WebProNews

Tag: ipad

  • New iPads ‘Leaked’ Include iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 3

    Well, there are the new iPads.

    Apple has done exactly what it wanted screwed up a bit and inadvertently unveiled the new line of iPads.

    What you see above is a screenshot from the iPad User Guide For iO8, an ebook available in iTunes right now. Screenshots from the book show an ‘iPad Air 2’ and an ‘iPad Mini 3’, both of which Apple was expected to unveil at their big iPad event – slated for Thursday.

    The “leak”, apart from confirming the new names of the devices, also shows both new iPads with the much-rumored Touch ID home button and Burst Mode.

    What you don’t see is the rumored giant iPad (12.9-inch). Last week we heard that iPad would be delayed thanks to high demand for the new iPhones, which Apple just unveiled last month.

    As 9to5 Mac, who was the first to spot this, points out, the timing of this leak is rather convenient – considering Google just announced a new Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus 6 phone.

    Anyway, you’ll see it all – probably including a gold iPad, new iMacs, and OS X Yosemite – when the event kicks off tomorrow. You can watch it online, if Apple can get its shit together.

    Image via Apple

  • New iPad Air Leak Shows Touch ID Sensor

    Apple’s second big event of the year is set to take place this Thursday. All signs point to the event being Apple’s annual iPad reveal. Rumors are now swirling about what surprises Apple could have for tablet consumers this year.

    Last year’s iPad event was largely predictable. Aside from the name, the iPad Air was another thinner, lighter iPad for consumers to covet. The iPad Mini was also updated with a higher-resolution display, but neither of Apple’s tablet updates could truly be described as revolutionary.

    This year consumers can expect much of the same. Leaks concerning the new iPad Air suggest that the new model will have a Touch ID sensor like current iPhone models, with a possible gold color option for the sensor. The leaks also show a faster A8X chip and a bit more RAM.

    The Touch ID leak comes just as the fingerprint sensor market has begun to take off. Market research firm IHS recently released a new report showing that the fingerprint sensor shipments will hit 1.4 billion by 2020 – more than four times the number expected to ship by the end of this year. The firm believes that the majority of these sensors will be shipped by Apple and Samsung.

    “This biometric market has all the requirements for success converging at the right time,” said Marwan Boustany, a senior analyst with IHS Technology. “Technology, convenience, and consumer interest are just some of the converging interests ensuring the success of fingerprint sensors.”

    In addition to the Touch ID rumor, a new iPad mini is expected to make an appearance at this week’s Apple conference. Not much is known about the smaller tablet yet, but questions are already surfacing about the iPad Mini’s current place in Apple’s device lineup. The 7.9-inch screen on the iPad Mini was a sign that smaller tablets such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus 7 proved more popular than Apple had predicted. Now even the iPhone’s screen size is creeping up toward tablet sizes, shrinking the market for small tablets.

    The Apple tablet with the lowest odds of appearing this week would be the long-rumored 12-inch iPad. Manufacturing sources held early this year that Apple was having trouble getting developers on-board with the larger tablet. Given Samsung’s limited success with a 12.2-inch tablet, it doesn’t appear that there is even a mega-tablet market for Apple to seriously consider.

  • iPad Mini 3: Rumors Abound For October 16th. But Is It Obsolete?

    With the October 16th Apple media event right around the corner, everyone is trying guess what Apple will announce before they announce it. One of the hot topic items is the iPad Mini 3.

    Although the iPad Mini 3 is expected to be unveiled at the event, Tech Radar published a rumor that it won’t be available until next year.

    Unfortunately, Apple has kept such a tight lid on the event, it’s difficult to say what will be unveiled without resorting to speculation. The Motley Fool published an editorial which anticipated little to no “genuine game-changing new features up its sleeve this go-round”. They anticipate that the new features will be limited to the gold color variant option, Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and the A8 chip, with no changes to overall form.

    The gold iPad rumor has been floating around a lot. It has been suggested the color change might be an attempt to boost sales. There has been a lot of speculation on how it will look:

    Gold color aside, analysts are already wondering if the new iPhone 6 makes the iPad Mini obsolete. Mashable’s Christina Warren suggested the Mini may go the way of the iPod touch, rendered obsolete by a new iPhone release. “From a usage perspective, there isn’t a huge difference between the experience of using and iPhone 6 Plus and an iPad mini. Sure, the mini has a bigger screen and more landscape features, but the iPhone 6 Plus has the type of real estate and app support to feel like the ultimate pocketable tablet,” she wrote, “Moreover, because the iPhone 6 Plus can also make phone calls, it really does fit the bill for the type of user who wants a pocketable tablet but doesn’t want to carry two devices.”

