LogMeIn remote desktop app goes free on iPhone and iPad

Looks like LogMeIn Inc. has suddenly cottoned on to the freemium business model, deciding to offer its basic remote desktop app for iPhone and iPad entirely gratis. Previously, you had to hand over $29.99 for the simple pleasure of accessing your PC and Mac desktops via LogMeIn Ignition, but the new free version (simply 'LogMeIn') amply provides for that barebones service, while bells and whistles are reserved for those who buy an in-app subscription to LogMeIn Pro at $40 per year - including things like HD video and sound streaming, file transferring and integration with cloud storage services . Confusing matters slightly, the old Ignition app won't die. It'll live on in the App Store with a massively inflated price to support old Ignition customers and - most importantly - give them grandfather rights to Pro features, so they don't feel left out and start sniffing around the competition. There's a full PR after the break, and it also mentions that Android update is on its way in 2012.

Apple may be rushing to launch the iPad 3 on Jobs's birthday

Is Apple planning to launch the iPad 3 on Steve Jobs's birthday next year? The idea might sound more like a conspiracy theory than a rumor but if you're looking for an update on when Apple might be launching its iPad 3, a new report says late-February. According to Focus Taiwan, Apple's component suppliers and manufacturing partners are hustling to build enough devices in time to get the tablet on store shelves by February 24th - Steve Jobs's birthday. Foxconn, which is reportedly building between 9.5 million and 9.7 million units, has allegedly asked its workers to work through the Lunar New Year holiday. While anything is possible at this point, the date doesn't quite match up with earlier rumors that suggested Apple will launch the device in March or April. The new iPad 3 is expected to offer a slightly revamped design and a high-resolution Retina Display, but Apple may have some competition right out of the gate this time around -  BGR exclusively reported earlier this month that Samsung is planning to unveil a tablet with a Retina-like resolution in February.

Apple reportedly has no plans for a 7-inch iPad, iPad 2 price to drop when iPad 3 launches

A number of reports have emerged in recent months claiming that Apple has a new smaller iPad in the pipeline set to launch in 2012. Scheduled to be released in the second half of the year, the slate will reportedly feature a 7.85-inch display and a lower price tag compared to the current iPad 2 model. A new note from Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair suggests that Apple has no such plans, however, and it will stick to a 9.7-inch panel when it launches new iPad models next year. Read on for more.

“Don't expect a 7-incher. While we believe Apple has tested 7-inch screen prototypes for over a year, we don't currently expect the company to release anything in the 7-inch size in 2012," Blair wrote in a note to clients on Friday. He is also one of a few analysts who dispelled iPhone 5 rumors and correctly predicted that Apple would launch the iPhone 4S with a faster A5 processor, an 8-megapixel camera and the same case as the iPhone 4.

Blair adds that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was very vocal in his stance against 7-inch tablets, suggesting that they do not offer a large enough canvas for Apple's iOS software in a tablet environment. It should also be noted, however, that Apple has made a number of similar statements over the years only to flip-flop later and make announcements in direct contradiction to earlier claims. One example is native app support, which Apple initially resisted out of fear it would sully the iPhone user experience.

While Blair doesn't see a 7-inch iPad hitting the market next year, he does believe Apple will adopt an iPhone-like strategy with its iPad line in 2012. Rather than simply replacing the iPad 2 with the iPad 3 next year, Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 at a reduced price as it now does with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

“We believe Apple is highly likely to keep the iPad 2 on the production line after the launch of iPad 3 and offer it at a lower price point in an effort to address demand at the mid-tier, what we view as the $249 - $499 range,” the analyst wrote. “We believe iPad 2's price could drop to the $349 to $399 range with Apple offering a single 16GB model.”

iPad satisfaction rate at 84% according to new survey

While electronics vendors struggle to gain traction in the emerging media tablet market, Apple has managed to maintain a significant lead in the space despite an increasing number of rival offerings. Apple's share of the global tablet market in the third quarter was estimated to be 61.5% by market research firm IDC, and it's not just momentum keeping the company's market share high. Apple's user experience on the iPad has been touted by many as having a huge lead over rival platforms, and the majority of iPad owners seem to agree according to the results of a recent survey. 

Wichita State University's Software Usability Research Laboratory conducted a survey of iPad owners and found that 83.65% of users are satisfied with the tablet. 62% rated the Apple tablet as “excellent,” 21% said it was “good” and 10% of respondents said it was the “best imaginable” tablet. 4% of those surveyed said the tablet was “fair,” 2% said it was “poor” and another 2% called the device “awful.”

