iPad mini sales overtaking full-size iPad faster than Apple envisioned

By Ed Sutherland on Mar 1, 2013

Yesterday came more evidence that the 7.9-inch iPad mini is outselling Apple’s larger tablet. The findings show increasing sales of the iPad mini amid declining demand for the 9.7-inch iPad. Between December and January, shipments of 9.7-inch panels (such as the iPad) fell from 7.4 million to 1.3 million units. In contrast, shipments of 7.9-inch display panels rose to more than five million units, according to the findings by hardware research firm NPD DisplaySearch that echo recent supply chain chatter.

The changing levels of demand suggests consumers prefer the smaller footprint of smaller tablets. However, this faster adoption of the iPad mini over its big brother is causing analysts to revise expectations for 2013 tablet sales… Read More

 

Files hits iOS: manage all your files in one app

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 28, 2013

One of the biggest iOS drawbacks (or blessings, depending on your view) compared to other mobile operating systems is that users cannot mess with the file system directly. That Apple doesn’t provide an app to pull all your documents together in one place doesn’t help either. Enter Files, a new app German developer Sonico Mobile created with the very specific purpose of tackling this issue.

It’s available now at a special introductory price of 99 cents, optimized for all your iThings, including the original iPad. I’ve been playing with the software for the past couple of days and will be posting a thorough review over the weekend. In the meantime, here’s how Files makes your mobile computing easier… Read More

 

Star Wars Pinball arrives via Zen Pinball update

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 27, 2013

As promised, Star Wars Pinball from Zen Studios has arrived on the iOS platform, launching today as an add-on to the company’s Zen Pinball (a free  universal binary download). Celebrating the launch, developers have released a new teaser trailer which highlights the intergalactic bounty hunter Boba Fett.

The previous trailer covered a table on the main deck of a Star Destroyer, based on the Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back movie. Each of the three tables is available as a separate $1.99 purchase from Zen Pinball. Zen Studios has pledged to release the game as a standalone download and we’ll update the article with a link to that version as soon as it hits the App Store… Read More

 

Amazon launches Cloud Player on iPad

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 27, 2013

If you keep your music in the Amazon cloud, you were able to stream it to your iPhone and iPod touch through Amazon’s free Cloud Player app. Today, the online retailer has pushed a major update which finally runs natively on iPads. It has an updated look on both the iPhone and iPad and new settings to manage caches and more. Cloud Player originally debuted on the iPhone eight months ago and the new version arrives just as Spotify has revamped its iOS client and Apple rolled out iTunes in the Cloud support in a dozen European markets… Read More

 

Who wants to win an iPad mini?

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 26, 2013

Ladies and gents, you read the title correctly, we’re giving away yet another iPad mini. We’ve again teamed up with the outstanding folks over at Big Fish Games to bring you this exciting giveaway.

Big Fish Games, as you probably already know, is a huge iOS developer responsible for dozens of iOS games for the iPhone and the iPad. Along with sponsoring this iPad mini giveaway, they’ve also decided to provide each one of you with a free copy of Fairway Solitaire.

This time around, we’re doing things a bit different. In order to enter our latest iPad mini giveaway, you need to visit our YouTube channel, watch the iPad mini giveaway video, and follow the instructions. It’s that simple.

Winners will be announced next Tuesday, March 5th. Head over to our YouTube channel now, and enter now!

 

Apple orders Retina iPad mini screens from Japan Display and LG Display

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 25, 2013

Apple, according to a new supply chain report out of Asia, has placed orders with LG Display and Japan Display for high-resolution Retina screens for a second-generation iPad mini. Japan Display is a merger of the mobile display operations of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba, in conjunction with the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. Now, LG Display and AU Optronics both currently supply 1,024-by-768 panels for the iPad mini, and iDB last week heard the latter has already started mass producing Retina panels for the second-generation iPad mini.

