The New iPad

 

Likes:

 

The Retina Display

Apple’s Retina Display has been a big hit on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. And now, it’s coming to the new iPad. According to Apple, the new iPad’s Retina Display will be the most impressive screen we’ve seen yet, and something that could put all other tablet makers far behind. Chances are that Apple will be spot-on with that prediction.

 

iOS 5.1

When Apple launched iOS 5 last year, just about everyone was happy to see it arrive. It delivered a host of enhancements that improved usability and security. With the new iPad, Apple has launched iOS 5.1, which, like its predecessor, delivers design and security enhancements. It’s not a major step up, but it’s a notable one, for sure.

The A5X

The A5X is not the A6 processor, which everyone was hoping to see in the new iPad, but it’s a significant jump over the iPad 2’s A5. The A5X comes with quad-core graphics and dual-core CPU performance, enhancing battery life but improving gaming and application capabilities. It’s a nice addition.

4G LTE

For well over a year now, critics have been calling on Apple to bring 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) service to its iPhone and iPad. Thankfully, Apple did just that with the new iPad. For enterprise users, especially, 4G LTE is a major selling point. Look for those devices running the LTE chip to be first to go when Apple’s new iPad launches.

New Camera

The new iPad’s new camera is a welcome addition to the device. According to Apple, it’s a 5-megapixel iSight camera, featuring auto-detection, flash and a host of other improvements designed to make the new iPad a worthwhile companion on road trips. It also helps that the device can record 1080p video.

Dislikes:

 

The Same Old Design

Apple’s new iPad comes with the same, basic design as its predecessor, the iPad 2. It’s unfortunate. Apple had the chance to deliver a unique new design with its new iPad, but instead decided to keep things as-is. It was a mistake.

 

Same Storage

In a world where digital music, movies and other entertainment content is being bundled with tablets, isn’t it time that Apple offer up more storage than just 64GB? Apple should have launched a 128GB new iPad, alongside its other options. At this point, having anything less than 32GB makes no sense.

 

Not Quite Siri

Apple has added voice dictation to the new iPad, but don’t for a minute think it’s Siri. For now, Siri is still exclusive to the iPhone 4S, and could very well stay that way for the foreseeable future. It would have been awfully nice if Siri came to the new iPad, but it looks like that’s just not in the cards.

 

4G LTE Pricing

As with anything else in the Apple world, for every nice new feature, there is something that can be considered a drawback. As nice as 4G LTE is, buying an iPad that comes with it will cost customers $130 more than the WiFi-only alternative. What’s more, the pricing plans themselves range from $15 to $50 a month. In other words, it’s no bargain.

 

The Name

And now we come to what might be Apple’s oddest decision with the new iPad: its name. Instead of calling the new iPad the iPad 3 or the iPad HD, Apple decided to go with a name that could very well confuse customers in the coming months. Moreover, what will Apple actually call the next iPad?

 

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10 iPhone, iPad Apps to Help You Survive a Disaster

 

In light of the overwhelming destruction caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, all of us should all be taking a moment to consider how fragile our life on this planet is and how easily we can find ourselves at the mercy of Mother Nature. Whether it’s flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or forest fires—not to mention all the other calamities that can occur—it is important to be aware of the risks you’re exposed to, especially where you live and where you work. More importantly, it is critical to have a plan on hand in case disaster strikes. While one might not consider turning to Apple’s App Store as a first line of defense, the site offers a vital selection of applications that can help you increase your knowledge of environmental disasters past and present, along with useful guides to help get you and your family out of a dire situation. There’s also help for small businesses that have to rely of themselves or their own IT administrator to recover from a disaster. As the Web continues to provide us with greater ability to converse and share information when other forms of communication fail, having a handheld escape plan might be a wise choice to make—especially if a nuclear power plant is involved in the crisis.

Emergency Supply List ($0.99)

Help may not always arrive as quickly as you need it, so prepare in advance with this checklist of items you’ll need in an emergency.

 

Disaster Alert (Free)

The Pacific Disaster Center provides a listing and interactive map of active hazards occurring around the globe.

 

iEarthquakes ($1.99)

Google Maps displays earthquakes occurring around the world in real-time, as well as magnitude and population of the area where the quake struck.

 

Disaster Survival ($0.99)

This guide provides information on how to prepare for a disaster and what to do when one strikes, including help for children and the disabled.

 

American Red Cross: Shelter View (Free)

The Red Cross runs this app, which provides maps and details of shelter facilities across the United States, with information updates every 30 minutes.

 

FloodWatch (Free)

Using data from the National Weather Service, this app monitors recent and historical river levels across the country.

 

Mobile REMM (Radiation Emergency Medical Management) (Free)

This app provides information about clinical diagnosis and treatment of radiation during radiological and nuclear emergencies and is produced by the Department of Health and Human Services and National Library of Medicine.

 

First Aid ($0.99)

Learn the basics on how to treat minor injuries with this app, which provides a list of tips and how to deal with burns, breaks and other injuries.

 

Skype (Free)

If the phone lines are down and power levels are spotty, a phone equipped with a VOIP (voice over IP) app such as Skype could be critical in getting your voice heard.

 

Flashlight Emergency ($0.99)

Be seen and heard in a crisis with this app, which also features a "Text to Morse Code" option that lets you send signals farther than your voice could carry.

