.png)
Archive for iPad
iPad 3 to Be Launched in 30 More Countries by May 12th
Posted by: | Comments
A total of 30 more countries around the world will be celebrating this weekend, what with Apple announcing the arrival of its iPad 3 by May 12th. The list of countries include Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Curacao, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Morocco, Peru, Taiwan, Tunisia, and Vietnam. The actual launch day is May 11th for the above mentioned countries, while several countries in the middle east will be ready to welcome the new iPad 3 on May 12th. The list of countries in the middle east include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Also, with the above mentioned countries now set to be among those who are recipient of the new iPad 3, very few countries or regions are left out of the Apple tablet’s reach. China though continues to be an exception, thanks to the ongoing legal tussle between Apple and ProView with the latter claiming legal rights over the use of the term iPad. However, China is too big a market for Apple to ignore and a positive development on this should be forthcoming soon.
Apple iPad 5.1.1 Software Update Issued for the iPad
Posted by: | Comments
Apple has just issued a new software update for the entire Apple iPad series of tablet computers today! You can update it directly on your device using the update feature found on the settings menu, or do it manually via iTunes.
The essence of the update is fixing a number of persistent issues that have been plaguing users. It improves reliability of using the HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut. It also addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks, and improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List. Finally, it fixes an issue where an ‘Unable to purchase’ alert is sometimes displayed after a successful purchase
Impressive iPad Sales of Almost 12 Million Recorded in Q1
Posted by: | Comments
The iPad 3 is definitely carrying forward the iPad legacy. The latest gen iPad has gone on to clock sales of 11.8 million units in the quarter ending in March, which along with equally impressive iPhone sales, have propelled the California based company to register the biggest ever quarterly earnings in its history. The nearly 12 million iPad 3s sold equal to more than twice the number of tablets Apple sold during the same period a year ago.
“We’re thrilled with the sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter,” said an ecstatic Tim Cook. The Apple Chief Executive further added, “The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.”
Apple tablets have always sold in millions and the only other tablet device to have breached the million sales figure mark is perhaps the Kindle Fire. The iPads are so popular that it will be big news if the sales are not counted in millions. However, with ever increasing sales, all the hype can quickly come to nothing if Apple is not able to continue exceeding goals and improving the product. Though for the moment, there isn’t any target that seems impossible for Apple to achieve.
Also, if the first two iPad versions came with individual qualities—the second gen iPad 2 was all about a slim form factor while the original iPad created the niche itself—the iPad 3 is all about pixels and lots of them. No other tablet maker has ever dreamt of packing in as many as 2048 x 1536 pixels within the confines of a 9.7 inch display. Needless to say, while the other tablet makers spent the whole of last year trying to better the iPad 2 with an even slimmer profile, Apple has opened up an entirely new front—retina display—and now other tech companies will have to have that many pixels to ensure credible sales figures. Of course, in addition to the above mentioned qualities, the core qualities of the iPad (such as ease of use, efficient processing, and the easy availability of quality apps) continues to work in favor of the Apple tablet.
As Apple continues to dominate the tablet segment, we are yet to come across any other company that can introduce a competitive device against the iPad 3. Until that happens, another winning quarter for Apple is almost assured.
“Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68,” said Apple CFO, Mr Peter Oppenheimer.
via wsj
PeekTab Allows You to Monitor Tablet Usage
Posted by: | Comments
With the world computing scene now shifting towards tablet PCs, it was perhaps just a matter of time before the next great spyware battle is fought on these devices. From a different perspective, with tablet PCs being increasingly used by employees or children, companies and parents might like to know how the tablet is being put to use. Thankfully, there is a way out, as is evident from the efforts of Retina-X Studio. Retina-X Studio has developed a software named PeekTab that can keep a tabs on it all. The information is then sent to a central location though a network connection. Retina-X Studio said the application will be compatible for Android tablets and the iPad.
Some parents think that keeping a digital eye on their kids’ browsing habits and making sure they aren’t doing something they are not supposed to do is very important. PeekTab will also allow them to block inappropriate sites. Similarly for employers, the application will enable management to keep an eye on the activities their employees are up to during office hours. This will ensure your workforce is not playing games or visiting places where they may leak confidential company information. One of the ways this software works rather well is because the PeekTab application can work silently in the background with the tablet user unaware of being monitored.
“By knowing the truth about employee tablet usage they will be able to control efficiency and learn if confidential company information is sent from the tablets,” said James Johns, CEO of Retina-X Studios.
