iPad 2 News
June 23rd, 2011 at 9:36 AM EST | by Kelly Kehoe
More than a year has passed since the original iPad was released, and there is still no official Facebook app optimized specifically for the iPad. While many users choose the option of using the enlarged Facebook app made for iPhone users or downloading one of the many third party Facebook apps available, presumably nothing beats having the official Facebook app that’s specifically formatted for iPad users.
Luckily, it appears that the wait is coming to an end, as Facebook insiders recently said that the official iPad app is set to release some time in the coming weeks. It has been in the designing, developing, and testing stages for several months, with reports saying that even the company chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg on board with the intricate detailing process.
It will be a free application, which will have many Facebook users – some of whom have been paying $0.99 for ad-free third party Facebook apps – sighing with relief. The move is expected to boost Facebook usage, which has been reported as slowing down in recent months. Analysts are also predicting that the new release could possibly entice more people to purchase iPad 2 over the alternative tablet options on the market today. Overall, it’s a win-win-win situation: for Facebook, for Apple, and for the consumers.
While most of the details have been carefully kept under the wraps, it has been said that it will be similar to the iPhone Facebook app, but with unique formatting and more advanced chatting options for iPad users. Also, iPad 2 users will be happy to know that they will easily be able to take, upload and tag high resolution pictures and videos right off of their devices.
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June 15th, 2011 at 1:51 PM EST | by Oliver VanDervoort
With the iPad 2 just hitting the market a few months ago, it should come as no surprise that the public just wants more and more and more. Now rumors of an iPad 3 have become more than just rumors and plenty of people are starting to turn their attention to what will actually be in these new devices. Apple moves quicker than most when it comes to improving their products and while there are a number of different new features that will most likely be included in the third iteration of the iPad, the one making the most news is the supposed screen resolution.
According to several different sources it appears that the screen resolution for the iPad 3 could actually be about twice what the resolution is currently. All of these rumors popped up because of a couple of people managing to get a look at the screen resolution settings of a Twitter framework – of all things – and that little tip has started a bit of a tidal wave of speculation.
While current screen resolution settings are currently sitting at a very respectable 768 x 1024 the framework of the Twitter app makes it appear as though the images will appear with dimensions of 1536 x 2048. This number of pixels would be unheard of on any of the existing tablet PCs and it is the main reason that there is so much speculation about what the new iPad 3 is going to be doing. While increasing the screen resolution to twice what it currently is may seem like quite a tall order, but it is actually not something that is completely unheard of, especially when dealing with Apple. When introducing the “Retina” display on the iPhone 4, Apple had to jack up the screen resolution of their phones from 480 x 320 to 960 x 640 with an increase of pixels of 326 per inch.
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June 15th, 2011 at 9:55 AM EST | by Kelly Kehoe
There are many different keyboard cases for iPad users who frequently use their devices for heavy typing and dislike using the touch screen keyboard for long periods of time. When comparing the top three on the market today- the Kensington Keyfolio Bluetooth Keyboard (for both the iPad and the iPad 2), the Rocketfish iCapsule, and the ZAGGmate Bluetooth Keyboard- there are obviously a lot of pros and cons to each of them. The following is an overview of those three to help you decide on the best keyboard for your lifestyle.
ZAGGmate ($99)
The best for last: the ZAGGmate iPad Keyboard. Not only is it a stylish add on to your iPad or iPad 2, but it fits them better than nearly any other case on the market. Its design protects the screen while its in its aluminum case, and it’s a natural substitute for a laptop. The bluetooth connection is seamless (faster than the Kensington or the Rocketfish connections), and it’s made of obviously high quality materials. The keyboard has many extra and iPad-specific keys on it, including volume (so there’s no need to panic if the volume keys on your iPad are covered while it’s in its sturdy ZAGGmate stand). You have the option of placing it in landscape or portrait positions, too.
The only real downside to the ZAGGmate would be the discomfort some users feel from resting their wrists on the aluminum frame for typing for long periods of time. However, it is a fine product that has been recommended by countless other iPad users, so obviously the problem isn’t very widespread or serious.
Final Verdict: The ZAGGmate is one of the best keyboards for iPads out there today. It’s highly durable, the keyboard is laptop-quality, and the bluetooth connection is fast and effortless.
Kensington ($50-$99)
Kensington offers separate bluetooth keyboards to fit both the iPad and the iPad 2. The iPad version looks very classy, with its synthetic leather case and spill proof keys. There are many iPad-specific keys included on the keyboard, and a full USB cable charge lasts 90 hours with just a 4.5 hour recharging time.
Unfortunately, the rubberized keys on the iPad version annoys many users, as it can take a couple tries until the keys actually manage to produce something on the screen. The stand is also somewhat unsteady, as it can easily fall over backwards if you touch the screen too hard. A four digit pin is required to connect to the bluetooth, which is somewhat irritating when compared to other instant-connect iPad keyboard options. Also, it only offers landscape placement, making apps that require portrait settings difficult to use.