    Those unable to attend the event in person will have to wait and see when Apple streams the event live on October 16th.

  • Apple Will Try To Stream Its iPad Event

    Apple Will Try To Stream Its iPad Event

    As previously reported, Apple will hold its next big media event on October 16th. It sent out invitations earlier this week without much in the way of detail other than “It’s been way too long,” and it will be held at the Apple campus in Cupertino on that date.

    Expected announcements include new iPads and iMacs as well as the public release of Mac OS X Yosemite (t’s been in beta since June).

    In case you were wondering, Apple will be streaming the event live from apple.com/live beginning at 10 a.m. PDT. Well, that’s the plan at least.

    As you may recall, the company tried to stream its last event (the unveiling of the latest iPhones, Apple Pay and Apple Watch), but had some severe problems doing so, leaving fans and spectators incredibly annoyed as the stream just didn’t work.

    In fact, the stream’s failure was such a widespread phenomenon that Denny’s (yeah, the restaurant) even capitalized on the moment in a delightful example of real time social media marketing.

    Next week’s event will no doubt trigger memories of the failure, but it will be very surprising if Apple doesn’t go out of its way to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

    In typical Apple fashion, the stream requires you to use Safari 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later; Safari on iOS 6.0 or later; or Apple TV second- or third-generation with software 6.2 or later.

    Image via Apple

  • You Might Have to Wait for Those Bigger iPads

    As you probably know, Apple is planning on holding another press event on the heels of the big iPhone 6 event the company held a few weeks ago. The event is scheduled for October 16, and Apple just sent out press invites on Wednesday.

    Reports indicate that Apple is gearing up to unveil its new iPad line, which includes a much larger device with a 12.9-inch display. The current iPad Air has a 9.7-inch screen and the iPad Mini sports a 7.9-inch one.

    But according to the Wall Street Journal, the larger iPad will likely face a delay.

    Quoting the ubiquitous “sources familiar with the matter”, the WSJ says that Apple has pushed back its plans to manufacture the highly-anticipated new iPad. While production was supposed to begin in December, Apple is apparently being forced to move it back to early 2015.

    The culprit? The new iPhone 6 – more specifically the iPhone 6 Plus and its crazy demand.

    You may recall that both the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus set sales records, but it was the iPhone 6 Plus that was “sold out” within hours of launch.

    Apparently, all available resources must be funneled into iPhone 6 production.

    “The top priority for the supply chain is to meet the overwhelming demand for the larger screen iPhones. The output of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus remains unsatisfactory. It would be challenging for display makers to split resources and spend a few months to ramp up production for a new larger screen iPad now,” said the WSJ’s sources.

    It’s still anyone’s guess as to what Apple will actually announce at next Thursday’s event, but it looks like we’ll be getting some new iMacs and the public release of OS X Yosemite.

    Image via Apple

  • Apple’s iPad Event Is October 16

    It’s been way too long, says Apple. It’s really only been a year, but ok, we’ll bite.

    As rumored, Apple will hold their next big media event on October 16. Invites just went out, and as usual, it’s not too forthcoming with the details.

    You’re most certainly going to see some new iPads, and possibly some new iMacs at next week’s event.

    Apple will unveil new iPads (thinner? larger? gold..er?), and possibly some new iMacs with retina displays. Apple is also set to release OS X Yosemite to the public at large. OS X Yosemite has been in beta since Apple launched it in June at WWDC.

    The only thing people love more than Apple events is speculating about Apple events – and you now have just over a week to place your bets. This event follows closely on the heels of Apple’s iPhone 6 event, so it’s clear that Apple wants to pump stores full of shiny new toys for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

  • Apple’s Next Event (iPads? iMacs?) Reportedly Slated for October 16

    According to “sources” cited by Re/code, Apple’s next product event will take place on Thursday, October 16.

    The last report concerning this press event had it happening the following Tuesday, on October 21.

    Either way, you’re likely getting some new iPads – and maybe even some new iMacs – whenever Tim Cook does take the stage.

    It’s expected that Apple will unveil new iPads, and possibly some new iMacs with retina displays. Apple is also set to release OS X Yosemite to the public at large. OS X Yosemite has been in beta since Apple launched it in June at WWDC.

    Oh yeah, there’s also this whole thing about gold iPads.

