Report Claims 7-Inch iPad in August, New iPhone in September, New 10-Inch iPad by End of Year

// May 9th, 2012 // No Comments » // iPad, iPhone

Report Claims 7-Inch iPad in August, New iPhone in September, New 10-Inch iPad by End of Year: “Digitimes has had a hit-or-miss track record when it comes to Apple rumors, but with the site having offered some accurate information in the past, its claims continue to be closely watched. In its latest report, the site lays out a timeline for Apple’s iPhone and iPad plans for the remainder of the year, basing its claims on sources within Apple’s supply chain.

The report focuses on Pegatron, which has served as an alternate assembly partner to Foxconn for a number of Apple products. According to Digitimes, Pegatron has landed orders for both a new iPhone planned to launch in September and a new iPad scheduled to debut ‘in the fourth quarter’.

The iPhone claim appears to be a reasonable one given current thinking that Apple will return to a roughly one-year interval between iPhone updates, with a September launch coming just under a year after the early October introduction of the iPhone 4S last year.

But the iPad claim is a more troublesome one, as Apple has so far stuck to a yearly schedule for iPad hardware updates centered around the March-April timeframe. A late 2012 release of a new ’10-inch iPad’ presumably arriving as a next-generation version of the current device would mark a significantly shorter lifecycle for the current model than would be expected.

Similar rumors of a late-year iPad update surfaced last year before being quashed amid reports that work on the new Retina display would keep Apple on its yearly update cycle.

Mockup of 7.85-inch iPad next to an iPhone (courtesy of CiccareseDesign)

Digitimes makes one final claim in its latest report, indicating that Foxconn will be a manufacturing partner for a smaller 7-inch iPad, which is planned for release in August. Claims of such a device have been circulating for some time with some reports similarly pointing to a Q3 launch, and it seems likely that Apple has at least toyed with the idea. It is unclear, however, whether the company truly has any intentions of bringing it out of its design lab.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Another New Apple Store Coming to Spain on May 12
• Judge Tosses Proviews U.S. Suit Against Apple over iPad Trademark
• Apple Wants Trial Started in Samsung Case to Stop ‘Continuing Infringement’
• TwitPic Releases iPhone App
• Apple Cuts Pricing on Refurbished Original iPad and iPad 2 Models by $20-$50

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3rd Generation iPad Reviews: Retina Display “Stunning”, LTE Speeds Impressive

// March 15th, 2012 // No Comments » // iPad

3rd Generation iPad Reviews: Retina Display “Stunning”, LTE Speeds Impressive: “

The embargo has lifted on the reviews for the 3rd Generation iPad, and they are starting to trickle out. Here are links and summaries of some of the more prominent reviews:

Macworld Review and Video

– Text in most apps will automatically take advantage of Retina display, though with some exceptions (Kindle App)

– “The third-generation iPad had a frame rate 1.6 times that of the iPad 2”

– 3rd Gen iPad almost identical physically to iPad 2

– Video quality of 1080p video recorded was “very good” even in low light

– "AT&T’s LTE network in San Francisco was impressive." with 14.5Mbps/20.6Mbps download and upload rates.

LoopInsight Review

– “Remember how startling it was to go from one of those giant standard definition projector TVs to an HDTV? That’s what this is like.”

– Screen is a huge difference from iPad 2.

– Movies and photos are crystal clear

TechCrunch

– “Once you see and use the new iPad, there will be no going back.”

– LTE: “Really fast. Faster-than-my-WiFi fast.”

– LTE: 40 mbps down and 20mbps up on Verizon

– Bigger battery, and does get noticeably warm in lower left corner after prolonged use.

The Verge Review and Video

– “I’m not being hyperbolic or exaggerative when I say it is easily the most beautiful computer display I have ever looked at.”

– Verizon LTE: 22Mbps down, 21Mbps in mid-town Manhattan

– Battery tests almost matched Apple’s claims.

AllThingsD

– “If you already own an iPad 2, and like it, you shouldn’t feel like you have to rush out to buy the new one.”

– Was able to use smaller font sizes to read books and email on 3rd Gen iPad vs iPad 2

NY Times

– “Really, the new iPad should have been called the iPad 2S.”

– “Apple just took its white-hot iPad and added the latest screen, battery and cellular technologies.”

