Tag: ipad

Reviewing The Daily

The Daily (the new iPad news publication from News Corp.) has been out for a day now, and after having the chance to mess around with it, it’s hard for me to know just what to make of it, and frankly I’m having a hard time seeing this as a revolution in digital content (or print content or paid content).

I should preface this by disclosing that I am not an avid iPad user, so the iPad experience itself is not something I deal with on a day-to-day basis. I find using an iPad to read a newspaper/magazine much more inconvenient, awkward, and uncomfortable than just holding an actual magazine or newspaper and reading it. But that’s the tablet reading experience itself, so I won’t dwell on that.

I was also using the app on a clunky AT&T connection, which may not be as ideal as the Wi-fi connection, but therein lies another problem. A. That’s not the most convenient experience for reading this kind of publication on the go. B. I really don’t have to worry about a connection with print.

Much of the content I found in The Daily is around topics that are widely discussed in other free sources on the web. In fact, non-subscribers can even access The Daily content for free on the web if someone chooses to share it with them. This makes the lack of a simple web site displaying the content annoying, but if it had that, it would just be another news site, and not a special paid iPad app.

Of course, it’s no surprise to see someone has already solved this problem. This person has made an online index posting links to all of The Daily’s content. It’s not stealing the content, mind you. It’s all available on the web. It’s just being linked to. We know how News Corp. has viewed such practices in the past (see past complaints against Google). We’ll see if the site remains up and running, and whether others pop up in its place.

Even within the app itself, the front page experience is quite lacking compared to that of any news site on the web. Most sites will allow you to take a brief overview of a lot of the top stories at a glance. It requires a little more digging with The Daily.

Not all of the content in The Daily caters to the web. The interactive stuff is unique to the app experience, but how much of a demand for this kind of stuff is there really? If this is the digital answer to newspapers and magazines, isn’t the point (from the user’s perspective) more about the content? The interactive stuff mostly seems like a gimmick. It looks cool, but is it something really worth paying for? Is the experience really that compelling for the long term?

Now, to be clear, I’m not knocking the quality of the content, although I will say it could use a bit more quantity and in-depth Wall Street Journal-type pieces. There is certainly stuff in there that plenty of people would read if it were on the web. There are videos that plenty of people would watch (the Egypt coverage stands out).

Much of this content is mixed in with a lot of intrusive advertising. Sure, there are a lot of ads on web content and in print content, but they are easier to ignore if you want to (not necessarily a bad thing for The Daily from an advertiser’s perspective, but from a user’s perspective, it’s a bit much).

The videos in The Daily have some issues. Sometimes the picture quality was severely lacking. The play button on videos leaves you wondering if a video’s even going to begin playing. It seems delayed before it even starts trying to load the video, and then you have to wait for it to load, and then you have to sit through an intro that reminds you that you’re using "The Daily".

The updating system isn’t the most user-friendly. The publication frequently updates, but you have to sit there and wait for it to do so, and when it does, it’s not very clear what the new content is without some digging. For comparison, if you were on a news website, you would simply see the new story appear at the top of the headlines.

To me, The Daily brings some of the drawbacks to print publications to the digital-style publication, while bringing back some of the drawbacks of the digital-style publication (aka: the web) to the print-style publication. For example, if you buy a newspaper or magazine, you can keep it and read it later easily. With the Daily there’s no apparent archive of past content. If there is one, it’s not clear enough.

To me, the presentation of The Daily feels like a step back for digital content rather than the way forward. I may be proven dead wrong, but I can easily use an RSS reader or Twitter or Facebook or Google News from the iPad and get realtime news as it comes from a variety of sources (as many as I like – personalized to my preferences) in a much better organized format – for free, which seems a lot more useful.

Now, if you really like the content provided by The Daily, then more power to you. Pay for it. If you love the writers’ perspectives offered, then great – maybe it’s worth paying for. I have nothing against these elements of the publication. But The Daily and all others who follow this model must bring something truly unique and compelling to make it worth paying for an app, that users have to use separately from the other apps they’re already using and from the web at large.

If you want to add another app to your list of things to check out on a regular basis, then maybe this is for you. Frankly, I can’t see using the app that much even if it were free. I might read the content if it were on a site or in a feed, but that’s a different story. I would almost rather pay for the same content in a traditional web format than for the app version, but that’s just my personal opinion. What’s yours?

February 3, 2011
The Daily: An e-Paper For The iPad

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has launched The Daily, a e-paper-based daily newspaper exclusively for the iPad, and the early results are about what you’d expect: rich, iPad-friendly content delivered with a subscription-based model.

