Apple could crush quarterly iPad sales record with projected 20 million in Q2

Newsflash: The Apple iPad is still really, really popular. And according to Needham & Company analyst Charlie Wolf, it's now even more popular than it's ever been. Apple Insider reports that Wolf has revised his previous projection of 13.5 million iPads sold in the second quarter of 2012 all the way up to 20 million, even more than the 15 million iPads it sold during the 2011 holiday quarter.

Wolf is even more bullish about the iPad's potential future sales as well, since he sees that the tablet is being adopted much more rapidly by businesses than the iPhone was after its release.

“In our view, it's only a matter of time before iPad shipments exceed iPhone shipments,” Wolf wrote in his note to investors on Thursday. “The iPad is invading the business market at a much faster pace than the iPhone. In addition, the iPad will launch in China on July 20th. This should provide a significant boost in sales now that Apple is providing Chinese languages and services on its iOS platform.”

Apple finally launches the 'new' iPad in China on July 20th

Apple is about to complete an important part of the puzzle for the new iPad's world rollout: it just confirmed that its Retina display-packing tablet will reach mainland China on July 20th. The company isn't specific about local pricing, but it's promising both WiFi and cellular versions at its own stores and through resellers. The company is keen to avoid some of the mobs and scalping it's seen in the past and will open reservations for pickup starting on July 19th — although the company is unusually limiting the reservation window to just three hours each day, between 9AM and noon. The current iPad design has been certified since March; Apple isn't about to mention Proview by name in the release, but it likely wasn't keen on risking another store ban when it could just avoid the battle altogether. No matter how it shakes out, the official Chinese expansion is likely to keep the number of slingshot-delivered imports to a minimum.

New iPad mini details: Nexus 7′s worst nightmare is as thin as an iPod touch

Newly leaked schematics and case renderings reveal a variety of purported details about Apple's widely rumored “iPad mini” tablet, a device that is likely to take the wind out of the Nexus 7′s sails if it does indeed launch later this year at the rumored $249 price point. With early production of Apple's smaller slate already under way according to reports, leaks continue to surface on numerous sites. In this latest round, Think iOS claims to have received third-party case renderings and schematics for the iPad mini from case maker FullHull. According to the report, Apple's iPad mini will be 7.87 inches tall and 5.3 inches wide, a significantly smaller footprint that the current-generation iPad model, which measures 9.5 inches by 7.31 inches. And while the third-generation iPad is 9.3 millimeters thick, the iPad mini will supposedly feature a design that is a remarkable 7.4 millimeters thin. For comparison, the iPod touch measures 7.3 millimeters thick. There is a major discrepancy that casts doubt over Think iOS's report, however: the website's source claims that the iPad mini display will measure 7 inches diagonally. Numerous earlier reports suggest that the tablet will feature a 7.85-inch display, including one report from The Wall Street Journal that claimed the new iPad mini's screen will measure roughly 8 inches diagonally. The iPad mini is expected to launch this fall for between $249 and $299.

Apple iPad Mini To Sport A 7.85' Display, Cost Around $249!

In accordance with recent reports of Sharp being involved in the manufacturing of Apple products, the latest report mentions that the iPad Mini will sport a Sharp-manufactured IGZO LCD display, which by virtue of its characteristics, will aid Apple in slimming down the design. Purportedly, the new iPad will sport a Retina Display and cost between $249 and $299 based on the storage capacity. It's very announcement could trigger its competition with the rest of the world. Apple iPad Mini's veridical existence could spell doom for the countless Android tablets that are already struggling to compete with the ever-premium and market-dominating full-sized iPads. While there are no specs on the smaller sized iPad or even a confirmation if that thing is real, there have been multiple reports of a smaller iPad hiding in Apple's sleeve. Source that report this do not have any significant evidence to confirm the truth either. However, considering the market scenario where smaller sized tablets are more than becoming a norm, it wouldn't seem unfair if Apple too joined the league. On the other hand, observing that Apple has almost always refrained from adopting trends that are most common  until it considers that the time is right. Take for instance the classic real case of an iPhone with a larger display. Apple held off too long (and even until now) to announce an iPhone with a larger display than 3.5" even as the iPhone is breaking into a fifth generation product while the rest of the smartphone industry was raining with devices sporting over 4" in size or significantly larger. While analysts believe that Apple will announce the iPad Mini to meet demand for smaller tablets, there is no established evidence of Apple iPad Mini being on the horizon, but considering that Apple may evolve its stereotyped 3.5" display sized iPhone to a 4" or bigger one with the release of the unannounced iPhone 5, the possibility of a smaller iPad too seems (at least slightly) substantial. Is this an indication that we might probably see something interesting this October besides the iPhone 5? Only time will tell. We will keep you posted as more details surface. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, click here to know more.

iPad Mini mass production set to start in September, announcement may come by October

The oft-rumored iPad Mini is in the news yet again. This time two different ‘mainstream' publications, if you can call them that, the WSJ and Bloomberg, each have a report regarding Apple's supposedly upcoming tablet.

Mass production for the device will start in September. According to nameless officials at Apple's component suppliers, the Cupertino company has told them to prepare for mass production – which would certainly signify that Apple has made up its mind about launching the Mini tablet.

  The new device's screen will be 7 to 8 inches diagonally, and the iPad Mini will arrive on the market before the end of the year. It may get announced by October, perhaps alongside the next-gen iPhone. The iPad Mini's screen will have a resolution lower than that seen in the new iPad.

If this is true, then Apple probably won't claim the Retina brand for this particular display. Common sense says that Apple's probably going to go with 1024×768, which has been used in both the original iPad and the iPad 2. Since the iPad Mini will be smaller, the pixel density will be higher than in those two tablets anyway, while, of course, not being anywhere near Retina territory.

At less than 8″ though, few consumers will probably consider the 1024×768 resolution a downside to Apple's new tablet.

Getting back to the size of the device, this is nothing new of course. The most rumored size so far would make the iPad Mini's display 7.85 inches diagonally.

iPad mini rumors resurface like so many leftovers, have production start in September

There have been rumors of a shrunken iPad since time immemorial, so you'll have to forgive us if we look at most fresh claims with a jaded eye. Still, when both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal hear that Apple is close to producing a tablet with an 8-inch or smaller screen, there might be some fire to go with the smoke. What details that exist are unsurprisingly thin outside of the dimensions, although Bloomberg understands that there won't be a Retina display like in the current 9.7-inch slab. That's not a shock given the size and likely cost concerns — we're more interested in the talk of nearing production plans with an uncanny level of synchronicity. The Wall Street Journal has caught murmurs that volume production ramps up in September, while its business paper rival Bloomberg thinks that an announcement could come “by October.” We still won't be shocked if these are just wild misinterpretations of an upsized iPod touch or become nothing but vapor. Should they pan out, however, our good friend the Nexus 7 could feel some heat this fall.

Spotify brings streaming radio to iPhone, iPad app

Spotify on Tuesday announced the addition of free mobile radio to the company's popular Spotify app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Spotify's radio features were previously only available to desktop users, however free and premium Spotify users can now stream limitless artist, song, playlist or album-based radio stations to Apple's iOS devices. "Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience," said Spotify VP of product, Charlie Hellman. "The radio feature we've added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go – all within one app – for free." Spotify's full press release follows below, and Spotify's app is available for free in the iOS App Store.

