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Rumor mill: Will the new iPad have a tactile display?
Remember Senseg's tactile touchscreen displays? Well, last December the company showed off a screen that used an electrostatic field to simulate friction and textures on the glass. Such technology was a couple of years away from being commercially viable, but there's a tiny glimmer of a chance it might be the new killer iPad feature. Pocket-lint spoke to a company rep who cryptically said that the company wasn't making any statements until "after Apple's announcement." Why would they issue any statement tied to today's Apple news? Could it connect with a remark made back in June 2011 to Trusted Reviews, that Senseg had partnered with a "certain tablet maker based in Cupertino?" Maybe that line in Apple's invitation to today's event is another clue: "We have something you really have to see. And Touch." After all, Siri was announced at the "Let's talk iPhone" event, so it wouldn't be the first time the company places vague hints under our noses. Still, we have but a few hours left to wait until we really know what's coming, so join us for the live announcement later today.
Ten One Design teases pressure-sensitive 'Blue Tiger' stylus for the iPad 3
It's no secret how Steve Jobs felt about styluses, but that doesn't seem to have deterred Ten One Design. The company behind the Pogo Sketch is now teasing a pen designed to work with the as-yet unannounced iPad 3. The stylus, codenamed "Project Blue Tiger," is pressure-sensitive, and pairs with the iPad over Bluetooth 4.0. As you can see in the video below, the pen is meant to be used inside a drawing app Ten One's whipped up, though the outfit's made the SDK available to developers today. Per the press release, all you curious code monkeys out there can email info@tenonedesign.com for more details, though the SDK is ready for download at the source link below. Now about that requisite hardware...
Engadget will be broadcasting live outside of Apple's iPad event tomorrow!
We did it for WWDC 2011 as well as last year's "Let's Talk iPhone" event, and we'll be doing it again before and after Apple launches its next-generation iPad. Tim and Darren will be live in the streets of San Francisco tomorrow, broadcasting video to the known universe on this very site. We'll be set up just outside of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, with both a pre-event rumor round-up as well as a post-event wrap-up analyzing how the next Apple slate will impact the tablet market at large, your own wallet and the overall molecular makeup of our atmosphere. Keep an eye here on the homepage for our pre-show (we should be live between 6:30AM - 7:30AM PT) as well as our post-show (which should go down between 1:30PM - 2:30PM PT). In between, of course, you can catch our liveblog from the inside at this link right here, given that video streams aren't allowed from the inside. Also, SF -- good weather, alright? Alright.
Apple's next-gen iPad launch event is tomorrow, get your liveblog right here!
Got plans for tomorrow? Of course not -- you canned 'em a week ago. For those still unaware, Apple will be unveiling its next iPad at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco tomorrow, and as always, we'll be there live to bring you the news as it happens. Feel free to get caught up on the latest from the rumormill right here, and bookmark this page for our liveblog. We'll be on the scene early, with Tim and myself livestreaming (just like we did for WWDC and the iPhone 4S launch last year) a pre-event rumor wrap-up as well as a post-event round-up of what all goes down.As for the liveblog? It'll get going at 10:00AM PT tomorrow, and you can find how that translates to your neck of the woods below. See you then, rations in tow! March 7, 2012 10:00 AM PST
Next-gen iPads squeezing air freight shipments from China
Rumors have been going around for the past two weeks noting that the next generation iPads are on their way to the U.S. from Chinese plants under strict security. Now Mac Rumors is reporting that shipping representatives for other firms are finding that they can't ship their products, as air freight companies are apparently overwhelmed with boxes of iPads. Shipping rates have increased by 20 percent in one week, with Apple apparently gobbling up as much air freight capacity as possible at premium rates. One supposed iPad 3 part number has allegedly made it to the U.S., while another Apple SKU -- MC744LL/A -- for an unknown product (new Apple TV?) is also making the rounds. Another Apple blog, AppleInsider, concurred with the information from Mac Rumors, noting that air cargo rates with DHL have also jumped due to capacity constraints that are presumably being caused by Apple. With shipments in high gear already, there's mounting evidence that the new iPad may be available very soon after the announcement on Wednesday. Apple fans had to wait two weeks after the announcement of the iPad 2 to receive the first devices; perhaps the wait won't be as long this time.
