Tag: ipad

iPhone 4S, iPad 2 Jailbreak Imminent

The jailbreak community has been waiting a long time for developers to crack iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. While an untethered jailbreak has been avialable for awhile now on older devices, the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have proven tough nuts to crack. Both devices run on Apple’s A5 processor, which has presented jailbreak developers like pod2g with considerable trouble.

Now it seems those waiting to jailbreak their A5 iOS device may be nearly done waiting. On his blog today pod2g announced that, with the help of a few other notable names in the jailbreak community, the final hurdle to an untethered jailbreak had been cleared. Though he refrained from offering a precise date, he said that “it should be a matter of days” before the jailbreak is ready.

This will certainly be welcome news to would-be jailbreakers. We will let you know when the jailbreak becomes available.

[Source: pod2g’s blog; Image Source: AppAdvice]

January 12, 2012
Apple Holding Education Event In New York City

Early last week rumors began flying that Apple would be holding some sort of media event in January. While early reports hinted at a focus on iBooks, information that came to light later in the day suggested that the focus would be on education. These later reports suggested that Apple was planning a fairly small announcement that would have large ramifications for its role in education.

Apple more or less confirmed those reports today when it began sending out invitations to an event in New York City on January 19th at 10 AM in the Guggenheim Museum. The invitation is quite short on details – which is not at all surprising – but at the very least we can probably expect Apple to announce that it is bringing textbooks into iBooks.

We will definitely be paying attention to this event, and will let you know what Apple announces next week.

January 11, 2012
OnLive Streams Windows 7 To iPads

The unholy union of Windows and Mac shall be consummated with the appearance of Windows 7 on an iPad.

Onlive, the company that made cloud computing cool with their game streaming service, are bringing virtual desktop streaming to the iPad. They announced that their OnLive Desktop app will be available on the iPad on January 12.

The OnLive Desktop app builds upon their previous experience with streaming PC games to stream a Windows 7 desktop to devices. The iPad being the first device to receive the service. With the app, iPads will have access to all the business applications that Windows users enjoy such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

The app also brings with it a full on-screen Windows keyboard and handwriting recognition. This will bring the full desktop experience to the iPad with all the viewing and editing tools needed to work on complex documents.

“OnLive Desktop is the first app to deliver a no-compromise, media-rich Windows desktop experience to iPad, opening up powerful new possibilities for consumers and businesses,” Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO, said. “iPad users will now be able to simply and securely view and edit cloud-hosted documents with full-featured Windows desktop applications like Microsoft Office, just as if they were using a local high-performance PC. Multi-touch gestures respond instantly and smoothly, while HD videos, animations and PC video games—never before usable on a remote desktop—play seamlessly.”

There will be a free and pay for version of the desktop app available on the iPad app store. The free version launching on Thursday offers 2GB of cloud storage and as-available access to a cloud-based Windows 7 PC. In layman’s terms, it means that free users have to wait in line until a server is open for them to use. After all that line waiting though, users will be able to play around with a pre-populated Windows desktop featuring Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

The pay for version will come later, but will offer 50GB of cloud storage, priority access (less line waiting), full-featured web browsing, additional PC apps and other OnLive-unique features for $9.99 a month.

The OnLive Desktop app will also be coming soon to Android devices, PC, Mac and monitor/TV support through the company’s MicroConsole or Google TV.

Interested parties can sign up for their free account now.

Will you be using the OnLive Desktop app? Does Windows on an iPad seem amazing to you or just heresy? Let us know in the comments.

January 11, 2012
New Report Shows Top Holiday Gadget Complaints

FixYa, a website specializing in troubleshooting Q&A for electronic devices, has released a report showing the top problems people had with their gadgets over the 2011 holiday season. The data from the FixMas Holiday Report was gathered by examining the kinds of questions users were asking and what devices they were asking about most during the period from November 2011 to the beginning of January 2012.

