News tagged ‘Apple iPad’
What does the Skype sale mean for Apple customers?
By now everyone seems to know that Microsoft has acquired online communication giant Skype for a huge 8.5 billion dollars. Mac and iOS users immediately questioned the acquisition as a way for Microsoft to turn Skype into an exclusive service for Windows Live-connected devices and other Microsoft products such as the Xbox, Windows 7 and the new Windows Phone 7 OS. Steve Ballmer, however, was quick to reassure everyone that Skype will continue working on the Mac, iOS and all the other platforms it currently runs on (including RIM’s BlackBerry and Symbian). Microsoft, of course, takes Apple as one of the major rivals, though it has a full version of Office 2011 available for Macs, and many apps for iPhones and iPads. The question, however, is whether Skype will ever release a native iPad app as promised last year, and if the new owner will also bring some welcome interface changes to the Mac app.
iPad 2 would have bested 1990s-era supercomputers
Dr. Jack Dongarra, who teaches at the University of Tennessee, is the keeper of the Top 500 list of the fastest supercomputers and also one of the authors of the Linpack computing benchmark, introduced way back in 1979. Dongarra's group decided to check performance iPad 2 having ported Linpack on the device. Tests on the iPad 2 have so far only been run on a single core of the A5 processor, but Dongarra estimates that a dual-core Linpack run will yield performance of between 1.5 and 1.65 gigaflops -- that's up to 1.65 billion floating-point operations per second. That raw performance means that the iPad 2 would have remained on the list of the world's speediest supercomputers until about 1994. The iPad 2, of course, is a 21st century device, but it is amazing that the single-processor iPad 2 has results of the four-processor version of the Cray 2 supercomputer (pictured). Perhaps, in 20 years or less, the power of modern supercomputers could be n an iPhone.
Queen Of England Demands An iPad
The Queen Elizabeth II asked her staff to buy her an iPad. She saw the device then the newly married Prince Will and his brother Prince Harry showed off theirs to her on a recent gathering at Buckingham Palace. The Queen of England was impressed “how easy it was to use, the large screen and how light it was”.
The Queen has a mobile phone as well as the iPods, so an iPad is the logical progression. She thinks it will be great to keep her entertained on all the long trips she has to make.
Light Leakage Issues with LG Displays Caused iPad Shortages Last Quarter
Apple reported surprisingly low iPad shipments of only 4.69 million units for the first quarter. DigiTimes reports that the last quarter iPad 2 shortages were caused by production issues with displays and built-in speaker of the device. LG Display was one of the primary sources of iPad supply issues, experiencing problems with light leakage on displays produced by its manufacturing lines that scaled back shipments. The issue is said to have been resolved.
. . .Samsung Electronics shipped a total of four million 9.7-inch panels for iPads in the first quarter, outpacing rival LG Display (LGD) as the largest tablet PC panel supplier for Apple, the sources indicated. LGD's iPad panel shipments reached only 3.2 million units in the first quarter.
LGD was forced to reduce its shipments in the first quarter due to light leakage problem for panels produced at its 6G production lines. The company reportedly has fixed the problem and will resume shipment momentum to Apple in the second quarter, said the sources.
Foxconn Now Wants To Start Building iPads In Brazil In July
Last month, we reported that Foxconn plans to invest $12 billion to start producing and assembling mobile devices in Brazil throughout the next five years, including Apple’s iPad — currently assembled by Foxconn in its Asian facilities. Whilst the original reports claimed Foxconn was planning to start building iPads in Brazil this November, Reuters reports today the company has moved the estimated date to July. Reuters also reports Foxconn will initially import components from Asia to assemble devices in Brazil, shifting the manufacturing chain to local production in the next few years.
Untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3 released: RedSn0w 0.9.6 rc16 and PwnageTool 4.3.3.1
DevTeam released the untethered jailbreak for the latest iOS 4.3.3 - utilities RedSn0w 0.9.6 rc16 and PwnageTool 4.3.3.1.
The 4.3.3 untether works on all Apple devices that support 4.3.2 except for the iPad2:
- iPhone 3GS
- iPhone 4 (GSM)
- iPod Touch 3G
- iPod Touch 4G
- iPad 1
- AppleTV 2G (PwnageTool only for now)
Redsnow is easy to use, it is available for Windows and Mac OS. As usual for unlockers - do not update to 4.3.3, use PwnageTool (MAC) and Sn0wBreeze (Windows) to preserve the baseband.
You can download RedSn0w 0.9.6 rc16 here.
You can download PwnageTool 4.3.3.1 here.
Ultrasn0w was also updated to support old baseband on new iOS 4.3.3. Ultrasn0w 1.2.3 (for unlockers with old baseband) is available in Cydia.
