Showing posts with label iPod Touch. Show all posts

Monday, February 7, 2011

Second iOS 4.3 beta picked apart for clues about upcoming iPad 2

Apple has released iOS 4.3 beta 2 to developers, and some digging into various system files has already revealed clues to new features that may be coming to the next-generation iPad.

It also hints at new social media services, Ping notifications, and a possible February 9 announcement date for the next-gen iPad hardware.

Providing some clues about future camera features for the iPad is an image used to show a preview of what a new wallpaper image will look like on your home screen.

That image contains icons for what looks like FaceTime, Camera, and PhotoBooth applications.

This suggests that the upcoming iPad hardware revision, expected in the next couple months, will indeed have at least a front-facing camera if not also a rear-facing camera.

Other system files suggest that PhotoBooth will offer image filters like Thermal Camera, Mirror, X-Ray, Kaleidoscope, and more.

Additionally, this image shows that the icon for Calendar appears to be set to February 9.

9to5Mac speculates that this could be a hint that Apple will announce (though not necessarily ship) new iPad hardware on that date.

The same image in previous versions of iOS showed the date as January 27, the date the original iPad was announced.

Apple announcements have often been scheduled on Tuesdays in years past, though, and February 9 is a Wednesday.

Apple's special announcement events have been known to come on other days of the week, so this date is at least plausible.

Other evidence in iOS 4.3 beta 2 suggests that Apple is paying more attention to social media services for its mobile ecosystem.

For instance, Ping will now have the ability to receive push notifications (for whatever that's worth) in iOS 4.3.

Additional strings and messages buried deep within the system reveal a "Media Stream" feature that looks to be incomplete, leading to speculation that the feature won't be ready until iOS 5 or later.

However, it appears to reference features like "Find My Friends" to locate friends nearby, as well as sending "Photo Streams" to those friends.

The feature also seems to be connected to MobileMe, possibly for syncing and media storage, suggesting Apple will integrate more features into the service to justify its $99 yearly fee.

The social media features aren't iPad-specific, however, and are likely to work across iPhones and iPod touches as well.

Media Stream and Find My Friends probably won't surface until well after the next-gen iPad's expected launch in late March or early April.

Friday, February 4, 2011

iPhone complex passwords with only numbers

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

iPhone complex passwords with only numbers

Source: hints.macworld.com
Contributed by: computergeeksjw - Jan 31, '11 07:30:00AM

If you're like me, you decided not to use a 'complex passcode' on your iPod touch (or iPhone) because you can see each letter of the passcode as you type it, making it easy for someone to learn your passcode. Well, recently I decided to try a complex passcode with only numbers.

I discovered that if the passcode contains only numbers, the iPod will use an all-number keypad like the 4-digit passcode.

Here are a couple of screenshots to illustrate how this looks:

Friday, January 21, 2011

Digitimes: iPad 2 Will Ship With 5 New Features

Image via Wikipedia

Source: thenextweb.com

Digitimes has cited a report from Chinese news portal Economy Daily News which suggests that Apple’s next generation iPad will incorporate five new features, adding video calling, lighter body, USB ports, new display technology and new 3-axis gyroscopes.

The new features have long been subject to speculation, different sources have already suggested that Apple will feature its FaceTime technology in the iPad 2. With both front and back cameras, users will be able to use the FaceTime service on their iPad, contacting friends and family on their iPhone 4, iPod Touch and Mac computers.

It has also been rumoured that Apple were experimenting with using carbon fiber panels and utilising thinner glass, reducing the mass of the iPad, a device that is currently considerably heavier than other tablet devices in the market. Introducing Apple’s Retina Display technology, coupled with thinner and lighter glass, will ensure high-resolution output and colour performance whilst making the device more portable.

The mention of USB ports is very interesting, particularly as Apple users have long campaigned for them to be added to their tablet devices. This would also signal that iOS would need to be updated to include file management support, something Apple has never offered within its operating system previously.

By adding 3-axis gyroscopes, its possible that Apple will usher in a new wave of tablet physics games, allowing the company to target gamers and younger customers.

Apple understandably remains tight-lipped about its plans, we can expect more information to become available at the beginning of 2011.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Importing iPhone clips into iMovie

My hacked (for apps) iPhone & an iPod Touch at...

