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Tag: ipad

  • Post Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Sadness? There’s an App for That

    #ItAllEnds. That Twitter hashtag has been trending all day, along with about a dozen other Harry Potter related terms. Since this morning, I’ve seen Neville Longbottom, Mischief Managed, Severus Snape, Albus Severus Potter, and most all of the Weasley clan trending at some point. Harry Potter is a global sensation and has been for nearly a decade. That’s not going to end just because the final film has been released.

    So for all of you who want to stay immersed in the Harry Potter world, a new iPad app attempts to make that possible.

    From ScrollMotion, the Harry Potter Film Wizardry app is said to be “written and designed in close collaboration with the cast and crew that brought J.K. Rowling’s celebrated novels to the silver screen.” The app is about 1 Gig and will run you $12.99. Here are some of the features as described on its iTunes page –

    Features include:

    •Slideshows of previously unpublished photography from all eight of the Harry Potter films
    •Animations, including, the Marauder’s Map, the Time-Turner, and a timeline showing Daniel Radcliffe growing up as Harry Potter
    •3-D objects, such as the Yule Ball invitation, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes product selection, and the Borgin and Burkes auction catalog
    •A plethora of extras such as concept art from all eight films, interactive audio, immersive page effects, tap and zoom photos, and behind-the-scenes videos.

    This app comes packed with over one gigabyte of media: videos, interactive 3D renderings of unforgettable props, photographs, storyboards, sketches and much more. It’s a one-of-a-kind look at the world of the Harry Potter films that will always be available at your fingertips.

    Here’s a couple of screen caps –

    Have you seen Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 yet? If so, what do you think? If you haven’t seen it yet but plan to this weekend, check out this 5-minute retrospective, “Harry Potter: A Look Back.”

  • Amazon Tablet On The Way, According to Sources

    Today, there are more rumors about Amazon’s leap into the tablet market.

    The Wall Street Journal has cited “people familiar with the matter” in predicting that the online retailer will release its iPad rival sometime before October.

    This new information seems to corroborate rumors reported last month by DigiTimes. Their sources were Taiwan-based component makers who said that Amazon planned to launch their tablet in the fall in order to capitalize on the upcoming holiday season.

    They reported that Amazon had a sales goal of 4 million units by the end of the year.

    According to the WSJ’s sources, the new Amazon tablet will have a roughly 9-inch screen and will run on Android OS. As you would expect, the tablet will provide easy access to Amazon’s ebooks, music and app store. The sources also said that the Amazon tablet will not be sporting a camera.

    According to the sources, Amazon will also release two new members of the Kindle family around the same time. The first will be a touchscreen model that will be poised to go up against Barnes & Noble’s New Nook “Simple Touch” e-reader.

    The second new Kindle will be a cheaper version of the current basic Kindle. If the rumors prove true, both will try to compete in a crowded field of e-readers during this holiday shopping season.

    Can an Amazon tablet compete with the dominance of the iPad? It’s hard to say. Nothing has really been able to challenge the iPad’s place atop the throne. According to other rumors, the newest iPad will debut this fall under the name “iPad HD.” It will sport an incredibly high-res screen (2048 x 1536) and would be primarily for professionals who wish to do serious work on their tablets.

    [Image Courtesy]

  • iPad HD On The Way?

    iPad HD On The Way?

    The Apple rumor mill is always busy, but it has been especially busy in the last couple of days. Today, we move away from the buzzed about iPhone 5 and turn our focus on the tablet world – the world of the next-generation iPad.

    Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that sources had detailed to them the release date and a couple of specs of the much anticipated iPhone 5. Their sources were component suppliers, and they said that Apple instructed them to ready themselves for a lofty goal – 25 million units by the end of the year.

    They said that a Q3 2011 release date was expected.

    This information coincided with various reports from a couple of weeks back that predicted an August production kickoff and an eventual September release date.

    What will that iPhone look like? Well, according to the component suppliers it will be thinner and lighter. It will also sport an 8-megapixel camera and a Qualcomm wireless baseband chip.

    But that’s not the only Apple product that will hit shelves before Christmas. According to This is My Next, the iPad family is set to get another member. No, it won’t be a radical redesign and sport the title of iPad 3, it will apparently be a high-res update to the iPad 2 called the “iPad HD.”

    From TiMN –

    As hard as it might be to believe, the new tablet is said to sport a double resolution screen (2048 x 1536), and will be dubbed the “iPad HD.” The idea behind the product is apparently that it will be a “pro” device aimed at a higher end market — folks who work in video and photo production possibly — and will be introduced alongside something like an iPad version of Final Cut or Aperture. This product is specifically said to not be the iPad 3, rather a complimentary piece of the iPad 2 line. Think MacBook and MacBook Pro.

    So extremely high-res is the goal here. It would no doubt cost a pretty penny and cater to those “pros” who really want to do serious professional work on a tablet. This would definitely explain those retina display rumors that were flying around a while back.

    Here’s a bonus tidbit from TiMN’s source: Remember all that talk about two new iPhones coming out within the next year? Possibly an iPhone 4S that would predate the iPhone 5? People said that it would not be a radical redesign, simply a component update for the iPhone 4.

    Their source said that they have been testing the newer, smaller components in old iPhone cases. This could give the impression to some that a faster phone might be coming out that looks similar to the iPhone 4 – making it seem like the next iPhone wouldn’t be changing its look very much.

    But Apparently the iPhone 4 model is “out of favor” with the Apple higher-ups, so we can expect something different when the iPhone 5 finally does surface.

