Posts in news

More Alleged iPad 2 Cases Appear, Hint at Mini DisplayPort

Rumors and leaks surrounding the forthcoming second generation iPad continue to spread like wildfire across the blogosphere with the latest coming from AppleInsider and MIC Gadget. Both received photos of iPad 2 cases that had openings that would suggest the addition of a rear facing camera, larger speaker, possible SD card slot and most intriguingly a small port at the top of the device that could be for a Mini DisplayPort receptacle.

The two tech blogs received photo’s of cases from China that whilst different had virtually identical port openings and further back up reports by Engadget that the second generation iPad would have an SD card slot and rear facing camera. The larger opening on cases around the speaker is also a recurring feature of such leaked iPad 2 cases and seems to be a likely improvement on the iPad 2.

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Analysts and Bloggers Share Q1 2011 Predictions

With Apple’s financial results for Q1 2011 only a few hours away, Fortune has posted its usual chart of predictions from professional and amateur analysts regarding Apple’s sales for the last quarter. To give it a bit of context, in the last quarter (pre-holiday season) Apple sold 3.89 million Macs, 14.1 million iPhones, 4.19 million iPads, 9.05 million iPods. The company posted record revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion.

Looking at Fortune’s chart, it appears that most analysts are predicting revenue between $23 and $27 billion, 14 to 16 million iPhones sold and 6 to 7 million iPads sold. Horace Dediu from Asymco, for instance, is predicting $25.50 billion revenue, 16.16 million iPhones sold, 18.87 million iPods, 4.30 million Macs and 6 million iPads.

Official numbers will be provided by Apple later today. An audio-only webcast of the conference call will be available here.

Reminder: Apple Q1 Financial Results Today – 5 PM ET

Later today starting at 5:00 PM ET (2:00 PM PT) Apple will hold the Q1 2011 earnings call to announce their financial results, shortly after the markets close. An audio-only live streaming will be available at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq111/. We will offer a breakdown of the results and have a post in the homepage with continually updating notes from the earnings call.

Apple is expected to post blockbuster sales from the holiday season, with iPads and iPhones to lead and the new MacBook Airs to follow. In the last quarter, Apple posted record iPhone and Mac sales with 14.1 million iPhone sold, 3.89 million Macs and 4.19 million iPads.The company posted record revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced yesterday that he’s taking another medical leave of absence to focus on his health.

Bump Data Suggests 90% of iOS Devices Running 4.x

David Lieb, founder and CEO of iPhone app Bump yesterday posted some data on Quora to a question about what percentage of users of iOS devices were on 4.x, his answer revealed that 89.7% of Bump users were on the latest major iteration of iOS, 4.x.

Although Lieb didn’t note how big the sample size is, the latest known figure of Bump downloads was 15 million back from August last year. That’s a large sample size and one that includes users of iPhones, iPod Touch’s and iPads, a sample that would suggest the ~90% is a close approximation to the real percentage of iOS device users on the latest major iteration of iOS, version 4.

Ian Peters-Campbell of Loopt, another iOS app backed up Lieb’s data but said for his users take-up was even a little higher. Anyway you cut it such a high take up rate in about six months is impressive. It also highlights concerns over how fragmented Android is compared to iOS which back in December 2010 when Froyo (2.2) was the latest Android OS only had 43.4% take up, let alone Gingerbread (2.3) which as of today ReadWriteWeb says only has 0.4% take-up.

Lieb of Bump, posted a full breakdown of iterations and percentages of users, which is posted after the break. The key data is that 53% of users are on the very latest software update of 4.2.1.

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Apple to Newspapers: No More Free iPad Access For Print Subscribers

According to various reports posted over the weekend, Apple has reportedly contacted several newspapers to inform them that they can no longer offer free iPad access to existing print subscribers. Many publishers, in fact, frustrated with Apple’s lack of recurring subscriptions with access to subscribers’ data, have put in place systems that allow print subscribers who have an iPad to get free access to apps using their previously created accounts. These systems, as you can guess, leave Apple’s standard 30% revenue cut of the equation as app access is offered for free. Read more

Grand Central Coffee Shop in NYC Getting iPad Cash Register

Joe The Art of Coffee, in Grand Central Terminal (NYC), sells coffee like many other people but starting next week, coffee drinkers will be paying for it much differently. They’re installing an iPad Point-of-Sale device, or cash register, via ShopKeep.com.

ShopKeep.com is testing an iPad Point-of-Sale device designed for coffee shops, bakeries or specialty retail shop with less than 150 items. It prints receipts and opens the cash drawer like a standard register, except its form factor takes up very little space. The “register” also transmits sales to ShopKeep’s web-based BackOffice so that managers can track real-time sales and manage inventory, run reports and export their sales data. Read more

iTunes To Become Part Of Safari? We Don’t Believe It

According to website Three Guys and a Podcast, Apple has been working on a major redesign of its iTunes software that will see the music manager / app organizer / media hub become part of Safari. The new system is rumored to be announced at Apple’s music event that should take place (as every year) in September and will be the evolution of Apple’s original plans during the lala acquisition.

Apple may be preparing a massive move that will propel Safari from niche browser to market leader. The move to merge Safari and iTunes into one software solution appears long in the works, which may arrive this fall at Apple’s usual iPod special event.

It is believed that Safari will be the only browser able to access iTunes, as iTunes is built into the browser itself. “Moving iTunes organizational side-bar into Safari isn’t a monumental task” claimed a source, adding “Safari would skyrocket in use as a result of integrating the software titles together.

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Singaporean Schools add iPad to Teaching Resources

As a test pilot, a portion of the total population of Nanyang Girls High School in Singapore will use 150 iPads that the school has purchased at a cost of around US$100,000, the pilot including 140 students and 10 teachers aims to complement the schools more traditional teaching methods and textbooks.

The iPad will enable the students to connect to the internet with its vast array of educational resources, download books and course material while also allowing note taking or word processing. Chloe Chen, one of the lucky students to be a part of the pilot program said “It’s much more convenient, teachers can just tell us to go to a website, and we can immediately go and do our work.”

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Rumor: Next iPod Touch To Have Glasses-free 3D Screen?

Here’s an interesting rumor coming from Japanese blog Macotakara [Google Translation] while you’re still trying to wrap your head around the news that Steve Jobs has taken another medical leave of absence. According to “sources of information” close to Macotakara, Apple is considering a glasses-free 3D screen technology for a future iPod touch, with an approach similar to what Nintendo is doing with the 3DS – a gaming handheld capable of projecting 3D images out of the screen without the need of wearing glasses.

In the past, Apple was granted several 3D-related patents and other third-party manufacturers played around with the idea of bringing 3D to iOS devices. Macotakara, however, reports that Apple is willing to integrate 3D into the iPod touch’s screen without any external peripheral or accessory. The 3D panel should be developed by Sharp.

According to a source of a company which provides LCD to Apple, they seems to begin preparing to manufacture small glasses-free 3D LCD panel for iPod touch.

This 3D LCD panel looks similar to Sharp, corp’s LCD which is capable for displaying 3D image without glasses on vertical and horizontal position.

While this is all based on pure speculation, it’s interesting to think that Apple might fight Nintendo at its own game with the iPod touch, which has been touted has world’s most popular gaming device several times in the past. Apple is clearly investing on the appeal of the iPod touch as an entry-level iOS device that’s perfect for portable games, and a mobile 3D screen would be another technological breakthrough for the company.