Image by Steve Rhodes via Flickr

Importing iPhone clips into iMovie

Just a basic understanding of how iPhone movies are treated by a Mac and new and older versions of iPhoto and iMovie.
Shoot a movie with your iPhone or 4G iPod touch and then attach the device to your Mac via the sync cable.
Check iPhoto's Library pane and you'll see your iPhone listed as a camera.
Again, by default, its contents will appear in iPhoto's main window.

Movies

Prior to iLife '11

Movies you've captured with your iPhone will appear with a small camcorder icon in their bottom left corner.
Select those movies and click the Import Selected button and the movies will be imported to your iPhoto library.
When you launch iMovie it will likely ask if you'd like to update thumbnails for videos in your iPhoto library.
Let it do that by clicking the Now button. When iMovie's done you should see the clips you've recently imported into iPhoto. This describes how it was done prior to iLife '11.

With the latest version of iMovie - iLife 11

If you have the latest version of iMovie you have a more direct route. iPhoto will still launch and you can still import your iPhone and 4G iPod touch movies into it, but you can also import movies directly into iMovie '11.
Launch iMovie '11, attach your iPhone or 4G iPod touch to your Mac, and click the Camcorder icon that appears just above the Event Library.
In a short while iMovie will recognize the iPhone or iPod touch and produce an Import From window that includes all the videos on the attached device.
At this point, import the clips just as you would from any compatible camera or camcorder.
Select the clips you want and click the Import Selected or Import All button.
In the sheet that subsequently appears, choose the event you want to place the clips in (or create a new event).
If you like, enable the After Import Analyze For option and choose Stabilization and People, Stabilization, or People from the pop-up menu.

Concepts:
movies, iPhone, iMovie, iPhoto, clips, iPod touch, launch iMovie, importing, camcorder icon, Mac, Stabilization, videos, window, camera, attach.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What are the benefits of an iPad over a netbook or an iPhone?

Comparison between the iPad and iPod Touch's Keyboard.
The keyboard on the iPad is nice but can be a bit awkward due
to the size of the iPad.

Image via Wikipedia

Source: makeuseof.com

What are the benefits of an iPad over a netbook or an iPhone?

Cassandra G asks:

I’m not being facetious, but what exactly is the point of the iPad? Why not get a netbook or an iPhone?

My partner wants an iPad and *I* want justification for spending this amount of money!

Many thanks.

Ceatif Diva 4 days ago

It appears from the comments to your question those who do not have an iPad have little good to say about then. But those who own one and have taken the time to learn what they can do, wouldn't be without them. I had a PC laptop and it never met my expectations, my iPad has exceeded them.

nancy 6 days ago

As far as iPad vs. Netbook is concerned - I own both. I bought my netbook about a year ago and have used it maybe two or three times at most - and got quite frustrated while using it. I got the iPad about a month ago and I've used it on a daily basis. Some people might say that they need a physical keyboard but honestly most netbook's keyboards are a lot more difficult to use than the iPad's onscreen keyboard. Other than that, it's such a sleek device and there's no end to how you can use it because of the variety of apps that are available.

Put the iPad together with the camera connection kit and you'll never have to travel with a laptop again imho.

Compared to the iPhone is another story - it really depends on what your needs are. With the iPad itself there's the choice of 3G or WiFi.

And then in comparison it to the iPhone - do you want a camera? Do you want to use it to listen to music in your car? If that's the case - go for the iPhone instead. But if you want to watch movies, play games, send emails, read ebooks and even blog (to a certain extent) - go for the iPad. You don't have to convert .avi files if you use a free app like VLC, you can watch flash videos using the paid app Skyfire, and there is multitasking with the new OS that was just released.

I'm a huge fan of the iPad - despite the fact that my first impression of it was that it was just an oversized iPod Touch. Your partner is going for the good stuff!

Saikat Basu - 1 week ago

Well, firstly the iPad is the beauty to the Netbook's beast.

Secondly, the iPad (and iPhone) is more of a multimedia device that's great for video, web browsing, or social networking with email.

The Netbook on the other hand is more functional. It's just like a laptop only smaller. You can video char, type in long documents and work with lighter apps that don't strain the CPU too much (serious graphic software would be a no-no).

From what I have hear, it's more difficult to type on iPad's on-screen touch keyboard than it is on a netbook.

You cannot really compare these three on a one-to-one basis.Your choice will boil down to what you ultimately plan to do on any of these devices.

Mike said 1Week ago

Well as for the iPhone most common reasons are the price, the screen size and simply that it's a mobile phone.

The iPhone 4 will cost you more money than the iPad WiFi.