SURL's study used a small sample set of 52 respondents, but the results mirror a number of larger studies that sought to determine users' satisfaction level with the iPad. Studies conducted by ChangeWave have found the iPad's satisfaction rating to be as high as 95%, and a recent user survey conducted by PCWorld determined that the iPad is “miles ahead of the pack in durability, ease of use, and features such as battery life, screen quality, and overall speed.”

The Software Usability Research Laboratory at Wichita State University also found that apps continue to be a big draw for iPad users - 46% of users have between 21 and 60 apps installed on their iPads - and web browsing is still one of the most common uses for the Apple tablet. Almost 90% of respondents said they browse the Internet daily on their iPads while less than 70% said they checked their email each day, the second most popular iPad function according to the survey, and just over 60% said they read the news on their iPads every day.

7.85 inch iPad Mini to come in late 2012, iPad 3 in Q1 2012

That rumored 7.85 inch iPad – which can certainly be considered an iPad Mini - may not arrive early next year, as previously suggested, but only towards the end of the year.

According to DigiTimes, "sources in the supply chain" are saying that Apple will likely release the 7.85 inch iPad in the fourth quarter of 2012, with production for its panels to start at the end of the second quarter.

Before that, in the first quarter of the year, the Cupertino company should introduce the successor to the iPad 2, most probably called iPad 3 (reportedly, this will have a 10 inch display with a resolution increased to 2048 x 1536 pixels).

Rev360 iPad Case : It's Stylish, It's Different And It's Multipurpose!

The REV360 iPad 2 case has a swiveling base that allows the tablet to easily rotated for viewing in both portrait and landscape modes. The volume of the base makes it possible to rest the tablet on a flat surface forming an inclined angle, suitable for typing and viewing videos.

The back cover seems strong enough, and it's said to be made from 100 percent recycled plastic and resin in an effort to keep an 'eco-friendly' tag on its build. What more, it's available for $49.95 from the link after the break.

Here's a quick look at its features:

• Flip it, spin it, turn it share it
• Comfortably use you iPad while turning it for optimal viewing and easy manipulation of the touch screen without accidentally launching apps or randomly scrolling

• Molded polyurethane, material tough enough for skateboard wheels, that takes tons of abuse without scuffing
• Conforms to the iPad shape with shock-absorbing properties
• Molded ridges at the edges for ease of grip and tabletop stability

• Thermoplastic ABS, sturdy enough to take a beating
• Conforms to your hand's natural tendency to rest in a curved state
• A cover that rotates around the hand disc with a precise indexing mechanism — position your iPad at 36 points

• Heavy duty brushed finish elastic
• Stable enough to hold the iPad firmly in place, yet designed to easily slip on and off.

• Rests perfectly at a gentle slope for table top or desk use

Click here to know more.

Millennial: Kindle Fire outpaces iPad adoption but Android sees huge share drop in November

Usage of Amazon's Kindle Fire has exploded since the tablet launched last month, but its rapid adoption wasn't enough to keep Android from seeing its biggest share drop this year in November. Mobile ad network Millennial Media on Tuesday released its monthly Mobile Mix report for November, during which it saw Android's share drop significantly while iOS and RIM's BlackBerry platform showed gains. The firm reports that impressions served to Amazon's Kindle Fire have grown at an average daily rate of 19% since the tablet launched last month, outpacing Apple's iPad when it first launched in early 2010. As a whole, however, Android still lost six points compared to Millennial's October numbers, falling to 50% in November. Read on for more.

Millennial shows that Apple's iOS platform showed slight gains between October and November, growing its share from 28% to 30%, and Research In Motion's BlackBerry operating system grew from 13% to 17% during the same period - the biggest gain seen among all mobile platforms last month.

Samsung reclaimed the No.2 spot on Millennial's list of handset vendors, growing its share from 17.24% in October to 17.47% while the former No.2, HTC, dropped from 18.11% in October to just 12.64% in November. Apple retained its position as top vendor in November as its share grew to 25.66% from 23.50% in October. Despite its rough quarter, RIM's share increased to 14.57% from 10.86% in October to move the Waterloo, Ontario-based company past HTC and into the No.3 spot.

Apple's iPhone remained the top device in Millennial's November report, growing its share from 12.53% in October to 13.54% last month. RIM's BlackBerry Curve line jumped up to the No.2 position with 5.87% and Motorola's DROID X inched down one spot with 5.27%.

