More Tablets to Come
Consider this: if the iPad was made before the invention of the internet, then the internet would have been invented for the iPad.
This may seem like a tall tale, but considering how efficient the iPad has turned the internet experience into, it could be very well said that the technologies were designed for each other (though in this case, the internet would have been invented as a way to get news to the public faster). Anyway, despite the iPad’s lack of Flash and other drawbacks, it has proven that the tablet has indeed a use to our society.
So now we stand at the dawn of a new era of technology as tablet devices have changed the way we access digital media from having to boot up big complicated computers to simply picking up an electronic touch screen.
The iPad is not going to be the last tablet from Apple, and Apple is certainly not going to be the only company making tablets. It has already been announced that other companies such as Nokia, Sony, Microsoft, Google, HP and more have been working on their own tablet devices –some even before Apple started theirs.
But there is no doubt that the iPad has set the standards for the industry. And with that, just what are we supposed to expect?
First off, all tablets are expected to have high speed and energy efficient CPUs. ARM has already proven their A4 technology. The new Atom is reported to be able to run for similar lengths of time as well. This will be the core of all tablet devices. Web access will be a standard, as well as the addition of a SIM (or mini-SIM) holder for either 3G or the upcoming 4G networks. Of course, all of these devices will come with touch screens.
Get to know more about the upcoming tablets that would be facing the Apple iPad at Mobile Choice UK.
Princeton finds iPads Messing Up with Campus Network
It seems that there is a minor problem with the configuration of the Apple iPad and how it handles IP addresses that are assigned to it.
According to the tech folks at Princeton University, the Apple iPad does not refresh the IP address it is given despite having gone past the expiration time of the address. When being hooked up to the campus server, the behavior has been known to cause the iPad to react abnormally as well as causing problems for the in-campus network as well.
As such, there has been an announcement that iPad users are now being asked to refrain from using their devices until a fix or patch for the problem has been released. It is confirmed that the campus has already contacted Apple regarding the matter and both parties are working on a solution.
Aside from this little hiccup, the iPad has been sitting in the middle of several hardware-based controversies. This is not the first time that the iPad has been the source of connectivity problems. Many early buyers of the device have found that the iPad has problems connecting to WiFi routers. It was later revealed that the OS is unable to handle routers that use dual band technology.
In other iPad related news, it seems like waiting for the major iPad OS fixes and patches will be a lot easier now that Apple will be asking to wait an even while longer as the international release for the famous touch screen tablet has been pushed back. The device launched successfully in the United States but according to Apple, they are having problems keeping up with the demands. The iPad is now expected to launch sometime late this May.
Read more about the news regarding the Apple iPad at Softpedia
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Microsoft Launches Kin Handsets
If waiting for the Windows Phone 7 launch is taking a toll on your patience meter, you might want to try out a couple of interesting new smart phones from Microsoft.
The Kin 1 and Kin 2 smart phones use a very simplified version of the upcoming WP7 OS with features that focus entirely on social networking. The home screen is a well layout view of the latest Facebook/MySpace/Wonderwall updates for your account. The set up for logging in is easy and you can enjoy real time live updates. The controls are touch based so expect to be fiddling around with this phone within minutes of turning it on.
Both devices use a combination of a touch screen display and a full QWERTY keyboard to make typing and messaging a whole lot easier. The Kin 1 is called the Turtle as the shape of the phone looks a lot like a small turtle shell. The Kin 2 is called Pure and it resembles a more traditional touch screen smart phone with slide out keyboard.
Of course, these two devices are hardly anything compared to the any amazing features of the upcoming WP7 handset, but they certainly give a pretty cool preview of what Microsoft has in store. For those on a budget and do not need the entire extra features of WP7, the Kin 1 and 2 are excellent alternatives. Vodafone UK will be launching both devices pretty soon.
Speaking of WP7, the wait for the launch of the device is still ongoing and according to a recent interview with Microsoft’s Charlie Kindel, Sony Ericsson will be among the roster of companies that will be launching a WP7 device later this year.
For more details and info about the specs of the new Microsoft handsets and a video tour of the features, head straight to the GSM Arena.
Will Apple’s Gambit Pay Off?
Apple is playing a very difficult gamble when they announced the new iPhone 4.0 OS. While the new mobile platform has any real problems, the SDK comes with a very debatable License Agreement –it turns out that developers will no longer be able to use third party software to develop iPhone applications in the future.
From the Apple standpoint, it is because the new OS will be offering lots of new features and that apps should be compatible with these. As such, only apps created with the SDK supplied tools would be able to maximize the use the new operating system.