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Apple iOS 5 Wish List: 10 Must-Have Features

 

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPad 2 at a March 2 event, he also revealed that users would be able to download and use iOS 4.3, an update to the company's popular iOS 4 software it released last year. That update brings personal hot spot functionality and improved Safari browsing, among other features. For the most part, users are quite happy with its functionality. Still, for the vast majority of iPhone and iPad owners, the wait is on for iOS 5. As expected, Apple hasn't made any indication that it will be launching iOS 5 this year, but given its recent history of releasing major updates every year, it's likely that iOS 5 will be made available with the iPhone 5 later in 2011. When that platform comes out, there will be several features iPad and iPhone owners will hope to see. Yes, iOS 4 is a fine mobile operating system, but it has some glaring issues that need to be addressed in the next update. The following list of improvements would make iOS 5 not only a better operating system than its predecessor, but would undoubtedly cement its position as the top OS in the mobile market.

Improved Multitasking

Multitasking was one of the most coveted features of iPhone and iPad owners. Finally, last year Apple brought the functionality to its operating system. But was it too little, too late? Multitasking in iOS 4 isn't fully functional. Yes, users can switch back and forth between apps and they do run in the background, but having desktoplike multitasking where processing can go on in the background and having the ability to view windows before opening a program would make iOS 5 all the more appealing.

Better Browsing

When Google launched Android 3.0 "Honeycomb," the company delivered a vastly improved browsing experience, complete with full tab support, Incognito mode and a generally faster surfing speed. iOS 4's browser, on the other hand, lacks real tabbed browsing and doesn't come with all those desktop features Honeycomb boasts. Let's hope those features come to iOS 5.

Wireless Syncing Capability

One of the biggest issues with the iPhone and iPad is that when the devices need to be updated, they have to be plugged into a computer running iTunes. Android-based devices, on the other hand, can be updated over the air. It would be nice to see iOS 5 support over-the-air updates, as well as the ability to sync the iPhone or iPad with iTunes over the home network without requiring cables. That's the future. And it's time Apple embraces it.

An Improved Lock Screen

The iOS 4 lock screen is arguably one of the least useful features available in the operating system, since users can only choose to view different backgrounds. It would be nice to see Apple deliver actual usability to that lock screen, letting users place their Inbox, text messages or other content on the screen. If the lock screen is still useless in iOS 5, users won't be happy.

Bulk App Purchases

Try buying multiple apps in the App Store running on the iPhone or iPad. See any annoyances? Unfortunately, Apple only allows users to download a single app at a time; bulk downloads are not available. Considering some folks like to buy multiple apps in one sitting, it would be nice to see Apple offer bulk downloads in iOS 5.

Much Better Notification System

One of the biggest annoyances with iOS 4 is its notifications system. Whether users receive text messages, alerts or pop-ups from third-party apps, the messages are displayed over whatever the user is doing. Plus, they light up the iPhone's screen when it's turned off. Notification customization is an absolute must-have in iOS 5.

Improved FaceTime

With the launch of Apple's FaceTime video conferencing application last year, the company said that it would only be available over WiFi. But now that it's running on iPad 2, the iPhone 4, the iPod Touch and Macs, it would be nice to see Apple have FaceTime work over mobile wireless networks. It seems like the next logical step for the service. What better time to launch it than with the introduction of iOS 5?

Actually Useful Voice Control

When users hold down the Home button on the iPhone, they can activate voice control on the platform. That feature lets them give voice commands to perform tasks on the device. The only issue is, it doesn't work all that well. And its functionality is very basic. In iOS 5, it would be nice to see more sophisticated voice control, offering more than just the ability to open applications. Remember, Apple: the less typing, the better.

Better Auto-Correction

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that his company improved auto-correction in iOS 4. If it did, it has much more work to do. Typing out text messages or e-mails with iOS auto-correction in place couldn't be more annoying. At times, it gets things right. But it seems that it gets the corrections wrong in far too many instances for it to be a reliable service. In iOS 5, Apple better make serious strides in improving its auto-correction.

Built-In Music Streaming?

When Apple acquired Lala in 2009, some believed that the company would be offering a music-streaming service. But it did nothing of the sort. After shuttering Lala, it seemed Apple had no plans to offering a streaming option. But maybe it was all part of the plan. Perhaps music streaming will be coming to iOS 5. After all, services like Pandora are extremely popular. Why wouldn't Apple want to capitalize on that with a built-in streaming offering integrated with iTunes?

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Flip Floppers: When Tech Execs Contradict Themselves

 

Doing an about-face on key issues: It's not just for politicians anymore. Tech honchos like Ellison, Schmidt and Ballmer do it from time to time -- even the mighty Steve Jobs is guilty.

Google (GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt on privacy

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. But if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines, including Google, do retain this information for some time. And we're all subject, in the U.S., to the Patriot Act, and it is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities."
-Dec. 2009

"The reason that you should trust us is that if we were to violate that trust people would move immediately to someone else. We're very non- sticky so we have a very high interest in maintaining the trust of those users."
-July 2010

Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Carol Bartz on Search

"Search will continue to be an integral part of the Yahoo user experience, and we will continue to integrate search throughout all our properties, and invest in making our user experience even better based on search functionality."
-July 2009, at the announcement of Yahoo's search partnership with Microsoft (MSFT)

"Search isn't what we're after ... I don't wake up in the morning and say 'Gosh, what am I going to search?' That's not what I do. I wake up and say, 'What's happening?' And that's really what Yahoo is."
-Sept. 2009

Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs on admitting mistakes

"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations."

"This is life in the smartphone world. Phones aren't perfect. It's a challenge for the whole industry, and we're doing the best we can, but every phone has weak spots."
-July 2010, after waiting 22 days to admit (sort of) that Apple made mistakes in designing antennas for the iPhone 4.

