Goodbye, student backpacks loaded down with expensive, heavy textbooks? Well, goodbye to the heavy part, at least. Apple, which has made a habit of revolutionizing the way we interact with technology, is now turning its digital sights on the venerable analog textbook. Every costly new edition of a textbook means the old one is outdated, so Apple is betting that in the swiftly-changing information age, both the market and the halls of academia are ready for virtual textbooks – and that their wildly popular iPad tablet computer is the perfect platform to host them.

Virtual textbooks are portable and easily updated – and they can deliver videos, animations, definitions, flashcards, quizzes and interactive content. A pilot program at Amelia Earhart Middle School in Riverside found that students who used digital algebra textbooks on Apple’s iPad in the 2010-2011 school year scored 20 percent higher than their fellow students using traditional textbooks in the California Standards testing in the spring of 2011. But some experts are wary. Apple’s traditional 70/30 revenue split with content providers has ruffled feathers in the music business and Apple’s policies dictate that what is created with Apple software can be sold only through Apple’s iBookstore. Apple says that they can provide digital textbooks for $14.99 or less, but worries persist that cash-strapped schools won’t be able to provide a $499.00 iPad to every student, thereby widening the “digital divide” between school districts in wealthy and poor areas.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dream Team of iOS code junkies have released their Absinthe A5 untethered jailbreak on both Windows and OS X for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S owners. The new jailbreak will release your iDevice from Apple's grip and allow you to tinker with it in new and Apple-unauthorised ways. Notably, this newest method is untethered, meaning the jailbreak will be retained after reboots.

If you fancy some jailbreaking action then head on over to greenpois0n where the standard warnings and trepidations associated with the jailbreaking process, as always, still apply.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apple has announced new iTunes U app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch at an event held yesterday in New York, USA. Through the iTunes U App, students and academicians can access treasure of free educational content from reputed universities around the world. By using this app for academic purposes, students can receive updates from their teachers and even sign up for the classes (for select universities only). The new iTunes U app is now available from the App Store for download.

The iTunes U section comes in the form of a native app that can be used independently using Apple ID. The app loads with the same iBooks Store like bookshelf background but with courseware books instead. While the app is meant for all iOS running devices, some of the courseware content will be available only for iPad.
"The all-new iTunes U app enables students anywhere to tap into entire courses from the world's most prestigious universities," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services.

"Never before have educators been able to offer their full courses in such an innovative way, allowing anyone who's interested in a particular topic to learn from anywhere in the world, not just the classroom," Eddy added. Students will be able to carry their entire course anywhere with the iOS based devices and access it anytime, even over active data connection when required. The notes taken and text highlighted in the iBooks app can be easily viewed in the iTunes U app. For students, there's a treasure of over 500,000 free lectures, videos, books and documents available and accessible any time.

Meanwhile, the iTunes U app also aids the teachers with numerous capabilities such as customising the courseware, posting messages for an entire class of students, and also passing on assignments. Several universities agreed at the launch to use the new iTunes U app for academic purposes. Apple notes that the selection of the courses, materials and availability of the content will vary by country.

Read the rest of this entry »

Speculation abounds that Apple will be announcing and launching the iPad 3 at some point in the next few months. Some reports claim it could happen as early as February, while others say it’s more likely to happen in March or April. Still others claim we might not see the iPad 3 until much later in the year, due to some issues with the device’s display and a change in launch cycles at Apple headquarters.

Of course, Apple isn’t saying what’s really happening, and the company has stopped short of even admitting that it will introduce an iPad 3 in 2012. But it’s not a stretch to say that it will, indeed, be hitting store shelves this year. It’s also not a stretch to say that for the vast majority of consumers, buying it on launch day might not be the best idea.

Yes, there will be some Apple fans and early adopters that will disagree with that logic, but there is quite a bit going on in the tablet market right now. What’s more, there are really innovative products that also scheduled to ship this year that could attract consumers.

Read on to find out why you shouldn’t buy the iPad 3 at launch:

1. It might not be a major update

Each year before a new iPhone or iPad is announced, the rumor mill suggests Apple is building in major enhancements to the new model. But in the last year or so, that just hasn’t been the case, as Apple has shown off iterative updates, rather than revolutionary upgrades. In that case there’s a good chance the iPad 3 won’t be a major update. If it’s not, would it really be best to invest at least $500 in a new device that, if you’re already an iPad owner, might not do much more than the device you have now?


2. The iPad 2 might be available at a cheaper price

Apple is widely expected to continue to sell the iPad 2 after the iPad 3 is announced. Like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, the company might sell the iPad 2 at a discount and then start the iPad 3 out at the standard $499 price tag. The iPad 3 might be a highly desirable tablet, but considering the iPad 2 is worth buying in its own right, why not save a couple bucks and buy last year’s model, rather than this year’s?