Spotify Launches Free Mobile Radio in the US

Latest update for iOS app includes radio you can save

Starting today, Spotify users in the US can play for free on iPhone and iPad.  The latest update to Spotify's iOS app includes the new radio feature, giving free users in the US access to an unlimited amount of music on the move. The update is now available for download in the App Store.

The new radio feature for iOS is seamlessly integrated into the Spotify service, creating an unmatched user experience of listening, discovering, saving and sharing music, from a catalog of more than 16 million songs.

Spotify users on iPhone and iPad can now:

• Create limitless streaming radio stations from single songs, playlists, albums or artists
• Create an unlimited number of stations and listen as long as they like
• Save tracks to Spotify playlists – any song that users "like" will be saved, so they can find the songs later
• Personalize stations in real time by "liking" tracks to hear similar music
• Browse friends' playlists and create radio stations based on their tastes
• Hear great new songs from Spotify's state-of-the-art recommendation engine, based on what millions of real people are listening to
• Access a catalog of over 16 million tracks

"Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience," said Charlie Hellman, VP, Product at Spotify.  "The radio feature we've added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go – all within one app – for free."

Premium users of the Spotify iOS app will continue to have an ad-free experience.  Free users in the US will hear advertisements from the following launch partners: Chevrolet, Durex, Heineken, Red Stag by Jim Beam, Lipton Iced Tea, Macy's, McDonalds, Progressive, Red Bull, Taco Bell, Verizon Wireless, and Warner Bros - all of which are current Spotify advertisers.

The new Spotify radio feature will also be available to Premium users outside of the United States.

Mozilla designs Firefox ‘Junior' for iPad

iPad fans disappointed with their browsing experience could soon have a Safari alternative from Mozilla. Mozilla has taken the wraps off a new version of its Firefox browser that it has been designing specifically for the Apple iPad, dubbed “Junior,” that the foundation says “makes browsing more fun, more ergonomic and re-thinks browser user experience from the ground up.” While this sounds ambitious, the development team at Mozilla seems to have really created a browser that's unique to tablets rather than just simply porting its browser over from desktop or mobile platforms.

Junior is immensely simplified compared with most browsers because it only has two buttons that are strategically placed right where the average iPad user's thumbs go. The “back” button performs the standard back function that's crucial to any browser while the “plus” button opens up a new screen that gives users the opportunity to enter in a URL manually, go to a recently-viewed site or go to a bookmarked site.

The reason for the simplified browsing experience is that Mozilla wants its tablet browser to take advantage of the entire tablet screen without clogging it up with tabs and search bars. And yes that means that Junior doesn't have the on-screen tabs that have been a longtime Firefox staple, but Mozilla thinks that tabs on a tablet screen are just taking up space needlessly.

Mozilla hasn't yet made any announcements in terms of when Junior will be available for iPad users.

Mozilla's ‘Junior' iPad browser prototype keeps it simple

Love your iPad, but hate Safari? Mozilla's Alex Limi can relate, it's “a pretty miserable experience,” he says. So what's he doing about it? Building a replacement, of course. In a recent presentation showing the fruits of the Mozilla Product Design Strategy team's labors, Limi offered a glimpse at Junior, an iPad browser that hopes to redefine how we view the internet on tablets. The prototype browser eschews the traditional address bar / tab layout in favor of a minimalistic, full screen experience, flanked by only two obvious toggles — a back button, and a plus symbol that opens a menu containing favorites, recent pages and a URL / search bar. Other common options such as reload, forward and print are hidden away, but accessible. The idea is a simple browsing experience that's more fun, engaging and ergonomic. “It's very simple,” Limi summarizes, “it's a browser.” He stresses that Junior is still just a prototype, albeit a compelling one.

Firefox for iPad being developed by Mozilla

 
Mozilla does not seem to content with their current market share in terms of browser dominance, and they are not going to take this particular situation lying down. In fact, Mozilla does seem to want to spread their wings further in the world of tablets, and has set their sights on the promised land – the Apple iPad. It seems that there are whispers going around that hail from industry insiders which touch on the very same team who worked on the desktop version of Firefox will soon challenge themselves further, by designing a Firefox version just for the Apple iPad. In the process, it is hoped that this popular open source web browser will be able to provide some sort of decent competition to Apple's Safari browser on the iPad.

The new browser has been nicknamed “Junior”, which is rather fitting at this point in time. Hopefully Junior will be able to receive all the digital milk it can get (and crave for) in order to grow up to be a dominant web browser.

NYT: Office for iPad is still on

Microsoft vehemently objected to Office for iPad rumors almost as soon as they first showed up, quashing hopes in the process — or so we thought. The New York Times now contends that Redmond's PR might just have been exercising plausible deniability: sources for the newspaper assert that Office for iPad is still a reality and that the details, not the app itself, are in dispute. Most of the questions instead surround the launch day and price. A follow-up answer from Microsoft hasn't settled much other than to get the boilerplate no-comment remark, but we wouldn't be surprised if Google's acquisition of Quickoffice spurs a few discussions at Microsoft about tablet-native Office suites for more than just Windows 8.

Pong iPad case is touted to be the most advanced of its kind in the world

 
Hmmm, a Pong iPad case? This has absolutely nothing to do with the iconic video game that is older than all the teens these days, but rather, it functions as an iPad case that carries the boast of improving reception, boosts signal strength and increases range all the while ensuring that your exposure to radiation is reduced. Sounds as though this is the only iPad case that you will ever need if you are looking for one, no?

It would be interesting to see just how much of a boost the 3G/4G and Wi-Fi reception on your iPad will become when it encases your device. Not only that, is there a quantitative manner for the average Joe to ensure that one's exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) is reduced while using the Pong iPad case? So far, EMR has been classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 2B carcinogen.

The patented Pong design apparently will not set off the iPad's proximity sensor, and yet it can optimize both cellular and Wi-Fi signals, whilst offering protection against radiation exposure, now how about that? The asking price for some peace of mind? $119.99 onwards, where it is available for both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G/4G iPad models. [Press Release]

Pure Contour 200i Air Speaker Dock

Pure is back with its latest product in the form of the Contour 200i Air speaker dock. Designed for Apple’s iPad, iPod and iPhone, the digital music system features Apple’s AirPlay wireless streaming technology that lets you stream music wirelessly to Contour 200i Air from a compatible iPod, iPhone or iPad or from iTunes on your computer using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. You can also download the free Pure Lounge app, allowing you to enjoy over 16,000 internet radio stations or on-demand programs from your iPod touch, iPhone and iPad. The Pure Contour 200i Air speaker dock retails for around $310 (after conversion). [Pure]

An inside look at how iPads are made

Apple's iPad and the conditions under which it is built are topics that surface regularly on technology blogs and in the mainstream media. While the company did recently initiate a review by the Fair Labor Association, human rights organizations regularly take Apple to task for not doing more to ensure factory workers employed by its China-based manufacturing partner Foxconn are treated well. Foxconn and parent company Hon Hai employs hundreds of thousands of workers, however, and hundreds more travel from around the country each day to line up and apply for jobs at Foxconn's various plants. Marketplace Shanghai bureau chief Rob Schmitz was recently given a rare opportunity at operations within Foxconn's Shenzhen iPad factory, and his crew was permitted to film a number of active stations on the iPad assembly line that have never been seen before. The result is an inside look at some of the fascinating technology that goes into building the world's most popular tablet. Marketplace's video follows below.