Among the things that the PeekTab application will reveal include the pictures looked at by the user, the GPS location of the tablet, as well as history of text messages that have gone via the tablet. However, for the iPad, you would need to jail break the device prior to installing the application, while the company has mentioned the BlackBerry version will be coming soon. Until then, PeekTab can be downloaded from the company’s website for a price of $29.97.
via pcmag
Many People Prefer to Watch TV on Their Tablets
Posted by: | Comments
What are tablet owners up to with their tablet devices apart from playing games, checking e-mails, surfing the web, listening to music, and reading e-books? Watching TV of course! A Viacom report labeled “Tapping into Tabletomics” revealed that 15% of USA residents use a tablet computer like the iPad for viewing TV programs. The survey was carried out among a group of 2,500 people.
The desktop PC and smartphones have taken back seat as per the study report while tablet PCs have gone up in consumer preference for watching their favorite TV programs. The respondents however mentioned the tablet as just a secondary option to view TV programs. They still preferred the TV set as their first choice to view TV programs owing to the bigger screens and a better sound quality, while tablet devices only played a complimentary role.
Speaking of the consumer trend, Viacom stated, “Our audiences are some of the most deeply engaged and active across social platforms. Co-viewing apps create more meaningful ways to reach them and represent an entirely new level of engagement for fans of our content.”
via worldtvpc
IGZO Displays from Sharp to Form Tablet Screens of the Future
Posted by: | Comments
Sharp has announced it has ramped up production of IGZO (iridium gallium zinc oxide) LCD panels, which will form the displays of future tablets and smartphones. The display, based on the IGZO technology, is a world first. Experts believe this technology will make it possible for tablet makers to build devices that are a lot thinner and consume a lot less power. These ultra high displays are being manufactured in 7 and 10 inch sizes (among others) which are capable of resolutions both of 1280 x 800 pixels for 217 pixels per inch and 2560 x 1600 pixels which translates to 300 pixels per inch. The iPad 3 currently boasts of 2048 x 1536 pixels on its 9.7 inch displays and this should give us an idea of what future tablets based on IGZO displays will be like.
The biggest advantage with the IGZO displays is the choice of the materials itself. The use of iridium gallium zinc oxide has made it possible for each pixel to have more illumination on its own, thereby making it redundant for the panels to have a strong backlight. Sharp is claiming it can save battery life up to an impressive 90 percent. Most of the iPad 3′s extra flab and a more powerful battery unit can be attributed to it requiring more power to maintain the brightness factor of the high 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution display.
Now whether the IGZO displays will be making it to the iPad is still unknown. While there is a definite possibility of that in future (as well as for other tablets including a host of products from Sharp itself), the current iPad 3 can well be dissociated from the IGZO displays despite the Apple tablet being linked to it several times in the past. Whether that has been due to the displays getting market ready later than expected or anything else can be anybody’s guess.
The IGZO displays are being manufactured at Sharp’s Kameyama plant located in central Japan. Sharp is currently shipping out samples of the displays to manufacturers, but is yet to enter into a firm agreement with any so far.
via appleinsider
Enterprise to Fuel Next Round of Tablet Sales
Posted by: | Comments
Tablet sales has already been experiencing a steady growth each year round though it seems there are still a lot of room for further improvement. In reality tablets have yet to make a credible dent at the enterprise segment, so that what seems evident is that the next major push at tablet sales is expected to come from the enterprise business users.
“We are seeing rapid adoption of tablets across a lot of highly regulated sectors – from public utilities to financial services, banking and healthcare,” said Dimitri Volkmann, vice president for products and markets at Good Technology.
To put that in numbers, of the 119 million tablets that is likely to be sold in 2012, about 10 percent of the demand is expected to come from the business segment alone.
As Dimitri Volkmann, vice president for products and markets at Good Technology puts it, “We are seeing rapid adoption of tablets across a lot of highly regulated sectors – from public utilities to financial services, banking and healthcare.”
All of this should clearly be a great piece of news for Apple which has been ruling the roost of the tablet segment with its iPad. In fact, the iPad singlehandedly crafted the entire tablet segment when none existed. As such, what can be said with a fair degree of surety is that we are on the verge of seeing a huge influx of tablet devices in the business segment; and that the majority of them will be the Apple iPad.
However, while Apple along with Android is all set to reap the benefits of increased demand for tablet devices in the work place, experts however aren’t too optimistic with Microsoft and its high stakes take on the tablet segment with the Windows 8 platform.
A lot of companies like Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, to name a few, have already expressed their intentions to build a Windows 8 based tablet device. Handset maker Nokia too has made known their their intentions of coming up with a tablet running Windows 8, which is understandable considering their new found love for Microsoft and their Windows platform.
