Tag: ipad

New iPad Lands In 25 More Countries Friday

Twenty five new countries are about to get the brand new iPad (or is it brand new New iPad). The list includes a lot of Europe and a couple of stragglers. Here’s where it’s headed tomorrow:

Starting March 23 the new iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

When it the new iPad launched in the States last Friday (March 16th), it also launched in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK. That brings the total up to 35 countries that wil be able to get in on the fun. Not all the fun, of course. One of the big draws of the new iPad was its 4G LTE support, which is only available in the U.S. and Canada.

Although the new iPad has had to contend with some claims like poor Wi-Fi reception and a bit of an overheating problem, it’s already been a big seller for Apple. It had the best first weekend of any other iPad model, selling three million units in its first four days. And today we learned that the new iPad already accounts for 6% of all iPad web traffic.

March 22, 2012
Apple Stock Infographic

Statista, the leading German statistics company on the web, has just posted an infographic on Apple’s stock performance as it correlates with major product announcements:

The chart shows that while Apple stocks received a significant bump upon the announcement of the original iPhone, this was not the case regarding the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 models – though interestingly, stocks rose after the announcement of the iPhone 4S.

Investors seemed to be a bit skeptical upon the announcement of the first iPad, but seemed more confident when Apple unveiled the iPad 2. Data appears to show that stocks might have been losing a bit of steam upon the announcement of the New iPad.

Apple stocks rose sharply upon the announcement of the unibody MacBook Pro in 2008, and likewise fell a bit at the unveiling of the first MacBook Air.

As a whole, Apple stocks see a spike at the days of all major product announcements.

Hat tip to Statista.

March 22, 2012
New iPad Already Accounts For 6% Of All iPad Traffic

When Apple’s latest iPad hit stores last week we told you about a new tool from Chitika that would allow you to track the adoption of the iPad in the U.S. in real-time. At the time that article was written, the new iPad already accounted for nearly 2% of all iPad web traffic in the U.S.

In the week since the new iPad was released to the public, adoption of the tablet appears to have accelerated. The latest data from Chitika shows that as of now, less than a week since the iPad’s release, it already accounts for almost 6.5% of all iPad traffic, based on data collected in the last 24 hours.

Chitika also examines the adoption rate of the new iPad by state. Though the data fluctuates regularly, at present the rate of adoption is highest in California, Nevada, and Connecticut. New York was in the top three earlier this week, but has fallen somewhat.

Chitika’s data on the adoption of the new iPad can be seen here. The data is constantly changing as more iPads are sold, so the new iPad’s adoption rate by state and its share of overall iPad web traffic is likely to change in the near future.

March 22, 2012
Netflix App Updated For New iPad, HD Video On The Way
Netflix is the latest big-name company to announce that they have upgraded their iPad app for the brand new retina display. The enhanced new app, among other things, features high resolution icons and images. I mean, you bought the new iPad for a reason, right?

So, here’s what you’ll get with version 2.1.1:
- Improved artwork for new iPad Retina display
- Fixed VoiceOver support
- Improved playback on external displays
- Numerous fixes and stability improvements
Not quite Earth-shattering, but here’s the really cool part. According to Netflix’s Twitter account, you’ll soo be watching all the movies and TV shows streaming in HD. Netflix says that is coming “later” – later today, later this month, or later this year is unknown.

@netflix
NetflixThe @Netflix iPad App now has high resolution icons and images, enhancing Netflix on the new iPad, HD video to follow later. Enjoy! 15 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

Earlier this month, Netflix announced an upgrade to their app on Apple TV. Third-gen Apple TV users are now able to stream video in 1080p HD.
March 22, 2012
iPhoto For iOS Downloaded By A Million Users In Ten Days

When Apple unveiled their latest iPad earlier this month, they also announced a new app tailor-made for the new iPad’s retina display. iPhoto for iOS promised users a powerful image editing tool on their iPads (and iPhones). The universal iOS app went live in the App Store not long after Tim Cook left the stage in San Francisco.

Since then, iPhoto has proven to be a hit with reviewers and consumers alike. In fact, iPhoto was downloaded by over one million users in the first ten days after it released, according to The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple. Dalrymple stresses that the figure is users, not downloads. In other words, if you downloaded iPhoto for your iPhone and iPhoto for your iPad, you only count once. That being the case, iPhoto probably saw considerably more than a million downloads in its first ten days.

iPhoto, which requires iOS 5.1, completes the iLife suite on iOS devices. iMovie and GarageBand for iOS were released last year with the iPad 2. iPhoto is a universal app, and is available from the iOS App Store for $4.99.

