Tag Archives: ipad 2

Apple airs new iPad 2 “Love” ad, showcasing how the tablet is used in daily lives

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Apple has begun airing their new “Love” iPad 2 ad, which showcases how the device is used in the daily live of people. In the ad you can see people using Apple’s iMovie to edit video, a basketball coach showing his team new plays, a band mixing their music, a designer, and more. The narrator remains the same as their other new ads like the iPad 2 “Learn” ad that aired in August. Expect more ads like this as Apple begins ramping people up for the holidays.

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Here Are The Holiday Discounts You Can Expect From Apple This Black Friday [Apple Store Shopping Guide]

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The biggest shopping day of the year is fast approaching. This Friday, countless retailers all over the U.S. will be slashing prices for Black Friday, causing a frenzy amongst shoppers who cannot wait to spend some of their hard-earned cash on discounted goods.

Apple famously recognizes the event by discounting some of its hottest products in the Apple online store for one day only, with savings to be made on new Macs, iOS devices, iPods, and even the latest accessories for your beloved Apple gadgets. This year will be no different, so based on the past few years’ reductions, here’s what to expect at the Apple online store on Black Friday.

Macs

We’re expecting Apple to slash around $100 off its most popular notebooks and desktops, and that includes its MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac. Last year the company dropped $101 off the price tags of these machines, and we’re expecting much of the same this time around.

It’s unlikely, however, based on previous years, that Apple will reduce its entry-level Mac, the Mac mini, or its high-end Mac, the Mac Pro. Having said that, with no refresh in over a year, there are rumors Apple will kill of its Mac Pro, which could mean we’ll see it discounted on Black Friday in a bid to clear inventory.

iPad

The iPad looks set to be the must-have gift this Christmas, and you’re sure to save money on it this Friday. But it won’t necessarily be the best deal. Apple is likely to reduce its price by around $40 — the same reduction made to the first-generation iPad last year.

However, to get an iPad 2 with the best deal, you’re likely to be better off going for a refurbished model. You can get $50 off every model of the iPad 2 if you choose to buy it from Apple’s refurbished section, and it’ll come boxed like new with the same one-year warranty. In fact, if you’re buying it as a gift, its recipient would never notice it wasn’t a brand new model.

For an even cheaper iPad, you could choose to bag the first-generation device, on which you can currently save a whopping $230 if you buy refurbished.

iPods

Apple’s Black Friday price cuts usually usually fall very favorably on the iPod, with some of the biggest savings to be made on Apple’s popular iPod touch. And the bigger you buy, the more you’ll save. For example, we’re expecting Apple to cut around $20 off the 8GB iPod touch, $30 off the 16GB model, and $40 off the 64GB model. That’s a generous savings of more than 10%, and the biggest discount we’re likely to see again this year.

As for the iPod nano, we’re likely to see similar reductions with around $10 off the 8GB model, and $20 off the 16GB model.

Like Apple’s entry-level Mac, we don’t expect to see any reductions on its entry-level iPod, the iPod shuffle.

iPhone

Those hopping to bag a cheap iPhone from the Apple online store are going to be disappointed. While carriers will be quick to offer discounts on the device in an attempt to lure you into a two-year commitment, Apple’s generally leaves its iPhone price tags well alone.

Accessories

We’re expecting Apple to discount a selection of popular accessories for most of its devices. Expect to discounts on the Smart Cover; iPhone & iPad docks; Apple’s wireless keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse; the company’s in-ear headphones, the iPad camera connection kit, and lots, lots more. Accessories are expected to see discounts of between $5 and $15, depending on their usual price.

Other

Apple is also likely to slash the price of its Time Capsule, and the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express base stations. You can expect to see around $20 off the 2TB Time Capsule, and $50 off the 3TB model, with around $10 off the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express.

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It Would Take 61 Million iPads 2s To Match The Power Of The World’s Best Supercomputer

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The iPad 2 has some impressive mobile silicon inside it. The A5 processor is a dual-core affair with a 1GHZ clock speed, capable of about 171 megaflops (or about 171 100 floating-point operations per second).

Not bad, right? But how does the iPad 2 stack up against the most powerful computer in the world, Fujitsu’s K Super Computer?

Not too well, according to the guys at Royal Pingdom. In fact, you would need about 61.5 million iPad 2s to match the 10 Billion megaflops of the K Computer.

That’s enough iPad 2s that if you stacked them on top of one another, the pile would be 540 kilometers high. That’s the equivalent of about 1,700 Eiffel Towers stacked end-to-end.

Well, sure. Fine. But can the K computer run Infinity Blade 2? Thought not.

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Philips Can Measure Your Breathing & Heart Rate Using Only Your iPad’s Camera

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Philips has released a new iOS app for the iPad 2 that allows you to measure both your heart rate and breaking rate using only your device’s camera. Unlike similar apps that require additional accessories, this one claims to get its results from “the color of your face” and “the motion of your chest.”

