According to iLounge, Apple is set to announce a 7-inch version of the iPad (an “iPad Mini”) later this year and release the iPhone 5 as early as January 2011; three new iPods are coming in September (iPod Touch, new iPod Nano, new iPod Shuffle…with screen, thus no Shuffle) and new-generation Bumpers are on their way, too.
Posts tagged with "iPad"
iPad Mini with Retina Display, iPhone 5 Coming January 2011? Not Really.
iPad One Step Closer for Sale in China
Selling product in China must be like pulling teeth. Chinese regulators have given Apple’s miraculous tablet an a-okay via the China Compulsory Certification, which is a huge hurdle to surpass for companies who’d like to sell product there. Apple’s iPad will still have to pass the scrutiny of the Telecommunications Equipment and Certification Center, but if successful, Apple’s top tier device will likely deliver the same impact as it has in the rest of the world. Analysis International analyst Fang Li notes, “The Chinese market and the overseas markets are the same. People get excited about these new devices.” While Apple hasn’t publicly announced sales in China, it’s an important market as manufacturers begin to challenge the iPad with their own takes on tablet computing.
[Network World via 9 to 5 Mac]
BBC Testing iPad Internally
I think of Steve Ballmer every time these articles come out. Oh, the iPad can’t do any work! People struggle to take notes on the virtual keyboard! These aren’t direct quotes of course, but the big man in Redmond has to realize that the iPad is more than a tool for consumption. Another big player, BBC, is internally testing the iPad and its value to journalists, producers, and related support positions.
BBC CIO John Linwood provides an example, “If a support engineer gets called into a studio, it would be handy to have a device where you could look up circuit diagrams or software help files.” The idea is to see a reduction in the use of desktop machines. Linwood also notes the benefits and cost effectiveness of a paper free office:
“On the west coast of the US, paperless meeting are the norm. If you brought paper to a meeting, they’d look at you strangely. If you actually handed paper out, they’d get upset.”
The iPad isn’t the only device Linwood is interested in, but sure it makes for a good benchmark as industries decide on whether tablets are functional enough to do real work. Though I think you already know the answer to that one.
[ITP via 9 to 5 Mac]
Elements: Dropbox Based Text Editor for iPad and iPhone
Ever since I bought my iPad I’ve wanted to be able to actually work with it. To write articles with it. First came Evernote, but I ditched for Simplenote. I was an avid Simplenote user on the iPhone, and when the iPad version came out I immediately made the switch. Simplenote is a very popular app, and it’s no surprise to see it used by many professionals out there. It’s simple, reliable and fast.
Then there’s Dropbox, the cloud-based storage solution everyone loves and would like to see implemented by default on Mac OS X. Dropbox allows you store and edit files no matter what device you’re on, so what’s stopping developers from creating note-taking applications based on it? That’s exactly what Second Gear are doing with their new iPad and iPhone app, Elements.
The Wedgepad is the Most Cuddly Right Triangle Ever
Apple’s Exercise in Engineering
I’ve been curious as to why certain Apple projects aren’t updated immediately as new products hit. Let’s take Apple’s Remote application for example. It’s something so simple yet so useful you think Apple would have updated the little guy for the Retina Display right? And just think about the potential of navigating your iTunes library on the giant iPad screen! None of these things have happened, and a lot of us feel that Apple has forgotten about some of their App Store utilities.
Today, we have an explanation.
iTunes Cloud Syncing Coming to iPhone and iPad with Wi-Fi Sync 2.0
Wi-Fi Sync is a great tweak available in Cydia that allows iPad and older iPhone users to sync with iTunes without the need of plugging the USB cable in. Just make sure that you’re on the same local network and you’re all set.
Developer Greg Hughes has just confirmed with a tweet that the 2.0 version is in the works and that, together with proper iPad and iPhone 4 support, it’ll bring app synchronization over 3G and VPN. Think about it: you’ll be able to sync apps no matter where you are, as long as you have an active internet connection. I don’t know how the developer will let us remotely connect to our desktop computers (Google account authentication? Something like Here, File File?) but this will be one of the most useful things ever happened to jailbreakers.
iTunes cloud-syncing is one of the most anticipated features among iPad and iPhone users, and much has been said about Apple willing to implement it by 2011 - when the massive NC data center will open its doors to Apple engineers. We’ll see. In the meantime, just wait for Wi-Fi Sync 2.0.
Check out the demo video below, in case you missed it.
Nozbe: Web-based GTD on iPad and iPhone. Reviewed.
Talking about GTD apps and online tools is difficult, and you know why? Because my method of Getting Things Done will always be different from yours, so will the apps I use, so will the fact that I used to constantly switch between different softwares. More on this tomorrow, though.
Discussing GTD is like talking about favorite foods: at an extent, it’s pointless. I can’t come up here and say “Hey, you should work this way - don’t organize tasks like that”. That’s why when Cody and I reviewed Basecamp and Backpack we decided to talk about our experience, rather than giving away some pretentious advices to wanna-be entrepreneurs and the like.
GTD is personal. A couple of weeks ago I signed up for a Nozbe account and downloaded the iPhone and iPad apps. I was intrigued by the whole “Do in the web, find it again on mobile apps” concept, and I was fascinated by the terrific amount of integration with 3rd party online services the developers advertised.
So, Nozbe. I’ll just throw this out there: if you’re not an OmniFocus user and feel the need of having more than just tasks in your GTD application, Nozbe is the best you can have right now. With real OTA sync. With real Evernote integration. Oh, and with team-management capabilities.
Not Surprising: The iPad is Getting a Camera
I suppose the question isn’t whether the iPad is getting a camera, but when? AppleInsider points out that possible camera capabilities will be available on a future iPad thanks to some assumably accidental information listed on Apple’s iPad profile management policies, though I think we can safely agree we knew this was bound to happen. We basically have a bit of proof, though none was needed when Steve Jobs basically guaranteed we’d be living in a FaceTime world through the upcoming years.
While iPhones do have cameras to disable, no iPad models currently do. However, among the profiles specifically included in its iPad documentation, Apple notes the ability to restrict camera use on the iPad.
Though it is possible to connect an external camera via the USB adapter Apple provides in the iPad, we doubt Apple would specifically target devices that weren’t intended for use with the iPad in the first place. And although people have been clamoring about the idea of “video conferencing” (which is a bit too corporate of a term for my tastes), I really haven’t missed it in the current iteration of the iPad – I rarely even use the MacBook’s built-in iSight. Though if seeing is believing, your subtle confirmation for the world’s biggest point-and-shoot has now been approved.
Now how about that iPod touch?
[via AppleInsider]