Mar 10
The Apple iPad is a touch screen device that many describe as a cross between a net book and a smart phone. While this is a bit true, it is also misleading. First off, unlike the Apple iPhone, the iPad cannot make or receive calls. And unlike net books, the tablet is not a mini-computer, but more of an internet reader –it even lacks multi tasking which is a basic and obvious necessity for net books.
Talks about potential exclusive deals for the iPad have been going around but many believe the possibility of another situation like the O2 iPhone lockdown is quite unlikely. While the iPhone is a product for an already existing smart phone market, the tablet market has yet to be established. In fact, it is believed that the iPad would be the device that establishes the demand and make people realize the need for such a device.
Exclusivity to a single operator for a month or two would be definitely disadvantageous to Apple; a move that they cannot risk if they want their tablet to succeed. As expected, Apple is currently in talks with both UK based mobile network operators and gadget retailers regarding the marketing of the iPad. More options would definitely mean better choices for consumers.
The Apple iPad is expected to arrive late this coming April and it will be available in both the 3G and non-3G versions. The US release of the tablet will be held much earlier by April 3, but only the 3G version will be available to the market. According to reports, the reason for the delay in the UK release could be linked to the recently announced problems with China-based manufacturers for Apple.
Get to know more about Apple’s plans for the UK release of the iPad at Mobile Today UK.
Mar 09
The Apple iPad’s UK release date has been pushed back to late April and rumors are pointing towards a possibility that this is due to manufacturing problems encountered by Apple’s partners in China. Since Apple has yet to actually explain the reason for the launch delay, this is all purely speculation for now.
What we can confirm however is that the iPad will be out by late April –few weeks after the
US launch date of April 3. The 3G version of the iPad will be launched in the US first. The UK launch will see both the 3G and non-3G versions of the device come out.
Delayed or not, this is one gadget that we are really looking forward to. Admittedly, there are a major of letdowns. First is Steve Jobs’ absolute refusal to support Adobe –which means that the iPad will never have Flash support (at least it will have HTML5). Second, and even worse, is the lack of multi tasking. This is pretty odd since even smart phones can multi task. The iPad is supposed to have the hardware for it so we simply cannot fathom why we would not be allowed to jump among active apps or programs.
Despite that, the iPad promises to make net access an instantaneous thing to do taking away our reliance on desktop computers and net books when it comes to internet access (of course, it will never replace computers when it comes to other functions). The iPad also serves as a digital eBook reader and library –thanks to the new iBookstore.
The demonstration of the tablet’s capabilities show that the device is able to run 3D games without much slowdown. The graphic capabilities of the iPad are also pretty impressive –auto rotate animation is pretty smooth.
Read more about the iPad release date getting pushed back at the Telegraph UK.
Mar 09
The iPhone seems to be on a roll when it comes to its variety of game choices. The platform has yet again garnered the attention of an international video game developer. EA, pioneer of the early computer games has just announced three big titles that they will port to grace the iPhone: Skate-It, The Sims 3 World Adventures and Mirror’s Edge.
For Sims fans, your support of Sims 3 has just paid off. EA has found the sales of Sims 3 enough to warrant the release of the expansion so you can start packing your virtual travel bags soon. The game features new careers, quests and four new mini-games. You can even port your Sims 3 characters into the expansion if you ever miss them.
A pocket-sized Skate-It is also included in the mix and along with it comes its signature Flick-it controls. Several real world locations as well as the virtual city of San Vanelona are jam packed into the game and recording controls are still included just in case you want to keep a replay of your run. If you get tired of the default game tracks, you can also opt to play tracks that are already in your iPhone. Sweet!
Of the three upcoming titles, the most surprising of them all is the game previously released for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, Mirror’s Edge. Instead of a first-person view, the game is now a platform game. It retains much of its beautiful 3D graphics however and Faith Connors can still do quite a number of acrobatic moves including the ability to wall-run and slide. The game spans 14 levels and is perfect for those who want to take Mirror’s Edge with them on the go.
EA has consistently been spoiling iPhone owners with releases such as Spore Creatures and Rock Band. They may be on the right track because mobile phone gaming may soon replace game-dedicated handheld devices, especially if Sony releases the PSP phone.
For more about these three new games, head over to Geek.com.
Mar 04
Text messaging is a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with your friends and family. But when your thoughts include heavily emotional bouts of sadness or dissatisfaction with your current job or relationship, these very same honest messages could become the source of your own undoing.