Engadget examines iPad prototype parts
I don't know about you, but I woke up this morning with a great deal of excitement -- this is the week we'll find out about the next-generation iPad. Our sister site Engadget is feeding the excitement with a hands-on look at some iPad prototype parts that they acquired through the good graces of the folks at M.I.C. Gadget. A quick look at the bits and pieces confirms what we've heard before. The case of the new device is slightly thicker with a "slightly more emphasized" curvature from the flat bottom to the sides to possibly make room for a larger battery and/or a 4G LTE radio, and there's a larger diameter hole for the camera lens (see below -- does this suggest a more powerful rear camera?). Other than that, there's not too much of a difference. The new case appears to work with the Apple Smart Cover and the many other magnetically-augmented covers and cases, and there is a home button. Sorry to tell those of you who are dreaming of a haptic feedback electronic home button, but it appears that your third-gen iPad is going to have a belly button just like its predecessors.
More 'iPad 3' prototype parts show up, we go hands-on
In recent years, it's become a fashion for Apple prototype parts to pop up just weeks ahead of hardware launches; and it seems like there's no exception for the upcoming next-gen iPad, which is believed to feature a 2,048 x 1,536 IPS LCD within the same 9.7-inch footprint. While we're only two days away from seeing Tim Cook and co. unveiling said tablet, we couldn't help but take a look at its bits and bobs acquired by our good friends over at M.I.C. Gadget.What we have here is allegedly the external essentials of the "iPad 3," which include a white glass cover (sans frame) with a home button already installed, along with a 3G-ready aluminum body plus cables for the dock connector and the volume rocker. With a quick glance you may easily mistake this as just the iPad 2 -- it's even compatible with the Smart Cover! But look close enough and you'll spot the larger lens on the prototype, which may suggest that Apple's finally giving its tablet a more capable back camera. There's also a more subtle difference between the two bodies: not only is this "iPad 3" marginally thicker, but the curvature from the flat bottom to the sides is ever so slightly more emphasized, thus providing a tad more internal space for the components -- most likely the battery for the sake of feeding the rumored LTE radio. Well, until Mr. Cook gives us the answers, you can keep yourselves busy by watching M.I.C. Gadget's funkadelic hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-149459%
Ars server logs show iPads using iOS 6, high-res displays
Another piece of interesting evidence of a higher-resolution iPad has been exposed by Ars Technica. Looking at web server logs for February, Ars staffers found that the site had been visited by devices running iOS 6. Additionally, some of the devices had a screen resolution matching the alleged specs of the next iPad -- 2048 x 1536 pixels. The Ars visitors came from Apple; staffers were able to match the device IP address with Apple's corporate IP block. While it is very unlikely that iOS 6 will be announced simultaneously with the new iPad on Wednesday, it appears that Apple is beginning to test early versions of the next mobile OS in-house. The screenshot (shown above) also show that the iOS 6 devices are running a slightly newer version of WebKit, the layout engine that powers the Safari web browser. Devices running iOS 5.0.1 display a WebKit version number of 534.46, while the iOS 6 devices are displaying 535.8. We're in agreement with Ars on one point -- iOS 5.1 will most likely be introduced on Wednesday at the Apple event or shortly thereafter, while iOS 6 will arrive in the late summer or early fall on a next-generation iPhone.
