Feb 08

iTablet finally launched – but not by Apple

iNews No Comments »

UK company X2 has revealed the iTablet – but this one is nothing to do with Apple.

The new device is running Windows Mobile 7 and is powered by an Intel Atom processor, similar to the ones used in most netbooks.

It also has 250GB of storage, a 12.1-inch multi-touch capacitive display, and more tellingly, the ability to multi-task and run Flash video.

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Thick ‘n’ chips

There will also be a front 1.3MP web cam for video chatting, USB ports and an HDMI-out connection for sending your content to larger screens.

However, this OC is 35mm thick – which makes sense given X2’s background is in providing rugged mobile PCs to the likes of the military. However, it’s not going to compete on aesthetics with Apple’s 13.4mm iPad.

A number of firms are expected to release tablet PCs in the coming months as they seek to capitalise on the interest wrought by Apple and HP with their iPad and slate respectively, so it’s likely we’ll hear a lot of companies extolling the virtues of their device over Apple’s.

Quote from www.techradar.com

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Feb 08

Apple Far Outpaces Other Smartphone Vendors

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Apple’s continued strength in smartphone sales cemented its position as the third-largest vendor in the fourth quarter of 2009, an IDC report concluded Thursday evening.

Apple reported selling 8.7 million iPhones for the fourth quarter, versus 20.8 million for Nokia and 10.7 million for Research in Motion, which represented the top three vendors. But Apple’s growth far outpaced all others, with a unit sales increase of 97.7 percent.

According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 54.5 million units in the fourth quarter of 2009, up 39.0 percent from the same quarter a year ago. For the full year, vendors shipped a total of 174.2 million units in 2009, up 15.1 percent from the 151.4 million units in 2008.

IDC said it predicts that phone sales will reach an all-time high this year.

“2009 was the coming-out party for Google’s Android and Palm’s webOS as both operating systems revealed new ways to surround the users with increased functionality,” says Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker, in a statement. “More advances are in store for 2010 as Symbian and Windows are expected to unveil new versions of their respective operating systems. These and other operating systems will compete with attention-grabbing intuitiveness and seamlessness, a thriving mobile application library, and a compelling user experience that tightly holds on to the user. In the end, users will benefit from not only greater usability, but greater personalization and customization as well.”

IDC noted that RIM benefited from deals that essentially provided free Curve and Pearl models for free with a two-year contract.

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Quote from www.pcmag.com

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Feb 05

Amazon’s Kindle Gets Ready to Battle Apple’s iPad

rumors No Comments »

So Amazon.com has bought itself a startup with an innovative touch-screen technology. The only logical assumption is that it intends to build a touch-enabled Kindle. You’ve gotta think that it’ll take a while to incorporate the new technology into a future Kindle. And given that the last all-new Kindle shipped nearly a year ago, there are probably at least two future Kindles in the works: a next-generation one and a next-next-generation one.

Amazon’s Kindle Gets Ready to Battle Apple’s iPadTrying to figure out where the Kindle is headed was aways interesting food for thought, but it got even more interesting when Apple showed off the iPad last week. The current Kindle and the iPad are a study in contrasts: The Kindle is a monochrome, long-life device, button-driven built almost entirely for reading books; the iPad is a color, short-life, touchscreen Swiss Army Knife.

But the only scenario in which the Kindle is unaffected by the iPad (and possibly iPad-like gizmos from other companies) is one in which the iPad flops almost instantaneously. That seems unlikely. So here are five possible ”Superkindles” (to steal New York Times times reporter Nick Bilton’s term).

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Feb 05

Sony Interested in Challenging Apple’s IPad

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Sony hinted on Thursday that it’s preparing a challenger to Apple’s upcoming iPad.

“That is a market we are also very interested in. We are confident we have the skills to create a product,” said Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony’s CFO, who was speaking at a Tokyo news conference held to announce the company’s quarterly financial results.

Oneda didn’t provide any details of any planned products but did say Sony is eyeing a similar market to the upcoming Apple gadget.

“Time-wise we are a little behind the iPad but it’s a space we would like to be an active player in,” said Oneda.

Sony said in October that it plans to launch a number of new mobile products that are built around network-based services.

The devices will connect into Sony’s new online service, an Internet-based store that will bring music, movies, games and electronic books to a range of Sony products including Bravia TVs, Vaio PCs, Walkman music players and Reader e-book readers.

The launch of the iPad, due in March, isn’t expected to impact the e-book reader market, which Oneda said is growing “exponentially.”

“The [Sony Reader] Daily Edition with 3G network connectivity has received great acclaim and we plan to expand sales going forward,” he said.

Quote from www.pcworld.com

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Feb 05

Apple’s Hard iPad Sell

general No Comments »

With the introduction of the iPad, Apple’s status as a cultural icon reached new heights. Based on an unscientific survey of newspapers archived by The Newseum, pictures of or stories about the tablet-style computer appeared on front pages in at least 47 states and the District of Columbia and no fewer than 24 countries on six continents—in places as varied as Bulgaria, Uruguay, Turkey, and Portugal.