Were you one of the million users who downloaded iPhoto in the first ten days? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments.

March 22, 2012
DirecTV Launches iPad App Upgrade

Satellite television provider DirecTV just launched a complimentary iPad app update that would allow users to stream video content from anywhere.

DirecTV added streaming functionality for iPad last fall, but users were restricted to watching their content on the same network of their DirecTV receiver, meaning that one basically had to be at home to see anything. The DirecTV Everywhere streaming upgrade allows users to view OnDemand content from premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime, as well as DirecTV’s own Audience Network. Still, users won’t be able to watch live content while away from their home receiver, and the upgrade doesn’t include TV shows at this time.

While DirecTV hasn’t released an official statement on the upgrade, it appears to be following suit with other providers in their push of streaming video content – Comcast launched Xfinity Streampix in February to compete with Hulu and Netflix.

To further compete with the other providers, it can be assumed that DirecTV will in time make more TV shows available through its upgraded streaming service.

In related news, DirecTV just tapped Charlie Sheen to appear in its new commercial:

Reviews appear to be mixed, but I think it’s pretty funny.

March 22, 2012
New iPad Might Have Wi-Fi Reception Issues

In addition to the underwhelming screen and the high temperature issues plaguing the new iPad, reports of poor Wi-Fi connectivity are flooding into the Apple support forums.

The thread begins with user stlsteve comparing the weak signal on the iPad to the strong signal on his laptop. It continues with, at this time, over 115 replies:

“Add my name to the list of people having a bit of trouble with the new iPad (3) maintaing a WiFi signal lock. I’ve got a Verizon 4G iPad. Twice, yesterday, I was browsing the web in my own living room, about 25 feet from my Apple Time Capsule WiFi base station, and the WiFi signal dropped off completely and I caught the iPad using my Verizon data connection instead. After the second time I went into Settings and manually turned off Cellular Data. For the rest of the afternoon and evening I didn’t lose the WiFi signal completely but I watched the WiFi signal strength fluctuate repeatedly between full bars and one bar.

At the exact same location in my living room, my iPhone 4S gets consistent full bars as does my MacBook Pro.

Houston, I think we have a problem!”

“I am having the same wifi issue with my new iPad. On my new iPad, I rarely get the signal I do on my other devices and when I do, the iPad wifi is extremely slow. I have heard the issue could be solved with a replacement. I might call Apple today. It’s always something…”

“My router is in the basement and my old iPad 1 can pickup the connection ( usually 2 bars) on the second floor, while my new iPad only have 1 bar and constantly drop connection. This issue is annoying but it not a deal breaker for me. However I wish apple can fix this like what they did with the iPhone 4.”

Perhaps forum user ByteLarry sums up iPad owners’ frustration best, referencing antenna-gate: “I think you’re all just holding it wrong.”

Some users in the thread are claiming to have a fix for the issue. The process is relatively simple and involves resetting all the network settings on the iPad by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. There is no word on whether this fix is temporary or permanent, but I suspect the former. This could mean that it is not a problem with the hardware but the software, which Apple could correct with a software update.

Regardless of whether it is “only” a software problem, the new iPad (at least in a few ways) doesn’t seem to be living up to the high standards Apple has set for its products. Agree, disagree? Let me know in the comments section below.

(via GIZMODO)

March 21, 2012
LEDs To Blame For iPad Heat Problems, Expert Says

Yesterday we brought you news that Apple’s new iPad runs significantly hotter than its predecessor, the iPad 2. While initial reports put the temperature increase around 10 degrees, further testing showed that the new iPad could actually get as much as 13 degrees warmer than the iPad 2, reaching temperatures of 116 degrees under heavy use situations (e.g., gaming). Apple responded to the reports rather curtly, reminding us of all the new features the new iPad sports and stating that it did all this amazing stuff “while operating well within our thermal specifications.”

Requests for clarification concerning exactly what Apple meant by “thermal specifications” went unanswered, meanwhile speculation about the cause of the temperature increase abounded. Many suspected that the new iPad’s A5X chip, which sports a quad-core GPU, was to blame. Now, however, it looks like there may be another culprit: the LEDs in the new iPad’s much-touted retina display. DisplayMate Technologies CEO Raymond Soneira suggested in an interview with CNet that the LEDs might be to blame for the new iPad’s heat issue.

