All posts in iPad News

Apple Patent Could End iPhone Jailbreaking

By / August 27, 2010 / No Comments
An Apple patent application, filed earlier this year but posted online last Thursday could put an end to jailbreaking iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads, reports claim.
Jailbreaking, which allows Apple users to run third-party unsigned code on their devices by unlocking the operating system, was recently found not to violate copyright laws defined by the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
While an Apple patent would primarily protect users from thieves, with a range of security measures possibly planned, the company seems keen to stamp out jailbreaking, despite the practice now legal under “fair use” in the US.
According to tech news site CNET, Apple’s patent “Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device,” includes a remote “kill switch” that could quickly restore an iPhone, iPod or iPad to its factory settings.
Along with the potential to restore factory settings, Apple also intends to send warnings to owners via email or text message when such activity as “hacking, jailbreaking, unlocking, or removal of a SIM card.” is detected, CNET adds.

Leaked Photos Hint at FaceTime for iPod Touch

By / August 6, 2010 / No Comments
Rumors are piling up suggesting the next-generation iPod Touch will get FaceTime video chat thanks to a new front-facing camera.
The latest rumblings are based on two photos from an iPhone parts supplier purportedly showing off the LCD panel and bezel for the next iPod Touch. The part features a space at the top that appears to be a perfect fit for a front-facing camera. The photos were obtained by MacRumors.
This is not the first time purported iPod Touch parts have surfaced showing off a space for a front-facing camera; however, what gives these photos a little more credence is that the part is clearly marked “Apple © 2010.” Take a look at this larger version of one of the photos to see the markings. That’s by no means definitive proof, but it does suggest this might be the real thing.
If the rumors are true, the new iPod Touch would be Apple’s second device to get FaceTime after the new application debuted on the iPhone 4 earlier this summer. Unlike the iPhone, however, FaceTime on the iPod Touch would use your contacts’ e-mail addresses instead of phone numbers to call other users, according to MacRumors.
Fresh rumors about revamped and brand new Apple devices are likely to increase over the next few weeks as we get closer to September. Typically, Apple refreshes its iPod lineup and the iTunes software during this time. The company has yet to announce an iPod event date for 2010, but it is widely expected to do so within the next few weeks.
The MacRumors photos come just one day after iLounge said it had learned from an anonymous source about Apple’s plans for new iPods (including a smaller iPod Touch), a 7-inch iPad, and a new iPhone.
Source: PCWorld

Make your own iPad stand using pencils and rubber bands

By / July 11, 2010 / No Comments

If you’ve spent all your disposable income on an iPad and have found yourself without the funds to purchase a stand, there’s no need to fret – with a little DIY magic, you can make your own functional, cool, and inexpensive iPad stand with just a handful of pencils and rubber bands.

Julian Horsey of Geeky Gadgets is the mind behind the pencil iPad stand. His crafty design, an expansion on a pencil iPhone stand he designed last year, uses six pencils and four elastic bands that form a triangular base for the iPad to rest on. A single pencil, reinforced by four other pencils, props the iPad upright.

The pencils’ erasers provide protection and friction for the iPad and grip for the stand’s legs, while the metal parts of the pencils that connect the erasers serve as locators for the edge of the iPad. According to Horsey, these metal locators “work like a dream, providing just enough friction to keep the iPad in either landscape or portrait orientation.” He cautions that the metal could scratch your iPad’s edges if it’s not in a case, though he offers work-arounds for that dilemma as well.

You’ll find photos of the stand at Geeky Gadgets, and while assembly instructions aren’t provided, the stand should be easy enough to make on your own with a few reference photos.

Disney acquire Tapulous, the makers of Tap Tap Revenge and Twinkle

By / July 11, 2010 / No Comments

The Walt Disney Company has confirmed it has bought app-based music gaming company Tapulous, the company behind the Tap Tap Revenge franchise.

Financial details were not disclosed but as part of the deal Tapulous co-founders Bart Decrem and Andrew Lacy will become SVPs at Disney Interactive Media Group.

Tapulous has over 30m users of its different games and has built bespoke versions of Tap Tap Revenge for acts including Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Metallica and Nickelback.

It has also launched the motion-based Riddim Ribbon game built around the music of Black Eyed Peas and the Tap Tap Radiation game for the iPad.

It is expected Disney will now move deeper into both mobile and gaming with its music properties such as Hannah Montana and High School Musical.

When asked by MocoNews why his company had acquired Tapulous, Disney Interactive Media Group president Steve Wadsworth said, “Because they have great talent. They have proven success with iPhone games and applications, and they’ve built a big footprint with the applications they have. And they’ve demonstrated an ability to very effectively monetize what they do.”

Last month, Warner Music signed a deal with Tapulous to build bespoke apps around a number of its acts.