In regards to The Daily, feelings of “meh” come from the product itself. While the newscycle is all over the launch, has anyone stopped to ask who wants this application? Even the most basic of iPad users surely understand that news can be gathered from a multitude of places, places even the iPad can access.

Image courtesy here and here

However, perhaps people are so committed to Murdoch’s style of news delivery (see The Sun and Fox News) that they’re willing to commit to New Corp’s latest foray into the world of technology. Nevertheless, it’s hard to see this launch as anything but “much ado about nothing.”

Clearly, I’m in the minority, however, because the BBC, the Guardian and the prominent tech blogs are all over the launch of The Daily.

As indicated, the e-paper is a subscription-based product. Users can either pay $40 a year or $.99 a week, and it will be available at iTunes. According to the BBC, The Daily will feature articles, graphics, and video designed to work with Apple’s tablet, as Apple’s preference for HTML 5-based videos continues unabated.

Perhaps the biggest news is Apple’s use of a subscription model for the iPad. The BBC says:

Apple has used the tie-up with News Corp to change the way it charges for subscriptions. It means that any publisher offering content via the iPad will have to use Apple’s payment method, known as in-app purchase, which in turn means Apple will get a 30% share of the revenue made from any subscriptions.

So while Rupert Murdoch’s launch gets all the publicity, Apple quietly positioned their subscription business model for their tablet to take even more developer money. That’s right, in order to get your subscription-based content on the iPad, you have to hand over 30 percent of your profits to Apple.

The honor comes from Apple allowing your content to be on the iPad, I suppose.

As for The Daily, Gizmodo has some more details about what subscribers get from the e-paper:

• Over 100 pages of original news, life, entertainment, opinion and sports –
• every single day of the year
• Original video content
• A selection of articles read aloud
• 360 degree photos you can explore by swiping
• Immersive photography
• Interactive charts, info-graphics and clickable ‘hot spots’
• The option to save articles to read later
• Web-friendly versions of articles you can share via Twitter, Facebook and email
• In-app comments – including audio comments
• Your local weather
• Your favorite sports teams’ scores, news and feeds
• Crossword and Sudoku puzzles

In other related news, TechCrunch takes an early look at News.me, the New York Times’ answer to Murdoch’s Daily. Apparently, in order to save the newspaper industry, the content needs to appear on tablet-based computing devices.

February 2, 2011
University of Kentucky School Trains Future Diplomats with iPads

The Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky (UK) here in Lexington, has taken up an initiative to provide students with iPads for the duration of their degree cycle.

The school’s website says, "This initiative will be ‘soup to nuts,’ encompassing student recruitment, admissions, seminars, graduation, and everything in between. We aim to completely integrate the iPad into our program, transforming the student learning experience, enhancing overall school operations, and preparing graduates to advance diplomacy and international business in the digital age."

The initiative began from some inspiration that came from a screening at the school of the HBO documentary "For Neda", which focused on the Iranian woman who was shot during a protest, and whose death was captured in images, which went viral online as a result of modern technology.

Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, who is the Director of the school, wrote in a blog post, "Unfortunately, digital tools and skills are anything but standard diplomatic fare. Throughout my 22-year Foreign Service career I was appalled at the State Department’s slow adoption of new technology…"

"As Apple’s latest creation captured the world’s imagination, I began to weigh how the iPad might be used to enhance teaching international affairs at the masters degree level," he wrote. "In particular, could using the device help provide a cohort of future leaders who would enter the public, private, and non-profit sectors equipped with the expertise needed to advance what Secretary Clinton has deemed “21st Century Statecraft?” I also thought that graduates who had sharpened their technological skills using iPads might create a kind of demand pull as they enter the workforce and lobby that they must continue using the device to maintain their productivity. Learning with iPads might help address both shortcomings: ensure graduates enter international careers equipped with the knowledge and tech skills that are increasingly an essential component of their tool kit; and help pave the way for greater acceptance of such mobile devices in official government settings."

Cavanaugh decided to contact Apple, who ended up sending its Southeast Area Director for Education into town to discuss his ideas. This turned into the school becoming the first professional one to have all its students, faculty, and staff using an iPad for a complete degree cycle, and a trial that Cavanaugh hopes will become a blueprint for other schools to follow.

Dr. Robert Farley, an assistant professor at the school, specializing in national security and intelligence, says he’s looking forward to answering questions like: Does the iPad significantly enhance productivity, is the iPad uniquely useful in the classroom, or in the associated extra-curricular activities of the school, how does the iPad affect the classroom setting itself, and does it help tear down the wall between student and instructor that the laptop has created?

