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Dreaming of the iPad 2: One geek's wishlist
Last night on the TUAW talkcast, Kelly asked me to speculate about what the mythical upcoming iPad 2 might look like. This was, of course, before preliminary details from Engadget apparently rolled in. In response, I ended up going on a little more in depth than I initially expected. Turns out that while I am completely unspoiled for the next iPad and have no inside information, I did have quite a bunch of strong opinions about what I'd like to see. After the leak today, I decided to revisit what I had discussed on the talkcast last night. I put together this compilation of my iPad wishlist, matching my wishes to the rumored feature list. Now, we don't know for sure that what we posted about earlier today are the true specs, but they are a terrific jumping off point for discussing what features the iPad 2 should be introducing.
Logitech's HD Pro Webcam C910 now ready for Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime
Although Apple includes an iSight or FaceTime webcam in almost every Mac, the low resolution (640 x 480 pixels for most machines, 1280 x 960 resampled to 640 x 480 for new MacBook Pros) of the cameras has lagged behind the webcams available from other computer manufacturers. Logitech markets a large number of HD webcams, but few of them have been compatible with Mac OS X. Until now, that is. Logitech has announced a software update for the HD Pro Webcam C910, which is a 1080p-capable HD camera. Although the APIs used for Mac apps such as Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime currently support only 640 x 480 streaming regardless of the camera used, the new Logitech software provides video capture in both 720p and 1080p. The software is also capable of capturing still photos at 10-megapixel resolution, and includes Logitech's proprietary Vid HD video calling capability. The software allows integration with iPhoto and iMovie, and enables the C910 webcam to be used with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger and Gmail Voice and Video Chat. The HD Pro Webcam C910 has a suggested retail price of US$100 and is available at online retailers for around $20 less. If you already own one of these webcams and just need the software, it's available for download from Logitech. The release notes for the Mac software say that it will be updated to support other Logitech webcams in the near future.
2010 in review: Rise of iOS
Here, in no particular order, are some of the top stories we saw in 2010. The year was packed with Apple announcements, some planned and one unplanned. The real standout this year was iOS coming into its own. This year's WWDC was all about iOS, for example. The Apple TV now runs iOS. iOS 4.2 breathed new life into the already-new iPad, another major story of the year (a wildly successful one at that). Even OS X 10.7 "Lion" has some iOS-inspired elements from what little we've seen. But it's looking like 2011 will be a return to the Mac side. In 2010 we saw the new MacBook Air, which Steve Jobs called the "future of notebooks." What surprises does Apple have for us on the Macintosh side of the house? 2011 will be an interesting year (again) to watch! iPad In 2010, the iPad was revealed and the netbook industry felt the impact. The tablet industry has awakened. We expect 2011's CES to have an enormous range of tablet computers. iOS 4.2 was released months later, giving the iPad features like multitasking, which should have been there to begin with. Still, with paltry RAM, no front-facing camera and still not enough storage, the iPad has plenty of room to grow in 2011. Apps on the iPad made news in themselves, with some apps being available for both iPads and iPhones, some costing more for "HD" versions (a term Apple doesn't endorse, by the way) and some only available for iPad. The new realm of a tablet format opened up possibilities for developers, and we continue to see innovation from them on Apple's latest product. Still, the publishing world was a little dismayed to see the iPad not take off as an e-reader on its own. Digital magazines are falling flat (in part due to Apple's lack of a proper subscription model), and the iBookstore has had its own problems. iPhone 4 We all knew the iPhone 4 was coming thanks to a forgetful Apple employee and some poorly executed shenanigans from Gizmodo. If only they had tested the antenna! The iPhone 4 introduced the high-resolution Retina Display, plus a sleek new form factor that brought about "antennagate" and a subsequent press conference to address the issue. iPhone 4 cases were given away, and the problem was mitigated by a clever Apple marketing/communications team. The iPhone 4 also heralded FaceTime as a video calling service (and potential open standard, although we hear inside Apple there is little impetus to release the open portions needed to bring the service to other platforms). The iPhone 4 introduced a front-facing camera to facilitate video calling. The iPhone 4's addition of an LED flash introduced another wrinkle into the app approval process in that developers quickly started writing flashlight apps that took advantage of the powerful (but battery-killing) light source. Guess what? Apple finally woke up and wrote some clear but open-ended app approval guidelines that addressed many of the previously-unknown guidelines surrounding app approvals.
