Jul 30

Microsoft’s Ballmer laments iPad sales

By Brian News 1 Comment »

Whether you’re a fan of Microsoft or not, you have to love Ballmerisms. A “Ballmerism” is a noteworthy and usually entertaining soundbyte the tumbles from the mouth of Steve Ballmer, and the latest one has to do with Apple’s very successful iPad sales. According to Ballmer:

Apple has done an interesting job. They’ve sold more than I’d like them to sell. We think about that. So it’s our job to say, we have got to make things happen. Just like we made things happen with netbooks, we have to do that with Slates.

Microsoft has tried for the better part of a decade to make tablets exciting and mainstream, but to no avail. Ballmer must be squirming every time he sees an Apple commercial, reminding him that millions of iPads have sold and Apple is just trying to keep up with demand. The question is, can Ballmer and Microsoft bring anything to the table that even approaches a “me too” product offering when compared to the iPad?

[AppleInsider]

Tagged with: • • • • •
Jul 29

Carrying your iPad: Ristretto from Tom Bihn

By Brian Accessories No Comments »

Those who really know me will attest to the fact that not only am I a gadget fiend, but I’m also in constant search for the perfect bag for my gadgets. I have a bag fetish and I’m always on the lookout for a bag that is less “murse” (man-purse) and more manly-bag-ish. Believe me, it’s hard to find a gadget bag that meets my somewhat unreasonable set of criteria, but when I see something that catches my eye, I want to share — the Ristretto bag from Tom Bihn.

I don’t have the Ristretto yet in my possession, but by all appearances, it looks like a real contender for the perfect iPad carry bag. Fortunately, it will also accommodate the MacBook Air and 13″ MacBook laptop (or netbook), so it’s definitely on my list of bags to check out more closely. The iPad or laptop compartment is padded and protects from all sides with soft brushed Nylon interior, there are four shoulder straps to choose from to attach to the bag, and it provides easy access to interior pockets for pens, pencils, wallet, iPhone, etc.  There are tons of additional add-ons you can purchase from the Tom Bihn site as well so that you can better customize the bag to your needs and liking. Also, the Risetto is available in several colors to fit your taste.

The Ristretto looks like good build quality made right here in the US of A (Seattle, to be exact). The bag is listed on the Tom Bihn site for $120, so it ain’t cheap, but then again, it may be a reasonable price if the quality is high and the protection superior. If I can get my hands on one I’ll post a review, but for now, it’s just something I found via some good old-fashioned window shopping online.

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
Jul 28

Study concludes iPad owners are “selfish elites”

By Brian Editorial, News 2 Comments »

If you are an iPad owner, look out — the villagers may soon surround your home with torches and pitchforks and demand you hand your elitist self over to their clutches. Of course, the villagers don’t own iPads and they may be after yours, but I say, let them eat cake!

Ok, seriously — consumer research firm MyType recently conducted a survey of 20,000 people between March and May and their study concluded that iPad owners tend to be “wealthy, sophisticated, highly educated and disproportionately interested in business and finance”, but apparently had low points for altruism and kindness. It would be nice to know more about the study they conducted, like how many iPad owners were part of the 20,000 people surveyed — clearly it’s not a scientific study.

According to Tim Koelkebeck of MyType, iPad owners are six times more likely to be “wealthy, well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic 30-50 year olds.” Is it just me, or does it sound like Tim doesn’t have an iPad and he’s not very happy about that? Interestingly enough, Tim goes on to state that those who criticize the iPad and iPad owners are “independent geeks” who find their identity in bashing the iPad. He went on to write that “as a mainstream, closed-platform device whose major claim to fame is ease of use and sex appeal, the iPad is everything that they are not.” Hey, that’s what Tim said. That’s gotta sting a bit.

I can handle a bit of taunting and razzing for being an iPad owner, and I can endure some labeling like “well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic”, but please don’t hate me because I’m sexy.