    Image via Apple

  • Gold iPads Are Coming This Month, According to Report

    If you’re sick of the old ‘space gray’ and silver iPads, you may have a shiny new option to consider.

    Bloomberg quotes the omnipresent “people familiar with the matter” who says that Apple is preparing to launch pretty new gold iPads when they unveil new versions of their current iPad lineup this month. This also corroborates rumors heard last month that Apple would be holding an iPad-centric press event in late October. Apart from new hardware, Apple is also expected to release OS X Yosemite to the public at large.

    The last time Apple introduced new iPads was last October – so this doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch.

    Bloomberg suggests that Apple might be doing this to help slumping iPad sales, which have fallen significantly since 2010. This also does not seem like too much of a stretch. Apple tried to boost sales by implementing a widely varied color palette with the iPhone 5c – but that didn’t really take off.

    According to these same sources, a gold iPad might be the most exciting thing you’ll see at the rumored Apple event. Apparently, the giant 12.9-inch iPad that’s been floated around (the iPad Pro, anyone?) will not be part of the late October event.

    For that, you’ll have to wait till 2015.

    Image via Apple

  • What Do iOS 8 And The New iPhones Mean For You?

    Well, Apple’s new operating system (iOS 8) and iPhones (6 and 6 Plus) are officially out. What does the OS update mean for you? Should you get one of the new phones? We’ll try to help you answer those questions throughout the course of this article.

    What do you think of the new devices? The new OS? Share your thoughts here.

    First things first. Here’s what iOS 8 looks like.

    Just kidding. If you don’t want to, you don’t even have to keep the new U2 album in your iTunes library. If you found it, and were less than thrilled, just know that was Apple and the band being “punk rock” and “disruptive”.

    Okay, let’s move along.

    iOS 8

    Apple calls the new version the biggest iOS release ever. It features major updates to apps like Messages and Photos, new content sharing capabilities, and new connections between apps and devices.

    “Quickly find and edit the photos you take,” Apple says of the release. “Add your voice right in a text message. Let your health and fitness apps communicate with each other, with your trainer, and even with your doctor. We’ve also provided developers with deeper access and more tools. You’ll have new keyboard options and even more ways to share your content. And you’ll be able to use iCloud and Touch ID in ways you never have before.”

    The new Photos app has new search features and smart albums that take care of your photo organization, makes your shots look better, and has new editing tools.

    Messages lets you tap to record and send voice or video message. You can also share your location easily.

    The iOS 8 interface gives you a new way to respond to notifications as well as shortcuts for those you talk to most. There are also new Mail management features.

    The virtual keyboard adds contextual word suggestions as you type, even recognizing who you’re typing to and whether you’re in Mail or Messages.

    There’s a Family Sharing feature that lets up to six people in your household share each other’s purchases from iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store. It lets families keep up with each other’s photos, calendars, and locations, as well.

    iCloud Drive lets you work on any file from any device, and the OS connects with Macs in a deeper way than was previously possible. You can start an email on one device, for example, and continue it on another. You can even answer phone calls from your iPhone on your Mac or iPad, and send SMS messages from any of these devices.

    Also included is an activity tracker, heart rate monitor, and other health and fitness apps that communicate with each other.

    For developers, the iOS 8 SDK has over 4,000 new APIs, and includes new sharing options, widgets, custom actions and document APIs.

    iOS 8 became available on Wednesday, and is available for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display.

    iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

    The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus became available on Friday, but even before that, the the reviews from the tech blogs were overwhelmingly positive.

    The iPhone 6 is a “thin, sexy phone with a killer camera,” says noted tech journalist David Pogue.

    The device is “the best smartphone you can buy,” according to Walt Mossberg at Re/code.

    “The iPhone 6 is a great upgrade for current iPhone owners, or for anyone, really. It manages to provide a much larger display in a phone that’s still small enough to handle easily,’ he writes.

    The sentiments are echoed throughout the…echo chamber. Most have just about the same amount of praise for the iPhone 6 Plus, but some do find it to be just too big.

    John Gruber, who is perhaps the most well-known blogger of all things Apple, says, “If you simply want a bigger iPhone, get the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. That’s what it feels like: a bigger iPhone. If you want something bigger than an iPhone, get the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. It feels more like a new device — a hybrid device class that is bigger than an iPhone but smaller than an iPad Mini — than it feels like a bigger iPhone.”

    He adds, “If you don’t want a bigger iPhone — and in recent weeks I’ve heard from numerous readers who still pine for the 3.5-inch display iPhones — you might be disappointed by this year’s iPhone lineup, and should consider sticking with the iPhone 5-class models.”