  • Apple’s App Store Goes Over 15 Billion Downloads, Despite the Confusion

    Apparently, the confusing and misleading name of the Amazon AppStore for Android hasn’t had much of an impact yet, because, according to Apple’s press room, the Apple App Store has exceeded 15 billion application downloads. Considering the gist of Apple’s lawsuit against Amazon, apparently, the company is willing to say anything to secure the rights to the “App Store” phrase, even if the evidence doesn’t support the claim.

    It’s hard to reconcile these two positions, but yet, here we are. Apple did announce their Apps Store eclipsed 15 billion downloads on the same day their injunction against Amazon was denied. While the lawsuit is still ongoing, Amazon can, for the time being, continue to use the phrase in question. As for the App Store milestone, considering the proliferation of Apple’s team of iDevices (iPhone, iPad, iTouch), eclipsing the 15 billion downloads mark was only a matter of time.

    Currently, the Apps for iPhone store has, according to Apple’s promotional material, over 425,000 apps available for the iFamily. Concerning the significance of these downloads, Apple had this to say:

    “In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads.”

    So much for confusion and being misled. Apparently, that catch-all will be used to address future downloads and if they diminish? Beating a dead horse aside, PC World speculates the announcement is to counter Google’s boasts about the number of Android devices activated on a daily basis, as well as the amount of Android apps have been downloaded:

    The announcement comes a few weeks after Googlers started throwing out numbers at public events showing the Android Market is quickly approaching the 5 billion download mark, and that the last billion downloads were added in only two months.

    So. Is this just a case of two companies in a “whose is bigger” contest or is there real value in learning about the amount of downloaded apps each platform has had? From here, the main value received from Apple’s announcement is that the “confusing and misleading” arguments about Amazon’s use of the “App Store” phrase are bogus. Or is it their contention that if Amazon wasn’t using the phrase, the Apps for iPhone store would have more than 15 billion downloads? Or does Apple just want to have control of the phrase for marketing purposes?

    Clearly, there isn’t much confusion going on, especially if you go by their claims about their download numbers.

    Finally, Apple’s release indicated that over $2.5 billion has been paid out to application developers. Is that before or after they started denying certain apps, only to make a similar one themselves?

  • Georgian Teen’s iPad Typing Skills Earn Him Guinness Record

    The joke is that there is now a Guinness World Record for everything. If you can do it, they can give you a certificate. And after hearing about this new record, I think that the joke might have some validity.

    A 15-year-old boy from Georgia (the country, not the state) has broken a Guinness World Record for the fastest typing on an iPad. I know what you are thinking, and yes, I am surprised that the new record holder is not a 13-year-old girl as well.

    All kidding aside, Eduard Saakashvili’s test of speed was to see how fast he could type the American alphabet on the iPad’s qwerty touch keyboard. He was given three tries but needed only one to break the record. He typed the alphabet in 5.26 seconds, besting the previous record holder by 1.05 seconds. Somewhere in Britain, Charlie Joseph McDonnell is furious.

    Eduard Saakashvili isn’t just any Georgian teen, but he is the son of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

    According to the Guinness World Record blog, Eduard prepared for months to break the record.

    “Our whole family has been nervous. I am a very proud mummy today,” said the President wife, Sandra Roelofs. She was on hand at the Batumi resort on the Black Sea when her son broke the record.

    Check out a video of the event below. He breaks the record in the first 30 seconds –

    This feat got me thinking about other unusual Guinness World records and boy are there some strange ones. An Italian man holds the record for most books typed backwards on blank keyboards without looking at the screen. He typed 68 whole books that way, in their original language.

    I bet he couldn’t have done it on an iPad.

  • iPads Replacing Pilot Flight Bags?

    Is there a more natural partnership than mobile technology and traveling? Look around the next time you’re in an airport, or other public transportation hub and you’ll see more people with mobile devices than you can shake a stick at. In fact, the idea of going somewhere without a mobile device seems almost unthinkable in this day and age. Sure, there have been reports and stories of people taking a vacation from their electronic world, but by and large, traveling in today’s world includes taking some kind of mobile device with you.

    So why haven’t pilots, both professional and amateur, made the switch? Why bother carrying around reams of pilot-and-flight-related material when there are a number of mobile applications that can do the same thing as the materials contained within these flight bags? Enter the iPad. According to a report in the New York Times, these carry-on bags used by pilots have started to be replaced by Apple’s mobile tablet.

    The report reveals that these bags can weigh in excess of 40 pounds. Compare that to the pound and a half iPad, and even before the applicable applications are mentioned, there’s already reason enough to make the switch. Portability should count for something, and the FAA agrees:

    The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized a handful of commercial and charter carriers to use the tablet computer as a so-called electronic flight bag. Private pilots, too, are now carrying iPads, which support hundreds of general aviation apps that simplify preflight planning and assist with in-flight operations.

    But wait, aren’t all personal electronic devices supposed to be switched off during takeoff? Does that make the claims of devices interfering with airline functions null and void? Questions for another day, apparently. As for the iPads in the cockpit, not only are pilots saving forests by reducing the amount of paperwork, the devices also make their jobs a little easier:

    “The iPad allows pilots to quickly and nimbly access information,” said Jim Freeman, a pilot and director of flight standards at Alaska Airlines, which has given iPads to all its pilots. “When you need to a make a decision in the cockpit, three to four minutes fumbling with paper is an eternity.”