Consoles were the biggest troublemakers overall, accounting for more than 60% of the total questions posted on the website. In fact, of the top 7 problematic products consoles took the first three spots. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was the most troublesome console, with 5,000 more questions reported than Sony’s PlayStation 3, which in turn had over 30,000 more complaints than Nintendo’s Wii. The biggest problem for Xbox 360 users was the dreaded Red Ring of Death, which signals massive failure of the console’s hardware (usually due to overheating), and was responsible for 45% of reported issues.

Meanwhile, the iPhone topped the list of troublesome smartphones by a wide margin. There were nearly 100,000 complaints about the iPhone, compared to just shy of 40,000 for the second place Samsung Galaxy S. Forty percent of the iPhone complaints dealt with battery life, while a further 15% were concerned with dropped calls.

Apple fared far better in the tablet department, however. The iPad WiFi was at the bottom of the list of tablets, and had less than a third the complaints of the leader, the Coby Kyros. The iPad also got fewer complants than the Samsung Galaxy and the Amazon Kindle, again by a considerable margin.

Did you have any of these problems over the holiday break? Let us know in the comments.

[Source: FixYa]

January 11, 2012
iPad 3 To Ship In March (Rumor)

Japanese Mac Blog MacOkatara has reported that Chinese manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron are beginning production of the iPad 3. According to MacOkatara’s sources, Foxconn will take 85% of the iPad 3 production, and Pegatron will take the remaining 15%. These proportions match the manufacturing of the iPad 2.

Apparently the early start to the iPad 3’s production is made possible by the unusually early Chinese New Year this year. The New Year’s festival is a major Chinese holiday, and usually impacts production.

A few details about the iPad itself have surfaced in the last few days. Reporting from CES, iLounge has said that the iPad 3 is externally nearly the same as the iPad 2, except with a larger camera (presumably to match that of the iPhone 4S), and an extra millimeter or so of thickness (presumably to accommodate a retina display). If Apple is planning a March launch for the iPad, as seems likely, then look for more (and more reliable) details to start popping up in the coming weeks.

[Source: MacOkatara]

January 11, 2012
Comcast Brings TV To Your iPad With AnyPlay

The array of options for streaming content to tablets like the iPad or its Android competitors is vast and seems to be growing all the time. Services like Netflix, Hulu, and a host of others allow users to watch all sorts of movies and TV shows right on their devices. Despite the plethora of options, one kind of content has remained underrepresented on the tablet: broadcast television. Comcast, however, has announced a plan to change that.

On their blog today Comcast announced AnyPlay. This service, which will be available to Comcast Xfinity TV subscribers, allows users to stream Comcast’s broadcast content to their tablet over their home wi-fi network. In essence, AnyPlay turns users’ home wi-fi router into another cable box, broadcasting content over the network for tablets to pick up.

The service is initially available only for iPad users via the Xfinity TV app. Comcast says the service will soon be coming to the Motorola Xoom, however, as well as a variety of other devices. AnyPlay is currently available only to customers in the Nashville and Denver markets who have subscribed to the Xfinity HD Triple Play service. Those customers are being given the service for free, and Comcast promises that the service will roll out to more markets in the next few months.

Do you have access to AnyPlay yet? If so, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

[Source: Comcast Blog]

January 10, 2012
CES 2012: iPad 3 Spotted In The Wild

As the probable launch date for the iPad 3 nears, rumors have been heating up as to what the device will look like and what new features it will have. Of course, not all reports are reliable, but some are more trustworthy than others. Well, today there’s one that’s sure to make things interesting. It seems that an iPad 3 has been spotted in the wild at CES.

Jeremy Horwitz, editor-in-chief at iLounge recently tweeted some interesting details about the iPad 3. Apparently while at CES yesterday he got the chance to see one close up. What he has to say might surprise you. It turns out that the iPad 3 – the version of it that he saw, at least – isn’t really that much different from the iPad 2. From a distance, in fact, you would never tell them apart. He compared the iPad 2 and 3 to the iPhone 4 and 4S – physically almost identical. He did, however, spot a few things that suggest some of the iPad 3’s new features. The camera on the iPad 3 is bigger than on the iPad 2, about the size of the camera on the iPhone 4S, in fact. Despite rumors that the iPad 3 would have a slightly smaller screen, it apparently looks the same as the iPad 2. Though he did not see it in action, he apparently expects the iPad 3 to have a retina display, as well. Interestingly, the iPad 3 is almost indistinguishable from the iPad 2 in size. While there have been reports that it would be thicker, the difference is apparently only about a millimeter. Which means that most users won’t even notice.

