So, what do you say? Shall we take a look, then?

All Jack Boutique

One of my favorite items of the entire show, iPhone case or not, was All Jack Boutique’s Formati Collection for iPhone 4S. This line of CNC machine tooled cases contained some of the coolest and most unique options I’ve seen in quite some time, in both design and construction.

But I’ve already covered these in our Surprising Finds article, so head over there for information and images. That’s important, because their website is still under construction so you won’t be seeing anymore there fore now. I was told at the show, though, that the line should be released by the end of February, so watch for it.

Product [All Jack Boutique]

Hub Innovations

People often use the word “bling” to describe their products. This is perhaps the most accurate use yet. Hub’s Couture line of cases for iPhone 4/4S features Swarovski Crystals on the back of the case, pretty much ensuring people are going to notice just what type of phone you have.

Each case is individually hand made in the U.S.A., and the various designs (Classic, Pretty, and Punx Not Dead) are available in pink, black and white. If you’re thinking one of these would make a great Valentine’s gift, I’m afraid you’re too late for that. Because of high demand, each order takes about seven to ten days to ship. My apologies for the late notice.

Product [Hub Innovations]

Lafeada

Lafeada had a few different collections on display, most of which carried softer, more elegant stylings than what we’ll otherwise see here. Their Halo (including a model with more of those Swarovski Crystals), Belle and Arrow designs are shown below, but you’ll want to visit their website to also view the Spectrum and Armor models.

Lafeada prides itself on designing products that are young, lively and eco-friendly, but they’re equally focused on being customer friendly. Many of their collections are available in Family Packs (three colors in one pack), Plus Packs (iPhone case, screen guard and case guard) and/or Combo Packs (include a stylus). And speaking of styli, check out their i-Liner and Lip-Stick models. Not my thing, but they would be for those who love to accessorize.

Product [Lafeada]

Molife

Molife showed off a fairly large collection of cases at the show, but my favorite line was their 100% Aluminum Finish panels which work in conjunction with their MoBezel bumpers. As the company says, “Mopanel Aluminium features a perfect cut at the back to give your smart phone the perfect fit. These wow-worthy statement panels will refresh and reinvent the look of your smart phone.”

Included in this set is their horoscope line, pictured above. I’ve got no interest in horoscopes, but those are some pretty slick designs, and you can mix and match your “bumper” colors for a good variety of customization options.

Product [moLife]

STYL

Play. Live. Forever. That’s STYL’s advice. I say stick with the just first two, but I’m also not trying to inspire you to buy iPhone 4/4S cases like those pictured below.

STYL was actually focusing on their headphones and iPad cases at the show. And although they have a fairly slick Express Wallet Case and a Combat Case designed specifically for gamers on the way, it’s the cases above that mostly attracted my attention. I like the unique choice of colors and the basic designs. They had a nice, soft feel to them, too. These are just prototypes, however, and the colors/designs could change before their release.

Product [STYL]

Tru Protection

Tru Protection had a couple of collections they were showing off, including the Heather Brown Collection (below left).

These cases in their Air Jacket line are just 1mm thick and are printed with durable ink on 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. Truth be told, I dig the cases on the right, more, but they’re not yet (no longer?) available at the Tru Protection website.

Product [Tru Protection]

Visbyh

This line of iPhone 4/4S cases is, obviously, all about color. If you couldn’t tell that from the names of the available models—Santorini Green, Sparkling Blue, Venom Pink, Lightning Orange, etc.—you could surely tell from the photo below.

Beyond the color, the cases are your standard soft-touch hardshell construction, and take the Slender name seriously; they’re quite a bit thinner than they appear inside those bulky plastic containers. If all you need to make a statement with your iPhone case is bold color, this is certainly the way to go.

Product [Visbyh]

White Diamonds

And finally, we end with White Diamonds; “Purity, brilliance and … perfection!” as they’ll tell you. And I’ll be honest…this is one of the few high-fashion case designs I could actually see myself using.