After all, would you really want your officemates to know that you see them as a bunch of lazy douche bags? Obviously not; and TigerText will help keep it that way. We all know how much of an effort it takes to make sure that our messages on our mobile phones private. People tend to get nosy with sniffing out stuff in places where they should not be. Concerns about officemates and strangers checking your device when you are not looking are pretty valid. It is one of the main reasons why so many scandalous phone videos get spread, and text messages are no different.
TigerText is a brand new application for the Apple iPhone. The service is simple; it replaces your current text messaging software with the TigerText app. With this, you control message expiry dates, deletion methods and enables you to hide or delete messages according to your needs.
People with plenty to hide would obviously benefit from this app as it makes hiding footprints a whole lot easier. Threaded conversations are easily managed with the app’s ability to simply delete specific portions of the conversation.
Of course, not everyone who uses the app is a bad person with secrets; there are simply those who need privacy such as colleagues sending crucial business updates and other forms of internal business communication that have to be relayed ASAP. The app is now available online and is available for purchase and is best when both sender and recipient have TigerText.
Read more about the TigerText app at the Telegraph UK.
Feb 25
Well, it looks like the Apple app store is a few thousand applications short of a full roster these days.
Steve Jobs and company have decided to do away with over 5000 iPhone apps with explicit or adult content. And yes, do not be surprised, but the Playboy and Sports Illustrated Applications are still available.
Huh, what and why would be the three initial reactions here are Apple just placed another grave double standard on what actually passes for an iPhone app; which brings us to a new Apple law: if you’re Hugh Hefner, anything you make is perfectly fine. Maybe good ol’ Heff should have gone off to make that augmented reality app: Old Man Cam.
Seriously, what does this mean for mobile phone app developers such as Jon Atherton who made the now infamous Wobble iBoobs application. There is no form of nudity in the app, only suggestive material and some juvenile fun. Still, Apple has thought it wise to do away with this and many other applications for the iPhone.
Additional reports state that the reason for the large scale banning was due to a fierce reaction from parents regarding the presence of adult content in the app store. Seriously, it is bad move for Apple. Not only have they caved in to complaints, but they also showed that given a choice, they would not stand by their developers.
Parents on the other hand, are as ignorant as ever; constantly making excuses for their misgivings and tossing the responsibility of parenting to Apple. Media has always been a scapegoat, but the real root of the problem is that these very same parents are the owners of the credit card with which the Apple App store accounts are made with.
Ironic but true; you can catch the full story at Tech Radar.
Feb 10
If you have been looking at the news about the Apple iPad recently, it can easily be seen that many people are disappointed at the outcome of the new Apple Tablet.
Looks like people expected a lot of the device and the disappointment has caused many to decide that the new tablet is not for them. So goes the recent survey of 1000 people regarding the Apple gizmo. It is surprising to know that after the launch of the iPad, the number of people who would not purchase the device increased.
Some may attribute this to the many limitations of the tablet. First off, it cannot multi task. Which is a surprising fact considering that even basic smart phones can handle multi tasking to a certain extent. This is why it is hard to understand why a device with the capabilities of a small net book is unable to handle such a basic feature.
Also missing in the iPad is a camera, voice call features and support for Flash. While lack of Flash can be explained by Steve Jobs’ lack of faith in the system (he does not believe in Flash, and he insists that HTML5 is the future), it still does not explain why the device would not have multitasking enabled.
The device has been touted a web browser, email device, news reader, eBook reader and a game player. But despite the many functions, many still prefer to use their existing computers and mobile phones for these purposes.
At the moment, there are two types of iPads, the 3G version with GPS and the non 3G version. Both types support WiFi. Internal memory can range from 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions. No word has been given if multi tasking will ever be implemented.
For more info on the upcoming iPad and the survey, go to Telegraph UK.
Feb 03
Web cameras are some of the oddest pieces of technology. In some cases, they can really help a lot if you tend to be on voice conferences a lot –whether for business or personal. On the other hand, if you are the type who does not bother with the device, it is nothing more than a novelty.
Considering that the iPad is meant for enabling easier access to digital information and internet access, it makes perfect sense for the device to have a camera. Though the big fact is, the initial spec sheet of the iPad says nothing about a camera.
Some images of the iPad are showing that Apple is very much capable of making really nice surprises. The folks at Engadget have gathered visual evidence that the device might just have a camera module, though it is also possible that it has been scrapped on the iPad but may appear on a later incarnation of the device. Anyway, the iPad’s known specs are already impressive, with or without the cam.