Finally, Horwitz cautions that the model he saw is not fresh from the factory floor. He estimates its age at six months. That is not surprising given the kind of preproduction that goes into a new device, but it also means that Apple has had some time to tweak the device, so the iPad 3 that Apple releases may not be exactly like the one that he saw. He adds, however, that he saw an iPad 2 at CES last year, and the differences between the prototype and the release model were slight.

So, assuming that the iPad Horwitz saw at CES is an iPad 3, it looks like Apple focused on under-the-hood changes this time around. Such changes likely include a retina display, faster processor, better camera, and Siri.

[Source: iLounge]

January 10, 2012
CES 2012: Gorilla Glass 2 Could Mean Thinner Smartphones

If there has been a theme to this year’s CES so far, it has been thinner gadgets and better TVs. And thinner TVs, for that matter. Corning, makers of the Gorilla Glass that you probably have in your smartphone screen, has definitely jumped on the “thin is in” bandwagon this year with their Gorilla Glass 2. Last week we covered Corning’s announcement that they would be debuting Gorilla Glass 2 at CES. It seems that they unveiled it late yesterday.

Gorilla Glass 2 delivers the same remarkable strength and durability of the original Gorilla Glass, but sports several improvements. Promised improvements include better image quality and touchscreen responsiveness. The big news, however, is that the new generation glass is a remarkable 20% thinner. Considering that the thickness of many of our handheld devices – tablets, phones, and even some computers – is measured in millimeters, that is a big reduction. There is little word on when we will start to see Gorilla Glass 2 in new gadgets, but once we do, we can probably expect to see those devices start getting even thinner. First generation Gorilla Glass has reportedly been in most of Apple’s iOS devices, though neither company has formally acknowledged it. The iPad 3 is rumored to be getting a bit thicker. If Gorilla Glass 2 is ready in time, that may not be the case after all. Either way, look for your already skinny devices to shed another millimeter or two after Gorilla Glass 2 goes into production.

Meanwhile, MacRumors has posted a video showing Gorilla Glass 2 in action. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments.

January 10, 2012
iPad 3 Set For March/April Launch (Rumor)

Industry analysts are starting to weigh in on the release date for Apple’s next iPad. International Business Times cites two analysts with differing opinions on the matter. One expects a late March/early April release for the tablet. That time frame closely matches the launch of previous the iPad and iPad 2. The second analyst expects two iPads, one in March and one later in the year. The first iPad would include better cameras, better display, Siri, and an A5 processor, while the second would sport the A6 processor and 4G LTE.

Both analysts expect the iPad 3 launch to be accompanied by a price drop for the iPad 2. Meanwhile, as evidence for the dual iPad launch report, IBT cites a dubious rumor from DigiTimes that Apple will launch the iPad 3 at MacWorld at the end of January.

[Source: International Business Times]

January 10, 2012
CES 2012: USB 3.0 Coming to Tablets And Smartphones This Year

The USB 3.0 standard has been around for several years now, but most smartphone and tablet devices have remained stuck with the older, slower USB 2.0. According to Rahman Ismail, chief technology officer for the USB Implementers Forum, that is about to change. Speaking at CES, Ismail said that MicroUSB technology would be available and coming to the smartphone/tablet market by the end of the year.

The new technology offers data transfer speeds between computers and mobile devices of roughly 100 megabytes per second, or 800 megabits per second (Mbps). While that is not much compared to the nearly 5 gigabits per second available between PCs with USB 3.0, it is nearly double the 480 Mbps available for mobile devices with USB 2.0.

Data transfer isn’t the only area of improvement, either. In most of our gadgets these days, USB does double duty: data transfer and charging. In addition to significantly faster data transfer, the newer standard also improves the power transfer speeds, which means faster charging for tablets and smartphones with the technology.