Apple is providing support throughout the 18-month trial period, and will assist with program development and strategy, train students, faculty and staff, and help get them access to developers when necessary.

February 1, 2011
Will You Be Paying Restaurant Checks with iTunes This Year?

There has been no confirmation from Apple on this front, but word is that the next versions of the iPhone and iPad will include NFC (near field communication) technology, which means people will be able to use them to make payments out in the physical world (where the technology is supported – which will likely be a growing number of places).

A report from Bloomberg cites Richard Doherty, director of consulting firm Envisioneering Group as the source of the information. According to the report:

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, is considering starting a mobile payment service as early as mid-2011, Doherty said. It would revamp iTunes, a service that lets consumers buy digital movies and music, so it would hold not only users’ credit-card account information but also loyalty credits and points, Doherty said.

Using the service, customers could walk into a store or restaurant and make payments straight from an iPad or iPhone. They could also receive loyalty rewards and credits for purchases, such as when referring a friend, Doherty said.

According to the report, Apple could also use info from in-store payments to bolster its iAd mobile advertising offering, so ads could be based on where users have been making payments.

The move would certainly not be a surprising one, as Google is already getting into this game with Android. Reports from earlier this month indicated that Google too could launch a mobile payments service as early as this year, also based upon NFC, and the Android-based Nexus S phone already includes the NFC technology.

Outgoing Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently said, "You’ll be able to walk in a store and do commerce. You’d bump for everything and eventually replace credit cards." Major credit card companies will likely be involved in the action as well, however. MasterCard has indicated as much.

Apple is reportedly considering giving away payment terminals to businesses to accommodate the system, and given that iTunes has such a huge user base, it could prove quite successful. Google’s strategy could make Google Checkout more of a household name. Either that or Google’s system could hurt its chances in competition with Apple. You know who has a pretty good system in place that could rival iTunes, should they look to expand into this new territory? Amazon. Something to think about.

January 25, 2011
Playboy To Move To iPad

Adult content may at last heading to the iPad. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who recently asserted new control by offering to buy out the company’s remaining shareholders, has stated that uncensored versions of the magazine will be available on the device starting this March.

Hefner, who will turn 85 in April, shared the news late yesterday on Twitter. You can see his first tweet on the subject below.

Later, Hefner added, "The IPad Version of Playboy will include the whole magazine from the first issue to the latest."

He also stated in response to a question that uncensored versions of the magazine are what will appear.

This would appear to be in violation of previously stated App Store rules and policies. Steve Jobs himself has even said that he wants the iPad to remain free of porn.

It remains to be seen whether this represents a one-time exception to Apple’s rules or a new approach to adult content, then. But either way – assuming Hefner wasn’t somehow misinformed – this will constitute a major change.

Keep an eye out for the additional details which are sure to surface in the days and weeks ahead.

UPDATE: A Playboy spokesperson clarified, "We are releasing a web-based subscription service with Bondi Digital Publishing that will give users access to every issue of Playboy both past and present. The service will be iPad compatible and will utilize iPad functions.

"We also have plans to release a non-nude version of a Playboy-branded iPad app in the coming months that adheres to all of Apple’s policies and guidelines."

January 19, 2011
Hackers Charged with Fraud, Conspiracy Regarding 120,000 iPad Users’ Info

Two men have reportedly been charged after allegedly hacking into AT&T’s servers and accessing email addresses and other information from 120,000 iPad users last June. The two, Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer, have been brought up on fraud and conspiracy charges, according to Reuters, which reports:

According to the complaint, the defendants used an "account slurper" to conduct a "brute force attack" on AT&T servers, randomly guessing at user data until it could match names with emails.

Spitler and Auernheimer then supplied the stolen data to the gossip website Gawker, which published some of the detail, prosecutors said.

Back in June, Gawker called the incident Apple’s worst security breach, and reported that among those affected were "thousands of A-listers in finance, politics and media," including New York Times CEO Janet Robinson, Diane Sawyer, Michael Bloomberg, Harvey Weinstein, and even former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

"The specific information exposed in the breach included subscribers’ email addresses, coupled with an associated ID used to authenticate the subscriber on AT&T’s network, known as the ICC-ID," Gawker’s Ryan Tate reported back then. "ICC-ID stands for integrated circuit card identifier and is used to identify the SIM cards that associate a mobile device with a particular subscriber."

