With the recent news that Apple is considering Over-The-Air (OTA) updates for iOS 5, people have begun to speculate about how these future firmware updates will work on the iPhone.
If Apple does start pushing software updates over 3G straight to iDevices, a new interface will need to be added to iOS for these in-house updates. A fellow Apple fan has created some mockups of how OTA updates could look in iOS 5...
It's been a few months since Apple launched their new tablet here in the states, but it's popularity is still echoing around the globe. After the U.S. release, Apple has slowly pushed out the device to other countries.
The latest country to get hit with iPad 2 fever is China. While typical device launches are met with peaceful lines of Apple fans, the story of yesterday's launch paints a grimmer picture.
The Wi-Fi iPad 2 launched in China on Friday at 8 a.m. AppleInsider reported that there were still lines at the flagship Apple store in Beijing, around 10 a.m., with numbers in the hundreds. Apple employees handled the crowd very well, allowing just a handful of customers in at a time.
The article explains that at some point during the morning, a near "riot" erupted after retail employees tried to close the store down following a scuffle between Apple staff and crowd members.
The details of the tussle are sketchy, since most of the information is being derived from translated Chinese news reports. But what we've been able to gather is that Apple store employees got into an altercation with tablet scalpers outside the Beijing store. These individuals were reportedly selling Apple's new iPad for just a $30 markup over what the store was charging.
We're not sure exactly what spawned the brawl, but there are several reports that 2 young men and 2 men were injured. The 4 involved are currently hospitalized. The Apple store was forced to close for some time, while they cleaned up the mess of broken glass (valued at $46,000.00). It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, Apple has to say about the events.
What do you think?
Will Apple call the next gen iPhone the 4G? Most have been calling the unannounced device the iPhone 5, but recent reports speculate that Apple could end up calling it the 4s (like the 3GS).
AT&T has changed its 4G nomenclature to include devices that previously weren't fast enough to be considered "4G." In AT&T's latest series of marketing campaigns, they have started to call slower devices "4G." The devices that are referenced by AT&T posses the same speeds as what is expected from the next iPhone.
According to a new report from DigiTimes, Apple is on the lookout for a new supplier for the iPhone ambient light sensor. For those unaware, the ambient light sensor detects the light in the room and alters the screen brightness accordingly. Apple is allegedly unhappy with the current ambient light sensor supplier and has started to explore other suppliers for future iPhones'.
The report states that Apple is currently in talks with two different Taiwan-based companies: Integrated Memory Logic (iML) and Capella Microsystems. Capella is reported to already have shipped out several of its products to Apple for verification. Capella currently provides over one million ambient-light sensors a month to Taiwanese handset manufacturer, HTC.
Remember back when Apple announced the original iPod? Though there were portable MP3 players available before it, there was something about Apple's design that attracted consumers. Apple has since held a firm grip on the portable media player market, and it looks like their iPad is destined for the same fate.
When Apple's original tablet launched in early 2010, there were certainly mixed reviews. But it seems as though the consumers outnumbered the critics, as the Cupertino company's first entry in the tablet market flourished.
Their second model was even more successful. Folks gathered all around the world to wait in line for a chance to buy the iPad 2. In fact, just yesterday I was at my local Apple Store and asked a clerk what their iPad 2 stock looked like. He mentioned that they get them nearly everyday, but there is generally a line outside and they sell out quickly. A line, 2 months after it was released?
Having known all of the previous, it didn't shock me too much when I saw a report from the Nielsen company on AppleInsider today. The survey of tablet owners found that the iPad currently has an 82% market share of tablets in the U.S. The closest competitor was the Samsung Galaxy Tab with a 4% market share.
The questionnaire also determined that half of the iPad users owned a 3G model, and half of all tablet users didn't share their tablet with anyone else. I thought it was interesting that nearly 80% of the users reported using their tablets for actions which they would have previously used a computer for. I guess that's why companies like Acer are so nervous.
Although we've played devil's advocate on the blog from time to time, we are certainly fans of our iPads. Apple didn't sacrafice design, battery, and reliability for 4G, and they didn't risk size for things like USB ports. But with a commanding lead in the tablet market, in the U.S. anyways, the Cupertino company is obviously doing something right.