Oracle (ORCL) CEO Larry Ellison on cloud computing

"What the hell is cloud computing? I guess we'll make some 'cloud computing' announcements...I'm not going to fight this thing. I don't know what we'd do differently in the light of 'cloud computing' other than change the wording on some of our ads."
-Sept. 2008

"We believe the cloud is a platform where you run a wide variety of software ... it's a comprehensive development and execution environment that can run virtually ALL your applications."
-Sept. 2010, during Oracle OpenWorld keynote

Salesforce.com (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff on Oracle and Larry Ellison

"Where the world is going and where Larry [Ellison] is going are in conflict."
-Sept. 2009

"Larry is my mentor. They are a vendor to us. We have a great relationship with them."
-Dec. 2010

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on privacy

"We need to give people complete control over their information, which will actually enable more sharing ... Giving the control is what allows that sharing to take place."
-March 2008

"People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time ... and we decided that these would be the social norms now and we just went for it."
-January 2010, on Facebook's decision to make user information public by default.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the iPhone and Windows Phone 7

"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 70 percent of them, than I would to have 2 or 3 percent, which is what Apple might get."
-April, 2007

"We were ahead of this game and now we find ourselves number five in the market ... We missed a whole cycle."
-June 2010, discussing Windows Mobile

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Apple iPad 2 review

The best tablet on the planet just got better

12 months ago, the Apple iPad swaggered onto the stage creating a totally new gadget category, that changed the way we thought about tablets forever. In the year that followed it became Gadget of the Year at the T3 Awards 2010 and probably the most iconic gadget on the planet.

This “post PC” device single-handedly re-shaped our expectations expect on how we wish to receive content, has potentially rejuvenated the entire publishing industry.

Now, as competitors from the Android, RIM and WebOS, tug on its cape, eager to fly alongside the iPad, Apple is back with an improved device offering a streamlined design and more power. All for the same pretty reasonable price.

Can the iPad 2 pull further away from the chasing pack, and does it do enough to tempt first-gen owners into an upgrade? T3 tested the 32GB WiFi version to find out.

Apple iPad 2 Design and build

Lifting the iPad 2 out of the box, you almost feel like you’re handling Grandma’s best china, such is the skinniness of the 8.8mm frame. Remarkably though, the tablet retains a very sturdy feel. It’s not the least bit fragile and there’s zero flexibility. It’s a piece of engineering that defies physics.

The weight has also dropped. At 601g (for the WiFi version) the tablet has shed 15 per cent of its body mass. Big deal, you say, but you will notice the difference. It’s still not Kindle-light though, and we still found the one-handed grip uncomfortable.
The design itself has evolved with the edges now rounded like an iPod Touch. While it looks better and is less bulky, the thinner edges actually make it more difficult to keep a steady hand. You also have to adopt an awkward reach-around approach to access the volume and screen switches.

Apple iPad 2 Screen

While we were blown away by the original iPad’s 9.7-inch 1024x768 LED-backlit display, we were hoping this would bring a version of its iPhone 4 Retina Screen. Now it hasn’t, we’re a little disappointed.

While indoor performance is still great and colours are truly vivid for gaming, photos and videos, in the post-Retina Screen world, text still isn’t quite as crisp as we’d like and it’s still pretty useless in sunlight. It also attracts a lot of finger marks. Lets hope an improved screen comes on any iPad 3 next year.

Apple iPad 2 iOS 4.3

Beyond the design refresh, the iPad 2 comes packing the new iOS 4.3 operating system. You get the usual folders, multitasking, Airplay and customisable screens, but those rocking 3G can now make their tablet a Wi-Fi hotspot for four other mobile devices. iTunes Home Sharing, another addition, offers a seamless liberation of your entire music library over Wi-Fi, with one-touch.

The new OS also allows you to customise the side switch to either mute the device or lock the screen. It’s a handy bonus, but by no means earth shattering.

Apple iPad 2 Processor and graphics

A quantifiable improvement comes with the new dual core 1GHz Apple A5 processor, replacing the A4 by offering twice the power. If you thought this thing was nifty before, then wait until you get a hold of the iPad 2.

Such is the speed of response when you touch the screen that you’ll think ‘did I even touch that yet?’ It almost pre-empts your commands. The T3 iPad Edition opens instantly, while images render much faster than before. The heftier apps, like the new GarageBand (an essential download, the highlight of which is the different response from piano keys depending on the sensitivity of your touch - enabled by the accelerometer and a huge leap forward) still take a short while to open, but not noticeably so.

T3.com loads and renders quickly over Wi-Fi, while pinch-to-zoom re-formatting is definitely quicker. YouTube performance is great, while downloading music, movies and podcasts is rapid.

Apple also promised a nine-fold improvement in the graphics department. We tested this claim with EA’s Dead Space, which specifically advertised an iPad 2 upgrade. It looks phenomenal, almost PS3 and Xbox 360-esque, while the fast-paced monster-slaying action was slick and judder-free. You feel we’ve only just scratched the surface here.

Apple iPad 2 Cameras

Of course the other change comes with the addition of cameras. FaceTime video calling is now available for iPad and while the quality won’t blow you away it does the job. The rear-facing camera is passable, offering decent snaps in good conditions, but drab colours and limited detail the rest of the time. It’s nowhere near as good as the iPhone 4’s excellent 5-megapixel offering.

There’s 720p video recording on board, which comes in really handy for the brilliant iMovie app, but the iPad 2 has to be the most ridiculously shaped video camera of all time. Are you really going to use it in public?

Apple iPad 2 Smart Covers

When we first saw the Smart Covers opinion on the T3 team was split as to the usefulness. A lot was made about these new flimsy, bendy covers and they do work pretty well, folding like origami to offer appropriate stances for watching video and typing, while the magnet clings stubbornly to the chassis. It will help your battery by putting the device to sleep whenever closed, but they’re expensive (from$39) and offer no protection for the back of your iPad. If you drop it, Smart Cover won’t save it. We’d take a look at what other manufacturers - like Griffin - come up with before buying.

