Archive for January 17th, 2011

With the rumors of a 2048x1536 high resolution screen for the iPad 2, one question that has emerged is what graphics processing unit (GPU) can adequately power the device. AppleInsider claims that the new iPad and iPhone 5 will use a dual-core SGX543 GPU from Imagination Technologies. The company will not only be upgrading its video core, but also going to multiple cores. The most likely configuration of Apple's next custom chip is reportedly the SGX543MP2, which pairs two SGX543 cores to work as one, offering around four times the capability of the previous A4 in graphics and video tasks. We had previously revealed that the latest iOS 4.3 beta SDK had drivers for the new SGX543 GPU, so it should be no surprise that it is the most likely contender to be the next GPU for the iPad.

Google the new version of application called Google Places. It lets iPhones and iPads users to look for new places and review visited ones.

Google Places allows to look for locations and places nearby and mark visited places by posting individual ratings and reviews. There are default lists of places located nearby, but there is an option to customize this list by adding favorite places found with the help of Google Places. Google Places also provides “Hotspot” rating and review system in order to give an opportunity to rate favorite shop, restaurant or a night club via an iPhone.

Read the rest of this entry »

Research firm Asymco has published a new report that details the average number of apps that have been downloaded on every iOS device, including iPhone, iPod touch and iPad — but not the Apple TV. Asymco noticed that app downloads have been growing at a faster rate than song downloads from the iTunes Store in the past three years. By dividing the cumulative apps downloaded by the cumulative devices sold, Asymco noted each iOS device has downloaded 60 apps on average. In 2008, the apps were 10. At the end of his report, Asymco also concludes app consumption is increasing at a rate that will soon overtake PC software.

One parts supplier began selling the screen part for Apple's next-generation iPad from Globaldirectparts.com. The part listed is the "iPad 2 LCD Screen" which is "out of stock" but is listed for a price of $218.19. Since the website currently offers replacement screens for the original iPad for $63.35, the higher price of the so-called "iPad 2 screen" could possibly corroborate reports of a 2048x1536 resolution display on the second-generation tablet. Globaldirectparts.com is also selling an "OEM Apple iPad Vibrating Motor" for $9.99. No photo is provided, but it's a curious part since the iPad currently has no vibrating motor. It's possible this is simply a mislabeled iPhone part, but does raise the possibility of the feature making its way into the next iPad. The part may be evidence that Apple is working on vibrating alert functionality for the second-generation iPad.

New post on Consumer Reports' blog written by Mike Gikas and Paul Reynolds reveals that the company thinks Verizon iPhone 4 will have a short life as soon it will "be replaced by a newer, cooler version more quickly than is customary even for the die-young life expectancy of most smart phones."

It is true that Apple made the CDMA-enabled iPhone a mid-year carrier expansion, and most observers expect new iPhone 5 will not replace its less than 6-month old predecessor as at launch it will support only GSM / UMTS technologies. However, Apple's rivals do not propose any product cycles anyway and release new handsets every few months, so the position of Consumer Reports looks pretty inconsistent.

Read the rest of this entry »