The Swarovski name appears here again, but many of the cases still manage to have a somewhat masculine design to them despite all the sparkles. White Diamonds works with artists Vince Fraser and Franke for some rather stunning designs, but I personally prefer their cases that just use color gradations to achieve their desired effect.

Product [White Diamonds]

So What Is It?

Appletell got to to chat with Jay Wilder, director of product marketing for BrainShark, at Macworld | iWorld 2012, where he described the genesis of SlideShark. Brainshark is a great online tool that lets you upload PowerPoint slide decks, documents, or pictures, and their cloud-based service converts them into web-enabled videos to which you can add an audio narration track.  Users can create web-based training courses, post presentations for reviewing by attendees after a conference, etc., but Brainshark had a problem; their own employees had iPads, but Apple’s rudimentary PowerPoint viewer did not offer support for complex presentations and often displayed garbled text, incorrect graphic layouts, and offered no support for animations. Hence BrainShark invented SlideShark to ensure PowerPoint presentations are rendered as intended on iPads, both for its own iPad-toting employees and end users.

Since it launched on the app store last fall, SlideShark has seen incredible demand, with approximately two downloads every minute and a spot among the top iPad Productivity apps. SlideShark allows users to upload PowerPoint presentations into their Brainshark’s cloud, where they are converted into an iPad-friendly movie saving all fonts, colors, and animation. Users simply download the resulting video to the SlideShark app on their iPad and hit play. Slides can be viewed via standard video out or AirPlay (on iPad 2), and basic controls include the ability to tap to advance, swipe back a slide, swipe up for the slide drawer (contents), or auto play with a preprogrammed slide delay.

Go Team!

The introduction of the new SlideShark Team Edition adds a layer of team management and simplified billing capabilities on top of the existing single-user features (check out the feature comparison chart for the difference between versions). Team Edition provides 5 GB of storage for team presentations, and individuals can upload both private files and files to share with the team, so the right presentation will always be available when you need it. Administrators can manage user permissions and content to ensure the right people have access to the right content, and usage statistics are available to help identify which files are the most/least viewed, and which users are the most active.

The iPad app is always free, as is individual use with a 100 MB storage capacity. Individuals can bump up to either 600 MB or a full 1.1 GB for $49 or $98 a year, respectively. Rather than manage a large number of individual accounts, Team Edition provides organizations the ability to centrally manage all their users and the shared 5 GB storage capacity (more is available for special circumstances) for the price of $149 per user, per year. SlideShark is one of the first standout SaaS offerings that is not an extension of an existing high-profile cloud offering like Salesforce.com, and they are capitalizing on a huge market left open by Microsoft’s slow response to the rise of tablets.

Product [SlideShark]

This year’s Macworld | iWorld 2012 has come to a close, and the official attendance numbers show roughly 25,000 people attended (not including media and exhibitors), 10% more than in 2011. About 40% of them came for the first time, which seems to indicate the transformation of Macworld to the “ultimate iFan event” has worked in reaching a new audience.

“We have shaped the show to appeal to a younger audience that maybe hasn’t come to every Macworld for the last 25 years,” Paul Kent Vice President and General Manager of Macworld | iWorld, explained. “That’s an opportunity to reach a whole new demographic for some companies.”

If you couldn’t make it this year there’s a photo gallery of some of the events and a short video below. You can also read a wrap-up of everything that was offered at the official Macworld | iWorld site.

Macworld | iWorld 2013 is already scheduled for January 31st through February 2nd at the Moscone Center’s West Hall. Paul Kent said there are more ideas for more varied events for next year, which he expects will bring back alumni as well as attract new visitors.

Be sure to check out Appletell’s full (and ongoing) Macworld | iWorld 2012 coverage.