When is the last time you saw a company command that kind of attention without first filing for bankruptcy, contributing to the collapse of the global financial system, or building a car with a gas pedal that sticks? The media’s crush on Apple is not just alive and well, but it has gone global.

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Feb 04

10 Reasons Why Chrome Tablets Pose a Threat to Apple iPad

iComparing No Comments »

Although there haven’t been any announcements to corroborate the claims that Google will be unleashing a Chrome OS-based tablet in the near future, the possibility of such a device hitting store shelves is becoming increasingly likely.

Earlier this week, a mockup of how a Chrome-based tablet would work surfaced on the official Chromium blog. Although the company was quick to point out that the designs were merely a “concept UI,” it was impressive. The Chrome OS tablet would boast a virtual keyboard, like Apple’s iPad, as well as contextual control and multiple tabs for multitasking in a lightweight package that should satisfy those that want simple functionality, like surfing the Web, checking e-mails, or editing Office documents.

Although proof-of-concept images and videos don’t portend success in the real world, Google’s Chrome OS could become a compelling alternative to Apple’s iPad. Not only is it ideally suited for a tablet, it’s backed by a company that has a proven track record of delivering services that people actually want to use.

Most importantly, it’s the first Web-based OS, which makes it a far more revolutionary product than Apple’s tablet. As successful as Apple’s iPad might be when it’s released later this year, a Chrome tablet might just be a major threat to Steve Jobs’ company. Let’s take a look at why:

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Feb 04

Analyst: Apple will sell 8 million iPads by 2012

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If analyst predictions are any indication of what the iPad will see in actual sales, it’s going to be a good run for Apple.

In a research note to clients on Wednesday, Needham & Company’s Charlie Wolf predicted Apple would sell two million iPads in fiscal 2010 and an additional six million devices in 2011, according to a report on AppleInsider.

What’s interesting is that Wolf says more than half of the iPad sales would be drawn from the iPod Touch. Many have said that the iPad looks like a larger version of Apple’s iPod Touch.

Wolf’s predictions certainly aren’t at the high end of what analysts are predicting for iPad sales. IDC analyst Richard Shim told CNET last week that he estimates the company will sell 4 million to 5 million iPads this year, doubling Wolf’s prediction.

Wolf said he is waiting to see what the iPad’s catalyst will be to help Apple boost sales. As examples, he pointed to the iTunes Store for the iPod and the App Store for the iPhone.

It could be that Apple will rely on the infrastructure it built for both of those devices, and iBooks to propel sales of the iPad in the next two years.

Quote from news.cnet.com

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Feb 03

Three years later, Apple TV remains a hobby

general No Comments »

Nearly three years after its introduction, the Apple TV remains a hobby in the eyes of Apple. This view was confirmed by CEO Steve Jobs during a post-iPad Town Hall meeting among employees, where he reiterated that the company still views the set-top box as experimental.

Many other details about the Town Hall have already leaked online. As noted by Wired, Jobs thinks Google’s “don’t be evil” mantra is less-than-genuine and that Adobe is lazy; he said that no one will be using Flash in the future and the world is moving to HTML5. MacRumors added that Apple plans to release aggressive updates to the iPhone and that the iPad ranks with the iPhone and the Mac as important products that Jobs has been party to. We confirmed all of these details with our own sources; it’s clear that Apple is very confident in its iPhone and iPad strategy for the coming years.

One detail not mentioned by any other publications was Jobs’ brief discussion of the Apple TV. According to sources speaking to Ars, an employee asked during the meeting if Apple’s stance on the device had changed. Jobs confirmed what most of those who own Apple TVs had feared: no, it’s still a hobby.

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Feb 03

Apple Tablet Rumors: They’re Baaaack!

rumors No Comments »

Just when we thought the Apple tablet rumors were all behind us, they are back with a vengeance. A bevy have popped up since Steve Jobs unvieled the iPad. Some rumors suggest future products like an OS X-like Apple tablet, a camera slot for the iPad, and a Chrome OS tablet user interface.

Let’s break these speculative tablet dalliances down one by one.

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Feb 03

Apple releases iPhone OS SDK 3.1.3

iNews No Comments »

Apple has released an update for the iPhone SDK, bringing the current version of the SDK to 3.1.3.

The new SDK 3.1.3 includes Xcode, which is available in versions that are compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard for iPhone and iPod Touch developers.

The SDK update, according to information we received from a developer, is required if you plan on developing apps for devices running iPhone OS 3.1.3. According to Apple, the corresponding iPhone OS 3.1.3 update contains important bug fixes and security patches.

If you are interested in developing for the iPad, you will need to download iPhone OS and SDK 3.2 beta released for specifically for the new device.

Quote from reviews.cnet.com

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