Archive for the ‘apple ipad tablet’ tag
Random House ebooks now in iBooks no comments
Titles from Random House are now appearing in iBooks, a day after the publisher adopted the agency model. There will probably be something about this in the iPad 2 announcement event that Apple will be holding this morning. This will bolster the iBooks catalogue at a time when it appears that Apple may be in the process of driving other ebook sellers out of the App Store. I just did a quick and rough check to try to see how many titles are in iBooks now and I’m getting a total of around 93,000.
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Belkin iPad accessories on sale no comments
I just noticed that a selection of iPad accessories
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iOS4 available today no comments
Apple will finally release iOS 4.2 for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch today. It isn’t available just yet, but should be later in the day.
“iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit.”
iPad users can now run their favorite apps and switch between them instantly, while preserving iPad’s legendary battery life. Users can organize their apps with drag-and-drop simplicity using Folders, and Mail now features a Unified Inbox, fast inbox switching and a threaded message view.
Game Center allows iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users to challenge and play friends or be matched automatically with new opponents, showcase their scores and achievements, and discover new games their friends are playing.
AirPlay is a new feature for streaming music, video and photos wirelessly from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to Apple TV®, transforming Apple TV into a great accessory for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. iOS users also will be able to use AirPort Express® and AirPlay to stream wirelessly to any stereo or powered speakers, or directly to AirPlay-enabled speakers coming to market in the months ahead.
AirPrint is a next-generation Wi-Fi print architecture that dramatically simplifies printing by completely eliminating printer drivers. A selection of AirPrint enabled printers including the HP Photosmart, HP LaserJet Pro and HP Officejet will be the first to support printing direct from iOS devices. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users can simply tap to print their documents or photos wirelessly to any printer that supports AirPrint.
The Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) feature is now free to use without a MobileMe? subscription and helps you locate your missing device.* The Find My iPhone app is a free download on the App Store? and lets users easily locate a missing device on a map and have it display a message or play a sound. Users can even remotely lock or wipe data from a lost device to protect privacy.
Other new features that iOS 4.2 brings to the iPad include: the ability to rent TV episodes directly to iPad using the iTunes® App with a 30 day viewing window and a 48 hour session window once playback is started; the ability to easily find and highlight specific words and phrases on web pages in Safari®; enhanced enterprise support so businesses can take advantage of stronger security features, new device management capabilities and improved enterprise integration; industry-leading accessibility enhancements; and support for 25 additional languages, including Korean, Portuguese and Traditional Chinese.
One of the features I was really looking forward to was AirPrint, but that has been borked and now requires that you buy a printer that supports the feature. There are apps to fill the gap and print to Mac OS X shared printers, hopefully there will be something similar for PCs.
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iPad to be Sold at AT&T and Verizon Stores 1 comment
Obviously Apple’s production lines are catching up with the demand for the iPad. There have been recent announcements that the “magical device” will be sold at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Target. Today comes word that both AT&T and Verizon stores will also be carrying the iPad come October 28.
AT&T, which provides the 3G connection for the iPad, will offer the iPad Wi-Fi versions in addition to the 3G enhanced model. Verizon will be bundling the iPad Wi-Fi with the Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot. Well, you didn’t really think that they were going to sell a 3G model with an AT&T connection from a Verizon store did you?
Verizon’s pricing will be $629.99 for the 16GB + MiFi, $729.99 for the 32GB + MiFi and $829.99 for the 64GB + MiFi. Service plans will be on a monthly basis and cost $20 for up to 1GB of data. Verizon will also sell the WiFi iPad without the MiFi.
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Apple Apps vs Android Apps no comments
Industry analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) and Appcelerator, an iPad, mobile and desktop application development platform, recently conducted a survey of 2400 international app developers.
The Appcelerator-IDC Q4 Mobile Developer Report found that developers see a long-term strategic advantage in using Android over Apple iOS.
Some of the interesting findings from the survey:
- 72% of developers say Android “is best positioned to power a large number and variety of connected devices in the future”, compared to 25% for iOS. As a result, 59% of developers now favor Android’s long-term outlook, vs. 35% for iOS. This gap has widened 10 points since the June survey.
- However, Apple iOS continues to dominate in all categories relating to market/revenue opportunity and current devices. iPhone continues to lead overall developer sentiment with 91% saying they are "very interested" in developing for the device compared to 82% for Android phones.
- Developers show enthusiasm for connected TVs, with 44% saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for Google TV vs. 40% for Apple TV. Explained Scott Ellison, VP Mobile & Wireless, IDC, “Apps are poised to help remake the television viewing experience just as they have remade the mobile experience. Television needs new and more effective ways to create immersive experiences, engage audiences with advertisers, integrate social networks, and drive viewership of original broadcasts,” he added. “The television players who most effectively integrate app developers into their connected TV strategies are poised to potentially remake the television experience as we know it.”
- Android tablets are poised for developer lift-off: At 62% expressing strong interest, Android has similar enthusiasm to the iPad at an analogous point in time (last January pegged iPad at 58%). This is great news for Android tablet device OEMs. On the other end, new research shows webOS and BlackBerry tablets currently have little interest from developers (16% for both), indicating HP, RIM, and other tablet platform challengers need to generate significant developer enthusiasm well in advance of upcoming launches.
- Fragmentation remains a key concern for Google, with 74% of developer respondents describing iOS as "least fragmented" but only 11% describing Android as such.