- iPhone 4 32GB with contract ~299$ + smallest package ~15$ * 24 Months = ~659$
- iPhone 4 32GB without contract ~700$
- iPad WiFi 32GB ~600$

The screen size of the iPad makes a lot of things more comfortable ~ movies, eBooks/pdfs and webpages (there are lot of webpages not optimized for mobile devices)... for example a friend of mine is using it for reading newspapers and as a cookbook in the kitchen, two things where the iPhones' screen size will hit it's limits regarding usability.

As for netbooks there is probably lot of room for discussion.
My personal points would be:
~ Touchscreen
easier and more comfortable to use than keyboard and trackpad
imagine holding your netbook with one hand, and type with the other *no-fun*

~ Screen size
while all Apps are made for iPhone/iPad screens most Software is not for Netbooks
if you ever run Outlook or Excel on a Netbook you will know what I mean

~ ease of use
A Netbook basically is a mobile PC with "low end hardware". You don't have to be a rocket scientist but sooner or later you will run into the same Windows/Linux challenges and problems.
Solving those without losing data and settings is the same pain as on a PC. For an iPad it's like 2 clicks ~ restore to factory defaults, restore backup which is automatically created by iTunes.

~ Security, Malware and compatibility
On an iPad you don't really have to worry about that (except for it being stolen, which is the same for all and any devices). Apple does all the testing and stuff before Apps get into the App Store.

I did buy a netbook about a year ago and all I have done so far is testing out a few Linux distros... it's small and bulky, the power adapter is huge and when leaving the optical drive at home I could also leave the whole thing because my iPhone (or for that matter an iPad) can do the very same things.

Read more of this discussion at makeuseof.com/answers

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

iPad - Frequently Asked Questions Answered

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

iPad FAQ: Your top 14 questions answered

Source: msnbc.msn.com

Article Summary:

Does my iPad have a hard drive?

Instead, it uses NAND-based memory to duplicate the functions of a spinning hard disk, which would suck up enough power to send battery miser Steve Jobs over the edge.

All your applications, videos, photographs, downloaded music, movies, television programs and other data goes into the flash memory.

Depending on how much money you decided to throw at Apple, your iPad has 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of storage space.

Compared to a new Mac or PC, the iPad's storage is Lilliputian: The low-end MacBook Pro, for example, has a 160 GB hard drive, while the cheapest iMac sports 500 GB.

But it's in line with the capacity of its closest cousin, the dinky iPod Touch.

Can I print from the iPad?

No. Apple didn't stick a USB port in the tablet.

You'll have to shunt what you want to a print to a PC or Mac using e-mail, or sync the iPad using iTunes or MobileMe, then print from there.

I want to read some books. What do I do?

Apple's supposed to add its free iBook app to the App Store on Saturday.

Install it and you'll be able to purchase e-books from the limited stock - limited compared to Amazon.com's e-book inventory, at least - that Apple's put together for the launch.

Last week, Amazon announced it would rewrite its Kindle software - already available for the iPhone, as well as the Mac and PC - for the iPad.

On Friday, the Kindle iPad app became available.

And how does the iPad do as an e-reader?

We haven't put hands to one long enough to find out.

Can I watch movies, TV?

You can rent movies or purchase television episodes from iTunes, or if you're a Netflix member, download the free app to stream movies and TV shows to your iPad.
ABC has also posted viewing software (ABC Player) on the App Store, the only major television network to do so by late Thursday.

Can I do real work on my iPad?

Depends on how you define real (as opposed to fake work, which for us means a nap or ESPN), but you can write and crunch numbers and craft soul-sucking presentations if you buy the three apps that make up the iPad version of Apple's iWork suite.
Apple's used a way-back machine to return to the days of the unbundle, when suites weren't collections with a single price, but an agglomeration of separately-purchased programs that worked together, more or less.
In other words, you buy the three applications - Pages, Numbers and Keynote - separately from the App Store.
Of course, if you're a numbers person and wouldn't know a gerund from a gradated background, you pay for only what you want and the hell with the rest.

There's no camera on the iPad, so how do I get photos onto the thing?

Out of the box, the sync cable is your friend: Use it and iTunes to synchronize collections on your computer with the iPad.
By the way, you'll need to update your Mac or PC to iTunes 9.1 - Apple slipped that out Tuesday - to sync with the iPad and organize the books you buy with the iBook app.
If there's $29 burning a hole in your pocket, you can spring for the iPad Camera Connection Kit.
One of the two adapters accepts a camera's SD memory card; the other links your camera's USB cable with the iPad.
Too bad the kit doesn't ship until later this month.

