WebProNews

Tag: ipad

  • Apple Releasing iPad to 9 More Countries on Friday

    Apple announced today that the iPad will be available in nine new countries this Friday. These include: Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

    All models of the iPad will be available through Apple retail stores and through authorized resellers. Currently, the iPad is available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

    iPad Comes to Nine More Countries This WeekApple says the iPad will roll out to many more countries later this year, and the company will announce availability and local pricing for these additional countries at a later date.

    About a month ago, Apple announced that it had sold 3 million iPads in 80 days (since launch). "People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

    The iPad has certainly been more well received than Apple’s other big product launch of the year – the iPhone 4, which got a less than favorable write-up from Consumer Reports, and has been the subject of the infamous "Antennagate" PR disaster. Last week, the company announced it would be giving away free cases for iPhone 4 owners, to fix the device’s reception problems.

  • mSpot Launches Streaming Movie App for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

    mSpot has announced the launch of a free app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, which lets users watch full-length streaming movies instantly.

    "The Mobile Movies iPad app makes them the first company to make streaming full-length movies available across Apple devices (beating Netflix to the punch)," a representative for mSpot tells WebProNews.

    Users can start watching movies at mSpotMovies.com on their PCs/Macs and resume watching them on their other devices, should they choose to do so.

    mSpot Movies - Stream to iPad, iPhone

    "We now truly live in an ‘entertainment anywhere’ world where consumers often own many devices to watch movies on-the-go, or at home," says mSpot CEO Daren Tsui. "mSpot Movies allows people to enjoy movies instantly and seamlessly across many consumer electronic devices without the need for cable sync or sideloading."

    The app is free, and users can rent movies for $2.99-$3.99.

    mSpot Movies is available on major U.S. carriers and across over 50 different handset devices, including the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm, mSpot says. The company also launched a cloud music service last month.

  • Amazon Adds Video/Audio to Kindle Apps

    Amazon Adds Video/Audio to Kindle Apps

    Amazon has announced an update for its Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch that lets users see embedded video and hear audio clips within Kindle books. Of course new books that actually take advantage of this functionality have been announced as well.

    The first books to utilize it were Rick Steves’ London from Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway. However, there are 13 on the list currently (including more Rick Steves books).

    "We are excited to add this functionality to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. "Readers will already find some Kindle Editions with audio/video clips in the Kindle Store today–from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes with video tips on preparing the perfect cake to Bird Songs with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds’ appearances. This is just the beginning–we look forward to seeing what authors and publishers create for Kindle customers using the new functionality of the Kindle apps."

    Kindle Audio and Video in Books

    "In the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves’ London, the embedded walking tours allow customers to listen to Rick as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel. "Rick’s narration adds depth to the reader’s experience, while listeners can follow the routes more easily with the text."

    Last week Amazon lowered the price on its actual Kindle device in response to a lower price on the competing Nook from Barnes and Noble.

  • AT&T Grandfathered 3G iPads Missing Promised Unlimited Option

    AT&T has screwed up again and it’s impacting tens of thousands of people who ordered iPads before June 7th in order to be offered the unlimited bandwidth option. These unlimited grandfathered iPads started arriving today, but when you go to the AT&T signup screen it only shows limited bandwidth plan options.

    ==

    Update: Go to Apple’s iPad support forum to complain. Apple itself remains silent on this issue. Many feel the fact they were promised unlimited bandwidth and the only way to get it is to be on hold for hours with AT&T is a massive misrepresentation of services and that both Apple and AT&T should address this issue immediately without requiring a phone call. Some posters speculate that this is purposeful by AT&T in order to cause people to just settle for limited bandwidth even though they specifically ordered their iPad by June 6 in order to get unlimited bandwidth as advertised.

