Apple dropping the need to enter password for free apps

With the upcoming release of iOS 6 it appears as if Apple will make it much easier for users to install free applications. Users running the third beta of iOS 6 have discovered that they no longer have to enter their password to download free applications from the App Store.

This will be sure to please iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users who currently have to enter intricate passwords on a 3.5 inch display every 15 minutes. This improves the App Store further, following the removal of the need to enter your password to update applications or re-install previously purchase applications; which was first witnessed in the first iOS 6 beta. Furthermore, after selecting to download and install an application the user will no longer be returned to the home screen.

Apple ‘mini’ iPad planned to take out Google and Microsoft

Industry insiders are confirming that Apple plan on releasing a smaller 7 inch iPad later this year. This model will be cheaper and won’t have the retina capable screen featuring in the 9.7 inch version already available. We already reported on this before, however two people close to the matter have confirmed the release, asking not to be identified, according to Bloomberg.

Apple have yet to make the plans public although it may be announced as soon as October, only a few months away.

Apple’s plans will mean customers have yet another competitor against Google and Microsoft who are both planning to release their new tablets later this year.

Analysts suggest that Apple will target the price ‘closer to the Google Nexus 7 tablet and Amazon’s Kindle Fire’, both of which are 7 inch models priced at $199.99. This will really throw a spanner in the works for Apple competitors, especially as they command the market today.

DisplaySearch have predicted that the tablet market will be worth $66.4 billion this year, with Apple holding 61 percent of the total share. Much of  the Apple strength is in their class leading online App Store. Many customers simply won’t move from this platform due to the unmatched software support.

Google said on June 27th that they are releasing a tablet style device called the Nexus 7. Microsoft have plans to release their Surface tablet which will have a similar screen size to the current 9.7 inch iPad.

Google’s Nexus 7 will be built by Asustek Computer Inc and will have a faster processor and better battery life than the Amazon Kindle Fire. It will also ship with a front facing camera.

Apple are making a gross profit of 37 percent on the current iPad according to industry experts. If they use a cheaper screen on the smaller version they could make a similar profit level. Amazon on the other hand are losing money on every Kindle Fire they sell, aiming for sales on software and books.

A Smaller iPad Could Compete with Kindle Fire

A Smaller iPad Could Compete with Kindle Fire Tablet

Many people have been asking if the rumor is true.  Will Apple release a smaller, seven, or eight inch iPad?  I’m not sure if even Apple knows the answer to this question, but personally I would like to see it. Some of the newer Android tablets aren’t bad, but the iPad is simply the de facto standard in tablets. Many say that could change now that Steve Jobs has passed, but it remains to be seen if current Apple leadership can maintain their high standards.

Kindle Sales are Up – So Wouldn’t Apple Release a Smaller iPad?

 Amazon has probably close to 5 million Kindle Fires sold.  Why wouldn’t Apple won’t a piece of that action?  It seems like they are leaving money on the table, and Steve Jobs didn’t become an icon for that.

I’m sure we’ll find out in the coming months if the smaller ipad rumors are true or not.  But with Amazon capturing around 15% of tablet sales, I believe Apple will step up to the plate and dominate the smaller tablet market just like they have the 10″ tablets.  After all, Apple has been working with developers on smaller tablet touch screen displays for several months now.  Are they testing a smaller iPad prototype?  I sure hope so!

Protect Yourself When Buying Cheap Laptops

In these tough economic times, we’re all looking to get good deals and score great bargains. But be careful – if you apply this same logic to your future laptop purchases, you could be stuck with a machine that doesn’t meet your needs (or worse, doesn’t function at all!). Here’s what you need to watch out for when buying cheap laptops in today’s market:

Warning #1 – Buy direct from manufacturers

When you first start searching online for cheap laptops, you’re going to encounter a number of different potential buying sources. Not only can you buy directly from the computer’s manufacturer, you can also purchase used or refurbished laptops from classified ad websites (like Craigslist), auction websites (like Ebay) and third-party merchant sites (like Overstock.com). However, each of these sources has some potential limitations…

Craigslist and other classified ad sites are the riskiest options for buying cheap laptops. Anyone, anywhere can list their computers for sale here, so there’s really no way to know for sure if you’re buying a good, working machine or if you’ll wind up stuck with a laptop that has serious virus or hardware issues.