iPad is bringing Lithium-Polymer battery prices down

The battery capacity of the new iPad is around 65% bigger than in the iPad 2. That's so in order to accommodate for the Retina Display, and the quad-core graphics chip which subsequently has to render a lot more pixels than in the old tablet. Let's not forget 4G LTE connectivity, which is now an option for the first time in Apple world. That's also universally considered to require more power than other data connectivity solutions. So the increased capacity is there for a reason, and the resulting battery life turns out to be almost the same as the previous generation tablet. That's how power hungry that display and connectivity chip are. iPad 2 and new iPad batteries side by side Because of Apple, prices of Lithium-Polymer batteries, like those used in the iPads, are bound to fall in the near to medium-term future. That's because Apple is leading a newfound demand for large LiPo batteries, that are now being used in everything from tablets to ultrabooks. Basically, Apple's focus on great battery life for its tablets hasn't gone unnoticed in the industry, and its competitors in both the PC and the ‘post-PC' fields are taking notice and trying to emulate that experience. There's plenty of production capacity, and the sheer size of these batteries isn't a cause for concern. The main issues that manufacturers face have to do more with the required thinness for some batteries, and not with size in itself. And since production capacity is not limited, an increase in demand will just lead to more production. Which in turn will lead to lower prices. So hopefully more mobile device makers will decide to put bigger batteries in their products, perhaps convinced to do this by the lower prices that are expected in the future. Battery life is currently one of the main problems of modern mobile devices, but using bigger batteries is possible, as the Motorola RAZR MAXX has proven. Furthermore, it's not even that detrimental to a device's thickness anymore. And with battery prices going down too, there's absolutely no reason for companies to continue to treat us with subpar battery life on our mobile devices.

Apple patent suggests face unlock may come to the iPhone and iPad

Apple patent documentation made public this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office indicates that the Cupertino-based company is exploring different ways to utilize the forward-facing camera on its devices. The patent, which was uncovered by AppleInsider, describes a system that could scan and detect a user's face to unlock a device. If the user cannot be identified by the system, he or she would by asked to enter a security code, much like Google's face unlock technology. Apple isn't looking to use face detection to simply unlock a user's device, however. After a user's face is recognized, the software could be used to set pre-determined settings and launch various applications. “If the detected human face is recognized… an operation of the (device) can be modified based upon the recognized human face,” the patent application reads. “The modification can include executing a pre-defined set of operations such as opening email, opening text messages, and so forth.”

Apple reportedly testing 7.85-inch iPad prototype

Apple is reportedly “noodling with” a smaller 7.85-inch iPad model in its labs, according to John Gruber of Daring Fireball. Gruber revealed the information on an episode of The Talk Show after host Dan Benjamin asked if Apple was going to come out with a smaller tablet. “Well, I don't know. What I do know is that they have one in the lab...a 7.85 inch iPad that runs at 1024x768... it's just like the regular iPad shrunk down a bit,” Gruber said. “I've heard from multiple people that this is something that they're kind of noodling with.” He went on to say that he has not heard anything regarding Apple's plans to release the smaller model, and it is unclear if it will ever make it to market. Gruber speculated that Apple may have prepared the prototype in response to the Kindle Fire. He also suggested that it could possibly be unveiled at the Cupertino-based company's Worldwide Developers Conference, since it's unlikely that Apple will unveil a new iPhone at the event. We have seen numerous rumors regarding a smaller 7.85-inch iPad in the past. The slate is expected to be priced in the $249 to $299 range and could launch in the third quarter of 2012.

Apple 'captures' new iPads due to WiFi complaints

Ah, it's that old Apple chestnut, reception issues. Apple is investigating complaints from customers over poor WiFi-connectivity on its new iPad. According to a lengthy forum thread, many users are experiencing connection drops and poor performance. An internal AppleCare document has now leaked to 9to5Mac, explaining how Apple is to "capture" and replace 3rd generation tablets that suffer from the intermittent connectivity. The issues appear to affect the WiFi-only model of Apple's latest hardware, with SIM-connected variants apparently safe due to the black antenna panel. Employees are told to test that iPads aren't suffering issues due to software kinks and return wonky units to engineers for testing and a full health check.

Interactive Game of Thrones content comes to HBO Go iPad app

Home Box Office has been pushing its "interactive viewing experience" for Game of Thrones over at the HBO Go site, but if you weren't sitting in front of a computer there was no way to take part in the fantasy world fun. Now the premium channel is bringing the commentary tracks, interviews, maps and loads of other extra features to the Go iPad app. But, having that content available for season one isn't particularly exciting. What has our little nerd hearts aflutter is that all of the same features will be available for season two, starting immediately with the April 1st premier. As you watch, if the seemingly bottomless well of characters and their rival houses trip you up, you'll be able to pull up a guide to help you separate your Arryns from your Tullys and Redwynes.

J.P. Morgan increases Q1 iPhone and iPad estimates

J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz has made “significant increases” to both his iPhone and iPad sales projections for the first quarter of 2012, raising his price target on Apple stock from $625 to $715, Apple Insider reported on Tuesday. The analyst previously estimated that Apple would ship 28.1 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2012, however he now believes shipments will reach 31.1 million units. Full-year iPhone shipments for 2012 are now expected to total 138.2 million units. Moskowitz thinks Apple's next-generation smartphone will launch in the second half of 2012 and include a “thinner body and LTE capability.” He projects iPad shipments to reach 13.8 million in the first quarter, up from his earlier estimate of 10.1 million units, and his full-year shipment estimate was raised to 69.6 million tablets, up from 59.8 million. Apple will also “refresh its MacBook portfolio, including the Air, in the next three months,” Moskowitz wrote in his note to investors. He continued by saying that the company needs to improve its specifications and features while introducing lower price points to stay ahead of the “Ultrabook crowd.”

