iPad News, Updates, App and Accessory Reviews
When the iPad hit the market in 2010, it was by no means the first tablet. Apple developed a rudimentary tablet, but more like a PDA, called The Newton in 1993. Bill Gates developed Microsoft’s first tablet in 2002 and coined the term “tablet PC”. However, it was not until Steve Jobs at Apple officially released the Apple iPad with iOS that the whole idea of the tablet computer became the new method of consuming information. Apple advertised the iPad as the new way to send email, check weather, and read newspapers from around the world. However, the population is starting to realize the iPad as a tool that can be used not only as a way to consume information, but as a tool in business to work faster and smarter.
Parents are able to use the iPad to read books to their children at night, such as Dr. Seuss’s ABC. Spelling for iPad teaches children spelling, and games such as Fruit Ninja can help a child’s hand/eye coordination. Teachers can use the Bento for iPad app to keep track of lesson plans and notes about each student. They can use the app Mobile Mouse to turn the iPad into a wireless remote for the classroom. Teachers would also be able to take their work home with them more easily and not chance forgetting their lesson plans at school. Teachers can use the Keynote app to create classroom presentations to engage the children during class.
Special Education teachers have apps available to them for the iPad that help with children who require extra attention with their learning needs. Typ-O HD is an app that Dyslexic children can use that will predict the words they are trying to use. It also has a text to speech feature to help the child listen to what they wrote to make sure the correct words were used. Children with speech and sound delays can use an app called ArtikPix that engages the child with flashcards and matching activities.
The iPad is showing up more frequently in business settings, thanks to apps such as Dropbox and GoodReader to keep files handy for employees who spend the day away from their desks. There are notepad apps as well sketch apps that allow employees to jot down ideas during business meetings and conference calls. Salespersons can use the iPad as a way to pitch their company to new clients and streamline all the paperwork involved. Apps can also be used on the iPad to keep track of inventory instantly within a warehouse.
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March 29th, 2011 at 1:12 PM EST
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inu846W
Needham & Company analyst Charlie Wolf raised his sales expectations for iPad 2 due to recent and overwhelming demand for the device since its US launch on March 11 and international launch on March 25. Lines are still forming at Apple stores all over the country, causing a rethink of previous sales forecasts.
Wolf raised his previous sales estimate for 2011 up to 30 million from a previous 20 million. The analyst also raised 2012 estimates to 40 million, up from 30 million as previously stated.
“Our expectation going into the March 11th launch of the iPad 2 in the U.S. was that it would be successful, but probably more subdued than the launch of the original iPad a year ago. The launch blew out our expectations.
“Our failure in forecasting iPad sales was one of imagination. Until the iPad 2, we questioned whether the device was for real or simply a fad. The iPad 2 launch disabused us of this notion.”
On the competitors, Wolf noted they may have missed the most alluring draw to the iPad, the software, not hardware. Apple has over 60,000 apps in the App Store written for iPad. Google’s Android Honeycomb operating system can only boast a few hundred apps written for its own system.
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March 29th, 2011 at 11:21 AM EST
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inu846W
The HandStand for iPad provides a new way to hold and use your device that may come in handy for certain situations, but not all.
There may be times when having the iPad sit in your lap while you use both hands to tap away on the screen is most useful, and other times you may want the iPad to stand on a table so you can view an app or movie hands-free. But with the HandStand, you can hold the iPad safely and securely in one hand with little effort while using your other hand to manipulate the screen or perform other tasks. It’s a great accessory that adds flexibility to your iPad experience.
Though suited well for many situations, HandStand may work best for business purposes like checking inventory records on the iPad while viewing the stock on a shelf at the same time, giving a presentation where mobility is needed while referencing the iPad, or multitasking in any number of ways with one hand while having the need to use the iPad with the other.
HandStand is manufactured in Portland, Oregon from heavy-duty, durable polyurethane using American made materials. All parts are 100% recyclable. The iPad fits snug and secure into a case and your hand fits easily under a flexible strap on the back. There is a hard plastic piece which extends out from the back that your fingers can grip or rest on, but it also acts as a stand when you place the accessory down on any surface. You can enjoy a 360 degree rotation of the iPad when using HandStand simply by twisting the case.
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March 28th, 2011 at 1:55 PM EST
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inu846W
A photo sent to MacRumors purportedly shows a graphic ad that says iPad 2 will be sold at 500 RadioShack locations starting tomorrow, March 29.
We are thrilled that iPad 2 will be available at 500 RadioShack locations across the country starting March 29! Details have been sent to these stores.
