickTime overhaul

QuickTime is reportedly getting an under-the-hood overhaul, but its look may also change. Apple Insider supplied this mock up, which shows a new QuickTime with “virtual playback controls,” presumably to maximize the screen space. Instead of the regular QuickTime window, the controls will appear as a clear glass panel when you mouse over the screen. This is similar to what happens in iTunes when you select full-screen mode.

Mac OS X: Snow Leopard

You may have also noticed from the QuickTime photo that the titlebar was a little darker than usual. That’s because Quicktime’s new look would be part of a Snow Leopard visual overhaul. When Apple first announced Snow Leopard, it was billed as an under-the-hood upgrade to maximize Intel processors and improve overall performance. At the time, there were no announcements about a new look and feel.

However, rumours have been circulating recently that Apple has been working on a new user interface all along. Code-named “marble,” some are describing the visual upgrade as significant. The major change is that OS X may shed its platinum look for a darker chrome visual. Other user interface updates include iTunes-style scrollbars and menu bars with a darker background and lighter text.

The UI updates first started leaking through developers who got their hands on Snow Leopard test builds. Then it was reported that Apple stripped any new visuals out of the latest Snow Leopard test build to halt further leaks. Some are expecting Apple to unveil Snow Leopard at WWDC, and the new OS may even be available for sale this summer.

iPhone OS 3.0

There is of course the rumour that new hardware could be announced at WWDC, but speculation around this has dropped off recently. Instead many expect Apple to launch its push notification service announced earlier this month.

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Apple updates iLife ’09, iWork ’09

Apple on Thursday released a slew of updates for its iLife ’09 applications, as well as an update for iWork ’09 users.

According to Apple's release notes, iPhoto 8.0.2 improves overall stability and addresses minor issues in a number of areas, including Faces, Places, photo sharing, and slideshows; iMovie 8.0.1 improves overall application stability as well as addresses minor issues related to usability; and iWeb 3.0.1 addresses issues when publishing to an FTP server and fixes other minor issues.

Apple also released iLife Support 9.0.2, which improves stability and fixes other minor issues, and is recommended for all users of Aperture, iLife ’09, and iWork ’09.

Finally, Apple issued iWork '09 Update 1, which the company simply explains is recommended for all iWork ’09 users.

All of the updates are available from Apple's Web site and via OS X's Software Update feature.

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Geotagalog logs GPS coordinates for iPhoto's Places

Calf Trail Software has released Geotagalog 1.0 (nee Tagalog), a new photo tagging utility for Mac OS X. It costs $20, around 14.

An increasingly number of digital cameras incorporate GPS tracking information so you can accurately pinpoint precisely where your shots were taken. And if you're using iPhoto '09's "Places" feature, they get grouped together using this information.

But if you haven't got such a camera, or are working with a library of photos that were taken before you had a geotagging camera, what are you to do? Geotagalog is one solution.

Geotagalog combines digital photos with location data from a GPS tracklog. It shows you a live preview as you adjust camera time settings, to correct for camera clock errors. You can import photos into iPhoto once you're done.

System requirements call for Mac OS X 10.5 or later, 11.8MB hard disk space.

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Report: Skype for iPhone May Launch Next Week

Skype may launch a version of its mobile Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and instant messaging service as early as next week, according to a report from Om Malik of GigaOM.

If true, the application could prove popular with cost-conscious iPhone users who'd like to save a few bucks by routing calls over AT&T's data network. Currently, iPhone users must use third-party services like Fring to access Skype.

Skype for iPhone could debut at the CTIA Wireless trade show that begins April 1 in Las Vegas next week, Malik speculates.

Industry watchers have anticipated an iPhone version for some time, particularly since the popular service already runs on other mobile devices. In addition to Skype for Windows Mobile and Skype Lite for Java phones, there's a version for Google Android phones like the T-Mobile G1.

While Skype's mobile ambitions are good for iPhone users, the VoIP service won't bring the end of standard voice-call service anytime soon.

As PC World's Liane Cassavoy reports in a recent review of four mobile VoIP apps - EQO, Skuku, Skype for Windows Mobile, and Truphone - mobile VoIP call quality isn't quite there yet, and the cost savings aren't that great.

"Most notably, the call quality remains iffy at best, and in some instances it's absolutely abominable. Also, depending on your calling habits, you may not see any savings at all. Most services still charge a per-minute rate, so you'll save on domestic calls only if you've exceeded your regular voice plan's allotment (in which case you might still be better off upgrading your voice plan)."

Cassavoy does point out, however, that international callers can save big bucks by using a mobile VoIP service.

While Skype for iPhone may not offer immediate benefits for everyone, the service has plenty of potential in the near future. If the next-gen iPhone, which may appear as early sometime this summer, includes video capture, Skype could turn the iPhone into a portable video conferencing device.

That may not happen immediately, of course, but AT&T's upcoming 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) broadband network, slated to debut in 2011, could very well have bandwidth necessary to make two-way, real-time video a popular app, particularly among business users.

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Google lays off 200 in sales and marketing

Proving that it is not immune to the economic downturn, Google plans to lay off 200 people in its sales and marketing group, an executive said on Thursday.

The changes affect workers globally, Omid Kordestani, Google senior vice president of global sales and business development wrote on the official Google blog.

They will be given an unspecified amount of time to look for other positions in Google and will get severance packages if they don't find another job with the search company.

The layoffs will help Google correct some mistakes it made during a period when it grew rapidly, he said. As the company expanded, it sometimes created overlapping organizations, resulting in duplicated efforts and a more complicated decision making process.

"In addition, we over-invested in some areas in preparation for the growth trends we were experiencing at the time," he wrote.

The layoffs come just two weeks after the head of Google's North American and Latin American advertising sales and operations, Tim Armstrong, left the company to serve as chairman and CEO of AOL.

The layoffs are not the first signal that Google is trying to trim expenses. In January it laid off 100 recruiters and closed engineering offices in Texas, Norway and Sweden.

This year it has also shut down services including Jaiku, Dodgeball, Catalog Search, Google Notebook, the ability to upload to Google Video and Google Print Ads.

MacVideo Focus Group

We are trying to improve the focus of our sister title MacVideo and to understand our readership a little better. We would like to speak to some video professionals, especially the techies among you, to get your views of the industry. We will pay 50 for participation in our focus group. Click here to volunteer to participate.

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