Tap Tap Revenge was one of the first apps to allow in-app track purchasing and through this, it has sold over 5m downloads.

iPad users are annoyed at lack of Flash support

By / May 21, 2010 / No Comments

Apple might come to regret its decision not to support Adobe’s Flash.

According to a recent survey, researchers at Changewave found that the most common dislike among Ipad owners was the device’s lack of Flash support. Apple’s dear leader Steve Jobs has made it clear that he will not allow devices running Iphone OS to use Adobe’s Flash.

Given that over 80 per cent of respondents in the report claim to use their Ipads for web browsing and almost 50 per cent for viewing video, areas in which Flash is particularly pervasive, it’s not surprising that users find lack of support for the format annoying.

Those who have shelled out big bucks to get their hands on an Ipad may complain about the situation, but given Jobs’ very public spat with Adobe it’s highly unlikely that Adobe will ever see Flash support in the Iphone OS. After Jobs made a number of accusations and false claims about the software, it was revealed why he is so fervently against Adobe’s product when plans for Apple’s own Cocoa fuelled web were outed.

Few would argue that Adobe and its products are open, but given that so many aspects of the web currently depend on it, simply blocking it will, as this report shows, only leave users aggrieved.

Adobe, realising that its relationship with Apple has hit the buffers, decided to cosy up to Google and its open source Android operating system, meaning those who want to enjoy all that the web has to offer can do so by purchasing a device running Android.

The report also dismisses Jobs’ ridiculous claim that the Ipad is a “revolutionary device” by asking users what they do with the shiny toy. Aside from web browsing and watching videos, checking email, playing games and listening to music were all popular Ipad activities, just as they are on netbooks and even the firm’s Iphones and Macbooks.

As Jobs’ Mob decides whether or not to deride this report, it cannot hide from the fact that the road its dear leader has decided to take it down might lead to alienating a significant percentage of its customers.

The fruit themed toymaker is launching the Ipad on May 28 or June 7 depending on which date you believe. That is also the same time that Google is set to release Android 2.2, which features multi-tasking and Adobe’s Flash 10.1, both of which are features absent from Apple’s oversized Iphone without a phone.

Source: the inquirer

Solid gold iPad, *only* £130,000!

By / May 16, 2010 / No Comments

The luxury iPad has sparkling gems set into its Apple logo, as well as a solid-gold rear and screen surround.

Fans of the blinged-up device should bring their money with them, however, as Mr Hughes’s 2.1kg unique iPad also weighs in with a hefty price tag of £130,000 – more than 180 times pricier than even the most expensive UK model.

Mr Hughes’s website describes the unique gadget as ‘outstanding even down to the precise polishing to reveal its most beautiful harmonious appearance’.

It continues: ‘A magnificent combination of top-of-the-industry technology and unrivalled craftsmanship was invloved in creating this masterpiece.’

Mr Hughes, 39, from Liverpool, started creating the super-plush gadgets with wife Katherine eight years ago.

He makes the stunning gizmos by casting moulds in the shapes of the gadgets, before pouring in gold to complete the process, which can sometimes take up to six weeks.

The couple offer luxury customised phones, like diamond-encrusted Blackberrys, as well as the ultimate games console – a gold-plated Nintendo Wii ‘Supreme’ costing £300,000.

For those who can’t quite stretch to £130,000, Mr Hughes also offers a budget gold-plated iPad for a mere £2,000.

He said: ‘The process works for objects and gadgets people can relate to, and when we’re finished with the products they can often look bizarre and outrageous.

‘We’ve gone for the higher end of the gadget market. When someone spends £80,000 on an expensive car, they don’t want to drive it home and find their nextdoor neighbour has got the same one.

Source: Daily Mail

3G tariffs announced for UK iPad Customers

By / May 10, 2010 / No Comments

Alongside the up-front cost of the device, consumers will have to pay for Wi-Fi access when they leave their home, or sign up for a 3G mobile broadband package.

O2 has announced that it will be offering three tariffs. For £2 a day, iPad owners can access up to 500MB, without having to sign any contract. It also has two monthly payment options: for £10 a month iPad users get 1GB of usage and for £15 they get 3GB. Customers can cancel their contracts – with 24 hours’ notice – at the end of the month.

Orange’s pay monthly option offers a better deal for heavy mobile broadband users with £25 buying 10GB. But all three of O2’s offers come with unlimited Wi-Fi access through hotspots operated by BT Openzone and The Cloud. Only Orange’s pay monthly deals come with Wi-Fi access and they only include a paltry 750MB of Wi-Fi browsing – again through BT Openzone’s network of hotspots.

Vodafone, the last of the three mobile phone networks that will be supporting the iPad when it goes on sale on 28 May, has yet to announce its prices. Figures being quoted on some websites are apparently incorrect, according to a Vodafone spokesman.