Via [Ars Technica]

MokaFive announced the addition of Mac in Minutes to their MokaFive Suite of virtual desktop management software at MacWorld | iWorld 2012, and this addition is designed to increase the simplicity and speed up deployment of virtualized corporate-standard Windows desktops to Macs. MokaFive provides IT shops the ability to centrally and securely support Macs or PCs more easily than past methods of supporting individual hardware+software combinations for each employee.

The Problem

IT departments are facing increased pressure from users and C-level execs to allow access to corporate resources from personal devices. Smartphone users want to be always-on, always-connected, but that reality was not factored into the planning of most companies building out their IT infrastructure. Rather than controlling the entire experience from backend servers to end-user workstations, IT departments are undergoing a transformation similar to one the software development world experienced with the move to Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).  Resources that were formerly tightly controlled are now being decoupled and made available to an unknown variety of users as a service.

Rather than set up an Exchange server and secure it so email is accessible via Outlook on a Windows desktop plugged directly into the corporate network, IT is now faced with the task of providing email services on desktops, laptops, and smartphones connecting via in-house networks, VPNs, cellular networks, and over the Internet (WiFi in hotels/restaurants). This is a radical rethinking for most IT departments, and requires new tools to adequately secure and manage the infrastructure employees need to do their work.

MokaFive’s Solution

Appletell had the opportunity to get a firsthand look at the MokaFive Suite and chat with COO Purnima Padmanabhan. She described the central console, innovative virtual machine management capabilities, and simple provisioning tools which are responsible for the efficiency and simplicity that make up the Mac in Minutes solution. The product promises an initial setup time of just 90 minutes (less time than it takes to watch a movie!), after which employee provisioning takes mere seconds—simply target a LivePC to a new user and you are finished.

The overall MokaFive product is composed of two pieces: a centralized management server, which allows IT departments to create Golden Images (a baseline, standardized Windows virtual machine), and client software for end users, which lets the corporate Windows desktop look like just another Mac app. Users double-click the MokaFive player app and their Windows desktop launches inside VMWare Fusion. Corporate data and Windows-only applications coexist seamlessly with Mac apps, and since Windows is provided as a full, local virtual machine, the traditional headaches of VDI like lost connectivity or massive bandwidth requirements are wonderfully absent.

The centralized MokaFive Management server provides a number of key features that reduce the burden of supporting virtual desktops. Updates to the Golden Image are made on the management server and then pushed out to end users’ LivePCs automatically, ensuring the latest patches or corporate policy changes are implemented on a timely basis.  This provides a better testing capability to ensure routine patches do not interfere with corporate apps; should an update break a VM, users have the ability to rejuvenate their own machines—refreshing the OS to its original state while preserving user data and settings.

The central console also provides management options for users and groups, security and use policies, reporting, and audit logging for events such as log-in, LivePC subscription, and other user actions. LivePCs can be remotely revoked or killed, preventing data loss if a machine is lost or stolen, and to ensure corporate data does not walk out the door with an outgoing employee (a problem greatly exacerbated when companies do not own the hardware their employees use, as in a BYO program).

Golden Ticket

MokaFive’s promise to streamline the process of corporate Windows management and deployment in a BYO environment is backed by a host of features. These are designed to provide the tools IT shops deem necessary to handle the security of corporate data and apps, manage support burden (number of help desk calls and time to resolve issues), and meet regulatory requirements. These features include:

• Data security supported via full virtual-disk encryption, network communication encryption for all data traffic, and with anti-virus scanning of the host machine.
• Self-service provisioning allows IT departments to provide new employees with a link to download their MokaFive image—no installation needed, which frees IT staff time. This solution is also great for companies allowing telework because telecommuters can download their LivePC at home, ensuring the resources used for accessing corporate networks are properly secured.
• The MokaFive model breaks the VM into three parts for corporate data, OS, and user data/settings, meaning security policy changes and updates can be made on a more granular level than with a traditional PC. This also supports the Rejuvenation feature, which restores a broken VM without destroying user data or settings.
• The MokaFive client encapsulates the VM, providing granular control over abilities such as sharing data between the host OS and VM, connecting USB devices, or installing unapproved software.
• Secure configuration options include the ability to completely wipe an entire VM after each session, ensuring a truly secure logout and preventing security headaches from data remnants on high-impact secured systems.
• Centralized management capability of VDI without the investment to deploy network infrastructure and no loss of productivity when the network is down.