Apple iPad 2 Battery

In terms of battery life, we got around 6 hours of near-solid Wi-Fi surfing, downloading apps and playing games, which is very respectable. The extra processing power doesn’t seem to be provide any supplemental drain on the battery.

Apple iPad 2 Verdict

Admittedly, the iPad 2 is more of an evolutionary step for Apple, akin to the jump from iPhone 3 to 3GS. If you already own an iPad then you’re not missing out too much by waiting for the next iteration before you upgrade. If you held off from buying over the last 12 months, then the iPad 2 is a brilliant reward for your patience. Get out and buy it.

It's taken nearly a year since the launch of the first iPad for any manufacturers to come close to creating a tablet that can rival it. Even then, those that look promising like the Motorola Xoom run such an early OS (in Android 3.0) it will be a while before they can rival the iPad in terms of apps.  With the Blackberry Playbook, HTC Flyer, LG Optimus Pad and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 all to come, the tablet market looks really exciting over the next few months. And with its mind-blowing new build, new cameras and improvements in the engine room, coupled with the unmatched App Store/iTunes/iOS ecosystem the next-gen iPad is clearly the tablet to beat.

Apple iPad 2 launch date: UK March 25th, link Apple

Apple iPad 2 price: UK TBC, but in the US it is the same as its predecessor, so expect to pay £429 for 16GB, £499 for 32Gb and £599 for 64GB for the WiFi-only version.

Apple iPad 2 Specifications:

• OS: Apple iOS 4.3
• Screen: 9.7-inch, 1024x768 multi-touch
• Processor: 1Ghz dual-core Apple A5
• Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
• Camera: Front and rear megapixel not quoted
• Video: 720p front, VGA rear
• Battery: 10 hours web use
• Connections: Bluetooth 2.1, N WiFi, Apple jack, 3.5mm jack, A-GPS
• Dimensions/Weight: 241x186x88mm/601g

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Before They Were Tech Stars

 

Bill Gates (Microsoft)

Age: 19
In 1975, Bill Gates famously dropped out of Harvard (where he lived down the hall from fellow sophomore, Steve Ballmer) to start a company with childhood friend Paul Allen, who had recently dropped out of Washington State University, in order to work at Honeywell in Boston. Gates had already been programming for a number of years before co-founding the company first known as Micro-Soft (a combination of "microcomputer" and "software").
He encountered his first computer at age 13, at Lakeside School in Seattle. He soon received a pass from math class, so he could work on the ASR-33 during school hours, creating his first computer program—a version of tic-tac-toe written in BASIC.

 Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)

Age: 19
Fellow Harvard alum turned billionaire Mark Zuckerberg also thought up the idea that earned him his fortune at the ripe old age of 19. It was Zuckerberg's father who first planted the programming bug in the middle school student, teaching him how to program in Atari BASIC.
By the time he was in high school, Zuck was taking grad courses in the subject at a local college, soon creating ZuckNet, a personal instant messaging program he used to communicate with his father. Soon after, he developed Synapse Media Player, an AI music player that we gave three out of five stars, back in 2005. It's no Facebook, but still, not too shabby for a high school kid.

 Michael Dell (Dell Computers)

Age: 19
There are those who put off the working world for as long as possible, enrolling in graduate school well into their 30s. And then there's Michael Dell, founder of his eponymous computer company, who applied to take a high school equivalency exam at age eight, in order to enter the business world as soon as humanly possible.
By age 15, after having disassembled his share of Radio Shack calculators, Dell got his hands on an Apple II, which he promptly took apart. At 19, while enrolled at University of Texas at Austin as a pre-med student, Dell launched PC's Limited, banking on the concept of selling computers directly to consumers. Eight years later, he was the youngest CEO to make the Fortune 500 list.

 Steve Jobs (Apple)

Age: 21
Steve Jobs got a summer job working at Hewlett-Packard while still in high school. It was there that he met future "Dancing with the Stars" participant, Steve Wozniak. In 1975, the two Steves were briefly employed by Atari—that same year, they began attending the Homebrew Computer Club, a small grew of hobbyists that would later become the epicenter of the personal computer revolution. It was in front of that group that Wozniak and Jobs first showed off the Apple I, a fully assembled circuit board hand-built by the Woz. The young company charged an ominous $666.66 for that first computer.

 Larry Page, Sergey Brin (Google)

Age: 25
Faced with anti-Semitism in the academic environment of their native Russia, the Brin family moved to the U.S. with their six-year-old son Sergey in 1979. Partially homeschooled by his father, then a math professor at the University of Maryland, Brin eventually enrolled at his father's school, where he graduated with honors.
Soon after, he began graduate work in computer science at Stanford, where he met Larry Page. After butting heads for some time, the two eventually became "intellectual soulmates," according to Brin. Together Page and Brin went on to create "BackRub," a new search engine named for its reliance of checking backlinks. Thankfully, they soon opted for the less creepy Google, named for googol, a number followed by 100 zeros.

 William Hewlett, David Packard (Hewlett-Packard)

Age: 26 (Hewlett), 27 (Packard)
Like a number of fellow future technology giants, Hewlett-Packard was born in a Bay Area garage. The space belonged to Frederick Terman, William Hewlett and David Packard's former professor at Stanford. It was there that the duo launched the company with an investment of $538, choosing the order of their hyphenated company name with the toss of a coin.



