2005 Macworld Expo SF part 4

Boy, it's a good thing I only went to Macworld for one day. If I'd spent all week, you'd be waiting all year for my recap...

After the keynote ended, and the familiar strains of the Black Eyed Peas played (ironically, "Let's Get It Started"), us 'other' media were instructed to wait in our holding room while large banners were unfurled outside. They were so large that it would be too dangerous for us to be underfoot. This took about 15 minutes. It is unclear to me why these couldn't have been unfurled during the keynote.

I had an 11 a.m. appointment with Griffin Technologies and although the keynote was scheduled to end at 10:30 a.m., it was already after 11. They forgave me, though, and showed off their product SecuriKey, a small USB token that, when inserted into your computer's USB port, acts like a key that allows you to access your computer. And just like your car, no key -- no go. Even if someone steals your laptop and guesses your password, they will not be able to get to your files without your SecuriKey token.

It was spiffy, and their rep answered all my (good) questions effortlessly. I was impressed, but they didn't give me a review copy. What they did give me, though, was a thank-you snack bag. This may have been the best freebie I got the whole day. It contained chocolates, pretzels, nuts, some kind of snack mix, and a tiny bottle of Stolichnaya Russian Vodka. Yes, hard liquor! Just what any Expo-goer needs!

I headed over to the media center, which was now open. The attendants were handing out cards on which were printed the login and password to access the wireless network. It's now about 11:30 a.m. and they were still cutting the cards out as I walked in. Hmmm, and this place was supposed to be open at 8 a.m.? What were you people doing for three hours?

I asked the attendant if we would be receiving food vouchers (which we did last year). He said we wouldn't because a free lunch would be brought into the media center. However, he warned me to be there at noon, since it might go fast. I headed out for just a few minutes to take a quick look around the exhibit hall and then got back to the media center at 11:40 a.m. The food had been served and there was already a line 30-people long. D'oh!

I did get my free lunch, though, and it was quite good for a convention center. I recommend the Moscone Center Pasta Salad. Unfortunately, there were only diet soda drinks available. No, Diet Dr. Pepper is not as good as regular. But it does taste more like regular Dr. Pepper than ... Diet Coke. Hmmm, I guess that's an accomplishment.

My other main appointment for the day was a special, private press briefing by Adobe. I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding everything I saw there. So I can't tell you much until ... well, I'm not certain I can even say that. And I'm not interested in getting cut off from Adobe's product flow.

During the briefing, I sat at a table with an older gentleman that worked for the New York Times. We had quite an interesting conversation, during which I learned he attended the actual keynote in the ballroom. He said I might have been more fortunate to be in the other room, since the ballroom was a little insane with teenagers taking pictures of themselves.

I think I can legally share that Adobe had an incredible food spread, including the best crabcakes I've ever had. In addition, they gave us all hardbound reporter's notebooks with embossed Adobe logos and high-quality silver ballpoint pens (with etched Adobe logos). And they had real soda available, not diet. Oh, and alcohol, of course.