    Here is a hopeful post in the forum …

    azurebluedolphin

    Posts: 4 
    From: Cincinnati, OH
    Registered: Jun 22, 2010
      Re: Unlimited plan on iPad 3G 
    Posted: Jun 23, 2010 6:23 AM    in response to: azurebluedolphin    		  
      Click to reply to this topic Reply email Email
    After 79 min, 33s…. I finally got through!!!!!! All was taken care of in probably 3 minutes. The woman was VERY nice as everyone has said. Yes, this is a MESS but if you are patient, AND I DO MEAN PATIENT, they are very friendly and remember they are only working FOR the company, it is not their fault. Like everyone has posted, have your IMEI and ICCID numbers ready and they should be able to set you up quickly. Also, it did help to have already activated the 3G (which I had for the 2GB), so it took less time to set up. There is the 10 day waiting period, which they will call or email. Good luck everyone!!!!!! 

    IPad     

    ==

    Apple Sells a million iPadsThousands of people ordered by June 6th specifically to be grandfathered into the unlimited bandwidth plan as promised by AT&T. WebProNews ordered four iPads on June 6th to get the unlimited bandwidth option from AT&T before it expired. But surprise … it’s not one of the options. It doesn’t mean that AT&T won’t eventually provide it to grandfathered customers, but I wonder how many will end up settling for metered bandwidth because of this fopaux!

    WebProNews spoke with an AT&T service representative who told us to call another AT&T support number which would be able to help. Unfortunately, expect delays on hold for up to two hours. We have not verified that a fix to the problem is being offered but one AT&T service person assured us a fix was available via their main support number: 866-640-5125 

    AT&T’s rep also stated that Apple would be soon sending an email on how to fix this problem. Apple’s iPad support forum indicates that some customers were able to buy the unlimited plan after calling AT&T support:

    i got through about 20 minutes ago, it’s all good now.

    My wait time was 1 hour and 57 minutes… but they were fast and efficient once I got them on the phone.

    it took about 5 minutes on the phone and I signed up for the plan while robert was on the phone.

    just wait forever, get a speakerphone your gonna need it.. 

    ======

    Yeah, just finished waiting on the phone for 2 hours 18 minutes. The rep was a nice guy and explained everything to me. 

    He had me sign up for the 2gb plan (via iPad) during the call. From there he pulls up my information on his side and does whatever he is suppose to. He also reassured me that if I go over my 2gb plan (him saying,"which I doubt you will") they will refund the excess amount that they charge you, this is assuming that you’ve been approved through their (ATT & Apple’s) system.

    Make sure you call the number: 18666405125 – iPad activations 

    ======

    RESOLVED!!!

    I purchased my ipad on 06/05/10. I received it yesterday. As soon as I realized the unlimited was not an option we drove to the AT&T store. They did not know how to assist. We called Apple via the 866 number on the Order Confirmation email. After about a 40 min wait, the Apple associate assisted us by putting us on hold again. lol Actually he was calling AT&T. After about another 30 min he told us he talked to 4 AT&T associates and gave us this number.

    1-866-640-5125

    I called it today. I was on the phone for about 1hr 20 min. EXPECT a long wait. They did answer. I told them when I purchased and that the unlimited is not listed. The associate understood explained to me that because AT&T is no longer offering it they can’t put it on that list or anyone could add it. She said they have to go in the back way and change the account. She took my name, 2 phone number, email, IMEI # (under Settings > General > About), and ICCID # (same location). She would have done more for me at that time but I could not sign on for the 2G $25.99 plan since I was not near WIFI. She said once I am to sign in and add the 2G so they can come in the back way and change to unlimited. It is supposed to take 10 days and they respond via email. She said if I have connectivity issues to contact AT&T at 800-331-0500. If I have ipad issues to contact Apple at 800-275-2273. She also warned that if I do not pay for unlimited every month that I will lose it. This will grandfather me in but if I lose it than it is gone. She told me to remember to update my information if my credit card changes since that will cause me to miss a payment.

    Hope this helps! 

     

  • Malware Targeting iPhones Can Also Infect iPads

    Malware aimed at infecting iPhones can also compromise the iPad, according to a new report from PandaLabs.