He pointed out that the new iPad has twice as many LEDs as the iPad 2. While a single LED light – or even a handful of them – produces very little heat, that changes when you start cramming them into a small space like the case for the new iPad. Soneira also pointed out that when the iPad is at full brightness, the display’s power efficiency is lower. Though the number of LEDs and pixels has been doubled, the new display actually requires 2.5 times the amount of power to achieve maximum brightness. This, in turn, puts a greater strain on the battery, which has to send more power to the display to achieve the same effect. Greater demands on the battery means a warmer battery. Soneira also pointed out that the IGZO display technology that Apple originally wanted for the new iPad’s display was not ready by the time the iPad went into production, forcing Apple to use traditional (and less energy efficient) LCD display technology.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the LEDs are the sole culprit. Remember that the heat on the new iPad was not evenly distributed. The temperature was highest near the lower right corner, where the processor is. That suggests that the new A5X is also partly to blame for the problem.

Whatever the cause, though, the new iPad’s heating issue highlights an interesting challenge facing the technology industry: unlike the computer on your desk (or your lap) smartphones and tablets have no built-in cooling system. There’s no fan to cool your iPad or iPhone down when it gets hot. As smartphone and tablet makers start cramming more and more new technologies – better displays, faster processors, and bigger batteries – into their devices, the heat those components generate has the potential to become a significant problem.

March 21, 2012
New iPad 4G Users Hitting Data Caps Much Faster Than Before

One of the biggest new features of Apple’s new iPad is its ability to connect to 4G LTE data networks. Often nearly as fast as your average in-home wi-fi, 4G LTE is a dramatic improvement over 3G. Per Apple’s own description, a 4G LTE iPad lets you “browse the web, stream content, or download a movie at blazing-fast speeds.”

Now, however, it looks like all that speed may come with a price. According to a report today in the Wall Street Journal, people using 4G LTE on their new iPads are starting to hit the caps on their data plans in a fraction of the time it took them to do so before. According to the journal, Brandon Wells got his new iPad on Friday (when it released), and thanks to about two hours of streaming March Madness basketball games, he had hit the limit of his 2GB Verizon data plan. That left him the option of either turning wireless data off on his new iPad, or coughing up another $10 for every gigabyte of data used for the rest of the month.

The issue raises an important question about the data plans AT&T and Verizon currently offer their customers: should the limits stay the same as technology advances? The current plan limits are unchanged from those offered for the 3G-capable iPad 2 and original iPad, despite the fact that the new iPad’s 4G connectivity allows for much higher data traffic.

Of course, it’s entirely possible that the carriers want it this way. If a 4G connection makes users burn through their lower-end data plans quickly, they will be forced to either pay the overage for the increased data usage, or upgrade to a (more expensive) plan with a higher limit. In the carriers’ eyes, no doubt, anything that prompts users to upgrade to a more expensive product is bound to be a good thing.

Neither AT&T nor Verizon have yet responded to requests for comment.

This new information sheds some light on previous details about the new iPad, as well. The day before the iPad hit stores, we reported that FaceTime would remain a wi-fi only feature. Users with the new iPad would not be able to use their 4G connection to make FaceTime calls. While such a move seemed puzzling at the time, now it makes a little more sense. FaceTime calls are fairly data-intensive, and over a 4G connection they are likely to burn through users’ data allotments quickly.

Of course, this does not affect all iPad users. A significant percentage (Apple hasn’t said exactly how many) of the new iPads sold are the wi-fi only version, and won’t connect to 4G networks. Also, a happy few are still hanging on to the old unlimited data plans they got with the original iPad back in 2010. Fortunately for them, AT&T has said that they get to keep those plans, though there is no word yet on whether or not they will face the same kind of throttling that those with “unlimited” 3G iPhone plans face.

Have you hit your data limit with your new iPad? If so, how did you do it? Should the carriers raise the data limits in light of the increased speeds that come with 4G LTE? Tell us what you think in the comments.

March 21, 2012
Microsoft Forbids Mac, iPad Purchases By Sales And Marketing Employees

Microsoft may have banned the use of company funds to purchase Macs and iPads, according to a purported internal memo.

