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WSJ: CBS bringing free HTML5-encoded TV shows to the iPad, ABC plans detailed
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that ABC and CBS are hard at work adapting episodes of their TV shows for the iPad, with both set to offer streamable programming to new slate owners immediately upon launch. Their delivery strategies diverge slightly -- ABC will use the app that was unearthed (and confirmed by us) this morning whereas CBS will stream through the browser (hello, HTML5!) -- but the eventual user experience will be a commercial-supported affair that should be familiar to those who've used their respective online streaming services already. All that remains now is for NBC and Hulu to fall in line, as expected, and your portable media consumption menu will be complete. It'll also be interesting to see what happens to iTunes Store pricing for episodic TV programming, which will soon be up against free (or in Hulu's case, potentially subscription-based) alternatives. Update: And here comes the official presser for ABC's plans, alongside ESPN SportsCenter XL and a handful of Disney apps.
Apple rumor twofer: Expose-like multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0, international iPad launch on April 24th
We're not quite at the height of Apple frenzy, but looking at the bell curve, we're only a standard deviation or two from its zenith (we imagine the fever pitch will be in tandem with Saturday's iPad launch, if history and human nature tells us anything). Of course, that doesn't stop the rumor mill from amping up production, and so on with the show! First on the docket, remember last month's discovery of multitasking comments in the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta? Well, AppleInsider's apparently got it on word from its network of sources that OS 4.0 will in fact include multitasking, with app switching purportedly done by double-tapping the home button and selecting the appropriate active app icon. If you ask us, that sounds similar in function to command / tab switching, but the people claiming to be in the know liken it more to Expose for OS X. Taking a step back to focus on the actual hardware for a moment, iPad in Canada is hearing that local Apple store employees have been told April 24th is a "black out period," meaning no one is allowed to take that day off. That usually coincides with major product launch, and we did hear the international iPad debut would be late April, but Apple's yet to make its non-US plans concrete. It is the last Saturday of the month, however, and perhaps it'll coincide with the other countries as well. As always, none of this is confirmed and shouldn't be taken as gospel in any way, shape, or form. We can't stop you from getting your hopes up, but don't blame us if those dreams get shattered by a sucker punch of reality.
iPad launch day: what you need to know
Have you heard? The iPad is launching this Saturday, April 3rd. After centuries of anticipation, Apple is returning to the tablet space after its ill-fated Newton, and while many have brushed off the iPad as a big iPhone, its retail approach is dramatically different. Follow with us after the break for a full breakdown of everything you need to know about getting your own "magical" tablet. Want more info? Check out our complete guide to everything iPad! You won't be disappointed, we swear.
Kleiner Perkins iFund doubles to $200m, investing in iPad apps from Shazam, ngmoco and more
Apple said it expects the iPad to be a "second gold rush" of app development as consumers rush to add content to their new devices, and it looks like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers agrees: the venture capital firm just announced that it's expanding the iFund to $200 million to invest in iPad app development. If you'll recall, the iFund was originally announced alongside the iPhone OS 2.0 SDK, and provided $100 million in total investments to 14 iPhone app developers like Shazam, ngmoco, and Shopkick -- companies responsible for 18 apps that have hit the App Store Top 10. Keep in mind that this money was promised before the iPhone App Store was even launched -- so given how that bet paid off, it's not surprising that KPCB's decided to double down on the iPad, which looks like it'll have even higher app prices. Along with the announcement, some iFund devs announced the following iPad apps: Pinger: Doodle Buddy and Starsmash Booyah: MyTown, a popular location-based game Shazam: Shazam, optimized for the new screen size, ngmoco: Flick Fishing, a new MMO called CastleCraft, Charadium (described as "massively multiplayer Pictionary"), God Finger, We Rule, WarpGate, and one more we missed -- anyone catch it? GOGII: TextPlus Nothing too surprising here, but it looks like the heavy hitters are going to be on the iPad bandwagon from day one -- and pushing hard for this thing to be a success.
Chrome brings Flash Player into the fold, trains it to kill iPads?