Disney-branded AppClix camera for iPad turns you into the world's happiest shooter

If you thought using the iPad's camera - or any other tablet, for that matter - was an awkward way to do mobile photography... well, you were right. But, this mind-boggling AppClix ($60) is about to take things to a new level. The bizarre external shooter gives you access to all of its 7.1 megapixels via Apple's proprietary connector, and you also get an SD card slot, 4X zoom for distant shots and a 1.5-inch LCD display for "previews." As if the souped-up specs weren't enough, the portable camera comes in a variety of flavors, so if Mickey or Minnie Mouse aren't your characters of preference, you'll be glad to know that you can also choose between Phineas and Ferb, Princes and Tinkerbell. Oh, and did we mention the Disney Pix editing app? If you're silly enough to buy this thing, we're told it's a must-download.

IDC: iPad maintains tablet dominance, HP's TouchPad fire sale burned brightly

While the Android tablets continue to roll in, Apple can still lay claim to the lion's share of the tablet market according to IDC's latest report. Its research suggests that the iPad holds onto 61.5 percent of the worldwide market share, down from 63.3 percent last quarter. Android devices in total also saw a slight contraction, down from 33.2 percent to 32.4 percent. This is partly explained by the HP TouchPad's final hurrah, which rocketed the ill-fated webOS tablet up to third place with a 5 percent of share of tablet sales and an estimated 903,354 devices sold. Samsung maintained its Honeycomb tablet crown, nabbing 5.6 percent of all tablet sales. The Korean manufacturer was closely tailed by Barnes and Noble's Nook Color with 4.5 percent and Asus, arriving at fifth place with a four percent share. Tablets in total sold less than the analysts had predicted, although E-readers outperformed estimates, with 6.5 million E-readers sold in the third quarter, up 165.9 percent from last year.

Apple may launch ‘iPad mini' in Q3

Apple is reportedly working on a smaller version of its popular iPad tablet that will launch in the third quarter next year. Citing sources in Apple's parts supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday claimed that a new iPad with a 7.85-inch display will enter production at the end of the second quarter. LG Display and AU Optronics will supply the panels, according to the site's report. DigiTimes suggests that Apple, which previously stated that a 7-inch display was too small for a tablet, will build the smaller slate to “cope with increasing market competition including the 7-inch Kindle Fire from Amazon and the launch of large-size smartphones from handset vendors.” Earlier reports from Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White suggested that Apple would launch an “iPad mini” in 2012, but that mini referred to a lower price in the high-$200 range rather than a smaller form factor.

Leaked part hints at upcoming iPad 3 redesign

A leaked component that is purportedly part of Apple's unannounced iPad 3 suggests that the tablet may feature a brand new design. The new part is a microphone mic flex cable ribbon that was leaked by TVC-Mall. Unlike the iPad 2, the flex cable in the iPad 3 makes a U-Turn, suggesting additional components have been reconfigured within the iPad 3′s case. Redesigned internal hardware don't necessarily mean the iPad 3 will will feature a cosmetic redesign, but earlier reports claimed that Apple's new iPad would feature a thicker case in order to accomodate a high-resolution display panel that isn't quite as slender as the iPad 2′s panel. The latest rumors suggest Apple could unveil the tablet as soon as March or April, and it may also be working on a new smaller iPad model that will launch later in the year.

7-Inch iPad To Launch Alongside The Next Generation iPad Next Year!

According to the report, Apple is prepping up a smaller iPad model to "cash in" on market demand for smaller tablets. Citing "sources in the supply chain", DigiTimes claims that a smaller iPad sporting a 7.85″ display may launch next year.

But, according to Steve Jobs, the 7-inch tablets did not make any sense which is why a smaller iPad wouldn't sound practical, but now that Steve Jobs has parted us, it is slightly possible that Apple might consider revising its decision.

As DigiTimes exclaims:

As per our inference, according to DigiTimes, Apple may launch two iPads next year. This includes the regular-sized 9.7-inch next generation iPad that may launch in first quarter of 2012. Besides that, a smaller 7-inch iPad would be released in late 2012.

We generally do not like the idea of going by rumors since most of them do not ever make it to reality. Nevertheless, there's always a chance that some of them may strike the target, but even if so, we wouldn't agree with the idea of Apple launching two iPads in one year.

So far, there have been no positive indications strongly suggesting the existence of a smaller iPad model. Likewise, there have been no suggestive word on the next-gen iPad either. But, reports continue to surge in in the name of an iPad HD, iPad 2 Plus, 3D iPad, a completely new iPad 3 and so on.

Apple is already said to have received samples of smaller displays for the aforementioned iPad, but it is possible that Apple could be just testing smaller-sized displays while it may not actually intend to release products sporting them ever to the market.

What comes next year out of the veils at launch is something that only Apple knows. We will keep you posted as more details surface. Stay tuned!

