Archive for the ‘ipad news’ tag
iPad News – 7/19/2010 no comments
Apple to Launch iPad in Nine More Countries this Friday
Apple has announced that the iPad will become available in nine more countries this Friday, July 23. Customers in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore will be able to purchase all models of the iPad through Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
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Shortage of Electronic Components at Asian Manufacturers – Blame it on the iPad
The India Times is reporting that strong demand for everything from touchscreens to memory chips and every electronic component in between is causing Asian electronics manufacturers to struggle to keep up with demand.
While the iPad is the most visible cause of the steep rise in component demand, the new iPhone and other new smartphones as well as other new devices are all playing their part.
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Netflix to Launch in Canada
OK, this may not seem like iPad news, but Netflix 
is one of the coolest ways to use your iPad IMHO. Netflix has announced that it will launch in Canada sometime this fall.
This will be Netflix’s first foray outside of the US, and the company will offer a video streaming service only in Canada – no DVD rentals by mail. At launch the Netflix Canadian service will only be available in English, but there are plans to add French language capability in the future.
To sign up for a free trial and be notified by email when the Canadian service launches you can sign up at www.netflix.ca.
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eBooks, eReader & iPad News – 7/18/2010 1 comment
A quick look at some of the recent ereader and iPad news that I didn’t get to cover elsewhere.
App Inventor for Android
So you have an idea for a most excellent app for your Android device but don’t know how to program it? Well, now there’s an app for that. Google will soon have a beta version of App Inventor that easily lets you create apps with no programming knowledge by using a visual interface. The visual interface is said to make building an app easy for those who don’t know how to program.
The App Inventor comes with most Android functions available as modular building blocks, ready to plug into your creation. There are blocks for everything from using the GPS-location sensor or the phone features of your Android phone to blocks that perform more programming-like things such as storing information, repeating actions or performing certain actions under certain conditions.
Google will be opening up access to the App Inventor over the coming weeks. To get started you will need to fill out the online form at the link above.
via NYT
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iPad Software Update
Apple has released software update iOS 3.2.1 for the iPad. In addition to various bug fixes and improvements the following are addressed:
- Improved Wi-Fi connectivity
- Fixed an issue that could prevent copy and paste of single-page PDF attachments in Mail
- Addressed an issue that could cause video playback to freeze
- Improved reliability of video-out when using iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter
- Added Bing as an option for Safari’s search field
Compatible for both the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad. To download the update connect your iPad to your computer and iTunes should detect and install the new software. You may need to click on your iPad in the left pane to get to the Update button on the Summary tab.
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3G nook at FCC
Barnes & Noble has applied with the FCC for a 3G version of the nook ereader. B&N’s internal project names for the 3G nook are CR Nook 3G and Bravo Delta 3G. There is not a lot of other info – schematics, photos and antenna specs have been withheld at the request of B&N. Too bad – maybe Apple could have learned something to improve the antenna of the new iPhone. 
via Best eReaders
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Neonode Signs zForce License Agreement
Neonode is an interesting touchscreen maker of very responsive IR-based touchscreens. The company announced recently that it had “signed a technology license agreement with one of the leading e-publishing companies in China in partnership with one of the largest ODM companies in Taiwan. The zForce license includes Neonode’s patented touch screen technology supporting high resolution finger navigation with gestures and sweeps.”
The last time I wrote about Neonode was when the company’s zForce touchscreen was to be used in one of the Chinese ereaders. That was just before Amazon bought TouchCo, which was a touchscreen startup.
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eBooks Becoming Big in Japan?
At the moment, most of the ebooks available in the Japanese language seem to be either manga or shorter light romance and porn. That could change soon. The Mainichi Daily News reported recently that NTT Docomo will be entering the ebook market in the early part of next year.
NTT Docomo is Japan’s largest cell phone carrier, and is most interested in marketing ebooks to its mobile phone customers. In Japan dedicated ereaders have never really taken off; most Japanese who read ebooks do so on their phones, which probably explains why a lot of the available ebooks are shorts. The introduction of the iPad to Japan may help change this.
Sony also recently announced that it was partnering with Asahi Shimbun Company (one of Japan’s largest newspaper publishers), Toppan Printing Co (one of Japan’s leading publishers) and KDDI Corp (telecommunications operator) to form an ebook distribution company.
Sony seems to be aiming its ereader business in other directions besides the North American market where it faces very stiff competition from Amazon’s Kindle and the Barnes & Noble nook ereaders.
A few days ago the WSJ JapanRealTime blog wrote that Dai Nippon Printing Co., LTD, which is one of Japan’s larger printing houses, is now also planning to open an ebook store by this autumn. The new store will offer about 100,000 titles from various publishers.