    Read Gruber’s take for probably the most comprehensive review of the devices out there so far.

    But all of that was from the media. What do average people think about the devices? Well, here’s a real-time feed of the iPhone conversation on Twitter, so see for yourself:


    In light of recent celebrity photo leaks, the security of Apple devices has come into question, which is probably why Tim Cook wrote a letter for the company’s website addressing security and privacy concerns. Here are a couple of excerpts from that:

    Security and privacy are fundamental to the design of all our hardware, software, and services, including iCloud and new services like Apple Pay. And we continue to make improvements. Two-step verification, which we encourage all our customers to use, in addition to protecting your Apple ID account information, now also protects all of the data you store and keep up to date with iCloud.

    We believe in telling you up front exactly what’s going to happen to your personal information and asking for your permission before you share it with us. And if you change your mind later, we make it easy to stop sharing with us. Every Apple product is designed around those principles. When we do ask to use your data, it’s to provide you with a better user experience.

    …

    Our business model is very straightforward: We sell great products. We don’t build a profile based on your email content or web browsing habits to sell to advertisers. We don’t “monetize” the information you store on your iPhone or in iCloud. And we don’t read your email or your messages to get information to market to you. Our software and services are designed to make our devices better. Plain and simple.

    One very small part of our business does serve advertisers, and that’s iAd. We built an advertising network because some app developers depend on that business model, and we want to support them as well as a free iTunes Radio service. iAd sticks to the same privacy policy that applies to every other Apple product. It doesn’t get data from Health and HomeKit, Maps, Siri, iMessage, your call history, or any iCloud service like Contacts or Mail, and you can always just opt out altogether.

    Cook also makes it a point to note that Apple has never worked with a government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of its products or services, and has never allowed access to services (and “never will”).

    The NFC feature of the new iPhone models only support Apple Pay, which is the company’s new payment mechanism for users to pay for good and services in the physical world (as well as online). Still, the company already has 220,000 retail locations on board for that.

    In case you’re wondering how the phones stack up against their Android counterparts, here’s a comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S5.

    Oh, and don’t forget, if you get an iPhone, you’ll be able to use that Apple Watch when it comes out.

    Do you plan on getting a new iPhone? If so, which one? Using iOS 8? What do you think so far? Let us know in the comments.

    Images via Apple

  • New iPads, OS X Yosemite Coming Oct 21, Says Report

    Apparently there’s just one more thing…after the one more thing. According to to report from The Daily Dot, Apple is not done launching new products this year.

    According to those ubiquitous “sources familiar with the matter,” Apple is planning on holding another big press event – this time on October 21 – to unveil some new hardware and officially launch new software.

    The report says that Apple will unveil two new iPad models at said event, as well as release OS X Yosemite to the public at large. OS X Yosemite has been in beta since Apple launched it in June at WWDC.

    Of course, there exists precedent for a big iPad event in mid-to-late October – Apple held one last year.

    If true, Apple would really be putting the pedal down on its fall releases. Just last week, the company unveiled two new iPhones – a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. It also previewed a new payment solution called Apple Pay and showed off the much-anticipated iWatch Apple Watch.

    Speaking of the new iPhones, they ship this Friday and early reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

    In other operating systems news, Apple plans to release its new mobile OS, iOS 8, later today.

    Image via Apple

  • NFL Announcers Keep Calling Microsoft’s Product-Placed Surface Tablets ‘iPads’

    NFL Announcers Keep Calling Microsoft’s Product-Placed Surface Tablets ‘iPads’

    Oftentimes, a brand can become so ubiquitous that people stop thinking of it as a brand of a specific product, and instead begin to associate the brand as inherent to said specific product. You probably do it all the time – sometimes without noticing.

    For instance, in the south, it’s common to call any soft drink a “Coke”. Not just Coca-Cola, but anything from a Diet Pepsi to a Dr. Pepper – hey can you grab me a coke?

    How about Kleenex? I’m sure most people simply refer to all tissues as “Kleenex”. The brand has become synonymous with those soft tissues you use to blow your nose. The list of these brand takeovers goes on and on. Hey, can you Xerox this for me? Turn off that damn Nintendo!

    Another brand that’s reached this status? The iPad. To many people, all tablets are iPads, and this is becoming painfully (and hilariously) obvious in the context of the NFL.