The app is called Vital Signs Camera, and it’s available from the App Store now for just $0.99. Its creators have labeled it an “amazing innovation,” and we’re inclined to agree. I mean, it’s pretty astonishing that the app uses nothing but your iPad’s crappy front-facing camera to get its results.

The Vital Signs Camera App of Philips measures your heart rate and breathing rate using advanced software and the camera of your iPad 2. This breakthrough technology allows you to measure your vital signs in an easy and unobtrusive way at home*.

All you have to do is sit in front of your device and try to keep still while the app checks out the color of your face to measure your heart rate, and analyzes the motion of your chest to measure your breathing rate. You can then share your results online with friends on Facebook and Twitter, or via email.

This makes it easy to alert your doctor when you think you might be on your last legs, though Philips does state the app “ is not intended for diagnosis or for clinical measurements, monitoring or decision making.”

For those of you who are skeptical of the app’s abilities, take note of the five-star ratings it’s currently getting in the App Store, and check out what Wired has to say about it:

Incredibly, it actually seems to work.

I downloaded the app and tried it out. You need to sit still in a well-lit area and make sure your face and chest are in the correct parts of the screen (there are colored rectangular guides to help). That’s it. The default settings stop when a measurement has been determined, and you can just read them or inflict them on your friends via Facebook or Twitter.

Have you tried Vital Signs Camera yet?

[via AppAdvice]

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iShred With This iPad Turned Snowboard Designed In Tribute To Steve Jobs [Video]

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As a tribute to Steve Jobs, the guys over at Signal Snowboards decided to make a plank that was totally infused with the spirit of Apple design.

The result? A snowboard milled from a block of aluminum with a glowing, Apple-like logo and a built-in 3G iPad 2.

The verdict? Not exactly a great plank for maneuverability, but I’m just impressed they didn’t crack that iPad into a million pieces after their first trick./

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Apple Prepares For iPad 3 By Taking Control Of iPad 2 Supplies [Rumor]

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Rumors that Apple’s third-generation will launch early next year have been strengthened by claims from “industry sources” today, who say that the Cupertino company has moved to control supplies of its iPad 2 in a bid to reduce excess inventory. It will reportedly reduce the number of displays manufactured by the likes of Samsung, LG Display, and Chimei Innolux during the fourth quarter of 2011, which could lead to a reduction in iPad shipments.

Apple still has plenty of iPads in its inventory, however, according to DigiTimes. The company sold 11.12 million units by third quarter of this year, but has an inventory strong enough to produce 15-16 million devices, leaving 4-5 million units in its stockpile.

With an iPad 3 on the horizon, the company has reportedly now reduced down iPad 2 display production:

Due to inventory adjustments at Apple, LG Display saw its shipments of 9.7-inch panels to Apple decline from three million units in September to 2.5 million units in October. Samsung managed to keep its shipments of 9.7-inch panels flat at two million units in October, while CMI slashed its shipments from 700,000 units to 350,000 units during the same month, said the sources.

While these manufacturers have had their shipments reduced, Samsung and Sharp have already been instructed to build panels for the next-generation device, and have been doing so since October. TPK Holding and Wintek will join the duo in display production during November or December, according to the sources.

It’s likely Apple has taken control of its supplies to ensure that manufacturers can continue to meet the demand of the second-generation device while the next model enters production.

[via The Next Web, image courtesy of TiPB]

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Telltale Games Brings Jurassic Park To The iPad 2

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Telltale games have created some of my favorite games for the iPad, most notably their recent series of Back to the Future titles. But having finished with Marty McFly, the team have turned their focus to building another iPad adventure inspired by a fantastic film.

The first episode in a series of Jurassic Park games is now available to purchase from the App Store.

The title is priced at $6.99, which is a familiar figure for most Telltale releases. But for fans of the film, it could be seven dollars well spent. At least that’s what the trailer above would certainly lead you to believe.

Episode one, entitled The Intruder, begins during the first half of the Jurassic Park film:

The story begins during the last half of the first Jurassic Park film, where the island’s security systems have failed and the dinosaurs now roam free. When Nedry fails to deliver the stolen dinosaur embryos, his contact Miles ventures into the dark jungle with Nima, a professional smuggler. Elsewhere, park veterinarian Gerry tours Jurassic Park with his daughter Jess in what he thinks is a safe area of the island.

In the trailer, its developers promise that this is “the very same game that you will see on full-size consoles and computers.” That means you can expect terrific visuals and breathtaking sound effects, which you can stream to your Apple TV via AirPlay. But there is one caveat to that: you’ll need an iPad 2 with a dual-core A5 processor to play the game.

This release might just persuade me to take a break from Modern Warfare 3 tonight and pay some more attention to my iPad.

[via Touch Arcade]

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The Kindle Fire Keeps Up With the iPad 2 When Web Browsing, Beats It Hands Down At Netflix Video Streaming [Video]

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After months of anticipation, Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire started shipping yesterday, but even since its unveiling critics have been labeling it a worthy iPad competitor. Its pocket-pleasing price tag coupled with its terrific user interface could make it the first tablet to really give the iPad something to worry about.