Rumor: Best Buy inventory system cites March 11 in-stock date for "iPad 3" accessories
To echo the New Yorker's line about musicians and nightclub owners, Apple authorized retailers lead complicated lives. Big-box chains like Target and Walmart have to plan distribution and promotions weeks or months in advance, but with Apple's notoriously tight-lipped ways regarding new products, things can get wacky. We've gotten word from a Best Buy insider that the electronics retail giant expects to have some new accessories in stock as of March 11, 2012 -- see inventory screenshot above. In this case, the items in question appear to be a variety of ZAGG's InvisibleSHIELD device protectors... and they're showing up under a search for "iPad3." Now, you can take all this with the requisite grains of salt; retail inventory anticipation does not necessarily equate to actual stuff on the shelves. But given that this particular product has to be customized for each individual iPad model (to allow for variations in the position of camera, speaker grilles etc. between the revisions and the Wi-Fi vs. 3G units), it's intriguing. One problem though: the 11th is a Sunday, and there's little or no chance that it's the actual on-sale date of the new iPad model. Perhaps this stock of screen protectors will have time to get shelved and settled before a new iPad hits the streets on Monday the 12th.
8 GB iPad 2 headed to enterprises? Why this makes no sense
When DigiTimes reports Apple rumors, I usually ignore them. Today's rumor that Apple will produce a cheaper 8 GB iPad 2 aimed at enterprise usage was just too silly to ignore. According to DigiTimes, "In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted." Apple has never been obsessed about market share, and why the company would suddenly want to go for a bargain-priced low-end 8 GB model to compete with an emerging product (Windows 8) or existing cheap tablets (Kindle Fire) is absurd. Sure, the price of the 16 and 32 GB "iPad 3s" will most likely be in the same range as the existing iPad 2s, but both private enterprise and government have been snapping those models up in huge numbers -- even in a stagnant economy. This rumor is also completely at odds with another DigiTimes rumor -- that Apple is planning to come out with a 7.85" iPad that would come with a lower price tag to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire, the Barnes & Noble Nook Color, and other Android-based tablets. If, as DigiTimes seems to be asserting, Apple is looking for a less expensive iPad to sell to enterprises, why wouldn't they just produce and sell the fictitious mini-iPad? Next, unless most enterprises only have a handful of apps that they wish to run on their iPads, wouldn't more storage be a requirement instead of less? From my years working in industry, I recall that we always aimed high in our hardware requirements, since we could get more years out of hardware purchases by spending a bit more and we always found that our in-house applications needed more storage and RAM than originally planned. DigiTimes also thinks that Apple will forego production of a 64 GB model of the iPad 3. Apparently they haven't been keeping up with power users, who are constantly clamoring for more storage for video and music. There is a slight bit of logic in this assumption, since Apple is making a push towards more storage in the iCloud and that would make onboard storage less of a requirement. Still, there are iPad users for whom iCloud and iTunes Match are not a solution, and who would quickly pony up for an expensive 128 GB model. What do you think about an 8 GB iPad 2 entry-level model? Does it make more sense than a smaller form-factor iPad? (For the record, I think it does...) Your comments are welcomed below. [via ZDNet]
TUAW TV Live: T-minus one week and counting
On today's episode of TUAW TV Live, we'll be talking about next week's announcement of the next-generation iPad, showing off some apps, and all-in-all just having some fun. Next week at this time, we'll hopefully have all the details -- but what's so fun about that? Speculation is much more exciting. Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat. We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
You're the Pundit: Will Apple ditch the iPad home button?
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the iPad. Apple's intriguing invite for next week's iPad event seems to be missing a home button. As the biggest mechanical element on iOS devices, some have long felt that the button was a harsh intrusion of device engineering into an otherwise flawless touch-based system. Could Apple have re-engineered its button for better ergonomics, flipping the iPad to deliberately hide it? Or is the button gone for good? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions. %Poll-73706%
Daily Update for February 29, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: One week until the iPad 3 launch
It's one week exactly until the world knows what the new iPad is all about. For many of us here at TUAW, that means getting prepared to do a lot of writing about the new features, putting our existing iPads up for sale, and eagerly anticipating what cool new things we'll be able to do with our new toys when they arrive. That means it's a great time to pump up the excitement today on TUAW TV Live. If everything works correctly, this should also be our first truly HD show (720p). The issues with the HD webcam have been fixed thanks to the latest version of Wirecast Pro, and you'll get to see me and the demos in all their 720p glory. At least the demos will look good... And speaking of looking good, many thanks to TUAW TV Live viewer Uri Kelman, who designed the new logo you see at the top of the page. As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. The chat is now available as well on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.
