Apple : Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know |
- Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know
- In Depth: 10 best iPhone and iPad Twitter apps
- Apple set to refresh MacBook Pros this week?
| Updated: iPad 2 rumours: what you need to know Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:53 AM PST  The internet loves Apple and it loves ill-founded speculation, so it's hardly surprising that iPad 2 rumours were flying before the first iPad even reached the UK. With only weeks to go before its expected unveiling the iPad 2 release date, specs and price are still closely guarded secrets, but that doesn't mean there aren't some juicy rumours, inspired guesses and possibly even Apple leaks to consider. Reports suggest Apple is also expecting massive demand for the new device and has ordered six million units per month. Here's our pick of the latest iPad 2011 rumours. UPDATE: iPad 2 has apparently been spotted. Reuters reports on a "source with knowledge of the device" who spotted the new iPad at the launch of News Corp's The Daily. UPDATE: On 8 February 2011 the Wall Street Journal claimed that the new iPad has gone into full production. iPad 2 specs: cameras and a gyroscope Gizmodo reckons that FaceTime support's a given, and that means a front-facing camera like the iPhone 4. BuzzBizzNews echoes the camera story, suggesting twin cameras. It also suggests that there'll be a three-axis gyroscope like there is in the iPhone 4. EETimes says Apple has been testing gyroscopes but decided not to put one in the original iPad. On 10 December 2010, images of a new iPad case appeared online, suggesting that the iPad 2nd generation will feature a rear-facing camera. On 17 January 2011, we heard word of not only a rear camera, but a front one too... it seems more likely that FaceTime will be coming to the iPad 2 as well. iPad 2 specs: a USB port and SD card slot Rumours suggest that the iPad 2 will have a USB port, which BuzzBizzNews says will enable users to "upload movies, documents and photos". We're not convinced it's for that, because Apple is moving increasingly to wireless. The iPad prints wirelessly. The iPad streams media wirelessly. Why add USB? More likely, we think, is a MicroUSB port or adapter so the iPad meets new EU regulations on mobile device chargers. Images of a new iPad case have appeared online that seem to show space for an SD card slot. On 17 January 2011, we also reported on said SD clard slot - it would be a dramatic move for Apple to go with such expandable memory, but a clever one if true. iPad 2 specs: GSM and CDMA AllThingsDigital quotes analyst Brian Blair, who says that Apple may be readying a "world iPad" that uses both GSM and CDMA networks, enabling it to get online anywhere in the world. CDMA, incidentally, is the technology used by Verizon in the US. iPad 2 case: thinner and more like a MacBook Brian Blair also says: "the new iPad is thinner than the existing model and is essentially made from one piece of metal with no pins needed. We understand it requires a new type of manufacturing process as a result, similar to the company's unibody approach seen in MacBooks." iPad 2 specs: retina display Will the gorgeous screen from the iPhone 4 make its way to the iPad? The Apple Blog thinks so: "You can be sure that Apple's Retina Display, or something very close, will make its way to iPad". Then again, such a screen would massively increase the number of pixels, increasing the demands on both the iPad's processor and its battery, so a nine-inch Retina Display is a challenge. If Apple's solved it we'll see you down the Apple Store the second it goes on sale. iPad 2 specs: a seven-inch screen? All of Apple's rivals have plumped for 7-inch displays, which means their tablets are lighter than the iPad. Will Apple follow them into seven-inch territory? iLounge says prototypes exist, while earlier this year DigiTimes predicted not just a seven-inch iPad 2, but a 5.6-inch iPad 2. Apparently the smaller iPads would target ebooks while the current iPad would target multimedia entertainment, "sources stated". We're doubtful. Apple already does a mini-iPad with a retina display. It's the iPod touch. The idea of a smaller iPad 2 took another knock in November, when 9to5Mac reported that the iPad 2 adverts have already been shot - with current-generation iPads playing the role of iPad 2s. The iPad 2s will be digitally added nearer the time, and of course that's much