Research in Motions that has traditionally been known for their enterprise friendly solutions is another company that might not have the going too easy with their PlayBook tablet devices in the enterprise segment. The reason being that both Microsoft and RIM are entering the segment fairly late by which time market leader Apple has entrenched themselves too well with a well structured app eco-system.
Having said that, what also has to be said in the same vein is that its too early to write off both Microsoft and RIM. Both are seasoned player but are faced with a transitional phase in the personal computing segment where tablet like device have suddenly shot to stardom. The tablet growth story has been phenomenal with Apple being the dominant force so far. Google’s Android is another player that has been serving the anti Apple camp so far though apart from the Kindle Fire, there has been no single tablet success story so far. What this means is that both RIM and Microsoft has to play their cards too well to ensure they survive in the so called ‘post PC’ world.
ChangeWave’s Survey Reveals 98 Percent Satisfied with the New iPad 3
Posted by: | Comments
The results from a survey carried out by ChangeWave Research covering iPad users and their experience reveals a whopping 82 percent being very satisfied with the latest Apple tablet, while 16 percent indicated their experience to be “somewhat satisfied.” The target group selected by the firm for their survey comprised of users who have adopted the iPad in its early stages of availability. A similar survey carried out for the iPad 2 to judge people’s expectation had revealed 74 percent voting for confidence in the tablet and 23 percent unsure.
The main reason for the popularity of the new iPad as per the survey is the retina display technology. With 2048 x 1536 pixels packed into the same 9.7 inch display, this translates to 3.1 million pixels coming together to render super crisp images. The pixel strength is 4 times that found on the iPad 2, which has been setting the standard until just a month ago. No other tablet maker has announced plans of a tablet with that high of a pixel density. That said, the retina display feature has one big drawback, so to say. The low resolution content on the web would be magnified in this case and the end result isn’t as impressive.
Coming to the other aspects that have made the iPad 3 so popular include its battery life (22% of users liked) and LTE feature (21%). Another noticeable aspect of the new iPad 3 is its enhanced processing capability, which has found favor with 20 percent of users.
However, the new iPad 3 isn’t just about popularity, as its sales figures might suggest. There have been some negative comments also registered. Among the main complaints with the Apple tablet is its price, with 26 percent of the total number surveyed complaining the price is a bit too high. Similarly, a not so pocket friendly wireless data plan is what 23 percent people also cited as reason for not liking the device. Another 10 percent of people cited reasons like weight, dimension, and storage capacity as drawbacks of the device. Finally, the new iPad generates too much heat for 7 percent of those surveyed.
In the end, what also needs to be said is that the actual number of people who had been part of the survey study group is just 200. This is a very small number of iPad 3 users considering 3 million + have bought the device. As such, the survey might not be a complete indication of the device, though it does provide us with an estimate of customer satisfaction.
Publishers to Release Figures on Digital Magazines
Posted by: | Comments
Image courtesy of tek-tips.nethawk.net
Highly specific information on sales figures involving digital publishing has always been kept very quiet, with most retailers only releasing very general hints about how their numbers appear to be faring. Everything from the precise units of devices sold to the exact number of ebooks purchased has been closely guarded.
Now, Hearst publishers will be following the lead of Conde Nast, both publishers of popular magazines, in releasing specific information to its advertisers on several key aspects of digital magazine subscriptions. Advertisers will now be able to know such details as how many subscriptions and single-issue magazines sales have been purchased for a tablet or app, as well as how much time users actually spent with the magazine open on their devices.
When Conde Nast first experimented with gathering and distributing this information to a small group of advertisers last summer before opening it up to all of its advertisers in March, the information from users of iPads, Kindle Fires, and Nook Color tablets became available about ten weeks after the magazine issue had been distributed.
Hearst, which charges separately for its print and digital editions (unlike Conde Nast, which began bundling the digital version for its print subscribers), will start out slowly by releasing the number of units sold to iPad users. Eventually, the publishers has plans to start providing advertisers with more information, including how much time users spend interacting with the ads in the issues.
An article for paidContent.org outlined the standards that not only the Association of Magazine Media but also the Audit Bureau of Circulations are expected to put in place later this year which will contain certain expectations of reporting for both monthly and weekly digital magazines.
Rumor: Amazon Launching 3 New Tablets
Posted by: | Comments
Amazon has already struck gold with the Kindle Fire, it being the only Android tablet that can hold a candle to the Apple iPad (though from a safe distance). The online retailer has joined in late to the tablet sphere but has made it big, leaving behind many big name competitors such as Samsung or Acer. However, while the Kindle Fire is already due for an upgrade and a next gen version is reported to be in development, what seems evident is that Amazon is readying a three pronged attack at the tablet segment in the future.