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iPad News – 7/9/2010 no comments
Lots of stuff for the iPad today. A new case from Otterbox, a new stand, reading app news and more. I’ll start with the case and stand.
Otterbox Ipad Cases
Otterbox is known for their rugged device cases. There are now two models for the iPad.
The Otterbox Ipad Defender Series Case
announced by Otterbox today and should be available to purchase in the very near future. The Defender has three layers of protection that will drop-proof and dust-proof your iPad while still allowing access to the Ipad’s functions. The Defender will also accommodate the iPad dock and there is a built-in stand as well.
The Otterbox Ipad Commuter Series Case
The Commuter Case can be had now for $65, and the Defender Case will be $90. Please note that these cases do not protect against water. At the moment the only waterproof cases for the iPad seem to be the TrendyDigital WaterGuard
KB Covers iPad Stand
KB Covers makes a lot of keyboard covers for 
Apple computers, and today the company announced a new stand which looks a little different than other stands and might better fit certain types of decor. The legs of this stand are extendable and it comes with a carrying bag. Available in white or black.
At the moment this stand is only available from the manufacturer and is priced at $29.95. Through September 30, 2010 you can use the discount code KBSTAND10 at checkout for a 10 percent discount.
Squad QReader App
Russian company Squad has released a new reading app dubbed QReader. Some of the features:
- Supported formats: txt, fb2 and html
- Text search
- Changeable font, font size and page orientation
- Speed reading trainer
- Ability to download ebooks with FTP
- Night mode
The QReader is available for $4.99 at the iTunes store. My take: why pay $5 for a reading app when there are great free alternatives with better format support and on which you can also read DRM’ed titles. But maybe this fits your needs.
Microsoft Page-Turning Patent
TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft applied for a patent last year for a page-turning animation that replicates the curling of the page when you turn the pages of a paper book. The patent has not been
approved yet, but if it is it could mean trouble for reading apps that include this effect. As far as I am concerned, this is the one standout feature of the iBooks app.
An abstract from the patent application:
One or more pages are displayed on a touch display. A page-turning gesture directed to a displayed page is recognized. Responsive to such recognition, a virtual page turn is displayed on the touch display. The virtual page turn actively follows the page-turning gesture. The virtual page turn curls a lifted portion of the page to progressively reveal a back side of the page while progressively revealing a front side of a subsequent page. A lifted portion of the page is given an increased transparency that allows the back side of the page to be viewed through the front side of the page. A page-flipping gesture quickly flips two or more pages.
Barnes & Noble Updates eReading App
Barnes & Noble has updated their reading app. In addition to some minor bug fixes the update includes the following:
- In-app brightness control
- Option to permanently delete samples from within the app
- Two-page view
- Speed improvements when synchronizing your purchases, bookmarks, highlights and notes
- Improved periodical support
New Study on iPad Usage
Mashable covers a new study about how people use their iPads and the effects of the “magical” device on ereaders and other gadgets. Some of the interesting findings:
- 49 percent of respondents said they would not buy a dedicated ereader after purchasing their iPad. 38 percent would not buy a portable gaming device.
- 37 percent of those who planned to buy or already had purchased an iPad said that it was their first Apple device.
eBay Selling and eBay for iPad Apps Available Internationally
eBay announced today that its eBay Selling and eBay for iPad apps are now available internationally. The Selling app is available in Germany and the UK, while the eBay for iPad app has been translated into French, Italian, German and Spanish for international users. From the press release:
For the first time, sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom will be able to leverage eBay’s Selling iPhone application to sell items on their local eBay marketplaces. The latest version of the eBay Selling application is the first of eBay’s suite of mobile applications to integrate the accurate RedLaser barcode-scanning technology. eBay sellers in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States will now be able to quickly create listings by simply scanning an item’s barcode to access pricing trends, product details and list items from eBay’s catalog for sale.
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iPad and Tablet News – 7/5/2010 no comments
The Wall Street Journal reports that South Korea’s largest wireless provider, SK Telecom, is in talks with Apple to offer the iPhone and iPad in that country. The iPhone is already available in South Korea through KT Corp, which is SK Telecom’s biggest competitor.
Korea is one of the countries that briefly banned the iPad when it was first introduced in the US. The ban lasted until the appropriate government agency certified the iPad’s wireless networking features.
Korean is also one language that is MIA on the iPad.
While I am on the topic of the iPad’s language support, this is one type of accessibility that the iPad is good at delivering and that I have not seen mentioned elsewhere. The fact that the iPad is great for providing email and Internet access to the elderly and others who would not otherwise have access due to computer illiteracy is old news, but the support for various languages takes this to another level.