Concerning Oracle’s lawsuit against Google (claiming that Android infringes on its Java related patents), 93 percent of developers surveyed thought it had little or no impact on their enthusiasm for Android. When asked about Apple’s recent easing of iOS development restrictions, 83 percent of respondents said the move has little or no impact on their enthusiasm for iOS.
You can read a summary of the survey at Appcelerator.com.
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New App Turns iDevice into Communications Board for Those with Disabilities 1 comment
AbleNet has launched SoundingBoard, an iPhone, iPod touch and iPad app to help those with disabilities communicate. The app basically turns the iDevice into a customizable communications board.
From the press release:
SoundingBoard holds many possibilities. For example, teachers can use the application to quickly create an exam to test comprehension. Older students moving into the work environment can use SoundingBoard to communicate with their new employer and work team members. Patients in a hospital or a dentist office can use SoundingBoard to communicate with their caregivers when they are temporarily unable to speak.
Additional features include:
- Hundreds of pre-loaded AbleNet symbols for nearly every common situation—choose symbols, record the associated message and create a communication board in under two minutes
- Ability to use photos from your own device library—easily customize communication boards to each unique situation
- Take a photo on the iPhone or the new iPod Touch to use with SoundingBoard immediately—adapt quickly to new situations in the classroom, workplace or community
SoundingBoard is the newest member of a long line of communication devices from AbleNet. Millions of people worldwide with a variety of medical and developmental conditions use AbleNet’s Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) products. This new device will benefit a wide range of disabilities, from children with developmental language disorders, to individuals with severe physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, to people living with the effects of a stroke.
SoundingBoard is available from iTunes. It looks like a good tool, but is rather pricey at $49.99.
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iNewsstand; Refurbished iPads no comments
Bloomberg reports that Apple is negotiating with publishers to bring newspapers and magazines to an iBook-store-like newsstand on the iPad. Apple apparently wishes to sell more subscriptions on the iPad rather than single issues. This strategy make sense for Apple as subscribers are more reliant on the device than users who buy an occasional issue or two.
Negotiations are ongoing between publishers and Apple over the revenue split and who controls subscriber data.
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You can now buy refurbished iPads at the Apple Store. The price is $50 less than a new iPad and includes Apple’s one-year warranty. Apple Certified Refurbished iPads have been given new batteries and shells, all manuals and accessories are included, and all is packed in a new white box.
According to the Apple website, Apple Certified products:
- are fully tested (including full burn-in testing).
- are refurbished with replacement parts for any defective modules identified in testing.
- are put through a thorough cleaning process and inspection.
- is repackaged (including appropriate manuals, cables, new boxes, etc.).
- include the operating software originally shipped with the unit and the custom software offered with that system. See each products "Learn More" for more details.
- are given a new refurbished part number and serial number.
- are placed into a Final QA inspection prior to being added to sellable refurbished stock.
Refurbishment procedures follow the same basic technical guidelines as Apple’s Finished Goods testing procedures.
For the most part, these previously owned iPads have probably been returned during the 30 day return period rather than due to any technical issues. Still, you only save $50.
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Stop-motion Animation Using the Ipad no comments
If you needed a project to work on over the weekend you could try this.
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iPad – Easy Wi-Fi Printing Almost Here no comments
We were promised an update to iOS 4.2 would be coming to the iPad in November, and it appears to be on schedule. One of the new features I’m waiting for (besides multitasking) is the ability to print over Wi-Fi directly from the iPad.
Yesterday Apple announced that it released a beta version of its AirPrint wireless printing to the iOS developers. AirPrint will be included free in the iOS 4.2 update and enables your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to automatically find printers on your local network and print to it over the Wi-Fi connection.
AirPrint will be able to print directly to HP printers that are enabled with the ePrint feature, or to a printer shared by a Mac or PC. ePrint works by assigning an email address to your printer. You then just email your document, picture or other printing assignment to your printer. Other brands of printers should offer this feature as well — some of Epson’s printers also offer direct wireless printing from an iPhone or iPod touch; this should work for the iPad after iOS 4.2 is released.
The update to iOS 4.2 is an important one, and will include lots of other goodies besides the Wi-Fi printing thingie. Multitasking and folders to organize your app icons into are a couple of other improvements we can expect.
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New Britannica Learning Apps for Kids no comments
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. is releasing three multimedia learning apps for kids on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The three apps—Volcanoes, Dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt—are meant for students ages 8-14. They’re the first titles in a series that Britannica says will provide children in the middle grades with engaging new ways to learn about major school topics using the digital devices they prefer.
From the press release:
Each app combines a rich mixture of reliable information and age-appropriate games that together provide extensive coverage of the subject. In addition to overview articles from Britannica editors on key aspects of each topic—such as plate tectonics, the world of dinosaurs, the dynasties of Egypt—each app also includes a host of multimedia elements, maps, puzzles, photos, videos, narrated slide shows and quizzes. Each app has an innovative navigation wheel at the bottom of the screen designed to make browsing through the features easy and fun.
Among the special features are memory-match games, virtual jigsaw puzzles, media galleries and quizzes in which students can test themselves on what they’ve learned. There’s a list of the most dangerous volcanoes, with an article on each; major dinosaurs from Allosaurus to Velociraptor; and the Egyptian gods, from Amon to Thoth. The apps also make it easy to share the information on Facebook and Twitter.
At the moment there are only iPhone versions of the three apps available at iTunes for $4.99. Britannica will be releasing HD versions optimized for the iPad later this month. Android versions are also planned for later in the year.