harder to do if the iPad 2 is smaller than the iPads the actors are actually holding. iPad 2 specs: a faster processor KitGuru "has been hearing rumours from the Far East" that the iPad 2 will be a seven-inch job with a 2GHz processor and an HD video camera. It reckons the processor will be based on ARM's Cortex A9, the 1GHz dual-core processor that you'll find in the BlackBerry PlayBook. On 18 January, we also reported the iPad 2 will have a boosted dual core GPU, based on an upgraded graphical core from Apple. This will allow better pixel management, lending weight the theory that the iPad 2 will have a much higher-res screen. iPad 2 specs: more memory This is a no-brainer: the iPhone 4 has twice the memory of the iPad (512MB compared to 256MB), largely because the iPhone does multitasking. Since the iOS 4.2 release, iPads do multitasking too. 256MB already seems a little bit stingy. iPad 2 specs: no home button Boy Genius Report says a source has told it that Apple has employees testing iPads with no home buttons, but we're inclined to agree with ZDNet, which says "don't bet on it". iPad 2 features: Find My Friends On 13 January 2011 we reported that Apple seems to have a location-based tool called Find My Friends in the works for its iOS 4.3 iPhone and iPad update. The iPad 2 release date is probably in the Spring Rumours suggested that the iPad 2 would be rushed out in time for Christmas, but if that's Apple's plan they're being awfully last-minute about it. Early 2011 seems like a much better bet, and it fits with Apple's annual product cycle: the first iPad was announced in January and shipped in the spring. On 7 December we reported on rumours that Apple would be shipping iPad 2 units out to warehouses in February 2011. If that date is correct, it suggests an iPad 2 release date of some time around April. This has been corroborated by our report on 17 January, with the April UK release date backed up by 'insiders'. On 20 January 2011 we reported that the iPad 2 release date could be 9 February, after images leaked showing that date on the home screen (the original iPad launch promotional material had a 27 January 2010 date on the home screen - the date the first iPad launched). On 7 February 2011, Elton John, speaking on BBC Breakfast, said he is looking forward to buying an iPad 2 in April so he can make video calls using Skype. Did he just out the iPad 2 release date or has he been hearing the same rumours that we have? On 21 February 2011, we reported that T-Mobile and Orange have dropped their iPad prices. This could indicate that a new iPad is imminent as the carriers try to clear out old stock. The iPad 2 price won't change much Unless there's a new seven-inch model we'll be amazed if the iPad 2 price is dramatically lower than the model it replaces: Apple isn't struggling to shift units and rivals are charging similar prices. Cheapo tablets do exist, but they're rubbish. |
| In Depth: 10 best iPhone and iPad Twitter apps Posted: 21 Feb 2011 02:00 AM PST  Users of Apple's mobile devices are spoilt for choice when it comes to Twitter clients - there are loads of the things littering the App Store. The official Twitter client is free, stable and fairly feature-rich, but with the wealth of apps, you'd be crazy to not at least see what's available elsewhere, and so we've unearthed what we think are the best Twitter clients for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. 1. Twitter (free, universal) On the iPhone, Twitter is an evolved version of top Twitter client Tweetie, rebranded when the service bought out the developer. It's a simple, elegant app that ably does its job. On the iPad, you'd at first glance be forgiven for thinking you'd launched an entirely different app, such is the change in interface. While divisive, Twitter's pane-based swipe-oriented approach proves usable and efficient once you're used to it, although the iPad version oddly lacks the ability to create lists (which it has when running on the iPhone) and supports a relatively limited range of services.
2. Echofon (free with ads or £2.99 for 'pro', universal) Plain and simple, Echofon is great if you just want fast access to content, and unlike Twitter it's similar in use across devices. A big plus for Echofon is its ability to sync unread tweets between installs across mobile and desktop platforms, but it lets itself down a bit with occasional crashes on iPhone when sending emails and loading the in-app browser.