With LG Display and Japan Display now reportedly having been added to the mix – and with leaks like this purported back shell – all signs point to Apple lining up its suppliers ahead of manufacturing, usually a tell-tale sign that the official announcement is around the corner. And if the iPad mini 2 is in fact looming, we’re probably looking at a summer launch at WWDC… Read More

 

IDC: 2012 a race between Samsung ‘juggernaut’ and ‘resurgent’ Apple

By Ed Sutherland on Feb 24, 2013

Reports quite rightly label 2012 ‘The Year of Samsung.’ The South Korean smartphone and tablet maker is described as a ‘juggernaut’ with triple-digit growth last year, making it the top producer of smart devices, according to a Friday report. But if you thought Apple was ready to retire, you’d be wrong – thanks largely to monster holiday sales and that dynamic duo: the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

Samsung saw its market share for all of 2012 jump nearly 120 percent, to 20.8 percent from 12.3 percent in 2011, according to research firm IDC. Meanwhile, Apple used the traditionally busy fourth quarter to move within about 1 percent of its South Korean rival… Read More

 

Samsung takes aim at iPad mini with new Galaxy Note 8.0

By Cody Lee on Feb 24, 2013

It looks like the rumors were true. Samsung sent out a press release last night announcing the launch of its new Galaxy Note 8.0. The 8-inch tablet is clearly aimed right at the iPad mini, which has done very well thus far for Apple.

And it certainly came prepared to play. As expected, the slate features a 1280×800 (720p) display—just a hair better than the mini—a quad core processor, 2GB of RAM, and oh yeah, it makes phone calls. More details after the break… Read More

 

AU Optronics reportedly started mass producing iPad mini 2 Retina panels

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 22, 2013

Two days ago, sources reported AU Optronics, which alongside LG Display supplies Apple with 1,024-by-768 display panels for the iPad mini, recently began work on new screens for the next-generation iPad mini. And with yields allegedly now meeting Apple’s exacting standards, Taiwan media Friday claimed AU Optronics started mass producing 2,048-by-1,536 324ppi Retina screens for the device, which is said to use the dual-core A5X chip and quad-core graphics to drive the display… Read More

 

Millennial: tablet use skyrockets, led by iPad mini and Kindle Fire

By Ed Sutherland on Feb 22, 2013

Millennial Media becomes the latest to release research showing 2012 was a year of rising adoption of tablets and smartphones. Apple continues to lead the charge in tablets – particularly the iPad mini – while Samsung has become the popular face for the family of Android alternatives.

Apple held on to its tablet lead with 58 percent of the market. About a half-dozen Amazon tablets helped Google’s mobile operating system capture 41 percent of tablets, with Samsung the most significant player… Read More

 

These rear shell photos could mean colors are coming to iPad mini 2

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 21, 2013

A fresh batch of images purportedly representing the back shell believed to belong to a next-generation iPad mini have popped up on a Chinese forum. On the surface, the back part is reminiscent of the current-generation iPad mini design. On closer inspection, however, it appears to be a little thicker. Per rumor mills, the next iPad mini looks virtually identical to the original, but if the iPad 3 is anything to go by, the Retina upgrade in fact could add thickness in order to accommodate a bigger battery and better graphics, both required to power the Retina display… Read More

 

Traktor DJ makes the leap from desktop to iPad

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 21, 2013

German developer Native Instruments has long been regarded as the maker of some of the finest music and DJing software on the market and today they released Traktor DJ, a pro music mixing $19.99 iPad app that complements the desktop Traktor Pro software with bi-directional content synchronization and a host of other feature.

Unlike virtually all the other DJ apps that tap virtual turntables, Traktor DJ sports touchable waveforms and has two virtual decks, each with dedicated three-band equalizer and filter sections, including eight Traktor effects.

The app relies heavily on multitouch gestures: you can grab audio waveforms with two fingers to set a loop, perform scratches, mark cue points for live re-editing, and scrub, browse or navigate through tracks. Go past the break for additional tidbits and a hands-on video… Read More

 

Plants vs. Zombies goes free, get downloading

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 21, 2013

If you didn’t download Plants vs. Zombies because it costs money, now there is no reason you shouldn’t pick it up because developer PopCap has for the first time slashed the popular casual strategy game to $0 on the App Store. From the people who also brought you Bejeweled, Peggle, Zuma and Bookworm, Plants vs. Zombies since its June 2010 iPhone debut has won more than 30 Game of the Year awards.

