Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
If you thought a physical keyboard was the only way to tap out a text message on a phone then think again.
Youtube user konceptzoflife successfully managed to tap out a message at an impressive 83 words per minute which is quite amazing if you ask me. The test was done on an Apple iPhone running some software called iTextSpeed to put the words on the page which are then typed in as fast as possible. [Read more…]
Earlier today, Apple updated their online store to add the Apple iPad ready for pre-order on to the virtual shelves.
Along with the pre-order update that came a few features also slipped through that were just noticed now. The main one I will mention here is a screen rotation lock button that allows you to lock the screen from rotating automatically.
You might wonder why this is important, but if you have used a phone that features auto rotation and tried reading while in bed for example, the screen automatically rotates and it’s basically annoying unless you whip through the menus and turn the feature off. [Read more…]
Although it’s almost a given that the Apple iPad will sell well, there are still many complaints about the lack of various features such as multitasking (which might appear later this year), and the lack of flash support, pen input amongst other things. There are a number of alternatives out now or soon to be out though. CrunchGear put together a list of seven alternatives that are either available, or arriving this year sometime. There’s actually eight although Crunch Gear for legal reasons cannot specifically mention the JooJoo due to the Crunchpad/Fusion Garage break up late last year.
Rather than rehash the complete list here, I’ll just mention a few of my favourites which can be found below. [Read more…]
The pre-order day has finally arrived and Apple [AAPL]have now put the Apple iPad available in store ready for you to purchase although you’ll need to wait till April 3 to receive the product. April 3 is a Saturday, so Apple also point out that if you order online and your are doesn’t have Saturday deliveries then it will be delivered on Monday 5th April.
Both versions of the Apple iPad are available for pre-order in the US only although only the Wi-Fi model is shipping April 3 with the Wi-Fi+3G model shipping sometime late April.
As previously announced, prices start at $499 for the cheapest Wi-Fi model which has 16GB of flash memory. Each wi-fi model jumps up $100 a time making the 32GB model $599 and the 64GB model $699. [Read more…]
Today is March 12 and according to Apple [AAPL] it’s the day they start taking pre-orders for the Apple iPad in the US. After visiting the Apple site today the regular “We’ll be back soon.” was presented in the Apple Store indicating that Apple are in the process of updating to allow for Apple iPad preorders.
As well as the US store being down, other stores around the world are down. It isn’t known if just the iPad is going to be available for pre-order in the US, or perhaps if the other countries who are getting ready to sell the iPad are also able to pre-order. [Read more…]
We are hearing today that Apple [AAPL] are working on their latest iPhone OS numbered 4.0. The new OS still has a way to go before being launched, but it seems like multitasking is going to be included for 3rd party apps. Currently there are a few apps built by Apple that can multi task such as email and iPod to name a couple.
The current OS 3.x does multitask, but 3rd party apps are prevented artificially for various reasons such as security. If they open it up there could be problems with applications accessing other applications etc…
Other problems caused with multitasking are to do with memory assignment and battery life. When applications are loaded up there has to be some communication between apps on what memory allocations can be used. Also battery life suffers having to handle the extra CPU load. [Read more…]
Check out these cool looking App icon fridge magnets that come from a company called Jailbreak Toys.
Each set has 18 magnets that comprises a set of almost all default applications such as an iPod icon along with email, weather, calendar, settings to name a few. [Read more…]
Various iPad cases are available here. On to the Quirky…
As the Apple iPad launch date draws nearer, more and more accessories are becoming available. The last one we mentioned just a few days ago was the Vers Wood iPad case. Next on the list is a case built by Quirky that is called the Quirky Cloak.
The Quirky Cloak is designed to look sleek and provide enough protection to keep your iPad safe within. It is built from non-slip rubber and has a durable plastic hinge on the edges.
The iPad slides in the top of the casing and once inside is held firmly by a friction grip. The Quirky Cloak is designed in a way that allows the iPad to sit on a surface in landscape mode, or stand up with a kick stand in portrait mode. [Read more…]
Apple have launched the next beta for the Apple iPhone 3.2 SDK. This version has been launched two weeks after the previous version and will probably include a few fixes as well as features ready for the iPad launch next month.
It is unknown at the moment what Apple [AAPL] have done on this update although developers will probably be looking right now, so expect details in the next 24 hours.
If you do spot anything interesting (being in the developers program) then feel free to post a comment below such as finding details of a hidden camera, an iPhone 4 or a next gen iPad etc…
It seems like the iPad is going to be shipped with a few missing apps that were originally on the iPhone.
The information comes from John Gruber of DaringFireball who is usually bang on with the information he posts on his site. From what we know and believe, the Apple iPad will ship with 12 built-in apps that include the likes of a Calendar, web browser etc… Those missing include Stocks, Calculator, Clock, Weather and Voice Memos… so where are they?
The basic answer (or rumour) is that Steve Jobs decided to scrap them as they didn’t function like he wanted them to on a larger screen. You may notice that calendar had a full revamp for the iPad making use of the larger screen allowing for appointments to actually be seen in monthly view. It doesn’t seem to be the same for the apps that are missing in that they don’t essentially “look the part”. [Read more…]
Vers have created another wooden case. This time the case is built for the Apple iPad that will be launching next month on April 3.
The casing costs $80 and is set to be launched soon and aims to protect your iPad from general knocks and scrapes from carrying it around. The Vers Wooden iPad case is top loading. Inside it’s soft allowing protection for the iPad while the outside is made from wood and bamboo. [Read more…]
Now that the official shipping date is set for the Apple iPad in the US with rough dates set for end of April in the UK amongst other countries, we are now hearing of reasons why Apple [AAPL] delayed the launch.
John Gruber of Daring Fireball claims to have heard the software is the problem with the device rather than a hardware issue (or lack of certain parts). Apple, as do all companies, need to get the software just right to make a successful launch. If software is the reason (and we’ll probably never know for sure) then the extra time will hopefully allow them to get the final version on the iPad. Worst case scenario (other than a bunch of bricked devices) is that a large scale patch launch will need to happen to correct the software issues afterwards. [Read more…]
