Some quick predictions for what will come out at WWDC 2010.

• iPhone HD - A gimmie, of course, with 64 GB storage, front and rear camera, a version of iChat for video calls, 720p recording.
• iPhone OS 4.0 - While already introduced, new features will be shown off (video chat for example) and it will be available within days.
• AppleTV - This will correspond with the new iPhone since the hardware will be shared. It will be the size of the iPhone with a power and HDMI port only. It will stream 1080p out and possible run some pre-built apps (pandora, MLB, etc..).
• New iTunes - Also a gimmie, but I think we'll see more integration to the cloud and social networks. Also, hopefully, we'll see wireless syncing to iPhone/iPads.
• iTunes.com - We'll see some sort of move to the cloud for music and video. This will allow iPhones/iPads/AppleTV's to no longer need local storage to access content. I do fear that licensing deals may cripple this feature

There is also talk of a new multi-touch peripheral, but I can see this being a accessory introduced along side the AppleTV.

I'd also say, based on AT&T's move allows users to upgrade early and the increased early termination fees, that the a Verizon (and perhaps more carriers) deal may be announced for the fall.

Like many others, I watched the announcement yesterday (via various live streams) and also kept up on the sites live blogging. I must say that after the iPad was introduced and described, I could not help but feel very let down. It's the one things that the rumors kept saying, and the one thing I did not want... a giant iPod Touch. In fact... a lesser iPod Touch since it lacks some of it's built in apps. While I could see this device as something I would use a lot around the house to surf the web and check email... I already have lots of ways to do that and spending at least $500 for a slightly better experience is going to be tough to swallow. I wanted a laptop replacement... not a bigger, crippled version of my phone.

My major gripes are:

• No camera.... you kidding me?? A webcam might have made me forget about all the other stuff... but really no ability to video conference? This is a deal breaker.
• No multi-tasking - While I can't accept it on my iPhone (and will be jail breaking if not added in 4.0), I really can not accept it in a tablet. It's 10" computer with a powerful processor, and we're stuck running one app at a time? Unacceptable.
• This one is a little unclear, but it looks like no GPS in the wifi version and perhaps cell tower triangulation in the 3G version... You put a compass in it, but could not afford a GPS chip?
• The screen ratio... a 4:3 old school TV size? Everything is wide screen these days. One of the great things about the tablet would be watching movies... but by the time it scales the fir the screen you've lost 1/2 the resolution! Makes no sense to me at all. Least the iPhone is close to 16:9..
• A extra $130 for the 3G option? No Kindle like free data plan? AT&T???? No tether option to use the iPhone data plan? I'm not paying AT&T twice for HORRIBLE service.

No hopefully some of these issues will be fixed in iPhone OS 4.0 (it's running 3.2 currently) and the hardware issues fixed in version 2. While I might be slightly tempted for the cheapest version for around the house web surfing... I think I'll save my money for the next iPhone.

Enough of the rant... time to score my predictions.

1. No iTunes announcements... Grade: F
2. No iPhone announcements... Grade: F
3. No iPhone 4.0 announcement... Grade: F
4. I nailed the name (event he fact they brought back iBook), got the 10" size, and the external controls. Came close on networking, the dock ports. Missed on camera, tethering, OS version, and landscape docking. Grade: B-

All in all I'd say I failed this announcement. But, I will say a lot of what I predicted still may happen in the next 6 months, just was not on yesterdays agenda.

Here are a few predictions for the Apple announcement coming up tomorrow.
I'll even go out on a limb and put them in order of how they will be presented.

• iTunes - Cheaper TV show, or maybe even a subscription service. It seems time to match the competition and offer 1080p movies. There will be something about moving to the cloud. I can see the iTunes application on the web at iTunes.com and also the ability to stream music directly to devices.
• iPhone - Announcement that the iPhone will be going to Verizon (and maybe T-Mobile) this summer. There will not be talk of new hardware, that will be saved for WWDC.
• iPhone OS 4.0 - This will be a major overhaul to the look and feel that we've grown accustom to the last few years. A re-vamped home screen and springboard that makes it easier to organize and get to apps. There will also updated to the built in apps. Calendar, mail, maps, etc will get much needed features (unified mailbox, turn-by-turn navigation, etc... )
• Tablet - I think the name will either be iPad (ick) or they will bring back the iBook (which makes sense to me given the e-book emphasis). 10" screen, front facing camera. Wifi, bluetooth, 3G (with a standard\free wispernet type connection and a optional cell data service subscription). iPhone tethering will also be a option. It will run iPhone OS 4.0 (which was demoed earlier). It will come with a dock and will be able to connected in either landscape or portrait mode. I get the feeling it will have only a headphone port and volume control. It's possible the dock could have usb/display port/audio ports as well.

Now for a few wishes and other random thoughts....

• Bluetooth keyboard access.
• This device will replace the apple TV and have the ability to dock with a TV, have a remote control, and the Apple TV/frontrow interface.
• Full version of OS X... a notebook replacement.
• I have a feeling that voice control and facial/movement recognition by the camera will be shown off.. yet I'm not sure how well that will go over.

I'll score myself after the event is over and see how I did.

Looks like Apple just released beta 3 of the iPhone 3.1 OS and SDK to developers.

Also of note is that beta 2 will expire July 28th at midnight, so anyone on the beta better upgrade soon.

Once I install it tonight I'll report back with any changes I notice... like being able to make a phone call on the first attempt and not having it drop a minute later. Crazy improvements like that since beta 1 & 2.

While I love me some good TV and movies, I find I have precious little time for either lately. I spend a lot of my day listening (and watching) podcasts. It can be on my iPhone, laptop, or even in HD on my AppleTV. The ability to start and stop as needed and have them available at all times is perfect for my schedule. Not to mention that some of the best content out there is delivered free over the net. Honestly television kinda sucks these days, specially during the summer months. If not for the Tiger's games I'd probably cancel cable.

So here is a list of the podcast that I listen to on a regular basis. Granted they are all mostly tech in nature, but that's who I am.
Any good ones I'm missing?

Totally Rad Show - Probably my favorite show and one I watch as soon as it comes out. They cover movies, video games, comics, TV, and other geeky subject. It's the show that introduced me (and a lot of my friends) to geocaching. Great to watch in HD
Podcast out on Tuesdays

Buzz Out Loud - A daily show that quickly and efficiently reviews the day's tech stories.
Live daily at 1:30 PM EST, Podcast out the same day.

MacBreak Weekly - Biased Mac news for the week. I usually catch it broadcast live. Slightly hit or miss depending on the week's guest.
Live Tuesdays at 2 PM EST, Podcast out on Wednesdays.

Windows Weekly - Microsoft news for the week, which usually turns into a comparison show of what Apple would do, but I like it.
Live Thursdays at 2 PM EST, Podcast out on Fridays.

this WEEK in TECH - The old standard for tech podcast, which I find very hit or miss depending on who's the guest. I usually catch it live on Sundays.
Live Sundays at 6 PM EST, Podcast out on Mondays.

Diggnation - Another HD video podcast. Drinking and random stories from digg.com.
Podcast out on Wednesdays.

gdgt weekly - A newer podcast from the ex-editors of Engaget and Gizmodo that is completely devoted to discussing gadgets. Can ramble on at times, but the podcast is broken into chapters so you can skip directly to the topic you are interested in. ALL podcast should do this.
Podcast out weekly

You Look Nice Today - It's hard to explain this one... there is no real theme... and the topic is random. It's just three guys talking and it's hilarious (and very adult). Anything with John Hodgman doing the voiceovers is okay with me.
Random release schedule

Tiki Bar TV - One of the original video podcast and one of my favorites. Smart, funny, and they are usually plastered. Every episode is loosely based around a drink recipe. Episode 9: Red Oktober Red is recomended.
Random release schedule.

HD Nation - A new podcast devoted to the world of HD content. TV's, hi-def movies, and Blu-ray players are all covered. It's DL.tv rebooted on Revision3 and only about HD.
Podcast out weekly.

I'll also mention a few other that I occasionally listen to or want to get into:

Robert Llewellyn Carpool - The ex-host of Junyard wars (or Scrapheap Challenge as it was known over the pond, Robert Llewellyn, interviews people while driving around in various cars. I'm very eager to check this one out.

President Obama's Weekly Address

Initial Thoughts
I've enjoyed the Call of Duty games since the original. The way the story is told and the action unfolds via scripted plot points was always so well done it really sucked you into the gameplay. Then with Modern Warfare all that was taken up a notch in one of the best games I've ever played. So when World at War was announced I was skeptical... WW2 again? a different company making the game?. I held off playing for many months until I found a good deal on the game and noticed that everyone online was playing it.

Pro's
- Hearing Jack Bauer command you into action makes you really want to rack up the body count.
- The guns feel solid and the sounds really rock your sound system. I'm no expert, but they sound spot on.
- Multi-player is awesome... feels like it was made by a completely different company. The variety of game modes, rewards (or incentives) to increase in rank, and servers that seemed to match you up and getting you playing quickly.

Con's
- Now I played the single player in the hardest mode (as I usually play games), but this was ridiculous. The enemies all seemed to be super human snipers.. with any gun and at any range. They also seemed physic. Perhaps secret Nazi experiments to create super soldiers... or, more then likely, really shitty game design. I could walk around a corner, to over look a raging battle well off in the distance and constantly take a bullet to the head from a guy that would have no idea I was there. This happened constantly.
- The enemy can also clone itself endlessly. The game relies -heavily- on you making it to a certain point to make the game move forward. Basically unless you move to a magical point on the battle field the enemy will re-spawn forever, no matter how many you kill. It basically turned the game into a suicidal sprint forward, knowing that if you made it your guys would advance and the enemy would disappear. Not fun.
- My band of brothers are morons. They don't actually kill anyone.. they usually get in the way... and at one point actually sat on me, causing me not to be able to move as grenades exploded and killed me. They also seem to ignore a guy with a rifle standing two feet away. They don't shoot each other.. instead the enemy waits, ignoring the soldier in front of him, so he can shoot me.
- Speaking of grenades.. wow. Every soldier your up against has -perfect- aim and a unlimited number of grenades. In most battles there will be dozens of grenades exploding around you (and only you) by guys throwing blindly a 100 yards away... truly amazing. - You die instantly at save points. When the game does auto save and you re-spawn there.... a good portion of the time you will die instantly. This forces you to figure out what direction to push on the stick as the game loads in hope you might actually move out of the way so you can live for a few more seconds.

Conclusion
It's obvious that this game had nothing to do with the Modern Warfare series. And for that I'm thankful and very much looking forward to Modern Warfare 2. The single player was unplayable and I mostly finished it out of spite and that fact I paided for the damn thing. Multiplayer is great and look forward to leveling up even more (and kicking my cousins ass... finally).

Rating
2.5 of 5.0

It's been over a month since WWDC, but I still wanted to go back and look at my predictions and see how I did.

- Snow Leopard - Was right about the demos and the release date getting set. Also a new build was given to the attendees. Was actually slightly over on the price of $50 (it's $29) and missed the release month by one (September, not August). GRADE: B

- iPhone OS 3.0 - More demos for sure with new apps and wireless devices. Was right in that developers could download that day and only missed the general release by five days. GRADE: A-

- iPhone Video - Or the iPhone 3GS as we now know. Was correct in the storage sizes, the magnetometer, faster processor, and ability to record video. Was right that there is no front facing camera. Also got that TV and movies were brought the iTunes app. Was wrong on the case color and totally missed the release date. GRADE: B

- One More thing - I said it would be nothing.. and I was right. GRADE: A

- MacBooks - The other item which I mentioned was some silent updates the MacBook line... and in this I was really off. They revamped everything and gave the laptops a lot more focus then I ever thought would happen. GRADE C-

So overall I think I did pretty well. I'll give myself a B, which for a Apple keynote, is not all that bad.

With only a few hours until Apple's keynote address at WWDC in San Francisco, I thought I'd give my predictions on what we'll might see at the event. I have high hopes for what will be announced, yet I fear that I'm going to be disappointed (at least for now).

Snow Leopard - I think a good long portion of the event will be about the new OS. Demos will be given, some now features introduced, and a release date set. My guess is that people at the event will get the RC versison (or whatever Apple calls it) and the full OS will be released in August. I also predict that a price of around $50 will be set to stay competitive with Windows 7's upgrade cost.

iPhone OS 3.0 - While already previously announced, we'll get another demo of the final version. Perhaps a few new apps and devices using the wireless connectivity, but nothing special. It will be announced that developers can download 3.0 today and that general public will get it Friday.

iPhone Video - This rumor has, of course, generated the most talk over the last few weeks. I think we'll get a storage bump to 16/32 GB, a magnetometer to show direction, a faster processor, and the ability to record video (but not... sadly.. a front facing camera for video chat). The case will be all black with a matte finish. The other "video" part of the announcement will be that you can download TV and movies from the iTunes store directly to the phone (but only on WiFi). The phone will go on sale July 10th.