What do you think?
Most of you should be pretty familiar with the iOS update process by now. For anyone who needs a refresher, it's quite easy. You simply plug your iDevice into a USB port on your computer, and initiate the update through iTunes.
Although Apple's current method is fairly straight forward, competitors such as Google offer a more direct way for customers to get the latest software for their Android devices. I'll admit OTA (Over the Air) updates are convenient, but are they really the best way to deploy updates?
Are you the best navigation software developer you know? Do you love “innovative features” and “sophisticated user interfaces?" Then you may be what Apple is looking for.
The folks at Cupertino have a new job posting for a talented iOS Maps Application Developer. Does this mean that we'll see a revamped Maps app in the future?
Tech sites are buzzing today in response to an interesting tweet this morning by known tech guru Leo Laporte. The former spokesman for Tech T.V. told the Twitter world that he had heard on "good authority" that Apple has hired Tomlinson Holman to head up the company's audio projects.
For folks who aren't familiar with Holman's work, just check out any THX-certified movie or stereo system. The audio pioneer developed the technology back in the early 1980's while working at Lucasfilms. He also engineered the world's first 10.2 surround sound system.
What could Apple want with an audio specialist of this caliber? One theory is that Apple has brought Tomlinson on board to help work on their rumored TV device. Apple's motto has always been to make technology easier for the everyday person, what if they were looking to do that with home theatre?
Imagine a mid-sized T.V. set (24"-37") with new LED technology and state-of-the art sound. Combine this with current Apple TV amenities like AirPlay and you have a pretty interesting concept.
Although Apple hasn't commented on the hiring of the Lucasfilm expert, it wouldn't be the first time they hired a high profile employee. Apple recently hired PR executives from Activision and Nintendo, fueling speculation that they are looking to bump up their share of the gaming market. With all of these new talented editions added to their roster, it'll be interesting to see what the Cupertino company comes up with next.
What do you think?
Well, that was a wee bit quicker than we expected, but Apple has released iOS 4.3.3 to the public.
Although the update was initially said to be released sometime in the next few weeks (it was about a week ago when they stated this), it looks like Apple has finished testing and has opted to release iOS 4.3.3 ahead of schedule.
Why the rush to release such an minor update? It's just a sneaking suspicion, but it might have something to do with the bad press that Apple's been receiving as of late due to a certain location tracking bug...
About a month ago, we brought you Apple's first official TV ad for their latest tablet. Although the new iPad certainly hasn't needed any assistance from their marketing team, the commercial was really well done. It basically laid out the Cupertino company's formula for making electronic products for the masses, which is focusing on the user experience and not so much on the technology behind it.
It looks like Apple's ad agencies have done it again. In their follow up 30 second spot for the iPad 2, Apple repeatedly completes the sentence, "If you asked..." The two most interesting lines come at the end of the commercial when the voiceover reads, "If you asked a child, she might call it magic. And if you asked us, we'd say it's just getting started." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdSCCwJWwXQ
Although I'm not sure that there's anyone in the world capable of imagining what Apple will come up with next, the last line of the advertisement certainly makes you think. The iPad is still very early in its life, imagine what it will look like in 5 years. Just look at the current iPod line and how much it has changed since Steve Jobs unveiled the original model back in 2001.
What do you think the iPad will look like in 5 years?
An AT&T customer care representative has claimed that Apple has informed the carrier that there will be no new iPhone in June or July of this year. Although general consensus has been that Apple will postpone the next generation iPhone until later this year, there has still been hope that a summer announcement at WWDC would be made.
According to an AT&T rep, Apple will definitely not be releasing a new iPhone this summer.
Apple has been ardently working on improving its App Store ranking and review system as of late. Just recently we reported that Apple had tweaked its ranking algorithm in an effort to improve the legitimacy of App Store rankings.
Now another new policy to help support their efforts has apparently gone into effect. Any app that has been obtained by means of a developer promo code is no longer eligible for review.
In fact, Apple explicitly states that if you want to review any such app, you will need to actually purchase said app...