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Apple Releases Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.10
• Claim of Samsung as Sole Display Supplier for New iPad Disputed, LG Reportedly On Board
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• UAE Ministers Given iPads as Part of E-Briefcase Initiative
• Camera+ App Updated With New Sharing, Shooting Modes, and Extensive APIs

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The main persistent weakness/problem with the new 1080p AppleTV (3?) = no USB port that allows access to external storage of movies – WHY?!?

// March 8th, 2012 // No Comments » // AppleTV, Boxee Box, iCloud, iOS, iPad, iPhone

I purchased the first small black square AppleTV (2?) and resold it because it does NOT support attaching an external hard drive, and directly playing movies that you have created in iMovie (with your iPhone or iPad or another camera), and/or legally recorded from commercial television (I use an EyeTV HD device for this).

The newest version is no different, besides a different GUI, faster processor, and finally supporting 1080p it is exactly the same animal.

Why does Apple assume that you do not want to play locally stored movies? Why must all of the movies be accessed from the cloud or by streaming them wirelessly or by ethernet from your Mac/iTunes to your AppleTV?

Yes, iPad and iPhone mirroring on your big screen is tempting, but why must all of the video be downloaded and at least cached on the AppleTV, before it is played? Bandwidth hog anyone?

AppleTV Ports and Interfaces

HDMI2
Optical audio
10/100BASE-T Ethernet
Built-in IR receiver
Micro-USB (for service and support) – how about for attaching an external hard drive? How hard would this be?

This (above) is all she wrote – really now, how hard would it be for Apple to add a USB port to the list?

Until Apple addresses this I will have to live with the limitations of a Boxee Box, and hope that someday, somehow Boxee will allow easy creation and use of video playlists – another completely mindless omission.

Verizon Including Mobile Hotspot in iPad Data Plans at No Additional Charge

// March 8th, 2012 // No Comments » // iPad, iPhone

Verizon Including Mobile Hotspot in iPad Data Plans at No Additional Charge: “GottaBeMobile reports that Verizon has officially announced that its data plans for the new iPad Wi-Fi + 4G will include mobile hotspot functionality at no additional charge. The feature allows users to share the device’s cellular connection, broadcasting it as Wi-Fi signal that can be used to provide data connectivity for notebook computers and other devices.

What I didn’t see when I went looking for [details] is how much extra mobile hotspot costs. On Verizon, adding this feature on phones adds an extra $20/month but also an extra 2GB of data, meaning you can get up to 12GB in a month if you’re willing to pay $100.

However, a Verizon Wireless spokesperson informed me that for tablets (including the new iPad), the mobile hotspot feature is included in the data plan’s price. iPad owners won’t have to pay extra to activate mobile hotspot, even with the 1GB plan.

AT&T has yet to announce specific plans for mobile hotspot functionality on the new iPad, as a statement provided to 9to5Mac indicates that the carrier is “working with Apple” on the issue, but isn’t offering this capability at all at the moment.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• RadioShack Offering Pre-Orders for New iPad via $50 Gift Card Purchase
• NASA and Rovio Release First Gameplay Video From Angry Birds Space
• Apple Extends 'iSight' Name to iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 Rear Cameras
• New iPad Appears to Utilize Qualcomm's MDM9600 Baseband Chip
• Shipping Estimates for New Apple TV Slip to 1-2 Weeks

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Apple Issues Media Invitations for iPad 3 Media Event on March 7th

// February 28th, 2012 // No Comments » // AppleTV, iPad

Apple Issues Media Invitations for iPad 3 Media Event on March 7th: “

Nailing the rumored introduction date on the head, Apple has begun to issue media invitations for an iPad-themed media event which will be held on March 7th at 1:00PM Eastern at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

The tagline of the invitation simply reads “We have something you really have to see. And touch.” Of course, this event is believed to be the launching point for the next-generation iPad, which is expected to sport a quad-core processor, retina display, and a slightly altered design.

Tune in to iSource on March 7th for up-to-date coverage and opinion on the announcement.

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‘iPad 4’ Headed for October Launch with iPad 3 as Interim Upgrade?

// January 6th, 2012 // No Comments » // iPad

‘iPad 4’ Headed for October Launch with iPad 3 as Interim Upgrade?: “In an effort to continue throwing ideas at the wall to see what might stick, the only occasionally reliable Digitimes today reported that not only will Apple be releasing the iPad 3 with high-resolution “Retina” display in March as is widely expected, but that the company will follow that up with the release of the iPad 4 in October.