Apple loses iPad trademark suit in China, could owe $1.5 billion in damages

Apple recently lost a trademark suit in China after it attempted to sue a Chinese firm for infringing on its iPad trademark. Apple originally filed a complaint against Proview Technology, which argued that it registered for the iPad trademark in 2000, long before Apple introduced the tablet. Proview Technology says it continues to use the iPad moniker in China and several other countries and is now seeking $1.5 billion in compensation from Apple. The iPhone maker has six Apple Stores in China and, according to Reuters, executives believe they have just “scratched the surface” in terms of the sales potential that the Chinese market will offer. The company plans to open more stores to help fight a growing outcrop of fake Apple Store locations and, as such, it is important for Apple to be able to use the iPad trademark in the country.

Apple loses 'iPad' trademark in China

Apple prides itself on its brand value. But in China, the technology giant may be forced to sell their iPad tablets under a new moniker. The world's largest technology company lost an ongoing court battle to use their iPad trademark, after claiming that a Chinese company was infringing on the name with their own product.

The patent court in Shenzen, China ruled in favour of Proview Technology, who had previously trademarked the name 'iPad' in 2000. Proview sued Apple for 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in October for copyright infringement; likely spurred by its 400 million yuan ($64 million) debt.

Apple had purchased rights to the trademark from Proview's global parent company last year. But the Chinese judiciary clearly did not share the same sentiments.

It has been suggested that Chinese patent law is deliberately designed to favour Chinese based companies, in efforts to proect Chinese intellectual property. This has resulted in Chinese versions of Western brands being protected by patent law, such as Weibo in place of Twitter, and Baidu in place of Google.

China is currently the world's largest smartphone market, after overtaking the U.S. earlier this year. For Apple, not being able to use one of its universally synonymous brand names will be an unfortunate blow to the company.

Apple did not comment on the ruling.

One question Apple faces is whether it will buy the rights from Proview once more? Or, if the case is upheld, will Apple choose to market the iPad under a different name?

Hands-on with Dijit's universal remote app for iPad

By now, you should all be familiar with Griffin's Beacon universal remote system, as we've gotten our hands on the iPhone version and let you know about the one for Android, too. Well Dijit, who creates the apps that work with the Beacon hardware, wasn't done, and so has released an iPad-specific app to take advantage of the extra screen real estate it affords. Dijit calls it a "reimagined" version of the iPhone app and it provides both a new look and some new functionality to the Dijit experience. We got to spend some time with the app at gdgt Live in San Francisco, and found it to be quite similar to the recently released Android version. Head on past the break for a video breakdown of Dijit for iPad and our impressions of the app in action.

Dijit for iPad supports the same sizable library of devices as its predecessors and helps you to find the right IR codes for your A/V gear, so the initial setup is relatively painless. The app itself integrates social networks to help you find new content of interest - similar to services like Miso and Buddy TV. Not only does the app show your TV listings, but it can access Netflix and let users play YouTube clips inside the app, plus there's episode and cast information on tap as well. As in previous iterations, the remote control layout is fully customizable and allows users to pick and choose their buttons of choice while arranging them in any configuration. Right now, the app still works using Bluetooth to communicate with the IR blaster hardware, but the folks from Dijit told us they're working on making the app communicate directly with smart TVs over WiFi using UPnP. Keep at it guys, you've got about six weeks to get it ready for show-and-tell at CES.

Scosche fitRAIL Exercise Mount for iPad and iPad 2

Walking on a treadmill can be boring, so some people try to prop a book on it so they can read while they workout.  What do you do if you have converted to ebooks and read exclusively on your iPad or what if you want to watch videos while you walk?  Scosche has created a mounting system to allow you to use an iPad or iPad 2 while you workout.  The fitRAIL Exercise Mount for iPad and iPad 2 is sturdy; it's made of aluminum and steel with a polished finish.  It holds your iPad/iPad 2 securely; your device sits on a tray and is stabilized with stickGRIP material and secured with a clip-on strap that attaches to the top of the iPad.  It has rubber feet on the back to prevent scratches to the machine, too.  It folds up and fits into a storage bag so you can throw it in your gym bag. Scosche says fitRAIL is also a great way to use the Scosche myTREK pulse monitor and app during workouts.  Simply attach the arm strap monitor to track pulse, calories burned and time on their iPad or iPad 2. fitRAIL will work with treadmills, exercise bikes, elliptical machines, and other exercise machines, and it will also work as a horizontal tabletop stand or a typing stand when you're not working out.  It's $49.99 at Scosche.