Fusajiro Yamauchi (Nintendo)


Age: 30
In 1889, Fusajiro Yamauchi started a new game company specializing in Hanafuda playing cards made from mulberry tree bark. The name "Nintendo," in keeping with the theme of that early product, means "leave luck to heaven." The company specialized in cards for nearly a hundred years after.
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Apple iPad 2 Spring Launch is Bad for Android Honeycomb Tablets

A lot of hearsay and speculation floated around Apple Feb. 22, as financial analysts reported that Apple's iPad 2 follow-up to the smash-hit tablet that sold some 15 million units would be pushed back. Taiwanese brokerage Yuanta Securities said production bottlenecks at Apple's manufacturing partner Hon Hai may delay the iPad 2 launch by as much as two months, pushing it to June. Clearly feeling the need to respond, Apple invited the media to a March 2 press event in San Francisco. So what does this all mean? It means the high-tech industry is in full-time iPad 2 watch mode. This couldn't come at a worse time for tablet computers based on Google's Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system. Honeycomb machines such as the Motorola Xoom offer premium features to differentiate from the inaugural iPad, and the idea is to get these to market before the iPad 2 arrives to entice consumers. But several Honeycomb tablets are about to hit the market, each of which may cannibalize enough of the others’ sales to prevent any one of them from grabbing much market share away from the iPad. If Apple unveils the iPad 2 March 2, it would likely get it into consumers' hands in late March or early April, giving the Xoom only a month of sell time without the iPad 2 as a rival. The timing is worse for Android tablets arriving later this spring. Here we list just some of the tablets that a March iPad launch could impede.

iPad 2 Invitation

The media began receiving these invites from Apple Feb. 23, leaving little to the imagination.

No Xoom Boom

Motorola is banking on the Xoom, which launched Feb. 24 from Best Buy and Verizon Wireless, to stand out from the iPad. It certainly fits this bill, with its 10.1-inch screen, 3D graphics and 1GHz dual-core processor. But it does cost $799, unsubsidized, and $599 with a two-year data plan from Verizon Wireless. Will consumers be reluctant to buy it, with an iPad 2 coming down the pike?

T-Mobile G-Slate

Launching in March from T-Mobile the G-Slate is actually the LG Optimus Pad tablet powered by Honeycomb. The product, coming from LG, a smartphone maker that hasn't exactly cultivated a lot of success with Android, and T-Mobile, the smallest U.S. wireless carrier, will have a tough go against the iPad 2.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Powered by a 1GHz dual-core chip, the 10.1-inch, 1,280-by-800 (WXGA) TFT (thin-film transistor) Galaxy Tab tablet will compete with the Xoom Honeycomb tablet in Europe when it goes on sale through Vodafone this spring. Samsung proved with the Galaxy Tab it can build a fine tablet. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn't offered a timeline for a U.S. launch. That means that by the time it arrives stateside, the iPad 2 could have sold millions of the 50 million or so tablets analysts expect to ship this year.

Toshiba Tablet

This unnamed tablet is launching this spring with a 10.1-inch screen, rubberized finish and swappable battery. The latter two features are major differentiators from the iPad design. But Toshiba has as yet had no device in the Android race, making its tablet entry questionable in a sea of Honeycomb gadgets.

HTC Flyer

Wait a minute, you say. The HTC Flyer, which sports a stylus and HTC Sense UI, is launching with Android 2.4 this spring. Very true, but it's also getting the Honeycomb bump later in the second quarter, at which point the iPad 2 will have, of course, shipped millions.

Acer Iconia Tab A500

Acer's first Android tablet, the Iconia Tab A500 sports a 10-inch screen that plays 1080p HD video. The device ships in April, which is presumably when the iPad 2 will land. Good luck, Acer.

Dell Streak 10

This is just vaporware right now, but not really. Engadget sourced Dell as promising a Streak 10 tablet running Honeycomb later this year, likely well behind the Honeycomb pack. The blog blew up the Streak 7 to the 10-inch size here.

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10 Promising Non-Apple iPad Tablets to Hit Store Shelves In 2011

 

In 2010, the tablet space was dominated by a single company: Apple. The firm’s iPad was the most recognizable and worthwhile tablet in the space. The vast majority of consumers realized that it was better than any other device on the market. Admittedly, it wasn’t a difficult decision. The Dell Streak featured a 5-inch display and an out-dated version of Android. The JooJoo tablet came from an unknown company with a short past. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, while arguably the best iPad alternative, was running Android 2.2, which Google itself said wasn’t ready for tablets. But 2011 will be a different story altogether. The iPad will continue to be the tablet to beat this year, but several companies, including LG, Acer and Motorola, among others, will be entering the space this year. Any one of them could very well deliver an experience that customers had been hoping for last year. Those who are interested in learning a bit more about those tablets should click through the following slides. The upcoming tablets won’t carry the Apple logo, but they could be the best alternatives to the iPad for any customer.

Motorola Xoom

The Motorola Xoom is arguably one of the most anticipated tablets to be released this year. The tablet comes with a 10.1-inch display, supports video conferencing, thanks to a front-facing camera, and has a dual-core processor. The device is running Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the best tablet-ready operating system Google has ever released. Excitement is running rampant on this one. And at $799 for a 3G version that’s upgradable to 4G, it’s understandable.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has been the most popular Android tablet yet. But now it’s being updated with a 10.1-inch display, a 1GHz dual-core processor, and support for HSPA+. Perhaps most importantly, it’ll be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb when it launches later this year. The tablet is shaping up to be the device that the Samsung Galaxy Tab should have been.

LG Optimus Pad

The LG Optimus Pad is one of the more exciting tablet announcements this year. The device features an 8.9-inch display, and like many of the others in the market, will ship with Android 3.0 Honeycomb. But its key feature is 3D support. Users will be able to view 3D content on the device and 3D video can be shared with 3DTVs. The device is expected to retail for about $800 when it ships later this year.

HTC Flyer

The HTC Flyer could find itself lost among the many larger tablets that will be made available this year. The device will come with a 7-inch display and feature a 1.5GHz processor. In addition, it offers a 3D home screen. HTC is trying to position the Flyer as a top investment for enterprise customers that want to be more mobile. But by the looks of things, it might be best-suited for consumers looking for a slimmer option than some of the bulkier tablets on the market. Expect the Flyer to hit store shelves in the second quarter.