Cool Apple Store Christmas display features a FaceTime-ing Santa
If you are tired of standing in long lines at the mall with your children while they wait to see Santa Claus, then you should scope out your local Apple store instead. Spotted at Apple stores in the U.S. and Canada is a clever Apple display featuring a FaceTime-ing Santa. Inspired by Apple's recent holiday advertising blitz, the FaceTime Santa is shown talking to one iPhone while a second iPhone displays an endless loop of FaceTime conversations. Clever parents with young and gullible children could even pull off the unthinkable by simulating a conversation with the Apple store Santa. Just hire your brother Bob to don the appropriate white beard and red attire, fire up FaceTime, and you have the makings for a conversation your children will remember for years to come.
Tango updated to support iPod touch
This is going to be a great holiday gift for many of our readers. Tango Video Calls, the app that lets you do free video chats with friends over 3G as well as Wi-Fi, has been updated to work on the 4th generation iPod touch. Rather than use the app for registration, you can register via email. The update, which also applies to the iPhone 4, gives the contact list a new look and feel and also has improved resolution on the Retina Display. Check our previous review for details on how Tango works, and if you have a newer iPod touch, well, get over to the App Store.
What would convince you to buy iPad 2?
It hardly seems like it, but it's been nearly a year since the announcement of the iPad. Soon, we'll no longer be able to call the device that's selling today by the simple name "iPad" -- instead, it will become "the original iPad," "iPad 1," "iPad 1G" or "first-generation iPad." If history (and leaks from Foxconn) are anything to go by, we may see an announcement of the iPad 2 in a little over a month, with devices hitting store shelves a couple months after that. Undoubtedly we'll be hearing a lot about the forthcoming iPad 2 over the coming weeks (we've heard several iPad 2 rumors already). Maybe you have an iPad already and are looking to upgrade, or maybe, like me, you didn't find the current iPad compelling enough to purchase until the second generation. In either case, it's worth asking the question: what would convince you, savvy TUAW reader, to buy an iPad 2? Personally, I've got a laundry list of features I'd like to see in the next iPad, but even if only one or two of them make it into the iPad 2, I'll be getting one. I originally thought there wasn't a wide enough gap between the iPhone and my MacBook Pro to justify an iPad, but with the advent of multitasking in iOS 4.0 and the iPhone 4's vastly improved CPU and Retina Display, I've not only found my iPhone taking over a lot of the functions I used to use my Mac for, I've also found myself thinking, "Gee, if only this thing's screen were bigger ... if only Apple made something that was basically just a big iPod touch." (That sound you just heard was a hundred iPad-hating pundits crashing to the floor simultaneously, crippled by cognitive dissonance.) I've got my own thoughts on what I'd like to see in the next-gen iPad, which you can see by clicking "Read More." We also have a poll where we've asked you what you want to see most in the iPad 2.