The President and CEO of MokaFive, Dale Fuller, is the former VP of the PowerBook division at Apple, where he saw first-hand the difficulty in convincing IT departments to loosen their control and support the Mac. MokaFive seems custom made to break down the barriers IT departments use to justify a “No Mac for You!” policy. With Apple’s products growing in popularity and the increasing expectation that work resources be available in an always-on manner, MokaFive’s suite of virtual desktop management tools are key to Apple’s advance into businesses.

Dragon Story

Dragon Story is your basic Pokemon concept. You’ll be capturing up to 209 different monsters, which you can then use in battle. The monsters evolve as they level up, gaining new powers and appearances. You can also find recipes that show you how to combine two monsters into one for unique results, which may help you defeat the bosses that release spirit totems you can use in battle.

The game’s strategy centers around lining up your monsters for battle, because they cannot be healed. Rather, when one is defeated, the next in line takes over. You can also level up your hero, boosting his stats to affect the abilities of your monsters. Your strategic use of these elements will be key in helping you dig deeper into the various dungeons, towers, etc. to find the rare monsters.

And for you gluttons out there, there’ll even be a rogue-like infinite dungeon.

Dragon Wars will be released for iOS in the first quarter of 2012.

Adventure Bar Story

And with this, we have a game that may prove a combination of time management sims and turn-based RPGs was too long in coming.

Originally released in 2006 for mobile devices, then updated for PSP and iOS in Japan in 2011, Adventure Bar Story is also coming soon to the U.S. App Store. The story centers around a hostile takeover of your sister’s bar…it’s good to know that even in Japanese video games there’s a role for Martin Mull to play.

Rather than put on a show to save your sister’s bar, as is the American way, you set out on adventures to battle monsters in a grid-based combat system so you can use their meat for exciting new dishes, which is the proper way. You can fish and farm for exotic produce, too, but where’s the adventure in that?

Adventure Bar Story was originally developed by RideonJapan as Fushigino Kunino Bouken Sakaba, but is being localized for U.S. audiences by ZigZaGames. The English version is being further optimized for iOS, addressing many user interface issues that presumedly happened in the translation to the touchscreen device.

Adventure Bar Story is tentatively schedule for a February 28th at the limited-time sale price of $0.99, after which it will increase to $2.99. You can learn more about the game at Adventure Bar Story Facebook page.

Appletell have more coverage of both games as we near their release dates.

Here is a roundup of some of the best audio products demonstrated by several companies, some old standbys and a few fresh faces:

Bang & Olufsen

The venerable Danish firm B&O used Macworld | iWorld to demo the first B&O Play device, the Beolit 12. B&O Play represents a new iDevice-centric sub-brand for the upmarket firm, with their signature focus on simplicity and stunning design all at a more affordable price.  The Beolit 12 is a portable, rechargeable speaker capable of playing tunes via AirPlay, audio in, or USB connection. 

Gavio

A surprise newcomer, and a selection in Appletell’s Favorite Products of Macworld | iWorld 2012, Gavio turned many show attendees’ heads with their impressive audio and even more incredible designs. The Wrenz speakers, which look like small metallic or jewel-encrusted birds, and Sgul earphones, which resemble the Terminator sans skin carried loads of style and an impressive sound to match. 

Polk Audio

The display at the Polk Audio booth certainly matched its description in the press materials: High-Flying and High-Fidelity. The stars of the acrobatic trampoline act were pro acrobats demonstrating the staying power of the Polk’s new Ultrafit sport & fitness headphones, while the stars of the booth were the Ultrafit headphones themselves. The 500, 1,000, and 3,000 series in-ear headphones looked good and sounded better, while the 2000 series on-ears were comfortable and provided convenient controls right on the headset.