    Last May, Microsoft signed a $400 million deal with the National Football League, and part of that deal included making the Microsoft Surface tablet (Microsoft’s iPad) the official tablet of the most popular sport in America. You’ve probably seen the results of this deal – coaches and players looking at tablets on the sidelines instead of old-fashioned playbooks. As part of the deal, NFL teams are now utilizing Microsoft’s Surface in reviewing on-field actions and formulating strategy.

    Good product placement, right?

    Well, in theory.

    That’s an NFL announcer twice referring the the Surface tablet as an “iPad.” Whoops.

    Business Insider reports that this is not a singular screwup – but an alarming trend (if you’re Microsoft).

    From BI:

    In a separate incident, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints was spotted by Fox commentator John Lynch using a Surface on the sideline. Lynch remarked that Brees was “not watching movies on his iPad.”

    Lynch did seem to realize his mistake when he later noted that players now have “iPad-like tools” at their disposal. However, at no time during the discussion was Microsoft or the Surface mentioned by name.

    It appears that Microsoft needs to have a talk with the NFL and the NFL needs to, in turn, have a talk with its broadcast partners and their announcers. Otherwise, Microsoft spent a pretty penny to give Apple a wonderful product placement deal.

    Image via Vine, screenshot

  • New iPads Are Reportedly In Production

    Apple’s newest iPad model is currently being manufactured, according to a new report from Bloomberg, citing “people with knowledge of the matter.”

    From the report:

    Mass production of a full-sized iPad with a 9.7-inch screen is already under way, with an unveiling projected for the end of this quarter or early next, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public. A new version of the 7.9-inch iPad mini is also entering production and will probably be available by the end of the year, they said.

    My guess is that the new models will be thin and “amazing”. Possibly “gorgeous.” They’re expected to have a “daylight-friendly screen,” which would certainly be nice.

    A new larger-screened iPhone is also expected later this year. Apple is said to be holding an event on September 9th.

    Apple’s iPad sales have been in decline for two straight quarters as competition from much lower-priced tablets has only increased. In some cases, the iPad offers little over competitors to justify its high price tag. Maybe that will change with new models.

    Image via Apple

  • Facebook Messenger Gets an iPad Version

    Facebook Messenger Gets an iPad Version

    In finally, that happened news, Facebook has released a dedicated iPad version of their Facebook Messenger app.

    The iPad version comes with most of the functionality of the iPhone app, allowing users to send messages, create group chats, employ Facebook’s army of neat little stickers, and of course, VoIP calling – which the company rolled out in January of 2013.

    It’s a pretty version of Messenger – one that heavy users will be happy to have (everyone knows that using the iPhone version of any app on an iPad is a pain in the ass). Today’s Messenger update also allows you to save videos you shoot inside the app to your phone’s camera roll.

    No word from Facebook on a new version for Android tablets.

    You can snag it today over at the App Store.

    Image via Facebook

  • Office For iPad Gets Printing, Other New Features

    Roughly a month ago, Microsoft launched the much-anticipated Office for iPad to much fanfare.

    Today, the company announced that it now has printing support, a key feature for office documents. This comes in the first update, and the company says it was the number one request. Also included in the update are SmartGuides in PowerPoint and a few other things.

    In Word, you can print with or without markup. In Excel, you can print a selected range, one worksheet or an entire spreadsheet.

    “SmartGuides in PowerPoint help you align pictures, shapes, and textboxes as you move them around on a slide,” explains the Office team. “With very little effort, your presentations will look beautifully designed.”

    “AutoFit in Excel now lets you adjust the width of multiple rows or the height of multiple columns at the same time,” they add. “With just a few taps, you’ll be sure that your spreadsheet looks better and that no content is hidden.”

    Microsoft says millions of people downloaded the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for iPad.

    Image via Microsoft

  • Apple Stock Split Will Make Apple Shares Cheaper

    It’s been nine years since Apple has offered a stock split. Thanks to the phenomenal success of the iPod, iPhone and iPad, Apple has never felt the need to split its stock. Shareholder confidence is at an all time low these days, however, and Apple has to take drastic measures to retain that confidence.

    AFP reports that Apple announced a stock split in today’s earnings results that saw the company bring in $45.6 billion in revenue. While the company is still doing incredibly well, shareholders are looking for Apple to introduce something revolutionary into the market. For the past few years, new iPhones and iPads have disappointed despite both seeing stellar sales.

    So, what will the stock split look like? Apple’s board says it will be introducing a seven-for-one stock split that will drastically bring the price of individual Apple shares down. The company says the stock split will help make Apple stock available to more investors. The split is expected to go into effect on June 2.

