Tag: iPad

Apple Launches 9.7 inch iPad Pro with Upto 256 GB Storage

Apple has taken its wraps off the new iPad Pro, which is a smaller 9.7-inch version of the 12.9 inch iPad Pro. Priced starting US $ 599 for the 32 GB, the new iPad comes with the same features of the larger iPad Pro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_pMx7IjYKE

With a 9.7 inch retina display the newer and smaller iPad Pro is still capable of working with the ever in demand Apple Pencil. You will also get the Apple A9x Processor and 4k video capable 12 MP main camera and a 5MP front camera.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro features TrueTone technology, which measures the color temperature of ambient light and adjusts the screen accordingly. Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, says it offers the lowest reflectivity of any tablet.

March 21, 2016
Apple iPad Air 3 Schematics Reveal Design Changes

Instead of an iPad Air 3 release a couple of months back, we saw the launch of the iPad Pro instead. However, recent rumours point to the possibility of the iPad Air 3 arriving early this year. And from what leaked schematics of the iPad Air 3 reveal, it could very well be worth the wait.

On the outside, the shape of the tablet appears to be similar in dimensions to its predecessors. The schematics also reveal the iPad Air 3 could be equipped with additional speakers around the tablet, similar to the ones found on the iPad Pro. The schematic shows speakers on the bottom and on the top of the device.

What will also be interesting news is that a cut out below the camera is seen which could well house a flash to complement the shooter. The schematic also shows the survival of the 3.5mm jack on the iPad 3 Air.

January 26, 2016
Apple iOS 9.3 to bring big changes to iPhones and iPads

Apple today has released a new iOS 9.3 beta software for its iOS devices, giving developers a glimpse into the new features that will soon be available. Public beta will be up for download for all who signed up for it. The iOS 9.3 beta is one of the biggest updates to iOS 9 as of now, and brings along with it a number of really cool features.

Improved 3D Touch

The latest update to the OS will bring with it advanced 3D Touch capabilities. Advancements to the way users interact with their Apple device will be seen such as the use of pressure commands. New ‘Quick Shortcuts’ for the App store, Compass, Health, iTunes Store and Weather are going to be seen,

App Switcher

iOS 9.3 includes haptic feedback when using the Force Touch app switcher on an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus. “Peek” feedback is provided when first opening the app switcher, and a full “Pop” feedback is given when pressing further to open it fully.

Night Shift

This is a new feature designed to decrease the amount of blue light an iOS user is exposed to at night. Night Shift allows for the OS to shift to more yellow tones for the iPhone or iPad’s display. Apparently this shift will help the user, be more comfortable while reading in the dark, and result in a more peaceful sleep at night. Thank you Apple for caring so much.

News

Improvements have been made to the news app in iOS 9.3 to make it more specific to each person’s interests. A new For You section will also incorporate trending topics and specific picks from Apple editors to help users discover conetent. Other new features include a new landscape view for News on the iPhone, in-line video playback for videos in news stories. According to Apple faster content updating when opening the news app will also be noticed.

Health

iOS 9.3 will include third-party app recommendations in the Health app, where users will also be able to see move, exercise, stand, and goal data from a paired Apple Watch. Health will highlight apps for example tracking weight.

CarPlay

CarPlay apps have been updated to bring them in line with iOS apps on iOS 9. The Apple Music CarPlay app now include a new For You sections to help the user with music discovery. A new Nearby feature is also added to maps to offer information about what’s close-by tailored for the user.

Education

iOS 9.3 will bring with it several Education-oriented features such as feature of shared iPads for students, a new Classroom app, an Apple School Manager, and improved Apple ID management features. Sharing of iPads is a particularly interesting feature which is picked up from android, and as such could be seen soon in use for more than just the Education app.

Apple Watch

Alongside iOS 9.3, Apple also released the watchOS 2.2 beta to developers around the world. With both these updates installed the iPhone will be able to pair with more than one Apple Watch at a time.