[Source: PC World]

January 9, 2012
Nest Learning Thermostat Brings The Cool At CES 2012

Amid the barrage of technological wonders sure to stream out of CES this week, one device that deserves your attention (especially if winter ever belatedly arrives) is the Nest Learning Thermostat, the thermostat that learns from your dwelling habits.

In spite of my yearning to make Hal 9000 jokes about a thermostat that learns from people’s habits and then takes the wheel to control temperatures, that’s as close as I’m going to get; it’s too brilliant of a device to defile with my half-baked humor. The Nest Thermostat is a welcome innovation that finally brings the antiquated science of home energy use within pace of today’s technology. “It was unacceptable to me that the device that controls 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. hadn’t kept up with advancements in technology and design,” said Tony Fadell, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nest Labs. “Together with the team, Co-Founder Matt Rogers and I set out to reinvent the thermostat using advanced technologies, high-quality manufacturing processes and the thoughtful design elements the iPhone generation has come to expect. The resulting Nest Learning Thermostat is like no other thermostat on the market. We hope it will not only save money and energy, but that it will teach and inspire people to think more about how they can reduce home- energy consumption.”

Once you’ve replaced the thermostat in your home with a Nest Learning Thermostat – and these guys are insistent that their goal is replacement of your outdated climate technology – Nest automatically learns from your personal schedule within the first week of use. After it’s figured out your patterns of heating and cooling at home, Nest will begin controlling the temperature based on when you’re around and when you’re away in order to conserve energy (and, more immediately, money you spend on controlling your energy costs). The people at Nest Labs provided the following video to show you how it works:

Whenever the seasons change, Nest can re-learn your habits for the seasonal adjustment in order to make sure you stay cozy all year long. What’s more, Nest can connect to your home’s WiFi network so that you can control the temperature of your home from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Wanna make sure the house is pre-emptively warm by the time you arrive home from a frigid day at the salt mines? Just log on using the Nest Thermostat app and set the temperature via your mobile device. The apps necessary to control Nest from your mobile devices are currently available in both iTunes and Android Marketplace.

Ahead of this week’s CES extravaganza, Nest Learning Thermostat already earned CES’s Best of Innovations Award in Eco-Design and Sustainable Technology last year shortly after the device debuted. Following that celebrated award, don’t be surprised if you hear many more a splendid thing about Nest Labs and their intelligent technology to help control energy consumption and costs.

January 9, 2012
Gorilla Glass 2 Coming To A TV New You

Corning has announced that they will be unveiling the next generation of their famed Gorilla Glass at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, which takes place at the end of January. The company announced that they would have a booth showcasing Gorilla Glass 2 at the Las Vegas conference.

Gorilla Glass is specially formulated to be extremely strong and durable, resisting damage ranging from scrapes, scratches, and bumps to drops. It is currently used in a wide variety of devices including smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and even some TVs. One of its more famous implementations is in Apple’s iPhone. Both the front and rear faces of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are made with Gorilla Glass.

Though Corning’s announcement is light on details about how Gorilla Glass 2 differs from its predecessor, the statement does say that the company has started to focus on far more large-scale implementations of the glass. Examples cited in Corning’s press release include interior automobile surfaces, kitchen appliances, and an 82-inch multitouch LCD display that will serve as the centerpiece of Corning’s CES booth.

There is no information in the press release about when Gorilla Glass 2 will start making its way into consumer products, but given the timing, we should perhaps not be surprised to find it making its way into the next generation of Apple’s iOS devices – the iPhone 6 at least, if not the iPad 3.

[Source: Corning Press Release]

January 6, 2012
iPad Survives 100,000 Foot Fall

G-Form makes a wide variety of impact protection gear. Though they mainly focus on sports – biking and skateboarding, particularly – they also make a variety of gadget cases, including cases for the Kindle Fire, the iPad, and laptops. Of course, if you’re going to make high quality pads and cases, you have to test them, right? Of course you do! And what better way to test your super-durable iPad case than letting it float nearly 20 miles into the air on a weather balloon, then letting it plummet back to the rocky Nevada desert?

