MacTech Conference for Apple Developers and IT Pros (Oct. 17-19 in Los Angeles) has announced its keynote speaker, and a special presentation by NASA JPL's Mars Rover team.  

MacTech Conference is a three-day, information-packed event that will have sessions and activities throughout the day and evening. This immersive conference is hotel-based, giving attendees the opportunity to not only learn from the best, but also to meet new people and spend time with their peers as well. Information about the conference is at http://www.mactech.com/conference .

Matt Drance, a former Apple Evangelist, and the voice behind Apple Outsider, will open the event in his keynote on Tech's Role in Shaping the Future.  In more detail, the technologies made common in the last few years have changed the way people see computing devices. The iPhone, iPad, and Mac have transcended merely performing tasks: they're an integral part of more and more aspects of modern life not just for technical people, but for everyone. Drance will kick off the conference with a conversation about the tech and the ever-important impact.

Sandy Krasner, a Project Software System Engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and a member of the Mars Science Laboratory team (the people who made "Curiosity" happen) will be giving a Special Session entitled "Interplanetary Networking, Curiosity Style." In more detail, downloading pictures from the surface of Mars is not like surfing the web.

Flying through the atmosphere of Mars at 12,500 mph; wireless links 100’s of millions of miles long; orbiting satellites that can take pictures of pizza pans from orbit and serve as routers; 20 minute passes 2-4 times a day; 50 mbytes/day; working on Mars time; and even space weather shooting holes in the data stream. Come see how Curiosity returned those fantastic pictures from 166 million miles away. Plus hear about the Interplanetary Internet of the future.

"Now we're adding a couple of special sessions that really point to a theme attendees will see throughout our event: what the future holds," says Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher, "MacTech Magazine." "We're fortunate to have not only an insightful keynote speaker to pull back the curtains on the future, but to also have JPL share with us a real world glimpse into the interplanetary Internet ... a la Curiosity."

MacTech Conference is a multi-track event with a focus on both programming/development, as well as IT/Enterprise. Sessions will focus on both desktop and mobile with appropriate levels of attention paid to the Mac and iOS. Check out the speaker and topic list (http://www.mactech.com/conference/sessions) for specific sessions and speaker list.

The event will be held Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 17-19. The conference kicks off at 10 am on Wednesday and is packed with sessions using MacTech's well-established running order format. The evenings are filled with special activities and events designed specifically to have fun and give attendees an opportunity to form bonds with their peers and meet new people.

MacTech Conference is priced economically at US$999 (pre-registration pricing) including all meals, a "MacTech Magazine" subscription, a schedule packed full of sessions, exclusive entertainment, and more. Registration is far ahead of last year -- and guest rooms at the hotel are almost sold out. Pre-registration ends on September 15th, and attendees can still save $300 off the on-site registration price. Register at http://www.mactech.com/conference/register

"These new sessions are in addition to our already world-class speaker line up: amazing people that will present and be in attendance at MacTech Conference 2012. See all the announced sessions at http://www.mactech.com/conference/sessions ," says Ed Marczak, Sessions Chair and Executive Editor, MacTech Magazine.

A limited number of partial and full student scholarships, as well as educational discounts are available. See 
http://www.mactech.com/conference/student for more information.

Available on a first-come, first-served basis, MacTech Conference attendees get a special rate of just $184 per night, which includes Internet access. The Sheraton is a quality venue with rooms that typically run $229.00 or more per night, plus tax, and with Internet access available for an additional fee. 

Those interested in one of the many sponsorship offerings, see the details at:
http://www.mactech.com/conference/sponsorship

Remember, Pre-Registration pricing ends in just a couple of weeks: Sept. 15. 
http://www.mactech.com/conference/register

About "MacTech Magazine"

Established in 1984, "MacTech Magazine" is the only monthly magazine focused on Apple at the technical level. Each month, MacTech and MacTech.com is read by 150,000 technical Macintosh users in over 175 countries, from network administrators to programmers, from solution providers to Enterprise, and in general anyone that's interested in the Macintosh beyond the user level.

If you're interested in getting under the hood of your Mac, or if you want to know how to make things happen inside the box, you should be reading "MacTech Magazine." Contact the magazine. Toll free: 877-MACTECH, International: 805-494-9797, custservice@mactech.com, http://www.mactech.com