    One of the first airlines to receive federal approval for iPads in the cockpit — hey, it’s better than Snakes on a Plane, right? — was Alaska Airlines. It’s estimated that 25 pounds of paper are reduced from the pilot’s carry-on, but conservation and weight management are not the only reasons the idea receives support. In fact, Alaska Airlines pilots want to expand the duties of the iPad in the cockpit to include reading aeronautical charts.

    The article also mentions health costs are impacted by the iPad’s use, because of the reduction of weight these pilots are forced to carry. All-in-all, it sounds like a brilliant marriage of technology and the needs of the workplace. Let’s just hope the pilots don’t use the iPad in such a manner, it puts them on a list like this one.

    Image and video courtesy of ForeFlight.com.

  • iOS App Coming for Google+?

    iOS App Coming for Google+?

    For those of you wondering where the iOS app is for Google+ is, you may finally have an answer, albeit a vague one.

    It appears as though the Google+ iOS app has been submitted to the App Store, sometime prior to yesterday, and is currently awaiting approval, according to a Mountain View employee via her own Google+ account. This should be good news for those of you worrying Google would limit Google+ to only having an app for it’s own in-house Android operating system, as one was available upon Google+‘s launch.

    There has been no word from Apple when the Google+ iOS app will appear in the App Store. This isn’t out of the ordinary, as Apple screens all apps submitted to them before ultimately approving well over 90% of them. There should be little concern about any holdups, and you should see a Google+ in the App Store fairly soon.

    Do you see yourself using Google+ more on a desktop or on your mobile device? Tell us what you think.

  • Google Android Growing by Daily Leaps and Bounds

    After yesterday’s report, which more or less confirmed Apple’s dominance in mobile device industry, in terms of device usage, anyway, if the current Android trend continues on its upward climb, next year’s comScore report is going to look a little different. comScore’s study determined that, save for the United States, Apple devices are the dominant brand in regards to mobile web usage.

    In the U.S., Android actually outperforms the iPhone, 35.6 percent to 23.5. If the a tweet by Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin is true, expect that number to increase. Before going forward, it should be noted that the Android OS is available on a number of mobile phones, while Apple’s mobile OS is restricted to their line of iDevices. Because of that, Android phones are more abundant that iPhones, if only for the ability to be featured on multiple platforms. Mind you, this is not a declaration of quality on either side. This report is simply responding to the numbers being reported.

    As for the tweet in question, it’s awfully revealing in terms of what to watch for:

    @Arubin
    Andy Rubin    There are now over 500,000 Android devices activated every day, and it’s growing at 4.4% w/w 4 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Late last year, Android’s activation number was reported as 300,000 activations per day, compared to Apple’s claim of 230,000. The question is, will Apple respond with a higher number than Android, now that the 500,000 activations per day gauntlet has been thrown down? It’s hard to expect otherwise. As one would guess, Androinica, a blog focusing on all things Android, responded quite favorably to the report, although, the post also shed some light on why Android grows somewhat faster than their Apple counterparts:

    What I can tell you is that the demand for Android products continues to rise. Devices continue to come in all types of flavors and reach most corners of the globe. Now comes the hard part of finding a way to make that ecosystem of diverse gadgets and users play nice together. More attention needs to be paid to some corners of the Android map and some fragmentation issues need to be addressed

    If you want an iOS-capable mobile device, you’re limited to an iPhone, iPad or iTouch. Meanwhile, there are more Android-capable devices than there are iOS-ready devices. A lot more, making the battle for proliferation a little easier to manage.

  • E-Reader Ownership Surges, Tablets Not So Much

    Americans are embracing the pageless book.

    At least that’s the impression taken from a Pew Internet study of United States adults. Pew looked at over 2,200 Americans aged 18 and over and found that e-reader use is on a sharp upswing. In Novemeber of 2010, they conducted the same survey and found that only 6% of the people reported owning an e-Reader such as a Nook or a Kindle. In May of this year, that number had doubled to 12%.

    They also asked about tablet ownership and found that while growing, it is not nearly as red hot as the e-reader. In November of 2010, only 5% of people said they owned a tablet. In January of 2011 that number had risen to 7%. And by May of this year, that number is only 8%.

    Takeaway – People are more willing to buy a Kindle than an iPad.

    Of course, the line between an e-readers and tablets is kind of blurred with the release of some next gen e-readers. In April, the Barnes & Noble Nook Color got a massive update giving it its own email client, full flash capabilities and even its own app store. In the past, e-readers have simply been tablets with less functionality. But that description may not prove accurate as the capabilities of e-readers continue to grow.

    Possibly driving the e-reader craze could be the price wars. The major players continue to offer more affordable solutions for customers. In April, Amazon unveiled its “Kindle With Special Offers,” which is an ad-supported version of the original Kindle that costs only $114 – $25 cheaper than its brother. Barnes & Noble then released the New Nook in May. The New Nook is fully touch-enabled, very small and very light, and costs only $139.

    Just days later, Amazon announced the “Kindle 3G With Special Offers” which uses the same ad-supported structure of the Kindle With Special Offers but offered users 3G connectivity. That device costs $164. And then you have lesser known players with good products like Kobo, with its eReader Touch available for only $129.

    Even a doubling of ownership over the last 6 months fails to catapult e-readers into the discussion of America’s favorite devices, however. E-readers and tablets still lag behind other devices like cellphones, DVR and MP3 players, which have 83%, 52% and 44% ownership respectively.

    Also, only 3% of American adults own both an e-reader and a tablet, according to the study.

    Have you jumped aboard the e-reader ship? Let us know in the comments.