[Wired]

Tagged with: • • • •
Jul 26

Jailbreaking iPhone, iPad is legit, according to U.S. Library of Congress

By Brian News 3 Comments »

Good news for the jailbreaking community — no need to lurk in the shadows or perform a full restore to negate your jailbreak if you need to visit the Apple Store for any warranty-related issues. According to the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, “jailbreaking” is now added to the list of actions that do not violate copyright protections, so Apple can’t void a warranty based on a user jailbreaking their iPhone to add and use non-Apple apps. We assume that this addition includes iPad jailbreaking as well.

Jailbreaking is a means of freeing your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch from the restrictions Apple has placed on the device to sync and install apps only offered and approved by Apple through iTunes or direct download through Apple’s App Store. Jailbreaking also permits the end user to unlock their iPhone so it can be used on other GSM carriers.

If you haven’t jailbroken your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch already, will this new tantalizing tidbit encourage you to do so?

[via Bloomberg, photo courtesty of My Gadget News]

Tagged with: • • • • •
Jul 26

Since you’ve had your iPad, how do you use it?

By Brian Editorial 8 Comments »

Since I’ve had my iPad for a couple months and have used it on a regular basis, I thought it would be a good time to report on my iPad usage and how it compares to my pre-iPad expectations. Steve Jobs has touted the iPad as a third device category, bridging the gap between smartphone use and busting out the laptop or sitting at the desktop for email and internet surfing. Has the iPad been the third device category for you that Jobs prophesied? For me, it has — but there has been a few surprises concerning my initial expectations.

As I anticipated receiving my iPad, I couldn’t help but speculate as to how I would use it, where I would take it with me, and how it would impact my iPhone usage. After all, the iPad offers a much bigger screen, almost full-sized keyboard, and impressive battery life. I expected my iPad to replace my iPhone for much of my internet surfing, emailing, and ebook reading — even many of the apps I use I imagined to be superior on my iPad.

Now, a couple months later, I can report that my iPad does represent a third device category in my life, just as Steve promised, but it hasn’t impacted my iPhone use nearly as much as I thought it would. My iPhone is still far easier to carry with me as I can drop it in my pocket. The small size and portability of the iPhone alone make it my daily go-to device, while my iPad does take over more of the heavy lifting for watching movies, reading ebooks, and serious internet surfing. However, my iPhone is more convenient to use for checking out a website or replying to an email. My iPad is a welcome addition to my gadget stable, but I’ve found there is a definite time and place for it to be the most useful to me.

How has the iPad worked out for you?

Tagged with: • • • •
Jul 20

Now get ready for…X-Pads

By rob News, Rumors 1 Comment »

As a follow-up to our article about cheap imitators, we now direct your attention to a not-quite-so-cheap, very real competitor:  Hewlett Packard is seeking to trademark the name “PalmPad.”

HP’s recent purchase of Palm, and its WebOS, would lead one to think they have opted for a WebOS-based tablet, rather than the Windows 7-based tablet (called the Slate) that they presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

According to Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates, there’s a need to move to market fast to compete with iPad’s success.  ”It’s likely that HP will put a PalmPad on sale within one to two quarters, and before year’s end.”

“Can HP put out a device quickly that will [have] high enough performance [in the processor] to compete with iPad? That’s the $64,000 question.”

[Computerworld]

Tagged with: • • • • • •
Jul 19

iBooks Update: audio and video, PDF improvements for iPad

By Brian Apps, News No Comments »

If you haven’t noticed already, Apple has updated iBooks to 1.1.1, which now includes some nice improvements to the iBooks app. Audio and video are new features that will be available in future e-books, along with more speedy and stable PDF viewing. Also, you can now zoom in on any image and see it in high-contrast clarity, which is a very welcome addition to the app.

Other than that, the other improvements address performance and stability to make the iBooks experience more satisfying. If you’ve downloaded the update, tell us what you think about the improvements.

[MacWorld]

Tagged with: • • •
Jul 16

Steve Jobs speaks: iPhone 4 antenna and reception issues

By Brian News, Rants 1 Comment »

After enduring mounting criticsm and even the insult of a pass by Consumer Reports over iPhone 4 antenna and reception issues, Apple held a brief press conference today, featuring Steve Jobs himself, complete with a somewhat candid Q&A at the end. All of this over the external antenna band design of the new iPhone 4 and the loss of signal by touching the antenna band in the lower left corner of the phone, otherwise known as the “death grip.”

