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MegaReader Update Redefines What Multitasking Is

For those completely obsessed iPhone users who literally cannot take their eyes off the phone there is a new app made for you; MegaReader. In it’s latest update (version 2.1) it’s developers have added a feature that allows you to experience real life multitasking by reading and walking at the same time so that you never have to take your eyes off your iPhone again!

All it does is overlay the text on a live video feed of what’s in front of the phone and is similar to the Samsung Galaxy app that allows you to text and walk and the iPhone app Email ‘n Walk, which as the name suggests overlays an email client over the live video feed!

Click through to see MegaReader’s developers demonstrate the new feature to its full potential!

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The Problems with a High Resolution Display on the iPad 2

Over the past few weeks there has been quite a back and forth discussion on the possible inclusion of a Retina or high resolution display on the iPad 2. Facts seemed to solidify when Engadget ran an article suggesting the second-generation iPad would have a high resolution display, though they did not specify the exact resolution. But then John Gruber yesterday seemed to disagree with that suggestion citing cost issues, uncovered UI graphics of an iPad camera app that are not optimized for a high resolution display and his own sources.

So why has there been so much doubt and to and fro-ing over whether the iPad 2’s display is high resolution? Well put simply, because there are so many barriers that would have to be overcome and issues that Apple would have to resolve.  Click through to read the full article.

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No Retina Display On The iPad 2?

Following speculation of a higher resolution “Retina Display” to be implemented in the next generation iPad (“iPad 2) that has surfaced in the past months, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber weighed in last night, claiming that according to his sources the iPad 2 won’t have a Retina Display:

I asked around, and according to my sources, it is too good to be true: the iPad 2 does not have a retina display. I believe the iPad 2’s display will remain at 1024 × 768. Its display may be improved in other ways — brighter, better power consumption, thinner, perhaps. Maybe it uses the new manufacturing technique Apple introduced with the iPhone 4 display, which brings the LCD closer to the surface of the touchscreen glass — making it look more like pixels on glass rather than pixels under glass. But my sources are pretty sure that it’s not 2048 × 1536 or any other “super high resolution”.

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Apple Enters $3.9 Billion Dollar Component Supply Deal

At Apple’s financial report yesterday there was an interesting revelation by Tim Cook that Apple had recently begun entering agreements with suppliers of key components. The agreement is presumed to be around $3.9 billion dollars and would secure the key strategic resources used in Apple’s products going into the future and there are suggestions it’s for high resolution displays.

As to what components are being secured, Cook didn’t elaborate but did say the deals were similar in nature to the flash memory deals of late 2005. That deal, and subsequent deals around flash memory secured supply for many of Apple’s portable devices including the iPhone and more recently the iPad.

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From Last Year: “Why The iPad Will Fail”→

From Last Year: “Why The iPad Will Fail”

The only real gem I remember from last year’s iPad announcement backlash is this one, courtesy of Mike Halsey:

Quite simply this time Apple have got it wrong.  All the tech press is saying the same thing and comments made by readers of those websites are echoing, mostly anyway, their sentiments.

The iPad is nothing more than a large iPod Touch.  It’s lacking a 16:9 screen and while the bezel has to be of a reasonable size to allow for holding the device with your hand without your thumb poking the screen all the time, it’s simply too big.  Finally those few people who’ve already used it are saying that having a standard keyboard on a device that you can’t rest easily on your lap and that is intended to be used one-handed is lunacy.  Just look at the curved corner keyboards Microsoft introduced with the tablet editions of Windows to see how they should have done it.

It turns out, there is a large market for “large iPod touches” and it may even grant you billions of dollars of revenue. But then again, Microsoft nailed the “large iPod touch” segment in 2010, right?

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Apple’s 2011: iPad Bigger Than Macs, And Yet The Mac Is Growing

Apple’s Q1 2011 financial results are both unsurprising and, quite frankly, incredible. We all expected Apple to post record, blockbuster sales and revenue figures after the holiday season; yet, seeing the numbers on Apple’s official press release is a completely different story. Apple sold more than 7 million iPads in the last quarter, 16.2 million iPhones and more than 4 million Macs. Apple’s iPod business is “in decline” with 19.4 million iPods sold, but the iPod hasn’t been Appel’s main and only mobile business for four years now. Read more

Apple Releases MacBook Air Software Update 2.0, iDVD 7.1.1

Earlier today Apple released a Software Update for the MacBook Air (late 2010 model) which resolves an issue with some units that prevents system from sleeping. The update is available in Software Update or on Apple’s website. In November, several new MacBook Air owners reported of graphic issues and kernel panics when using the machine.

