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Posts Tagged ‘Apple-iPad’
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
Believe it or not, the British Broadcasting Center is planning on offering it’s iPlayer at a cost for international subscribers. While this might sound nice idea for many users who are fans of the media powerhouse but are across the seas or land, at £6.13 it might strike many as a bit steep.
The player is set to be launced later this year on the iPad and according to Mark Thompson, the player will be “a small number of dollars per month, definitely fewer than 10.” Mark Thompson, who spoke at the FT Digital Media and Broadcasting conference in London on Wednesday, went on to say that “We’re exploring internationally what the right pricing and models are … the most important thing is the consumer pricing is right.” According to Mark, this would allow the BBC to “sell directly to consumers” without the rebranding of shows which occurs very often when UK programs are bought by international blockbusters.
Continuing the discussion concerning mobile broadcasting in the country, Thompson said that “I believe that there’s a strong case for the UK’s broadcasters, mobile phone operators, Ofcom and government to come together to develop a roadmap for the introduction of mobile TV in this country.”
While the price for such an app appears a bit steep for many, it should be noted that the app would offer access to many of the BBC’s archived shows as well and it would be a one stop destination for almost everything shown on the BBC both past and present. However, the job of convincing subscribers that $10 is reasonable for such a service can be easier said than done. Only time will tell if this pricing model is correct or not.
Source: Guardian
Tags: Apple, Apple-iPad, BBC, BBC-iPlayer
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
 It had been known for some time now that Apple was planning to announce their plans for the 2011 year concerning tablet PC’s and such. With the advent of Android 3.0 Honeycomb and such newcomers like the Motorola Xoom, LG Optimus Pad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the newly announced HP TouchPad, it is not hard to see why the company would announce their updated tablet, the iPad 2.
So far the company is not saying anything about the device or event except for the above image that was sent to invited guests. Interestingly, behind the March 2 calendar icon is the image of an iPad which does not seem any different than the current version of the device.
As for rumors, it has been rumored that the next iPad will receive an updated processor, one that is dual-core and we’re hearing other rumors that said processor will also power the iPhone 5. Other than that, a front facing camera has been all but confirmed by Apple who almost always remains silent on rumors unless they are too outrageous. As for an updated IPS screen, we do understand that the next iPad will feature a resolution similar to the current iPad and instead the insanely bright display will be kept off until version 3.0.
Other rumors include updated MobileMe features as well as more developer tools to take full advantage of the new features which are bound to hit the next version of the iOS platform. The event is scheduled for March 2nd and as usual it will be live from San Francisco. We’ll continue to dig up more information about this and stay tuned to this blog on the 2nd when we bring you all the info from Apple’s launch event.
Source: Engadget
Tags: Apple, Apple-iPad, Apple-iPad-2, tablets
Posted in Apple Phones | No Comments »
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
 The mobile phone industry has been invaded by new type of device: touch screen tablets. Oddly enough, these devices do look a lot like oversized smart phones –but what is more important is how they function and many would have to admit, the significantly larger screen certainly helps. Here’s a quick round up of all the ones available and ones that we know are worth looking forward to.
First is the Apple iPad. No mention of tablets is complete with this one. Not only was Apple the first on the scene (for several months, they had monopoly of the industry), but they also set a pretty good bar. The touch controls are smooth and accurate, the battery life is impressively long (10 hours straight usage), and the weight is pretty light for its size. Expect your limbs to get a little sore holding this up for hours though; the 9.7 inch touch screen does get a little weighty.
We are certainly looking forward to seeing the iPad 2 when it finally comes out. Rumors are saying that it will be sporting a smaller screen (perhaps to compete with the new Android tablets). In any case, the device is confirmed to be packed with a digital camera. The only thing missing here is Flash support.
Flash however, is present in both the BlackBerry Playbook with its QNX operating system and of course, the Android operating system. While it is not confirmed if the QNX Flash support still needs a patch, we do know that the Android 2.2 Froyo is made Flash-ready.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Motorola Stingray are current the front line tablets for the Android, with the still unveiled Stingray promising to give the iPad 2 a serious competition. While the Android lacks the massive game library of iTunes, the device shines in all other functions –especially with eBook reading as the smaller 7 inch touch screen is proving to be optimum ergonomic size for tablets.
Tags: Apple-iPad, Blackberry-Playbook, Samsung-Galaxy-Tab, tablets
Posted in Apple Phones, Blackberry Phones, Samsung Phones | No Comments »
Monday, December 6th, 2010
 The Apple iPad is highly criticized for its lack of Flash support. After all, a device that features web browsing as a major function should be able to play back all web content –especially since a large percent of all web media is still Flash encoded (despite Apple’s claims that HTML5 is the new standard, many sites are loathe to adapt).
Still, that does not mean that the demand for the Apple tablet has lessened at all. Thanks to the fame of the Apple brand and the large library of content offered by the iTunes store, the iPad is still a much sought after device. Grab the touch screen tablet at Tesco or Carphone Warehouse under some great deals or if you want to have a contract to go with the device, the iPad is also available under 3 UK’s subsidized plans.
