Jan 22

iPad 3 in March 2012

By Brian News 1 Comment »

With the iPad 2 being released just several months ago, get ready for the iPad 3 to launch by Apple in as early as March of this year. What will the iPad 3 offer? The most anticipated feature of the iPad 3 is expected to be a retina display like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have to offer. A retina display on the iPad 3 would double the resolution and offer a substantially-improved viewing experience when reading text books in iBooks 2, for instance.

I’m enjoying my iPad 2 very much and can’t really justify an upgrade to an iPad 3 so soon, but I have to admit that the prospect of having a retina display on my iPad is extremely tempting. That feature alone may be enough to prompt me to take the leap to the newest iPad. One thing is for sure — the next iPad tablets will just get better and better, especially with competitors trying to compete with Apple and take a bite out of the tablet pie and increase marketshare. Is the iPad 3 enticing you?

 

 

Tagged with: • • • • •
Dec 18

Siri helps Santa deliver

By Brian Cool Media, News 1 Comment »

Apple is airing a new commercial toting the wonders of Siri on an iPhone 4S, helping Santa and his sleigh of eight tiny reindeer deliver presents to all good girls and boys. Both clever and fun, the commercial brings a smile to the face and, instead of visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, perhaps we can better imagine and dream of new iPhones and iPads showing up in our stocking or under the tree. Here’s hoping!

 

Tagged with: • • • • •
Dec 12

Apple’s App Store passes 500,000 apps, 18 billion downloads

By Brian Announcements, News No Comments »

According to an Apple press release today, Apple’s App Store has now over 500,000 apps and customers have downloaded over 18 billion (yep, billion with a “B”) apps to their iOS-powered iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches. Apps are currently being downloaded at a rate of 1 billion per month.

Having been a smartphone user for many years now, it’s simply incredible to me to see how Apple has revolutionized the mobile app market. The sheer numbers of apps available and the number being downloaded is mind-boggling. Clearly, if you are submitting a new app to the App Store, it will be a tremendous challenge to get noticed. Even if you have an app of the likes that no one has seen before, it will take some marketing savvy above and beyond the basic submission to the App Store to get your app noticed by the teeming iOS-using masses out there.

Are there any app developers out there with a thought or two about the current state of app development and marketing?

[Apple Press Info, photo from Tech Ticker]

Tagged with: • • • • • •
Oct 25

Waiting for iOS 5 untethered jailbreak?

By Brian Jailbreak, News 3 Comments »

If you have updated to iOS 5 on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, or if you’ve picked up a shiny new iPhone 4S, then congratulations. There is no doubt that iOS 5 brings lots of goodies to the functionality of all iOS devices. If you’re one of the jailbreaking community, maybe you held off on the iOS 5 update? Currently, with the exception of the iPhone 4S, iOS devices running iOS 5 can be jailbroken with a tethered solution, but those wanting the additional flexibility of an untethered jailbreak, the wait continues.
What is the difference between a tethered and untethered jailbreak? To put it in the simplest terms, it’s the difference of having to connect your iOS device to your computer each time your device reboots, whether it’s an intentional reboot or an accidental one (i.e., your device crashes or freezes and required a reboot). With a tethered jailbreak, you risk having a dead device while away from your computer in the event of a reboot, with the only way of restoring functionality by plugging in to your computer to jailbreak again. The highly-anticipated untethered solution requires no plugging in — you can reboot your iOS device into a jailbroken state.
Why am I holding off on iOS 5 for an untethered jailbreak? It’s definitely a personal decision, but I will settle for no less than an untethered jailbreak and iOS 5, with all of its extra features, does not give me everything I require and enjoy on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Namely, I use a few jailbreak apps that I consider invaluable for my iOS devices — MyWi for creating a mobile “WiFi” hotspot, My3G to dupe my device into thinking it’s on a WiFi network for purposes of downloading apps and using FaceTime on a 3G network, and LockInfo for giving me a quick look at all the necessary information from my unlock screen. To keep informed about the status of the iOS 5 untethered jailbreak, check back here or check out the Dev-Team Blog.
Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Oct 12

iOS 5 now available for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch

By Brian News 5 Comments »

Finally! We have all waited these many long months (for some features, even years) for iOS 5 to go public, and now the time has come. If you’re the proud owner of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can now upgrade to iOS 5 and enjoy over 200 new features for your iOS device. There are step-by-step posts aplenty across the width and breadth of the internet, but to keep it uber-simple, just remember to first back up your device in iTunes first, then check for updates in iTunes and iOS 5 should be available for downloading and updating. Also, be sure you have the most recent iTunes update.

What does iOS 5 bring to the table? It’s an epic update — iCloud integration, iMessage, Notification Center, Reminders, Twitter integration, AirPlay Mirroring, and much, much more. Plug in your iOS device, dig in and enjoy!

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •
Oct 07

Steve Jobs planned ahead — 4 years of future products?

By Brian News No Comments »

Even when death must have looked certain and his time on this earth was quickly coming to an end, visionary Steve Jobs was hard at work planning the future of Apple. For more than a year, Steve worked on future iterations of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and MacBooks, with blueprints in place to fill a product pipeline for conceivably the next four years. Also, Jobs managed to get plans approved for a futuristic company headquarters in a park-like setting in Cupertino that will house 12,000 employees. A touching aspect to this land acquisition for the new headquarters is the fact that Steve had a part-time job for Hewlett Packard on the same site when he was 13 years old and he made sure that Apple bought the land as soon as it was available.