The memo, obtained by ZDNet, claims to be from Alan Crozier, chief financial officer of Microsoft’s Sales, Marketing, Services, IT, and Operations Group (SMSG). Though “current purchase levels are low,” they are apparently too high for Microsoft’s comfort, and the company feels that sales and marketing personnel should not be using a competitor’s product.

Here is the email in its entirety:

From: Alain Crozier
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 1:17 PM

Subject: Apple Purchases

Within SMSG we are putting in place a new policy that says that Apple products (Mac & iPad) should not be purchased with company funds.

In the US we will be turning off the Apple products from the Zones Catalog next week, which is the standard purchasing mechanism for these products.

Outside of the US — we will work with your finance and procurement teams to send the right message and put the right processes in place.

The current purchase levels are low, however we recognize there will be a bit of transition work associated with this. Details of historical purchases in the US are provided in the attachment to help understand the changes that will be needed.Thank you for your support and leadership on this.

Alain Crozier
CFO | WW Sales, Marketing & Services Group
WW SMSG Finance

A policy like this really shouldn’t come as a surprise. If anything, the surprising part should be that this policy wasn’t in place years ago. While it’s certainly in Microsoft’s best interest to keep up with what Apple is doing, letting sales and marketing personnel – the people whose job it is to sell Microsoft’s products – use company money for Macs and iPads doesn’t make much sense.

What do you think? Should Microsoft let employees use company funds for Apple products? Let us know in the comments.

March 21, 2012
iPad 2 vs New iPad – Can You See The Difference?

If you are currently in possession of both the iPad 2 and the recently released New iPad, are you able to tell the cosmetic difference between the two models? Place them side by side and try to see if you can find any difference between them, especially pertaining to the clarity of the display. If you have done this, do you find yourself stumped? If so, the technologists at The Next Web have put this conundrum to the test by asking customers leaving an Apple store to determine the cosmetic difference between the two models.

As you can see from their results in the video below, it is not definitive, and all of the answers have been mixed. A variable to try to determine the newer model is mostly by “which has the brighter/clearer screen.”

John Brownlee of The Cult of Mac has an interesting hypothesis as to why some people chose the iPad 2 in this test:

“It’d be interesting to hear what the reasons were why people chose the iPad 2 over the new iPad. It’s hard to escape the fact that many of the people who choose the iPad 2 over the new iPad have glasses, implying that they may not have eyesight good enough to distinguish retina quality in a display (which as Apple defines it means the ability to distinguish one pixel from another with 20/20 vision).”

Some Twitter users have also been challenging themselves to find the difference between the two iPads:

@mieky
Mike ArvelaAmazed by how small the supposedly huge difference between old & new iPad display feels. Cool, yeah, mind-blowing, no. 7 hours ago via Twitter for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@glasshouseapps
Glasshouse AppsAside from the difference in resolution, it also seems like midtones are brighter on the new iPad. 4 days ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@iA
Oliver ReichensteinThe new iPad might appeal only to geeks. My wife: “No big difference. Same design, same size, same weight?” Me: “It’s faster.” She: “Meh.” 4 days ago via Twitter for iPad ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

Do you notice any difference in the display presentation between the iPads? Please let us know your feedback below in this post’s comments section.

March 21, 2012
New iPad Can Reach 116 Degrees During Some Tasks

This morning we brought you news that Apple’s new iPad operated at a higher temperature than its predecessor, the iPad 2. Following complaints from users, a Dutch site took a new iPad and an iPad 2 and put them side-by-side under an infrared camera. The new iPad measured just under ten degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the iPad 2.

Apple issued a response to reports of the new iPad’s higher temperature, saying that the “delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications.” They suggested that customers who were concerned about the new iPad’s temperature should contact AppleCare.

Now, though, it looks like a 10-degree difference may just be the tip of the iceberg. Consumer Reports has done their own tests on the new iPad, and they found that under certain situations the new iPad can significantly exceed the “thermal specifications” given by Apple (32-95 degrees). They found that when the processor is under a heavy load – e.g., gaming or downloading – the new iPad can exceed the iPad 2’s temperatures by as much as 13 degrees.

Consumer Reports ran their test in a 72-degree room with their iPad propped on its Smart Cover with 4G off and wi-fi on. They plugged the iPad in and ran Infinity Blade II for 45 minutes. When not plugged in, the iPad’s back panel reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Plugging it in bumped the temperature up to 116 degrees. The heat was concentrated along the lower right side of the tablet, where the processor sits.