On the topic of the iPad 3, Digitimes suggests that the Retina display will be the main attraction of the new device, with better battery life also serving to entice customers. But other hardware upgrades for the iPad 3 are said to be rather minimal, as Apple is reportedly rolling out the iPad 3 alongside an iPad 2 price cut to $399 as an interim effort to set the stage for a bigger battle with the competition later in the year.

Apple will ship the so-called “iPad 3” with a full HD display in March and then “iPad 4” – named so by its component suppliers – with killer applications in October, according to industry sources in Taiwan. […]

But a true battle for market share will arrive in the second half of the year when Apple ships its iPad 4 in October, about the time when Microsoft releases its Window 8 and Intel unveils its Clover Trail-W platform, the sources commented.

The 9.7-inch iPad 4 is expected to come with much upgraded hardware specifications and integrated applications so as to compete with an array of Android-, Wintel- or WoA (Windows on ARM)-based tablet PCs to be released in the fourth quarter, said the sources.

The rumor is somewhat reminiscent of last year’s round of claims, which suggested that the iPad 2’s successor would appear in late 2011 as an interim upgrade carrying a Retina display. Claims of a late 2011 iPad came from several different sources in July and early August of last year before other sources including The Wall Street Journal put the claim to rest.

Digitimes has a proliferative record of Apple-related rumors and has occasionally offered accurate information. But its information is generally considered unreliable given a significant number of claims that have failed to materialize. Claims of two separate iPad launches this year are sure to pique interest though, and we’ll be waiting to hear if other sources offer similar information going forward.

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Updates to the Gospel Library App

// January 3rd, 2012 // No Comments » // iPad, iPhone, LDSTech

Updates to the Gospel Library App: “

Gospel Library provides a comprehensive collection of Church material on your mobile device, including scriptures, conference addresses, magazines, manuals, and even videos. Recently the Gospel Library app for iOS has been updated with three new features:

• Improved media playback options
• Study Notebook integration
• LDS Music integration

Improved Media Playback Options

You can now listen to audio narrations for English scriptures, general conference addresses, magazines, and some lesson material. You can also watch videos of general conference addresses and other material. When you’re viewing content with media playback options, a play button appears enabled in the lower-right corner of the app.

When you click the Play button for conference addresses, you’re prompted with either video or audio media options.

If you play the audio, the play button changes states to indicate the audio is playing. If you choose the video option, the video stream plays.

Overall, the media playback gives you more options to consume the content, rather than just reading.

Note that the inclusion of audio and video with Gospel Library requires the presence of media links in the content. These media links were not included in previous content downloads, so to play the audio or video, you must either delete and re-install the library content (a somewhat tedious process), or you must delete and re-install the Gospel Library app (the preferred method).

Before you delete the app, make sure any notes you added have been synchronized with your LDS Account (otherwise they will be lost when you delete the app).

To delete and re-install the Gospel Library app:

1. Start Gospel Library.
2. Back up any notes by going to Settings > Account Settings. Click Sync Now. Wait until the Pending Changes number becomes zero.
3. Tap the iPhone’s Home button to exit the app.
4. Tap and hold the Gospel Library app icon until the icon wiggles and shows an X.
5. Tap the X.
6. Press the iPhone’s Home button to return to the normal mode.
7. Open to the App Store and search for LDS Gospel Library.
8. Install the app. Then start it.
9. Tap Manage Library.
10. Tap the content you want to download.
11. Tap the green download arrow to download the content.

When you re-download the latest content to the Library, the new content will contain media links to play audio and video. (Note that the audio or video itself does not download locally but rather streams from a Church server; you must have either WiFi or a cellular connection to play the media).

Study Notebook Integration

My Study Notebook is now accessible from within the iOS Gospel Library app. Previously, notes synchronized between the two apps, but now you can access My Study Notebook directly within the Gospel Library interface, rather than just from LDS.org. A Notebook button appears in the upper-left corner of the Gospel Library app home screen.

This Notebook view shows you content from My Study Notebook. These items include the following:

• Marks: Passages you highlighted.
• Notes: Passages you annotated.
• Tags: Passages you have tagged.
• Links: Passages you have linked.
• Documents: Documents help you collect and organize your notes for talks, lessons, and topical study.

Probably the most common features are tags and documents. When you tag passages with a keyword, such as millennium, all passages with that same tag appear in a list.

You can add passages to a document by tapping and holding a verse, and then tapping Send.

LDS Music Integration

The iOS Gospel Library app also integrates with LDS Music. When you view a song from the Hymnbook or Children’s Songbook, a link labeled Open in LDS Music link appears at the top of the screen. When you click the link, the song opens in LDS Music. LDS Music shows sheet music and plays audio.