  • iPhones and iPads Maintain Dominance

    Do you ever get the feeling that, during the 80s and 90s, while Apple was struggling to stay afloat as an upstart rival to the PC, the company was just waiting for mobile technology to take hold? While many Apple device users don’t remember a time when they were considered more of a niche company that made computers aimed at high-end users, some of us do, and to see Apple as such a dominant player in the mobile device industry is still something of a surprise.

    Make no mistake, however, because aside from some moderate resistance from the Android platform in the United States, Apple’s stable of iDevices (iPhone, iPad and iTouch) are the dominant brand when it comes to the mobile web consumption, which gives some insight to how many users each platform has. The latest data from comScore confirms Apple’s position quite well, especially when it comes to tablets. While the technology is still in the uptake stage, if there was such a thing as a technical knockout in the tech business sector, you could go ahead and raise the arms of the iPad. Apple’s position in the tablet market is so ahead of the competition, it’s hard not to think companies like Samsung and BlackBerry are just wasting time with their tablet developments.

    Granted, not everyone is apart of the Cult of Mac, so there are certainly some would-be tablet owners who are looking for an alternative to Apple’s platform. That being said, it’s also good being first, apparently. An example of the Apple’s tablet dominance, courtesy of comScore, reveals that over 89 percent of the worldwide traffic in regards to tablet access belongs to the iPad. It should be noted, however, in another section, it was revealed that, in the United States, only 1.8 percent of web traffic (accessing news sites) comes from tablet devices.

    So while iPads are indeed dominant, there’s still a helluva lot of room for growth in that market.

    In regards to the iPhone, it’s position of dominance is still maintained throughout the world, expect, surprisingly, in the United States. In some countries — Japan, Australia, Singapore — the iPhone is responsible for almost 50 percent (or more) of the mobile phone web traffic. However, in the U.S., the Android platform is actually more popular, in terms of web traffic, than the iPhone is, to the tune of 35.6 percent to 23.5 percent. The only other country that exceeds 30 percent in regards to the Android is Japan.

    A chart of comScore’s study. Click for a bigger image:

    comScore

    Another area of focus was WiFi usage across these device platforms. Not surprisingly, a great deal of Apple customers used the WiFi function a great deal more than Android users, although, Google’s phone had good success in Mobile Network Access:

    comScore

    One area of surprise, however, comes from the fact that, despite what we’re led to believe, a great deal of web traffic still comes from home computers. In fact, the only country that exceeds six percent mobile device access is the United Kingdom with 7.4 percent (1.9 for tablets). Meanwhile, even with that, the largest percentage of mobile users, over 90 percent of UK web users are using a home computer to access the web.

    comScore’s chart:

    comScore

    Perhaps the decline of the PC market isn’t as pending as one might think.

    Lead image courtesy.

  • iPad 3 Rumors: Higher Resolution Screen

    iPad 3 Rumors: Higher Resolution Screen

    Much of the focus on Apple-related rumors is on the iPhone 5 (even the name of which itself is still a rumor). Other rumors have popped up suggesting that Apple is looking at getting into the TV business. Yes, they have Apple TV, but we’re talking about actually making televisions. Some are skeptical that this will happen in the near term, but hey, that’s why it’s a rumor.

    Naturally, it’s about time the iPad 3 rumors start getting kicked up a notch. I mean, the iPad 2 has been around for over 3 months. Come on, Apple. What’s taking so long?

    While reporting on some iPhone 5 rumors, Bloomberg also dropped a nugget about Apple’s next version of the iPad, saying, “Apple is also testing a new version of the iPad that has a higher resolution screen, similar to the one now used in the iPhone 4, one of the people [familiar with the plans] said.”

    The report later added, “The screen resolution on Apple’s new iPad would be about one-third higher than that of the iPad 2 and will boast a more responsive touchscreen, one of the people said.”

    In my opinion, the iPad 2 was a huge step up from the original iPad, so it will be very interesting to see how much Apple is able to improve on that with its next release. The 2 is thinner and lighter, and simply more comfortable to use than the 1, which was the biggest improvement to me.

    The iPad 2 was also faster with the A5 chip and dual core processor, and featured a front-facing camera.

    It will also be interesting to see if they offer existing iPad owners refunds on the price difference again. When the iPad 2 launched, the pricing reflected that of the original iPad, but the original also dropped by $100, and Apple offered to refund the price difference to current iPad owners, so they would upgrade.

    Apple has some competition in the tablet space now. It didn’t when the iPad first came out. That competition will only increase, but so far, it seems consumers are far more interested in iPads than any of its competitors. A recent Bernstein Research survey found that 50% in the U.S. think they’ll choose an Apple product for their next tablet. In second place was Dell, with just 12%. In the UK, 50% said Apple again, and in 2nd place was Samsung at 13%.

    What would you like to see improved with Apple’s iPad? Let us know in the comments.

  • iPhone 5 Release Date in September … No, August … No, September

    Update 08/19: There has been a whole lot of back and forth in this release date game. Since this article was originally written speculation has been all over the place. The latest at this point is that it will be early October, based on a Boy Genius Report AT&T source.

    A rumor is a rumor. That’s why it’s a rumor. Does that make sense?

    Either way, rumors about Apple’s next iteration of the iPhone have been pouring out of the tech Blogosphere for months, and one of the common ones has been an expected release this September. That’s why when Boy Genius Report raised the possibility of it coming in August, people took note (the difference of a whole month…or maybe not even that!).

