iPad 3

Watch a Guy Build an “iPad 3″ in Two Weeks

 

To anyone wondering why on earth you’d want to build an “iPad 3″ from scratch, you better ask this insane geek since he spent two weeks time to build an awesome looking white tablet and he call it as the “iPad 3″. From picking the parts, to mounting the motherboard and then installing the OS (Windows XP!), you got to watch his solid step-by-step guide to build the tablet. I love the small, medium and large sizes of Apple stickers he got!

 

Gadget show

Gadget show brings iPad competition

By: AP Photo/Toshiba ** NO SALES **

An image provided by Toshiba shows the Toshiba Tablet. The Japanese computer and flat-screen TV maker is set to unveil the tablet at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

THE CONTEST: Apple's popular iPad is getting its strongest competition thus far as gadget manufacturers unveil tablet computers at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

THE PLAYERS: Major companies including Motorola, Dell and Toshiba are expected to trot out new models. Companies that aren't known for mobile devices, including high-definition TV makers Vizio and AOC, have already announced new tablets.

THE FEATURES: Apple competitors are trying to set their devices apart from the iPad by setting low prices, using an upcoming version of Google's Android software and adding front-facing cameras for video-chatting, back-facing cameras for taking photos and high-definition screens for watching movies.

New iPad 2 Rumors Point Towards Thinner Bezel and Larger Speaker

Some new iPad 2 rumors are floating around today. This time the rumors hint at a thinner bezel all around as well as a flat back and a larger speaker.

The thinner bezel has been described as being 3mm thinner with the device also said to still have a 9.7 inch display just like the current model. This makes the iPad a little smaller in dimensions and brings it to 239x186mm down from 242.8 x 189.7.

The larger speaker appears to cover the bottom edge of the device and also cuts slightly in the the back panel of the device. This would fall in line with the larger speaker cut out we saw on those "leaked" iPad 2 cases a month or so ago. One thing to note here is that the above picture is a render and not the real thing.

Finally, the iPad 2 is rumored to have a flat back, just like the iPhone 4 has. This would allow it to comfortably sit on a desk rather than wobbling around like the current model.

The source of the rumors is new in terms of leaking rumors, so for now, we need to take this with a pinch of salt.

Things that we expect to see in the iPad 2 is a higher resolution screen. We are not sure at this point if it will have the Retina display with that pixel density, but making pixels smaller is where Apple is currently heading at the moment. Cameras are also expected, especially to enable FaceTime integration as the iPad would make a fantastic device for making video calls to and from. Other than that we expect a small bump in available RAM, and possibly a faster CPU as well as Gyro etc...

Next year will certainly be interesting in terms of tablets. We expect Android tablets to be pushed out right at the beginning of the year to compete with Apple.

AT&T

AT&T

Apple iPhone 4

This time it’s personal. No, we’re not referring to the increasingly testy rivalry between Apple and Google’s multiplying Android army. We’re talking about how much more personal a communicator the iPhone 4 is relative to its predecessor. For the first time ever you can have face-to-face video chats (though for now only with other iPhone 4 owners), and Apple has so vastly improved the camera on its handheld that you'll think twice about using that pocket-size digicam or camcorder to record precious memories. Even the relationship between you and your content—whether it’s the stuff you record, apps, websites, or iTunes videos—feels more personal, thanks to the ultra-sharp Retina display on this device.

When you consider that the iPhone 4 is also the thinnest smart phone on the market and it offers a considerably beefier battery than the iPhone 3GS, it’s hard to find fault with this sequel. Or is it? Monster-size competitors like the Evo 4G and Droid X are breathing down Apple’s neck, and one can’t ignore AT&T’s overtaxed network. Despite some flaws, the iPhone 4 does enough to stay slightly ahead of the superphone pack.

Design

Not only is the iPhone 4 a vast departure from the 3GS’ bulbous plastic backside, it’s also the antithesis of the big Android slabs that have suddenly become all the rage. In fact, the two-tone black-and-silver design looks like a very slim and elegant pocket camera. And we mean slim. At 0.37 inches, no other smart phone on the market has a sleeker profile. The iPhone 4 is also thinner and narrower than the 3GS, though both devices weigh the same 4.8 ounces.

While devices like the HTC Evo 4G and Motorola Droid X have sturdy and functional industrial designs, we wouldn’t call them sexy. The iPhone 4, by contrast, screams luxury; between the chemically hardened glass and little touches like how the light reflects off the ridges of the stainless steel band, this device looks and feels more expensive than its price tag intimates.

This silver band, which Apple claims is forged to be five time stronger than standard steel, wraps around the whole phone. On top you’ll find the power button, 3.5mm headphone jack, and one of two microphones (used for FaceTime calls and suppressing noise). The second mic (for voice calls, memos, and voice commands) is on the bottom along with the speaker and dock connector. A ringer switch and two circular volume controls line the left side, and the hole to access the micro-SIM Card is on the right. The black chassis (white coming soon) has a glossy but classy look and houses the 5-megapixel camera and LED flash.