    "This doesn’t mean we’re about to face an avalanche of infections. We have always stated that as Apple increases its market share, cyber-crooks will begin to show more interest in targeting the platform," said Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs.

    Eeki.A Worm Infecting an Apple iPad from Panda Security on Vimeo.

    "However, we are certainly beginning to see more proofs of concept, and so advise all Mac users to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to maximize security on their operating systems."

    Even though Apple has made it impossible to install software outside of those found in its own App Store, cybercriminals can infect jailbroken iPads with malware.

    All malware targeting iPhones will have the same ability to infect and spread to iPads since they share the same operating system.

     

     

  • Apple Announces 3 Million iPad Sales in 80 Days

    Apple announced that it has sold three million iPads in the 80 days since its introduction.

    "People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. "We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world, including those in nine more countries next month."

    Apple Sells a million iPadsAt the end of May, Jobs announced that Apple had sold 2 million, just on the heels of its release to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

    On May third, exactly a month after the iPad’s introduction, Apple had announced that it sold a million. In other words, iPad sales seem to be pretty steady at about a million a month (a little better than that).

    It will be interesting to see how long this trend keeps up. A survey shared today by Retrevo found that people who read a lot are more likely to buy e-readers than iPads, and another recent survey found that people would be more willing to purchase Android-based tablets if they are cheaper than iPads.

  • The More People Read, the More Likely They’ll be to Choose an E-Reader Over an iPad

    As you may know, eBook readers are getting cheaper. Yesterday Barnes & Noble lowered the price on its 3G Nook, forcing Amazon to also lower the price of its Kindle. Combine that with the popularity of the iPad, and the market for eBooks is growing.

    Retrevo Looks at Purchase intent - e-readers vs. iPadsRetrevo has shared with us some results from a survey on the topic. The firm asked participants if they were planning on buying an e-reader this year. 20% said yes, 8% already own one, 8% are buying an iPad instead, and 64% are not buying an e-Reader or an iPad.

    According to Retrevo’s findings, avid readers are more interested in e-readers than iPads. Of people that read over 5 books a month, 42% are planning on buying an e-Reader this year, 9% already own one, 7% are planning on buying an iPad instead, and 42% are not planning on buying an e-Reader this year.

    Of those who read 1 – 5 books a month, 24% are planning on buying an e-Reader this year, 9% already own one, 8% are planning on buying an iPad, and 58% are not planning on buying an e-Reader at all.

    Of casual readers, classified as those who read a book every couple of months, 13% are planning on buying an e-Reader this year, 7% already own one, 11% are planning on buying an iPad, and 69% are not planning on buying an e-Reader.

    It appears that it is important to consumers to be able to try out an e-reader before making a purchase. 82% of avid readers say it is, as well as 78% of "active readers" (the middle category), and 69% of casual readers.

  • Would a Google “Newspass” Work Better Than its Existing Paid Content Options?

    There is a rumor that has been floating around the web for a few days (apparently starting at Italian newspaper La Repubblica) that Google is working on something called Newspass, which would let users pay for news content across multiple publications that charge for content – another way for publishers to get paid and still utilize Google (Google already has a few ways).

    According to the New York Times’ Media Decoder blog, Google has not denied that such a product is in the works, but gave the classic "we have nothing specific to announce at this time" response.

    Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch’s News Corp. recently offered $11.5 billion to acquire the rest of British Sky Broadcasting that it doesn’t already own leaving some to wonder just what the company is up to. "Analysts are wondering, for instance, whether Sky’s direct relationship with customers could be used as a way to market other News Corp. products and services," says the NYT’s Eric Pfanner.

    Over 300 newspapers have joined forces with Ranger Data Technologies to launch a new online auction site (geared mainly at local auctions) that would compete with eBay. The goal for the newspapers is supplemental revenue. The site is called Boocoo, and it’s currently in beta.

    A lot of people have considered the iPad to be a godsend for newspapers, but it turns out the newspaper apps available are getting a great deal of criticism for being too limited. Poynter has an interesting article looking at why the NYT designed its app in a limited fashion.