The testing also found that gaming prevented the iPad’s battery from charging. The battery level continued to drop during gameplay. Though Consumer Reports does not say so, this probably suggests that games – particularly graphics-intensive games – use battery power faster than it can be replenished by charging.

Meanwhile, iPad users have continued to add to threads on this topic on Apple’s discussion forums. There appear to be a significant number of iPad users having this problem, with some experiencing the same kind of temperatures Consumer Reports found. One user notes that Apple’s “thermal specifications,” 32-95 degrees, refers to the environment in which the device is used, rather than the temperature limits for the device itself. It is not clear whether the temperatures Consumer Reports observed are potentially harmful for the device. I contacted Apple to request clarification on that point, but they have yet to reply.

What do you think? Have you noticed problems with your iPad getting too hot to handle? Let us know in the comments.

March 20, 2012
90% of Tablet Use In Wi-Fi: No Need For Data Plans

If you are putting off buying a tablet because you can’t afford to buy the necessary data plan required to surf the net, you don’t need to. It appears most users are merely using wi-fi to do a majority of their surfing anyway. If you have wi-fi in your home or office, you probably won’t need the connectivity in too many other places anyway.

Also you could sit at the local Starbucks and use their wi-fi signal. Also, I believe many McDonalds have free wi-fi now. In fact, a growing number of retail locations and hotels/motels have free wireless services available. So you don’t need to spend the extra money on the data plan or the upgrade to make your device 3G and 4G capable.

90% of tablet computer users do a majority of there internet tasks via wi-fi. That leaves only 10% that need internet access everywhere they go. Who are these people. Probably hardcore gamers, traveling businessman, and various other folks who probably own a smartphone anyway.

Also, if you really use your pc for music, web surfing, and social networking, the tablet might make a good companion. A clear advantage o a tablet vs a desktop is the freedom to move wherever you want with the device. Lay on the couch, sit on the porch, check all your e-mails from bed, it is a lot more friendly than a desktop pc.

So if cost is holding you back, it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. Consider the options. If you already have wi-fi and a desktop, all you really need to do is pay for the device.

March 20, 2012
tuCloud CEO Plans To Violate Microsoft Licensing, Provoke Lawsuit

Last week we brought you news that OnLive, a company that specializes in streaming PC games over broadband internet connection, was facing licensing troubles from Microsoft.

In January OnLive launched a new service that allowed users to access a fully-featured Windows 7 PC from their iPad. OnLive desktop allows users access to Windows 7 PCs running on its servers. It is not a remote desktop app that allows users to access their own home PCs. Microsoft, as you might expect, has a problem with this. It seems OnLive Desktop violates Microsoft’s licensing rules. This prompted a statement by Microsoft that they were “engaged with OnLive with the hope of bringing them into a properly licensed scenario.”

Well, it seems that Guise Bule, CEO of tuCloud, has a problem with that. In an interview with Ars Technica he said that Microsoft was being, well, soft on OnLive because the company’s CEO is former Microsoft exec. He says that while Microsoft is “actively engaged” with OnLive to fix the issue, they don’t hesitate to take action against tuCloud despite tuCloud’s virtual desktop solutions being completely legitimate.

Assuming that Bule is correct about Microsoft playing favorites, then he certainly has every right to be angry. What’s interesting is what he’s doing about it: he is creating DesktopsOnDemand, an entirely new company that will offer a product exactly like OnLive Desktop. The plans will proceed, Bule says, “[u]nless I receive a lawyer’s letter from Microsoft clarifying their position and threatening legal action.” Of course, a product like DesktopsOnDemand is bound to run afoul of the same licensing problems that got OnLive in trouble. Bule isn’t worried about a lawsuit, though. In fact, he welcomes one. A lawsuit over DesktopsOnDemand would prove favoritism by Microsoft, and give Bule a chance to make the case that Microsoft’s licensing rules are unduly restrictive and stifle innovation.

Bule told Ars that he plans to use DesktopsOnDemand to “provoke Microsoft by proxy.” He believes that the current licensing rules are anticompetitive and violate antitrust rules.