The breach also reportedly affected users in the Senate, House of representatives, Department of Justice, NADA, Department of Homeland Security, FAA, FCC, and other government organizations as well as people working for Google, Amazon, AOL, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley.

Spitler and Auernheimer, who apparently worked for an operation going by the name of Goatse Security, are expected to appear in court in Newark and Fayetteville, Arkansas respectively.

According to new numbers from IDC, tablet vendors shipped 4.8 million units in the third quarter of 2010 (up from 3.3 million units in the second quarter) with the iPad making up nearly 90% of those.

January 18, 2011
Number Of Tablet Users Growing Rapidly, And They Like Free Content

According to a new report from IDC, the worldwide market for tablets grew by 45.1% in the third quarter of 2010, driven mainly by iPad demand. Now, the iPad faces a great deal of competition from various manufacturers (many showcased at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas).

Vendors shipped 4.8 million units globally in the quarter, compared to 3.3 million units in the second quarter of 2010. The iPad accounted for nearly 90% of the media tablets shipped worldwide, according to the report.

Global e-reader shipments grew to 2.7 million units during the quarter, a 40% increase from the prior quarter. The U.S. represented nearly three-quarters of the worldwide e-reader market. Unsurprisingly, Amazon led the e-reader market with over 1.1 million units shipped (41.5% market share worldwide). Amazon was followed by Pandigital, then Barnes & Noble, Sony, and Hanvon.

"The media tablet market’s rapid evolution will continue to accelerate in 4Q10 and beyond with new product and service introductions, channel expansion, price competition and experimentation with new use cases among consumers and enterprises," said Susan Kevorkian, research director with IDC’s Mobile Connected Devices unit.

The firm expects the media tablet market to have finished 2010 at nearly 17 million units, and forecasts 44.6 million will ship this year, with the U.S. representing nearly 40% of the total. IDC forecasts worldwide shipments of 70.8 million units in 2012.

On a somewhat related note, Knowledge Networks Research released the results of a survey of 205 iPad users, finding that early adopters are "not demonstrating unique behaviors." For example, six of the seven top reported activities are familiar ones, like web surfing and email.

76% of iPad owners use the iPad at least five days a week, while 55% of owners use the device daily, according to the findings.

"Early-adopters are currently treating the iPad as an Internet appliance," says David Tice, Vice President and Group Account Director at Knowledge Networks. "Media companies and other content creators cannot assume that iPod behaviors – purchasing content for the device – will be immediately transferred to the iPad. In our early-adopter group, we saw, by nearly a 6-to-1 ratio, that iPad users prefer an ad-supported model over a pay model to gain access to content. At this point, a pay-for-content model would appeal only to a niche group of consumers."

The survey results also found that 70% of iPad owners/users have read an e-book on the device, 61% an electronic magazine or journal, and 51 have watched network TV programs. Only 13% of iPad owner/users claimed they would be willing to pay extra for an iPad-friendly version of a magazine or TV show they already pay for in its standard format (such as a cable or magazine subscription).

In the grand scheme of things, the surveys sample of just over 200 users is fairly small, but large enough to get a broad range of opinion. So, suffice it to say, that this is not the final word in the discussion, but it would appear to be a sample worth considering.

January 18, 2011
iOS 4.3 Beta Reveals New iPhone, iPad Features

Apple’s iOS may have been surpassed by Android on Millennial Media’s network, but iOS is stealing the headlines this week.

It began with the announcement from Apple and Verizon that the iPhone would be available for Verizon subscribers next month. One of the big draws to the Verizon version was that it could serve as a personal Wi-Fi hotspot that would allow users to connect up to five devices. Then it was confirmed that this would actually be a feature for all iPhones with the release of the next version of iOS – iOS 4.3.

Now, Apple has gone ahead and released the beta version of iOS 4.3 to developers. The release reportedly brings new multitouch gestures, AirPlay video support to apps, the aforementioned hotspot feature, a new FaceTime icon, and full screen iAd banners.

(Video Via MacStories)

MacRumors found a setting for a new feature called Find my Friends. "The obvious interpretation is that Apple may be looking to offer a location-based friend-finding service like Loopt and Google Latitude," writes Arnold Kim.

Engadget notes that the Photos app has gained new AirPlay functionality for photos and videos, and that there’s a "slightly tweaked camera shutter sound, as well as bigger app icons in the App Store’s Update menu."

9to5Mac found some files in the latest SDK indicating that the next-generation iPad will have a camera.

