Next Generation iPad In Production: Factory Ready For Verizon, AT&T

Forget the MiFi: the next generation iPad will work on both red & blue networks out of the gate according to the Wall Street Journal. It’s a no brainer that the next generation iPad is going to be thinner, more powerful, and feature a front-facing camera, but an important tidbit from the WSJ notes:

The new iPad will be available through Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., but not Sprint NextelCorp. or T-Mobile USA in the U.S., according to some of the people familiar with the matter

2011 shouldn’t see any more iPhones or iPads on the remaining two American carriers, so don’t expect Apple to join forces with Nascar sponsor Sprint anytime soon. The WSJ doesn’t expect the second generation iPad to have a significantly greater display, but we’re get anxious to see Apple unveil their next gen tablet already.

[via Wall Street Journal]

“Death Hug” Impossible Grip Affects Verizon iPhone Antennas, Third Hand Rumored To Enable Secret Features

Antennagate is over, right? Steve Jobs told everyone that just about any phone suffers from signal attenuation if you cover the antenna with your skin, and people who had issues with their iPhone 4s got a free Bumper case to resolve the “Death Grip” problem. And Apple’s 2010 numbers tell us Antennagate wasn’t really a problem for iPhone sales.

Still, someone is saying Death Grip is still alive, kicking and affecting the mythical Verizon iPhone’s antennas. Not just the 3G radio antenna, the WiFi one as well. How’s that possible? That’s the magic of the Death Hug, a new kind of grip that can be activated with two hands wrapped around the phone and its screen. Look at the video below. It’s a full-phone hand hug.  iLounge reports:

The problem with Wi-Fi reception appears when the device is held snugly in landscape orientation with two hands, a position common when playing games or using the widescreen keyboard. Prior to the Verizon iPhone 4’s launch, sources told iLounge to be on the lookout for the issue, which was being referred to as the death hug.

We’re just going to leave you with the Youtube video after the break. But let me say that, frankly, that’s one kind of grip that requires some serious skills. Honestly, we at MacStories don’t hold our phones like that. But then again, we don’t disdain hugs either. Read more

MacStories Product Review: Sena Folio Case for iPad

It is no secret Sena makes beautiful products. From travel cases to sleeves and integrated keyboard folio designs, Sena’s leather quality and manufacturing process is top notch. In fact, I don’t think any other company I know of makes better leather accessories than Sena’s. Over the past weeks I’ve been able to test a Folio Case for the iPad, an elegant case with a portfolio book design that adds a very “sophisticated” tone to the device. Read more

Rowmote Pro: iOS Trackpad and App Launcher For Your Mac

This app has been around for months, yet I’ve come to use it only a few weeks ago when several readers pointed out on Twitter that it was a better alternative to Remote Conductor. Rowmote Pro, which is a universal app for iPhone and iPad that requires a server component to be running on your Mac, is an elegant multitouch trackpad that comes with other functionalities such as quick volume / pause / next shortcuts, an app launcher and a virtual keyboard. Rowmote Pro won’t display the screen of your Mac computer on your iPhones and iPads, but it provides access to a plethora of commands that can come quite in handy if you’re controlling your Mac from the couch, watching a movie or listening to some music. Read more

Google Launches Official Translate App for iPhone

A few minutes ago Google announced the availability of the official Translate app for iPhone. Built on top of the HTML5 webapp  that’s been around for quite some time now, the native application allows you to “speak to translate” in 15 different languages with output translation supported up to 50 languages. You can listen to your own translations spoken out loud by the app , enable full-screen mode to get a larger view of the translated text (that’s quite useful) and even check on single words dictionary entries from within the app. The interface design resembles most of Google’s apps for iOS – nothing exceptional to note there. It’s got a clean and minimal UI.

Google Translate for iPhone is a better version of the popular mobile-optimized webpage packed into a useful package for iOS that comes with a few additional features. It’s a free download in the App Store. Full list of supported languages below. Read more

Spotify Looking Forward To U.S. Launch “In The Coming Months”

European-based music streaming service Spotify is once again looking forward to a successful launch in the United States “over the coming months”. An email posted by All Things Digital reveals that the company told customers in the U.S. who happen to have a Spotify test account that they’re going to have to start paying for the service sooner or later.

Hello from Spotify!

You are one of only a few people who has access to a Spotify promotional test account in the USA, and we hope you’re enjoying listening to Spotify through our Premium or Unlimited service.

We are really looking forward to launching the service in full in the USA over the coming months, and hope that you will continue to use the service and be one of our key advocates.

We need to make some small system changes to our payment system for our USA launch, and so in order to make the transition for you as smooth as possible, we have credited your Spotify account with 1 month worth of FREE Spotify Premium/ Unlimited!

Apparently, Spotify provided thousands of people in the music industry, bloggers and VIP with unlimited, free test accounts with full access to the Spotify library, no-ads and mobile iPhone app which, if you know how Spotify works, isn’t really a “plan”. Spotify offers a Premium subscription free of ads and compatible with mobile applications, but it will cost you around $13.

The service has been reportedly in talks with EMI and Universal to close deals for US music distribution, although so far the company has only got Sony on board. In the past, reports suggested Apple may have interfered with Spotify’s plans to launch in the United States by trying to convince music labels that iTunes has a better business model than Spotify. At the moment, Spotify has native Mac and iPhone apps to bring music streaming to the desktop and mobile devices.

Consumer Reports To Probably Give The Verizon iPhone A Thumbs Up

The Street reports that Consumer Reports Mike Gikas claims “key technical differences” will separate the Verizon iPhone from the AT&T iPhone. In the short video, Gikas does have concerns about Verizon throttling when data usage picks up, but that shouldn’t be a problem for AT&T users satisfied with only using a few hundred megabytes a month. Overall, we expect Consumer Reports to give the Verizon iPhone a thumbs up, but really, their initial iPhone 4 diss didn’t stop the bullet train of sales Apple incurred in 2010. Watch the video after the break.

Read more

Apple Dominating Download-To-Own Video Market

When it comes to purchasing movies, iTunes (not Amazon) is still everyone’s de facto service according to iSuppli. With two thirds of the market under it’s control, Apple accounted for 64.5 percent for Internet video on-demand for 2010, competing with Amazon’s growing user base and Microsoft’s Xbox market.

“The iTunes online store showed remarkable competitive resilience last year in the U.S. EST/iVOD movie business, staving off a growing field of tough challengers while keeping pace with an dramatic expansion for the overall market,” said Arash Amel, research director, digital media, for IHS.

While Apple hasn’t maintained their lead of 74.4 percent market-share since 2009, the iPad and the Apple TV have played a large role in keeping Apple at the top of their game. We imagine that with the next iPad and future updates for the Apple TV (it can’t be much of a hobby driving that 64.5 percent market share can it?), Apple will continue to deliver a seamless market experience by staying competitive in both affordability and how content is delivered. Too, what if Apple ever launches that unicorn status Apple television?

[iSuppli via CNET]