  • Google Reworks the Gmail iPad Experience

    Google has released a new "compose" interface for its Gmail web interface for the iPad.  Users now get a big full screen compose window, as opposed to a split screen with the inbox and compose views.

    "More text is visible at once and there are no more distractions with messages on the side. We’ve also fixed problems that prevented scrolling on long messages," says Google Mobile software engineer Craig Wilkinson.

    Compose interface for Gmail on the iPad

    For now, the interface is only available in US English, but that will no doubt change in time.

    Google says it is continuing to experiment with the large touchscreen interface and tablet form factor. This will become more important as more iPad-like devices hit the market.

    Today’s announcement was part of a new series from Google called the Iterative Web App in which the company will continue to release features for Gmail for Mobile, so be on the look out for more.

  • Sun Covering Up its Page 3 Girls for Apple?

    Yesterday, the Sun’s iPad app made headlines because it was reportedly somehow able to sneak nudity past Apple’s app approval process, which is notoriously strict (even with cartoon nudity). This led to speculation around the blogosphere that Apple would make exceptions for newspapers when it comes to nudity.

    Page 3 Girls from The SunAfter reaching out to the Sun, Lorraine Goode with Sun Online tells WebProNews, "Please note the page 3 women will be wearing a bikini. There isn’t any nudity."

    As reports have shown, there has in fact been nudity, so I take this to mean that this will cease.

    Apple has been heavily criticized for having a puritanical double standard. Reports indicated that Apple had eliminated apps containing women in bikinis and even workout clothes in the past. It had even axed an app for a beachwear retailer that sells bikinis, though it later reinstated it. Meanwhile, apps from publications like Playboy and FHM, as well as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue were allowed to remain. The Sun, apparently belongs alongside these publications.

    Granted, there is much more content to The Sun, than this questionable section. People for the most part don’t appear to be upset that such an app is allowed in the App Store, but that Apple seems to have a double standard when it comes to this type of content.

  • Google Earth Becomes Available For iPad

    iPad owners who are looking for a surefire way to draw more attention to their big, shiny screens should proceed straight to the iTunes store and download Google’s latest offering.  The company’s made Google Earth, which has been a popular sort of eye candy for years, available for the iPad.

    This represents a quick turnaround on Google’s part, considering that Google Earth 5.2 was just launched yesterday.  The search giant didn’t cut any corners, though, as Peter Birch, a product manager, was sure to explain.

    "With our latest release, we now have native support for the iPad, which means that you get to see the world in beautiful full-resolution imagery," Birch wrote this afternoon on the LatLong Blog.  "There is a custom toolbar at the top, and you can click on individual icons to open ‘balloons’ without having to navigate away from the 3D view."

    Furthermore, "Along with Panoramio photos, Wikipedia articles, and Google Places, you can also view roads rendered directly on the terrain.  Select any of these layers from the ‘Layers’ menu in the toolbar."

    Google Earth for iPad is of course free, too, so there’s little reason for iPad owners to not give the new software a whirl.

  • Consumers More Interested In Content Delivery Than Gadgets

    When it comes to technology trends people are most excited about, online content delivery is at the top of the list, according to a new study from market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey.

    The study asked over 1,200 U.S. consumers ages 18-65 which of the recently hyped technologies they are most excited about. Topping the list was movie rentals via the Internet with 29 percent of consumers being "extremely excited" by this. Having the ability to surf the Internet via TV also came in high at 24 percent.

    Content-Excitement

    "After many years of media hype and false starts, we’re finally starting to see the concept of accessing feature-length films and TV shows through the Internet cross the chasm into the mainstream," said Chris Neal, vice president of Chadwick Martin Bailey’s technology practice.

    "Industry developments like increasingly fast and ubiquitous broadband access, Netflix’s shift to online movie rentals, TV networks making more shows available on their websites, online video services like Hulu, growth in iTunes video downloads and massive peer-to-peer video sharing through social networks are all helping to break down the mental divide between a TV screen and the internet."  