January 13, 2011
Equal Number Android Tablet, iPad Shipments Forecast For Late 2011

Android phones got off to a late start compared to the iPhone, but now, most research firms agree Android phones are winning in terms of sales. And Android tablets might soon pull off a similar coup, as the experts at BMO Capital Markets have predicted shipments of Android tablets and iPhones will draw even in the second half of this year.

Elizabeth Woyke reported, "During BMO’s Jan. 10 conference call, analyst Keith Bachman, who covers enterprise hardware and imaging, said, ‘The number of players participating in Android tablets will replicate the success Google has had on phones.’ He predicts that Android tablets will ‘reach unit parity’ with Apple’s iPad by late 2011."

Woyke also wrote, "BMO expects at least 25 to 30 tablets from nearly 20 manufacturers by mid-year, citing Asus, Coby, Fujitsu, HP, HTC, Lenovo, Motorola, MSI, Toshiba, ViewSonic and Vizio, among others."

That’s great news for Google. Even if this prediction isn’t spot-on, it shows that onlookers have lots of confidence in Android, even extending to versions of the OS that haven’t been released yet (Honeycomb, Ice Cream).

Also, in the tradition of self-fulfilling prophecies, if a hardware maker or two on BMO’s list doesn’t yet have a relationship with Google, they might open the lines of communication in an effort not to get left behind.

On a potentially related note, Google’s stock is up 0.49 percent so far today, ahead of both the Dow (up 0.48 percent) and Nasdaq (up 0.43 percent).

January 11, 2011
Android Tablets and the iPad’s Lead in the Enterprise

Pundits have predicted the growing adoption of tablets as a top 10 trend for 2011. According to Mashable, a new Forrester report estimates that 44 million tablets will be sold in 2015, surpassing even laptop sales by nearly 5 million and desktop PC sales over 25 million.

Android-based tablets are expected to capture a significant share of the overall tablet market and they’re making quite the splash at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

If Twitter buzz is any indication, two Android tablets, the Motorola XOOM and the T-Mobile G-Slate, will be strong competitors to the iPad.

Tablets in and around the enterprise
As consumers adopt tablets for home use they will undoubtedly want to use their personal tablets to access enterprise systems from outside of the office.

Sales teams and employees that already have remote access to enterprise systems will seek to drag their personal tablets onto enterprise IT networks from outside the office.

Like me, tablet buyers seeking to use personal tablets for occasional work purposes aren’t ready to ditch their work PC or laptop. Rather, I’d like to augment my work machine with my personal tablet so I can access mail, calendar and enterprise web applications when I’m not at work and can’t be bothered turning on my laptop. I’d also like the option of carrying a tablet when travelling versus my Thinkpad or MacBook Pro. It’s important to note that while my tablet is a personal device, one which will be infrequently used for work purposes, the ability to do so did and will factor into my purchase decision.

IT will resist user requests for accessing enterprise systems from personal tablets, citing enterprise security, administration and management requirements. Device vendors will work to address these enterprise requirements, while balancing against the backlog of consumer focused requirements. And when they do, IT will, at times grudgingly, accept personal tablets onto the network.

The iPhone and iPad’s growth in the enterprise followed this trend. Android tablet adoption in the enterprise is unlikely to be significantly different.

The iPad’s enterprise lead over Android
With this history well known, it’s interesting to note how little attention is being paid to enterprise features by Google or Android device makers. This fact is especially striking considering how far ahead the iPad already is with its enterprise readiness.

Watch the Android 3.0, aka Honeycomb, preview video, the Motorola XOOM launch video or the T-Mobile G-Slate press release for even a scant mention of enterprise features.

Scour the Galaxy Tab website or support site to determine its appropriateness as a personal device with which to access enterprise systems. You’ll have to click on “Other Features” and on to “Working Remotely”. Once there, you learn about the Galaxy Tab’s Wifi and 3G connection options. That’s great.

Now, what about using a Galaxy Tab to connect to your office Cisco VPN? Or what about information for administrators? If relevant information exists on the Galaxy Tab marketing or support site, it’s not easily found.

For instance, Galaxy Tab users trying unsuccessfully to connect to a Cisco VPN discuss trying an OpenVPN client which requires the user to root their Galaxy Tab. Just imagine IT telling users to root their Android tablet in order to connect to the enterprise network – fat chance indeed.

In another example, enterprises that wish to use their own Root CA (certificate authority) chain or import an un-trusted public Root CA not in the Android OS firmware are unable to do so. This security-related feature remains an identified Android issue with a medium priority on the issues list.