Few people in human history have impacted the lives of so many — dare I say the entire human family — and arguably Steve Jobs is one of these people. He was a pioneer in making personal computers accessible to everyday people and he did it with such enthusiasm, showmanship, and genuine delight that it was nigh impossible to refrain from opening one’s wallet. He envisioned two decades ago that the future of computing and media consumption would be portable, and not just by way of laptop computers — enter iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iCloud. Steve Jobs brought his amazing products into our lives, thus changing forever how we conduct business, social, and entertainment activities. Now, we can look forward to potentially 4 more years of products with his personal touch — thank you, Steve, for an amazing legacy that will continue to delight us for years to come.

[graphic: Jonathan Mak]

Tagged with: • • • • • •
Oct 05

Steve Jobs: 1955 – 2011

By Brian News 1 Comment »

The world just became less magical today. Apple announced the passing of visionary Steve Jobs, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. According to a statement on Apple’s web site:
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
Apple has posted an email address — rememberingsteve@apple.com — for those who wish to express their thoughts and condolences. Best wishes and comfort to his family at this time.
Having grown up using the products that Steve Jobs envisioned and created, I’m shocked that he’s suddenly gone. Having so recently resigned as Apple’s CEO, his passing is unexpected. With the highest respect, I liken this day to losing the Willy Wonka of consumer electronics — he brought an innovative magic of the purest kind that changed the world.
Thanks, Steve. God Bless.
Tagged with: • • • •
Sep 29

Amazon wants 4 bites out of the Apple

By Brian News 3 Comments »

Amazon seems poised to take some serious bites out of Apple’s iPad tablet dominance with the recent announcement of the Kindle Fire for $199 and new pricing on their entry-level Kindle for a meager $79. Additionally, they are serving up a new Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G for $99 and $149, respectively. Amazon is boasting the latest and greatest eInk display for easy reading and free 3G on the Touch 3G model. Also, notice that the physical keyboards have disappeared from all models.
The Kindle Fire is an intriguing model with its color display and the offering of movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, web browsing and more — all bundled up in a small, svelte tablet at a barn-burning $199. It appears that Amazon is sacrificing profit margin on the hardware to gamble on big profits on software and services. Just check out Amazon’s letter to their customers on the front page of their website and it seems clear they are putting Apple’s iPad in their crosshairs. The question is — can Amazon compete with the iPad with their new line of cheaper, new-and-improved Kindles?
Tagged with: • • • • • •
Sep 03

FaceTime for iPad 2 brings us closer

By Brian Editorial, News 4 Comments »

Just like the touchy-feely, heartwarming Apple commercials touting the way that people can connect through video calls on their iPad 2 and iPhone 4 devices, I had my own experience tonight that was just like Apple’s advertising campaign. If you are unfamiliar with FaceTime, it is Apple’s video call application for their iMac, MacBook, iPad 2 and iPhone 4 devices that allow people to enjoy video and audio chat with each other over a WiFi connection. I used it tonight on my iPad 2 to bring my family closer for my son’s birthday.
My daughter just left for college and, although she’s a few hundred miles away, she joined us in singing “Happy  Birthday” to my son and watched him blow out the candles on his birthday cake, thanks to FaceTime on my iPad 2 and her MacBook Pro. Cozied up to her desk in her apartment while we gathered around the kitchen table, we used FaceTime to practically erase those hundreds of miles of separation and bring us closer for a family event. The only thing she really missed was a slice of cake.
This may seem a small thing to some, but for us, it was priceless. If I had any reservations before about buying my iPad 2 to replace my iPad 1, those reservations were completely erased tonight when we were brought together again as a family thanks to this amazing technology. Have you used your iPad 2 and FaceTime to bring you closer to the ones you love?
Tagged with: • • • • • •
Aug 29

In a pinch, Apple’s iPad 1 case will protect your iPad 2

By Brian Accessories, News 3 Comments »

Finding just the right case for my iPad 2 has been a challenge since I’m very particular about what I want and need. I don’t want to add any bulk when carrying it around with me and price is important, so I’m happy to report that I think I’ve narrowed my search and I’ll be ordering my new iPad 2 case right away. I’ll let you know what I end up with and how it works for me. In the meantime, I need a way to protect my iPad 2 that goes beyond just protecting the screen. I rummaged through my inventory of cases for my original iPad and, although there is a difference in slimness between the two iPads, I was pleasantly surprised that the original Apple iPad case for the iPad 1 will do a pretty good job in a pinch.
Still available in the Apple Store for $39.00, you can pick one up there or possibly find better deals for them on Amazon.com or eBay. Or, if you’re lucky like me, you’ve upgraded from the iPad 1 and you still have your original iPad case lying around and you can put it into service for protecting your iPad 2. Keep in mind that the fit isn’t perfect — due to the thinner iPad 2 and the curvature of the iPad 2′s perimeter, the iPad 2 will have a little bit of slippage inside the case (but not much) and the buttons are not easily seen through the cutouts, but are still fairly easy to access and the case is thin enough that you can feel the buttons and press them easily. Also, there is no camera hole on the back of the case, but as I said, the case is an excellent solution in a pinch to cover and protect your iPad 2 until you get a new case.
Tagged with: • • • • •
Previous Entries
preload preload preload