    The second highest excitement ranking (26%) was the possibility of the iPhone being available on mobile carrier besides AT&T. In addition, 30 percent of people said they are highly to moderately likely to switch carriers to get a device their current carrier does not offer.

    Excitement around Android based phones (15%) and the iPad (16%) ranked lowest on the list. For most consumers content delivery is more exciting than the device the content is offered on.
     

     

  • Hulu Subscription Service Launch Said To Be Month Or Two Away

    Hulu Subscription Service Launch Said To Be Month Or Two Away

    While rumors about making people pay to use Hulu have been circulating for what feels like forever, a subscription service may, for better or worse, finally materialize this summer.  New rumors put it a "month or two" out, and indicate that Xbox and iPad compatibility are also on the way.

    HuluReuters talked to several people who opted not to have their names printed, and the good news is that not everything is supposed to be locked behind a pay wall.  Hulu "will continue to offer newer episodes of shows like Fox’s ‘Glee’ free of charge, but it will also charge viewers a monthly fee to see older episodes and other content, two of the sources said."

    Which is pretty much in line with other stories that have circulated from time to time, really.

    The more interesting info is the "month or two" timeframe, then, and a tidbit about the subscription service being "rolled out on multiple devices," including the Xbox and iPad.

    It’s not hard to imagine that the service would achieve some success with owners of those devices, since they’ve already opted to pay hundreds of dollars for the sake of being entertained.  Or it might not, since tech-savvy individuals are more likely to be familiar with "alternative" ways of viewing content.

    The E3 Expo is scheduled to take place between June 15th to 17th, though, and that means a prime opportunity to announce a Hulu-Xbox deal is right around the corner.  Stay tuned.

  • NYT Doesn’t Want Its Feeds in Paid Feed Readers

    Pulse News Reader, an iPad app that Steve Jobs himself showed off in his keynote at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference was kicked out of the App Store later that day, because the New York Times sent Apple a notice that the app was using its content without license.

    Kara Swisher at All Things Digital says the app’s developers planned to contact Apple and take steps to remove NYT content. "It is not immediately clear why they need to, since Pulse draws from publicly available Times RSS feeds as many other apps do and does no scraping," she writes, adding that Pulse is little more than an RSS reader.

    The whole thing has led to speculation that the New York Times may be "declaring war on News Aggregators." That may be the case, at least with aggregators that require payment from users. Swisher references the notice from the NYT’s lawyer, saying, "The Pulse News Reader app, makes commercial use of the NYTimes.com and Boston.com RSS feeds, in violation of their Terms of Use*. Thus, the use of our content is unlicensed. The app also frames the NYTimes.com and Boston.com websites in violation of their respective Terms of Use."

    Matthew Ingram, writing for GigOm, elaborates on that framing part: "What may have contributed to the complaint is that Pulse also has a view that shows the newspaper’s website inside a Pulse frame. Although there is no obvious advertising in the app, such framing of a site’s content has led to legal challenges against news aggregators in the past, including a high-profile case launched in 1997 by the Washington Post, CNN, Reuters and a number of other media entities against a site called TotalNews, which embedded news content from other outlets inside a frame."

    Clearly not all of the NYT’s staff felt threatened by Pulse, as Brad Stone writing for the publication’s Bits blog last week said, "News organizations still puzzling over their iPad strategies can perhaps derive some hope from Pulse’s success."

    It will be interesting to see, A: will the New York Times continue a crusade against aggregators (even if only paid ones)? B: Will the Pulse News Reader app be back in the App store after getting rid of the New York Times feeds? C: Will other publications follow the Times’ lead?

    Under any of these options, it appears readers will lose.

     

  • Study Suggests Over Half Would Buy Android Tablet if Cheaper Than iPad

    A new study from Retrevo (over 1,000 non-Retrevo users) looks at interest in the iPad ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference next week. The company emailed WebProNews with a round-up of significant findings.