Fring adds "dynamic video quality"
If you're a fan of FaceTime on your iPhone / iPod touch, but are frustrated with the Wi-Fi only restrictions, then Fring (the voice, video and instant chat app) is most likely your go-to app for video calling over 3G. Since there's no sign of Skype implementing video calling on the iPhone over Wi-Fi (let alone 3G), and no one's yet to turn up to Apple's "open" FaceTime standard party, Fring is left holding the video calling over 3G fort for the likes of us. But they're not sitting back while the others catch up. Fring has recently updated its app to include, amongst other improvements and enhancements, dynamic video quality, or DVQ, to its video calling. Basically, while always prioritizing audio, the quality of video will be automatically adjusted to the amount of bandwidth you have available at any given time. If you're outdoors with a strong 3G signal, your video quality will be good. But if you're indoors with a poorer 3G signal, your video quality will be reduced to compensate for the lack of bandwidth. This will all happen behind the scenes, allowing you to have a cohesive video chat. Audio will remain unaffected. We've tried it out for ourselves; it seems to work pretty well, though even on Wi-Fi we couldn't get anything near the quality of the video depicted in the Fring promo pictured above. Fring is available free on the App Store, or go to updates on your iDevice for the latest version. Check out DVQ in action after the break. [via Engadget]
iPad 2 camera supplier selected, remains mum
One of the most asked-for features for the second generation of the iPad is a front-facing camera that can be used with Apple's FaceTime video chat app. After all, with FaceTime available on every iPhone 4 and downloadable in beta form for Mac OS X, the ability to engage in video-enhanced conversations with friends and family on future iPads is a foregone conclusion. Now, DigiTimes is reporting that a supplier for the lens module (optics and CCD sensor) for the iPad 2 has been selected by Apple. Largan Precision, the Taiwanese supplier for the 5-megapixel lens module used in the iPhone 4, filed documents with the Taiwan Stock Exchange noting that the company has been selected as the sole lens module supplier for the iPad 2 with shipments beginning in the first quarter of 2011. Not surprisingly, Largan is staying quiet about the deal. The web of secrecy that surrounds announcements of new Apple products extends to suppliers, so we're sure that no confirmation from the company will be forthcoming... not that it's needed. The front-facing camera for the iPhone 4 is only VGA quality to allow for higher video refresh rates over Wi-Fi for FaceTime, so we could speculate that this VGA webcam module might be used in the iPad 2. By the way, the 5-megapixel lens module that is used in the primary iPhone 4 camera isn't shown on Largan's product page, but an 8-megapixel unit is. Is it too early to start speculating that the next generation iPhone will sport an 8-megapixel camera?
Screen Grabs: Two and a Half Men discovers FaceTime, still searching for humor
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. We were going to say something funny, but then we just got depressed that this show is still on TV. You disappoint us, America. Oh, and Hawaii Five-0 did it first. [Thanks, Michael C.]
FaceIt-3GS brings FaceTime to your jailbroken 3GS
Ah, the beautiful, ever-useful jailbreak and the developers that make it worthwhile. It's already unlocked the magic of FaceTime over 3G, and now it's making FaceTime capable with any old iPhone 3GS handset (thanks to the iPhoneIslam Team, who did the heavy lifting). Of course, lacking a front facing camera, the resulting video chat might be a little short on faces, but the functionality certainly isn't hurting anybody. Right, Apple? Hit up the app on Cydia and start streaming to your heart's content, and if you're wary there's a demo video after the break. [Thanks, Moe]
Jailbroken iPhone 3GS gets FaceTime... sort of
Jailbreaking team iPhoneIslam has managed to enable FaceTime on a jailbroken iPhone 3GS... sort of. iPhoneIslam's app, "FaceIt-3GS," is currently available in the Cydia store, and allows users to enable FaceTime in the iPhone 3GS's Settings app. However, the functionality is quite limited. The most obvious stumbling block is hardware-related -- without a front-facing camera, the FaceTime experience will be quite limited on the iPhone 3GS no matter how creative jailbreakers get. iPhoneIslam's FaceIt-3GS app doesn't enable FaceTime via the 3GS's rear-facing camera either, though, so the only added functionality this hack appears to give 3GS owners is the ability to accept FaceTime calls from an iPhone 4, newest-generation iPod touch, or Mac, and view the sender's video stream. Not being able to use the rear camera for sending video is disappointing, but if your iPhone 3GS is already jailbroken, you might want to give this a try anyway. Only being able to view someone else's FaceTime video is limiting, but it's better than having no FaceTime on the 3GS at all. You can see a video of the hack at work above -- but make sure to turn your volume down before you get to the end of the video.