    Alongside the stock split, Apple will also repurchase a number of shares this quarter. In its quarterly earnings, the company said that it’s putting aside an extra $30 billion to buy back shares. In all, it expects to spend $130 billion this year in share buyback programs.

    The stock split and share buyback programs underscore Apple’s need to introduce something new to the market. While it’s propelled to record revenue each quarter on iPhone sales, investors desire to see something new from the company. That something new may come in the form of a smart watch that Apple is rumored to be working on. The company is also expected to introduce a larger iPhone in 2014, but it remains to be seen if a larger iPhone would equal innovation. Android devices have been getting bigger for the past few years and they haven’t exactly been heralded as innovative for the size. Instead, software is king and that’s where Apple still has the edge. After the successful reception of iOS 7, Apple can coast for a few years on incremental updates.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • iOS 7.1.1 Update Officially Released

    On the eve of its second-quarter financial results, Apple has released a new update for its latest iOS operating system.

    The iOS 7.1.1 update brings minor changes and fixes to the more significant iOS 7.1 update that was released back in March. The new iOS 7.1.1 update can be downloaded through Apple devices compatible with iOS 7.1, including the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad Air, iPad Mini, and the latest iPod touch devices.

    According to the update’s description, iOS 7.1.1 brings yet another fix for the iPhone 5S’ Touch ID fingerprint recognition system. The update also includes several unlisted changes such as security patches and user interface tweaks. Fixes for the Touch ID system were one of the major features of the iOS 7.1 update, which also included a fix for a home screen crash bug and better iOS 7 optimization for the iPhone 4.

    Other improvements included in the iOS 7.1.1 update include a fix for a bug “that could impact keyboard responsiveness” and a fix to make Bluetooth keyboards more compatible with VoiceOver.

    The 7.1.1 update comes just as Apple is preparing to release its second-quarter earnings results. The company will hold its quarterly earnings conference call at 5 pm EDT today. The call will be broadcast live through the Apple website.

    In January Apple released its first quarter results, showing yet another record quarter of holiday spending on iOS devices. The company took in $57.6 billion in revenue during the holiday quarter, up 5.6% over 2012’s holiday season.

    As no new Apple product revisions have been released yet in 2014, analysts are not expecting the company’s second-quarter earnings to break records. However, with the company’s new rumored iPhone 6 on the way and a the possible release of the long-rumored “iWatch” smart watch this fall, Apple is poised to see tremendous revenue growth in the coming quarters.

    Image via Apple

  • Should Apple Replace Google Search With Yahoo On iPhones And iPads?

    Rumor has it that Yahoo is focused on trying to convince Apple to switch the default search experience on iOS to Yahoo rather than Google.

    Would you like to see this happen? Let us know in the comments.

    Kara Swisher at Re/code, who frequently reports on chatter from within Yahoo, has sources who say CEO Marissa Mayer and SVP of mobile and emerging products Adam Cahan are leading an “aggressive effort” to convince Apple to do just that. Swisher writes:

    A number of Yahoo insiders I have talked to said her plan to pitch Apple on the idea as its marquee mobile search partner is far along. The company has prepared detailed decks, including images of what such a search product would look like, and hopes to present them to Apple execs.

    That has not happened as yet officially and no deal is imminent — it’s just the big honking goal of the new Yahoo effort, said sources. Still, several said Mayer has already buttonholed a few Apple executives on the topic, including its powerful SVP of design, Jony Ive, who knows the former Google exec well.

    It’s worth noting that Yahoo already provides default data for the iPhone’s weather and stocks apps, and Apple has tried to distance itself from Google reliance in the past. I probably don’t have to remind you about the time they dropped Google Maps in favor of their own maps product (with less than ideal results).

    Google is said to pay over a billion a year to Apple, but Yahoo has hardly been shy about throwing money around since Mayer took over. The company has pretty much been on a non-stop acquisition quest.

    Still, it could be hard for Yahoo to make a legitimate case to Apple when its own search product is powered by Bing, though Mayer is apparently determined to get away from that too.

    Danny Sullivan, who has been covering search for eighteen years now, doesn’t see it happening.

    “The biggest challenge Yahoo has is that it lacks any solid search technology. Sure, Yahoo has some for very specialized things,” he writes. “But the core technology to sift through billions of pages across the web and ferret out relevant results? Yahoo gave all that up as part of its deal with Microsoft years ago.”