The device itself can work as a net book, allowing instant access to the internet. Users can also use the iPad to play games as the device has shown it can handle 3D games easily. It also serves an EBook reader –making it Kindle’s biggest threat.
The tablet itself is already capable of running applications for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, giving it a vast library of apps to download and use according to the user’s needs. Still, the device has its limitations. At the moment, the iPad is not capable of multi tasking and it currently does not support Flash (and it might not ever support Flash).
Get more details about the possibility of a camera module on the new Apple iPad and check out the images on Engadget.
Feb 01
If you have been keeping tabs on the news, you would already know by now that the Apple iPad tablet has been formally unveiled and that Steve Jobs is a very happy man.
The man who made Apple the giant that it is today went onstage last January 27 and sat in a small set that looked like a comfortable reading corner in a house library complete with a couch and a coffee table. Then the man went on to introduce what would probably be the pioneering device that would change the way we live.
That, of course, is an opinion not shared by all. Considering the fact that the iPad is a new product with limited capabilities and what could possibly be an expensive price tag, many people would rather stick to their net books and smart phones instead. It is, by far a wise choice. No sense to buy the new iPad actually, not until the bugs have been figured out and more features are enabled.
Still this little gadget earned the attention and praise of the well known tech-blogger, Stephen Fry.
Stephen makes a great point that right now; many people are saying that the iPad has no functions that other devices cannot do, or that the tablet is disappointing. But there is more to this than just a gadget’s current features, it is also because the iPad has plenty of potential.
Looking at the iPhone, it is easy to see what Apple might have in mind. The device is pretty much future proof, and with its compatibility with many applications and the fact that Apple can upgrade the firmware later on, there is certainly a lot more to look forward to in terms of the Tablet’s potential.
Go to source to learn more about the iPad and Fry’s blog.
Jan 29
Well, not really. But Apple is certainly proud of their latest gizmo. What many people are calling as the iPod Touch on steroids is one seriously menacing portable gadget. The Apple iPad is literally the closest one can get to bridge the technological gap between a mobile phone and a net book. Apple says so and by looking at this device’s specs, we would have to agree.
Speaking of specs, if there is one thing that is disappointing about the iPad, it is the fact that this tablet only uses a 1 GHz processor. For browsing the net, handling emails and the usual flash games, you will not need a good processor. But Apple has been firm about getting plenty of game support for their tablet. Not that all games need a faster processor (as proven by the PSP and the NDS), but considering the fact that the tablet is more of a home use device, it will have to compete with games for desktop computers and console systems.
For e-book readers, the iPad is significantly a vast improvement over existing readers. This one gives full net access. No longer are readers limited to RSS feeds and small screens. It was also recently confirmed that McGraw-Hill has been working closely with Apple to bring materials (particularly textbooks) into the iPad.
As some of you may already know, the device comes in 3G and non-3G variants. Obviously, the 3G version of the iPad comes with plenty of extras. One of which is GPS support. Combined with the Google Maps application, this turns the iPad into an excellent navigation tool; though you might want your passenger to hold on to the device while you drive as the iPad is pretty big for a normal dashboard.
Jan 27
Specs wise, it would be easy to see how the upcoming tablet device, Apple iSlate, would be capable of running good games. The hardware on the device is good enough to match that of a modern net book and the multi touch capable screen would certainly open up plenty of interface wonders such as gestures, pinching and more.
Still, will it be enough to bring about new games made specifically for the tablet?
Global gaming giant Electronic Arts and many game developers certainly think so. While anyone has yet to actually sign up for the iSlate, the mere fact that there are hundreds of amazing iPhone and iPod Touch applications show that there is a solid market in the touch screen community.
The real question is will that many people get the tablet?
Specs wise, it is easy for the tablet to be able to run many of the older games that do not require high end 3D graphics cards. While it is unlikely that a graphic intensive game such as Crysis would ever be suitable for play on the tablet, it can certainly run old hits such as StarCraft and several mid-tier MMORPGs.
But the number of people interested in the iSlate is still too small. While niche marketing is also profitable, game manufacturers might want to focus on making game for mobile phones where there is a much larger market base. Apple’s tie up with 3rd party game developers will also be a key factor in the presence of games on the tablet. Should Apple be able to get some good titles for the tablet, it would certainly attract gamers to get the device.
Right now, it is still a matter of what-ifs regarding games for the system. The iSlate already has the hardware, now all it needs is to sell well.
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