Speakal has introduced the iBoo, a new iPod speaker system. The iBoo is a ghost-styled system featuring an integrated iPod dock, three speakers, including a 9 Watt subwoofer, a 3.5mm auxiliary input, touch-based controls, an included mini-remote, and a total output of 15 Watts. Available now in red, white, and blue, the Speakal iBoo sells for $90.

No matter Apple’s plans to attend CES on its own, those accessory builders who once only attended Macworld are being offered a chance to exhibit in a special section of the larger Las Vegas show.

Jason Oxman from the Consumer Electronics Association, which manages CES, told CNET this weekend that the organization has set aside a portion of the show floor for “Apple-related” electronics…

After Apple announced that Steve Jobs would be not be giving the 2009 Macworld Expo keynote, analyst expectations about the event dropped dramatically.

While Apple did not deliver the expected updates to the iMac and Mac mini, they did provide substantial updates to their iLife and iWork suites and finally introduced the unibody 17″ MacBook Pro…

Apple is ditching MacWorld to instead exhibit at CES next year instead, according to one source.

The source, citing “friends who work at Apple,” insisted the company is ditching MacWorld because it will “go large” at CES, which typically runs concurrently with MacWorld in early January…

Pogue questioned Phil Schiller about Apple’s withdrawal from Macworld Expo. Schiller, of course, repeated what was said in the original press release: that trade shows had become less important and not worth the effort or money involved.

Schiller, however, also admitted that having to come up with a “dazzling” show each January was unsustainable. He also admits that January does not fit into the Apple’s natural product timelines, which he specifically spelled out:

He noted that Apple marches to certain annual product cycles: the holiday season (Novemberish), the educational buying season (late summer), the iPod product cycle (October), the iLife development cycle (usually March), the iPhone cycle (June).

One of the more interesting products on display at the Macworld Expo is the HP MediaSmart Server EX485/EX487. The new server, which was the recipient of a Best of Show award, provides a home server solution for cross-platform environments.

The server contains an Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM and four hard drive bays, with additional expansion possible via one eSATA and four USB ports…

Apple’s announcement that they will no longer participate in future Macworld Expos has cast some doubts on the ongoing viability of the show. The Daily Geek reports that some Macworld vendors are not planing on returning in 2010, while others are taking a wait and see approach. In fact, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is taking advantage of the situation by trying to recruit Macworld exhibitors and promising that they will have a Mac area next year:

“CES told me they’re having a Mac centric area next year,” said David Polzine, the product manager for SmithMicro Software who was approached by a salesman at Macworld. “If it all moved to CES, that would work better for us.”…

Macworld Magazine presented their annual “Best of Show” awards this afternoon, highlighting a number of products showcased on the expo floor.

- WebEx for iPhone - free application allows iPhone users to participate in Cisco WebEx virtual meetings
- DayliteTouch - allows two-way syncing of appointments, calendars, tasks, notes, and projects
- Filemaker Pro 10 - industry-standard database application gains a fresh interface and new scripting tools…

Axiotron is showcasing the Modbook Pro, which it says is the world’s fastest and largest-screen tablet computer. It touts a black enclosure made from aluminum and new Synergy Touch technology.

An aftermarket modification of the unibody Apple MacBook Pro computer, Axiotron’s Modbook Pro offers a 15.4-inch pen-enabled display with a pixel resolution of 1440×900 WXGA, and features a surface layer of the company’s etched, paper-emulating ForceGlass for drawing and writing comfort. The screen assembly is flush-mounted in the top bezel, providing a level drawing and writing surface and maximizing the Modbook Pro’s on-screen workspace…

Apple has announced that its 2009 proxy materials are now available on the web under the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Notice and Access rule and can be found at http://www.apple.com/investor. As a result of the Notice and Access rule, Apple is able to significantly reduce the environmental impact of producing and delivering printed materials, the company says.

Apple’s shareholders may still obtain a hard copy of the proxy materials free of charge by following the instructions provided on http://www.apple.com/investor or in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that will be mailed to Apple’s shareholders as of Dec. 29, 2008. Apple’s 2008 Form 10-K was filed on Nov. 5, 2008 and may also be viewed at http://www.apple.com/investor.