Buying from auction websites and third-party merchants are only a little better. While they may offer limited customer protection measures such as warranties or return windows, it’s worth remembering that these companies aren’t in the computer manufacturing business. Their job is to sell merchandise, and there’s really no way for them to guarantee that the laptop you got on a great clearance deal will still be functioning optimally in a few years’ time. That leaves buying laptops directly from the manufacturers. But if that sounds too expensive, consider the following option…

Warning #2 – Look for outlet deals

Most computer manufacturers offer outlet deals or special sales on refurbished or “scratch and dent” laptops. These are laptops that were either returned as defective and repaired, or that were damaged cosmetically in the production process.

The key here is that, because the laptops have been routed back through the manufacturer, you can rest assured that any issues that would affect the long term performance of your laptop have been repaired by qualified technicians. But to protect your purchase even further, most of these manufacturer outlet models also come with a warranty that far exceeds anything you’ll find from third-party merchants or auction sellers.

Warning #3 – Know what you need

One final tip when looking for cheap laptops is to know what you need. When searching through laptop listings online, it can be easy to convince yourself that you need all the “latest and greatest” bells and whistles being offered. But if you’re only planning to use your laptop to browse the internet and send email messages, you don’t need to spend the extra money to buy a fitted-out laptop designed for gamers or graphic designers.

Instead, look for a small laptop with a minimum of 2 GB of memory and a 250 GB hard drive. Buy the highest processor speed you can afford, but be aware that there are plenty of cheap laptops out there that can meet these specifications at around $600.00.

==== About the Author =====
This article was authored for Novatech, a UK computer manufacturer and retailer that was founded with a simple ethic of supplying high quality products at the lowest possible prices with excellent customer service. The company holds true to that philosophy today and has now grown to be one of the UK’s most trusted technology companies.

The Microsoft Office for iPad Saga: Allegations, Denial, and Somehow, Confirmation

Today was quite insane if you were following the crazy sequence of events pertaining to a certain alleged screenshot of Office for iPad that surfaced earlier this week. The outcome? Well, we’re still lacking substantial confirmation or evidence of anything. But, Microsoft might have at least acknowledged the intent to develop a version of Office for the iPad. Let me provide a rundown of today’s events, starting from the beginning: 

Earlier this morning, The Daily — the blog that sparked the rumors of an impending Office for iPad release — claims to have gotten a brief hands-on with the app. They posted two images of the supposed app (in the tradition of the infamous Mr. Blurrycam) on their blog: One depicting what appears to be a “start screen”, where you can create or open documents, and another showing the “Office” app icon. They claim that the user interface of the app is similar to OneNote, though it has some Metro aspects to it. They also stated that the app supported the creation and editing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files locally and online, but it was unknown if other Office apps will be supported at launch.

Curious, ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley pinged Microsoft PR inquiring about this leak. The response that she received was interesting and unusual. To quote MJ:

A Microsoft spokesperson said the screen shot accompanying The Daily’s story is not a picture of a real Microsoft software product. But the spokesperson also said Microsoft is declining to comment as to whether or not the company has developed a version of Office for the iPad and/or when such a product may come to market.

When you request comment from a Microsoft spokesperson on something that’s a far-fetched leaked, rumor, or piece of speculation like this, it’s highly unlikely that they will provide a comment beyond “we do not comment on rumors and speculation.” That wasn’t the case today, however. They actually essentially claimed that the screenshots are “not of a real Microsoft software product.” What do they mean by this? Are they saying that they are screenshots of a prototype that have no bearing on a future Microsoft product release, or are they suggesting that the photos in their entirety are fake? Whatever the case, Peter Ha, an editor from The Daily, responded to Microsoft’s comment on the matter in a string of tweets:

Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.2 Update Rolling Out In India

At the beginning of this month, Samsung started rolling out the Android 2.2 update for the Galaxy S in the U.K. Samsung is slowly rolling out the update in various regions of the world. Today, the company has released the Android 2.2 update for the Galaxy S in India.

Samsung had earlier released the Android 2.2 update for the handset in October but it was later pulled back due to numerous bugs and performance issues.

However, the new firmware update being rolled out now is considerably much better. Galaxy S owners in India need to use Samsung KIES to update their handset to Android 2.2. The Android 2.2 update for the Galaxy S will bring with it better performance, speech-to-text, voice search, Flash 10.1 and other Froyo goodies.

WSJ: iPad 3 to Support 4G LTE

Just a few hours back it was “confirmed‘” that Apple will announce the iPad 3 on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012. Now a new report from the Wall Street Journal reveals that the iPad 3 will come in 4G LTE versions for Verizon and AT&T.