UPDATE: Please, consider reading our Jailbreak & Unlock FAQ, especially if you have questions or troubles.
UPDATE: New tutorials for iOS 4.3.3 are ready:
RedSn0w 0.9.6 rc16 (Windows)
RedSn0w 0.9.6 rc16 (Mac OS)
PwnageTool 4.3.3.1 (Mac OS)
Sn0wBreeze 2.7.3 (Windows)
Leave a comment, read comments [11]
Apple Climbs to #35 in Fortune 500 Rankings
Yesterday Fortune released its annual rating of 500 American’s largest companies by revenue. This time Apple landed at 35th place with over $65 billion in revenue.
Apple climbed 21 slots into the top 50 of the Fortune 500 this year. How'd it get there? The company not only continues to expand its reach in existing markets, it also keeps creating new ones. Take the iPad, which showed the world the power of tablet computing when it was introduced last year. iPad 2 followed, and was one of the most highly anticipated electronic products this year.
Apple Seeking New Vendor for Improved iPhone Ambient Light Sensor
A new report from DigiTimes claims that Apple is in discussions with two Taiwan-based integrated circuit design firms, Integrated Memory Logic (iML) and Capella Microsystems, for sourcing of components for the company's iOS devices. Capella is said to have already delivered new ambient light sensors to Apple for testing and verification. The ambient light sensor is used in mobile devices, in conjunction with software, to determine the automatic screen brightness and optimal settings depending on external light conditions. Apple intends to implement these sensors in the next-generation iPhone, set to be announced in September.
Next iPad to Offer 3D Display
Many sources claim that Apple plans to incorporate 3D technology into the next-generation iPad.
The fact that the iPad 3 is 3D is a dead cert, one Hollywood insider close to the big movie studios told RCR, adding that the screen would be the real magic. She went on to say that the big film studios were currently running around like blue arsed flies trying to gear up to release plenty of 3D content in time for Apple’s next launch.
Untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3 will be available soon
Several hackers confirmed that recently released iOS 4.3.3 is still vulnerable, Apple did not fix the I0n1c jailbreak. Utilities will be released as soon as I0n1c compiles new jailbreak binaries for iOS 4.3.3.
Untethered jailbreak will be available for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1, iPod Touch 3G, iPod Touch 4G.
Apple released firmware iOS 4.3.3
Today Apple released new iOS 4.3.3. It fixed the recently found tracking issue. New iOS 4.3.3 reduces the size of the tracking cache, doesn’t back it up to iTunes and turns it off when you tell it to turn off. Here are the direct download links:
Numbers on Apple Store visitors reveals retail revenues will grow
Yesterday, on May 3 Needham & Co analyst Charlie Wolf sent a note to his clients, where he reveals that Apple retail stores made only 12.9% of worldwide revenues for the company in March. Due to the increased number of distribution points, such as big-box retailers and international carrier stores the revenue has declined since the second quarter of 2008, when the revenue share from retail stores was 21.6%.
Read the rest of this entry »
Apple Applied For Location Tracking Algorithms Back In 2009
Leander Kahney from CultOfMac found the patent application which may throw even more light on the recently found iPhone tracking issue.
The application is entitled "
According to the document a location aware mobile device may collect transmitter IDs and other network information over time. This information will be then translated to estimated position coordinates of the device if the user requests. A user or application also may get an access to location history or its part only in a map view.
Read the rest of this entry »
Newspaper thinktank predicted the iPad in 1994
In 2007 the Paleofuture blog posted the video below, where Roger Fidler and his team at Knight-Ridder describe an electronic newspaper running on what might as well be an iPad. But the video was shot in 1994.
"We may still use computers to create information, but we will use the tablet to interact with print, video and other information," the video explains. It also goes on to describe personal "profile pages," "interactive maps" and sharing links with friends. It even seems like Fidler is channeling Steve Jobs at some points, saying "Nobody needs a manual for their daily newspaper". Amazingly, he even seems to describe iAds.
Check the video below:
Samsung Doesn’t Give Up, Counter-Sues Apple In The United States
Bloomberg reports that Samsung now countersues Apple in the Unites Stated. Samsung already sued Apple in Europe and Asia for patent infringement in technologies like power conservation and 3G data transmission, in response to Apple’s lawsuit accusing Samsung of coping iPad and iPhone design with its Galaxy series devices.
In the U.S. complaint, Samsung accuses Apple of violating patents that “relate to fundamental innovations that increase mobile device reliability, efficiency, and quality, and improve user interface in mobile handsets and other products.”
Leave a comment, read comments [1]