The Motorola XOOM website provides no mention of enterprise readiness.

Now, head on over to the iPad Support site. Right away you’ll notice that “Enterprise” is a support topic listed on the left-hand navigation menu. From here, consumers and IT workers can learn about topics such as ActiveSync configuration, enterprise networking, deployment and security.

Android tablets ignore the enterprise at their peril
InfoWorld colleague Ted Samson recently wrote about Apple formally declaring its enterprise intentions. Samson writes:

But now Apple has apparently come out of the enterprise closet: The company today pushed out a promotional email, entitled “Mac in the Enterprise,” that is chockfull of information for large businesses on how to integrate Macs, iPhones, and iPads into their IT ecosystems.

The simple and effective manner in which Apple is communicating the iPad’s business-readiness, if even for occasional usage, deserves not just kudos, it begs for imitation from Android device makers.

Originally published on saviorodrigues.wordpress.com

January 7, 2011
Skype Takes Video Calls to the iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch

Skype has launched a new version of its iPhone app that features video calling – a bold move considering Skype is fresh off a major outage issue, and that this will directly compete with Apple’s new FaceTime feature of the latest iPhones.

With the new Skype iPhone app, users can make and receive free video calls from their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. It works with both WiFi and 3G connections. Skype recommends WiFi for the best quality though, and additional data charges may apply with 3G.

The app lets users make video calls to people on their computers and other iPhones. It’s compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation with i0S 4.0 or above.

"You can also receive video calls on the iPod touch 3rd generation and iPad," notes Skype’s Peter Parkes. "Calls can be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops including Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac 2.8 and above, Skype for Linux and the ASUS videophone."

With the app, users can also make free audio calls to other Skype users of course. They can also make cheap calls to landlines and other mobile phones around the world.

"With approximately 25 million people signed into Skype at any given time, our new iPhone app makes it easy to share moments with your friends, family and colleagues, wherever you are," says Parkes.

That 25 million, by the way, is based on peak times in November.

December 30, 2010
Buzz Predicts Three Versions Of iPad 2

Better products often offer consumers more choices. Compare the original Model T (which Henry Ford supposedly approved in "any color so long as it’s black") to a modern Rolls Royce (available in thousands of paint, leather, and trim combinations), for example. And now a rumor claims three versions of the iPad 2 will be produced.

Joseph Tsai reported this morning, "Apple is expected to release three versions of iPad 2, supporting either or a combination of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA, for 2011 with mass production to start as early as the later half of January. Apple will ship about 500,000-530,000 units to channels in January with shipment ratio of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models at 3:4:3, according to industry sources, citing upstream component makers."

That CDMA version is significant, allowing the iPad to follow the iPhone onto the Verizon network, and potentially helping the device appeal to a whole new audience.

Then here are a couple other interesting points: "Apple is also working on strengthening the iPad 2’s anti-smudge and anti-reflective treatments in order to compete against Kindle and attract more consumers, the sources noted."

Anyway, according to Tsai’s sources, total iPad 2 shipments in 2011 are then supposed to number near 40 million.

This should all constitute very good (though unconfirmed) news for Apple fans.

December 28, 2010
iPad Gets Verizon FiOS Mobile App

Verizon announced today that it is extending its free FiOS mobile app to the iPad. With this, FiOS customers with iPads can remotely control their DVRs, and use the iPad as a TV remote control.

"Verizon is pushing the boundaries of TV with innovative technology that continues to spur the industry’s evolution," said Eric Bruno, vice president of product management for Verizon. "We’re giving customers more control over their TV entertainment whenever and wherever they want it. Extending our FiOS Mobile app to customers using iPads gives more subscribers more ways to conveniently manage their FiOS TV services."

The app will automatically personalize options based on the tablet connected to the set-top box, with customized favorites and other preferences. Verizon says it has virtually the same functionality as the standard FiOS TV remote.

"Customers can change channels; manage parental controls; and pause, rewind and fast forward or record a TV show," the company explains. "Subscribers can also click on the video-on-demand (VOD) button and browse and search on-demand titles; or click on the FiOS TV button and jump to live TV when watching recorded programs."

The feature is available on over 40 mobile devices including Android, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Verizon says more features will come to the app soon.

December 21, 2010
Yelp Launches App for iPad

Yelp has launched a long-awaited (by iPad users) iPad app. It’s now available in the iTunes Store.