Acer Iconia Tab A500

The Acer Iconia Tab A500’s name is a bit of a mouthful, but the device promises to pack quite a punch. It will feature a 10.1-inch display when it launches and offer the ability for users to play video games in HD as well as 3D titles from the Web. It comes with the dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra processor and will support access to Verizon’s 4G network. The tablet should be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb when it launches in April for an undisclosed price.

RIM BlackBerry PlayBook

The RIM BlackBerry PlayBook is designed with enterprise customers in mind. The device runs RIM’s new BlackBerry Tablet OS made by QNX Software, the company it acquired last year. The device comes with a 7-inch display and will be able to connect to 4G networks. It will support video conferencing and BlackBerry Enterprise Server to help the device appeal more to corporate customers. It’s expected to launch in March or April.

Cisco Cius

The upcoming Cisco Cius, which is scheduled to be made available later this year, is another tablet designed with enterprise customers in mind. It will run Android 2.2 and feature a 7-inch display. Cisco said that its tablet will ship with 3G connectivity, but 4G connectivity is “planned.” In addition, the device is designed to be integrated into existing Cisco products in the enterprise. By the looks of things, the Cius could very well be the device IT decision-makers could be looking for.

Dell Streak 10

Dell has been relatively tight-lipped about the Streak 10, but the company has revealed that the device will be running Android 3.0 Honeycomb and come with a 10.1-inch display. The company says it will be made available sometime this year, but it hasn’t revealed any pricing. Whether the Streak 10 will be able to perform better than last year’s Streak 5 or this year’s Streak 7 remains to be seen.

HP TouchPad

The HP TouchPad is one of the most anticipated tablets expected to hit store shelves this year. The tablet runs webOS and comes with a 9.7-inch display, like the iPad. The device will ship with WiFi connectivity and offer either 16GB or 32GB worth of storage, depending on the model customers choose. The tablet also will integrate well with the company’s upcoming Pre 3 smartphone, allowing customers to answer calls and receive text messages by simply connecting the two devices. The tablet will ship this summer.

Unnamed Toshiba Tablet

Toshiba has been quite tight-lipped about its upcoming tablet. The company hasn’t even revealed the name for it yet. But what it did show off has been quite impressive. The device will come with Android 3.0 Honeycomb and feature a 16:10 720p HD 10.1-inch display. The device also runs Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor and comes with both a front- and rear-facing camera. Perhaps most importantly, for enterprise customers especially, it comes with a replaceable battery.

{Source}

Apple iPhone 5 Design: 10 Hot Features We Expect to See

Apple and Verizon Wireless offered another sweet piece of the Apple mobile pie when they announced the iPhone 4 would be coming to the Verizon network Feb. 10. But iPhone fans are already counting down the days to the usual June unveiling of the next-generation iPhone. No official details are available yet, though media reports are beginning to zero in on some of the features the new device and platform are expected to have. One item we believe you can count on as sure as the night is dark is that the next iPhone will include Near-Field Communication capabilities. NFC is the short-range wireless communications technology that enables wireless phones to communicate with sensors in posters, signs and even point-of-sale contact terminals. In other words, such technology will make the iPhone an electronic wallet. Expect the iPhone 5 to include a chip and for iOS5 to include an NFC controller software stack homegrown and patented by Apple. But there will be more, lots more. In this slide show, eWEEK speculates on a bunch of other new features for the iPhone 5 this summer.

Near-Field Communication

Apple hired Near-Field Communication expert Benjamin Vigier and filed several NFC patents. One of those is for mobile payments, which is one of the core functions Google CEO Eric Schmidt touted for the NFC-enabled Android 2.3 build on the Samsung Nexus Slast month. The combination of the iPhone with mobile payments is an Apple-lover's dream. That dream should come true in June. There are more details on iPhone NFC onBloomberg News.

CDMA/GSM Chip

Some Apple watchers believe Kinsus Interconnect Technology will provide silicon for the iPhone 5's new Qualcomm baseband chip, a CDMA/GSM chip geared to for European countries where Code Division Multiple Access is not supported.

A5 Processor

This is a new generation of phone we're talking about, so we also expect the iPhone 5 will be powered by Apple's new A5 processor, built on ARM's Cortex A9 architecture.

FaceTime 3G

Rumors also indicate that a 3G-enabled FaceTime will come with iPhone 5, ensuring smoother video transmission for the video-chat application.

Media Stream

The iPhone 5 may support Media Stream, a photo-gallery feature that's appeared in code for the iOS 4.3 beta 2. The perk appears to let users invite other users to view pictures as they are taken and uploaded to a service. The 9-to-5 Mac Apple intelligence site offersthis proof.

Redesigned Hardware?

Engadget believes the iPhone 5 will be completely overhauled from a hardware standpoint, which is impressive considering the high bar Apple CEO Steve Jobs and his team have set with the iPhone 4 and previous versions.

Redesigned Antenna

Late in 2010, eWEEK's Nicholas Kolakowski nailed this one as a potential improvement. After the hilarious Antenna Gate fiasco saw the iPhone 4 drop calls everywhere, he believes Apple's iPhone 5 should offer a working antenna. Then Antenna Guy dissects theiPhone's antenna location.

Serious Intelligence

One thing Google has been doing of late is boosting the intelligence of its voice commands. Last year Apple added voice actions to let users call up a business listing from their Android handset by speaking into the phone. Apple bought Siri last April. Siri’s AI capabilities never made it into the iPhone 4, so we expect Apple will add the capability in the iPhone 5 this summer.

A Rival to Google Goggles

Apple in September picked up Polar Rose, which makes facial-recognition software that Apple could leverage in its new iPhone. This application would go where Google's Goggles application, which searches 2-D images only for now, currently doesn't.