T-Mobile ad pokes fun at FaceTime
In an ad similar to Apple's "Get A Mac" campaign, T-Mobile pokes fun at the iPhone's FaceTime restriction and places the blame squarely on AT&T. The ad begins (see a video after the break) with a woman saying, "Hi. I'm a T-Mobile MyTouch 4G." The camera then pans back to reveal a man standing next to her who says, "And I'm an iPhone 4." Hanging on the man's back is yet another man, whom the "iPhone" introduces as "...the old A&T network." She replies, "That will slow you down." The ad then points out that video calling is available "practically anywhere" with T-Mobile 4G. The actor playing AT&T then notes that the iPhone 4 can use FaceTime wherever there's a Wi-Fi network, like "...in an airport." It's a cute parody and an effective ad. What do you think?
Report: OmniVision to supply iPad image sensors
Barron's reports today that manufacturer OmniVision has been tapped to supply image sensors for the next-generation iPad. Citing a note from investment firm Detweiler Fenton & Co., Barron's suggests that the new iPad, due in the first quarter of 2011, will feature two cameras: one 5 MP model and one a VGA. It's also expected that FaceTime will be supported. It seems quite likely that a future iPad will support FaceTime. Shortly after the current iteration was released, the folks at Mission:Repair confirmed that a slot in the iPad's frame perfectly accommodated an iSight camera pulled from a MacBook Pro. It's only a matter of times, folks. And once this thing hits...bam. Jetsons phone.
Hack to defeat Middle East FaceTime block
After a sudden disappearance, it has been confirmed that many Middle Eastern carriers do not support FaceTime. Now, the team at iPhoneislam.com has offered a hack to get the service working. To make it work, you'll need a jailbroken iPhone 4 and the Cydia app. Once you've added apps.iphoneislam.com to Cydia, grab FaceTime Hacktivator. From there, you should be good to go. Keep in mind that you jailbreak your iPhone at your own risk. If you're comfortable with that process and adding apps via Cydia, then have at it. [Via The Mac Observer]
Apple fixes FaceTime for Mac security flaw, not your Wolverine complex
That was quick. The FaceTime for Mac beta security flaw has been shutdown by Apple on the backend -- a flaw that allowed anyone with physical access to your machine to reset and grab your iTunes Store account password and security answers. So now, if some nefarious type were to click "View Account" within your FaceTime desktop app while you were chillin' in the Starbucks toilet or chatting away the day by the office water cooler, the would-be identify thief would simply be redirected back to the FaceTime Account Preferences pane. At which point he'd probably just slip your laptop into his backpack earning two thumbs up from that guy.
FaceTime security flaw fixed
Our own Dave Caolo suggested FaceTime's widely publicized security flaw would be easily fixed, and it turns out he was right. Initially, FaceTime allowed users with physical access to a machine to edit a user's information without first having to enter a password. According to Cocoa Touch Apps, Apple's already patched this hole with a server-side workaround. I verified this myself: instead of giving anyone and everyone in front of your Mac access to your Apple-related info, clicking "View Account" in FaceTime now does... precisely nothing. It just kicks you back to the account preferences tab. It's a somewhat silly workaround, and it's likely a temporary one until Apple releases a FaceTime update. Meanwhile, it's good to see that Apple took this problem seriously enough to issue a quick fix for its still-in-beta software.