Yes, really. Don’t believe it? Well, apparently they thought you might not, so they rigged a camera to the iPad and put the video on YouTube. Check it out below, then let us know what you think in the comments.

[Source: G-Form Press Release]

January 6, 2012
iOS 5.1 Reveals Details About iPad 3, iPhone 6

The latest beta release of iOS 5.1, the forthcoming update to the iOS operating system, has been found to contain some hints about what to expect from the next generation of iPhones and iPads. It seems that the software’s processing core management system contains references to quad-core processing. This means that Apple likely has a quad-core chip in the works, probably meant to go into the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices.

The current generation of devices – the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 – currently run on Apple’s dual-core A5 chip. The inclusion of references to the quad-core chip in the iOS 5.1 beta suggests that Apple is already testing such a chip – presumably to be called the A6 – in prototypes of the iPad 3 and iPhone 6.

Sidenote: Though many are still calling the next generation iPhone the iPhone 5, it will most likely be called the iPhone 6, since it is in fact the sixth generation iPhone. The iPhone 4S is the iPhone 5 in all but name, just as the iPhone 3G was actually the iPhone 2.

Digging through the code of Apple’s iOS updates is a time-honored means of looking for information on the next generation of Apple’s gadgets. Members of Apple’s developer program have been able to find references to the iPad, the Apple TV, and newer versions existing devices like the iPhone and iPad simply by digging through the operating system’s code. As launch time approaches, Apple will most likely continue to use current versions of the iOS software to text next generation devices – especially the iPad 3. Look for more juicy details to be found in the iOS code in the coming months.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

January 6, 2012
iCloud Helps Man Find Stolen iPad

The iCloud detective agency is back for another round of solving thefts.

The Times-Tribune is reporting that a New York man had left his briefcase containing an iPad under his seat on a plane in Dallas, Texas. After realizing he had forgotten it, he called the airline looking for it but they could not locate the missing briefcase.

This led the tech-savvy man to use Apple’s iCloud service to track his iPad to Monroe County, Texas. The man then contacted state police to hit the address that iCloud had pointed him to.

Lynette Simpkins, 52, admitted to the theft. The iPad and other stolen items were returned to the man. Simpkins was arrested on a charge of receiving stolen property.

This was all accomplished through the Find my iPhone app that allows users to locate their device through GPS tracking software when the device ends up missing. If the device is just lost, it will play a loud sound, even if the phone is set to silent, and display a message to anyone who has found the phone a way of contacting the person who has lost the device.

The service also allows users to remotely lock their devices so that anybody who does find the device can’t access any of the personal information stored on it. It also sends an email to the user once it is found in case the device is not getting a signal either through 3G or wi-fi.

This isn’t the first time that Find my iPhone has helped solve crime. Porn actress Jesse Jane had her iPhone stolen recently and used iCloud to get it back.

Find my iPhone isn’t the only service out there to help find stolen property either. An OSX app called Hidden helped a man get his macbook back last year.

Heck, even digital cameras are no longer safe from the prying eyes of the internet police. Stolencamerafinder does as its name implies by finding pictures on the internet that have the same EXIF as the stolen camera.

As Find my iPhone and other tracking systems become more popular, it’s going to become harder to steal items such as smartphones. At least people can still run burglary rings without getting caught by the internet police. Oh wait…

January 6, 2012
iPad 3 Coming In March, iPad 4 In October?

Another day, another iPad 3 rumor. As rumors surrounding Apple’s next tablet have heated up, Taiwanese news site DigiTimes has consistently argued that Apple would be launching not one, but two iPads in 2012. Today they are offering a timeline for the release of these tablets, apparently dubbed the iPad 3 and the iPad 4.

According to the report, the iPad 3 will launch in March with an improved display and a better battery, though otherwise the tablet will be rather less spectacular than most industry watchers are expecting. Even so, Apple will use the launch of this interim iPad 3 as an opportunity to drop the price of the iPad 2 to $399, a change that will position the iPad 2 at the upper end of the price range currently occupied by the iPad’s Android-based competitors.