But how does it stack up to Apple’s device in terms of performance? Well, at less than $200, none of us expected the Kindle Fire to really match the iPad 2′s speed, but as you’ll see in this video comparison, it does and fantastic job of keeping up while browsing the web, and its significantly quicker and streaming Netflix videos.

The video was put together by our friend Jeff over at iDownloadBlog, and while it’s in no way scientific, it does demonstrate the Kindle Fire’s abilities. Jeff compared both devices’ boot-up times, web browsing speeds, and Netflix streaming performance, and I think you’ll be pretty impressed by the iPad’s newest rival.

As you can see, the iPad does leave the Kindle Fire way behind in boot-up times, but when it comes to web browsing, Amazon’s debut slate does a great job of keeping up — likely thanks to that new Amazon Silk web browser. As Jeff mentioned, it’s also worth noting that the Kindle Fire is loading Flash, whereas the iPad isn’t (obviously). I bet with Flash disabled, the Kindle Fire would be even faster.

When it comes to Netflix video streaming, the Kindle Fire is significantly quicker at loading up the movie. But again, it’s worth noting that the device is running the latest Netflix app — with the new user interface — which could improve its speed. The iPad 2 is still running the old Netflix app.

Personally, I’m very impressed by the Kindle Fire. I don’t think the boot-up times will be much of an issue, because who really turns off their tablet completely? I know it won’t compete with the iPad when it comes to gaming and running power hungry apps, but it does the basics incredibly well.

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The New $250 Nook Tablet Beats Both iPad and Kindle Fire In Specs

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The Kindle Fire may be shaping up to be the first real device to challenge the iPad’s share of the tablet market but it’s not going to go unchallenged: book retailing giant Barnes & Noble have just announced the next generation of their own Android-based reading tablet, and unlike the Kindle Fire, its specs match and even exceed the iPad 2′s for half the price.

The new Nook Tablet is the successor to Barnes & Noble’s popular Nook Color, and like the Nook Color, it’s a light 7-inch tablet running a custom UI on top of Android Gingerbread 2.3. The specs, however, have been radically ramped up: inside the Nook Tablet you’ll find a TI OMAP 4 processor running a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU (!), 1 gigabyte of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and 11.5 hours of battery life… way better than the Kindle Fire.

Feature-wise, the Nook Tablet also has some advantages over the Kindle Fire. Unlike Amazon’s tablet, which is merely a hardware portal to Amazon’s own services, the Nook Tablet will run apps for subscription services like Netflix, Hulu and Pandora.

Unfortunately, despite the seemingly great specs and more flexible feature set, the Nook Tablet doesn’t seem to have matched the Kindle Fire’s incredible performance. Gizmodo, in particular, was not impressed by their hands-on demo:

Briefly seeing the Nook Tablet in action, it’s hard to image what the dual-core CPU and gig of RAM are being used on. I wasn’t expecting mind-blowing performance, but I’ve seen lesser spec’d devices with more polish.. Barnes and Noble handlers didn’t allow me to play around with the device on my own, but watching it in action, the sluggishness of the UI and browsing was noticeable. Menu and app transitions, along with page turns and scrolling looked choppy and somewhat unresponsive. The homescreen UI wasn’t as affected as, say, the web browser, but I was hardly wowed by what I saw. Pages seemed to render quick enough, but that could have been a cached page. Web pages, especially, panned and zoomed with the fluidity of a first generation Android device.

Media and gaming apps, seemed to fare better. Netflix videos, streamig in HD, looked fluid, with only a hiccup or two over the course of a minute-long clip. Bejeweled, admittedly not a game that would tax the Nook Tablet hardware, looked as smooth as it would on other devices.

Will the Nook Tablet be able to take on the Kindle Fire? It’s hard to say, but $50 is a wide enough price gap in the low-end of the market for me to think it’s likely that the Nook will remain an also-ran. Either way, the iPad 2 seems safe.

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iPad 3 Won’t Arrive Until Late Summer 2012 [Report]

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DigiTimes is a throw-stuff-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks kind of news org, so along with predicting that Apple will radically overhaul their iMac, iPhone, MacBook Air and iPad lineup in 2012 comes a separate report all about the iPad 3.

In the details, though, the iPad 3 report is much more interesting, because it predicts Apple will miss a March/April release window for the iPad 3 and instead launch in late summer.

According to the report, Apple is currently playing with two iPad 3 prototypes: the J1 and J2. The J1 would be similar to the iPad 2, but reportedly thinner, with a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display, a quad-core, quad-graphics A6 chip and two vertical LED backlights to help illuminate the display. The J2 is an amped up version of the J1. Apple hasn’t decided which one they’ll be launching yet.

When that launch does happen, though, expect there to be an iPhone 4S style wait between the iPad 2 and 3. In fact, mass production is only set to begin in March 2012, which will push a launch of the upgraded device into late summer.

To be honest, that makes some sense. March is close enough to Christmas that it isn’t an optimal period for Apple to launch iPads in. With iPhone launches now shifted to autumn, the summer months are wide open.

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