In the image above, the left screen is from Gospel Library. When you click Open in LDS Music, the hymn opens in LDS Music. When you finish the song, the Return to Gospel Library link takes you back to Gospel Library.

Note that if you don’t have LDS Music installed, when you click Open in LDS Music, you will be invited to install it.

Roadmap

Currently these new features are only available for the iOS version of Gospel Library. Eventually the features will be available for the other platforms as well.

“

 

Apple Set to Become World’s Largest PC Manufacturer When Tablets Are Counted in the Mix

// November 22nd, 2011 // No Comments » // iOS, iPad

Apple Set to Become World’s Largest PC Manufacturer When Tablets Are Counted in the Mix: “

Canalys, a research firm, has noted that Apple is closing in on becoming the world’s largest PC manufacturer by volume when the iPad and other tablets are included in those numbers. Apple, as of right now, is behind only HP in that regard, and Canalys suggests that Apple will overtake HP either by the end of this year, or with a surge of sales with the introduction of the next-generation iPad in the first quarter of next year.

For what it’s worth, Apple is already the number one mobile PC vendor when the iPad is included. HP still sells more desktop machines however, and this has been enough to keep Apple at bay for the time being.

Also for what it’s worth, the iPad is likely cannibalizing some Mac sales, but Apple seems to be ok with that because of the company’s relatively small PC market share. In other words, the iPad is eating into Mac and PC sales, but because Apple has lower market share, Microsoft and PC manufacturers have far more at stake.

I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face- 2012 is going to be an interesting year.

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A Clear Explanation of iTunes Match

// November 15th, 2011 // No Comments » // iCloud, iOS, iPad, iPhone

A Clear Explanation of iTunes Match: “After a bit of delay, Apple launched iTunes Match today. The new $25/year service offers users the ability to match their existing iTunes library with high quality versions in Apple’s iCloud. The new service, however, has generated a bit of confusion about what exactly happens to your music library after you have enabled it.

One of the first questions, how to determine the iCloud status of a particular song, is solved by right-clicking the column bar at the top of the iTunes window (or pressing Command-J) and making sure “iCloud Status” is selected.

MacRumors forum user Nunyabinez has written a detailed explanation of how iTunes Match works that should answer a number of potential questions if you are planning to enable the feature. We’ve summarized the key points here, but the full post is worth a read if you are planning on using Tunes Match.

– When you enable Match it goes through a three step process. Analyzing your library, matching songs, uploading non-matched content. It does this for your whole library. You can’t choose to exclude songs other than taking them out of your library.

– If a song is matched, it becomes available to download in 256K AAC. If a song is not matched it is copied in its current format and bit rate up to 320K. If the file is Lossless however, it is converted (presumably by your computer) to a 256k AAC file and then uploaded.

– Nothing happens to your local music when you run match. If you have a lower quality song that was matched you can remove it from your local library and then replace it with the 256k version. What happens is you delete the song, but the entry in iTunes stays, but a little cloud now shows up in a newly added column that shows you that you have a song that is in the cloud but not in your library. You can click on the cloud and it will download it to your local library, where again it is now permanently yours at the higher bit rate.

– Match uses your meta-data. If you in an anal-retentive fashion have made lots of custom edits to your files, that is what gets copied to the cloud. Even if you replace your songs with the upgraded versions you keep your previous meta-data.

iTunes Match launched earlier today with the arrival of iTunes 10.5.1. The $24.99/year service offers cloud-based matching and upload of users’ complete iTunes libraries.

Apple (Finally) Launches iTunes Match

// November 14th, 2011 // No Comments » // iCloud, iOS, iPad, iPhone

Apple (Finally) Launches iTunes Match: “

Coming in only several weeks later than Apple had originally announced, the company today has launched iTunes Match. The feature can be accessed with the download of iTunes 10.5.1, and comes in at a cost of $25/year to match a users library of content, that they likely didn’t get throughout the iTunes Store, and make said content available on all of their devices without hardwire syncing.

In other words customers who do not acquire content through the iTunes Store can now have the same benefit of as the people who do- download once, it appears everywhere.

Of course, iTunes Match was due for release by the end of October, but the company missed that timeline, and gave no further information on when the service might become available. Also worth noting, is the fact that iTunes Match is currently a U.S.- only service. However, Apple is reportedly hard at work to secure licensing agreements with international music companies to bring the service to other countries.

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