Though true, there is little need for all applications to make full use of new features. Games and other types of applications still rely on basic iPhone functions and would have hardly any trouble if they do not ‘maximize’ the new features of the OS.
Anyway, this places most developers at a disadvantage as most use Adobe’s Flash Professional CS in order to make apps. The programs would then be compiled into code that is compatible with the iPhone OS. Without this option available, many developers would have to relearn how to develop applications using the given tools with the software development kit.
While Apple risks alienating many developers, there is no doubt that iPhone market is still largest pool of smart phone users that actually purchase online content. Apple believes that with or without Flash, developers would have to learn how to develop for the new OS regardless.
In the meanwhile, Apple has already dealt a heavy blow to Adobe. Share for Adobe fell over 3 percent in the past couple of days and unless the company is able to make changes, many expect the trend to continue.
Read more about how Apple is taking its competition seriously at Mobile Choice UK.
Apple iPhone 4.0: Problems with Ads and Apps
It was surprising to hear Steve Jobs talk about new embedded advertisements as if it was a great thing for end users. Granted that it will bring in more revenue for companies, the fact of the matter is that the average end user hates ads. In fact, it is even hard to find a minority of end users who enjoy having ads.
Now, the iAds feature is apparently going to being plenty more advertising content in almost everything that an iPhone user will be doing; looks like the inclusion of the Multitasking option is not just for the user, but also for Apple to be able to run the iAds app in the background as well.
Steve Jobs has not identified iAds as an app per se, but it will certainly be running in the phone’s background regardless. And from the looks of it, the feature is part of the new OS as opposed to an optional element that users can choose to not install.
The only hope here is that there will be an opt-out choice too.
Apple is also going to cause app developers some serious grief as they have practically banned the use of Adobe Flash for developing software for the iPhone. Many developers rely on Flash to iPhone compilers in order to convert their works into iPhone compatible format. This little ban on Adobe may be a critical business move on the part of Apple, but it certainly does not win them any brownie points from the developer community –dictating which programs can be used in development has always been a major problem.
The new OS update was announced last Thursday night.
Get to know more about the new features, details and overall impact of the iPhone 4.0 OS update at Tech Radar.
Apple’s iPad has Plenty to Offer the Casual Gamer
If you love your video game console, then expect to be utterly disappointed with the quality of games available on the iPad. At best, these games are obviously meant to keep you amused for a certain amount of time until you grow tired of the repetitive gameplay and pay up for the next title that catches your attention.
Such is gaming on the Apple iPad. Despite the fact that there are already over 800 iPad games already available for players, the actually gameplay value of these titles are little or no better than those old coin op arcade titles. Still, plunking down a substantially small amount of money for one or two games to keep entertained is reasonable. But purchasing enough to actually net you a good title on Steam or a bargain bin console classic would be shame.
On the other hand, if fiddling around with a joy-pad controlled video game was never to your liking and all you really want to do is to enjoy some games that would have you exercise your hand eye coordination, then getting an iPad to simply check your web profile and play some casual game titles is the perfect thing for you.
If the already huge library of amusing titles were not enough, then iPad owners can turn to an even bigger library of apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch –the touch screen tablet is compatible with old applications.
Aside from playing games and browsing the internet, the iPad also works as en eBook reader. Fans of the older Kindle do not need to worry about migrating, Apple supports the Kindle eBook reader app which lets you log in to your Kindle account and access your library.
Find out more about casual games being released on the Apple iPad tablet at Reuters.
Gearing Up the iPad
The Apple iPad is not going to be sold outside of the United States until later this April 24 when Apple finally brings the device out for an international launch, but that will not stop you from foraging through your pile of iPhone and iPod Touch accessories that you will be using when the iPad finally comes out.
The good thing about Apple devices is that they are often compatible with accessories and add-ons for other Apple gadgets. This applies to chargers, speakers, microphones and more. So before you decide to finally retire your old set of Apple speakers, you might want to see if you can use it for the touch screen tablet.
According to Apple fans, the iPad requires much more in terms of power as compared to the iPhone. This means that charging the device using iPhone chargers will be slow, but at the same time, the chargers will allow you to connect to a wall outlet as opposed to being stuck using a USB charger.
The only thing to be mindful of is that most low power chargers will not even work on the iPad and the ones that do will charge the iPad very slowly –best use this to leave the device charging while it is shut off. In terms of speakers, the iPad can connect to almost any Bluetooth speaker, but it will not recognize microphones.
For those still undecided about purchasing an iPad, the device may be expensive and does appear as an unneeded piece of technology, but it certainly beats plenty of other devices in terms of convenience.