Live Photos

iOS 9.3 will also see the iPhone 6s get a brand new option to save a full resolution photo from a Live Photo. Users can do this while using Share Sheet, choosing “Duplicate”. it will now gives an option to create a Still Photo duplicate of a Live Photo.

Notes

The Notes app has a minor update to it. iOS 9.3 will see the Notes app get finger-print unlocking ability. This is expected to make using the the must have app more convenient.

January 12, 2016
Apple Reportedly Working on OLED Displays in a Secret Taiwanese Lab

Sources have revealed that Apple has opened a lab in Taiwan and has recruited at least 50 engineers to work on display tech for iPhone and iPad. It is further suggested that many of these engineers previously worked for companies like AU Optronics and Qualcomm.

While the company is working on making its displays thinner, lighter and more efficient, Bloomberg says Apple is working on OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) displays. They are not only thinner, but also require no back-lighting. LG and Samsung have previously employed the same tech in the screens of their various products from television sets to mobile phones.

The Apple iPad Pro

If Apple manages to incorporate its own in-house OLED displays, its supply demands from other manufacturers would go down, giving the company an edge over its counterparts. Any progress on the display front would mean less dependency on companies like Samsung Electronics, Sharp Corp. and Japan Display.

Meanwhile, there is immense secrecy around the lab with no external signs of Cupertino company anywhere close to it. Apple has declined to make any official comments about it.

Source

December 15, 2015
HP to Work on High-End Tablets Priced Similar to Apple iPad

HP Slate 7 came out in 2013 and since then the tablet-business for the company has not been too smooth. HP had aimed to increase sales by keeping the prices low, but that couldn’t work for the company. The manufacturer decided to modify its tactics this year, the Cyber Monday sale being an example. This year, HP conducted a liquidation sale to sort out the inventory of its low-priced slate-tablets.

Additionally, HP has split itself into two companies -one aims at enterprises, the other at consumers. Tablets for “business mobility” will now be part of production of the company. President of Personal Systems at HP, David Coughlin says the tablets will now aim at retail, education and health care.

“We are going to focus where there is profitability and growth and will not chase the low-end tablet market. We are focusing on business mobility to deliver tablets built for field service, education, retail and healthcare,” says David Coughlin

As HP got rid of pretty much most of it low-range tablets, the tablets still on the website have similar price tags as iPads. HP Envy 8 Note are two consumer tablets available on the website. They feature an Intel Atom chipset and are priced at $329 and $429 respectively. These tablets are further equipped with a stylus controlled interface.

iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil

The lowest price tablets by HP are two variants of the HP Slate 8 which include an 8-inch device powered by Snapdragon 801 along with Android 5.0 pre-installed. These tablets are priced at $469 and $499.

December 4, 2015
There Will Not Be a Macbook/iPad Hybrid, Says CEO Tim Cook

Just a couple of days after his comment on the Microsoft Surface Book where he called it “deluded”, Tim Cook has rubbished any rumours and speculations of a Macbook and iPad hybrid. This comment follows what Apple marketing head Phil Schiller said about the hybrid market. He sees it as a nascent realm unlikely to grow into anything significant.

Elaborating further, while talking to an Irish newspaper, Cook said any hybrid device would mean an inefficient product that would satisfy neither the iPad user nor the Macbook user.

“We feel strongly that customers are not really looking for a converged Mac and iPad. Because what that would wind up doing, or what we’re worried would happen, is that neither experience would be as good as the customer wants. So we want to make the best tablet in the world and the best Mac in the world. And putting those two together would not achieve either. You’d begin to compromise in different ways,” said Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

November 16, 2015
iPad Pro to Arrive Next Week, Pre-Orders Begin On International Websites

iPad Pro was launched in September amidst all the glitz and glamour of the Apple event in San Francisco. Even though this was followed by an immediate release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in the market, Pro was kept away from the limelight.

Rumours and speculations had placed 11th of November as the release date for Apple’s newest iPad. Looks like we might be wrong, but only by two days. The iPad Pro is expected to arrive on Friday the 13th next week.