I tried the on-glass keyboard and hate it.

The iPad also syncs with Bluetooth keyboards, so if you have one of those, you should be able to link and use it without any trouble.
Apple sells a combination keyboard and iPad dock - called, not surprisingly, the iPad Keyboard Dock - that also includes an audio jack for connecting the iPad to speakers or a stereo system.
While some reviewers have received a dock, Apple's not shipping to the rest of us until late this month.
An Apple-branded Bluetooth keyboard - basically, the same keyboard as in the dock - also costs $69 and is available now.

I have a MobileMe account. Can I add the iPad to the list of my devices to sync?

To MobileMe, Apple's sync and storage service, the iPad is just another device.
You can sync the mail, contacts and calendar on the iPad with your iPhone, Mac or PC; use MobileMe's 20GB iDisk to store documents, like those you create with the iWork apps; register with the Find My iPad feature; and remotely wipe a lost or stolen tablet.
If you don't have a MobileMe account, you can try the service for 60 days free of charge.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Review of Remote App

Image by Paul Mayne via Flickr

Remote Review

Free app dramatically improves Apple TV’s music playback and works well for video

macworld.com

Compatibility: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch.

With Remote you can control the music on your computer or Apple TV from your iPod touch or iPhone.

See your songs, playlists, and album art on your iPod touch or iPhone as if you were right in front of your computer.

Remote works with your Wi-Fi network, so you can control playback from anywhere in and around your home.

It's no surprise that Apple's Remote application headed up the App Store's list of Top Free Apps immediately after the iPhone application store launched.

After installing Remote on an iPhone or iPod touch, the portable's touchscreen becomes the best remote control I've yet seen for controlling an Apple TV -- or iTunes running on a computer -- located on the same local network.

(Your iPhone or iPod touch must be connected to that network via WiFi.)

App makes controlling a speaker system with iTunes incredibly easy.

Has an interface just like using iPod app.

I'm going to start off by saying the only thing you need to hear?

It lets you control music, request and rate songs in iTunes DJ, and edit playlists.

This app works very well to control iTunes.

The concept is very cool, I only wish I had the money to connect a Mac to my home stereo.

What's even cooler is if you have friends with an iPhone, then can access your library while you're playing music via iTunes DJ and request songs to be played.

As the owner, once you've paired your phone with your iTunes, you have total control over the play order and other things going on within iTunes.

This app demonstrates again how much attention Apple pays to its products.

This app is so useful in many ways.

Especially using Airport Express with this app make it even more useful.

You can be anywhere in your house and control what music is playing.

Even my wife likes to use this app.

It has a lot of potential and I look forward to apple TV support.

The Apple Remote App allows us a lot of flexibility now.

When watching a movie one can quickly go to any part of the movie without having to fast forward to get to that spot.

Just move the slider to the time point you want.When doing a slide presentation with background music, not only can you see what track that is being played on your iPod Touch or Phone, you can also change the song within the playlist or even another album altogether.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

All this without interrupting the slide show on your TV.Neat job on the PodCast viewing.

While watching a PodCast, you can view on your Apple Remote App other PodCast episodes in a list view for alternate choices.The response time is quick.

This is a great app but does not completely replace the Apple TV remote.

It works great with iTunes and works as a keyboard for the Apple TV but it is missing some useful features.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

iPad Specs and Speeds

Source: Macworld.com
Posted on Apr 4, 2010 7:20 am by Jason Snell

Before diving into the details of the iPad, it’s worth recapping some of the details of the product. There are currently three versions available, all identical save for the amount of onboard storage: a $499 16GB model, $599 32GB model, and $699 64GB model. Three other models with built-in 3G networking in addition to Wi-Fi will be available later in April, at the same storage sizes: 16GB for $629, 32GB for $729, and 64GB for $829. Before you buy a Wi-Fi-only model, it’s worth considering how you might use the 3G models.


Speed test
                   Sunspider 
  iPad             10.4
  iPod touch 64GB  15.6           
    (late 2009)
  iPhone 3GS       15.5 
  iPod touch       33.4 
    2nd-gen. 
  iPhone 3G        40.8 
  iPod touch       44.9 
    1st-gen. 
  iPhone           43.0 
    (original)

Results are in seconds. Best results in bold. Reference systems in italic.
iPad tested with iPhone OS 3.2. All other devices were tested running iPhone OS 3.1.