    So without beating around the bush, let’s just get to them.

    Study Highlights:

    – 52% of people surveyed say they "don’t need" an iPad
    – 38% of people say the iPad is "too expensive"
    – 10% of people are "waiting for a good excuse" to buy an iPad

    Obviously competition for the iPad is on the way, and it has been widely speculated that Google’s Android will play a major role in that. Retrevo asked people interested in buying a tablet, "What would make you buy an Android-based tablet over an iPad?"

    – 53% say they’d get the Android-based tablet, "If it was less expensive than the iPad."

    – 33% say they’d get the Android-based tablet, "If Verizon was the carrier."

    – 28% say they’d get the Android-based tablet, "If it was discounted as part of a subscription service (like a cell phone contract)."

    – 22% say they’d get the Android-based tablet, "for other reasons."

    – 16% say they would still buy an iPad, regardless.

    What would make you buy an Android Tablet over an iPad?

    This week Apple announced that it sold 2 million iPads in less than 60 days. Last Friday, the company began the iPad’s international push. It will be quite interesting to see how iPad sales hold up as the competition makes its way into the marketplace.

    Which would you rather have: an iPad or an Android tablet? What would make you choose one over the other? Tell us.

  • AdMob Launches SDK, 2 Ad Formats for iPad

    AdMob Launches SDK, 2 Ad Formats for iPad

    AdMob, which was recently acquired by Google, has announced the launch of its iPad App SDK (software developer kit). A representative for the company tells WebProNews, "AdMob was one of the first companies to launch ad units for both iPhone and Android applications, and now it is driving innovation on the iPad and helping developers start monetizing their iPad applications."

    The SDK is available for all publishers. It runs across all devices using the iPhone OS, and supports tow ad formats in native iPad apps: text & tile ads and image ads, both of which are available in the three IAB standard ad sizes: 300×250, 728×90, and 468×60.

    iPad formats from AdMob

    "As part of its commitment to innovation on mobile platforms, AdMob is also giving a sneak preview of the creative potential of iPad ads using HTML5,"  the rep notes. This can be viewed in a video embedded in this blog post. 

    According to AdMob, 38% of iPads are already outside of the US, after the initial international release only occurring last weekend. The top five countries, according to AdMob data for May were the United States (58%), Japan (5%), United Kingdom (4%), China (4%), and Canada (3%).

    Publishers can download the iPad SDK by logging into their AdMob account and selecting ‘Add Site/App’ from the ‘Sites & Apps’ tab in the navigation bar located at the top of the page.

  • Steve Jobs Talks More About Not Supporting Flash

    Steve Jobs starred in the latest episode of the soap opera about Adobe, Apple, and the future of Flash. He appeared at the All Things Digital  D8 Conference, discussing a variety of topics, but of course the subject of Flash came up.

    The discussion of Apple’s non-support of Flash was escalated a while back when Jobs posted on open letter about his "thoughts on Flash." Adobe then retaliated with an ad campaign. Then Google I/O happened and Adobe had a strong presence there, with Google’s full support and taking plenty of jabs at Apple themselves. Adobe actually had some announcements around HTML5, which Jobs sees as the alternative technology to Flash, and will focus on going forward.

    At Google I/O Adobe Sr,. Director of Engineering Paul Gubbay talked with WebProNews about how both technologies have a place together going forward:

    Jobs is still not convinced, however. "Flash looks like a technology that has had its day but is really is waning," he said at D8. "And HTML5 looks like the technology that looks like its on the ascendancy right now."

    "We’re trying to make great products for people," Jobs said. "And we have at least the courage of our convictions to say, ‘We don’t think this is part of what makes a great product. We’re gonna leave it out.’ That’s what a lot of customers pay us to do – is to try to make the best products we can, and if we can succeed, they’ll buy them. And if we don’t, they wont’. And it will all work itself out."

    "So far I have to say, that people seem to be liking iPads," he added.