There has been a continual high demand for iPad 2 in the United States ever since the device began selling online and at stores across the country on March 11. Many countries in Europe and around the world also experienced high demand, long lines, and disappearing stock this past weekend when iPad 2 launched in 25 countries.
Should RadioShack start to sell the new Apple iPad, it may alleviate demand here in America and make some eager buyers happy. Stay tuned, we’ll let you know if the story turns out to be true or not.
UPDATE: According to some RadioShack representatives, the rumors are true. Some RadioShacks will sell iPad 2 starting tomorrow, though how many iPads each store may have is still unknown.
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March 28th, 2011 at 8:47 AM EST
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inu846W
photo from huffingtonpost.com
On Friday, iPad 2 launched in 25 countries worldwide in one of the biggest worldwide releases for an Apple product ever. Within 24 hours most countries had completely sold out of the device or had their stock drastically diminished. Similar events occurred in the US during iPad 2’s launch there 2 weeks ago.
As expected, queues outside of official Apple stores were in their thousands, with many customers waiting over 24 hours, some over 48. Other retailers faced much smaller crowds, with many customers not aware that the iPad 2 was available from other stores.
In Europe, UK newspaper The Guardian reported a significant increase in the crowd from the original iPad’s release. Many claimed they were waiting in line not only for the product but for the ‘atmosphere’ of the queue. This internationally cements Apple’s product launches as events within themselves, where customers now expect to wait in queues for hours on end.
In the days leading up to the launch, there were widespread fears over the availability of stock. Many newspapers around the globe warned customers to expect a delayed release, as happened with the original iPad and iPhone 4 in some countries. The main reason for this expected delay was stock demand in the US, with the device selling out domestically within hours of its release. Whether this demand is a deliberate ploy by Apple is certainly likely, as it has now become part of the landscape that users expect when a new device launches.
photo from huffingtonpost.com
Online, the first round of iPad 2 orders sold out within hours. The expected delivery time switched from ‘2-3 weeks’ to ‘4-6 weeks’ somewhere very early in the morning. Concerns arising from this were calmed by Apple, who claimed they expected to be able to serve those waiting in line. Most consumers walked away happy.
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March 27th, 2011 at 8:42 AM EST | by
Let Facebook organize your life, at your own peril
Have you ever been using Facebook and caught yourself thinking “ugh…since I’m always on Facebook, and it’s become my life, I wish there were a way to use Facebook to organize my life as well…” No? You’ve never thought that? Well that’s ok. You’re not an app designer. But the folks who designed the FaceTheDay app did think of it, and they decided, yes, your life would be easier if you could manage it using “events” instead of, you know, writing stuff in your day planner like a less tech-savvy person.
Sure, your iPad has a calendar application already. But it doesn’t link events from Facebook to your day planner! And it doesn’t have a countdown clock! And it doesn’t shift from a black background to a white background, does it? Exactly. That’s why you need this app. Or at least, those are the only things I can think of to list in order to give you a reason to purchase it.
It works like this: You open the app, feed it your Facebook login info, and you’re on your way. Immediately you’re taken to the “events” screen, which is sort of the default here, because “events” are the whole reason you’ve gotten this app in the first place. The idea is to create an event for everything, no matter how trivial. If you have a doctor’s appointment on Thursday, make an event for it. You can even invite your doctor, assuming you are friends. The event can be public (if you want people to know you’re looking out for your health) or private (if you are ashamed of your prescription drug addiction). And you’re off! The event pops up on your screen and you can begin creating, or at least planning more events. Plus, if you’re popular among your 1500+ pseudo friends like I am, you’re likely already receiving upwards of 20 event invites a day to go to art gallery openings, bar mitzvahs, bachelor parties and funerals, and you have a tough time managing all those invites on a day to day basis. You are the king/queen of not responding to event requests. Your friends are beginning to hate you. But there’s hope! With FacetheDay, just swipe the event away, and you can delete it from your queue, which will automatically respond “not attending” on your behalf. Now your cousin knows you can’t make it to her karaoke quinceanera!
There’s also the ability to create a to do list with FacetheDay, which you can’t do on Facebook. So, eat that Mark Zuckerberg. The other interesting but sort of unnecessary function is the ability to turn the application “white” or “black” with what amounts to the flip of a switch by pressing a button at the top of the screen. You do it once, and you say “oh, the background is black. Neat.” Then you click it again and the background is white. And you are sort of impressed. Then you create an event on Facebook to invite your friends to. It’s called “come over to my place and marvel at my app that changes colors from black to white and back again.” Few will respond yes, but that’s ok. Because it’s cool to you.
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