Bule was clear about DesktopsOnDemand’s role as a goad to provoke action by Microsoft. Although he does plan to serve customers with it, he also said that the company’s resources will be limited, and that it will be allowed to fold once those resources are expended.

What do you think? Is Bule right to be angry about Microsoft’s licensing practices? Is DesktopsOnDemand a good idea for getting Microsoft to take action? Let us know in the comments.

March 20, 2012
Hot New iPad? Apple Says It’s “Well Within Our Thermal Specifications”

Apple has responded to all the recent reports that the new iPad is a little too hot. No, not scandalous – or even popular (which it is), but actually hot to the touch.

Various new owners have complained about the issue on Apple forums and the like, for example:

My 64gb, wifi/LTE new ipad is 96.8 degrees currently (and must have crafty artificial intelligence because it’s as if it KNEW I’d brought out my laser temperature scanner and cooled down for reading). It has been very hot to hold, lower left side, since first use. I’ll continue to monitor with scanner…

and

Mine is a 64 with WIFi and LTE – LTE not hooked up yet – got hot enogh that I measured with infared thermometer and it was 117 degree after 10 minutes – my little boy says its too hot to hold – (Great !) but seriously its not comfortable and I will be returning to the store

To be fair, there are also plenty of people that are reporting no serious overheating issues with the new device.

Then today, a Dutch tech site put out a report that showed the new iPad operating at nearly 10 degrees Farenheit warmer than the iPad 2. The new iPad was clocked at 92.48º F.

Now Apple has made a statement on the matter. Apple’s Trudy Muller told All Things D:

The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare.

Well, there you have it. Call them if it gets to hot. In Apple’s defense, 92.48º F is inside their environmental requirement specs, which give the new iPad an operating temperature of 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C). But if the device is getting too hot for people to hold, there is definitely a problem.

Have you experienced any heat issues with your new iPad? Let us know in the comments.

March 20, 2012
New iPad Online Availability Improves

Supplies of the new iPad appears to be slowly catching up with demand in Apple’s online store. The store now shows all models of the new tablet shipping in 1-2 weeks, up from 2-3 weeks just yesterday.

The new iPad was unveiled on March 7th at an Apple event in San Francisco. Shortly after the event ended the iPad was available for pre-order on Apple’s online store. The earliest pre-orders were scheduled for delivery on March 16th, the tablet’s release date. By the following Friday, though, delivery dates had slipped to March 19th. Shortly there after Apple stopped giving specific delivery dates and started showing shipping dates of 2-3 weeks. Now it looks like stock is slowly catching back up with demand.

Demand for the new iPad has been higher than it was for the iPad 2 last year. Apple announced yesterday that they had sold 3 million iPads in just under four days. Fortunately for everyone, they have also largely avoided the supply problems that plagued the iPad 2. Supply shortages last year meant that it took nearly a month for Apple to sell their first million iPads. This year things have been much better, as Apple stores around the world tended to have plenty of iPads to meet customer demand.

Have you been waiting to order a new iPad? Were you one of the ones standing in line on Friday morning to get yours? Let us know in the comments.

March 20, 2012
New iPad Runs Ten Degrees Hotter Than iPad 2

Apple’s new iPad sports several new updates, including a retina display, 4G LTE connectivity, and an enhanced new processor that includes a quad-core GPU. Now, enhancements like this nearly always come with a trade-off. Often, that comes in the form of decreased battery life. That, however, is something the new iPad has avoided: it has the same 10-hour battery life as the iPad 2. In the case of the new iPad, the trade-off is apparently in temperature.

Recent tests by Dutch tech site Tweakers.net (Google Translation) have shown that under heavy use the new iPad runs warmer than its predecessor by 5.3º Celsius (9.53º Fahrenheit). Following reports forum that the new iPad was warmer, Tweakers.net put the two devices side-by-side under an infrared camera:

So while the iPad 2 (on the right) runs at 28.3º C (82.94º F), the new iPad runs at 33.6º C (92.48º F). With both tablets you can see that the temperature goes up closer to the processor, which suggests that the temperature increase comes from the new A5X chip. Increased operating temperature may be a growing problem as the processors in mobile devices continue to be upgraded.

Have you noticed your new iPad running hotter than your iPad 2 (or your original iPad)? Let us know in the comments.

March 20, 2012
OnLive Launches Touch-Controlled L.A. Noire

A touch controlled version of L. A. Noire is now available through OnLive and your favorite touch screen device.