Facelette brings random chat to FaceTime for Mac
Sometimes it's very easy to predict the future. Just as the day follows the night and the sniffles follow ragweed pollen, we can confidently say that within a short time there will be incidents of unwanted exposure on Facelette, followed by urgent cries to protect the innocent, and likely as not the collapse and disappearance of the whole thing shortly after. The path trodden by Chatroulette is a wide one -- but maybe we can hope for some awesome piano improvisation along the way. In the meantime, if you're of a mind to video chat with random strangers via FaceTime for Mac, check out the service. Developer Zach Holman acknowledges he whipped it up in "about an hour" and that it's "dumb as hell." You definitely want to create a throwaway/spampot email address for this, rather than your fulltime Apple ID. [via Hacker News & Download Squad]
FaceTime for Mac security hole easily remedied
Macworld Germany has described what they're calling a security hole in the FaceTime for Mac beta (Google translation). The gist is this: once a user has logged into FaceTime for the Mac, his/her Apple ID and password can be altered from the app by anyone with access to the computer while FaceTime is running. Let that sink in for a second. If you were to log into FaceTime for Mac and then abandon your computer with everything running and no concern for who has access to it and for how long, there's a possibility that a n'er-do-well could sit down in your empty but still warm chair and engage in a scandulous conversation with your poor Aunt Shirley (who undoubtedly is wondering why you'd be dumb enough to walk away from your operational Mac in public) before changing your password and making several pricey purchases in iTunes. In related security news, cash registers left unattended with their drawers open are likely to be robbed and cars left running with the doors unlocked are likey to be stolen. As Ars notes, "...whoever happens to be sitting at the computer can change the associated account password." In the interest of our readers' safety, here are a few steps we suggest you take: Don't go to the bathroom while FaceTime is running on your Mac at Starbucks. Hell, don't leave your Mac on a table at Starbucks no matter what it's doing. Don't run FaceTime on a public computer. If the "office prankster" asks to use your FaceTime account to make a call, SAY NO. Think. Physical access is total access. The takeaway here is this: any miscreant who has physical access to your computer is a potential security threat.
PSA: FaceTime beta endangers your Apple ID password and security questions
Worried about local hackers? Like leaving your laptop behind in the coffee shop while you take long, leisurely trips to the bathroom? We wouldn't be so self-assured. Turns out there's a gaping security hole in the FaceTime beta, which allows anyone with access to your computer to change your password without knowing it to begin with, as well as peep and edit your security questions and answers. It would be nice if signing out of FaceTime would protect you, but unfortunately the app seems to have a lock-tight memory on your password, so it's easy for anyone to open the app and sign-in again. Hopefully Apple will fix these holes quickly, and until then we recommend uninstalling FaceTime or choosing your friends very wisely.
FaceTime for Mac hands-on: it works, it's rough
We've been anticipating FaceTime for the Mac ever since we spied the feature on the iPhone, and now Apple is making our dreams a reality with a handy new beta Mac OS X application dubbed "FaceTime." It's not an iChat replacement; far from it, in fact. Instead, the standalone, lightweight app dedicates itself to FaceTime calls only, with no sign of your handy AIM or Gtalk buddy list to help you along. It pulls its list of contacts strictly from the Mac Address Book, with no editing available in app, and you'd better hope you have a good handle on that list of contacts (our Gmail-tainted version could certainly use some work). You have to click on a person's name and then guess which email or phone number they have associated with a FaceTime account -- none of the helpful icons from the iPhone have made it over to guide you. It took quite a bit of extra-FaceTime communication to sort out what was what, but once you guess at the right bit of info to place the call with, it's typical Apple simplicity. From the phone side it's intuitive enough: call the email address associated with an Apple ID and you get the computer, call the phone number and you get the iPhone. Conveniently, your computer will "ring" even if the app is closed, though you can turn this feature off in System Preferences if it unsettles you. Hopefully Apple takes this "beta" moniker seriously and has some extra features to add before it releases the final version of the app. We also wouldn't mind seeing this folded into iChat proper -- why have two first party video chat methods? Either way, computer-to-phone conversations are here to stay. The payoff? The psychedelic experience of viewing four Paul Millers simultaneously. Update: Want a special little bonus? You can apparently video chat with iChat and FaceTime simultaneously, though we tried to add Skype as a third conspirator into the mix and failed (there's a pic of our experiment after the break). Oh, you should also know that there's apparently no way to shut off the video in FaceTime outside of quitting the app or physically covering up the camera. EXCLUSIVE: Is Steve Jobs Watching You Sleep? More at 11. %Gallery-105587%
