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MacWorld conference continues to carry the torch

When Apple decided to stop exhibiting at MacWorld people wondered what would become of the show. Five years on, the show is still going strong in San Francisco, with tons of Apple-related hardware and software on display.

Jason Parker
Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
Jason Parker
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1 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

MacWorld/iWorld 2014 still going strong

Though it's been five years since Apple was in the official lineup of show attendees, vendors from all over the world still display their wares at the biggest Apple themed event in San Francisco's Moscone Center.

The show doesn't command the excitement or foot traffic it did in years past, but there's still plenty to see.

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2 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

MacKeeper

Among the many vendors, MacKeeper had a big booth close to the middle of the floor. The folks running the exhibit were very friendly while showing people how to clean and protect their Macs, but I don't think the MacKeeper robot was impressed with my CNET credentials at all.

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3 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Personal thermal imaging

FLIR, the personal thermal imaging case mod for the iPhone 5, was doing demonstrations for people as they walked the show floor. I talked with them briefly and they said the device would be available in a couple months and would cost about $350.

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4 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Cases, headphones, and charging units

There were a ton of vendors that offered cases, covers, speakers, and more at the various exhibits. The folks from Schoche had headphones, chargers, and other iOS-ready products on display.

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5 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

The "Appalooza" app showcase

One section of the show floor was dedicated to apps for both iOS and Mac OS X. At each kiosk, vendors were demonstrating their apps for show attendees.

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6 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Hipplay for your media

Hipplay was drawing a pretty big crowd and it was easy to see why. The app displays all your photos, videos, and music from any source, in a beautiful mosaic.

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7 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

RefurbMe tracks your refurbs

When buying a computer from Apple, you have the option to buy a refurb model at a lower cost, but it's not always going to be exactly what you want. With the RefurbMe app on your iPhone, you can enter the specs you want, and the app will send you an email when a computer that matches your specs becomes available.

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8 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Join The Challenge (for your health)

Another app that caught my eye was Join The Challenge (also known as JTC). This app helps you make the right food choices by assigning red, yellow, and green colors (green being the most healthy) to food items. The app then helps you track your eating and exercise habits to help you lose weight and stay in shape.

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9 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Spin the wheel and win

One of the most popular exhibits at the show was run by Square Jellyfish, a vendor that makes stands, cases, tripods, and mounts for iOS devices. The company had a wheel where attendees could take a spin and win free stuff. If you look closely, you can see the line trailing off behind them.

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10 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Talks on the show floor

Though most of the official talks had already happened Wednesday and Thursday, there were two stages set up on opposite sides of Moscone North with scheduled discussions about various topics throughout the day.

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11 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Double Telepresence Robots

Double Robotics was letting people control its robots on the show floor. These robots, which retail for $2,500, let you virtually visit a location and control the robot using your iOS device. It was pretty impressive, but also a little creepy.

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12 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

Show-goers milling about

Though not nearly as crowded as the MacWorlds of old, there were still a lot of people interested in what the show had to offer.

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13 of 13 Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET

A final look before heading out

Even if it doesn't have the draw it once did with big names like Apple and Adobe, MacWorld/iWorld is still a fun show for anyone who loves their Apple devices.

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