Microsoft is not too keen on letting people jailbreak the Windows Phone 7 OS and has formed a quick alliance with the developers of the Chevron Jailbreak team. MS has confirmed that homebrew support will officially arrive to the OS in a later update in exchange for Jailbreak software not to be released in public. From a consumer standpoint, officially allowed homebrew is great as it means less bugs and problems.
Lastly, another consumer-awareness app has been created for smart phones: the Free2Work app. This basically allows users to scan the barcodes of products to learn if it was manufactured by a company that employed slave labor in the manufacturing process (it was developed as part of the celebration for the Not for Sale campaign by the International Labor Rights forum.
While not as globally sound as the previous green app (which works in a similar way, but provides data on eco-friendliness), Free2Work is a major step into providing the public with truly useful apps that provide instant and real time information on relevant needs.
Tags: 3-Mobile, Apple, Apple-iPad, Tesco-mobile
Posted in 3 Mobile Phones, Apple Phones | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010
 Nokia is one very busy company. Despite the rough start this year with news reports that the Finnish phone maker is losing its grip on the mobile phone industry and how the Google Android OS is fast catching up with the Symbian mobile platform, the fact of the matter is that Nokia is still able to keep hold of its target market.
Just a while back, the Symbian Foundation has officially announced that all support pages for the Symbian OS will be shutting down; this includes access to resources such as dev kits and more importantly source code (despite the fact that the Symbian OS has become an open source platform earlier this year). The move from a Foundation to a licensing company has been instigated by a recent announcement by the EC that Symbian Foundation will be leading the SYMBOESE project.
At the same time, Nokia is currently busy with the N9 smart phone. This MeeGo powered handset was supposedly delayed from launch due to the Nokia N8 being pushed back months behind the intended schedule. With no new word about the Intel and Nokia developed platform, the disinterest in Nokia’s products might continue.
Still, this does not mean that the Finnish company is all out. The X7-00 has been announced just recently and from what we have seen, this Symbian^3 powered smart phones can do some incredible things. Need for Speed Drift was shown off in a demonstration video and judging from the smoothness of the graphics and the performance of the game, this phone has a pretty good CPU.
In other news, Apple’s iPad touch screen tablet is finally going to be available in cheaper monthly tariff rates. The iOS powered, 9.7 inch tablet will be available through Orange Mobile, T-Mobile and 3 UK at varying rates. While the device is definitely getting a new price tag, Flash support is still absent.
Tags: 3-Mobile, Apple-iPad, Nokia, Nokia-N9, Nokia-X7-00, Orange, T-Mobile
Posted in Nokia Phones | No Comments »
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
.jpg) According to reports, the next version of the Apple iOS will be version 4.3 and it will be coming out later this December. Considering that the most recent 4.2 update had little to offer to the users of the iPhone and the iPod Touch (since most of the updates were exclusively beneficial to the iPad touch screen tablet instead).
So far, the details on what the new Apple will have remains to be seen. The 4.2 update was released just a while back and it is unlikely that new content has been created (for the next version of the OS. Still, many are hoping that some much requested features will finally make it to the OS. According to some rumors, one of the key functions that the update will have should have something about RSS feeds, publications and being able to access and even provide content faster.
Of course, another good reason for Apple to launch the update is to discourage people from using the Jailbreak feature. This little crack has been a serious bane for the iTunes store. In fact, it has been confirmed just a while ago that the 4.2 version of the iOS has already been cracked –but only for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. So far, the 4.2 version of the iPad tablet has yet to be Jail broken; the same applies for the latest version of the iPhone (only the 3G and 3Gs are supported).
In other news, Apple’s iPad tablet is slowly losing ground to a large swath of Android devices that are breaching into tablet territory. All the new devices are sporting lower price tags (with the exception of the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab) and of course, they also have a browsing advantage over the iPad as the Android naturally supports Flash content online.
Tags: Apple, Apple-iOS, Apple-iPad, Apple-iPhone
Posted in Apple Phones | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
For those who want to get the latest scoop on all of the biggest news stories of today, here’s a quick list of all the big headlines to keep you up to date.
iOS 4.2 update is out and it brings plenty of new features for the Apple iPad touch screen tablet. While the new version is good for the iPod Touch and the iPhone as well, the real focus here is with the 9.7 inch tablet. With new Android tablet devices coming out, that added functionality is going to be pretty useful once people start realizing that lacking Flash support is a major flaw.
Microsoft is facing a backlash from the tech industry as it has been reported that the micro SD card compatibility issues of the OS are pretty hard to fix. Unless Microsoft is able to find a way to fix the issue, many media loving smart phone users will be sticking to the Android or iPhone instead.
Acer is taking on Dell’s 5 inch Streak with a new, yet-to-be-named mobile phone. The touch screen smart phone is said to be running the Android OS on what appears to be a 4.8 inch touch screen display. It looks like the two computer manufacturers are all set to fill in the gap between smart phones and tablets pretty fast.