Too bad Apple didn’t see fit to include a dedicated camera button for launching the app and taking photos. You can’t even program a shortcut for double tapping the Home button, as that’s now reserved for multitasking/switching apps. You also won’t find an HDMI port, which would make it much easier to share the HD footage you record with the iPhone 4’s camera on a big-screen TV. (Here’s hoping Apple or someone else launches an HDMI dock.)

Retina Display

While other smart phone makers are touting larger displays that display more information at once or Super AMOLED technology that’s tailor-made for outdoor readability, Apple went a different direction with the iPhone 4. Its Retina display (so named because the company claims that consumers can’t distinguish individual pixels) emphasizes clarity and pixels per inch. In fact, this handset’s 960 x 640-pixel, 326 dpi screen doubles that of the iPhone 3GS. While the Droid X’s display is nearly an inch larger (4.3 inches), it has a lower resolution of 854 x 480 pixels.

The end result is that text reads as if you were out of a magazine, an effect enhanced by the fact that everything from photos to webpages appear as if they’re painted on top of the display. IPS technology (found on the iPad) delivers superb viewing angles, putting the 3GS and most other smart phones to shame.

Now, the effect isn’t exactly mind-blowing, but we could definitely notice the difference when we had the same New York Times page and weather widget displayed on the iPhone 4 and its predecessor. Text was much sharper, and we could make out more detail in the two same Flickr photos of the Eiffel Tower.

App developers have already started to write or re-write applications for the iPhone 4’s Retina display, including Twitter and EA Sports’ NCAA Football (even the logos seem to jump off the screen). Having said all that, there are some benefits to a larger-screen device. For example, we were able to make out more text on The New York Times homepage on the 4.3-inch Evo 4G without needing to zoom in, and watching movies and TV shows is a more immersive experience (despite the narrower viewing angles).

iPad 3G Great Offer

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I have to admit that, despite being a massive tech fan, I have never really warmed to any Apple product: yes they are easy to use, yes they are incredibly functional and yes they are effectively small works of art, but it is really the incredibly high price tag that has always put me off the brand that has over the last decade been market-changing.

Perhaps one of the more luxurious of the more recent Apple products has been the iPad tablet and this week Three Mobile have released their pricing scheme for the device that offers a whole range of iPad contracts and PAYG offers starting from as little as £199. That’s right; you can have an iPad in your stocking for a little under £200.

Apple iPad Monthly Contract Tariffs

It won’t surprise you to know that the headline low price for the iPad is only available as a contract, but that isn’t the only one that Three offer as there are three different options for the three different models of the iPad that Three will be selling.

All of the three contracts offered by Three (a little ironic!) are on a 24 month contract so you will be tied down for some time, and all of these are for £25 a month and offer 15GB worth of data – for those intrigued as to the long time cost that adds up to £600 over the two years (and you’ll get 360GB for that price, that’s £1.67/GB).

So the three contracts are: the iPad WiFi + 3G 16GB which comes with an upfront cost of £199, the iPad WiFi + 3G 32GB which has an upfront cost of £249 and the iPad WiFi + 3G 64GB that has an upfront cost of £349.

Pay As You Go iPad Options

Three are also offering the iPad on PAYG and again have three different options and prices for the three different models, but firstly I’ll look at the tariffs which are the same across the board of which there are two options.

You can either go for a one month rolling contract which will set you back £7.50 for 1GB/month or £15 for 10GB/month or opt for the completely PAYG choice that will cost you £10 for 1GB over 30 days or £20 for 3GB over 30 days – obviously the more you use the iPad the better value you will get out of it, and for frequent users the £15/month contract definitely looks the best bet.

The devices however are a lot more expensive with the iPad WiFi + 3G 16GB costing £529, the iPad WiFi + 3G 32GB costing £599 and the iPad WiFi + 3G 64GB ripping a small hole in your bank account with a price tag of £699.

Summary

“We are delighted to launch new pricing options for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G, in addition to our competitive SIM-only plans for iPad in the UK,” said Marc Allera, sales and marketing director at Three.

“Our network is the largest 3G network in the country and came first in the two most recent YouGov surveys of Mobile Broadband customers – ensuring our customers enjoy the very best mobile performance on iPad.”

And so they should be as we already know that the iPad is arguably the most wanted gadget this Christmas and as Three’s price scheme seems to have the edge over the existing Orange one then they can expect quite a few orders coming in pretty soon.

Whether or not the time advantage will mean that Orange still have the upper hand we’ll have to wait and see, but it will definitely be interesting and this Three Mobile iPad Price Tariffs announcement will certainly make the competition a little more fierce!