iPad owners weigh in: Heat ‘issue' deemed non-factor

An overwhelming 98% of new iPad owners are either “very satisfied” (82%) or “somewhat satisfied” (16%) with their Apple tablets, a recent survey conducted by ChangeWave has determined. This is hardly a surprise, and BGR called the slate not one but two steps ahead of its competition when we reviewed the new iPad in March. Also not surprising is the fact that the majority of iPad owners don't seem to care very much about the supposed heat issues that constantly pop up in the media's coverage of the tablet. When ChangeWave polled 200 new iPad owners and asked what they disliked most about the third-generation Apple tablet, 7% listed excessive heat. A majority named the cost of the device as their biggest dislike (26%), and the cost of wireless data plans (23%) was the second-most disliked thing about the iPad. Despite being widely praised for its battery performance, 6% of those polled said short battery life was their most significant dislike. ChangeWave's full press release follows below. New iPad Owners Weigh in on the Latest Apple Tablet BETHESDA, MD - April 2, 2012 - Two weeks ago, the new iPad hit the market with a bang. But now that the Apple tablet is in the hands of consumers, what is their initial reaction towards the new device? A March 22-28 survey of 200 new owners looked at their impressions of the new Apple iPad, including overall satisfaction with the device, key likes and dislikes, and the impact of the heat issue. ChangeWave Research is a service of 451 Research. Customer Satisfaction User satisfaction with the new iPad is even higher than previous iPad ratings from a February 2012 ChangeWave survey.  More than four-out-of-five new iPad owners (82%) say they are Very Satisfied with the device.  Another 16% say they're Somewhat Satisfied. Here is a head-to-head comparison of the new iPad user survey results with previous iPad user results from the February 2012 ChangeWave survey. Top iPad Likes and Dislikes We also queried new iPad owners on the specific features they liked best and disliked most: What do you like best about the new iPad?  (Choose No More Than Three) By a landslide, the High-Resolution "Retina" Display (75%) is what new iPad owners report they like best about the device. Long Battery Life (22%) comes in a distant second, followed by 4G LTE Capability (21%) and the Faster Processor (20%) New iPad Dislikes When asked what they dislike most about their new iPad, users cited the Cost of the Device (26%) and the Cost of the Wireless Data Plan (23%) as their two biggest gripes. And what do you dislike most about the new iPad?  (Choose No More Than Three) Two other issues were each cited by 8% of owners - the iPad's Size/Weight and its Amount of Flash Memory Storage. Additional dislikes mentioned include its Integration with Other Devices (7%), Excessive Heat Coming From the Device (7%) and Battery Life (6%). No other issue was cited by more than 5% of new owners. A Closer Look At The iPad 'Heat' Issue In a recent release, Consumer Reports stated that the new iPad can heat up to as much as 116 degrees Fahrenheit when plugged in and continually running a game. While the consumer publication considered this to be "very warm," they said it wasn't especially uncomfortable if held for brief periods and they didn't consider it to be a safety concern. To gauge new iPad owner reaction to the heat issue, we presented respondents with a brief summary of the Consumer Reports findings on the new iPad and asked how much of a problem the issue of excessive heat was for them.

Tearing apart Apple's latest creation, the new iPad

The iPad 3 launched this morning to queues at stores around the world (unless you went to Walmart at midnight last night). It's a tradition for the most die-hard of Apple fans to camp out for the latest products. Now that the crowds are dispersing, it's time for another tradition — tearing that sucker apart. Old favorite iFixit stepped up to the plate yesterday having procured one of the new iPads from a midnight opening in Melbourne, Australia. It's now been officially confirmed that the iPad 3 has twice the RAM of the iPad 2. Aside from 1 GB of DRAM (comprised of two 4Gb Elpida LP DDR2 parts), iFixit found that much talked about dual-core Apple A5X processor with integrated quad-core graphics, a 9.7-inch Samsung-manufactured Retina Display, a Broadcom BCM4330 802.11a/b/g/n Baseband/Radio with Integrated Bluetooth 4.0+HS, a Qualcomm MDM9600 3G and 4G wireless modem (not the expected 2nd generation MDM9615), and a Qualcomm RTR8600 multi-band/mode RF transceiver for LTE bands. The iPad also boasts 16, 32 or 64 GB of Toshiba NAND flash memory and a 5 MP HD rear-facing camera. The biggest thing you'll see when taking apart the iPad is the battery, which is massive. This was expected, considering Apple has beefed up the graphics and added that stunning Retina Display. The battery in the iPad 2 was a 25 watt-hour Li-ion, while the iPad 3 boasts a 42.5 watt-hours battery. iFixit reports that takes most of the space inside the iPad. No kidding, look at that thing. As far as DIY repairs are concerned, the iPad 3 scores a depressing 2 out of 10 on the repairability scale/ No surprise there, really, as Apple has gained some notoriety for making its products inaccessible when it comes to home repairs. What is surprising is that iFixit is actually downgrading the iPad 2′s score from last year, too. “While the new iPad's design is essentially the same as the iPad 2, which we gave a repairability score of 4, we've learned a lot about the design since then. We've spent the last year trying to repair the iPad 2 with mixed success,” writes Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. “We are awarding the new iPad an abysmal 2 out of 10, and retroactively dropping the repairability score of the iPad 2 to a 2 as well. The adhesive on the front is extremely difficult to remove without damaging the glass, making repair and end-of-life recycling very difficult.” So, don't try this at home unless you have supreme confidence in your tinkering skills.

New iPad game pits humans against their cats

The new iPad is launching tomorrow and you can bet there are tons of excited and eager Apple fans that just cannot wait to get their hands on the device. However, they might have some competition, thanks to this latest cat-friendly iPad game from Friskies. When the iPad first launched, it became clear that it wasn't just people that found the device engaging. Videos started popping up on YouTube of cats pawing away at the tablet, and this prompted cat food company Friskies to release a few cat-friendly iPad games for the iPad owners with feline friends. This week, the company is announcing the launch of another cat-friendly game, except this one is a bit different. In what's thought to be the first ever interspecies iPad game, You vs. Cat sees the human player try to ‘score' by flicking objects past their cat, who is positioned on the other side of the iPad. The job of the cat is to stop the objects from passing, like a goalkeeper. Check out the ad for the game below to see it in action. The video gives a pretty good idea of how it works, even if they did use people dressed as animals/mascots as the human players. Oh well, that's March Madness for you.

main page top 10 events archive tags search e-shop cell phones cameras icolour ifashionable contact us Is your new iPad heating up?

Apple's latest hot ticket seems to be a tad too hot to hold, some users are reporting. New iPad owners on the MacRumors forums and Apple's own support community complain that the slab's lower left corner can get a little warm during extended use. Don't get excited though, reports seem to vary by user - some are reporting that their tablet becomes too uncomfortable to hold while others say that it only gets "slightly warm" and that it's "expected." How's your new iPad treating you?

The new iPad: are you buying one?

Today is the day many have been patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for. The new iPad saunters onto shelves around much of the globe, and into the sweaty palms of the "gotta-have-its." So, were you dazzled by that display? Or tempted by the LTE and new graphics chip? Maybe you're upgrading, or treating the partner (by treating yourself)? Perhaps you were hoping for the rumored smaller device, or just gotta have something Android.

iPad launch day: Where are all the sell-outs?