With the iPhone and iPod touch, Apple has been reluctant to talk about processors and speeds, preferring to treat those products as magical black boxes. But we must forgive Apple for crowing a little bit about the processor that powers the iPad, because it was custom-designed by Apple itself. The new A4 processor, running at 1GHz, is a “system on a chip”—in other words, it was built to run the iPad, not chosen from a parts list and adapted to work for the iPad.

Geeky chip talk aside, the iPad flies. It was fast at almost everything I threw at it. The only times I found myself waiting were either for content to download over the network or for one of the iWork apps to convert a file into its native file format. Games played smoothly, with gorgeous graphics. There’s no lag when panning and zooming around large images. Any touch-based device stands or falls based on how quickly and smoothly the content on the screen can react to the movement of fingers on that screen. The iPad passes that test masterfully.

As a bare measure of speed, I ran the SunSpider JavaScript performance test from within the iPad’s Safari browser. The iPad passed the tests in 10.4 seconds. Last September I ran that same test on every iPhone OS model ever released, and the fastest device of the lot (the iPhone 3GS) ran the test in 15.5 seconds. (In contrast, the original iPhone took 43 seconds to run that test.) So the iPad has taken the crown as the fastest iPhone OS device on the planet.

Apple hasn’t released details of the battery that’s powering the iPad, but whatever combination of battery and power efficiency is lurking behind that aluminum back, it’s impressive. Apple boasts a 10-hour battery life for the iPad, and most reports from reviewers who have spent a week or more with the device suggest that the real-world life of that battery is even longer. My two days with the iPad bear out those reports. If you charge the iPad overnight, you can pretty much use it the whole day.

We’ll have more extensive speed and battery testing in the next few days at Macworld.com, but the short version is this: it’s fast and the battery lasts.

Next - Typing on the iPad

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Apple iPad review

Image via CrunchBase

Source: Macworld.com
Posted on Apr 4, 2010 7:20 am by Jason Snell

Ambitious new product makes an impressive debut

It was hyped and ripped before it even had a name, and after it was announced, it was both praised and panned. Apple’s iPad has been the subject of debates about the future of technology and media, and massive speculation about whether people will really want to buy and use it.

Without a doubt, it’s remarkably easy to dump a heap of existential baggage on the iPad. It’s likely that its existence is a direct repudiation of the last 25 years of computer interfaces, an era kicked off by Apple itself. It’s a product in a category—tablet computers—that has been a flop despite nearly a decade of hype.

But before we get into the big, existential questions about the iPad and what it means for life on Earth, it’s probably a good idea to look at what the product actually is: a solid glass-and-metal slab of high technology.

Holding the slab

The iPad may be the most impressive piece of Apple hardware I have ever handled. It weighs a pound-and-a-half—much heavier than an iPhone, but much lighter than a laptop. The front is almost entirely glass, save a thin aluminum frame at the edge. The back is a gently curved plate of anodized aluminum with a black Apple logo smack in the middle.

The iPad is designed to be held and carried, and it couldn’t have felt more solid in my hands. What my senses told me is that this is not a delicate piece of technology to be coddled, but a rugged device that I should feel free to tote wherever I want to go. (Yes, I know some of that feeling is an illusion—it would probably be a bad idea to hurl the iPad like you’re tossing a ball of pizza dough, especially while standing on concrete. But that doesn’t change the fact that, with the solid glass front and tapered aluminum back, the product feels nigh invulnerable.)

The iPad’s touchscreen is 9.7 inches measured diagonally, with a resolution of 1024-by-768 pixels. That’s the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio found on older TV sets, as opposed to the 16:9 ratio favored by modern HDTVs. The screen resolution is 132 pixels per inch, less than the 163 pixels per inch found on the iPhone. The iPad’s glass front continues past the screen, creating a bezel three-quarters of an inch wide all the way around. (The bezel is a good place to put your thumbs when you’re holding the iPad, so you can keep a solid grip without interfering with the touchscreen.)

I found the iPad’s screen to be extremely bright, with vibrant color and a broad viewing angle. I absentmindedly set my iPad down on my coffee table while it was displaying an article within Instapaper Pro, and was surprised to notice that I could clearly read the text despite the extreme angle, thanks to the same in-plane switching (IPS) technology used in iMac displays. (At a certain angle I could also see an array of fingerprints—and boy, does this screen collect them. Fortunately, it’s got the same oil-repellant coating as the screen on the iPhone 3GS, meaning one quick wipe with a sleeve and they’re history.)

