Expo: Lotus Notes gets interface makeover, Symphony beta released

IBM updated the Mac version of its Lotus Notes software at Macworld Expo, as well as introduced a beta of its Lotus Symphony productivity software.

Expo: Sling Media plans iPhone client release by MarchIn addition to releasing an iPhone client app for its Slingbox line of place-shifting video players by the end of March, Sling Media also plans to offer support for high-definition video streaming for Mac users.
2008 in review: The year's Top 10 storiesPlenty of stories made the rounds through the Mac universe in 2008. Here’s one man’s take on the ten biggest stories of the year.

Review: iPhone Wikipedia apps Scott McNulty reviews three paid Wikipedia clients for the iPhone and iPod touch. Wikipanion Plus is the most feature-rich and best-designed Wiki search app of the bunch. The low cost WikiPDA will appeal to people who want to look things up quickly. And Look Up: Encyclopedia For Your Pocket falls somewhere in the middle.
Review: Blogging apps for iPhone Bloggers with either an iPhone or iPod touch have several tools that allow them to post entries or photos when they’re on the go. But which tool is right for you? Scott McNulty evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of iBlogger, TypePad, and WordPress.
Review: Yelp for iPhone Some Yelp fans may be disappointed by the limitations of this mobile version for the popular business directory site. But the Yelp iPhone applications offers a useful and easy way to find nearby businesses.
Review: Facebook 1.1 for iPhone Facebook boasts 90 million active users—the company's iPhone app lets you stay in touch with your little subset.
Review: Firefox 3.0 Powerful and polished, Firefox 3 improves on its predecessor in nearly every respect. However, users may not get all of the dramatic speed boosts promised.

Bugs & Fixes: Dealing with iCal and Entourage duplicates If you sync Entourage calendar appointments with your iPhone or MobileMe account, you might notice duplicate entries popping up. Ted Landau has a procedure for eradicating unwanted copies with a minimum of fuss.
Excerpt: MobileMe and iLife An important aspect of MobileMe is the way Apple’s online service integrates with its iLife suite of digital lifestyle applications. iWeb, iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand become extra powerful when used in conjunction with a MobileMe subscription. In this excerpt from Take Control of MobileMe, Joe Kissell shows you some of the things you can do with iLife and MobileMe.
Gmail adds text messaging (again) After a failed launch in October, Google had reintroduced text messaging to Gmail.
Bugs & Fixes: When MobileMe contacts refuse to delete Ted Landau wanted to clear some contacts from his MobileMe account. After trying several dead-ends, he ultimately tripped over what is almost certainly a bug in Apple’s MobileMe software. And he came up with a work-around, too.
Use Gmail to fight spam The best spam-fighting tool out there might be Google’s Gmail, according to PC World’s Rick Broida.

2008 in review: The year's Top 10 stories Plenty of stories made the rounds through the Mac universe in 2008. Here’s one man’s take on the ten biggest stories of the year.
Making that novel into a real paperback Jason Snell wraps up National Novel Writing Month by explaining how he turned his manuscript into a real paperback book via a Web print-on-demand service.
Analysis: Will Google and Microsoft own the Web? Does the overwhelming influence of Google and Microsoft on the browser market mean the Web is destined to become just another proprietary platform? Or will the influence of open source and open standards bodies ensure that the Web remains a free, public resource?
Did Hulu deserve an Eddy? Not many people would argue that the online video site Hulu is an amazing service. But should it have gotten and Editors’ Choice Award? Two Macworld editors duke it out.
Analysis: In Google book settlement, business trumps ideals Google avoided a trial when it settled a lawsuit with book authors and publishers this week. But it also missed the chance to establish a positive legal precedent for copyright fair use on the Internet.