iPad launch day is quite a fiasco. Apple Stores around the country see eager customers line up hours or even days ahead of the tablet's release, and people often wait hours before they finally make it into the store to purchase an iPad - if there are any left. While there was still plenty of hype surrounding this year's launch, it didn't quite seem the same. Apple's new iPad is a big upgrade compared to the previous model, featuring a faster dual-core A5X processor with quad-core graphics, an upgraded 5-megapixel camera, optional embedded 4G LTE, a slightly redesigned case and a gorgeous better-than-1080p HD Retina Display. But launch day still seemed much more subdued than it was for the release of the original iPad and the iPad 2. Read on for more. BGR called a dozen Apple Stores in and around New York City between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT on Friday in order to find out whether or not they still had the new iPad in stock. In years past, checks like these were fielded by apologetic sales associates breaking the news that launch-day inventory had been completely depleted. This year, however, we didn't find a single store in the New York area that reported a complete stock-out. Of the 12 Apple Store we spoke with, each and every one still had iPad Wi-Fi inventory available, with just four stores saying that 64GB models were sold out in both black and white. Most stores reported having a significant number of units still in stock and several said they would likely still have inventory tomorrow. “We have plenty left,” one sales representative told me when I asked if there would likely be any units remaining later this evening. “Take your time.” Four stores reported being completely out of iPad Wi-Fi + 4G models, and five more said they were out of the AT&T version of Apple's new tablet but still had the Verizon Wireless model in stock. When we asked if there were still people waiting on line for iPads, we were told by a representative at the Grand Central Apple Store that there was indeed still a 30-minute line for new iPads. The only other store to mention a line was in New Jersey, and the sales associate chuckled as she reported, “Yeah, there's three people on line right now.” A number of Apple's retail partners received launch-day iPad inventory as well, and we called a handful of Best Buy locations to see if the story would change at all. We still didn't speak to a single location that reported a stock-out, however. Workers at three Best Buy stores said that all or most models were still in stock and a fourth said that AT&T models were completely depleted but “plenty” of 16GB and 32GB Verizon models were still available. A salesperson at Best Buy Columbus Circle in Manhattan reported that the iPad has been “flying off the shelves,” but he said that all Wi-Fi models and both Wi-Fi + 4G models were still in stock when we called shortly after 6:15 p.m. At the time of this writing, the real-time iPad tracker set up by Chitika indicated that Apple's new iPad accounted for just over 2.1% of iPad traffic across its network. Apple stated earlier this week that pre-orders were sold out and demand for the new iPad was “off the charts.” Did the majority of day-one iPad buyers pre-order their tablets online this year? Did Apple finally manage to build more than enough tablets to meet demand? Or is the new iPad just not resolutionary enough to warrant the turn-out we have seen in years past? We won't know for sure until Monday when, or if, Apple shares launch-weekend sales figures. In the meantime, if you want a new iPad and you haven't yet picked one up, odds seem pretty good that you can still find one fairly easily if New York area availability is any indication.

Apple's new iPad already jailbroken, public release coming soon

Within hours of the new iPad's release, iPhone hacker MuscleNerd had already managed to jailbreak the tablet. The hacker took to Twitter to announce his discovery, however he notes that it is “just a first step” and there is “still lots of work to do” with no estimated time frame for a public release available at this time. MuscleNerd uploaded two screenshots to confirm his claims, one displaying root access and the other showing the Cydia app store.

Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad

Sure, you can take us on our word that the new iPad really is that much sharper than its predecessor - or, you can opt for a more scientific approach, and peek at that Retina display under a microscope. Our own Richard Lai slid his 64GB WiFi iPad under a USB scope, going far beyond the naked eye for a close-up look at those gorgeous high-density subpixels. As you can imagine, it's impossible to distinguish one dot from the next when you're looking at a cool three million pixels packed tightly within a 9.7-inch slab, but that view clears up quite nicely under a 230x microscope. What you'll see is that those tiny red, green and blue dots are now significantly smaller, when compared to the iPad 2. That means text that's easily legible without a pinch, smooth icons and far sharper pictures. There's a dramatic improvement for sure, but is that new display alone enough to justify the upgrade for you? A quick click through the gallery below should help clear things up.Richard Lai contributed to this report.

Watch new iPads flood America in real-time

Thousands upon thousands of consumers in cities across America are taking delivery of their new iPads today, and many more lined up at Apple Stores and other retailers to be among the first to own Apple's latest iOS-powered tablet. Early reviews were overwhelmingly favorable - Gizmodo summed them up nicely - and countless consumers have taken to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to sing praises of Apple's new slate. Seeing the incessant chatter slide through a Twitter timeline is one thing, but popular ad network Chitika has taken iPad-watching to the next level. Read on for more. Developers at Chitika have created a special webpage they call the new iPad tracker. As the name might suggest, the firm's widget tracks the proliferation of Apple's third-generation iPad as consumers across the country use them to load apps and visit websites that serve Chitika advertisements. Chitika's network identifies new iPads according to their unique user agent string, which is read each time ads are served to a device. The new iPad tracker shows three unique sets of data in real-time. First, a pie chart represents new iPad usage versus first-generation iPad and iPad 2 usage over the course of the past hour. The line chart that follows displays third-generation iPad adoption per hour in a time series, and the third shows new iPad adoption by state. Apple's new iPad features a dual-core Apple A5X processor with integrated quad-core graphics, a new 5-megapixel camera, optional 4G LTE connectivity and a high-definition Retina Display. BGR published a hands-on preview of the new Apple iPad on Friday, and we said its new display looks “unreal, like it's not a digital display at all, but an actual printed glossy photo.”

Strum your iPad with a iPic Capacitive Stylus

Friday night I was watching one of my favorite shows Shark Tank, where one of the “contestants” was trying to get funding for their iPad musical instruction app called Miso Music Plectrum. After the show, I checked out the app and some subsequent research turned up a surprisingly interesting new stylus that is shaped like a guitar pick. The iPic from Woodees can be used like a standard capacitive stylus, but it can also be used to “play” virtual stringed instruments by providing a more traditional feel. Priced at $14.99, the iPic is available in several colors and can also be used with gloves.

It's 8:00AM, do you know where your new iPad is?

For readers in the United States who were too eager to pre-order a new iPad and wait for it to be shipped, too tired to head out at midnight and purchase an iPad from Walmart, and too sane to fly east and buy Apple's new slate before the sun rises over North America, 8:00 a.m. is go-time. Apple's new iPad is finally available for purchase from brick and mortar retailers on the East Coast, and lines have been forming throughout the night as Apple fans look to get their hands on the company's latest wares. The new iPad features a faster dual-core Apple A5X processor, an improved 5-megapixel camera, optional 4G LTE connectivity and, of course, Apple's new Retina Display with better-than-1080p HD resolution. We'll publish our iPad review some time next week and in the meantime, we'll have a hands-on preview up later this morning and BGR Editor-in-chief Jonathan Geller will be appearing live on CNBC's Fast Money around 12:00 p.m. EDT to discuss the new iPad. UPDATE: Our quick hands-on preview is now live.

Sky Sports for iPad 2.0 launches with live TV streaming, F1 Race Control companion

Another day, another app release from the folks at Sky, who have this time around delivered v2.0 of Sky Sports for iPad (formerly Sky Sports News). Coming just in time for the F1 2012 season, this iteration includes not only live streaming of the four Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports F1 HD, but it also has a new F1 Race Control companion feature built-in. During a race, it lets viewers choose from eight different camera feeds with in-car and pit lane views, in-race highlights, live race data like lap times and integrated social media feeds - while these are just for racing now, according to Sky's blog post, we may see similar ones for other sports soon. Access to the app is included with various Sky TV packages, while those in the UK and Ireland without a TV plan can get access to the app and Sky Sports News channel streaming for £4.99 per month, billed through iTunes. Check it out there for a few more screenshots or to download and get ready for the Australian GP.