LaLa

We want to see the cloud-based iTunes service! Apple bought Web-based music service LaLa in December 2009. But we still haven't seen the fruits of that deal. ReadWriteWebexpects to see a streaming service leveraging LaLa technology for the iPhone 5. We agree.

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Apple iPad 2 Aims to Battle Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Others

 

Apple formally announced its next-generation iPad in a San Francisco event March 2. Officially dubbed the iPad 2, the tablet offers hardware upgrades that Apple hopes will sway customers away from new, high-powered competitors such as the Motorola Xoom. Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the event stage to unveil the iPad 2. "Is 2011 going to be the year of the copycats? I think if we did nothing, maybe a little bit," he told the audience. "But we haven’t been resting on our laurels." In addition to being thinner and lighter, the iPad 2 includes a dual-core processor, built-in gyroscope, front- and rear-facing cameras, and the option of either black or white casing. Apple plans on making the device available March 11, with models that will work on both AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks. During his talk, Jobs couldn’t resist a swipe at the Xoom, which runs Android 3.0 and retails for $799. Citing the pricing for the iPad 2’s various models, he said, "Five of these six models are less expensive than $799. We only have one model that’s more expensive than $799." Between keeping the same pricing, and the new hardware and software tweaks, Apple hopes the iPad 2 will hold the company’s line against the tablet competitors due to flood the market this year.

iPad 2

Apple formally announced the iPad 2 in a San Francisco event March 2, ending months of speculation about the features of its next-generation tablet.

Hardware

The 9.7-inch iPad 2 includes a built-in three-axis gyroscope, like the iPhone 4 and latest version of the iPod Touch. It is also 33 percent thinner than the original iPad, which makes it slimmer than the iPhone 4.

iOS 4.3

The company is also tweaking the iPad’s software with iOS 4.3, which includes a speedier JavaScript engine, iTunes home sharing for wireless streaming from PC to iPad, improvement tweaks to Airplay, and built-in Photobooth.

A5

The iPad 2 features a new chip, the A5. Apple hopes its next-generation tablet’s dual-core processor will put it on even footing in consumers’ minds with new and upcoming tablets such as the Motorola Xoom, which boasts a good deal of processing firepower.

Sales

Apple CEO Steve Jobs claimed during the iPad 2 unveiling that Apple has sold some 15 million iPads to date, giving it the lion’s share of the burgeoning consumer tablet market.

Customers

Apple claims some 200 million accounts for its three online storefronts (iTunes, App Store, iBooks).

FaceTime

Like the iPhone 4 and the newest iPod Touch, the iPad 2 boasts FaceTime video-conferencing.

Cameras

Both front- and rear-mounted cameras can record video, with the rear one capable of 720p and 30 frames per second.

Photobooth

The iPad 2 will also include Photobooth, with all the usual face-twisting effects.

Smart Cover

Apple is offering a "smart cover" for the iPad 2, complete with magnets to grasp and auto-align over the screen. When opened, it will wake the device; when closed, it will put the tablet to sleep.

Video Mirroring

Via an Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter, users can project their iPad’s screen onto an HDTV or projector.

Pricing

The iPad 2’s pricing structure will mirror that of the original iPad.

{Source}

Some more Useful Software

 

IncrediMail 2 Build 4918

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 04:19 AM PST

IncrediMail is a free email program that manages all your email messages, communications, contact details, and email transactions. IncrediMail is all about having fun with your email.

Maxthon 3.0.21.1000

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 03:18 AM PST

Maxthon Internet Browser software is a powerful tabbed browser with a highly customizable interface. It is based on the Internet Explorer browser engine (your most likely current web browser) which means that what works in the IE browser will work the same in Maxthon tabbed browser but with many additional efficient features:

Firefox 4.0 RC 1

Posted: 09 Mar 2011 08:37 PM PST

The Web is all about innovation, and Firefox sets the pace with dozens of new features to deliver a faster, more secure and customizable Web browsing experience for all.

Fraps 3.3.2

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 02:23 AM PST

Fraps is a universal Windows application that can be used with all games using DirectX or OpenGL technology. In its current form Fraps performs many tasks and can best be described as:

jetAudio 8.0.12 Basic

Posted: 09 Mar 2011 09:04 PM PST

JetAudio is integrated multimedia software made up of a single compact rack. Not only does it play various music and video files, it also has features such as CD burning, recording, and conversion to other file formats.

Safari 5.0.4

Posted: 09 Mar 2011 08:30 PM PST

At one time, web browsers simply got you to the Internet. But from the day it was released, Safari set the bar higher for web browsers. It introduced sophisticated design elements that made browsing a joy. Easy to use, Safari stayed out of your way and let you effortlessly navigate from site to site.

{Source}

Apple iPad 2 Design Compromises: 10 Key Missing Features

 

An Improved Display

Apple's iPhone 4 comes with the Retina Display, a high-quality screen that most agree is the best in the smartphone space. Prior to the iPad 2's announcement, rumors surfaced, saying the iPad 2 would feature the same Retina Display. But at the company's March 2 event, Apple showed off the iPad 2 with the same old display quality of the first tablet. It was a disappointment, to say the least.

Where's the 4G?

Although Apple seemingly doesn't care all that much, 4G connectivity is becoming increasingly important to mobile customers. Those who subscribe to Verizon's 4G network would have been happy to see the iPad 2 come with the ability to connect to that service. But alas, it doesn't. And so far, Apple hasn't made any indication that it will be supporting 4G in the near future.

iOS 5

Apple's iPad 2 will come with iOS 4.3, an update to the company's mobile operating system that will feature improved browsing and a few other additions. But it's iOS 5 that customers are really after. That as-yet announced operating system will likely be Apple's best answer to Google Android 3.0 "Honeycomb." iOS 4 was great for 2010. But in 2011 with Honeycomb on store shelves, it falls short.