The game challenges you to soil your plants while battling zombies who are about to invade your home. Retina devices and iPhone 5 are supported and both iPad and iPhone builds are free now. A few screenies and additional description right after the break… Read More

 

How to enable HDR Camera mode on iPad, and iPod touch 4G

By Mike Schnier on Feb 20, 2013

HDR is a photography mode that stitches together several pictures along a range of exposure settings. Using various algorithms, the effect creates pictures that can have fewer dark or washed out spots than a conventional digital still, which is great if you intend to capture textures and detail instead of glare or shadow.

Apple introduced HDR photography to iOS 4.1, but the feature wasn’t rolled out to every device. The devices that currently lack the option to enable HDR in the stock camera app include the iPod touch 4G, iPad mini, and the iPad 2 to the iPad 4. Lucky for us, this disabled feature is fairly easy to manually reintroduce on a jailbroken device… Read More

 

Spotify and record labels in talks over free streaming on mobile devices

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 20, 2013

I get literally 90+ percent of my digital music through Spotify. Just ten bucks a month buys me unlimited, high-quality, ad-free streaming. Apple’s à la carte iTunes downloads just don’t stand a chance. But Spotify isn’t the juggernaut of Apple’s calibre so no wonder record labels have limited free streaming to computers and notebooks. That could change now as the Swedish startup is reportedly in talks with content owners over extending free streaming to smartphones and tablets like iPads and iPhones… Read More

 

Audible launches iPad app

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 20, 2013

In the speeded up world I’m increasingly finding myself listening to audiobooks because I just don’t have the time for long reads. Besides, reading is rarely a background activity.

That’s what I love about spoken word: it saves time. I can enjoy my audiobooks while jogging, cooking, commuting and what not. Heck, I sometimes even listen to audiobooks while I simultaneously blog about technology.

Amazon-owned Audible sells some awesome digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs and today they’ve finally launched an iPad app. And let me tell you, it’s been a worthwhile wait.

Of course, the Newark-based company has had an iPhone app in the App Store since July 2010. That piece of software, too, has received a major refresh today, bringing out a revamped interface, quick sign ups / sign ins and other tidbits… Read More

 

As iPad mini supply evens out, AU Optronics begins work on next-gen display

By Cody Lee on Feb 20, 2013

Yesterday we noticed that iPad mini supply has finally caught up with demand. For the first time since the tablet launched last November, all models are showing ‘in stock’ in Apple’s online store, in several countries.

The improved stock is said to be due to AU Optronics solidifying higher yields of iPad mini panels. And not only has it figured out how to make the current-gen panels faster, but it’s begun work on next-gen displays… Read More

 

How to jailbreak iOS 6.1.2 with evasi0n 1.4

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 19, 2013

Evasion 1.4 was just released with support for the recently released iOS 6.1.2, and we’ve got the details on how to use it to jailbreak your iDevice of choice. Although iOS 6.1.2 doesn’t bring any new features to the table, there is a bug fix that makes the upgrade worth it.

Take a look inside as we show you how to jailbreak iOS 6.1.2 with evasi0n 1.4. This tutorial is for the Mac, but the same principal applies across all computing platforms. Read More

 

iPad 5 to switch to iPad mini display tech for thinner assembly

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 19, 2013

According to new reports by Taiwanese media outlets, Apple is said to be lining up suppliers for a fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad. The gizmo is said to adopt a revamped touchscreen technology, basically the same “GF2″ display tech found on the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The iPad mini’s display assembly is notably thinner compared to its bigger brother that sports the glass-on-glass design so the reports jive nicely with previous rumors pointing to the iPad 5 borrowing a few design ideas from the iPad mini, namely a thinner and lighter appearance… Read More

 

iPad mini now showing ‘in stock’ online in several countries

By Cody Lee on Feb 19, 2013

Apple has had a hard time catching up with consumer demand for its iPad mini. Since the tablet debuted four months ago, supply has been extremely constrained, with shipping times only recently dropping below a week.

But today, it appears that supply and demand is finally starting to even out for the popular slate, as the mini now shows an availability status of ‘in stock’ in Apple web stores in several countries around the world… Read More

 
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