For those unfamiliar with OnLive, the company provides video game content from the cloud to your PC or mobile device. All of the games computing is done in the cloud eliminating the need for fancy hardware. If your computer can run an app, it can run OnLive.

The company released a set of tablet apps late last year, expanding their PC cloud gaming concept into the mobile market.

Around that time, Rockstar Games announced that it was working on tough screen controls for L. A. Noire, making gameplay experience feel more like it was designed for the tablet. (For most games, onscreen virtual buttons are used, or the OnLive wireless controller.)

Rockstar has come through on this promise and L. A. Noire is now available with these features. If you currently own L. A. Noire, simply load the game up on your mobile app and play by directly swiping your finger across the screen.

Unfortunately, at this point, you will have to use an android tablet. OnLive is still attempting to get an iOS version of its mobile service approved with Apple. The company announced their intentions to have this done last December, so it could be a case where Apple isn’t satisfied with the apps performance. Or they may feel the service will draw attention away from their own game apps. It’s all speculation at this point, as neither company will comment on the situation.

March 20, 2012
Apple Sells Three Million iPads In Four Days

Just a little while ago we brought you news that both AT&T and Apple had announced “record” sales of the new iPad, which hit stores last Friday. Neither company, however, had gotten into specifics about how many iPads had been sold in the new tablet’s opening weekend, leaving us to speculate about just what “record” meant.

Now Apple has gone into specifics. The company announced today that they had sold 3 million iPads in the first four days of availability. Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing called this “the strongest iPad launch yet.” The new iPad became available in both in Apple Stores and the stores of Apple’s retail partners in nine countries around the world. It was the largest single-day launch in Apple’s history.

Apple announced the new iPad at a special media event on March 7th. Preorders of the tablet sold out in the first two days, and online orders are currently taking 2-3 weeks to ship. Apple’s retail stores had a sizable supply of the tablets in stock.

The new iPad’s launch contrasted with last year’s iPad 2 launch. The iPad 2 suffered from shortages, and took nearly a month to sell its first million units.

March 19, 2012
AT&T iPad Sales At All-Time High As Apple Has “Record Weekend”

As you may know by now, Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer spent some time on the phone with analysts this morning. The purpose of the call was to announce that Apple would start making dividend payments this summer, and initiate a share repurchase near the end of the year.

Of course, the fact that Apple’s product lineup was not the point of the call didn’t stop questions about what Apple had coming, and how Apple’s new iPad had fared. Though he insisted that the purpose of the call was not to discuss the iPad’s performance, Cook did say that “we had a record weekend and we’re thrilled with that.” Of course, what exactly “record weekend” means isn’t clear. We’ll have to wait for Apple to release actual sales numbers for that.

Meanwhile, though, it seems that Apple isn’t the only company having a “record weekend” thanks to the new iPad. Around the same time that Apple’s conference call was going on, Seth Bloom of AT&T was tweeting that iPad sales had set single-day sales records.

@sethbloom
Seth BloomHuge day: On Friday, AT&T set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations. 4 hours ago via TweetDeck · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

Not long after Bloom’s tweet, AT&T released a statement of their own. The announcement was unusually brief and was exactly as informative as Bloom’s tweet. Here it is in its entirety:

On Friday, March 16, AT&T set a new single-day record for its iPad sales and activations, demonstrating robust demand for the new iPad on the nation’s largest 4G network, covering nearly 250 million people.

So AT&T’s announcment is about as informative as Tim Cook’s statement: not very. Neither do anything more than tell us that the new iPad saw a higher level of demand than its predecessor. We’ll have to wait until actual numbers are released to say anything more definite than that.

Were you part of AT&T and Apple’s “record weekend”? Let us know in the comments.

March 19, 2012
The New IPad Vs. HK53 Assault Rifle

The new iPad is known for it’s crystal clear HD retina display. But how does it stand up to a barrage of gunfire.

Richard Ryan blasts the iPad on rapid fire with his HK53 assault rifle. But that doesn’t do enough damage for his taste. He finishes it off with a few blasts from his Benelli shotgun, featuring mini dart (flechette) and bolo rounds. Then replays it for us in slow motion.

Normally I would say something like, “What a waste, I can’t even afford an iPad 1.” But there is something cathartic about seeing a coveted piece of hardware you can’t afford blown to pieces.

March 19, 2012