The touch screen tablet is by far, the best device to use for casually browsing the internet. The large screen is better than any mobile phone while the touch controls are more intuitive than a mouse and keyboard will ever be.
Read more about accessories and add-ons for the Apple iPad at Macworld
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Apple to Finally Show Off iPhone OS 4.0
With all the attention on the Apple iPad, it takes a moment for anyone to step back and realize that this touch screen tablet is not going to be the Cupertino based company’s main attraction for 2010. In fact, the Apple iPad is playing as second favorite next to the upcoming iPhone 4G smart phone.
Of course, details on the new device are still scarce, but if there is something that Apple intends to show off early, it’s the new iPhone 4.0 operating system. Right now, the biggest news about the news that has been going around lately is that it will feature Expose-like multitasking capabilities –presumably by tapping on the home key twice to bring up a list of running programs.
The addition of multitasking is big news for Apple fans that are used to having basic functionalities being held back. Things that are present in other devices that people take for granted such as multitasking, cut and paste, removable batteries or even support for Adobe Flash. Even the recently released Apple iPad touch screen tablet is devoid of all the listed features above with the exception of cut and paste.
Speaking of the Apple iPad, the device was successfully launched in the United States last April 3 and has hit about 300,000 units sold within the first day alone. According to recent reports, the number has already hit 700,000 by April 5 and many are expecting sales figures to go past the 1 million mark by the end of the week.
Both the iPhone 4G and the iPad are expected to be big items on the wish lists of tech enthusiasts and gadget lovers for 2010.
For the full details on what to expect with the upcoming iPhone operating system 4.0 and everything else Apple and tech, go to Pocket Lint.
Apple iPad: Allows Kindle App
If you are a heavy Amazon Kindle reader and are hesitating to leap into the iPad bandwagon because you fear the loss of your Kindle functionalities, have no fear. Apple has been nice enough to allow 3rd party eBook reader applications to run on the iPad which means that you can fire up the Kindle app on this newest tablet.
Of course, the new touch screen tablet has yet to hit the UK until much later this April so you really have plenty of time to think it over.
Ideally, the iPad is meant for many purposes –not just for reading eBooks. But for users who intend to get this gadget specifically for the eBook functionality, there is a lot to consider. First off, the device is not as light as the Kindle or the Sony Reader. It is great for reading a few pages worth of text, but any long term reading will have you looking for support –ideally, set it on your lap or your leg.
The glare is something that you might want to re-adjust your reading light for. The big glass screen on front tends to reflect a lot. At least the brightness of the screen itself is easy on the eyes, which is a good thing since the brightness auto-adjust setting is pretty faulty.
Overall, it’s a very expensive eBook reader that would still be worth the investment if you care to explore its other functions. As a web browser, the touch screen controls are perfect, making the web even more intuitive to use as compared to having a mouse and keyboard. Of course, lack of Adobe Flash support is a major drag though some website have dedicated iPad apps –such as YouTube that would allow you to access content outside of the browser.
Get to know more about how the iPad stands up to eBook readers at ZDnet.
Maker of the iPod Leaves Just Before iPad Launch
While it may seem like the timing is a little odd for Tom Fadell to announce that he is resigning, according to the folks at Apple, everything is fine.
Tom Fadell has been working for the past two years as an advisor to Apple’s messiah, Steve Jobs. He had taken up the position as an adviser because it is significantly less demanding than the previous position he had gained as the creator of the iPod. This allowed him to spend more of his time focusing on his family.
According to reports, Fadell started out with Real Networks before bringing his idea of a digital music player to Apple. The Cupertino electronics giant saw the value of Fadell’s idea and the iPod (and history) was made. Fadell originally worked under Jon Rubenstein (now the CEO of Palm), before he was promoted to the position as the head of the iPod division –a post that he held until 2008.
The Apple iPad, while not exactly Fadell’s work, is actually an evolution in the iPod and iPhone series of devices. The large touch screen tablet has even been described by many as an oversized iPod Touch (the two shares many similarities, including the fact that OS updates for both will come at a cost and that the iPad is able to run many iPod apps).
To have Fadell leaving Apple just a day before the launch of the iPad certainly raises some questions; in particular, whether his decision to leave is simply something he had planned long ago, or as a result of an internal dispute.
In the meanwhile, Apple will have to be scrambling up production documents and owned patents against the lawsuit being brought up by Elan Microelectronics against Fadell’s touch screen creations.
Find out more about Tom Fadell finally leaving Apple at the Forbes Blog.