October is when things are really supposed to get interesting: according to the report, Apple will launch a second iPad, the iPad 4, in October. This iPad will have the same 9.7-inch display as previous iPads, but will feature a number of major hardware and software upgrades designed to compete with the next generation of Android tablets.

So, if this report is to be believed, we will see two separate iPads this year, roughly six months apart. Frankly, I’m sticking this one in the “I’ll eat my hat” file. Rumors like this are very nearly as old as the original iPad. In fact, the same sort of rumor has also swirled around the iPhone every year for years. And yet, Apple has consistently proven itself to be a creature of habit. Their pattern of releasing one device per year has served Apple extremely well since 2007, we should expect them to hold to it for as long as it keeps working.

[Source: DigiTimes]

January 6, 2012
iPad 3 Getting Major Camera Upgrade

Jeremy Horwitz, editor-in-chief of iLounge, took to Twitter this afternoon to discuss the details of Apple’s upcoming iPad 3. Citing an unnamed source, he listed a whole host of juicy details on the tablet’s design, upgrades, and what we should and should not expect to see.

The biggest news is that the iPad 3 may be getting an 8 megapixel rear camera to match the one currently sported by the iPhone 4S, and a far better front camera with FaceTime HD. He also said that the iPad 3’s form factor will not be all that different than the iPad 2, and that although the iPad 3 will be thicker, the body will be redesigned slightly to make it seem roughly the same. Other highlights include a price reduction for the iPad 2 and a launch date similar to that of the iPad 2. The source also apparently argued against DigiTimes’s report of a massive battery upgrade for the iPad 3. Check out Horwitz’s tweets below.

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzA few next-gen iPad notes, ahead of the show. Both cameras are getting upgrades. Front goes HD, rear becomes iPhone 4/4S-like (bigger). 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzBody of the next iPad is, as we previously reported, getting just a little thicker to accommodate new parts – little = 1mm give or take. 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzCurve radiuses on the body will change only a little to accommodate the added thickness, not dramatically. Think iPad 2 Pro, not a redesign. 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzLooks likely that iPad 2 will stick around at lower price point, say $399, and next iPad with high-def screen + cameras will sit atop it. 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzIncidentally, our source believes that the next iPad’s rear camera will be the same as iPhone 4S’s, b/c camera hole is very similar. 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzSource thinks date will be similar to iPad 2’s. Correctly says a January launch (never likely) would anger holiday 2011 iPad 2 recipients. 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzWill likely learn more about next iPad at #ces2012 iLounge Pavilion. We discovered early iPad 2 shells there in 2011: http://t.co/iwnKpfPn 1 hour ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

@horwitz
Jeremy HorwitzOh – one more thing. Source seemed to shoot down the Digitimes “big iPad with 14000mAh battery” story. I’ve had suspicions on that. 44 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto

January 5, 2012
Obama “Clock” Redistributes Wealth To Developer

When I first thought of an “Obama clock”, I imagined that thing that hung on my aunt’s wall: a cat with swinging pendulum tail and eyes that swung back and forth, frightening 5 year-old boys. But, with an Obama face.

Turns out, it was far less exciting.

The press release from Trojan Tree touting the newest release of “Obama Clock”, a giggling favorite in the conservative world, says that “a simple click on each countdown statistic calls forth a graphical depiction of the depressing trend in unemployment, gas prices, housing depreciation, and public debt over the entire Obama term.”

So, I popped over to the iTunes App Store to download the free version of the Obama Clock app to see what this was all about. The reviews of the app were not encouraging. They were divided between hardcore Republicans who approved of the spirit of the app and people who were disappointed with the app itself as less-than-functional or pandering for upgrades.

Upon firing it up, the first thing that happened was a pop-up ad that tried to up-sell me to the Deluxe version of the app for $1.99.

Turns out, you have to shell out that amount to actually see the “graphical depiction” they announced. After clicking [No Thanks], I landed on the main screen. Here there are statistics displayed that reportedly show:

* President Obama’s approval rating, as reported by Rasmussen Reports.

* Unemployment, from Dept. of Labor figures.

* Gas prices, US average.

* House prices, from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, averaging all transactions.

* Public debt. From Treasury.