‘Infinity Blade 2′ update adds 2048 x 1536 iPad Retina Display graphics

No matter how you slice it, Infinity Blade II is a pretty gorgeous game, but it'll look amazing on your third-generation iPad's Retina Display. Chair Entertainment just updated the hack-and-slash adventure with 2048 x 1536 high-resolution graphics, ahead of the new iPad launch tomorrow morning. While you might rather have the brand-new Infinity Blade: Dungeons to play instead, we'd definitely be happy to revisit the picturesque environs of the second game in the series while we're waiting for Chair's dungeon crawler. Take a peek at a full-res 2048 x 1536 screenshot of the game in this ZIP, or a slightly smaller one right here in your browser window.

iPad 3 rumor roundup

If Apple's usual release schedule is to be believed (as it usually is), we're just about due for another iPad. Naturally, the rumor mill has amped up accordingly - in fact, given the amount of news we've seen hit the wire regarding the phantom product, the only thing that would genuinely surprise us would be if Cupertino just opted to pull out of the tablet space altogether. Given the sort of sales figures the company has been seeing as of late, its seems a pretty safe bet that the company is confident that the old slate's still got a little bit of steam left in her.Yep, the one thing we feel pretty confident in saying at the moment is that Apple most likely has a new iPad in the works and it's most likely coming fairly soon. It also seems like a pretty safe bet that the company goes with the iPad 3 name - but hey, we've been burned there before. If the rumors flooding in from the likes of Digitimes and The Wall Street Journal are to be believed, the slate will bring with it faster internals, a higher res screen, a tapered back and a general smattering of Apple's customary pixie dust. So, what can we expect from the third iteration of the company's crazy popular slate? Not even Samsung knows for sure, but we're breaking down the fire hose of rumors after the break. AnnouncementAnonymous sources over at The Wall Street Journal put the date of Apple's big announcement at the first week of March, which falls right in line with last year's March 2nd event. The fact that stores like Best Buy have begun dropping the price of the iPad 2 only seems to lend credence to that time frame. It was also nice of the company to narrowly miss out on overlapping with Mobile World Congress - though competing trade shows have never stopped the company before. In the grand scheme of things, this is certainly one of the less far fetched of the recent crop of iPad 3 rumors - if not the first week of March, then almost certainly just after. As always, though, we won't know for sure until the suggestive event invitation hits our inbox. As for an actual sale? We're hearing "as early as March." InternalsSouped up internals seems like a no-brainer for the iPad. Apple loves to upgrade its devices to the latest and greatest, and given the ever increasing competition in the space the company helped pioneer, it's certainly in Cupertino's best interest to make the latest iPad as zippy as possible. A Chinese site Weiphone snapped a shot of what it claims is the logic board for the next generation iPad. Sitting right smack dab in the middle is the A5X, an apparent incremental update to the A5 chip sitting inside the iPad 2. Others have dubbed the chip the A6, if only for reasons of basic chronology. And will that A6 chip be a quad-core? Beta code hints that it might could possibly maybe go that way at some point. ExternalsMost of the rumors we've heard thus far don't see a radical aesthetic departure for the forthcoming tablet, nor can anyone seem to agree on whether the device will be thicker or thinner in its next iteration. Rumors swirling around last year had the tablet adding a bit to its waistline, in order to accommodate some of those souped up internals. More recent rumors give the tablet a more beveled appearance. Yeah, we've heard that one before. Display Speaking of things we've seen before, remember when the iPad 2 was going to its own version of the iPhone 4's retina display? The rumor's made a comeback for the iPad 3 launch, this helped along by a supposed side-by-side comparison shot of the two tablets held under a microscope, showing off lots of tiny squares. Certainly it would go a ways towards helping the tablet stand out in the crowd. Wild Cards A new screen size? This one bubbles up every time an iPhone or iPad is on the horizon, and now that different sized tablets have been met with some success, it might be the perfect time for Apple to experiment with a smaller iPad. Rumor has it that the company is working on an 8-inch version of the slate, to complement the good old 9.8 incher. In the past, the company has shied away from oversaturating the marketplace, but there's likely enough demand in the space for the standard iPad and a smaller budget version to peacefully co-exist. The Wall Street Journal's anonymous sources have also let slip Apple's supposed plans to go LTE on the next generation iPad, courtesy of Verizon and AT&T. So, will the tablet beat the company's smartphone to the 4G punch? Only the carriers, Cupertino and a few loose lipped tipsters know for sure. There's also talk of a revamped camera and an end to the classic 30 pin connector across Apple's mobile device. And what about a budget version for students? Given Apple's move to beef up its textbook presence, we wouldn't be particularly shocked if the company dropped the price to make a bigger splash in the classroom.

Imminent iPad 3 launch prompts iPad 2 sale at Best Buy

Apple is all but confirmed to be planning a press conference for March 7th during which it will unveil its next-generation iPad tablet. The iPad 3 is expected to feature a high-definition 2,048 x 1,536-pixel Retina Display along with a faster quad-core Apple A6 processor, embedded 4G LTE, an upgraded rear camera and a redesigned case. There is no question that the new iPad will be a significant upgrade compared to the current model, but not everyone needs the latest and greatest. For those willing to forgo the added speed, embedded LTE and HD display, Best Buy is now offering $50 off every iPad 2 model it carries. Of course buying the iPad 2 now at a $50 discount is a risky move - a number of reports have suggested that Apple will continue to sell its current tablet at a discount of $100 or more once the next-generation iPad 3 launches next month.

Photoshop Touch for iPad now available for $9.99

Adobe on Monday announced the latest addition to its iOS software lineup. The company's Photoshop Touch app for the iPad hit Apple's iOS App Store a little early over the weekend before being pulled, but now Adobe's highly anticipated image editing software is back for good. While the iPad version of the app isn't nearly as robust as Photoshop for Windows and OS X, Photoshop Touch does feature a number of advanced capabilities similar to those found in Adobe's desktop software, including layer support, a variety of editing tools and even the ability to extract objects from within an image. ”People will be amazed with what they can create on the iPad using Photoshop Touch," David Wadhwani, SVP of Adobe's Digital Media Business Unit, said in a statement. “Photoshop Touch combines the magic of Photoshop and its core features with the convenience of a tablet, bringing image-editing power to the fingertips of millions of people." Photoshop Touch for the iPad is available in Apple's App Store immediately for $9.99. Adobe's full press release follows below. Adobe Photoshop Touch Now Available for iPad Highly Anticipated App Brings Image-editing Power of Photoshop to Apple iPad 2 BARCELONA, Spain - Feb. 27, 2012 - At Mobile World Congress, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today announced that Adobe® Photoshop® Touch is now available for iPad 2, via the iTunes App Store*. Adobe Photoshop Touch offers core Photoshop features, as well as new capabilities for creating and sharing in an app custom-built for tablets. The app is a central component of Adobe Touch Apps, a family of six intuitive touch screen applications, inspired by Adobe Creative Suite® software. iPad versions of the other Adobe Touch Apps are expected later this year. Photoshop Touch gives users the ability to combine multiple photos into layered images, make essential edits and apply professional effects to create beautiful artwork, touch up photos, paint, lay out ideas, and much more. The Scribble Selection Tool allows users to easily extract objects in an image by simply scribbling on what to keep and, then, what to remove. With Refine Edge technology from Photoshop, even hard-to-select areas with soft edges are easily captured when making selections. Photoshop Touch helps users quickly find images and share creations through integration with Facebook and Google Image Search. "People will be amazed with what they can create on the iPad using Photoshop Touch," said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media Business Unit, Adobe. "Photoshop Touch combines the magic of Photoshop and its core features with the convenience of a tablet, bringing image-editing power to the fingertips of millions of people." "Adobe Photoshop Touch offers a huge convenience factor and funnels cool Photoshop features tailored for the iPad," said Brian Yap, creative director at Boxing Clever. "Nearly all of the features I imagined being in Photoshop Touch are there, including the depth in layers, the extraction tools, and fade tool." "I love the organic process of working on the tablet. With Adobe Photoshop Touch, I have a new form of image creation with familiar tools but in a more relaxed work space, allowing me to rediscover image making through play rather than production," Dan Marcolino, owner of Marcolina Design & MarcolinaSlate. In addition to Photoshop Touch, Adobe expect to release the following touch apps for the iPad in the coming months: Adobe Collage for moodboards; Adobe Debut for presenting and reviewing creative work; Adobe Ideas for sketching; Adobe Kuler® for exploring color themes; and Adobe Proto for website and mobile app prototyping. Pricing and Availability Adobe Photoshop Touch is available today in the iTunes App Store for US$9.99. Photoshop Touch is available in most geographies with English language support. The app will run on iPad 2 running on iOS5. Visit www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-touch.html for more information on Photoshop Touch. Customers may submit feedback on the community powered feedback site: http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family. Users may also connect with the Photoshop Touch Team directly on Facebook, via Twitter or on the Photoshop blog. For Photoshop Touch how-to videos, visit http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-photoshop-touch/.