    Mayer is said to hate the Microsoft partnership, and Swisher has reported in the past that she has the company working on two secret projects that would help it become more independent. The code names are “Fast Break” and “Curveball,” and they “could potentially get the company back into algorithmic search as well as search advertising,” the report said.

    Yahoo has also recently switched over to Yelp listings for its local search reviews, which could sit better with Apple than Yahoo’s previous offering (even if it doesn’t with business owners) Local search is, of course, very important to the mobile experience.

    Yahoo released its Q1 earnings report this week, with revenue up 1% year-over-year. Search revenue was up 5% at $445 million. Ex-TAC, it was up 9%. It was actually Yahoo’s ninth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in search revenue ex-TAC. Paid Clicks increased by 6 percent compared to the first quarter of 2013, and price-per-click increased approximately 8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2013.

    As Yahoo likes to show with acquisition after acquisition, it has pretty deep pockets. So does Google though, and it’s not going to just sit idly by.

    If Yahoo wants to really be taken seriously again in search, however, the kind of exposure being the default option on iOS would be a good start. You can say what you want about Yahoo’s search technology, but in the end is the average user even thinking about it? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t.

    Would you like to see Yahoo become the default search on iOS? Would you switch it? Let us know in the comments.

    Image via Tumblr

  • Microsoft Office 365 Personal Launches Today

    In another bold move to increase its market-share and win back its customer base, Microsoft has released a new installment of its most famous Office product. Prior to today, Microsoft had limited its Office products to two categories – a $9.99 per month / $99.99 per year Office 365 Home Premium option and Office Online. Now, consumers are presented with a third, more affordable option – Office 365 Personal.

    Office 365 Personal will be offered to consumers for $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.

    Fortunately for Office users, the downgrade in price does not come with a downgrade in product quality. The only difference between Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal is storage, essentially. With Office 365 Home, one can download and install Office products on up to five different PCs or Macs and five different tablets. Office 365 Personal only allows one to install the product on one PC or Mac and one tablet. The only other difference comes with the amount of online cloud storage; with Office 365 Home, one has access to five, 20 GB of OneDrive cloud storage space, while Office 365 Personal only allows one access to one, 20 GB OneDrive cloud storage account.

    Late last month, Microsoft announced another decision which made the world quite befuddled. For years, the biggest tech rivalry in the world has been between Microsoft and Apple. The two companies have completely different business and marketing strategies, and more mud has been slung throughout the history of this rivalry than perhaps any other in capitalist history. It’s this antagonism between Microsoft and Apple that makes the decision for Microsoft to release Office for the iPad so intriguing.

    While many may have wondered what Microsoft’s goal with this decision was, one cannot question the success of the move to allow Microsoft software to be featured on Apple products. Despite only being functional if one subscribed to the $99.99 per year Office 365 Home Premium service, Microsoft recorded immense success with its launch within the first week.

    It’s this decision to launch Microsoft Office for the iPad which most likely led to the price drop for the service. With over 12 million users downloading the apps for Office within the first week of its launch, Microsoft was most likely simply pouncing on the opportunity to make more money with the old car-salesman trick of selling more product with less profit to generate greater overall revenue.

    Perhaps it was this line of thinking which also led Microsoft to ditch its hard-lined Scroogled campaign and allow its Office Online services to be offered through the Google Chrome Web Store and be integrated with the Chrome OS featured on the Chromebook.

    Simply put, all this move does is create hot-buttons for once to access Office Online quicker and easier. But, it displays a large paradigm shift away from anti-Google marketing and toward an even more pro-capitalist model of survival.

    In the end, what does all of this mean for Microsoft? Unfortunately, it reeks of desperation for an outdated company to keep up with its competitors. While companies like Apple and Google are constantly innovating and developing its products to keep up with a modern age, Microsoft has consistently felt years behind by continuing to simply push revamped models of its older products. Perhaps the move to become more integrated in the online sphere and to simply become more software oriented will be the niche where Microsoft will find its home once again, allowing it to become more competitive and to introduce greater parity to the technological marketplace. Here’s hoping.

    Image via Twitter

  • Microsoft Announces Office For iPad, New Enterprise Tools

    Microsoft made some major announcements on Thursday including Microsoft Office for iPad, free Office Mobile apps for iPhone and Android, and the Enterprise Mobility Suite of cloud services to help businesses manage corporate data and services on various devices.

    The company also announced the upcoming availability of Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium and enhancements to Windows Intune.

    CEO Satya Nadella said, “Microsoft is focused on delivering the cloud for everyone, on every device. It’s a unique approach that centers on people — enabling the devices you love, work with the services you love, and in a way that works for IT and developers.”

