MacFest

Sat, 6 Feb 2010
Machines, 1Utama
8:00 - 10:00pm

Report : Azul Adnan
Photos : Samuel Tan, Azul Adnan

Samuel kicked off the night with a presentation called "Mac + Me". He talked about how he started using the Mac for the first time, encountering some teething issues along the way. Negative myths were busted as he found the truth after using his Mac.

Samuel listed out his favourite apps, his favourite browser being Chrome. Among the things he likes about the Mac is Mail, ringtones and projector connection and one of the things he dislikes is not being able to send html email.

Azrin was the second speaker and he continued from the last MacFest by talking about another freeware which allows more options in configurating the Magic Mouse. MagicPrefs has more features than BetterTouchTool. It can specify clicks, taps, swipes (including 3-finger), drags and pinches. However Azrin had a little problem trying to get the swipes to work.

Next he showed iAlertU, a security app which arms your Mac by setting off an alarm and taking photos of 'intruders'. It works by utilising the sensor of your MacBook.

Jeyadev took to the floor and demonstrated Foursquare. This app allows you to "check-in", which tells your friends your whereabouts. The app recommends places to go and things to do nearby. You check-in at places like cafes, restaurants, shops, etc. You can also share tips and reviews of your favourite places. However Foursquare is still new in Malaysia and not yet widely used.

Jeyadev also showed Finger Foos, a multi-player foosball app for the iPhone. We connected three iPhones and played the simple finger-flicking game.

The last speaker was Ian and he started off by showing photos of the recent Final Cut Pro User Group (MYFCPUG) meeting. The highlights of the event were a cool 3D video camera and the arrival of Drobo on our shores.

Next he talked about Wimax and how it still didn't support Mac OS X, after one year. But there are ways to get around this problem, using apps like VMware.

Ian then showed how to create ringtones for your iPhone in seven steps.

At last, he came to the finally presentation for the night which was to talk about the newly announced iPad. Unfortunately there wasn't a prototype to show. But Ian did stir our curiosity by placing a weighing scale on the table.

He went through the specs of the iPad and noted that it weighs 680g. Then he brought out his Newton and placing it on the scales showed that it too weighed 680g! Hmmm...does this weight have a special meaning for Apple?

Ian also whipped out an old tablet PC from 2005. The 5-year old tablet has more ports than the iPad and has a 30GB hard disk. It does make the iPad look sorely lacking. One thing Ian noted was that recent rumour sites have strongly suggested that the next (second) generation iPad will have a built-in camera. So, to buy or to wait....?

For the lucky draws, Apple merchandise and a book on YouTube were given away.

It must be noted that the youngest attendee of MacFest came in the form of Eeyan, the new-born son of Zainul and Emma. And he managed to sleep throughout the whole event!

Lastly, Jeyadev announced that he was leaving Machines. Thanks, Jeyadev, for all your help in arranging for our MacFest venue.