Earlier today iLounge reported that, according to their source, a 7-inch iPad is in the works and that will be announced later this year. 9to5mac also speculated that they’ve been hearing rumors of a smaller tablet, equipped with a Retina Display - “something like an insane 1500x1920 type pixel display”.
Now, we’ve got some interesting findings to share and speculate with you.
Update: We knew this was going to happen. Apple removed the app.
Of all the apps in the App Store, I haven’t seen really great Youtube apps. Maybe because Apple’s one is installed by default and Youtube’s mobile website is even better than Apple’s app? Who knows. Anyway, here comes a new one: MiTube, formerly known as MxTube and sold on Cydia, is now available as a universal app for free in the App Store.
The app is very simple, but useful: you search for a video on Youtube, then you decided if you want to stream it or download it. You can choose to download low-quality or high-quality versions, and HD when available.
MiTube is available for free in the App Store here.
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.
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]
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]
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.
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.
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.