On More Thing... - Nothing. It seems to me Apple is trying to break assumption that there is always a big surprise at the end of a keynote. Many of the recent ones have had nothing at the end, and I think this one will be no different.

If this holds true if would it would leave a lot of items not spoken about. I think Apple will do other updates soon. Some via silent upgrades on the website and others at a event later this summer (most likely announcing the formal return of Steve Jobs)

No that I made my rational predictions... I figured I'd give my wish-list:
- iPhone with front facing camera for video chat.
- A gamepad add on for the phone that gives you a D-pad or analog stick/buttons for true gaming on the device.
- AppleTV with 1080p output (at the least), and a cable card slot for DVR.
- Processor bumps to MacBook/MacBook Pro (this may be a silent update)
- MacBook Air with 3G built in
- Announcement of a tablet computer (for Jan release) and a new set of features in OS X that developers can start working on.

We'll know in a few hour (1PM EST) if I got anything right...

It's Wednesday, so it's time for Hump Day Q 'n A. A chance for me to try and help out on any tech question you might have or just offer up my advice.

Feel free to ask questions at Feedback@PaulMaleck.com or in the comments below.

Question #1: Mac keyboard remap?
I want to make CTRL + Arrow move the cursor one word at a time.
(I know that Option + Arrow already does that, but I am having an impossible time training my fingers to hit that next key over)
Also, of course, CTRL + SHIFT + Arrow should highlight one word at a time.
It also wouldn't be terrible if CTRL + C = Cut and CTRL + V = Paste.
Again, I know COMMAND + C and COMMAND + V do that... It's a pinky dexterity issue!!!

Answer
In System Preferences go to Keyboard and Mouse. Select the Keyboard tab and click on the Modifier Keys... button. From here you can swap the Command and Control keys that seem to be giving you such a problem. Now keep in mind this may cause havoc when application are trying to give you instructions on what to do, and you have the keys reversed. My advice would just take some more time and try to learn the proper Mac key combo's. As someone who switched to Mac after years of windows it took me a while to teach my fingers a new way of operating, but now I wish I could re-map Windows keyboards whenever I have to use that!... Thanks for the question. - Paul

Update: For more flexablily and to help remap the option key.. look at DoubleCommand

Just picked up iLife '09 today and installed it both on my MacBook Pro and MacBook. I haven't had a chance yet to play with all the new features, but as I do I'll post my initial thoughts here.


Installation:
- The install went went fine initially on my MacBook Pro. Took about 30 minutes and required a reboot.
- On the MacBook the install failed saying that it could not find a product to install. I rebooted and tried again, but got the same error. I then remembered that Apple release some updates to iLife '08 the other day. I ran software update and installed what was available. After another reboot the install proceeded without error. Again it took about 30 minutes and required a reboot.

iPhoto:
- The first app I fired up was iPhoto. Initially it ask to upgrade your library. You also need to let iPhoto geo-tag your photos (if that information is available). Also it take a while for iPhoto to catalog all the faces it finds in your pictures for facial recognition later.
- There are two new menu items... Faces and Places. Places brings up a map and shows pins where photos have been taken. For me it was just pictures taken on my iPhone, since it's the only camera with geo-tagging built in. The only problem I noticed was when zoomed in photos can be spread out on the map, even when taken in the same place. For example some pictures I know were taken at my condo show up as four or five pins in the local area. Now I know this is caused by the inaccuracy of GPS, but I hope I find a way to group all this pics together.
- Faces is perhaps the most fun. When you open a photo you now have a 'Name' button on the bottom at brings up a box around each persons face. You then type in the name and click done. Then when you go back to the Faces area those people appear along with suggestions of other photos that may contain them. For these photos you click on "confirm name" button and tag each suggested photo as either being correct or incorrect. The application seems to learn and become more accurate as more photos are tagged. This is a very cool feature and a great new way to organize photos.

Next up iMovie...