* A countdown clock to Inauguration Day 2013

Todays numbers look like this:

The purpose of this app, according to their press release, is “to meaningfully influence the 2012 election”. Since it seems unlikely that a Democrat would care at all to buy the deluxe version of this app, and it seems to be mostly marketed toward the same Fox News viewers who bought it up last time, I am not sure how they intend to achieve any “meaningful” influence on the election. A preacher can’t fill a revival tent by firing up the choir.

Any serious person who wants to make the best informed decision about whom to vote for in November will look at the stories behind the numbers this “clock” displays. Where did those employment numbers come from? Who is doing anything about those numbers? Who is obstructing those efforts? What actually causes gasoline price increases? What were unemployment numbers under the previous Republican administration? How have they changed since then?

This looks like this is a cute little app designed to take money from die-hard Republicans. The information it displays is nothing you can’t find in a quick Google search for the rest of the country.

January 5, 2012
Google Tablet To Aim For Kindle Fire Rather Than iPad

As Shaylin Clark reported here in mid-December, Google is headed into the tablet market again after its less-than-stellar Motorola Xoom attempt.

Other companies have released tablets with the Android system and have done well, but the Xoom was considered overpriced at $799 and bulky in a market populated with sleek competitors.

The cock of the walk in the tablet world is, of course, Apple’s iPad tablet. But, over the recent Christmas spending season, Amazon’s Kindle Fire made a strong showing in the market. Reviewers were mixed in opinions, but consumers snatched them up at $199 a pop. Rumor has it that Google has taken aim at the perch the Fire now sits on with a price point of $299 or less, rather than the loftier orbit of the iPad, which starts at $499.

Tablet rumors change faster than celebrity marriage licenses, so stay tuned for updates.

January 5, 2012
iPad Downloads Top Three Billion

If there was any doubt about the popularity of Apple’s iPad, doubt no more.

ABI Research estimates that iPad users have cumulatively downloaded three billion applications since the launch of the iPad in 2010. The iPhone took almost two years to reach the same download milestone, whereas the iPad reached it in almost a year and a half. Android tablets, in comparison, have only downloaded around 440 million apps so far.

“Discounting all those apps that were originally developed for Android smartphones, Android still trails greatly behind the iPad in terms of its tablet app offerings,” ABI Research Associate Lim Shiyang said. “Many Android tablets in the market are still using older versions of Android, which disadvantages users from enjoying the better effects of apps produced from more advanced software development kits.”

The iPad’s strength lies in it having a larger number of iPad-specific apps. Its apps are also considered to be of higher quality than Android tablet-specific apps.

Things are looking up for Android tablets in the future, however, with the impending launch of Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. The actual hardware of Android tablets is catching up to the iPad as well with devices like the Amazon Kindle Fire.

When it comes to smartphones, however, Android is still the clear winner. Annual Android app downloads for smartphones are expected to hit 58 billion by 2016. Apple’s iPhone is only expected to hit 27 billion downloads in the same timeframe.

January 5, 2012
iPad Gets Canadian Man Through U.S. Customs

The iPad has been used for all sorts of interesting and crazy things, but this one stretches credulity. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Martin Reisch was driving into the US from Canada. About half an hour from the border, he discovered that he had forgotten his passport. Fortunately for him, he happened to have a scanned image of the document on his iPad 2.

Reisch reports that when he explained his situation, the American border agent grudgingly let him in. Normally a photo of a passport is not an acceptable form of identification, but Reisch credits the holiday season and his own pleasant demeanor.

The story doesn’t quite end there, however. In a statement to Cult of Mac, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that Reisch’s story of getting across the border with only an iPad image of his passport is false. They claim that Reisch was also carrying a driver’s license and birth certificate, and that it was these documents – not his iPad image – that got him across the border.

The truth of this one is a little hard to sort out. Maybe Reisch embellished the story to the media, or maybe U.S. Customs is covering for a kindly-meant but serious breach of protocol. Either way, one thing is certain. If you try to cross the border, make sure you have the documents you need. The iPad is a pretty cool gadget, but don’t expect it to get you past customs.

January 4, 2012