WSJ said that the devices will use a “slower network technology” when LTE isn’t available (probably 3G or EDGE). In addition, the next iPad is expected to have a high-resolution Retina Display, a quad-core A6 processor, which would be in addition to the LTE capabilities. No signs indicate that the AT&T and Verizon iPads will be one model that can operate on both networks or separate models with individual SKUs, as they are currently.  4G LTE is the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards and provides much faster speeds versus 3G.

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, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up.

Apple Inc. appears to be planning to announce the latest version of its tablet computer in the first week of March, according to another person briefed on the matter.

Whether other carriers will also sell the device couldn’t be learned.

In the past, ex-Apple employees have said that the company  frequently engages in the practice of “controlled leaks”, which is the practice of partially notifying trusted reporters with product information before the launch of a new product.

Samsung Unveils The Galaxy Tab 7.0N Plus; Slightly Re-styled version of the Tab 7.0 Plus

Thanks to the patent trolling from Apple, Samsung has released a re-designed version of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, known as the Tab 7.0N Plus.

Apple had earlier successfully managed to get the whole Galaxy Tab series banned in Germany on grounds that the tablet looked similar to the iPad 2. Samsung has thus released this slightly re-designed version of the 7-inch so as to get around with the ban in Germany.

The re-designed tablet has the same specs as its older version that includes a 7-inch PLS LCD screen with a resolution of 600×1024, an Exynos 4210 SoC sporting a 1.2GHz dual-core A9 processor, an ARM Mali-400MP GPU, 1GB of RAM, a 2MP camera at the back and a 1.3MP camera in the front, microSD card slot and 16/32GB of internal memory. All the usual features like Wi-Fi, GPS, Accelerometer are also present.

Externally, Samsung has increased the bezel size around the screen by a bit and placed the speakers there. Quite a few Galaxy Tab users out there will appreciate this design change.

However, the Tab 7.0N Plus still runs on Android 3.2 Honeycomb with Sammy’s TouchWIZ UI on top of it. The tablet should get the Ice Cream Sandwich update sometime in late Q1 of this year. This new version of the Galaxy Tab is already available in retail stores in Germany.

Intel and Motorola Team Up to Develop Intel Powered Android Devices

Until now, Intel has had exactly zero luck in the smartphone arena which continues to be dominated by ARM. However, 2012 may be the year when Intel’s fortune finally changes for good.

Intel’s Ultrabook movement seems to be a hit, judging by the reaction of the audiences at CES 2012. More than 75 new Ultrabooks are expected to be launched in 2012, with support from all major notebook manufacturers.

Intel also unveiled its Medfield smartphone processors today, and we already have a couple of phones powered by it, which are slated to launch in 2012.

Today, Intel and Motorola officially announced a strategic partnership that includes Motorola building smartphones and tablets powered by Intel’s chips. This should give it some traction in the market, and also attract other smartphone manufacturers to take the same route. Motorola’s Intel powered devices will run on Android, which is quite logical as Google recently acquired Motorola.

“When great silicon and software technology meets great mobile and design innovation, amazing things can happen. Our long-term relationship with Motorola Mobility will help accelerate Intel® architecture into new mobile market segments. We expect the combination of our companies to break new ground and bring the very best of computing capabilities to smartphones and tablets, which in turn will help to create powerful new experiences that connect and enrich people’s lives wherever they may be,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini.

Intel’s processors are traditionally very powerful, but suck at power management, which makes them a really bad option for mobile devices. With its new Medfield architecture, Intel is aiming to remedy exactly that.

While Intel is trying to beat ARM in the mobile market, ARM is trying to break into the PC market. Windows 8 will support both the X86 and ARM architectures. The Microsoft and Intel exclusive alliance is now dead.

BlackBerry PlayBook and Kindle Fire Comparison

Twins with Different Interests?

Since the Kindle Fire was first announced, it has constantly been compared to the Blackberry Playbook. The hardware and design of both devices make it seem like its counterpart is just a different model of the same device. They are very different though. It’s easy to say that they are different because one can do this and the other can do that, but as a user of both tablets, I can tell you that each has a different purpose and feel to it.

BlackBerry PlayBook

In the time that I had my BlackBerry PlayBook, it was very easy to see RIM’s target audience. The device is for the upbeat worker who occasionally finds time to play games. The PlayBook is great for work use but lacks everything else. In the work aspect of the tablet, the PlayBook brings an A-game. It has some of the best multitasking to date, and all you have to do to get back to what you were doing is swipe to the corresponding window. The device also features great business apps for things such as real estate, expense tracking and time management. PlayBook’s security is also very good.