Apple also released a minor update to iDVD:

This update improves overall stability and ensures compatibility when sending slideshows from iPhoto ‘11 to iDVD.

This update is recommended for all users of iDVD 7.

iDVD 7.1.1 is available here, or in Software Update.

Apple Q1 2011 Financial Results - $26.74 Billion Revenue, 7.33 Million iPads Sold

Apple just posted their Q1 2011 financial results. The company posted a record revenue of $26.74 billion with 7.33 million iPads sold, 16.24 million iPhones and 4.13 million Macs. The company posted record net quarterly profit of $6 billion, or $6.43 per diluted share. 19.45 million iPods were sold during the quarter.

“We had a phenomenal holiday quarter with record Mac, iPhone and iPad sales,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We are firing on all cylinders and we’ve got some exciting things in the pipeline for this year including iPhone 4 on Verizon which customers can’t wait to get their hands on.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the performance of our business, generating $9.8 billion in cash flow from operations during the December quarter,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the second fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $22 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $4.90.”

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. In the year-ago quarter, Apple posted revenue of $15.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion. 3.36 million Macs were sold in Q1 2010, together with 8.7 million iPhones and 21 million iPods.

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q1 2011 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and we’ll update this story with the conference highlights.

Full press release embedded below. Unaudited summary data available here.

Notes from the call:

  • Revenue $26.7 billion, increase over $11 billion over year

- Income $6 billion, over $1,7 billion from year ago quarter

  • Strong demand of new MacBook Air

  • Strong sales of Mac Pro

  • Mac App Store available in 90 countries, doing well with over 1000 apps available

- iPod share remains at over 70% in market, iPod top selling in most countries

  • iTunes: $1.1 billion revenue

- iTunes users are renting over 400,000 TV show episodes, 150,000 movies per day

  • Enterprise: 88 of Fortune 100, 60% of Financial Times Europe testing or deploying iPhones

  • Fortune 500, Wells Fargo, Dupont, Staples, Starbucks made iPhone available to employees

  • iPad now available in 46 countries

    • - 160 million iOS devices sold to date

    • Over 80% of Fortune 500 are deploying or piloting iPad

  • Apple retail: revenue $3.85 billion

  • 851,000 Mac sold at Apple retail stores, half sold to new customers

    • - 323 stores worldwide, 87 outside US

    - 75.7 million customers in Apple retail stores

    - Four stores in China with highest traffic and highest revenue

    • Apple has $59.7 billion in cash now

    - $22 billion in revenue expected for next quarter, 38.5% expected gross margin

    Quotes From Q&A

    Tim Cook: “Very happy with the Mac App Store so far”

    TC: “We believe the results from the Verizon iPhone will be huge”

    TC: “We are working around the clock to build more iPhones”

    TC: Revenue from Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) last quarter was $2.6 billion, up 4 times last quarter

    TC: 15 more countries to start selling iPhone in January

    TC: “Commodities – going into March quarter. Key metals pricing increasing but other commodities such as batteries and RAM we expect to fall.”

    TC: “Apple is doing its best work ever. We are all very happy with product pipeline and the team here has an unparalleled breadth and depth that Steve has driven in the company, and excellence has become a habit. We feel very very confident about the future of the company. I would also note that we’ve done outstanding job in our Mac: 19 straight quarters of outgrowing market, but still have a very low share. It would seem like still enormous opportunity there.” [via]

    TC: Apple is not doing a 7-inch tablet, which would be a scaled-up smartphone. It’s a bizarre product.

    TC: “Put Android & Windows tablets side by side with an iPad and an enormous percentage will choose iPad.”

    TC: “Next generation Android tablets - there’s nothing shipping. They lack performance specs, they lack pricing, they lack timing - so today they’re vapor.”

    TC: ” We’re very confident for entering a fight with anyone.”

    Tim Cook on iPad sales Vs. Mac sales: “Yes, I think there is some cannibalization”

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