Now about the size of that screen. When the iPad was announced, one of the common criticisms of the product was that it’s just a bigger version of the iPod touch. That’s true so far as it goes, but I suspect a lot of the people who said it didn’t understand just how vital that increased screen real-estate—the iPad has five times as many pixels as the iPhone or iPod touch—really is.

Sure, if the interfaces of iPad apps were just scaled-up versions of iPhone apps (like what you get if you run iPhone-only apps on the iPad), the iPad would be the technological equivalent of one of those oversized novelty checks presented to lottery winners. But what the additional pixels really allow is entirely new, richer, and more complex interactions. On the iPhone, an app like Mail is a series of single screens, with the user constantly burrowing down and then backing up like a confused gopher. (Tap on an account, then the Inbox, then a message, then tap the back button, tap another message, tap the back button three times, tap another account, tap Inbox…) The iPad changes that experience by displaying the body of messages in their own, capacious pane, while your mailboxes and lists of messages fight over a smaller pane or, in portait orientation, a pop-over element

Beyond the more sophisticated user-interface possibilities, the iPad’s large screen opens the door for new gestures that simply wouldn’t work on a pocketable device. You can put lots of fingers (and, indeed, both hands) on the iPad, to type or to interact with on-screen objects. This is one of those areas where the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and people who disparage the iPad as merely a hyper-thyroidal iPhone are failing to see the bigger picture.

Next: iPad Specs and Speeds

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Apple Mac Tablet rumors: February production start, 10-inch LCD screen

Source: appleinsider.com

Checks within Apple's supply chain have led to a new round of tablet-related rumors from one analyst, who believes the device will launch in March or April of 2010 with a 10.1-inch LCD screen.
Yair Reiner, analyst with Oppenheimer, revealed his latest tablet news in a note to investors issued Wednesday morning. He also said that Apple has been reaching out to book publishers with a "very attractive proposal" for offering content on a forthcoming ebook platform.
Reiner believes the tablet could provide an additional 50 cents to 75 cents in earnings per share for AAPL stock.
"Our checks into Apple's supply chain indicate the manufacturing cogs for the tablet are creaking into action and should begin to hit a mass market stride in February," the note said. "At this stage Apple appears to be sizing its supply chain to support production of as many as 1M units per month."
Reiner said Apple would likely need at least five or six weeks of inventory built up before it can release the product, positioning a likely launch in March or April. Such a launch would assume there are no production issues, like the one believed to have led to the last-minute removal of a camera from the latest iPod touch.
He also said that the device will have a 10.1-inch multi-touch display using LTPS LCD technology, the same as on the iPhone. He specifically disputed an earlier report that a high-end model would sport an OLED display.
Apple is also said to be offering publishers a deal that will allow them to release their content on other online stores, such as for Amazon's Kindle, or for new, forthcoming digital storefronts from major publishers. But Apple could sweeten the pot by offering a better deal than some companies, like Amazon, currently offer.
"Contacts in the U.S. tell us Apple is approaching book publishers with a very attractive proposal for distributing their content," Reiner said. "Apple will split revenue 30/70 (Apple/publisher); give the same deal to all comers; and not request exclusivity. We believe the typical Kindle split is 50/50, rising to 30/70 if Kindle is given ebook exclusivity."
He went on to say that the Kindle has "disgruntled the publishing industry" by strong-arming companies into exclusivity through a "wolfish cut of revenue" taken if they sell their content elsewhere. The Kindle also does not allow advertising in content it sells for its device.
"The tablet is set to change that," Reiner said. "It should also make ebooks more relevant for education by simplifying functions such as scribbling marginalia."
Oppenheimer predicts that the company could sell between 1 million and 1.5 million devices per quarter at an average selling price of $1,000. The company has a price target of $235 for AAPL stock.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Apple Tablet Ready by Xmas, Served with Multimedia 'Cocktail'

Image via CrunchBase

Source: www.pcworld.com
Daniel Ionescu Jul 27, 2009 10:12 pm

Apple is racing to launch a tablet-sized device in time for the Christmas shopping season, according to a report from the Financial Times (FT). Featuring a 10-inch touch screen display, Apple's tablet is also said to launch alongside "Cocktail," a project designed to increase sales of CD-length music.