The app lets users do the following:

– Search for businesses using a new landscape map/list mode, or flip your iPad into portrait for a full screen view

– Browse business information and reviews

– Write Yelp reviews and share to Twitter and/or Facebook

– Bookmark businesses you want to try or have been meaning to review

– Sign up for a Yelp Account

– Access new photo search results

"Think of all the local businesses you can search for and bookmark via your Yelp iPad app and cross those pesky last minute gifts off your list — not to mention find bars, movie theaters and more around you to avoid the in-laws," says Yelp’s mobile team.

"And while we’ve been up to a ton this year, like always, we plan to update Yelp for iPad in 2011 with even more features like user profiles, complimenting and more," the team adds.

Yelp also has apps for BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre, in addition to a mobile site a m.yelp.com.

December 20, 2010
Can Microsoft Compete with the iPad?

Reports indicate that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to unveil some new slates from Samsung and Dell at CES next month that are designed to compete with Apple’s incredibly popular iPad.

The company has not confirmed, and the sources of the info are unnamed, but evidently trusted by the New York Times, which reports:

The Samsung device is described as "similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad, although it is not as thin. It also includes a unique and slick keyboard that slides out from below for easy typing."

The people familiar with this device said it would run the Windows 7 operating system when in landscape mode, but will also have a layered interface that will appear when the keyboard is hidden and the device is held in a portrait mode.

Apple’s iPad has been a huge seller. Can Microsoft’s platform attain similar success? A keyboard and familiar Windows interface would no doubt be appealing to a lot of users, particularly if it is just an option that is available alongside a more iPad-like touch interface. This could provide the best of both worlds if it’s done right.

One of the biggest complaints about the iPad is that it’s not the easiest thing to type on, particularly if you have large hands.

Microsoft is a little late to the market in this space, but apparently not as late as it was to the smartphone market (with the recent launch of Windows Phone 7). Granted, we don’t know when these knew slates would actually see the consumer market.

Microsoft is of course not just competing with Apple, but all makers of tablets and mobile computer operating systems, and that includes Google, which is gearing up for the consumer launch of its Chrome operating system next year. It’s not on tablets, but it’s still going to be an option for consumers looking for a new mobile computer. Most people aren’t going to buy a tablet and a notebook. Google has the tablets covered with Android, however, like with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and more to come.

No matter how you slice it, iPad sales are bound to be affected, simply based on the fact that it won’t be the only option in its class anymore. It will be particularly interesting to see how big of a hand Microsoft has in the competition.

December 19, 2010
Vevo Launches HD iPad App

Music video site Vevo has launched a free HD app for the iPad that features its catalog of 25,000 videos from more than 7,500 artists.

“We optimized the Vevo experience specifically for the iPad. It’s a perfect match, actually—Vevo’s crystal clear videos played on iPad’s big, beautiful screen,” the company says in a blog post.

“With the portability of the iPad, you can take your favorite videos, innovative Vevo original programming and live concerts with you wherever you go.”

Features of the Vevo HD for iPad include:

*Music Maps- An interactive map that allows users to see videos being watched in there area in real-time.

*Tweets about artists.

*Artists tour dates with the option to purchase tickets.

*Share video via Twitter, Facebook and email.

December 17, 2010
Google Voice Spreads to the iPad, iPod Touch

About a month ago, Google finally launched Google Voice for the iPhone. Today, Google launched a new version that also supports the iPad and iPod Touch devices.

"While you can’t use your iPod or iPad as a phone, you can use it to initiate Google Voice calls with your phones," says product manager Marcus Foster. "We call this feature Click2Call. Simply click any ‘Call’ button in the Google Voice app on your iPod or iPad and then select which of your phones you want to ring. Google Voice will call your phone and then connect your call."

Google also made some additional improvements to the app. For example, it will automatically disable text forwarding when push notifications are enabled. Users can now send all callers to voicemail by turning on "Do Not Disturb" in settings. They added a dedicated Contacts button to the Dialer tab, and you no longer need to press the "ok" button when sending text messages.

The new Google Voice app is in the App Store. It requires iOS 3.1 or higher, and is only available in the U.S. so far.

In other Google/Voice news, the company also introduced personalized voice recognition for voice search, aimed at increasing accuracy of voice search queries.

December 14, 2010
CNN Launches Free iPad App

CNN has launched a new free app for the iPad aimed at offering a more visual news experience.

The CNN App for iPad combines images with reporting from CNN, including text stories, blog posts, photo galleries, and live or on-demand video. Users have the ability to toggle between U.S. and international news.

The app has a user comment feature that runs alongside content on the screen. Users can share text stories, images and videos from the app via email, Facebook and Twitter.