    The publication reported, “We have been told by a reliable source to expect a radical new case design for the upcoming iPhone, though we have not been given any additional details surrounding the design of the new iPhone case. What about a release, then? The consensus is that Apple is going to announce the next-generation iPhone at the company’s annual September event, traditionally focused on iPods, but we have heard it’s quite possible Apple will break tradition. According to our source, Apple may hold an event in the beginning or middle of August to announce the new iPhone, with availability to follow in the last week of August.”

    Then comes a report from Bloomberg, which says Apple “plans to introduce a new iPhone in September that boasts a stronger chip for processing data and a more advanced camera, according to two people familiar with the plans.”

    And that, “The device will include the A5 processor, the more powerful chip that Apple added to the iPad 2 earlier this year, along with an 8-megapixel camera, up from the 5-megapixel model in the iPhone 4, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public. Apple is also testing a new version of the iPad that has a higher resolution screen, similar to the one now used in the iPhone 4, one of the people said.”

    Ok, so there’s a new iPad rumor for you too.

    But staying on topic, we’re apparently back to a September release, but what about BGR’s “reliable” source? Is it totally out of the question that Apple could reveal the next iPhone in August? It doesn’t seem unheard of.

    “From what I’ve heard, this is unlikely,” writes MG Siegler at TechCrunch. “Apple has stated that iOS 5 is due this fall, August is not the fall, and there is no way Apple releases the iPhone 5 without iOS 5.”

    Maybe he’s right about that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t show it off ahead of the release…in August. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility is it?

    In the end, whether it comes out in August or September, we’re talking about a difference of a few weeks. A lot of people are quite happy with their iPhone 4s, and considering that iOS 5 will run on those (as well as the 3G Ss), how much does it really matter whether it comes out in late August or in September?

  • Facebook for iPad on the Way

    Facebook for iPad on the Way

    Facebook, while seemingly omnipresent across devices, and certainly accessible on an iPad, has never had a proper iPad app. It looks like it will soon, however.

    The New York Times is reporting, citing “people briefed on Facebook’s plans” that Facebook will unveil a new iPad-optimized app in the coming weeks. It has apparently been in development for nearly a year, and will include different versions of Facebook Chat and Groups, and will allow users to shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPad’s cameras.

    The news comes after some other iOS-related Facebook stuff was leaked, indicating the pending arrival of a mobile photos app and something being called “Project Spartan,” a mobile platform that would reportedly go through the web browser (Safari), as to by-pass Apple’s App Store approval process, and increase Facebook’s presence in the mobile space even more.

    I’ve used Facebook on the iPad. It’s usable. If it wasn’t, we’e have seen a lot more hell raised about Facebook’s lack of an app than we have. It could be better, however, and it sounds like it will be. It’s probably safe to assume that after an iPad app is launched, we can eventually expect to see Facebook apps optimized for Android-powered tablets.

    Facebook has always taken the stance that it wants to be on every device, and this is certainly key to continued domination of the social space (and possibly other spaces as time progresses). The iPad is an obvious device that you’d not want missing from your list. These things have sold like hotcakes.

    For the record, the images above are of the iPhone app.

  • iMessage Brings Instant Messaging to the iPhone

    Did Apple single-handedly signal the end of BlackBerry and SMS (text messages) with the announcement of it’s iMessage platform? If all mobile device owners were iPad/iPhone owners, perhaps, but as it stands, there are still a lot of users who prefer other environments to iOS. Granted, the iMessage news may not do much for the continuing fall of BlackBerry, but as long as there are device owners with, well, non-Apple devices, SMS will probably survive a while longer.

    In case you missed it, the iPhone environment, courtesy of the oft-discussed iOS 5 update, will soon be getting an instant messaging platform, similar to the BlackBerry Messenger, and it will allow users to message other iDevice owners (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) without using their SMS allocation. According to Gizmodo’s write-up, iMessage users can message individuals or a group of friends, and iMessage users can share files with other users on the iMessage platform. Their report also indicates SMS messages can be forwarded vai iMessage, a capability that BlackBerry users had to do with the copy and paste function.

    Further capabilities include continuing conversations from one iDevice to the next. For instance, if you are messaging a contact on an iPad and want to continue the conversation on your iPhone, you can do so.

    While most of these capabilities are standard with instant messaging clients, the fact that it will soon be available on the iEnvironment only solidifies Apple’s position as a dominant player in the mobile device industry. As one would expect, the iMessage news traveled faster than Usain Bolt, quickly becoming a popular Twitter trend. Reactions from the Twitter crowd run the gamut from excited to super-excited. There are also some questions about the client’s impact. Here are some examples:

    I want iMessage. I want iMessage. I want iMessage. I want iMessage. I want iMessage.less than a minute ago via Tweetbot for iPhone Favorite Retweet Replyedwan andriawan
    edwanandriawan


    People don’t seem to get the iMessage strategy. It’s not about technology, it’s about solidifying a TRIBE (even further).less than a minute ago via TweetList Pro Favorite Retweet ReplyAlexander Rodríguez
    AlxRodz


    While I don’t think iMessage will bury SMS, I do think it will destroy consumer blackberry sales. Yikes.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet ReplyJamie Haggett
    jhaggett


    Naturally, Apple’s infamous auto correct feature is also discussed:

    The great thing about iMessage is that it will significantly increase the amount of hilarious #DamnYouAutoCorrect pictures.less than a minute ago via Twitter for Mac Favorite Retweet ReplyHesham Abd-Elmegid
    HeshamMegid


    it’s a little amusing that iMessage keeps auto-correcting “iMessage” to “I,sewage”less than a minute ago via Twitter for Mac Favorite Retweet ReplyBenjamin Turner
    blturner


    Apparently, Apple informed absolutely no one in the way of carriers about iMessage:

    On behalf of the Telco’s: OUCH! So much for Win:Win strategies-> Carriers unaware of iMessage til today http://read.bi/juAGmk /v @MattRosoffless than a minute ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet ReplyJennie Bewes
    jbewes


    Imagine the reaction Verizon and AT&T had when they realized they potentially be losing a significant chunk of money from Apple users who no longer rely on SMS to send text-based messages. I don’t think “overjoyed” fits here. What say you? Do the capabilities of iMessage mean a reduction of SMS messages, especially among other iDevice users? Is there a possibility that iPhone carriers want a piece of the pie they are giving up as would-be SMS senders turn to the iMessage utility? Let us know what you think.