3. Wait for Android tablets

Although it’s something Apple fans wouldn’t even consider, some consumers might want to see what kind of Android tablets are launched this year before they decide to buy the iPad 3. Sure, many of them might not appeal to consumer desire, but there’s a chance that some just might. In fact, one of the most anticipated rumor devices is a Google-branded tablet. Find out what that’s all about before buying the iPad 3.

4. Windows 8 is looming large

Windows has so far been unable to capture any tablet market share. But towards the end of this year, Microsoft plans to launch Windows 8 this year and slates running that operating system will  follow close on its heels. Will they be high-quality options? Will they fall short? For now, there’s no telling. But waiting to see what those devices are like could be the best move before buying the iPad 3.

5. Maybe an Ultrabook would be better?

Tablets are great, and there’s little question that the iPad 3 will appeal to consumers.  But there are other form factors available to customers looking to go mobile. Chief among those form factors is Ultrabooks. Those lightweight, thin devices are ideal for mobile consumers and come with a full physical keyboard to improve productivity. Plus, their prices are expected to come down this year, making them even more affordable. Consider them before buying the iPad 3.

6. Let the kinks get worked out

Being an early adopter is fine for folks that don’t mind suffering through odd hardware and software quirks, but for the rest of us, it’s a pain. The smart move with any product—Apple or not —is to wait a month or two to see if owners are complaining about issues. If they are and they haven’t been addressed, move on to another device. But if there aren’t any major flaws to speak of, feel free to buy the iPad 3.

7. Your office might get one for you

It’s often overlooked, but consumers looking to buy an iPad should keep in mind that the enterprise is increasingly warming to Apple’s tablet. In fact, there’s a good chance that after the iPad 3 launches, many more enterprises will start equipping employees with iPad 3s.

8. Wait to see what Amazon shows off

If there’s a solid number two in the tablet space right now, it has to be Amazon’s Kindle Fire. And that device, which is just $199 and comes with a 7-inch display, is scheduled to be updated at some point this year. Even better, Amazon is expected to launch bigger versions of the tablet. Consider waiting to see what Amazon shows off before jumping at the chance to buy the iPad 3 at launch.

9. The best idea is to spend cash now

There are many consumers out there right now that really want to get a tablet, but after hearing the rumors, are waiting for Apple to launch the iPad 3 before they do so. That’s a bad idea. Apple’s iPad 2 is an outstanding tablet, and so is the Kindle Fire. Spending cash now and then waiting to see what Apple shows off in the iPad 3 is unarguably the best move for consumers to make.

10. Maybe you should wait for the iPad 4

Those that already own an iPad or another tablet that works well should wait for the iPad 4.  After all, that slate will be the most likely to come with all the features consumers are after and it frees up some cash this year to be spent on other devices. The iPad 3 might be great, but if you can wait a year for the iPad 4, you’ll probably be quite happy you did. The last thing consumers should do is get caught in the consumer trap of buying a new tablet each year.

Read the rest of this entry »

With new Android rival tablets showcased in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012), Apple is apparently ramping up production in China for a March launch for its much-anticipated iPad 3. The new device is expected to feature an HD screen that rivals HD TV sets, a quad core processor for multitasking and 4G LTE support, according to Bloomberg.

Apple has sold over 40 million iPads since 2010, which have grossed over $25.3 billion in sales. But the company has been under fire from Android tablets and smartphones of late. With so much competition and quad core NVIDIA Tegra 3 devices already available, Apple needs to keep up with its rivals. In fact, Android has recently overtaken iOS in the smartphone space.

In addition to the iPad 3, Apple is expected to launch an iPad mini at some point this year. That device will compete with the lower-priced Amazone Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook devices that have connected with consumers thanks to their low price points. At CES 2012, Asus announced the first Tegra 3 tablet that will sell for $250 later this year, putting further pressure on Apple to compete with this new price point. The iPad 3 is expected to sell for the higher price points that many tablets, including iPad and iPad 2 currently enjoy at retail.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apple's new iPad 3 will sport a high definition screen, run a more powerful processor and will tap into next generation wireless networks, new leaks have hinted. Details about the new model, which is expected to go on sale in March with production in full swing by February, have been kept largely under-wraps. However, new sources have confirmed rumours that the latest tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications.

The new display offers resolutions four times higher than the current model, with more pixels on its screen than some HD televisions, a source told Blomberg. In addition, videos begin playing almost instantly because of the additional graphics processing, they added. The introduction of the new iPad will be Apple’s first major release since the death of company co-founder Steve Jobs in October.