    “We reimagined Office on the iPad, while retaining what people love about Office,” said Microsoft’s John Case. “We hope you’ll be as pleased with the results as we are. In the future, we will bring Office apps to the Windows Store and other popular platforms. In addition to Office for iPad, we’ve gone a step further in our mobile first and cloud first approach, and like Windows Phone, we’ve now made Office Mobile for iPhone and Android phones available for free.”

    Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPad are available in the App Store.

    Office 365 subscribers can add an iPad as one of their chosen devices, and use the apps.

    The Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) provides device, identity and access management with data protection from the cloud. It includes Windows Intune, Azure Active Directory Premium and Azure Rights Management Services. Windows Intune now supports the Samsung KNOX platform, Remote to My PC for Android and iOS devices, and the next update to Windows Phone.

    Office for iPad is available today in 29 languages for iOS 7.0 or later. The new Windows Intune features and Azure Active Directory Premium will be available in April, and the Enterprise Mobility Suite will be available on May 1st.

    Image via Microsoft

  • Microsoft Office May Be Coming To An iPad Near You

    Microsoft Office is a staple of many people’s lives, ranging from elementary school students to CEOs and everyone in between. Accessing Office has become easier than ever as of late, with personal computers, smart phones, and tablets becoming so prominent and easily available. The software may well be even more accessible in just a short while, as Microsoft has heavily hinted that it will be announcing a version of Office that will be available for the iPad.

    Microsoft’s CEO, the newly-appointed Satya Nadella, will be holding a press conference on March 27, 2014 in San Francisco. Microsoft has officially stated that the event will largely focus on cloud and mobile applications, but rumors have been flying all around that Microsoft for iPad may be announced, as well.

    If these rumors prove true, the action will set Nadella far apart from former Microsot CEO Steve Ballmer, who reportedly refused to make Office available for the iPad. This decision was most likely made out of fear that the availability of Office on an Apple device might make sales for Microsoft’s own Surface tablets plummet. If the rumors prove true, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

    The excitement generated from these rumors has garnered action from investors. According to Reuters, Microsoft’s shares “scaled levels last seen in the dotcom boom” once rumors began to fly about the possible iPad-compatible Office. The shares “rose as much as 5 percent to $39.90 on Tuesday, adding $15 billion to the company’s market value.” Microsoft hasn’t seen shares worth that much since June of 2000.

    The hype over this possibility is intense, but Nigam Arora over at Forbes adds a somewhat somber voice, pointing out that the rise in stock is not terribly significant in the long run, and that Office, as it is, does not adequately utilize the iPad interface. He also points out that, as Ballmer feared, there is a high possibility that the iPad will “siphon off sales of Surface.”

    Ultimately, it will be interesting to see if these rumors prove to be true at all, and if they do, how they will effect both Microsoft and Nadella. Here’s to hoping the results are positive!

    Image via Apple.

  • Microsoft Office for iPad: CEO May Unveil Next Week

    Microsoft will reportedly introduce Office for  iPad at an event in San Francisco on March 27.

    Satya Nadella will host his first event next week as CEO of Microsoft and invitations to the event have been making the rounds. Nadella is expected to discuss Microsoft’s mobile and cloud strategies, and sources indicate the company will be revealing an app for the tablet similar to Office for iPhone at the affair.

    The company’s Build developer conference begins April 2. There is speculation Microsoft will drop news of Office for iPad next week to draw attention and set the stage for the upcoming conference.

    Microsoft has been reportedly working on the product for months now, and first introduced an iOS version of Office for iPhone last June.

    The iPad will apparently be similar to the iPhone version, and will require an Office 365 subscription for editing. Editing will be fully supported for Office, Excel, and Powerpoint apps.

    The unveiling is in line with what Nadella announced to be his “cloud first, mobile first” strategy for the company when he was named as the replacement for CEO Steve Ballmer in February.

    “I would say the first thing I want to do and focus on is ruthlessly remove any obstacles that allow us to innovate,” says Nadella in his interview video and first memo to Microsoft employees.

    “And then focus all that innovation on things that Microsoft can uniquely do,” said Nadella.

    Microsoft launched a Mac version of its One Note Office app Monday, as well as Office Online last month, the company’s version of Google Drive.

    The March 27 event will set the stage for future announcements from the company. It is expected Microsoft will also unveil Windows Phone 8.1 at Build, as well as details about its Windows 8.1 Update and information about Windows 9.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons