Yahuui Blog: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Apple : Gary Marshall: What to expect from the iPad 3

Gary Marshall: What to expect from the iPad 3

Posted:

It's coming! It's coming! Fire up your eBay account and get that iPad 2 listed pronto, because the iPad 3 is here!

Details? You want details? OK! I've got details! I've got them straight from the horse's mouth, and by "horse's mouth" I mean "launch invitation, leaked case designs from no-name Chinese case firms and a whole bunch of ill-informed speculation".

So what can we expect from the iPad 3?

iPad 3 display

First up, the iPad 3 display will be blurrier than Alex James' underpants. If you look at the launch invitation the Calendar app icon is nice and clear and Retina-y, but just look at the Keynote icon to the right. It's so blurry you can barely make it out.

It's clear what Apple's doing here: because its Retina display is so powerful and awesome and amazing, it probably uses quite a lot of battery power. Apple's solution? Make the bits you aren't looking at go blurry to save pixels. Thinking like this is why Android can never win.

iPad 3 multi-touch

Next up, there's touch. Apple even mentions it in the invitation: "And touch," it says. See? Told you. If you look at Tim Cook's hand - because it is definitely Tim Cook's, or maybe Jonathan Ive's, or Phil Schiller, or one of the other top Apple guys nobody can remember the name of, like Bert McThingy - you'll see that Apple's clearly taking multi-touch into a whole new dimension.

We've had touch. We've had multi-touch. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? If you're thinking "knuckles" then you are thinking what I'm thinking: there's clearly some knuckle control going on here. Nobody outside Apple is thinking about knuckle-controlled computers, and that's why Android can never win.

iPad 3: button-free

Last but not least, the iPad 3 won't have any buttons. The internet has decided this based on the text of the launch invitation, which says "We have something you really have to see. And touch."

That, clearly, means that the iPad 3 doesn't have a home button, because "touch" means "touch the border" and "see" means "you can't see the button, because there isn't one. See?"

Android fans don't indulge in this kind of speculation when there's a new Asus Transformer en route, and that's why Android can never win.

iPad 3: what's really going on

I have no idea, and neither does anybody else. The Retina display looks likely, of course, but the only thing we know for certain is that that iPad 3 - if indeed it's called the iPad 3 - will have an Apple logo on it and a nice box.

Speculation is fun, but it's purely speculation: while some stuff is pretty predictable - let's face it, Apple's not going to unveil a device that's like the current model but rubbish - the only people who know for sure what Tim Cook's going to show off - at least, until Apple does its traditional leak-to-the-Wall-Street-Journal thing - are the chosen few inside Apple.

It's like Christmas Eve: instead of going to bed and letting Santa do his stuff, Apple fans and observers are hiding under the blankets, trying to divine from the lumps and bumps whether we're getting a shiny new bicycle and a glow in the dark Buzz Lightyear or a sack of coal.

In fact, it's worse than that: while Dad's sticking a top-end skateboard under the tree we're imagining nuclear-powered hoverboards that totally fire laser beams and control robots and stuff.

I suspect that whatever Tim Cook unveils, it'll be the iPhone 4S all over again: a great product that isn't quite as great as a completely imaginary one.

Opinion: Apple iPad 3 launch: time for Cook to shine

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Not that long ago I was sat at the London iPhone 4S announcement writing a live blog as several of the company's big wigs went through the phone that wasn't the iPhone 5 but that did become a truly monumental success for the company.

It was Tim Cook's first major consumer announcement and yet the whole thing felt muted. Cook himself was typically confident and forthright, and yet he was happy to let his team do the majority of the talking.

A few days later and we found out the sad news of Steve Jobs, and the conference was thrown into stark relief.

The questions about the lack of impact without Jobs on stage fell away. Now we knew that Jobs wouldn't only not be at the announcements of the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5, but that wouldn't be around to see the launch of his beloved devices.

iPad 3 launch

Less than six months on and we are only days away from the launch event for what is almost certainly the iPad 3 and all eyes will be on Cook as he kick starts the new post-Jobs era for Apple.

Perhaps that's overstating it a little. Apple has been beavering away on the iPad 3 for a long time, and yet this is one of the two key launches on Apple fans' calendars, with the belated iPhone 5 announcement likely to be later this year.

iPad 3

And it is up to Cook and his team to show that Apple is just as confident that it can flourish in the post-Jobs era as Jobs was confident that Apple would flourish in the post-PC era.

One more thing...

That doesn't mean that Cook needs to take to the stage in a black turtleneck, grandstanding, charming the crowd and closing with "one more thing".

It doesn't even mean that Cook needs to take the bulk of the time on stage; it would be entirely understandable that Apple does not want to fill the vacuum of Jobs with another single figure. Instead it will try to share the load across its luminaries: Ive, Cook, Schiller, Forstall et al.

But what it will need to do is prove that the iPhone 4S announcement was not the new Apple; that the figure-heavy presentation and sombre mood was for the perfectly acceptable reason of Jobs' illness.

Make no mistake, the iPad 3 launch is a massive deal for Apple.

Few would doubt that Apple will continue to go from strength to strength assuming it continues with the perfectionism that marked Jobs' time at Apple.

But this conference is the time for Apple to show that it can still wow the world, leave the fanboys giddy with glee and convert the cynics with the familiar spellbinding mix of showmanship and gorgeous gadgets.

Software : MWC 2012: All apps free during Windows 8 Consumer Preview

MWC 2012: All apps free during Windows 8 Consumer Preview

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Microsoft just announced that all apps in the Windows 8 app store will be free to download during the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Speaking at the launch event, Antoine Leblond, corporate VP of Windows web services, made the revelation while demoing the app store on screen.

"A number of essential apps will ship with the Consumer Preview but they're all subject to change," he added. "And we're adding apps all the time so you'll want to keep checking back into the store."

Apps are good

"Apps bring the OS to life – it's alive at a glance. We wanted to scale these apps across many dimensions, screen sizes, usage scenarios etc," added Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's President of the Windows division.

"We want apps in that environment to work together. Currently you get a lot of islands of apps and that's not the right way.

"So in Windows 8 you have control over apps. Apps work together and everything is cloud connected, which is a very important part of how we thought about Windows 8 from the very beginning."

Microsoft launched the Windows 8 Consumer Preview (which is a posh way of saying public beta) at MWC 2012 in Barcelona - and we've only gone and done a hands on Windows 8 review for you as well.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Apple : Apple iPad 3 ready to leave Foxconn for US?

Apple iPad 3 ready to leave Foxconn for US?

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Shipments of Apple iPad 3 tablets are ready to depart the Foxconn plant in China and head for the United States, leaked documents have revealed.

The Apple Pro blog has obtained what it claims to be a shipping document that says the tablet is set to arrive on US shores no later than March 9th, two days after the rumoured date for the launch event.

The document shows that shipments will be made to three major airports in the United States for easy distribution around the country.

Combine the two assumptions and it seems fair to suggest that, just like last year, the Apple iPad 3 will go on sale in the United States around a week after the launch date.

Price hike incoming?

Recent reports seem to suggest that the iPad 3 will boast a much-improved Retina Display, a faster A5X or A6 processor as well as a 4G LTE radio and a camera with a larger sensor.

However, reports today suggest that Apple fans may be forced to pay more for those extra features.

Speculation from the far east suggests that the base price for the iPad 3 will be $579, rather than the $499 users are currently paying for a Wi-Fi-only 16GB iPad 2.

Software : Skype for Windows Phone Beta arrives

Skype for Windows Phone Beta arrives

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Since Microsoft bought Skype for a whopping $8.5 billion, we've been impatiently tapping our watches wondering 'where on Earth is the Skype app for Windows Phone?'

Well, the company finally answered the prayers of Windows Phone users, and those waiting for the right time to jump on board, by launching a Beta version of their valuable VoIP client asset.

Skype for Windows Phone, designed with the attractive Metro UI very much in mind, features a number of neat innovations we've yet to see on versions of the app for Android and iOS.

The app allows users to make voice and video calls over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G, while all instant messages received during a call appear as on screen pop-up notification allowing you to answer while the call is ongoing.

There's also a neat jump list allows you to easily find the contacts you're looking for and improved profile pages for your contacts.

Best on Lumia 800

Microsoft has certified a number of devices which it says will offer an optimum user experience.

It has pinpointed the Nokia Lumia 800 and 610, while the HTC Titan, HTC Radar, Samsung Focus S and Samsung Focus Flash.

Microsoft says the "gold" version of the app will be launched in April and says: "This is only the beginning for Skype for Windows Phone. It's just going to get better and better."

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhFMjO1we_0

Friday, February 24, 2012

Apple : Apple shutters iCloud push services in Germany

Apple shutters iCloud push services in Germany

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Apple has halted its iCloud push service in Germany as a result of losing a patent dispute with Motorola.

Although customers will still be able to access their email through iCloud and MobileMe on their iOS devices, they'll have to physically log in to their mailboxes to do so.

"Affected customers will continue to receive their iCloud and MobileMe email," explains Apple's German support page.

Du weis nicht

"New messages may only be loaded on their devices when the mail program is opened or if the device periodically retrieves new emails, depending on the configuration of the iOS settings.

"The push email service for desktop computers, laptop computers and the internet, and other service providers such as Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, are not affected."

There's no indication of how long the push services will be down though, as Apple still maintains that Motorola's claim over the relevant patent is invalid and plans to appeal the court's decision.

While all eyes will be on MWC 2012 next week, Apple will be staying characteristically quiet (unless it steals all the thunder by announcing the date of its iPad 3 event, presumed to be imminent).

Motorola is also expected to be fairly quiet in Barcelona; perhaps because it's focusing all its efforts on suing Apple and selling itself to Google instead. Or because it already launched its Droid Razr Maxx and the new Xoom this year. Either way.

Apple buys Chomp to 'revamp' App Store search

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Apple has splashed-out on application discovery website Chomp and plans to use the technology to revamp the App Store, according to TechCrunch.

Recent speculation has hinted that an overhaul is due for Apple's application download portal so Apple's reported acquisition arrives at an opportune time.

Three year-old start-up Chomp.com arguably gives smartphone and tablet owners a more efficient way to discover new apps by simply asking 'what kind of app are you looking for?'

It brings easy access to categories like trending apps, free apps of the day, all time greats, and on-sale applications for iPhone, Android and iPad.

Moving to Cupertino

The TechCrunch report says the entire Chomp team will transition over to Apple, when the purchase is completed.

"This is not a cheap acqui-hire," says the article. "Apple has bought the Chomp team and technology and plans to use both to completely revamp App Store search and recommendations."

There has been no official confirmation from Apple or Chomp.

Software : In Depth: The 10 most loved programs ever

In Depth: The 10 most loved programs ever

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10 most loved programs ever

Recently we discovered the most hated programs of all time, but when we hit the publish button we felt a little bit sad.

We're lovers, not haters, and software has brought us lots of great moments over the years.

There's only one thing for it: let's restore our happiness by talking about the good stuff, the programs that are - or were - loved by millions.

Have we missed any of your favourites? Let us know in the comments.

1. Napster

To the best of our knowledge, nobody's ever been sent to prison for using Excel - but plenty of people were willing to risk the long arm of the law to use Napster. The software wasn't exactly a design classic, but that didn't matter, because Napster offered its users something priceless: free music. Admittedly that was free, illegally copied music, but hey! Free music! Today only the logo lives on: it's been absorbed by Rhapsody.

Napster

[Image Credit: Johnrpenner, Wikipedia]

2. HyperCard

Male music fans of a certain age go all moony-eyed when you mention Betty Boo, and similarly ancient Apple fans do the same when you mention Hypercard. Bill Atkinson's application offered a kind of hypertext years before the World Wide Web was invented, and it made application development effortless. As Douglas Adams wrote: "it's a sensationally good idea, and I would dearly love to see something like it become the whole working environment for the Mac." Sadly HyperCard was shuffled around inside and outside Apple, and the much-delayed, unreleased HyperCard 3.0 was canned when Steve Jobs lost interest in it.

HyperCard

[Image credit: Creativeapplications.net, CC Attribution licence]

3. MS Paint

For some, MS Paint was the first time they'd ever drawn using a computer - and for many more, it was the tool that enabled them to draw as if it was the first time they'd ever drawn using a computer. The program's fundamental rubbishness made it a top tool for comedy - it's still the tool of choice for messageboard LOLs - but it also inspires awe whenever somebody draws something good.

Paint

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8-gAnDw-7k

4. Netscape Navigator

With the benefit of hindsight, stomping around the place bellowing "Raargh raargh raargh we're going to kill Windows" probably wasn't the best idea, but you can see why Netscape looked like Microsoft's destroyer: in the late 1990s Netscape owned the internet to the point where it would introduce its own technologies and web designers would implement them. Fearing the future of Windows, Microsoft did to Netscape what a bazooka would do to a puppy. Netscape's DNA lives on in Firefox. Speaking of which...

Netscape

5. Firefox

We'd love to know how many early Firefox users switched because of technological reasons, and how many for ideological ones. We suspect for many people it was a bit of both. Mozilla's Netscape-derived browser suite was rather lardy compared to the all-conquering Internet Explorer, so three developers started a project to make something that wasn't just an alternative, but a really good alternative. The soon to be renamed Phoenix became enormously successful and was loved by users and web designers alike.

Firefox

6. Photoshop

Plugins, layers, cliches (lens flare, page curls) and the ability to make us question whether what we're told is real is really real or just really realistic - not bad work for a single program. Photoshop's effect on the wider world has been extraordinary, and while it's (ab)used by goons and the advertising industry to distort reality it remains an astonishingly powerful creative tool.

Photoshop

7. WordPerfect 5.1

In the days before Windows, there were two kinds of word processing software: WordPerfect 5.1, or the rubbish your boss made you use because he hated you and wanted to make you suffer. On Windows, however, it died on its arse: the first Windows version wasn't very good, and by the time WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows shipped Microsoft's Word for Windows was in the ascendant.

Word perfect

[Image credit: Ozzmosis, Wikipedia]

8. Lotus 1-2-3

If it weren't for Lotus 1-2-3, we might not have any of the tech toys we know and love today: the Visicalc-inspired spreadsheet package was the IBM PC's first killer app, and you can still see its influence in more modern applications such as Excel or Numbers. Like WordPerfect it didn't see Windows coming and was stomped by a Microsoft rival, in this case Excel.

Lotus

[Image credit: Ozzmosis, Wikipedia]

9. Scrivener

Writers tend to fetishise things - Moleskine notebooks, say, or IBM typewriters - but when you hear them banging on about Scrivener they're not doing so because they think it makes them sound cool and interesting. If you have to write things - any kind of things - that involve lots of research or just lots of ideas, Scrivener will delight you. It's one of those programs where you keep discovering new, cool things it can do, and if you told us it had an attachment for getting stones out of horses' hooves we'd believe you. Check out our Scrivener review.

Scrivener

10. Solitaire

Has any program wasted more corporate man (and woman) hours than Microsoft's card game? Its presence on an office PC was a source of great joy to bored white-collar workers, as it's quiet enough and clicky enough to make it look like you're still working without giving the game away. If we'd used all the time we've spent on Solitaire to study science, we'd have cured cancer by now.

Solitaire

[Image Credit: Techmdrn, Wikipedia]

Apple buys Chomp to 'revamp' App Store search

Posted:

Apple has splashed-out on application discovery website Chomp and plans to use the technology to revamp the App Store, according to TechCrunch.

Recent speculation has hinted that an overhaul is due for Apple's application download portal so Apple's reported acquisition arrives at an opportune time.

Three year-old start-up Chomp.com arguably gives smartphone and tablet owners a more efficient way to discover new apps by simply asking 'what kind of app are you looking for?'

It brings easy access to categories like trending apps, free apps of the day, all time greats, and on-sale applications for iPhone, Android and iPad.

Moving to Cupertino

The TechCrunch report says the entire Chomp team will transition over to Apple, when the purchase is completed.

"This is not a cheap acqui-hire," says the article. "Apple has bought the Chomp team and technology and plans to use both to completely revamp App Store search and recommendations."

There has been no official confirmation from Apple or Chomp.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Apple : Updated: iPad 3 rumours: what you need to know

Updated: iPad 3 rumours: what you need to know

Posted:

iPad 3 release date, processor and more

The Apple iPad 2 has been out for almost a year now, so it's nearly time to say hello to iPad 3.

The web is teeming with rumours about the new iPad 3 processor, cameras and display, so we've gathered together as many details as we can on its possible specifications.

Of course, some of these can be taken with a pinch of salt, but there's definite patterns occuring and we'd say the final iPad 3 release won't be that far removed from many of these rumours

So what's the word on the street about the next iPad?

brightcove : 1443300330001

Apple iPad 3 release date

The iPad 3 release date looks set for March or April 2012, with an iPad 3 announcement in March to coincide with the release of iOS 5.1.

Website YourDailyMac has unearthed iOS 5.1 carrier profiles which carry the possible iPad 3 release date of 9 March 2012 in their names.

However, we'd expect the iPad 3 announcement to be in February, with the iPad 3 US release date in early March and the iPad 3 UK release date in late March.

Apple news site iMore says the announcement will be 7 March, citing sources "which have proved reliable in the past" have confirmed the date ahead of any official announcement from Cupertino.

Digitimes reported in late November 2011 that panel makers had already started shipping panels for the new iPad 3 - a million in October and two million in November.

Foxconn, Apple's major manufacturing partner, is said to have started production of the iPad 3 in January. 2012. A source at one of Apple's partners also told Bloomberg also stated that the company began production of the iPad 3 in January, with a view to reaching full volumes in February.

Digitimes says the new model is expected to meet the heady heights of 9.5 to 9.8 million units over the course of Q1 2012.

The Apple iPad 3 will have a quad-core processor

It's probable that the iPad 3 will have a brand spanking new processor, Apple's A6 - which will surely be a quad-core ARM-based processor. Quad-core designs are coming from various ARM partners and the Tegra 3 has already been launched by Nvidia, as well as the Snapdragon S4 from Qualcomm.

According to the Korea Times in November 2011, the A6 processors are to be manufactured by Samsung, despite the companies' ongoing patent battles.

Apple iPad 3 display

A retina display was widely predicted for the iPad 2, but of course the current iPad doesn't have a double-resolution display: for now, that's something you'll only get in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Could an iPad 3 Retina Display be on the way? It's the very first thing on our iPad 3 wish list.

The exciting news is that it looks as though it is happening, with Apple reportedly testing suppliers' current shipments of 2048 x 1536 resolution 9.7-inch displays. Now that iBooks 2 has been launched (as of 19 January 2012), we've also seen further references to 2x iPad screen images - these will, most likely, be for iPad 3.

However, it's not always been plain sailing for the display - rumours continued over the summer and autumn of 2011 that the retina display in the iPad 3 was continuing to be a challenge.

Back in May 2011, we reported that the iPad 3 could launch with a Samsung-made AMOLED screen, following rumours that Apple was in talks on the matter with Samsung execs. There have also been more LG and Samsung rumours, too.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal in late November 2011, Sharp will manufacture panels for the device. Apparently Apple is investing in infrastructure at Sharp's LCD plant. Further rumours said that Apple is looking to implement some nifty dual LED lightbar technology into the iPad 3, apparently in a bid to counter-balance the brightness issue that the Apple tablet may have, due to its super-high pixel density.

A part leak in early December again pointed to a Sharp-manufactured 2048x1536 retina display and dual lightbar.

iPad 2

iPAD 2: We wanted a retina screen, but didn't get it - what about for iPad 3?

Will the iPad 3 actually be called iPad 2S?

An iPad case maker in China, Chinee, has started to sell a cover for a device it's calling 'iPad 2S'.

Case manufactures have a good history of being on the money when it comes to pre-empting Apple's hardware plans, with last year's iPhone 5-gate being an exception to the rule.

There is no confusion of where the iPad 2S name derives from – following the way of the iPhone as we saw Apple announce the iPhone 4S last year.

According to several rumours the iPad 2S will sport the same look as the 2, with a boost in internal gubbins but slightly more portly in depth.

There may be an iPad 3 LTE version

Persistent rumours suggest LTE support will be provided for the US. Great for the US, though it will leave the UK behind as there's no 4G connectivity as yet. Cnet.com believes that the new iPad may feature a Qualcomm 4G LTE Gobi 4000 chip.

On 14 February 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported that: "Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter."

The iPad 3 will usher in iOS 5.1

Alongside the much anticipated iPad 3, Macotakara sources seem convinced we'll see iOS 5.1 come out of beta in March too.

The iPad 3 will have a bigger battery

A casing supposedly for the iPad 3 was posted online in February, with its size suggesting we're in for an increase in battery and graphics power in the new Apple tablet. Some say the new casing appears to accommodate a larger battery.

Will the iPad 3 have a smaller dock connector?

Parts previewed on some websites indicate that, although the iPad 3 will still have a 30 pin dock connector, the packaging is streamlined. Well, if this is true, we knew it would happen sooner or later.

The iPad 3 hardware could include an NFC chip

Apple's very interested in Near Field Communications, and one particularly tasty rumour at Cult of Mac suggests that the iPhone 5 will use NFC to take over nearby Macs, enabling you to use your data and settings with a flick of the wrist.

The iPad 3 specifications will include more storage

The iPad 2 has the familiar 16/32/64GB storage options. A 128GB option for the iPad 3 isn't impossible - although that might depend on the situation in Asia, where natural disasters caused chaos in parts of the electronics industry last year.

The iPad 3 features could include a Thunderbolt port

Two generations of USB-free iPads suggest that Apple just isn't interested in adding one, but the new Thunderbolt port found in the 2011 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air could be another story: it's a combined accessory/display connector with astonishingly fast performance.

There could be more than one iPad 3

TUAW says the iOS 5 code features new code files for USB devices in the iOS 5 firmware, Through this, TUAW found references to an iPad 3,1 and an iPad 3,2. Is this latter variant the LTE version?

The iPad 3 could be thicker

The iPad 3 might be bulking out, reportedly so it can house a higher-resolution display than the iPad 2, and the extra girth is all down to pixel density.

iPad 2

THICKER?: Could iPad 3 be thicker than iPad 2?

The iPad 3 specs might include an SD card slot

This was widely predicted for the iPad 2 and, like the Retina Display, didn't materialise. One for version 3, perhaps? Using a separate adapter to read camera cards is rather inelegant and clunky.

The iPad 3 specification should include a better camera

The rear-facing camera on the iPad 2 isn't brilliant: an iPhone 4S-style camera and flash would do nicely.

Several reports are suggesting the new device will have an 8MP camera.

The iPad 3 might use gesture controls

Could the iPad 3 have Kinect-style gesture controls? We're not so sure, but rumours suggested so in late October 2011.

The iPad 3 could feature a carbon fibre case

Apple has hired a carbon fibre expert, senior composites engineer Kevin Kenney, fuelling speculation that the next iPad could be encased in the lightweight material.

OnLive brings Internet Explorer to iPad

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OnLive has added a subscription tier to its OnLive Deskop application for the Apple iPad, which now adds Internet Explorer 9 and access to the company's super-fast cloud internet service.

The OnLive Desktop app first launched in January offering remote access to a full version of Windows 7 (including the in-demand Microsoft Office) through the company's servers.

The new $5-a-month OnLive Desktop Plus service now brings Internet Explorer 9 functionality, which allows users to access the flash videos and websites that will not play on Apple's Safari browser.

However, there's more to this than just another Flash-enabled web browser.

Gigabit internet on your iPad

A subscription will give users priority access to OnLive's cloud-enhanced web speeds of up to a gigabit. Early tests have revealed download speeds of 650Mbps and upload speeds of 200Mbps.

It works by channeling your connection through OnLive's mightily impressive servers based in the cloud.

That means, regardless of how fast or slow, your home Wi-Fi connection is, OnLive Desktop Plus' cloud-accelerated connection will dramatically enhance page-loading and streaming speeds.

It'll also offer lightning-fast download speeds when opening webmail attachments from Gmail and Yahoo Mail, and transferring files from Dropbox.

Nothing short of breathtaking

"Experiencing a full Flash-enabled Web experience at gigabit speeds on iPad is nothing short of breathtaking, and OnLive Desktop Plus is your ticket to ride," said Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO.

"Combine that with OnLive Desktop's full-featured Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader PC applications and not only do you have the world's fastest mobile browser, but the world's most powerful productivity tools literally at your fingertips."

The company says a launch for UK users is coming soon, as well as versions for Windows, Mac and Android in the not-too-distant future.

Software : OnLive brings Internet Explorer to iPad

OnLive brings Internet Explorer to iPad

Posted:

OnLive has added a subscription tier to its OnLive Deskop application for the Apple iPad, which now adds Internet Explorer 9 and access to the company's super-fast cloud internet service.

The OnLive Desktop app first launched in January offering remote access to a full version of Windows 7 (including the in-demand Microsoft Office) through the company's servers.

The new $5-a-month OnLive Desktop Plus service now brings Internet Explorer 9 functionality, which allows users to access the flash videos and websites that will not play on Apple's Safari browser.

However, there's more to this than just another Flash-enabled web browser.

Gigabit internet on your iPad

A subscription will give users priority access to OnLive's cloud-enhanced web speeds of up to a gigabit. Early tests have revealed download speeds of 650Mbps and upload speeds of 200Mbps.

It works by channeling your connection through OnLive's mightily impressive servers based in the cloud.

That means, regardless of how fast or slow, your home Wi-Fi connection is, OnLive Desktop Plus' cloud-accelerated connection will dramatically enhance page-loading and streaming speeds.

It'll also offer lightning-fast download speeds when opening webmail attachments from Gmail and Yahoo Mail, and transferring files from Dropbox.

Nothing short of breathtaking

The company says a launch for UK users is coming soon, as well as versions for Windows, Mac and Android in the not-too-distant future.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Apple : New Apple TV expected as stocks run out

New Apple TV expected as stocks run out
Explained: Wi-Fi Direct: what it is and why you should care
TechRadar Deals: Today's deal: Official Apple earphones for £12

New Apple TV expected as stocks run out

Posted:

Apple may be preparing to revamp its Apple TV set-top box following reports that another retailer is out of stock and is now refusing orders from customers.

Supplies of the £99 hockey puck have run dry at PC World and the retail park favourite seems unsure if they be replenished, according to The Verge.

Staff are also being told to say no to customers who wish to place an order for the device, say sources, which is an unusual move for the Dixons Retail-owned company.

PC World is the latest manufacturer, on both sides of the Atlantic to reveal shortages of the current generation Apple TV.

1080p video and iTV clues?

A refresh, which could even be revealed during the likely iPad 3 event next month, would surely see Apple embrace 1080p video streaming as the existing device can only muster 720p.

We may also get a redesigned user interface and more new features that could offer clues about Apple's rumoured plans to launch a standalone HD TV set in 2012 or 2013.

We'd also hope to see some new apps and services added to the mix as the set-top box has been a relatively empty vessel since it's launch in autumn 2010.

Explained: Wi-Fi Direct: what it is and why you should care

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Wi-Fi Direct: everything you need to know

The world is falling out of love with cables, but the Wi-Fi we know and love isn't always the best way to connect devices.

Wouldn't it be great if you could effortlessly connect Wi-Fi devices without messing around with access points and lengthy passphrases? That's what Wi-Fi Direct promises.

Wi-Fi Direct is a proper standard

It comes via the Wi-Fi Alliance, the global industry association in charge of certifying Wi-Fi kit.

Wi-Fi Direct is Wi-Fi without the internet bit

The idea behind Wi-Fi direct is that simple tasks need simple connections. For example, you might want to print from your laptop or smartphone to a wireless printer, or to share images with someone else in the same room, or to transmit video from your phone to your TV. None of these things requires an internet connection, but they do need to connect - to the printer, or to the other person's hardware, or to the TV. With Wi-Fi Direct, that bit's easy.

Wi-Fi Direct can have the internet bit too

If you have a Wi-Fi router connected to the internet, you can connect to that too.

Wi-Fi Direct doesn't need a wireless access point

Wi-Fi Direct devices can connect to each other without having to go through an access point: they can establish ad-hoc networks as and when required, letting you see which devices are available and choose which one you want to connect to. If that sounds very like Bluetooth, that's because it is.

Wi-Fi Direct uses Wi-Fi Protected Setup

You don't want any Tom, Dick or Harriet to be able to connect to your stuff - for example, you might not want to see what the neighbours are beaming to their TV on your TV - so Wi-Fi Direct uses Wi-Fi Protected Setup [PDF] and WPA2 to prevent unauthorised connections and keep your communications private. There are two ways to establish a connection: with physical buttons - "press the button on gadget X and then the same one on gadget Y", or with PIN codes.

Wi-Fi Direct knows what's nearby

Wi-Fi Direct includes two potentially useful things: Wi-Fi Direct Device Discovery and Service Discovery. Your device doesn't just know there are devices available; if developers have enabled it, your device will know what kind of devices are nearby and what's on offer - so for example if you're trying to display an image, you'll only see devices that you can beam images to; if you want to print, you'll only see devices that are or that are connected to printers. Crucially this can happen before you connect, so you don't waste any time trying to connect so something that doesn't do what you want it to do.

Wi-Fi Direct uses the same silicon

Manufacturers don't need to add extra radios to their kit: the idea is to have Wi-Fi Direct as part of the standard Wi-Fi radio. It's backwards compatible too, so you don't need to throw out your old Wi-Fi-enabled kit.

Wi-Fi Direct is part of DLNA, and Android too

In November, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) announced that it was including Wi-Fi Direct in its interoperability guidelines, and Google has added Wi-Fi Direct support to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (for example it's in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus's networking options). DLNA says it "expects DLNA Certified and Wi-Fi Certified Wi-Fi Direct smartphones to grow strongly through 2016." That could be an awful lot of smartphones.

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je2lWjfpywQ

TechRadar Deals: Today's deal: Official Apple earphones for £12

Posted:

The Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic take the acclaimed Apple iPod Earphones and add a control capsule, located on the cable of the right earpiece, that includes a microphone and three buttons.

Here's what you can do with this convenient remote:

Adjust the volume by pressing the + and - buttons
Control music and video playback - including play/pause and next/previous - by pressing the centre button
Record voice memos on supported devices
Answer and end calls

And today you can get these earphones for for £12, saving 53% off the normal price pf £25.99.

Head over to TechRadar Deals to take advantage of this offer, but hurry - there are only 200 pairs available.

About TechRadar deals

TechRadar Deals, powered by TechRadar.com, is a service for TechRadar readers.

This new and exciting service, open to our UK users, is designed to bring you massive discounts on all sorts of products, services and events that are highly relevant to tech and gadget fans.

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You can also sign up for our email newsletter and we will then email you regular deals that are at least 50% off goods and services from big name brands.

Visit TechRadarDeals.com to check out today's deal.

Software : Office on iPad photo isn't real, says Microsoft

Office on iPad photo isn't real, says Microsoft

Posted:

A photograph from The Daily newspaper showing a version of Microsoft Office running on the Apple iPad is a fake, Redmond says.

In Tuesday's edition, the iPad-only paper claimed it had gone hands-on with a working prototype, featuring Word, Excel and Powerpoint in one complete application.

The report asserted that Microsoft had completed design work on the suite, which would soon be submitted to the App Store for approval.

However, the software giant has issued a statement saying the report is inaccurate speculation, while the photograph illustrating The Daily's report is a fake.

Daily denial

A spokesperson said: "The Daily story is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation," while a separate rep told Zdnet the photo is not a picture of a real Microsoft software product.

Microsoft, which is definitely developing the suite for Windows 8 tablets also refused to be drawn on whether it's even working on a version for the iPad.

In a further twist, on Tuesday evening, The Daily's editor told Zdnet's Mary-Jo Foley on Twitter: "We didn't fabricate either image. A working version of the app was demonstrated to us by someone at Microsoft."

The plot thickens, but one thing is for sure: Someone's telling porkies.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Apple : Office on iPad photo isn't real, says Microsoft

Office on iPad photo isn't real, says Microsoft
Apple to give iTunes, App Store makeovers this year?
Apple threatens defamation suit over China iPad spat

Office on iPad photo isn't real, says Microsoft

Posted:

A photograph from The Daily newspaper showing a version of Microsoft Office running on the Apple iPad is a fake, Redmond says.

In Tuesday's edition, the iPad-only paper claimed it had gone hands-on with a working prototype, featuring Word, Excel and Powerpoint in one complete application.

The report asserted that Microsoft had completed design work on the suite, which would soon be submitted to the App Store for approval.

However, the software giant has issued a statement saying the report is inaccurate speculation, while the photograph illustrating The Daily's report is a fake.

Daily denial

A spokesperson said: "The Daily story is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation," while a separate rep told Zdnet the photo is not a picture of a real Microsoft software product.

Microsoft, which is definitely developing the suite for Windows 8 tablets also refused to be drawn on whether it's even working on a version for the iPad.

The plot thickens, but one thing is for sure: Someone's telling porkies.

Apple to give iTunes, App Store makeovers this year?

Posted:

The iTunes store has not particularly seduced us with its design aesthetic to date, so we're not sure anyone will go into mourning over the news that its set for a makeover this year.

Both the iTunes Store and Apple's App Store look to be in line for a lick of paint as a reaction to new and much-loved services like Spotify but presumably also because it looks a bit old and boring.

Apple is said to consider the redesign "a top priority" which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows how much moolah the company makes through the digital storefront.

Spring clean

Apparently it's all about making the stores easier to use (aka buy from) through a more user-friendly interface and making it "a much more engaging experience".

We're just hoping that the App Store overhaul will make it a bit easier to wade through the oceans of apps available and find the good ones.

No word on when we'll see the fruits of this redesign work exactly, but the sources speaking to 9to5Mac about it in the first place reckon later this year.

Apple threatens defamation suit over China iPad spat

Posted:

Apple has written to the company which claims it owns the trademark to the iPad name in China, threatening to sue for defamation if it continues its campaign to have the tablet banned in the country.

The bankrupt Proview Shenzhen electronics company says it, not Apple has the rights to the iPad name in China and is demanding a huge pay-out from the manufacturer.

Cupertino insists it purchased the rights from Proview back in 2009.

Proview earned a minor court victory on Friday ensuring that the tablet be pulled from select stores in China's Guangdong province but plans to take its claims to 40 other cities across the country.

In response, Apple has gone on the offensive, telling the company to stop the lies or face the consequences.

False and misleading statements

In a letter emailed to Proview's chairman, Apple's legal representatives in Beijing write: "As you are well aware, Apple's holding company IP Applications Development ... legally purchased all the rights to the ten iPad trademarks owned by Proview ... specifically and expressly including the two trademark rights registered in mainland China by Proview Shenzhen."

"Proview Shenzhen and its agents continue to make statements about Apple to the public which are false and misleading" -- to wit, that Apple cut a deal with the wrong company. Proview has asked several regional Chinese courts to ban iPad sales until Apple pays the $1.6 billion it demands.

"On behalf of Apple, we formally reserve all rights to take further legal action against any individuals and entities for any damages that may result from defamatory statements and unlawful actions intended to wrongly interfere with Apple's business and business relationships."

In other words 'cut the nonsense or we'll sue.'