  • iOS 5 Demoed at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

    Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference today, and Steve Jobs was joined by SVP WW Product Marketing Phil Schiller and VP, Mac OS X Software, Craig Federighi for some demos. First up was Mac OS X Lion, which had been previewed previously for developers.

    Then came the next version of the operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices – iOS 5. Scott Forstall, SVP iOS Software took the stage to demo the OS update.

    Stats according to Apple

    – over 200 million iOS devices sold
    – iOS the “number one mobile operating system” with over 44% of the market
    – over 25 million iPads sold
    – over 15 billion songs sold through iTunes
    – 130 million book downloads from the iBookstore
    – there are 90,000 iPad apps
    – over 14 billion apps downloaded from the App Store
    – Apple has paid over $2.5 billion to developers
    – over 225 million accounts with credit cards and 1-click purchasing
    – over 100 billion notifications pushed
    – 1 billion tweets sent per week (read on for relevance of that)
    – nearly 2/3 of all mobile web browsing done through Safari
    – over 100,000 game and entertainment titles in the App Store
    – 50 million Game Center users (that’s in nine months, and is compared to Xbox live getting 30 million in 8 years)

    iOS 5

    With iOS 5, there are 1,500 new APIs, and 200 new user features. There are 10 “key features” according to Apple.

    There is a “Notification Center” that aggregates all of your notifications, and can be accessed simply by swiping down from the top of the screen, not unlike Android notifications. It shows stocks and weather at the top of the screen. It will display a little pop up at the top to let you know about it while you’re watching a video or playing a game, then it will go away.

    There is a “Newsstand” feature that automatically downloads (in the background) the latest issues of magazine and newspaper apps that you’re subscribed to, and keeps the available for online or offline access from one place.

    iOS 5 comes with built-in Twitter integration, where you save your Twitter info, which can easily be shared with any other app. This will make it easy to simply Tweet just about anything from the device. Twitter can be used to automatically update contacts (if they’re on Twitter).

    Safari gets some new features, such as a button called “Safari Reader,” which converts articles into just text (publishers and advertisers are going to take some issue with this). It lets you email the content to contacts.

    There is also a “Reading List” feature that lets you save stories to read later (on multiple devices), and there is now tabbed browsing, which should please a lot of people.

    There is a new “Reminders” feature that lets you keep lists, assign reminders to specific dates and locations – so you can get reminded of something as you leave/arrive from a specific place. This can also be synced across devices.

    iOS 5 comes with some camera upgrades, such as a camera icon on the lock screen, for quicker access to the camera app. You can use the volume up button to take pictures. You can pinch to zoom in the app, and you can edit photos directly on the phone (cropping, rotating, red-eye reduction).

    Mail comes with rich-text formatting, indentation control, draggable addresses, the ability to mark items as unread, search within message content, and S/MIME.

    The operating system now has a dictionary feature that is accessible from any app. You can tap a word, go to “define,” and get definitions.

    There’s a new keyboard feature that lets you split the keyboard apart for more comfortable typing.

    One major new feature is that they’re “cutting the cord,” no longer requiring set-up by connecting to a PC. Devices can be set up and activated right out of the box. Software updates don’t require plugging in either. Updates are “Delta,” meaning it only updates what needs to be updated, as opposed to the entire thing.

    Calendars can be created and deleted from the phone. The iTunes library can be synced over WiFi.

    The Game Center shows achievement points – scores of friends’ friends, and includes friend and game recommendations. It also lets you purchase games right from the Game Center itself. Turn-based games can be played from the OS.

    Messaging in iOS now works among any iOS user, whether they’re using an iPhone, iPad or iPod. This goes for text messages, pictures, or videos, and includes group messaging. You can switch devices yourself in the middle of conversations as well.

    The SDK comes out today for developers. iOS 5 will ship to customers in the fall. It will support iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, and iPod Touch (3rd and 4th gen).

  • Here Come iOS 5, Mac OS X Lion and iCloud

    Here Come iOS 5, Mac OS X Lion and iCloud

    Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off today in San Francisco today. A week ago, Apple revealed that CEO Steve Jobs would be appearing at the event (obviously significant given his medical leave of absence from the company, though he also appeared for the last major Apple product launch as well).

    The keynote, at which Jobs will speak, is scheduled for 1:00 PM Eastern (10:00 AM Pacific) today, where Apple’s (presumably) magical new offerings will be unveiled. The company said in an announcement last week, “At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software – Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch; and iCloud, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.”

    Mac OS X Lion

    While the new versions of Microsoft’s flagship operating systems are major points of interest, much attention will be paid to iCloud, which should reinforce Apple’s place as a leader in music offerings, and will almost certainly one-up rival Google’s recent unveiling of Google Music, which so far doesn’t even include music purchasing. Apple, on the other hand, has managed to secure deals with the four major record labels.