Apple has been working on making the iPad compatible with a wireless standard called LTE (long- term evolution) another source told Bloomberg. Smartphone makers, including Samsung, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and Nokia, have already introduced smartphones that work on the faster networks. Apple is bringing LTE to the iPad before the iPhone because the tablet has a larger battery and can better support its power requirements, the source told Bloomberg.

The California-based company is counting on the new model to ward off mounting competition from rival products in a market that Apple pioneered two years ago. Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris told Bloomberg that the company does not comment on rumours and leaks. Production of the tablet has been pushed forward in Asia, ahead of the Chinese New Year on January 22-28, with factories running 24 hours a day.

Read the rest of this entry »

There's been much debate over the idea of a 7-inch iPad from Apple. Today, our pals at MacObserver jumped into the mix with their take on things. The Kindle Fire, Ted Landau points out, offers "an e-reader with added iPad-like features for half the price of an iPad."

Speaking as a happy Kindle Fire owner, I rather like the medium form factor. This is not an opinion universally shared in the TUAW trenches, but I appreciate the way I can carry it around in a purse -- something not possible with the iPad. That means, when I head out, I now often take the iPhone and the Fire along, where as before I'd have only had the iPhone with me. My iPad remains reserved for backpack or briefcase excursions.

A 7" screen offers a very good reading size. It's more portable than the iPad screen and offers more area than the iPhone. It also excels at gaming and video watching, providing that same middle balance.

As far as form alone goes, I think Apple could find a ready audience of customers who'd be happy to pick up a smaller unit at a bargain price, especially if it was 3G-ready like the iPad, and equipped with a Retina display for better reading.

The challenges come from two places: market fragmentation and software reach. When Apple introduced the iPad, it had a clear niche to fill: tablet computing held in the crook of your arm. A much larger screen yet small enough for easy portability. A smaller version of that tablet would be nice, and it would sell, but it wouldn't support a unique raison d'etre.

Apple does not want to return to the mid '90's with dozens of Performa and Quadra models littering its product line. When someone walks into an Apple Store, they need to want to buy a particular thing, not make choices between nuanced variations of the same idea. A 7" model, no matter how nice it would serve as a reader, doesn't add to the strength of Apple's bottom line. It doesn't create demand, it confuses it, even if the 7" is offered at a bargain price.

The second issue is the App Store. Although better developers do design with strong resolution-independence, you cannot assume that apps will simply work on new geometries. Launch screens differ, icons differ, proportions differ, and so forth. To create a polished app that fits properly into a new resolution is a big job. Apple would have to once again fragment their App Store to serve that, a step that's somewhat bigger than you might first expect.

As a developer, I lived through the iPad introduction and know that that kind of major OS and display fragmentation is not to be undertaken lightly. A lot of technology, infrastructure, terminology, and so forth has to follow on to the simple introduction of new hardware.

There's a lot of buzz about the pressure on Apple these days to follow up in the reader world with better markets, platforms, and tools -- I've been writing quite a bit about that topic this month, and there's rumors flying about what we might see announced soon. But I can't exactly see how a 7" tablet would help Apple respond to those issues, although I know I'd certainly buy one for myself.

For me this comes down to a split between yes, I'd love one personally, and no, I don't think it would be in Apple's best interest to go there. Did Apple get "caught with its pants down at Christmas" as it lacked a 7-inch model? I don't think so. Are they working on a 7-inch tablet now? I'm slightly on the "probably not" side, for the reasons I stated above.

Read the rest of this entry »

It's January. And that means for the next several months, we’ll be forced to wade through rumor after rumor about Apple’s iPad 3. Even after the device launches—which, the rumor mill suggests, could happen in March—reports will surface over Apple’s plans for future updates and even the device’s successor. Simply put, there’s no rest for the weary in the great land of Apple rumors.

Unfortunately, with all the rumors that surface, people fall into the trap of believing that some of them are true. And why not? Publications like DigiTimes make their so-called “sources” appear to be so trustworthy, and their suggestions seem so plausible, that not to believe them would be ludicrous, some folks think. Apple is definitely launching the iPad 3 this year, rumor lovers say, and it needs to offer some improvements, so why shouldn’t at least some of the rumors be true?

It’s a logical argument. But given the history of Apple rumors, there’s a good chance, even with all the reports that have already cropped up, we’re not even close to figuring out what the iPad 3 will come with. Apple is notoriously secretive. And it has a tendency to surprise even the most cynical industry observers.

Read on to find out what we still don’t know about the iPad 3, despite what the rumors say.

1. Will it have Siri?
When Apple launched its virtual personal assistant application Siri with the iPhone 4S, immediately, folks started wondering if it would be coming to the iPad 3. Rumors suggest it will, and there’s a solid chance that will be the case. But so far, Apple hasn’t made that commitment. And until it does, don’t bet too heavily on those rumors.