eBay sees its iPad listings increase ten-fold over last year
Apple set March 7 as the date for its big iPad announcement. Eager customers are looking to sell their older iPads in anticipation of buying the latest model. Instead of dealing with Craigslist spammers and deadbeat auction buyers, many people are turning to eBay's InstantSale program to get quick cash for their tablet. Within hours of the iPad 3 event announcement, eBay told CNET it logged more than 125,000 trade-in offers, 97 percent of which were iPad models. This is a ten-fold increase in the number of offers made during the same month in 2011. InstantSale is a service that lets people trade in their devices for cash. It works similar to Gazelle, another well-known device recycling company. eBay's most popular trade-in tablet is the first iPad, with both the 3G and WiFi version sitting in the number one and number two spot. This isn't surprising as many iPad 1 owners passed on the iPad 2, while they waited for the rumored retina display of the iPad 3. The original iPad is also getting older and owners may start to run into compatibility problems. I have the 16 GB original iPad and, though it handles most apps with ease, there are an increasing number that require the faster hardware or camera of the newer iPad models. I'm planning on buying the iPad 3 and haven't sold my older iPad yet. I'm going to keep it and use it as educational tablet for my kids. If you have an older iPad, what are you going to do with it? [Via CNET]
Radio Shack drops iPad 2 prices $20-50, swears it has nothing to do with the iPad 3
There's a lot of signs pointing to the release of a brand new iPad floating around these days: myriad rumors, retina displays, and even Apple event invites. Now, a freshly taken pic from an anonymous tipster has given us a little more grease for the iPad 3 rumor mill. As you can see above, starting today all iPad 2 SKUs at Radio Shack are getting $20-50 lopped off their prices, which sure seems like a good way to clear out stock to make room for a newer, pricier version. And, the good news for Apple fans doesn't stop there, as the Shack will also be discounting the iPhone 4 and 4S by $25 from March 1st - 4th. So, is this more evidence of the iPad 3, or just a retailer trying to move more product? We'll know for sure next week.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Our top ten wishes for the next-generation iPad
The minute the announcement about the third-generation iPad rollout next Wednesday hit the TUAW newsroom, just about everyone was throwing out ideas about what they'd like to see in the new model. Here are our top ten wishes for what we want to see in whatever is announced on March 7: 1. Retina Display There's not enough detail in the picture on the invitation (above) to really discern whether or not the new device will have a Retina display, but it's one of the most likely new features to appear. There have been leaked photos of an alleged display part for the next-generation iPad that show a doubling in pixel density, so we expect to see a new and much enhanced display. 2. Improved Processor To power those extra pixels, iPad: TNG is going to need more horsepower under the hood. So far we have two possibilities: a faster version of the dual-core Apple A5 (rumored to be the A5X -- see below) and a quad-core processor called the A6. Since these systems-on-a-chip also contain the system RAM, we may finally see a doubling of RAM to a full 1 GB ... or at least that's what we're hoping. 3. One Unit, Mulitple Carriers Right now, Apple has to sell two different versions of the iPad 2 -- one for GSM carriers and the other for CDMA carriers like Verizon. As with the iPhone 4S, we'd expect to see the next-generation iPad come with the capability of running on all networks. I think this is a no-brainer for the new iPad, as it reduces Apple's iPad SKUs by three. 4. 4G LTE There's a lot of debate here at TUAW about whether or not iPad: TNG will come with 4G LTE built in. On the plus side, Apple could compete with the plethora of Android tablets that are equipped with 4G LTE. On the other hand, 4G LTE still isn't widespread in most countries and battery life for LTE devices is still an issue, so would Apple be willing to sacrifice battery life in order to notch a competitive edge on the proverbial belt? We don't think so. 5. Better Cameras This is one wish that I personally don't care about, since I don't take photos with my iPad or use it all that much for video calls. But once again, the technology is available and Apple already has the 8 MP rear-facing camera in the iPhone 4S. My personal opinion is that this is a no-brainer, and that the next-generation iPad will have an 8 MP rear-facing camera as well as a front-facing HD (1280 x 720 pixel, AKA 720p) camera for FaceTime. After all, the new Macs are using 720p FaceTime HD, and we all know that Apple doesn't care how much bandwidth we're using... A front-facing HD camera would be a nice boost form the current VGA model in the existing iPads. 