As a consumer device, the PlayBook gets a C at best. The content is very hard to find on the PlayBook. It has things like Kobo for eBooks, but nothing is native as opposed to the Kindle Fire. Content is almost non-existent without having to download apps, and even then, it is still a pain to get the content on the device. The PlayBook leaves business people all over the world cheering but leaves content consumers wanting more.

Amazon Kindle Fire

I purchased my Kindle Fire after I bricked my PlayBook, and I have simply fallen in love with the device. The Kindle Fire is basically the opposite of the PlayBook. Content on the Fire is so easy to get anyone can do it. This makes the device appeal to a much larger audience. The Fire features individual tabs corresponding to things such as music, apps, and books. When you select a tab, it shows what’s in your cloud storage and device storage, and then the option to go to the online store. One click and you’re at the store – another, and the content is on your device. Getting content on the Fire is simple and fluid.

Using the Kindle Fire for such things such as multitasking leaves users frustrated, but on a PlayBook, a user would have no problem. Multitasking is somewhat relevant on the Fire in that you can go back to something, but you have to close completely out of what you’re doing and reopen your other project. The business apps and tools are there on the Fire but don’t bring quite the quality of the ones on the PlayBook. The Fire’s security is not horrible, but is nowhere near as secure as the PlayBook.

Conclusion:

The best way to describe the PlayBook and Kindle Fire is twins that look alike but have completely different interests. The PlayBook is great as a business device but lacks consumer content. The Kindle Fire brings great content but lacks as a powerful business device. In the end both tablets are great, but they will appeal to completely different audiences.

Nokia Lumia 900 Specifications Leak

Nokia is expected to demo the Lumia 900 at CES 2012, which will begin next week. However, information about the hardware specs of Nokia’s next Windows Phone powered flagsip has already leaked out.

The Lumia 900 will sport a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touch-screen and run Windows 7.5 Mango. Appearance wise Lumia 900 will stay true to its predecessor’s stunning slim looks. It should be no more than 12 mm thick and weigh about 160 grams. The device which has been codenamed Eloko will have 512MB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera, and a generous 1830mAh battery. The specs are pretty much in line with what was expected, but in someways a shade below what most Android handsets offer.

The LTE compatible Lumia 900 will launch on the AT&T network as Nokia Ace. Rumored launch date is March 18, but we wouldn’t bet on that. With Lumia 900, Nokia is simply improving upon the good work done with the N9 and the Lumia 800. Will that be enough to challenge the onslaught of new Android handsets that are expected to be annoucned at CES and MWC is something that we will have to wait to find out.

Apple’s January Event Reportedly About Publishing and iBooks

Just a few hours ago, it was reported that Apple is planning a special event in New York for the end of this month. The event is reported to be for a “media-related announcement” and not for the iPad 3 or an Apple television set.

Now, TechCrunch reports that a source had independently confirmed plans for the end-of-January event, which was first reported by AllThingsD. According to this new report, the event will focus on publishing and eBooks (which are sold through Apple’s iBooks platform) rather than iAds. TechCrunch’sAlexia Tsotsis’s also noted that attendance would be ”more publishing industry-oriented than consumer-focused.”

According to the source the event will not involve any hardware at all and instead will focus on publishing and eBooks (sold through Apple’s iBooks platform) rather than iAds. Attendance will also be more publishing industry-oriented than consumer-focused.

The source also said Apple would reveal new improvements to its iBooks platform at the event, though the tipster described the announcement as not “major.” In addition, due to the original report suggesting that Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue will play a role in the event, rumors suggested that the event would be related to either advertising or publishing. I guess we are all in for a surprise.

HTC Bootloader Unlock Tool Now Supports All Devices Launched After September 2011

It was just yesterday that HTC had updated its bootloader tool to add support for the myTouch 4G Slide and the EVO View 4G. Readers will remember that I had complained that the HTC Rezound bootloader was not unlockable using the official tool from HTC.

Now, just a day after, HTC has updated its web-based bootloader unlocking tool to add support for all HTC Android handsets announced after September 2011. Yes, this includes the HTC Rezound as well!

Below is the official statement from HTC -:

HTC Android devices launched after September 2011 are unlockable. The website will be updated accordingly to reflect this in the coming weeks. We continue to work on models launched prior to September 2011, please check back often for the status of older devices.

Thankfully, as it is evident from the above statement, HTC is also working on adding support for handsets it had launched with encrypted bootloaders earlier in the year like the Incredible S, Desire S etc.

Hopefully, this also means that the bootloader tool will be able to unlock the bootloaders of all the upcoming handsets from HTC as well, without the need for an update.