iPad pushes Apple to 26.6% of the mobile PC market in Q4

Apple's shipments of iPads and MacBooks in the fourth quarter combined to give the Cupertino-based company a 26.6% percent share of the mobile PC market, according to a report from DisplaySearch released on Thursday. Apple shipped a total of 23.4 million units, nearly three times the amount of No.2 HP. The iPad accounted for 18.7 million units and captured 59.1% of the tablet market. Amazon shipped 5.3 million Kindle Fire's for 16.7% of the market, with Samsung shipping 2.1 million and controlling 6.7% of the market. ASUS shipped 1.5 million units for a 4.6% market share and Barnes & Noble shipped 1.1 million units for a 3.5% share. Apple's fourth quarter notebook shipments came in at 4.6 million units for an 8.3% share of the market. Ranking ahead of the Cupertino-based company was HP (15%), Dell (11.8%), Acer (11.8%) and Lenovo (10.8%). Read on for DisplaySearch's press release. Apple Maintains Top Mobile PC Share Position for Q4x11 and Full Year HP, Dell, Acer and Lenovo Round Out Top Five Spots; Apple Y/Y Shipment Growth Tops 125% for the Quarter and the Year Santa Clara, Calif., February 23, 2012 - Apple shipped nearly 23.4 million mobile PCs in Q4x11, up 128% Y/Y, and over 62.8 million mobile PCs in 2011, up 132% Y/Y, according to preliminary results from the latest NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report. Nearly 80% of Apple's mobile PC shipments were iPads, more than 18.7 million shipped in the quarter, up 156% Y/Y, and 48.4 million units for the year, up 183% Y/Y. Overall mobile PC shipments grew 12% Q/Q and 44% Y/Y, reaching 88 million units in Q4x11. This was driven by continuing strong demand for tablets. Tablet PC shipment growth was 42% Q/Q and 210% Y/Y, reaching 31.7 million units in Q4x11. Notebook PC shipments were flat Q/Q but up nearly 11% Y/Y, reaching 56.3 million units. As expected, consumer mobile PC adoption was focused on tablets, holding up demand in notebooks. "Mobile PC brands read the writing on the wall in the fourth quarter," said Richard Shim, NPD DisplaySearch Senior Analyst. "Consumer demand for notebooks was expected to be weak following modest back-to-school results, especially with the expected launch of Windows 8 on the horizon, and increasing interest in tablet PCs. As a result, brands focused their typical holiday price cuts on tablets to boost demand." Apple's 26.6% share in Q4x11 is largely due to its dominant position in tablet PCs, which propelled it to nearly three times the shipments of HP. The other brands in the top five market share rankings relied almost exclusively on notebook PC shipments to establish their positions. Table 1: Preliminary Q4x11 Worldwide Top Five Mobile PC Shipment Rankings by Brand Brand Units (millions) Share (%) Apple 23.4x26.6 HP 8.7x9.9 Dell 6.9x7.9 Acer Group 6.8x7.7 Lenovo 6.3x7.2 Source: Q1x12 DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report HP maintained the top notebook PC ranking with a 15.5% share, although it lost some of its lead as shipments into North America, China, Latin America, and Asia Pacific faltered. Dell and Acer essentially tied for second place with 11.8% each. Dell had strong results in EMEA, while Acer continued to struggle in the notebook PC market. Lenovo continues to build on momentum started early this year with strong growth in China and Asia Pacific with a dip in North America, and maintained its #4 position in notebook PCs, gaining some share in Q4x11. Apple leapfrogged over ASUS and Toshiba to capture #5 with 8.3% market share. Table 2: Preliminary Q4x11 Worldwide Top Five Notebook PC Shipment Rankings by Brand Brand Units (millions) Share (%) HP 8.7x15.5 Dell 6.7x11.8 Acer Group 6.6x11.8 Lenovo 6.1x10.8 Apple 4.6x8.3 Source: Q1x12 DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report In the tablet PC market, Apple continued its strong growth across all its regions, capturing 59.1% share in Q4x11. Newcomers Amazon and Barnes and Noble firmly planted their flags in the market, at #2 and #5, respectively - Amazon with 16.7% share and Barnes and Noble with 3.5%. Both brands focused on North America in their market entries. Samsung improved in all its key markets, particularly EMEA, helping it to reach .67% market share. ASUS continued its strong results in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific as it took 4.6% share in Q4x11. Table 3: Preliminary Q4x11 Worldwide Top Five Tablet PC Shipment Rankings by Brand Brand Units (millions) Share (%) Apple* 18.7x59.1 Amazon 5.3x16.7 Samsung 2.1x6.7 ASUS 1.5x4.6 Barnes and Noble 1.1x3.5 Source: Q1x12 DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report * Apple shipments include units for sell through and inventory.

CELLMACS iPad 2 Leather case with Removable Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Review