6. Siri Another point of contention amongst the TUAW bloggers is whether or not Siri will make it to the new iPad. Those of us who use Siri a lot think it's a natural for the new device, while others don't think it has a place on a larger device. I'd personally love to use Siri's excellent voice dictation capabilities for writing texts, notes, and reminders on the iPad. Should Siri find a place to live on the new iPad, the device will most likely get the dual noise-cancelling microphone setup that is used to feed the brains of Siri with high-quality voice input. 7. Stereo Speakers While the existing monaural speaker of the first and second generation iPads is "pretty good," especially when compared to (according to Dave Caolo) the Nook Color, a set of good stereo speakers on the bottom of the device would be a welcome addition. Since a lot more people may be using their iPads to watch movies on that Retina display, why not add better sound quality? 8. "Button-free" Design Another debate that has been raging through the newsroom is whether Apple will discard the current physical home button for a "virtual" button that's just an extension of the touch-sensitive display. My personal opinion is that they wouldn't do this -- people have become accustomed to feeling for the home button with their fingers, and unless Apple can provide a haptic display of some sort, they won't tamper with success. Then again, maybe that's what Apple is hinting with that "And touch" comment on the invitation. 9. More Storage The current iPad comes in 16, 32, and 64 GB flavors. While this might just be a requirement for some of our bloggers, there seems to be a difference of opinion on whether or not a 128 GB edition should be added. For those who like to watch a lot of video on their iPads, 128 GB would be a welcome addition. Some of the bloggers think that Apple won't expand storage since they want price points to remain fairly static and the Retina display will cost more than the existing display; others think that Apple will add a 128 GB model and just charge more for the luxury of more storage. 10. "Smarter" Covers The Smart Cover was introduced with the iPad 2 and provides a way to turn the display on and off without reaching for the power or home button. Several of our bloggers want to see a newer version of the Smart Cover. How could it be improved? How about getting rid of the sharp edges? Another idea was to build a solar clock and calculator "with big buttons" into the cover so one could check the time and do taxes without having to fire up the ol' iPad. That's our list of the most wished-for items for the next-generation iPad. What would you like to see? Leave your comments below.
Apple's iPad event announcement cuts into Schmidt's MWC Android groove
Apple's mastery of timing is impeccable. This morning, I was listening to Eric Schmidt ramble on about Android and Google during his Mobile World Congress keynote. As someone who follows technology, I found his talk mildly intriguing, until the iPad 3 invites began pouring out. Right then, Schmidt went on mute and he became a mere talking head in the background. I hopped on IRC and Twitter and have been talking about the iPad 3 even since. At a time when the tech world was focusing on new Android devices and Windows Phone handsets, everyone will now focus on Apple and the iPad. Everything from missing home buttons to selling our iPad 2s will dominate our conversation over the next week. So, did Apple time its announcement as a deliberate in-your-face or was it a happy coincidence? You tell us in the comments below.
Apple announces March 7 iPad 3 event
Apple sent out invites today for an event that'll take place at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The event flyer shows a buttonless (or landscape) iPad and promises there will be something we really have to see and touch. We expect Apple to unveil the iPad 3. We don't know the exact details on the upcoming iPad, but, if the invite picture is any indication, the iPad 3 will have a high-resolution display, a major bump in the processor, Siri and possibly LTE. I've already got the date marked off on the calendar and my iPad 2 on eBay, how about you?
Apple iPad event confirmed for March 7th in San Francisco
You've heard all the rumors, and now Apple has finally confirmed the details of its next iPad launch event. It will take place on Wednesday, March 7th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. The company is keeping things suitably vague beyond that, of course, promising only that it has "something you really have to see. And touch." You can be sure we'll be there live to find out exactly what that might be.