As per CENS, a Taiwanese news channel, Amazon is about to launch two varieties of 7 inch tablet, as well as a bigger 8.9 inch sized tablet device. If true, it looks like we will see a low cost model, which may be similar to the current Kindle Fire, as well as two additional models with premium features.
While details are sparse at the moment, information from the supplier’s end reveal the base 7 inch version to have a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, while the one above it packs in a slightly higher 1280 x 800 pixels. The top of the line 8.9 inch tablet model will come with a better 1920 x 1200 pixel display. While the basic 7 inch version is expected to cater to the budget segment, the latter two are likely to have better features and cost a premium.
To have more than one tablet offering also makes sense for Amazon, when it is offering the Kindle Fire at a loss. It will allow the online retailer to make up for losses with the higher speced, and subsequently higher priced, tablet offerings. That way, Amazon will not have to integrate their tablet to the Amazon store so tightly as is the case with the Kindle Fire.
Anyway, these are still speculations and there is nothing from Amazon to confirm or anything.
via techcrunch
iPad 3 to Have “Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition” in Summer 2012
Posted by: | Comments
Its going to be exciting times ahead for owners of the new iPad 3. Joining the list of games that are soon to be or have already been enhanced to make the best use of the new iPad’s stellar display qualities is the old role-playing game Baldur’s Gate. It was all the rage during the late 90s and is aiming to be so again on the new iPad. However, a game meant to be played on a PC is a lot different than a game played on a touch based unit. What this means is that the game’s interface has to be modified to allow for finger inputs. So among the things that need to be changed on the new version of Baldur’s Gate are the tiny buttons, equally tiny dialogue selections, along with the complex menus. All of which has to be upgraded to ensure the game is just as exciting as it was on the PC.
However, all of that can’t happen overnight and the earliest that we can expect the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition spicing things up on the iPad 3 is the summer of 2012. The wait should be worth it, considering the game itself is being overhauled so that iPad 3 owners can expect “full integration of the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack” while also running “on an upgraded and improved version of the game’s Infinity Engine.”
via ign
Apple iPad 3 Now Available in India
Posted by: | Comments
India has never been a huge market for Apple. It is simply not big enough to prompt them to launch their latest products there as soon as they are released in the US. That said, some hardcore Apple loyalists do exist in the country and they make up quite a significant number. This group should be overjoyed to know that the latest Apple iPad 3 has now made it to India via online retailer Tradus.in.
Prices start at Rs. 36,799 for the base 16 GB version of the Apple tablet, which is Rs. 3,191 less than the original price of Rs. 39,990. Also, only the 16 GB version is available right now, though the higher 32 and 64 GB versions should also reach markets soon.
The prices, though definitely not pocket friendly, are still way better than the rates that the original Pad commanded in the gray market more than a year ago. The first gen iPad made it to the Indian market very late, allowing many to make a quick buck by importing the tablet device across non official channels and selling them for a premium. However, the iPad 3 coming fairly quickly should be a great piece of news for Apple fans in India.
via tradus.in
Tablet Game Revenue to Top $3.1 Billion by 2014: Juniper Research
Posted by: | Comments
The mobile gaming industry is on a roll thanks to the advent of smartphones and tablet devices. As a study by Juniper Research points out, the entire tablet gaming industry will be worth more than a mammoth $3.1 billion by 2014, and by 2016, the industry will account for almost a third of the entire mobile gaming industry.
The revenue comes from not only the outright sale of the games itself, but is also inclusive of various virtual decorating themes that users can purchase. Consumers are lured to the games with the use of various incentives free games that display ads, pay per download, or trial versions with typically lesser features with the option to buy the full version that accompanies all the features and levels.
Tablet devices are selling thick and fast, with the iPad being the best selling of them all. Apple’s iPad alone has sold 3.7 million units in 2010, which has gone up to 25 million in 2011. The just released iPad 3 has already gone past 3 million units shipped with the first few days of its launch already. Further, the iPad 3 boasts of a super high resolution display that renders super sharp images.
As Charlotte Miller, author of the report, puts it, “The tablet is the perfect device for playing mobile games — the screens are large enough for the user to see the action, no matter how big their hands are. Tablet owners also tend to have a larger disposable income, as tablets are often bought outright rather than subsidized by operators. Higher user satisfaction with games and a bigger wallet mean that tablet games look to be highly lucrative.”
What all of this means is that there is plenty of action coming up in the tablet gaming scene, and a lot of it will be centered around the new iPad 3.
via venturebeat