2. When will it launch?
Given Apple’s history of iPad launches, it seems rather likely that the company will unveil its next-generation tablet in March or April. And most rumors seem to follow that logic. But with Tim Cook now calling the shots and the possibility of quad-core processors—which will likely come in the iPad 3—delaying production times a bit, that scheduling could be off.

3. What will it cost?
The iPad 3’s price might just be the easiest rumor to predict. After all, Apple has historically delivered a new version of its smartphone or tablet each year, and the new devices are priced the same as their predecessors. It’s a pricing move that has helped Apple in big ways in the past. And most rumors suggest it will happen again with the iPad 3. But until Apple actually unveils the new tablet, don’t convince yourself of it.

4. Will it be a major upgrade?
Quite often, consumers want to know if an upcoming Apple device will be a major upgrade over its predecessor. And quite often, the rumors say they will be. But as the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S showed quite convincingly, major upgrades aren’t always made available by Apple. The latest rumors say the iPad 3 will be a major step up over the iPad 2, but given Apple’s comfortable lead in the tablet space, the company might not feel compelled to deliver such a device this year.

Read the rest of this entry »

The New Year 2012 kicks off with a pile of speculations and the most obvious subject remains Apple's next iPad tablet iteration. A website has now claimed to have images of the display of the next version of iPad tablet, speculated to be named as the iPad 3.

The website, MacRumors, has said that it acquired those images from a Korean Forum. According to the report, the iPad 3 will come with same 9.7-inch size display albeit with a different resolution.
After demise of former Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs, all eyes are set on the Apple to churn out more compelling and competitive products. As per the annual product cycle, January-February is the time when Apple is expected to announce the new iPad tablet with better hardware.

Current versions of the Apple iPad tablet runs iOS operating system, supporting large number of specific Apps from Apple App Store and often gets criticised for not offering select modern-day features like — SD card slot, USB port, etc.

Recently available reports hint that Apple iPad 3 will feature the same 9.7-inch display but will have higher resolution in 16:10 aspect ratio. Rumor mills hint that the iPad 3 will carry 2048x1536 pixel resolution natively which would compete against the new breed of Android tablets supporting 1080p HD natively. Hence we believe that the iPad 3 might support WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution or if Apple may surprise us — WQXGA (2560x1600) pixel resolution.

The image shows purported iPad 3 display panel has three connectors at the bottom compared to that of two connectors of iPad 2. However, these are early panel rumors rising from the Korean Forums and it is too early to call them real or fake. Of course Apple would be working on a better version of Apple iPad tablet and we seriously hope that most modern day features like better screen and better processor has been already considered for that.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apple will unveil two iPad models at a conference in January, according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.

“Apple is set to unveil its next-generation iPad—which will come in two versions—at the [MacWorld/iWorld expo] scheduled for January 26, 2012,” read the Dec. 29 report, citing unnamed supply-chain sources. “The new models will join the existing iPad 2 to demonstrate Apple’s complete iPad series targeting the entry-level, mid-range and high-end market segments.”

A lower-cost iPad 2 will apparently compete head to head against Amazon’s Kindle Fire, a 7-inch tablet that acts as a portable vending machine for the online retailer’s e-books and streaming content. Meanwhile, according to the report, the new iPads will feature higher-resolution screens and “dual-LED light bars” to “strengthen the brightness of the panels.”

Earlier in December, DigiTimes quoted still other unnamed sources in the supply chain as claiming the first next-generation iPads would arrive within three or four months. Certainly if Apple follows the same release cadence of the previous two iPad versions, the next will make its debut early in 2012; however, given the wild and unfounded rumors that usually accompany each new iPad on its way to eventual unveiling and release, it pays to take many of the reports with the proverbial grain of salt.

Apple brings 2011 to a close with its dominating share of the tablet market still firmly intact. The late Steve Jobs introduced the iPad 2 March 2. “Is 2011 going to be the year of the copycats? I think if we did nothing, maybe a little bit,” he told the audience. “But we haven’t been resting on our laurels.” Over the next few quarters, a variety of competitors—including the Motorola Xoom and Hewlett-Packard’s TouchPad—suffered from anemic sales, seemingly solidifying Apple’s lead in the short term.

However, the competition is unlikely to abate in 2012. Microsoft and its manufacturing partners are prepping a series of tablets running the upcoming Windows 8, which will make a hard play for PC power users and businesses. In addition, competitors like Samsung are still very much in the tablet fight. Whatever Apple decides to release next year, it will continue to face a crowded marketplace.

Read the rest of this entry »