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Posts tagged with "iPad"
#MacStoriesDeals - Tuesday
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?
Are iOS Game Prices Creating Culture of Disposability? Nintendo Boss Thinks So
The head honcho of Nintendo North America, Reggie Fils-Aime has criticized the price levels of apps in the iTunes App Store claiming that the low prices create a “mentality” for consumers that portable games should only be a few dollars. Fils-Aimes who is the Nintendo North American president and chief operating officer felt that such a mentality also breeds a culture that believes content is disposable because of the cheap price and that this was one of the gaming industries biggest risks today.
Whilst Fils-Aime’s is not the most independent commentator on this issue with his company’s Nintendo DS platform directly competing with the gaming aspects of iOS, his points do have some validity. Games on the App store have tended to be below $5 compared to DS and PSP games that are typically well above that range. The presumption is the Fils-Aime’s fears that the App store prices will spread across to all platforms and lead to more gimmicky, simplistic games rather than well though out, in-depth game experiences.
The Daily Just Got Its First Update
The most popular iPad newspaper these days, The Daily, just got an update that aims at improving performances and stability of the app and fix Twitter login and posting issues experienced by several users.
Version 1.0.1 indeed feels slightly faster in some sections from our first tests, although the carousel view is still pretty slow to browse. The initial download of new issues takes too many seconds. Overall, there have been some improvements but the main structure of the app still doesn’t feel as responsive as a digital newspaper should be.
The Daily is available here.
BBC iPlayer App for iPad Coming This Week
In late January we reported the official BBC iPlayer app for iPad was rumored for a February release; it now appears that the app is real, it’s launching this Thursday and it will require an active WiFi internet connection for full browsing and playback experience.
As tweeted by Interactive Operations Engineer at BBC Geoff Marshall, iPlayer for iPad won’t allow you to stream videos over 3G. Marshall also confirms the UK Radio Player was set to launch this week, but it’s been pushed back to March. It is very likely that the initial version of iPlayer for iPad will be available to UK users only, although some rumors point to BBC Worldwide planning a subscription-based international version for all App Store. The native iPlayer app is expected to bring a much smoother and stable experience to iPad owners who have relied on Mobile Safari for months now.
We will keep you posted as soon as iPlayer for iPad shows up in the App Store.
Apple: No More iPad Cutting Board
When Apple’s lawyers give you a call, perhaps you’d like to re-consider what you’re doing and, you know, just stop it altogether. That’s what happened to Dean Kaplan, creator of the iPad cutting board (not the one we featured here, which looked more like a giant iPhone).
From his personal blog:
A few months back we received a call from Apple lawyers and we were told to stop selling them. The reason given was based on “likeness” issues. A Wood cutting board. Lord have mercy on my soul.
Is Apple evil, or they just trying to protect a trademark? It was just a cutting board after all… [via AppAdvice]
#MacStoriesDeals - Monday
So what did you like better - The Super Bowl’s commercials or the game? Here’s today’s deals on iOS, Mac, and Mac App Store apps that are on sale for a limited time, so get ‘em while they’re hot! Read more
Score Good Grades & Touchdowns with an iPad
Apple is in talks with legislators in Georgia to adopt iPads as textbook replacements in public schools. Think of it - the school system would save a lot of money in textbook costs over one device that could store all the student’s textbooks on one device. Imagine how much lighter your book bag would be every day. NFL coaches must play way too much Madden on their iPads, because now NFL coaches in Dallas are looking at replacing their paper playbooks with iPads as well. Read more
Analysts Share Predictions of Apple’s 2011 Sales and Shipments
If analysts’s predictions are to be believed, the numbers shared this morning by Needham’s Charlie Wolf and Susquehanna’s Jeff Fidacaro are surely interesting. With 16.24 million iPhones and 7.33 million iPads sold in the last quarter, Wolf notes that 300 millions smartphones were sold last year, and Apple’s sales trajectory appears to be “higher than expected”. Wolf estimates 75 million iPhone units will be sold in 2011; last year, he predicted 40 million sales and Apple actually sold more, 47.5 million iPhones. Read more