The Tegra 2 running Android smart phone from Motorola is getting a name and plenty of leaked images. The Olympus is said to be one impressive handset that Android fans should look out for as it may very well set the new bar for the next generation of devices. With all the odd devices they had come up recently (the Flip, Defy, etc), Motorola seems to be back with that innovative spirit once again. As for getting released in the UK, we will have to wait and see if the Olympus ends up as another pseudo-US exclusive handset for a couple of months.
Tags: Acer, Apple-iOS-4, Apple-iPad, Apple-iPhone, Motorola, Motorola-Olympus-Tegra-2
Posted in Acer Phones, Apple Phones, Motorola Phones | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010
 A recently reported news bit about Windows Phone 7 has revealed a major flaw in the mobile platform: it cannot swap micro SD cards. And this is where you get some pause to let that sink in.
For those who cannot appreciate the gravity of the issue, here’s the basic lowdown: the micro SD card is basically removable storage for any mobile device. You can transfer and store files in card and basically allow you to switch between multiple handsets or multiple cards (depending on how you prefer).
Switching between phones is understandable, if you have an Android and a BlackBerry, being able to carry around a single media library means that you can still watch that next episode stored on the card, regardless of which phone you use. In that same regard, being able to carry multiple cards means that you can delegate space better –like having one card store all music and another for videos.
In any case, the ability to switch and swap micro SD cards is longer a feature of convenience, but something that is expected from smart phones. But this is not possible with the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Apparently, the OS tends to stick to the initial card you use, with the data supposedly written in a completely new format (ironic, since this is a Microsoft OS). And worst of all, only certain SD cards work well with the OS (which seems to have a high transfer rate speed requirement).
In other news, it seems that T-Mobile and Orange UK are looking into making the iPad more accessible to buyers. The team that brought us Everything Everywhere has hinted that the Apple iPad price tag might drop down as far as 200 Pounds –depending on the 3G contract. For those who feel that the almost 500 Pound cost of the touch screen tablet is too much, this is a perfect opportunity.
Tags: Apple-iPad, microSD, Microsoft, Orange, T-Mobile, Windows-Phone-7
Posted in Apple Phones, Microsoft Phones, Orange Phones, TMobile Phones | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
 If you plan on doing some shopping for electronic devices this coming holiday season, you might want to go easy on your budget for a bit and avoid purchasing the high end, branded tablets in lieu of the lesser known, yet equally functional low end ones. Such is the result of a recent study of consumer purchasing patterns and most importantly, price comparison.
But what is wrong with the Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab and the Apple iPad? Indeed, the two tablets are the best in the field. Surely one should not miss out on what is good.
The issue is not with the specs. After all, the Samsung Galaxy Tab brings with it portability, ergonomics and plenty of functionality thanks to the Android operating system. With this, the tab can do everything that the iPad can, and then some features such as a camera and Flash support makes the web experience on the Tab even better than Apple’s premiere tablet device.
While the iPad cannot offer a better browsing experience –which is quite important for a tablet device, the fact is that the iTunes store simply has a better lineup of games. In this regard, there is no doubt that the entertainment value of many amazing games such as Namco Bandai’s Katamari Damacy and Ridge Racer easily surpass the offers on Android’s App Market.
Are these devices not worth the price tags? Plenty of consumers certainly think so, in fact, many feel that the iPad should not even pass the 400 Pound mark in terms of price (it currently retails at around 600 Pounds).
In many ways, the high end tablet industry is facing the same conundrum that the Sony Playstation 3 also handled a couple of years ago. It is a device that features next generation hardware in an industry that cannot sustain the price. Following that example, we can most likely expect a better priced, yet equally well equipped tablet to come out within the next couple of years.
Tags: Apple-iPad, Samsung-Galaxy-Tab, tablets
Posted in Apple Phones, Samsung Phones | No Comments »
Friday, October 29th, 2010
The web is alive and full of news updates regarding the PSP that was ‘leaked’ yesterday. Apparently, it seems that the new device will be making use of an OS called the Z-system. While it looks nothing like the cross media bar that we are all familiar with, it certainly looks neat and relatively easy to figure out. Our only concern is the announcement that the new device will not support physical media storage.
Sure, the device will have a port for microSD cards (and will most probably have support for up to 32GB cards as well as a pretty big internal storage space). But what worries a lot of gamers is the type of games that will be released in such a manner. Most of the best games still available are pretty huge in terms of file size –making the concept of manually downloading each game like an app would be a big waste of time and resources. Hopefully, Sony is able to come up with new physical media storage option.
It is ironic that UMD storage is now out of the picture right after the latest rumors state that the hardware on the new PSP device will be matching that of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.
Apple has something else coming up for the holidays: the Apple iPad –with engravings. Sure, it is still the same old 9.7 inch touch screen tablet device, but it will now be a little more personal.
Buyers who would like to give out the iPad as a gift for their loved ones will be able to add in a small two liner passage, dedication or saying on the back of the device. This engraving is permanent and as such, will make that specific iPad non-refundable. It has also been confirmed that ordering an engraving will take more time so the shipping will take a while to push through.
Tags: Apple-iPad, Sony-PSP-Phone
Posted in Apple Phones | No Comments »
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