    All Things Digital has a bunch of videos of Steve Jobs talking here.

  • Apple iPad Tops 2 Million In Sales

    Apple iPad Tops 2 Million In Sales

    Apple said Monday iPad sales have surpassed two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3.

    Apple began shipping iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK this past Friday. iPad is set to launch in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

    "Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

    "We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone."

    Apple-iPad-2-million

    iPads have been on sale longer than the April 3 launch date. Apple’s sales figures include pre-orders in the U.S., which began March 12.

    Apple’s iPad sales are significantly higher that what most analysts predicted earlier this year. After Apple introduced the iPad in January, analysts forecast it would sell between 175,000 and 778,000 devices monthly.

    Developers have created over 5,000 new apps for the iPad since its launch. IPad will run most of the more than 200,000 apps in the App Store.

     

     

  • Amazon Launches Kindle For iPad App Globally

    Amazon said today its Kindle App for iPad is now available in all countries where the device is sold.

    The move by Amazon comes as Apple today launched its iPad internationally in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, Switzerland and the UK.

    Amazon says the Kindle for iPad app will complement its Kindle reader, offering its synchronization technology of books across a number of Kindle apps, and an interface designed for the look and feel of the iPad.

    Kindle-for-iPad-App

    "We’re thrilled to make Kindle for iPad available to readers around the world," said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle. "Kindle for iPad includes all the features customers love about Kindle for iPhone, including great selection and synchronization of their books across a variety of Kindle apps, along with a beautiful new user interface tailored to the look and feel of iPad."

    "Kindle for iPad is the perfect companion for the millions of customers who already own a Kindle or Kindle DX, and a way for customers to download and enjoy books even if they don’t yet have a Kindle."
     

     

  • Barnes & Noble Releases eReader App For iPad

    Barnes & Noble today launched its free BN eReader app for iPad joining Amazon and Borders as the latest company to develop an app for the popular Apple device.

    Using Barnes & Noble’s LendMe option, BN eReader for iPad users can share eBooks with others and read them on almost any device.

    "We’ve designed the most easy-to-use, highly customizable eReading experience for the iPad. Ours is the only app that enables iPad users to share eBooks with friends, shop Barnes & Noble’s vast catalog of eBooks and periodicals and access your personal Barnes & Noble digital library across multiple devices," said Douglas Gottlieb, Vice President, Digital Products for Barnes & Noble.com

    BN-eReader-iPad

    Key features of the BN eReader App include:

    *Choose from two views: Library Grid view displays covers in a large format. Library List view displays titles and eBook covers next to a second larger section that provides product details.

    *Bookmark pages, make highlights and write notes. Tap a word or drag a across a section to highlight a note. Bookmarks, highlights and notes will also appear on other devices with BN eReader software.

    *Sync the last page read of an eBook, magazine or newspaper with PCs that have BN eReader software.

    *Tap a word on the screen and an in-text dictionary offers the word’s meaning. Alos access Google or Wikipedia to find out more about a word.

     

     

  • $100 Android Tablets To Arrive This Year

    A Taiwanese processor supplier has some exciting news for people who think they’d like the iPad, but would prefer not to shell out $500 to $830.  A Via Technologies executive indicated late yesterday that Android tablets starting at $100 should be released in the U.S. later this year.

    Google AndroidRichard Brown, Via’s vice president of marketing, "expects $100 tablet devices containing its chips to reach the U.S. in the second half of 2010," according to Ari Levy and Ian King.

    What’s more, even though the $100 Android tablets may not be the fanciest things in the world, a number of alternatives will launch around the same time at around the same price.  Levy and King reported that "[a]bout five different models, ranging in price from $100 to $150, will be available."

    This is almost sure to put Android in front of a lot of new people.  Granted, it’s possible the Android devices won’t be able to beat the iPad in terms of popularity – consider that iPod substitutes never really caught on – but bargain hunters will probably find the savings irresistible.

    Unfortunately, no further details (technical specs, more specific release windows, even codenames) are available at this time.