The iPad currently only supports nine languages, but it is very easy to set these up in the Settings. If you install the keyboards for any of the other supported languages you can then switch back and forth between keyboards very easily with a tap on the global key while the virtual keyboard is displayed. My wife reads in Japanese, so I have that keyboard installed for her as well as the English keyboard that I use. My wife now uses the iPad for all of her Web browsing as it is much easier than setting up and using Japanese on the desktop.
If you know an elderly person from the old country that cannot currently use email or access the Internet, the iPad may not only provide that access but allow him/her to do it in their preferred language – which can make a huge difference. Hopefully Apple will increase the number of languages supported.
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LG has announced that it will enter the tablet market by the fourth quarter of 2010 with an Android-based device. No details yet, but engadget has a video of the LG UX10 tablet prototype at Computex 2010.
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Of the many apps available at the iTunes Store for reading 
PDF files, GoodReader is probably the most popular. Good.iWare, the developer behind GoodReader, has announced the reintroduction of USB support for its app.
File transfer via USB was available until a few months ago when app developers had to discontinue USB support due to a conflict with Apple’s iPhone SDK.
You will need to download and install the GoodReaderUSB program on your desktop, but there are advantages over transferring files using iTunes:
| GoodReader USB | iTunes |
| Transfer files and folders. | Transfer only files; no folders. |
| Browse deeply into subfolders from your computer. | Transfers only to the root folder; cannot browse subfolders. |
| Works with all versions of GoodReader and all eligible devices. | Requires GoodReader v.2.8 (not yet released) for compatibility with iTunes File Sharing. |
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Future Apps is the developer of the iSpeak Translators, which
are the best selling translation apps in the iTunes store. The developer recently announced a major update to the iSpeak Translators as well as some new language support.
With the addition of iSpeak Arabic, iSpeak Greek and iSpeak Russian, the number of languages supported has increased to 14: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Arabic, Greek, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, jCzech, Finnish, and Norwegian. The iSpeak apps cost $1.99 each.
This is another app that will make good use of the multitasking features of iOS4 – enabling you to switch in and out of the app without getting dropped out of other apps, such as an ebook you are reading. The iSpeak apps also include TTS that you could have playing a translation in the background while doing something else. iOS4 should be coming to the iPad in November of this year.
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Ereader and iPad News – 5/27/2010 no comments
Kindle coming in black? CrunchGear has a rather poor quality photo that alleges to be a black Kindle spotted at a photo shoot. It makes sense that Amazon would offer color choices at some point.
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Borders announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2010 today. While the second largest bookstore chain saw its loss narrow in the first quarter, traffic and sales in its stores fell. Revenue in the US fell 16 percent. Border’s share price fell 7 percent today in an up market.
Borders is placing a lot of hope in its digital initiatives. Borders.com was in fact a bright spot in the first quarter with sales increasing by 34.7 percent. The Kobo-powered Borders ebook store will be launching next month, and pre-orders are already being taken for the Kobo eReader. Next week pre-orders for a second ereader will begin and more devices will be added in the near future. An Apple reading app will also be introduced by the end of June.
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Penguin and Amazon have finally reached some sort of agreement and Penguin’s new ebooks will once again be available in the Kindle Store. Since the Agency Model went into effect on April 1, 2010 none of the 150 or so new Penguin ebooks published since then have been available for the Kindle.
Ipad News
Kobo announced today that its iPad reading app is now available in all iPad markets with regionalized versions available for Canada, UK, Australia and a version for New Zealand coming soon. From the press release:
Kobo, a global eReading service, today announced availability of its popular iPad application in all markets where iPad is available. Additionally, Kobo today released regional versions for Canada, UK and Australia and announced a New Zealand application is coming soon. The regionalized applications, built specifically for the iPad, feature local content, merchandising, and currency. All Kobo iPad applications come pre-loaded with five eBooks and connect to the Kobo eBook store, which features more than two million titles including current best sellers, classics, and thousands of free titles.
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Wired Magazine finally released its app for the iPad, and reportedly sold 24,000 copies in the first 24 hours. The Wired app looks pretty amazing, but it is a big file (about half a gig) and costs $5 per issue – a print subscription in the US is $10 per year. The reviews at the iTunes store do contain some grousing about the price, but obviously a lot of work went into this. This is the way magazines should be done. So far I like it.
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MacLife is reporting that Apple is making it possible for authors to self-publish in the iBooks app for the iPad. There are some requirements: books have to have a 13 digit ISBN, must be in ePub format, must validate against epubcheck 1.0.5 and cannot contain any unmanifested files. Authors can choose which countries qualifying books are sold in and set the prices.