Source: Guardian

iPhone development vs iPad development – hints for developers

By / May 8, 2010 / No Comments

Since the announcement of the iPad there have been mixed views towards the iPhone development community, mainly to do with the fact that are potentially two different platforms to cater for. However, this can be an advantage to some developers, especially financially.

The iPad is backward compatible with iPhone application, since they will be scaled up by the iPad to make use of the larger screen (if required). That said, the iPad is a completely different device in it’s own right and is extremely different to the iPhone, mainly due to the larger screen surface.

However, when developing applications for the iPad, you must make sure you cover:

Orientation Support for rotation

The iPad does not have a ‘right’ way up, it can be used in the same direction as the iPhone (portrait) or in the landscape orientation (on its side). Therefore, it is crucial that your application is able to rotate in either direction.

View Controller

All iPhone apps which use the UINavigation controller (for drilling down information, such as the settings app) can now take advantage of the new view controller. This allows simulataneous viewing of the list (in landscape orientation) and the detailed view (as a two panel selector UI pattern). The regular orientation is still available in portrait orientation. The new and improved UIKit in iPhone 4.0 will allow these functions to be controlled for your iPad application.

Popover Views

Due to the size of the screen on the iPhone it is not common practice to have modal dialogues (except for third party ones like Facebook connect auth). The iPad SDK allows modal dialogues, modeless dialogues and attactive menus.

All applications which use the master/detail view will automatically convert the master list into a popover menu which the iPad is placed in the landscape orientation. The same technique can be used to create menus to show pages or dialogues.

Tabs

Traditional tabs normally appear at the top of an application (except on the iPhone). iPad applications now have the option to place tabs at the top or at the bottom of the application, allowing tabs to be put inside popover views.

Table Views

Again, due to the increased screen size of the iPad, UITableViews may now have multiple columns.

Gestures

Although technically speaking you can have as many finger gestures as you like (as long as you it’s under 10 fingers of course!), but the iPhone’s limited screen size sort of made anything more than two fingers a pain to use.

The deliciously large screen size of the iPad now allows us to use a bunch of new gestures as seen on the MacBook trackpad.

Multimedia

Videos need consume the entire screen for the iPad. Video can now be restricted to a small portion or area of the screen.

The iPad also supports wireless headsets and microphones, allowing hands-free voice-driven control of the apps.

Improved CoreGraphics technology allows apps to generate PDF content, allow reports to be generated on the fly by using the SDK.

Compass and Location

GPS location and compass technology is only available on 3G models of the iPad.

Text input and keyboards

Each text field input will support spell checking and auto-completion (much like iPhone 4.0). Developers can toggle this behaviour to suit the needs of the application.

Virtual keyboards can also be customised withina single app, allowing scientific input, IP address keys, etc.

Screen differences

The screen sizes for the iPhone and iPad are not proportional. The iPad tall side is 2.13x side of the iPhone and the short side is 2.4 the size of an iPhone or iPod touch.

Getting sizes of the current view via the SDK, rather than introducing magic numbers should use dimensions for games.

Apple Announces UK iPad Prices

By / May 7, 2010 / No Comments

Have you been waiting eagerly for the iPad to be available outside the U.S.? If so, then today is your day: Apple announced on Friday that it will make the iPad available in nine more countries this summer, as well as dishing on the prices for pre-ordering in the U.K.

Despite the delay in international shipments, on May 28, the iPad will wing its way to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the U.K. Customers in those countries will be able to pre-order all six iPad models from Apple beginning this coming Monday, May 10. In addition, in July, the iPad will come to Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Singapore. Prices and pre-ordering details will be available for those countries closer to their availability.
In the U.K., the Wi-Fi-only iPads will sell for £429, £499, and £599 for 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB respectively. The 3G models will go for  £529, £599, and £699 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. All prices include the U.K.’s Value Added Tax (VAT); the iPads will be available through brick-and-mortar and online Apple Stores, as well as select Apple resellers. There’s no news yet on what the prices of 3G plans in the U.K. will be, though British providers such as Orange, O2, and Vodafone all said last month that they will offer dedicated iPad data plans.
Source: PCWorld

Apple to charge $1 Million for iPhone Mobile Ads

By / May 1, 2010 / No Comments
There are pleanty of different advertisement platforms for the iPhone; AdMob, AdWhirl and many more. However, as you may already know, last month Apple have recently acquired Quatro wireless and turned it into iAd.
However, if you own a small business and want to run an advertisement in an iPhone app, you’d better hold onto you wallet for now.    The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is planning to charge upwards of $1 million for ads within iPhone apps this year, and possibly even more than that to be “among the first”.
Apple plans to charge a small group of marketers up to $10 million each at launch, the report said, citing “a person familiar with the matter.”
Existing mobile ad deals tend to run about $100,000 to $200,000, the article quoted unnamed ad executives as saying.