The CNN App for iPad has three viewing options:

*Broadsheet, the default view, displays up to 350 news stories in a grid-format featuring images and headlines.

*List View features a running list of headlines by topic and category.

*Slide Show allows users to scroll through a visual presentation of the day’s top headlines.

CNN says the app will be updated in real-time as stories break, and users will be alerted of breaking news via Push Notification.

December 14, 2010
Google Brings Desktop Version Of Docs To iPad

Many people have pointed to the iPad as a replacement for laptops, or at least netbooks. Google Docs, meanwhile, is supposed to take on programs like Microsoft Word. And now the two newcomers can work together more effectively, as Google’s moved to bring the desktop version of Google Docs to the iPad.

A post on the Google Docs Blog explained, "The new mobile editor is fast and lightweight, but sometimes you want to make more style edits like changing a font, or center aligning a paragraph. If you’re on an iPad, you can do that by visiting the Desktop version of the document editor."

Then the post continued, "If you want to insert formulas in a Google spreadsheet from your iPad, you can use the same trick. Just click Go to spreadsheet view at the top of the mobile view to try out the full version of Google spreadsheets. You can now insert formulas in from the editable formula bar."

Fair warning: taking advantage of this option may result in decreased performance. No amount of tweaking on Google’s end will make the iPad as powerful as a desktop, so using the desktop version of Google Docs on a daily basis isn’t recommended.

At least a few students and businesspeople are sure to appreciate the change, however, and it’s possible this development will increase the popularity of both Google Docs and the iPad a little bit.

December 10, 2010
E-Reader Sales Set To Double This Year

E-reader sales are on track to total 6.6 million units in 2010, up 79.8 percent from 2009 sales of 3.6 million units, according to a new report from Gartner.

In 2011, global e-reader sales are forecast to surpass 11 million units, a 68.3 percent increase from 2010.

"The connected e-reader market has grown dramatically during the past two years, driven by sales of Amazon’s e-readers, primarily in North America. This is the dominant region for e-reader sales, and we predict that it will account for sales of just over 4 million units in 2010," said Hugues De La Vergne, principal research analyst at Gartner.

“North America will remain a key market through 2014, although its dominance will decline significantly as regions such as Western Europe and Asia/Pacific become the leading locations for growth. Growth in North American and other markets will remain constrained by the success of media tablets, such as the Apple iPad."

Although three vendors dominate the current e-reader market (Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony), new competitors may appear in the future with low-cost devices subsidized by content owners. Large consumer electronics and PC firms such as HP and Dell are also trying to position themselves in the market for connected consumer devices.

Cannibalization by media tablets represents the biggest threat to e-readers. Media tablets can offer a compelling experience for electronic magazines and newspapers, due to their widespread adoption of displays that show color and support full-motion video. By incorporating e-reader functionality, media tablets can perform many different functions, including supporting e-reader applications.

"With media tablets offering more functionality, e-reader vendors need to target avid readers who may see the value of a stand-alone device that performs particularly well," said Allen Weiner, research vice president at Gartner.

"E-reader vendors will also need to offer lower prices than for more fully featured media tablets. This will entail smaller profit margins and potential hardware subsidies at retail, and/or the ability to obtain lower-priced components. We think few end users will buy both an e-reader and a media tablet, so it is important that e-readers retain a price advantage."

December 9, 2010
Jobs: iOS 4.2 Makes iPad a Completely New Product

Apple made the latest version of its iOS operating system (4.2) available today. The OS, which powers the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices includes some important updates for the iPad with features like multitasking, folders, a unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint.

"iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit."

The iPad probably didn’t need a whole lot of help to be a big seller this holiday season, but the new functionalities certainly won’t hurt, especially as competition in the tablet space starts to heat up.

According to a recent report from PriceGrabber, 59 percent of consumers selected the iPad as their device of choice for e-reading, which also gives the iPad some holiday ammo versus devices like Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, etc.

With the OS update, the "Find my iPhone" (or iPad o iPod Touch) feature now free to use without a MobileMe subscription. This feature lets users locate their missing device, and is available as a free download on Apple’s App Store.

iOS 4.2 also gives iPad users the ability to rent TV episodes directly on the device using the iTunes. Users have a 30-day window for viewing, and a 48-hour session window once playback is started.

The new version also adds support for 25 additional languages, including Korean, Portuguese and Traditional Chinese. It’s available for download today.

On a related note, Apple says customers have now downloaded over seven billion apps from the App Store, and over 300,000 different apps are available.

November 22, 2010