If Apple had its way, we expect that the iPad would go down in history as the device that nearly single-handedly destroyed Adobe's empire of Flash. While HTML5 has been in development for years, content providers like the Wall Street Journal, NPR, CBS and more have only begun transitioning video services to the new standard (and subsequently, away from Flash) now that it's time for Cupertino's big release. But this week, Adobe has found an ally in Google, which has just announced that the Chrome browser -- and more importantly, Chrome OS -- will not merely support but natively integrate the technology. In the short run, what this means is that the Chrome browser won't require you to download Adobe Flash Player or spend time updating it before back-to-back YouTube viewings and marathon Newgrounds sessions. In the long run, Google explains that it intends Flash to become an integral, seamless part of web design up there with HTML and Javascript -- and if we extrapolate, an integral part of its new Chrome OS as well. Pardon us for thinking out loud, but it sounds like Google's found an exclusive feature to highly tout, when it inevitably brings a Chrome OS tablet to market. [Thanks, Adam]
iTunes 9.1 now available, brings iPad syncing and iBook support
Hot on the heels of a ginormous OS X update comes this, the freshest version of the music management software that everyone loves to hate. iTunes 9.1 is live and available to download, bringing with it support for iPad syncing (you know, that little tablet that arrives on Saturday?) as well as the ability to "organize and sync books you've downloaded from iBooks on iPad or added to your iTunes library." The new version also gives users the ability to rename, rearrange, or remove Genius Mixes, but we're fairly sure you stopped caring after hearing the first point. It's weighing in at around 97.3MB (give or take a few KB), so fire up Software Update and get it going... if you dare. Update: We're hearing that the new version renames "Applications" to just "Apps" and the Genius Mixes / iPhone / iPod touch sync pages have been retooled. Anything else major? Let us know in comments! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Seton Hill University hands out iPads to students
If there's one thing that universities are good at, it's dreaming up trendy technology initiatives. Apple knows that (as does McGraw-Hill) so it's no surprise that the company's been pushing to get the iPad adopted by schools around the country. And so it begins: Seton Hill University, a school in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, has announced that starting this fall all full-time students will get a slate of their own. We thought that the Kindle as textbook replacement idea was a little whackadoodle, and we don't have much hope in the iPad as a textbook replacement either. But if the school's aim is to get students playing Super Monkey Ball and up-to-date on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, then we might have a winner here.
iPad Camera Connection Kit finally surfaces for pre-order, still absurdly overpriced
If you'll recall, Apple had no qualms revealing the iPad Camera Connection Kit at its 'Latest Creation' event back in January, but the solution seemingly dropped from the face of the Earth shortly thereafter. Even as cases, keyboards and all sorts of other iPad accessories surfaced for pre-order, the camera kit remained nowhere to be found. Over the weekend, the $29 adapter bundle finally found a home at the outfit's website (with a "late April" ship date), offering users a pair of dongles to support USB and SD cards. Of course, one could easily argue that the iPad should have native support for both of these widely used formats without forcing users to lug around two extra peripherals, but if that were the case, this thing just wouldn't be an Apple, now would it? %Gallery-89227%
Apple confirms Best Buy iPads at launch, what time you'll need to be there
We're nearly there. The mystical, magical iPad experience starts this Saturday, April 3, and if you haven't already pre-ordered your only way to get one for the weekend is going to be to fight the rush at retail. Apple has confirmed that all 221 of its Apple Stores will have the wunder-tablets on sale, and has also confirmed the Best Buy rumors, indicating that "most" of the big-box retailer's locations will have them. Stores are set to open at 9:00am, so we figure you can probably roll on over there at 8:45 or so and get a good spot in line.
Best Buy's iPad launch playbook leaked in its entirety? Looks like it
Well, well, what do we have here? In case you were wondering if those leaked Best Buy iPad playbook images making the rounds this weekend were legit, we've been handed a 15-page PDF that matches up with everything we've seen so far. Granted, this could still be fake, but it's a pretty thorough and clever one, if so. There isn't really anything too exciting that we haven't already covered, but for those who felt like something in their lives were missing between the excerpts, feel free to browse the entire thing now while you wait (im)patiently for Saturday. %Gallery-89200%
Pre-order iPad now, wait until April 12th for delivery
Consider this a friendly public service announcement care of our friends at TUAW. Those who coveted the iPad and pre-ordered anytime before today can still apparently expect a delivery by the original April 3rd launch date. Anyone that orders a WiFi model today, however, can expect to wait a little over a week, April 12th, to get an Apple tablet of his or her own, while the 3G-equipped units are guesstimated for late April. Have patience -- on the bright side, that gives more time to see apps that justify your larger-screen iPhone purchase.
