In case you missed it, Apple made three huge announcements at Macworld during CEO Steve Jobs's Keynote Address yesterday. In my opinion, much of the media has fallen in to the trap of covering the sexiest stories rather than the more important ones. From where I sit, here are the three pieces of news, in increasing order of importance:

* [The iPhone](http://www.apple.com/iphone/): Apple announced that, in June, they will ship a revolutionary cell phone, complete with touch screen, amazing software and the ability to make anyone holding it invisible to everyone except the Dark Lord Sauron. OK, I made that last part up but the truth is that, as usual, Apple produced something years ahead of the competition. Like the Mac and iPod before it, companies will be copying the iPhone for years.

* Apple re-demo'd the  tv (yes, that's how they write it), a TV set-top box that pulls content from within iTunes to your "widescreen TV" via wi-fi, allowing you to access your photos, music, videos, etc via your home entertainment center. Unlike the phone, it is an evolutionary product, not a revolutionary one, but it trumps Windows Media Center Edition with its simplicity and price. It is most notable because it marks Apple's official move into the living room.

* The biggest deal of the day, in my opinion, came very late in the Keynote, when Jobs announced that Apple Computer, Inc. has changed its name and is now to be known as Apple, Inc. I seem to be alone in believing that this is the "big news," as even Apple's [Press Release Page](http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/) doesn't mention the announcement. The only indication is the foot of every page on Apple's website which now reads "Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved."

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not predicting [the death of the Mac](http://feeds.tuaw.com/~r/weblogsinc/tuaw/~3/73274761/) or anything, but it is noteworthy that Apple has publicly acknowledged that they are widening their scope to include consumer electronics as well as computers; it's as if they're saying that they want to compete with Sony and not Microsoft. Of course, here at MacMove, we've maintained for a long time that this is the case, because Apple is, above all else, a hardware company.

With yesterday's announcements, Apple is now offering three different devices that lots of people want that are *not* computers (iPod, iPhone,  tv)... but all three require iTunes to work. iTunes runs on Windows or the Mac OS, so lots and lots of people will now be free to enjoy Apple design without giving up their Windows computers.

Big announcements, indeed.

I've been trying to articulate just what it is about Windows that I find so inferior to Mac OS X for a long time. Writing at [Information Week](http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196800670&pgno=1&queryText=), John Welch (yes, [that](http://www.bynkii.com/) John Welch) put into words what I've been trying to describe for a long time:

>Windows is...well, Windows is very eager to tell you what's going on. Constantly. Plug something in, and you get a message. Unplug something and you get a message. If you're on a network that's having problems staying up, you'll get tons of messages telling you this. It's rather like dealing with an overexcited Boy Scout...who has a lifetime supply of chocolate-covered espresso beans. This gets particularly bad when you factor in things like the user-level implementation of Microsoft's new security features.

>To put it simply, you can work on a Mac for hours, days even, and only minimally need to directly use the OS. With Vista? The OS demands your attention, constantly.

Yes. *Exactly.*

Apple's Legal Department must be distracted by Macworld Expo or something, because I can't believe that they've missed this.

Over at [LifeHacker](http://www.lifehacker.com), a site about personal productivity, they've [written](http://www.lifehacker.com/software/design/create-newsletters-online-with-letterpop-226881.php) about [LetterPop](http://www.letterpop.com/), a website that allows you to use online tools to create html-based email newsletters to send to your friends. The site has nice templates and easy-to-use tools which allow users to use drag-and-drop to create snazzy looking documents which are then emailed via the site.

LH says "the site rocks" and calls it "the first must-see web application of 2007." I agree that you should see it, but only because their blatent copying of Apple's design is going to lead to them either changing things significantly or shutting down soon, so you should check it out now, while you still can.

Look at this:

This is the demo newsletter which greets you when you first visit the site. Does it look familiar? Look closely.

Notice the blue header bar, the font selected for the banner and headlines, the single-color sidebar, the titled, square graphic at the top of the column and the large, round graphic callout in the bottom corner. Notice also the white image borders and the background color of the bottom panel

Now check this out:

This is one of the Apple-designed Newsletter templates that comes included with Pages, part of Apple's iWork office suite.

They're really different, right? Of course! In Apple's newsletter, the sidebar and graphic are way over on the other side of the page! And that's not a ribbon, it's a *cookie!*

Just to be clear, Apple is way, way out ahead on this; Pages has been available, with this template baked in, for years. I simply can't believe LetterPop has tried to get away with this.

Sheesh.

You're either in the market for a laptop desk, or you're not.

First of all, you've got to use a notebook computer and you've got to use it a lot. And, to really be a target consumer for [The Laptop Desk 2.0](http://laptopdesk.net/laptopdesk2f.html) from [Lapworks](http://laptopdesk.net), you need to be the kind of person that uses that notebook in many places, at and away from tables and desks. If that sounds like you, then you should take a long look at this product because, while this is not a flashy product, it knows what it is and it does what it should.

##Expectations##
What should a product like this do?

* It should create a sturdy, portable work surface on which you can place your notebook computer and/or a mouse, and work comfortably.
* It should protect your lap from heat generated by your notebook computer.
* It should be portable.
* It should be reasonably priced.