SRS Labs 

Rounding out the bunch is SRS Labs and their MyTunes iPhone app. This app provides audio enhancement, equalizer, and volume leveling technology developed by SRS labs for custom hardware—Apple even used the SRS Surround Sound processing tech in its old MultipleScan AV line of displays. With customized audio enhancement profiles for various output devices like car audio, in-ear or on-ear headphones, or speakers, MyTunes makes your music sound its best regardless of where you’re listening. The free version provides a time-limited trial, while the full version is $4.99 on the App Store.

Be sure to check out the rest of our Macworld | iWorld 2012 coverage.

Aaron: ōlloclip iPhone Lens by ōlloclip

Launched as a KickStarter project last year, ōlloclip has been burning up the iDevice accessory world lately. The ōlloclip is a combination fisheye, macro, and wide angle lens that snaps effortlessly on the iPhone body and self-aligns with the camera.

The ōlloclip takes full advantage of the iPhone 4S’ excellent camera for both still shots and video, opening a new world of artistic effects for the point-and-shoot camera most people carry around every day. With precision ground optical elements and a machined aluminum lens barrel, the ōlloclip is a great option for professional photo results when a bulky DSLR just is not an option.

David: Crestron Mobile Pro G by Crestron

With all due respect to all of the fantastic apps at MacWorld | iWorld 2012 I am going to give Crestron my nod for Best of Show.

The Crestron control system allows you to connect to and control almost anything that runs on electricity from your iDevice wherever you are. The ability to set up preferences, touch a couple of buttons and have your home set your shades, start your coffee, turn on the morning news, set the thermostat, turn on some background music, open the garage door, etc., all before your feet hit the floor when the alarm goes off is a significant time saver.

In the workplace it can help manage light harvesting and environment control, which can mean significant energy savings. Since I have a penchant for the really handy, Crestron gets the “best of show” for this Expo.

Kirk: Pretty much any speaker system by Gavio

There were plenty of products by familiar companies I was happy to finally check out at Macworld | iWorld this year: iStop Motion for iPad from Boinx, the Spark Digital condenser mic from Blue, and Monster Wars from Liv Games, for example. But my “best in show” goes to a company that’s new to me and to Macworld Expo: Gavio.

Gavio showed off a lot of products for iDevices, but it was their line of portable speakers that won me over. Specifically, the Wrenz, Alchemey, Toast and GooGoo models. These are all gorgeously designed systems that are at once charming and unique, and all of them pack more punch than you’d expect (especially the Alchemy, despite being housed in a single aluminum cylinder).

Wrenz

Whether via Bluetooth or the docking port, they provide solid sound from your iDevices, and complement them quite well. The Wrenz are available now, with Alchemy, Toast and GooGoo available for pre-order.

Also see Appletell’s Surprising Finds.

Aaron: Game your Video by Global Delight

Video effects like Matrix-style bullet time or Charlie Chaplin jittery black & white, which used to take hours to render in your video, can now be applied live to HD video shot on your iPhone.  Game Your Video comes with a full complement of audio effects like Chipmunk, Demon, and Baby voice transformations to add hilarious, scary, or “awwww” effects on the fly.

 For personal sharing, the app also offers integration with your Music library, so you can pick an epic soundtrack for your footage.  Game Your Video promises to let you stop editing your photos and start gaming. For only $1.99 it is an easy directive to follow!

Product [Game Your Video]

David: Art Authority for iPad by Open Door Networks

Art Authority was my surprise find for this Macworld | iWorld 2012. This was the first Macworld I’ve been to, so I really did not have a complete idea of what to expect. I was ready for the gadgetry and the tech atmosphere and the entertainment as part of the marketing. What I did not expect to find was an interesting app that featured the fine arts.