Keepin' it real fake: 'new' iPad is the jumbo iPod you always wanted, coming April 3
Tired of all those "jumbo iPhone" jibes you keep hearing about the iPad? So are we, but there's simply no other way to describe this priceless Shenzhen knockoff than as a supersized iPod. Featuring the unmistakable click wheel and what looks like some sort of riff on Apple's Mac OS, the "new" iPad will be on sale immediately alongside Apple's offering, this April 3, for 2,000 Yuan ($290). Of course, we doubt Shenzhen Huayi's distribution network will stretch quite all the way to the USA, but given the population of 1.3 billion people in China, someone's bound to be happy to help you out. What say you -- does this 4GB pen-friendly beastie do anything for you?[Thanks, Taimur]
Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy... on launch day
We'd heard buzzing for some time now around the internet that Apple planned to sell its iPad in more than just its own stores, and usually the name Best Buy was mentioned in the same breath... but now we've got some photographic evidence. The above shot comes from what looks to be an internal memo from the big box retailer, not only stating that the stores will be getting the iPad, but that they'll be getting the iPad on launch day. Now, there's no way for us to confirm that is 100 percent the real deal, but we speculated this could be coming back in mid-February, and there's lots of corroborating evidence to suggest this is no joke (such as COO Tim Cook explicitly mentioning the device would be sold at Best Buy) -- we just didn't expect to see it day one. We're digging for more info on this story, so stay tuned. Update: Best Buy's iPad playbook is certainly looking legit at this point. Our tipster sent us another two screenshots (they're after the break) showing off BB's new retail display which includes the iPad. Interestingly, they also tell us that the iPads are set to be delivered to stores on the night of April 2nd, and that quantities will be limited to about five of each model on launch. TUAW has also just published more of the playbook if you want to head over there and check it out.
iPad App Store screenshots leaked
Well, look at this. If you've been desperate to know what your App Store experience would be like on the iPad, here's a chance to live the dream. Apparently these shots were discovered while the App Annie folks (an app tracking and analytics site) were "searching for clues" on the device and this "actual feed" was stumbled upon. While that's all very unclear, what isn't unclear is that Apple will be using the HD moniker to denote applications that have either been tweaked in a special iPad version, or have had their resolution upped so they wouldn't just be scaled standard apps. Additionally, we're seeing some applications that aren't even available on the iPhone right now, such as the $49.99 OmniGraffle, which we're assuming will be very close to its desktop counterpart -- a good sign that iPad apps are majorly upping the functionality. One more long shot after the break for your viewing pleasure. Update: Looks like App Advice has even more screenshots for your viewing pleasure. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Survey finds people eager to 'work on the go' with iPad, we wonder what line of 'work' they're in
So, give this a listen -- a survey from the lairs of Sybase has found that among smartphone-owning respondents, some 52.3 percent of them "would use a tablet device such as the Apple iPad is for working on the go." We fully understand that this phrase leaves open the possibility of using tablets not Designed in Cupertino, but the mere fact that it's highlighted gave us pause. We're still trying to figure out how exactly Apple's forthcoming tablet is going to fit between our daily laptop and workhorse-of-a-smartphone, and without a major overhaul of the iPhone OS, we definitely can't visualize ourselves using it for "work." 'Course, maybe they're into something that doesn't require the use of multiple applications at once, and maybe the dearth of a real keyboard isn't much of a productivity killer, but we're just not sold on the iPad being a bona fide work machine as-is. So, what say you? Are you one of those 52.3 percenters? Or do you relate more with the vocal minority?