Apple responded with some humor, humility, explanation, and education. Yes, the iPhone 4 is not perfect. Yes, signal reception can be impacted by where the phone is held when naked (without case). Yes, Apple is not perfect and they want to improve. It’s important to note that Apple came prepared with some important statistics in their defense: 

  • All smartphones have reception “weak spots” and they listed several popular phones of today that exhibit similar behaviors
  • Apple has received calls of complaint/concern from only .55% of iPhone owners — that’s half of one percent
  • AT&T return rates for the iPhone 4 have been only one-third as compared to returns of the 3GS
  • Dropped calls on the iPhone 4 are comparable to the 3GS — even though it’s supposed to be a better phone with better reception, etc. 

Apple’s response? They are sorry, this is a problem that all smartphones have, they want to solve it first by likely bending the laws of physics, and they will offer free bumpers or case equivalents through Sept. 30th and you can still return your iPhone 4 for no restocking fee within the first 30 days of purchase.

Given that our mantra on this site is to cut through the BS and tell it how we see it, let me just say that I’m glad Apple is addressing this and, quite frankly, I think it’s a non-issue. The iPhone 4 is not perfect, it does have a beautiful design, and cell phone reception — high requency radio waves in general — are part of the dark arts and often seem to exhibit behaviors more resembling quantum physics. I’ve always slapped a case on my iPhones anyway, the iPhone 4 being no exception, so I personally have not experienced any reception problems based on how I hold my phone. Based on the relative few complaints and returns, I’d say this is much ado about nothing.

So, with that said, if you own an iPhone 4, continue to enjoy a great product design, a gorgeous “retina” display, better camera, faster speed, better battery, all of those fantastic apps from the App Store, and your HD video. Enjoy your iPhone and try not to worry about an occasional dropped call — after all, every cell phone experiences dropped calls and….  gasp! …. some of those dropped calls may have happened because of how you were holding your OLD cell phone!

Tagged with: • • • • •
Jul 16

Apple’s FaceTime coming to iPad?

By Brian Rumors 3 Comments »

Recently I asked the question if the lack of a camera on the iPad was a good thing or a bad thing, and those that weighed in felt that a camera on their iPad wasn’t even missed. Well, the rumor mill is churning and allegedly Apple’s FaceTime video chat app, currently available on the new iPhone 4 with it’s front-facing camera, will soon be coming to the iPad.

Since the iPad doesn’t have a phone number, Apple will likely utilize a user’s Apple ID (email address) for FaceTime use. Of course, the iPad doesn’t have a camera, so it stands to reason that FactTime will either be video one-way (iPhone 4 to iPad) or it is being readied for future iterations of an iPad that sports a built-in camera or some kind of webcam-ish external camera will have to come to the rescue. We will keep our ear to the ground on this rumor and let you know if it does come to pass.

If FaceTime does come to the iPad, do you wish your iPad had a built-in camera now?

[BGR]

Tagged with: • • • •
Jul 15

Apple releases iPad update iOS 3.2.1

By Brian News No Comments »

Apple just released iPad iOS 3.2.1 software update today, so if you plug in your iPad to sync, you will be prompted with the option to update your iPad’s software. Of course, we are all anxious for the BIG software update — iOS 4 for the iPad — but we will have to wait at least a couple more months before we get our hands on folders and other iOS 4 goodies.

According to the release notes, the 3.2.1 update includes improved Wi-Fi connectivity, a fixed copy and paste issue affecting single-page PDF attachments in Mail, potential freezing during video playback, improved reliability of video-out when using the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter for watching videos, and the addition of Bing as an option for Safari’s search field.

As a word of caution — it’s always wise to perform a sync and backup before updating your software. Keep in mind, too, that if your iPad is jailbroken, this update will break your jailbreak (I know, that sounds redundant), so you may want to pass on this update at least until there is an updated jailbreak solution.

If you update your iPad’s firmware, let us know if you notice any improvements!

Tagged with: • • • • •
Previous Entries
preload preload preload