Art authority is an iPad app that lets you view over 50,000 works of art. From Paleolithic to Post Modern, Art Authority lets you view high resolution images of paintings, sculpture, tapestry and other art from around the world. The app also lets you search for works that are “like this one,” so if you find a particular painting you like, the app will show you works that are similar. Since the viewer is an iPad, you can use the usual finger tap zoom, rotate, pan, etc.

The nice folks at Art Authority said the app is starting to get some use in the classroom. To me this sounds like a great improvement over the old watching slides in the dark routine (which carries the inherent risk of dozing off). The resolution and clarity of the images are very good, and the selection virtually guarantees anyone can find what they like in the art world.

Product [Art Authority for iPad]

Kirk: Formati Collection for iPhone 4/4S by All Jack Boutique [Updated Feb. 6, 2012 with product images]

After all this time, it’s quite rare that I’m ever caught completely off guard by an iPhone case design, but that’s exactly what happened with the Formati collection of metal iPhone 4/4S cases from All Jack Boutique. These cases, displayed behind glass, were quote stunning.

There were about two dozen colorful designs on display, all of which have been CNC machine tooled. In addition, many of the designs come in multiple colors, including a rather cool looking green American flag (pictured above), although my favorite is the haunting and lonely “Star Trace” (pictured below).

The Formati Collection is scheduled to be released around the end of February 2012.

Also see Macworld | iWorld 2012: Appletell’s Favorite Products

Macworld | iWorld 2012 isn’t just about showing off new, fancy products, it’s also about selling new, fancy products. And some old ones for good measure. And because exhibitors would prefer to not have to ship the products back home, they offer show floor specials that often extend to those at home, as well. Throughout the show, we’ll round up here the deals we find on iPhone, iPod, iPad and Macintosh apps and accessories.

Macintosh:

• Aspyr – It’s not technically a Macworld sale, since they’re not here, but must we be so discriminatory? Take $5.00 off Prey, Tomb Raider 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Duke Nukem Forever.
• Karelia – Website create for the Mac that’s as easy to use as the Mac, and you can save $20 when you use the coupon code MWOFFER for a Macworld special of $59.99.
• Lifstil – 10% off MacBook cases until February 29, 2012. Show floor and online. Use code MacWorld12 to get discount.
• Neat – Save $30 plus free standard shipping on any Neat for Mac product (including NeatReceipts, NeatDesk and NeatWorks. Use coupon code MACWORLD2012 now through January 30th when ordering online.
• OWC – Over 250 products on sale through Saturday. Show floor and online. Also, 20% off all Elgato products through the end of the month. Show floor and online.
• Smile – Their PDFpen won a Macworld Best in Show. You’ll care more about the 20% discount through February 15th. Other products are on sale as well, including one of our favorites: TextExpander. Visit the Smile website to get the discount.

iDevice:

• Crimson – 20% off aluminum cases and screen protectors until February 14, 2012. Show floor and online. Use code MW2012 to get discount.
• DryCase - 40% off  vacuum sealed waterproof cases until February 10, 2012. Show floor and online. Use code STSMAC201201 to get discount.
• Polk Audio – The only thing better than headphones that stay on your head when you’re trampolining with skis on is getting those headphones for 25% off. Show floor only.
• Scosche – I guess these could be either Macintosh or iDevice, but since most of you will go for the headphones, we’ll put them here. 20% off when you enter the code showstopper upon checkout.
• Seido – $5.00 off their Surface Reveal, Surface, Surface, Active, and Convert cases. Show floor only.
• SRS – Save 50% on all products in the SRS store, including iWOW 3D. Effective now through February 7th, using coupon code MacWorld12 when checking out.

Of course, these are just the ones we found during product demos and scouting the show floor. If you visit Moscone West today, the final day of Macworld | iWorld 2012, you’re bound to find more. Feel free to add them to the comments section below.