    Apple already has a huge advantage in the digital music space with iTunes – an advantage that only grows with the increasing popularity of its iPhones and iPads. Adding a cloud service with music storage can only help.

    I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that we can also probably expect Jobs to rattle of some stats related to Apple’s products, as he often does in his keynotes. On Friday, we linked to a WWDC 2011 Keynote Bingo, created by Krazybig, which provides a little game for the event.

    We’ll cover Apple’s news as it comes out.

  • Google and Apple Renew Search Deal

    Google and Apple Renew Search Deal

    Former Google CEO and current Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt spoke at the All Things Digital D9 conference, and revealed that Google has renewed its search deal with Apple. Google will remain the default search engine on iPhones and iPads.

    There have recently been some questions about whether Apple would stick with Google Maps in the upcoming iOS 5, or abandon it in favor of a technology of its own, but that appears not to be the case. Google Maps will reportedly continue to get featured placement on iOS devices.

    Danny Sullivan, who liveblogged Schmidt’s comments at D9, quotes him as saying, “We have a very, very good partnership,” and that both the search and maps deals have been renewed. He didn’t reveal any more details about the deals.

    The search deal especially, could be critical for Google in keeping Bing from gaining a significant amount of search market share (or at least an even more significant amount than it’s already poised to gain). Bing should be getting some nice boosts from the Windows Phone platform, as well as deals with Nokia and RIM (and watch out if Microsoft ever decides to put a proper browser with Bing as the default search engine on Xbox).

    While Android has been doing incredibly well, Google remaining on the very popular iOS devices matters. Given that Apple is about to introduce the next generation of iOS itself, one can only imagine that a new wave of consumer interest is on the horizon.

    The maps deal matters, as it is simply an extension of search, and obviously an important one on mobile devices. Bing just launched some new streetside view technology for its own Maps service.

    While Google (and Schmidt specifically) has repeatedly referred to Microsoft as its main competitor, Schmidt spoke about what he calls the “gang of four” companies that are dominating in consumer tech. This includes Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook – no Microsoft. When asked by interviewers Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg about Xbox, Schmidt downplayed the wildly popular gaming console, saying that “it’s not a platform at the computational level,” and that Microsoft is still fundamentally about Office and Windows (as quoted by All Things Digital’s Peter Kafka).

    Really? Microsoft’s latest earnings report tells a different story:

    It’s also clear that Xbox is becoming less and less about just gaming. According to Microsoft, 40% of all activity on the Xbox 360 is non-gaming activity, meaning that users are spending nearly half the time on the console watching streaming video. Users can stream movies and music through Zune, which might be getting a rebrand. Again, look out if they simply throw a browser into the mix. I wonder if Microsoft has anything like that.

    It’s very interesting that Schmidt would downplay the significance of the Xbox, given the less-than-stellar launch of Google’s entry into the living room – Google TV.

  • New Samsung Galaxy Tab Is On The Way

    Samsung’s response to the iPad — the Galaxy Tab — is getting an update, one that Samsung hopes will better compete with Apple’s ubiquitous tablet. While the hardware improvements are pretty impressive, it’s the introduction of the Android 3.1 operating system that has provided some buzz for the update.

    Samsung has also updated their site as they await arrival on their newest tablet, and the initial look is promising. The mobile device will feature a 1 GZ dual core processor and a screen that supports hi definition resolutions (1280×800). The Galaxy Tab 10.1 also features a 3 megapixel camera — image and video — and it also has a webcam built in on the front of it.

    Does anyone want to have that “tablets will/won’t replace laptops” again, because it’s looking more and more likely?

    Other features, per Samsung, include, courtesy of the Android 3.1 update, which the 10.1 is getting:

    @blayze04 you are correct. Galaxy Tab 10.1 original was 3.0 but now it will be Android 3.1 – http://ow.ly/51E07less than a minute ago via HootSuite Favorite Retweet ReplySamsung Mobile US
    SamsungMobileUS


    The update also includes::

    * TouchWiz with L!vePanel* will take multitasking even further with continuously refreshed real-time content and rich widgets that deliver instant and relevant information to you.

    * The Quick App Tray* can float above other applications, so important tasks can always be right at your fingertips.

    * With Multiscreen Scrolling you can view up to five different screens at the same time, so you can get more done. Plus, the 1 GB RAM (max) makes multitasking seamless.

    * The Enhanced Browser includes tabbed pages, form auto-fill, bookmark syncing with Google Chrome and private browsing.

    Samsung has even produced a video for those who are interested in the Galaxy Tab, as modern marketing continues to take hold:


    While there’s no price listed for the updated Galaxy Tab, previous generations went from anywhere from $200 to $350. Expect the newest version to be in a similar price range. As for the release date, Samsung says it’s a “few days away,” so who knows when we’ll see it. It had better be soon considering how much they are pushing the device.

  • Surprise! Apple Dominates Mobile Video Consumption

    Surprise! Apple Dominates Mobile Video Consumption

    As the migration to mobile devices continues unabated, various studies keep us abreast of the impact of such a migration. As to be expected, Apple is the leader of the pack in this field, thanks to the popularity of their mobile devices. So much so, in fact, Apple’s brand worth has skyrocketed to become the most valuable brand in the world. Such a climb is largely attributed to Apple’s mobile device department.

    The popularity of both the iPhone and the iPad can be seen clearly when various user metrics are crunched, in this case, mobile video usage. Even though the iMobileDevice environment doesn’t naturally support the Flash format, Apple devices dominate the market in terms of which devices use mobile video the most. The proliferation of the Apple’s mobile devices plays a large part in such consumption, something the Video Monetization Report (PDF), commissioned by Freewheel.tv demonstrates quite clearly.