It seems many people see their tablets as a laptop replacement.  Tablets work fine for most things that people do with a computer, but their on-screen keyboards leave a lot to be desired when you need to enter a lot of information.  Accessories manufacturer's recognize this, and  they have produced a lot of keyboard cases for various tablets.  I've seen quite a few keyboard cases for the iPad and iPad 2 that I've owned, and I've seen quite a few others here on The Gadgeteer.  One thing most of these keyboard cases have in common – they all seem to cost $100 or more.  What about those people who need a keyboard case, but don't have $100 budgeted for it?  CELLMACS, a mobile accessories company, has a $40 iPad 2 Leather Case with Removable Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard that's a good alternative to the more expensive offerings.  I was selected to try the CELLMACS case they sent to The Gadgeteer. Most images in this review can be clicked for an enlargement. The exterior is made of pebbled brown leather.  Stitching is very even and straight, and it's done in a contrasting light cream thread.  The leather seems to be thin, especially if the straps are any indication.  There's a faint chemical smell, but it's really only noticeable when I put my nose right against the case. The case measures about 9.8″ long X 7.75″ wide X 1.15″ thick.   It weighs about 18.5 ounces with the keyboard in place and 9.25 ounces with the keyboard removed. The front of the case has magnets that work with the iPad 2′s automatic sleep/wake function.  There's a strap sewn into the front edge that wraps around to the back. The strap closes with a magnetic snap.  An easel-style stand closes flush into the back, and it's held in place by magnets.  There's a cutout for the iPad 2′s camera and a grid of holes at the bottom edge for the speaker. The iPad 2 is held in a leather frame.  This frame is very thin, especially the tab that holds the iPad 2 in place (seen at top, right).  There's no snap or Velcro to hold this tab in place, and I was afraid it wouldn't be sufficient to hold the iPad in place.  There are notches cut into the frame for the front-facing camera and ambient light sensor and for the home button. The interior is lined with a fuzzy, suede-like fabric. The keyboard is also covered in leather, and it has a wrist rest area where you'll find the LED status lights and the pairing button.  The lights are in the little silver rectangle, and the Bluetooth pairing button is under the embossed circle beside the silver rectangle.  I found the pairing button was a bit difficult to use when I paired the keyboard with my iPad 2.  Once I found the button, Bluetooth pairing was very quick and required only that I enter a 4-digit code on the keyboard.  The keyboard uses V2.0 standard Bluetooth. You can see some wrinkles in the leather over the wrist rest area. The keyboard seems to be sturdy, though. The keyboard is held into the case with more magnets, and it can be lifted completely out of the case.  You can use the keyboard up to 10 meters away from the iPad 2, or you can just take the keyboard out to lighten the load if you know you won't be needing the keyboard for a while. The keyboard is smaller than a standard keyboard.  Most of the keys are where you'd expect them, but a couple are in unexpected places.  The keys are low-profile and fit flush with the wrist rest.  They are flat, with no dimple for your fingers to fit in.  The nubs on the home keys (f and j), are so small and flat as to be nearly useless to touch-typers.  I couldn't tell easily by touch when my hands were in the correct position.  The smaller keyboard meant my wrists were more bent than normal, and I did have a bit of trouble typing on this small keyboard.  That's true of all these under-sized keyboard cases, though. The keys don't click when depressed, but you can hear them as you type.  Once your fingers get used to the size and placement, the keys operate well and quietly. There are some iPad-specific keys that control media playback, volume, and screen brightness.  Other keys perform edit functions: select, copy, cut, and paste.  There's also a home key, spotlight search key, and a lock (sleep) key.  There's even a key to launch a photo slideshow and one to bring up the on-screen keyboard when you're in an app that can use the keyboard.  These keys worked well for me. The side of the keyboard has the power switch and charging connector.  This keyboard charges using the same Apple charging cable used by your iPad 2.  I think this is a fantastic idea.  You'll only need to carry one cable in your gear bag, but you'll only be able to charge either your keyboard or your iPad 2 at a time, of course. The keyboard has a 450mAh lithium-ion battery inside that charges in about 3-4 hours.  Once charged it promises up to 90 hours of continuous typing time.  I haven't used it long enough to test that claim, though. The iPad 2 fits snugly inside the leather frame.  I found that the thin leather tab at the top opening was capable of holding the iPad 2 securely inside the frame.  I even tried shaking it out of the case (over my bed).  The iPad 2 slid up a bit, but it would take quite a lot of shaking to get it out of the case. The sides of the frame are thin, and they tend to curl up from the iPad 2.  This doesn't make the iPad 2 less securely held, but it can interfere with touching the very edges of the touchscreen.  I normally use the iPad 2 in the horizontal orientation, and I had trouble touching the very top of the screen when I wanted to jump back to the top of the page.  I'm hoping the sides will eventually flatten out with use. I could use the home button with no trouble, and the cutout for the camera/ambient light sensor was large enough that it didn't interfere. The case didn't interfere with the back camera, either.  The cutouts for the speakers, combined with the opening in the side of the leather frame, allowed the sound to pass through without noticeable muffling. Most ports and controls were accessible.  The hard edge of the case that extended beyond the edge of the iPad 2, combined with the thin profile and curved shape of the iPad 2, made it a little difficult to get your fingers in to use some of the buttons, though.  The microphone, located at the top center of the iPad 2, was covered up by the flap that holds the iPad 2 in place.  I made a sound recording while the iPad 2 was in the CELLMACS case, and the flap didn't interfere with the microphone.  My recording was clear and loud. The leather of the case is flexible enough that you can fold the front all the way to the back.  If you have the keyboard in place, the magnets in the keyboard are strong enough that they put the iPad 2 to sleep – and you can't wake it up until you open up the case to move the magnets away from the iPad 2.  If you take the keyboard off before you fold the front back, the iPad 2 will stay awake.  Of course, this is much thicker than the iPad 2 itself, but I find it easier to hold the case this way than holding it like an open book. There's some extra room inside without the keyboard in place, but you can use it as a folio case and only add the keyboard in on days when you know you'll need it. The easel-style stand opens up to support the iPad 2 while you are typing.  The stand isn't adjustable; there's only one angle with this stand. You can also easily see how the long sides of the leather frame pull away from the iPad 2 in this picture. I know I've mentioned some problems with using the keyboard, but all keyboard cases have these same problems for me.  They're all undersized, have non-standard placement for at least some of the keys, and feel different in some way from typing on my laptop.  Still, you'll get used to the differences with use, and any physical keyboard is better than typing on the on-screen keyboard, for me at least. I think the CELLMACS iPad 2 Leather case with Removable Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard is an excellent solution for people who want a keyboard case for their iPad 2 but don't want to blow the budget on a $100+ case that most likely won't be useable with the next generation iPad.

Ten One Design Magnus Magnetic Stand for iPad 2 Review

One word came to my mind the first time I saw the Magnus Magnetic iPad 2 Stand from Ten One Design. That word was sexy. It's the most minimalistic iPad stand I've reviewed to date. Is this stand just a pretty face with nothing to back it up though? Let's find out. Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view. The Magnus looks and feels exactly like the stand that is built into my iMac. It is made of machined, recycled aluminum which has been hand finished. Mac fans would definitely guess that it was made by Apple. The front has a shallow trough with a thin strip of rubber that covers embedded neodymium magnets. A side view shows a slightly raised ledge and also shows off the one-piece design. The bottom has 4 rubber feet to keep the stand from sliding around on your desk. If you're familiar with the iPad 2, you'll know that the edges have magnets that are used to attach smart covers. The Magnus stand from Ten One Design takes full advantage of these magnets by using them as the sole method of holding the iPad 2 in place. I keep saying iPad 2 because the Magnus will not work with the original iPad or any tablet other than the iPad 2. It's been designed specifically to mate with the iPad 2′s magnetic left edge. The iPad clicks into the ledge as soon as you get close to it. Removing the iPad from the stand requires two hands. One to hold the stand and the other hand to pull the iPad free of the magnets. Has it occurred to you yet that you can only orient the iPad one way with this stand? It will only work in landscape orientation with the home button on the right. Although you can balance the iPad in the ledge in normal orientation, it isn't secure and is definitely not recommended as the slightest bump will cause it to slide out. The orientation issue is the number one limitation of the Magnus. The number two limitation is that the viewing angle can not be changed.   What good is an iPad stand that you can only orient one way and can't change the viewing angle? That's a good question… I have found that it does work great as a 2nd display for your desktop or laptop. It also works well as a clock or a photo frame. The angle is actually very good when using the iPad with a keyboard. So although functionality is limited with this stand, it's not a complete deal breaker. The deal breaker is more likely the 50 dollar price tag for something that can only be used with only one device in a very specific way. If the price tag doesn't scare you away along with the limitations, this stand is the sexiest way to display your iPad 2 in landscape orientation.