The Apple tablet, rumored for more than a year now, has finally gained some credibility with FT's report today. The publication also quotes "executives familiar with the plans" saying that Apple could be planning a simultaneous launch of the tablet with a new service that is "all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music."

What we know about the Apple tablet

FT is scarce on details about Apple's upcoming tablet device. The report describes device as a "full-featured, tablet-sized computer" which will be out just in time for the Christmas shopping season. The tablet's screen is reported to be up to 10 inches in diagonal but it won't have phone capabilities like the iPhone.

The FT says the Apple tablet will have Wi-Fi, allowing it to access to Apple's online stores. Besides Amazon Kindle-like capabilities, the Apple tablet is reported to be great for watching movies, according to an entertainment executive quoted by the FT. No word on pricing, but previous speculation points to an $800 price point.

What's in Apple's "Cocktail"

The FT is also reporting that Apple is working on a project code-named "Cocktail," a collaboration between the Cupertino company and record labels, namely EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group, which will bundle liner notes and video clips with the music sold on the iTunes Music Store (iTMS). The initiative is reportedly expected to be a reality as early as September.

The FT says Cocktail is a new type of interactive album, which will combine photos, lyrics sheets, video clips, and liner notes, all gathered into an interactive booklet. This new breed of album booklet will also play songs directly, without having to go back to iTunes, the report adds.

Myth or Reality?

Convinced by the Apple tablet? Judging by the expected screen size and rumored capabilities, the Apple tablet will not only be an oversized iPod Touch, ready for prime-time movies and music, but also a direct competitor to Amazon's Kindle if Apple will start selling books in the iTunes music store.

Although so far the "Cocktail" news would put multimedia at the heart of the Apple tablet, Internet connectivity is the key to delivering the content to the device. And this is where last week's rumors and today's FT report conflict: Apple Insider said the tablet would feature 3G connectivity, same as the iPhone, while the FT reported today that no such capability will be present.

So while this intricate detail is up for debate, the question to users remains whether they would want a 3G tablet that would be chained to a wireless carrier (be it AT&T or Verizon) or the somehow limited freedom to use any Wi-Fi access point they have handy?

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I popped 196 bubbles in 27.4 seconds
at www.Virtual-Bubblewrap.com!
Can you beat my score?

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Zune HD = iPod touch? Uh, no....

Source: Macworld

Blame it on the rain, the resulting muck and mire, or the redwood curtain that separates Cupertino from Redmond, but it appears that news travels very slowly between Apple and Microsoft. How else can you explain this statement from Chris Stephenson—general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune regarding the just-announced Zune HD (as quoted by CNET’s Ina Fried)?"

“This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch.”

Okay, maybe it is. With that in mind let’s look at what the two have in common:

* Touchscreen display.
* Ability to play music and movies.
* Web browser and media acquisition via Wi-Fi.
* Photo viewing.

And now, what the Zune HD offers that the iPod touch doesn’t:

* HD Radio.
* HD Video Out (via optional Dock).
* The Social.

And, what the iPod touch has that—as far as we know—is foreign to the Zune HD:

* The App Store.

In a strict bullet-point comparison, the Zune HD is clearly the champion—3 points to 1. Might as well pack it up, Apple. It’s a Zune world after all.

Of course if you were to subdivide that single App Store bullet point into its component 35,000 + applications you might understand why I suggest that Microsoft is a little slow on the uptake.

Because while the touch may have the iPod name attached to it, it’s far more than just a media player. Touchscreen, media playback, slideshows, and web browsing do not an iPod touch make. And Apple’s made this pretty clear.

Recall the last several iPod touch commercials you’ve seen. Do they emphasize playing movies, as you can with every other iPod save the shuffle? Does Safari play a major role in these 30-second dramas? Of course not, Apple routinely lumps in the iPod touch with the iPhone, not other iPods. And it does so because it’s about the apps—games, utilities, social networking, news, media streaming.

Yet Microsoft, from all appearances, is jamming its fingers in its ears and sing-songing “iPod! iPod! iPod! We have radio, iPod doesn’t!” as if radio, of all things, is the killer app (which, if you really want it on your iPod touch, can be had via one of a handful of apps).

The Zune HD isn’t slated to arrive until this Fall and the details we currently have are sparse, so perhaps there’s a Zapp store in the works. (Just as there's likely an update to the iPod touch in the works.)

Until then, welcome to the denial.

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