    Mobile Device Chart

    While the report deals primarily with money-making in regards to advertising with online videos — hence the title — the mobile device industry’s impact is also acknowledged. While the footprint of mobile device video consumption is still on the rise, meaning it isn’t at the level of those connecting from a wired network. The report’s details:

    In comparison to wired video viewing, consumers viewing video on their mobile devices is small and is currently driven by Apple devices, which make up 80% of all video views between iPhones, iPod Touches and the iPad. This majority reflects the number of these devices in market and their early dominance in the smart-device sector… It also reflects the development priorities of content producers and distributors: they optimized their content first for the Apple platforms, with Android a later priority.

    In the case of mobile video intake, it’s pretty clear Rim and Nokia are receiving little to none of the consideration the Apple and Android devices are. For Nokia, it’s understandable, but in regards to Rim, makers of the BlackBerry, it’s surprising. As of October of 2010, there were more BlackBerry subscribers than there were for the iPhone.

    Nevertheless, Apple is the perceived king of the mobile industry, correctly or otherwise, and it shows in the amount of mobile video being consumed by Apple iDevice users. Apparently, the iDevice of choice to view online videos is the iPad. The report states:

    Though there are fewer than 20 million iPads in the global market right now (Apple statistics for Q1 2011) and many more iPhones and iPods, iPads currently make up 20% of all wireless video views (see chart 7). These tablets are clearly being used as digital video delivery devices.

    Considering the yearly increase of using an iPad to watch online videos, and the mobile device industry in general, how long will it take before these wireless devices overtake the home/wired units?

  • Playboy Puts Every Issue Online, Optimized for iPad

    Well gee-golly, ain’t that something!

    Today, Playboy Enterprises has launched i.Playboy.com, a site that gives you access to every page from every issue of Playboy ever published. That sure is a lot of…articles.

    Here’s the scope of what we are talking about here: 130,000 pages from over 57 years of magazines – every centerfold, pictorial, reporting piece, interview and even every advertisement.

    In addition to providing users with access to all issues from December 1953 to present, the site will also feature exclusive videos and curated content recommendations submitted by members of the Playboy Commission, a high-profile panel of celebrated individuals from art, design, fashion, media and technology. Commission members will provide their own content suggestions from the Playboy archives for users to explore and enjoy each month, beginning in June.

    The site, i.playboy.com, is optimized for the iPad, meaning you can navigate the service with relative ease and fluidity. Each magazine issue that you open has a content page with yellow highlighted areas that users can tap to jump quickly from section to section within the issue. A promotional video at the site tells users to “zoom in for more detail” by pinching the screen. I’m sure people will.

    A subscription to the service will be offered for multiple time-frames. It will run users $8 per month if they pay monthly. A year’s subscription is $60 while a 2-year subscription is $100. You will save a substantial amount of money by going with the 2-year plan.

    Here’s what Playboy’s content officer Jimmy Jellinek says about the new service, as quoted at the Chicago Tribune:

    Jellinek is optimistic people will pony up the $8 per month or $60 per year for a service that’s “meant to appeal to that sense of collective nostalgia and affinity.” He calls the website “the world’s sexiest time machine” and “an anthology of cool” for a magazine he refers to as “the Mount Rushmore of literary greatness.”

    In an age where the next naked girl in just a *free* click away, will people pony up the cash for Playboy online? The magazine has always had the reputation as “classy” pornography, which is more than can be said for much of the stuff on the web. Will the nostalgia factor create subscription sales? Are the interviews with famous people like John Lennon and articles by Jack Kerouac enough to draw people in?

    I would think that every page from every Playboy issue ever published is quite an historical document in its own right, and that could drive enough interest to make i.playboy.com work. I mean, come one – when’s the last time you saw the Marilyn Monroe Playboy spread?

    Does i.playboy.com interest you?

  • iPad Games for Cats Courtesy of Friskies

    We have known for quite some time now that cats love iPads. If you put an iPad on the floor, every cat will paw at any moving object on the screen, resulting is a combination of cuteness, hilarity and concern for the screen. I’m assuming that all the cats in all the cat-iPad videos are sans claws.

    Now kittehs’ love for tablets is being used in a marketing campaign.

    Purina cat food brand Friskies has just launched three different iPad games specifically designed for cats. The three games are titled “Cat Fishing,” “Tasty Treasure Hunt,” and “Party Mix-up” and all involve quickly moving objects that cats must catch with their paws.

    The three games are available on both the iPad an Android OS tablets and were created using HTML5/CSS3. From Friskies:

    Friskies® is excited to feed your cats’ senses with three new games made just for cats. The colors, movement, and game-play have been researched and tested for maximum feline fun.

    Friskies has been working on their social media/internet presence for a while now. In 2009 they debuted the “Scratchington Post” as an outlet for their “repurrters” to post cat advice and videos. They also launched their own YouTube Channel in 2010. They are also fairly active on their Facebook page, posting funny cat videos, latest commercials and links to blog posts with tips for your feline like “Getting enough water, warm weather tips.”

    This is not the only pet food company in recent memory to use technology to create buzz. In March, German pet food company GranataPet utilized Foursquare to create social media presence.

    They company set up billboards across countries where their product is sold that would dispense free dog food when the owner checked into the location on Foursquare.

    Okay, enough talk, here’s the video you know you want – cats playing with iPads.