Cloud Functionality

When Apple acquired online music-streaming service Lala, some wondered what the company had planned. Reports speculated that it would become a key component in Apple's cloud efforts and bridge the gap between the Web and its hardware. But after Apple closed Lala down, no one has heard a thing about it. With the iPad 2 introduction, Apple didn't mention any cloud functionality. It's unfortunate.

Sorry, No SD Card Slot

One of the biggest issues with the iPad 2 is that it lacks an SD card slot. While the iPad 2 is equipped with hard drives ranging from 16GB to 64GB, even that capacity might not be enough for some users and some applications. The only simple way to transfer content to and from the device for storage management purposes is through the USB cable that comes with the iPad. An SD card slot could simplify backup and storage management and make the iPad 2 even more appealing. Too bad it isn't in it.

Apple Must Have an Issue with USB

Aside from the lack of an SD card slot, Apple has also decided against including a USB port in the iPad 2. For its part, the company says that its proprietary connector should solve that problem for customers. But a USB port could open up a world of possibilities, including giving users the ability to have more storage, transfer content to and from the device, and much more. A USB port would have made the iPad 2 more usable.

A Worthwhile Camera

Although it's nice to see Apple add dual cameras to the iPad 2, the company left out one key detail about the device's camera when it announced the tablet: It only features a 1-megapixel rear camera, according to reports. Considering the Motorola Xoom has a 5-megapixel camera, it's easy to see why some might believe the iPad 2 falls short in some key areas.

Flash Support

Apple has a real problem with Adobe. And by the looks of things, the company won't be delivering Flash support to its browser at any point. But Flash is integral to the experience of surfing the Web, no matter what Apple believes. The more people who keep going to Flash-based sites, the more they're going to wish for support. Try as it might, Apple can't single-handedly kill off Adobe and Flash.

A Larger Display

Apple's iPad 2 comes with the same 9.7-inch display of its predecessor. Although it's not a big deal, it's worth nothing that many competitors, including the Motorola Xoom and the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, boast 10.1-inch displays. For Apple, the difference might be negligible. But for consumers who are trying to get work done on a tablet, having extra screen real estate is always preferred. It's why devices like the 5-inch Dell Streak have failed where tablets featuring larger displays have succeeded.

A Real Advantage over the Xoom

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage on March 2, he needed to convince customers who have been sitting on the fence about buying a tablet to opt for the iPad 2 over the Motorola Xoom. But considering the iPad 2 lacks several key features that the Xoom offers, most notably an upgrade to 4G in the near future, it's hard to see how the iPad 2 trumps the Xoom in any way. Going forward that could prove to be an issue for Apple.

{Source: eWeek}

Microsoft Tablets Could Borrow Best Parts from Windows Phone 7

 

Lighter UI

Microsoft seems determined to cling to Windows for its tablets currently on the market. However, the OS comes across as ungainly versus Android and iOS. In its place, Microsoft could consider a touch-optimized, "lighter" user interface more in line with what you find on a smartphone.

Low Cost

The Motorola Xoom and the higher-end Apple iPads represent the top of the tablet market’s price range, at around $800. Most other competitors fall somewhere between $550 and $700. If Microsoft and its tablet partners really want to make an impact, they’ll aim for the lower side of the price spectrum

Hardware

At the moment, tablets are transitioning to dual-core processors to power apps, games and Web cruising. By the time Microsoft begins its big tablet push, the hardware baseline for tablets will doubtlessly have risen into more powerful ranges. Microsoft’s tablet strategy needs to set tough standards for what’s acceptable in terms of screen resolution, processors and other areas.

USB and Peripherals

There exists a tricky line between providing a slimmed-down tablet (truly a "post-PC" device, in Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ words) and something with enough features to cover a wide variety of possible functions. To that end, Microsoft and its partners could err on the side of installing a number of hardware features, such as multiple USBs, on the tablet form factor—something that at least some power users might appreciate.

Regulation

With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft demonstrated that it was willing to impose a strict set of requirements on its manufacturing partners in order to prevent fragmentation and make software updates (somewhat) easier to manage. It could well do the same with tablets.

Other Assets

As with Windows Phone 7, Microsoft could (and maybe should) focus on a tablet experience that bakes other company properties into the tablet UI, including Xbox, Office and SharePoint.

Battery Life

If the current spate of tablets proves anything, it’s that any new competitor on the market needs to place battery life at an absolute premium.

Developers! Developers! Developers!

Windows Phone 7 demonstrated how aggressively courting the developer community to develop apps, months before a platform’s release, can translate into small but steady dividends. While WP7 doesn’t boast an app library the size of Google’s or Apple’s, it has so far managed to avoid the fate of Palm and RIM in that category. With any tablet, Microsoft will need to ensure it has an app developer plan in place.

Xbox Integration

Microsoft’s secret weapon with tablets could be integration with Xbox Live. Easily the company’s most successful consumer franchise, Xbox could give a Microsoft tablet a built-in gamer audience.

Stylus

Fujitsu’s Q550 tablet already boasts the ability to write with a stylus, in addition to touch input. A deeply ingrained ability to treat a tablet’s surface like paper could go far in expanding its user base to writers, artists and designers.

Security

Security features such as an embedded security chip and encrypted SSD could make a Windows tablet that much more appealing to enterprise users.

Carriers

While it’s too soon to tell whether it will ultimately succeed over others in the tablet market, Samsung’s early experience launching the Galaxy Tab on multiple carriers drew a lot of buzz. A similar blanket strategy could also serve Microsoft well, ensuring its tablets get high visibility.

{Source: eWeek}