Father Develops iPad App to Help Disabled Son Communicate

This is one of the stories that best shows what it’s possible to do with modern technologies, some basic development skills and the real need for something a consumer-oriented product like the iPad doesn’t ship with by default. Victor Pauca is a 5-year-old boy who has a very rare genetic disorder that prevents him from developing skills like speech and the overall ability to communicate with others. To help him, his father created an iPad app that turns the touch screen into an easy to understand communication tool.

The app, called VerbalVictor, will be released later this week in the App Store at around $10. Read more

Apple Announces Q1 2011 Conference Call For January 18

As noted by Setteb.it, Apple has scheduled its q1 2011 earnings call for January 18, 2011. The conference call will be streamed live on Apple’s website (audio-only) and a link to the webcast will be provided in the following weeks.

Apple plans to conduct a conference call to discuss financial results of its first fiscal quarter on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. PT. A link to the conference call webcast will be provided at a later date.

At the Q4 earnings call on October 18, Apple announced record sales for iPhones and iPads (14.1 million units and 4.19 million units, respectively), 3.89 million Macs sold and $20.34 billion revenue. At the conference call scheduled in January we’ll hear about the sales of the new MacBook Airs and iOS devices’ performances in the holiday season.

Will we get the chance to listen to Steve Jobs’ thoughts again? Who knows. We’re pretty sure it’s going to be fun and interesting anyway, and we’ll be here live discussing the results with you.

iPhone 4 Gets NFC ‘Sticker’ from Softbank

Japanese carrier Softbank is responding to complaints about the iPhone 4’s absense of an internal NFC chip by issuing a ‘sticker’ that gets applied to the back of the iDevice. It covers most of the backside along with looking ugly and covering up Apple’s own logo. Now granted many people slap cases on their iPhones anyway, but this is how the FeliCa payment system is going to work (for know). The ‘sticker’ does not communicate with the iPhone so its abilities are limited. The beautiful set of ‘stickers’ go on sale in February for a cool ¥2,980 ($36).

It works pretty simply: Japanese iPhone users attach the “sticker” to their iPhones (Apple’s bumpers still fit) and it adds FeliCa RFID smart card functionality to the iPhone. Once the ‘sticker’ is charged with e-money, users can tap their iPhone on card readers in train stations, restaurants, convenience stores and other places in Japan to make payments.

[via Engadget via Softbank (translated)]

Traktor, X1 Controller and iPad Make A Decent DJ Setup [Video]

We know the iPad makes for an interesting DJ accessory, there are hundreds of music apps available and Rana June Sobhany proved it is possible to set up great live performances using only Apple’s tablet. Perhaps it doesn’t provide the tactile feeling of vinyl and the powerful feature set of the most complicated turntable, still a touchscreen is an interesting addition to the usual DJ setup.

In the following video, Youtube user djkutski demoes a Traktor Pro controlled by the X1 controller and an iPad running TouchOSC, an app that can display sound interfaces on screen. While the non-DJ folks won’t probably understand what’s going on with all those buttons, sliders and colors, it’s still an impressive demo of what passionate and skilled users can achieve with a bit of creativity, cash and hacking.

Check out the video below. [TUAW via Youtube] Read more

47 Million iPhones Sold in 2010, First 2011 Shipments to Include CDMA iPhone?

According to new reports from Digitimes, Apple will ship 20-21 million iPhones in Q1 2011, raising the global goal from 19 million units. CDMA iPhones are included in this number, with shipments expected at 5-6 million units in both North America and Asia.

The first-quarter shipment goal for WCDMA iPhones has been adjusted from 13 million units to 14-15 million units, the sources said. The shipment goal for CDMA iPhones, which will be launched in North America and Asia Pacific in the first quarter, is set at 5-6 million units, the sources added.

Digitimes also claims 47 million iPhones has been sold in 2010, with Q4 2010 shipments estimated at 15.5 million units. The almost-50 million iPhones sold in 2010 number would play great for Apple’s marketing strategy. As for the CDMA iPhone, we previously heard rumors of the device set to come out India and Korea, too. At this point it seems likely that Apple won’t restrict the new device to Verizon, but it will make it compatible with most Asian carriers running CDMA networks.

Last, Digitimes confirms Foxconn is still the only exclusive maker of the iPad 2 which, according to a report from Digitimes in November, will feature a lighter design, a USB port and a Retina Display.

You Too Can Have A Macintosh Portable Prototype on eBay

Long before iBooks and MacBooks, there was the Macintosh Portable. Released in 1989, the press loved it but consumer sales weren’t that great. The device was Apple’s first attempt to produce a portable, battery-based Macintosh computer that featured an LCD screen and a rechargeable battery. The machine also had a physical keyboard and a trackball to use as a mouse.

Looking back, the Macintosh Portable looks like the perfect piece of old Apple hardware to buy and keep jealously in your room. Now you can, as a prototype has been posted for sale on eBay. The unit is described as “absolutely mint, flawless, clean prototype Macintosh Portable” which was meant for sale – a label on the bottom of the computer confirms that “it is intended for demonstration purposes only”. The only caveat is that this prototype isn’t actually working as there seems to be a problem with the internal battery. It looks perfect on the outside, but it won’t turn on.

Bids start at $1,750.00. More photos are available on eBay, and if you plan on purchasing the item – be quick. After all, it’s an Apple prototype.

iTunes 12 Days of Christmas: Day 2

Thanks to the iTunes 12 Days of Christmas promotion, every day from December 26th to January 6th users will be able to download a “fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps, books, TV episodes and a film” completely for free on iTunes.

The free app for iPhone and iPad that lets you receive push notifications for daily offers is available here.

Today, you can download a free Christmas Special episode of Father Ted. iPhone game “The Mystery of the Crystal Portal” is given away in other European stores.

Stay tuned for promotions coming every day until January 6.

2011 Isn’t 1995 For Apple→

2011 Isn’t 1995 For Apple

But I look at who is making money. Back in 1995 developers were mostly making money from DOS. Remember, this caused WordPerfect and Borland to make bad bets. They bet on DOS for too long, while Bill Gates went and built some of the first and best Macintosh apps. The lesson, though, doesn’t pass from 1995 to 2011. Today where are most of the developers making their money? iOS (according to Sephora, Starbucks, OpenTable, eBay, and many other developers). So, Android has to convince developers to switch, or do both platforms at same time. That’s quite different.

I guess the social cycle theory doesn’t really apply to technology. Maybe because the factors that influence tech progress change at a faster rate than human ones.

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Mossberg Declares iPad “Best Product of 2010”

WSJ tech journalist Walt Mossberg thinks Apple’s iPad is the best product of 2010. The iPad is “amazing” and thanks to the new iOS 4.2 and huge selection of apps available, it “continues to stay ahead of the competition”. Competition that saw devices like the Dell Streak released in 2010, which Mossberg calls a “tweener” that’s “too big to be a phone yet too small to be a tablet”. The Samsung Galaxy S and iPhone 4 both ranked third in Mossberg’s chart of best products.

As for the second place:

High-speed 4G networks in the United States took the second spot. As the world goes more mobile, the availability of faster networks is critical. Today, 3G networks are bursting at the seams, and the promise of these networks will be something to watch closely in 2011.

We might argue on the relevance of 4G networks in 2010, as they seem more “promising” than actually available right now. There’s no doubt, though, that better and faster mobile networks will expand in 2011. We look forward to seeing what Mossberg’s “best & worst” chart will look like in 2011.