##Does it deliver?##

The Laptop Desk 2.0 delivers on all of these.

First and foremost, when unfolded, the unit creates a work surface over 20 inches wide and over 11 inches from front to back. It's big enough to hold any of Apple's current notebooks with room to spare for a mouse if you want. It's unique hinge prevents it from opening too far, and anti-slip stuff keeps the computer from moving and the desk itself from moving on your lap.

The unit's design features recessed channels which allow heat from the computer to dissipate away from your legs. I was able to use my PowerBook on my lap for hours without feeling heat in my legs. I also use the Laptop Desk in bed, both sitting up and lying down (with the Desk on my chest). It performed perfectly.

The Desk has two basic modes. First, when you unfold it completely, it forms a 20 inch-wide surface which you can place across your knees so that, wherever you find yourself, you can create a solid, sturdy desk to work on, as long as you can sit down. The unit can also function as a tilted laptop stand at your desk: you unfold it a small amount and set up the support arm. The arm creates a wedge that can hold your laptop at any of five different angles, inclining the typing surface and bringing the screen closer to you face.

When you fold the Laptop Desk 2.0 completely, you're left with a flat package just over 1/2" thick and about two inches wider than a piece of paper. It will slip right into your laptop bag and, as an added bonus, will add stiffness and protection to your bag. It weighs 22 oz, which is not a lot, considering the benefits.

The LapWorks website contains [a bunch of information](http://laptopdesk.net/thermal/thermalstudy-introf.html) about how independent researchers have found proof that using the Laptop Desk will reduce heat buildup and increase your laptop's life-span. I don't know that I really believe that, but the comfort benefits alone have sold me.

##Any complaints?##

I'm happy to say that I don't have any real complaints about this product. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I'm going to give it MM Recs status. If I had to pick something to complain about, I might focus on price. The unit sells for $29, which seems like a lot for an item that I, personally, would not use every day. However, if I were a business traveller, that price would be much more reasonable. (The company does have an offer for two units for a $10 discount, but how many customers need more than one of these things?) Like I said at the beginning of the review, you're either in the target market for this product, or you're not.

If you have need for a product like this, you'll be happy with the LapWorks Laptop Desk 2.0. If it doesn't seem like a perfect fit, the company's website offers different models to chose from as well.

Macworld is reporting that a company called Centrix.ca has released NetworkLocation, a utility that helps you change various Mac settings automatically when you switch physical locations. The app is a good-looking program that, with a single click, let's you change all sorts of settings on your Mac all at once.

Why would this be useful?

Well, I use a PowerBook and, every single day, I take it to work and bring it home. At home, I use an AirPort Extreme to get online and, at work, I connect to the University's wireless network. Problem is that, at school, various DNS issues require me to have different network settings than I use at home. That's what OS X's Locations are for (you can find them under the Apple Menu). In theory, when I get to my office at school, I should choose one location from the list and, when I get home, I should choose another.

Problem is that I need to change more settings than the Locations allow me to change. They only let me make changes to network settings... what about things like which printer is my default? What about SMTP settings? And so on.

So, a program like NetworkLocation sounds like a good solution. However, after downloading the trial and playing with it, I have some issues.

First, more attentions seems to have been paid to the applications look and feel than to its feature set. In a recent post on his weblog, codepoetry, Adam Knight ranted a bit about overcooked user interfaces. He was taking about Disco, a new disk-burning application that features, believe it or not, animated smoke, but his point applies to NetworkLocation, too. He said:

>The Macintosh UI used to be clean, sharp, and useful. It used to get you right to the point of what you wanted in a non-modal way and not get anything else in the way as you did it. Think Microsoft Word 5 (Too young? Too bad, really.). The idea was to give you a workspace for what you wanted to work on and try to prevent any situation from coming up that would block you from working if at all possible.

>Now it's turned into a perverse nightmare of animated doohickies and gizmos and every effect known to man flashing by when something is clicked. It's like Macromedia Adobe Flash took over the desktop and is taunting us with its mystic flair. It's animation overkill.

NetworkLocation is a floating app that only appears when you need it. You can hit an icon in the Menu Bar or use a customizable hot key; either way, the floating menu appears in the middle of your screen, presenting you with a list of different locations to choose from. It's a good idea in concept but, really, when I want to change network locations, I just want to get it done and move on.

This brings me to my next point: features. To revise my last statement, when I need to change network locations, I don't want to even think about it. As I said above, I am a notebook user and I use my Mac in different places. Right now, I use a great applicaiton called LocationX to handle this problem. It's not as sexy as NetworkLocation, but it's been available since 2002 and already solves the problem. Plus, it has features that the upstart competitor lacks, like the abilty to change your settings automatically upon sensing a network it is familiar with.

Right now, when I get to school in the morning, my Mac sees the wi-fi network and, when it auto-connects, LocationX steps in and automatically sets my network settings, SMTP settings, printer settings, etc. And, like NetworkLocation, LocationX has a plug-in program that lets third-party developers create extended functionality for things the developers didn't think of themselves.

If you like the sound of NetworkLocation, give LocationX a try - you'll be glad you did.