Apple now accepting iPad app submissions, get your jumbo-sized beer drinking simulations in before launch day
Apple just announced to developers that it's now accepting iPad applications. From the sound of it, applications submitted now will have a shot at being reviewed and approved before the iPad launch next month, though since most all apps developed so far have only been tested in the emulator, this is more of a "feedback" round for devs looking to be ready for the launch without actually testing their apps on hardware themselves. Apple says that "[o]nly apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store," so you probably shouldn't wait around -- unless you've got one of those iPad test units headed your way, or you're a hardware-testing purist that will wait for the iPad launch to start testing apps and miss one of those cushy spots on the opening day iPad App Store. Either way, we can't really imagine we'll be seeing true 3rd party iPad app greatness until a month or so after the launch, but who are we to talk down a "gold rush"? Update: We just saw that the deadline for getting apps in for the first round is March 27 at 5PM PT. Fire up that SDK 3.2 beta 5 and start cracking!
A few developers receiving iPads early, must keep it in room with blacked-out windows and tuck it in every night
Really, would you expect anything less from Apple? All sorts of wild tales have emerged about Apple's tight restrictions on developers lucky enough to receive early iPad test units, and no matter how true they might be, we're eating it up with a spoon. According to "people familiar" with the matter sourced by BusinessWeek, there's a 10 page pact for developers to sign, with requirements that include keeping the iPad isolated in a room with blacked-out windows, continuously tethered to a fixed object, photographic evidence of compliance, and of course no bragging to the Twittersphere about your score. Frankly, if the iPad isn't hand delivered to developer offices by a couple guys in well-tailored suits with an iPad briefcase handcuffed between them, we'd be sorely disappointed.
WSJ: Apple still 'racing' to complete iPad content deals before launch
The iPad launch may finally be right around the corner, but it looks like Apple might still have some considerable work cut out for itself before the big day. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is still negotiating with various media companies in an effort to drop the price on TV shows offered on the device, and it's even reportedly put some potential deals with newspaper, magazine and textbook publishers on the backburner as it focuses on other content. That word comes from the usual, unnamed "people with the matter," who go on to say that it's proven to be difficult to convince potential content partners of the advantages of working with Apple on the iPad versus the possible threats to their current sources of revenue. It's hardly all bad news for the magical device though, as some other people familiar with the matter say that Apple has already sold "hundreds of thousands" of iPads. For its part, Apple is naturally staying mum on both counts.
NPR and WSJ building 'Flash-free' pages for iPad, Apple quietly delays select iPad accessories
For awhile, we couldn't decide what we were more angry at: the fact that select devices wouldn't support Flash, or that Flash was simply too demanding on select devices. We still can't say with any degree of certainty which side of the fence we're on, but there's no question that Apple's refusal to play nice with Adobe on the iPhone, iPod touch and forthcoming iPad limits the abilities of those devices significantly. Curiously enough, it seems that Apple's importance in the mobile (and media delivery) realm is coercing select portals to develop Flash-free websites for those who drop by on an iDevice. Both the National Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal are furiously working on iPad-friendly websites, which will be devoid of Flash for at least the first few pages down. What's interesting is that we get the impression that this will soon become the rule rather than the exception, and it could be exactly what's needed to launch HTML5 into stardom and put these Flash or no Flash debates behind us. In related news, we're also seeing that a couple of iPad accessories won't actually be ready to ship when the device itself cuts loose on April 3rd. Yesterday, the iPad Keyboard Dock was listed with a "May" ship date, though today it has moved up to a marginally more palatable "Late April." The iPad 10W USB Power Adapter also carries a "May" date, while the iPad Case is slated for "Mid April" and that elusive camera connection kit is still nowhere to be found. But hey, at least you'll get your (overpriced) iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter and iPad dock by the first weekend of next month, right?
World's first diamond iPad tries to deliver that magical experience
Get ready for some buyer's remorse if you're one of the thousands who pre-ordered an iPad last Friday: your soon-to-be new toy already pales in comparison to the $19,999 diamond-coated iPad from Mervis Diamond Importers. What you have here is a stock unit of undisclosed specifications that's been coated with 11.43 carats of G/H color diamonds rated VS2/SI1 for clarity -- not exactly top-shelf stuff but chances are you'll be so transfixed with the amazingly beautiful user experience you won't notice the flaws. This poor iPad is just the latest in a long line of ridiculously expensive gadgets made more luxurious (many of an Apple persuasion) and is every bit as tasteless as the rest.