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June 14th, 2011 at 8:14 AM EST | by Kelly Kehoe
With the latest round of educational funding cuts in many states and student failing/dropout rates still higher than what we’d like to see, needless to say: schools are in serious need of help. K-12 education is being hit the hardest, with countless teacher lay offs and no money available for new supplies being the biggest problems in many schools across the country. With schools desperately looking for ways to scrimp and save on their already limited funding, as well as engage the students in the classroom in order to keep them on the path to post-secondary education, it’s surprising that there haven’t been more schools adding iPads to their classrooms. While there is an upfront cost involved- as with anything in life- there are numerous benefits to be gained from moving past the traditional classroom and welcoming in the classroom of the future. The following are just four of the many advantages of using iPads in K-12 classrooms.
Develop Tech-Savvy Students
In a tech-filled world, forcing students to stick to traditional learning mechanisms such as hard copy dictionaries and handwritten essays is simply impractical. Yes, there are certainly downsides to moving more and more towards technological immersion in classrooms, however; it’s becoming more difficult to engage students who are otherwise more interested in electronic devices and online resources outside of school hours. To keep students interested in learning the material, it’s time for teachers to adapt to the changing world around them.
This will not only provide for an interactive learning environment, but develop more tech-savvy students who will later go into a workforce which requires at least the very basic foundation of tech smarts. Giving them a head start now is crucial to giving them adequate preparation for entering the globalized, technology-obsessed world beyond educational system.
Save Paper
Another major problem we can see happening in schools (as well as the environment) is the waste of paper. These problems can be solved with the iPad. For starters: ebooks. Schools spend thousands (and collectively: millions) of dollars per year on books and textbooks. Some schools have even started requiring that the students purchase their own copies of the books. Why go to so much trouble when students can simply click on a link and download the ebook right onto their iPad before the lesson begins?
What about essays and note-taking? Those can also be replaced by the iPad. Since they already come with a simple notepad program built-in, iPads are useful when it comes to taking notes in class with minimum paper usage. For bigger projects that require more advanced formatting, there is the option of purchasing Pages for the iPads. This will allow the students to complete assignments right at their desk, with no pencil sharpening or loads of paper needed. When they’re done, submitting assignments is just a click away. And with advanced syncing options, there’s no more need for “I left it at home” or “The dog ate my homework” excuses.
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June 8th, 2011 at 11:31 AM EST | by inu846W
After iOS 5 was announced this past Monday, developers were able to download the beta version for the latest iOS software update. It appears that some who poked around in the iOS 5 code found some interesting hints of future iPad versions. The references include mention of iPad3,1 and iPad3,2.
There are currently 3 versions of iPad 2 referenced in the iOS code as iPad2,1 (Wi-Fi), iPad2,2 (GSM), and iPad2,3 (CDMA). The latest news suggests Apple is getting ready for inclusion of iPad 3 into its software at some point in the near future. If Apple is playing around with iPad 3 code in its iOS software now, it seems more than likely the iPad 3 would be launched in early 2012 – on schedule with first-generation iPad and iPad 2 launches.
For those who can’t get enough of the “iPad 3 is coming out in late 2011” rumors, this latest news will make your eyebrow raise even higher in anticipation of the next iPad model.
To temper the hype over the mention of iPad 3 models in iOS 5, it should be noted that indications of potential future products within previous iOS code doesn’t necessarily mean those products will definitely be released. Previous iOS versions have mentioned iPhone3,2 which has not surfaced into an actual Apple product yet. But who wants to think about that? iPad 3 will come out eventually, and all reasonable points show that may be in March or April of 2012 at the latest.
iPad News Via: macrumors.com
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June 7th, 2011 at 10:53 AM EST | by inu846W
An interesting statistic given at the Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday shows just how popular the Apple iPad has become. In just 14 months, Apple has sold 25 million iPads.
Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White said by the end of the March 2011 quarter, there were 19.48 million iPads sold. Noting that approximately 25 million iPads have been sold to date, this means the first two months of the June quarter saw 5.52 million iPads being sold. That’s quite a dramatic increase in sales in such a short period of time.
If this fevered pace of iPad sales continues, there could be about 8.28 million iPads in the June quarter alone.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster suggests Apple is selling approximately 87,000 iPads per day in the June quarter based on the numbers he sees. Munster also raised its June quarter estimates to 8 million iPads sold, up from 7 million.
Wall Street is estimating Apple will report sales of 7.5 million iPads in the current quarter, which concludes at the end of June, according to Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank. There’s a chance apple could exceed sales expectations, but with some recent trouble in Japan at a production plant, that chance could be diminished. That said, Apple’s iPad sales for this quarter still look strong.
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