3. Twitterrific (free/£2.99 for 'pro', universal) At one point, Twitterrific was feature-packed but becoming more complex with every update. The developers bravely stripped everything back and started again. The result is an impressively usable and great-looking client - although you'll need to pay to go 'pro' on each device you want multiple accounts on.
4. Twittelator Pro (£2.99, separate apps) Seemingly taking the baton from Twitterrific in terms of complexity, the iPhone version of Twittelator Pro is feature-rich, with great search, theming and drafting capabilities. On the iPad version, theming is gone and there's a lot of wasted screen space, but the two-pane interface is usable, and in-stream images are handled deftly, although the lack of a built-in web browser is annoying.
5. Osfoora (£1.79 for iPhone, £2.39 for iPad) It's one of the pricier clients and the default black theme is a bit harsh, but Osfoora (iPhone version, iPad version) has a good crack at marrying a clean efficient interface with plenty of features. It's particularly worthy of consideration for anyone who wants a more flexible client than Twitter or Twitterrific, more stability than Echofon has to offer, and an app with better screen usage than Twittelator Pro on iPad.
6. TwitBird (free/£1.19 for 'premium'/£1.79 for 'pro', universal) Oddly available in three flavours (ad-supported 'free'; two-account ad-free 'premium'; 16-account ad-free 'pro'), TwitBird is fully-featured, with some interesting themes and ideas. The grid-based Espresso theme provides navigation akin to the Facebook app (which works nicely, and is more flexible than the standard toolbar model), and the client automatically placing the original tweet under a reply is useful.
7. HelTweetica (free, iPad-only) HelTweetica is an iPad-only release which aims to be a "clean and modern take on the Twitter client app" and largely succeeds. It packs a lot of tweets into a small space, although this results in slightly fiddly buttons for performing various tasks. However, the app is fast and also has an efficient single-user view that automatically loads the user's recent tweets.
8. TweetDeck/TweetDeck for iPad (free, separate apps) Aiming to bring the column-based Twitter client to iOS devices, TweetDeck (iPhone version, iPad version) is worth a look if you're married to the desktop version. It's great for sync and flexible personalisation, although be warned that this client is buggy and crashes quite often.
9. HootSuite (free, universal) After a hateful enforced sign-up to the HootSuite service, the HootSuite app proves interesting. With its column-based approach, HootSuite almost resembles TweetDeck, providing the means to rapidly switch between feed types and lists, or columns with tweets based around sets of keywords. On iPad, the sidebar provides even quicker access to default and user-defined columns.
10. Flipboard (free, iPad only) It's certainly not the most obvious means of browsing Twitter, but if you're more interested in linked content than 140-character notes from friends, Flipboard turns the service into a digital magazine. It also links with Google Reader and Facebook.
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| Apple set to refresh MacBook Pros this week? Posted: 21 Feb 2011 01:29 AM PST  Apple has stopped shipping its current MacBook Pro models online, suggesting that a refresh of the high-end laptop range is set to arrive in the coming days. Check out the Apple Store online today and you will see that Apple has increased its shipping dates to 2-4 days rather than its usual 24 hours. Speed bumps and Light Peaks Apple fans are, as ever, desperate to know what specification bumps and feature additions Apple will add to the new MacBook Pro this month. The refresh announcement is expected to come from Cupertino on Thursday of this week, and we will of course be sure to bring you the full details the second the official press release drops into our inbox. In the meantime, the most credible rumours we have heard about what's in store for the new MacBook Pro suggest that Apple will release five new laptops this week – two upgrades to the MacBook Pro 13-inch, two upgrades to the MacBook Pro 15-inch and one new version of the MacBook Pro 17-inch. Light Peak in new MacBook Pro There are also reports that we should expect a new high-speed connection technology from Apple called (internally) "Light Peak." Light Peak is set to replace the multiple connectors we use for external peripherals and monitors, said to carry data at 10GB per second both ways at the same time (so a lot faster than USB 3.0 tech). Mark February 24th in your diary if you are in the market for a new Apple MacBook. Or if you just want to remind yourself to check out the upgrades later this week. |
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