Pre-orders for it have already begun on international websites like Sam’s Club. If you choose to place an order on this website, keep in mind that it’s only offering the Wi-Fi only versions of the 32 GB and 128 GB variants. The two devices are priced at $787 (close to Rs. 52,000) and $937 (close to Rs. 62,000) respectively, surprisingly enough both being lower than Apple’s pricing for them.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus party has barely piped down, and now a new Apple device arrives in town. How do you think Indian audiences would respond to it – will the response be lukewarm like to the latest iPhones or will it be enthusiastic? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.cultofmac.com/396108/ipad-pro-tipped-to-arrive-later-than-expected/”]Cult of Mac[/tw-button]

November 7, 2015
6 Things You May Have Missed During the Apple Launch

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have finally been revealed. After whispered talks for weeks, Apple has delivered its latest offering and is out to be judged. While the world was watching in anticipation as to whether the rumored features and upgrades to the phone – such as camera and Force Touch – were delivered or not, we’ve decided to highlight some details and features about the other products from the launch that you may have missed out on.

1. Apple Watch to come with Facebook Messenger, iTranslate and AirStrip:

Apple has introduced the Messenger app on the watch along with an app that translates one language to another, and an app called Airstrip for healthcare providers that receives information and can differentiate between a baby and mother’s heart rate during pregnancy.

Apple has also tied up with Hermes to design new gold leather bands for the watch, which will cost the same as the Sports. WatchOS2 will release on the 16th of September.

2. iPad Pro will include the 3D4Medical app:

This will allows users to see 3D models of the body in real-time. This app will be particularly useful for patients and medical professionals as it allows users to view 3D images of injuries and can plan out surgeries as well. Are you willing to trust a doctor with an iPad?

3. The iPad Pro will come with an Apple Pencil and keyboard:

The new iPad Pro will feature a stylus called the Apple Pencil and so far this addition has received lukewarm reception. It also comes with a keyboard sold separately for $169, which magnetically attaches to the iPad.

4.The iPad Mini 2 becomes cheaper while iPad Mini 4 will come with an upgraded A8x processor:

This means that it will be able to run all of the iOS 9’s multitasking features. With an upgraded 8 megapixel rear camera, the iPad mini 4 is now very much at par with the iPad Air 2.

5. Apple TV will have a voice and touch enabled remote:

It also introduces iOS features such as weather and sports scores to the TV. It’s called TV OS “Based on iOS and built for the living room”. The TV also allows you to quick rewind 15 seconds by asking “what did she say?”. A great feature if one tends to miss out on a scene. The remote will also feature an accelerometer and a gyroscope that will detect body motions, similar to the Wii.

6. Harmonix introduced a game called Beat Sports for the Apple TV:

You hit pitches by swinging the remote, which means the remote indeed has motion control. “Beat Sports combines the joy of hitting balls with the joy of hitting notes” and can be played using the iPhone and iPod Touch as well.

Now that we’ve got the big and small covered, you can decide for yourselves whether Apple has indeed paid attention to the finer details or not. Expected to roll out their devices next month i.e, October, one will have to wait and find out if the new products are a hit. And if the past is any indication, they will be.

September 10, 2015
The 12.9 inch iPad Pro is Finally a Reality

At the Apple launch, Tim Cook announced “The biggest news in iPad since the iPad”. The new iPad Pro is the company’s push for the iPad in a big way. It is the “biggest screen on an iOS device, with more power and performance than any iOS device.”

According to the company, the iPad Pro is thin enough to hold all day long and buoyant enough to be used as a flotation device in case of emergency. But we feel like it may just be too big to hold in one hand.

Screen 12.9 Retina display

Display 5.6 mil pixels

Sound 4 speaker audio

Battery 10 hours

Camera 8 megapixel iSight

Connectivity Up to 150 mbps LTE

The iPad Pro is upto 1.8X faster than the previous models and is faster than 80% of the portable PCs that have been released. It boasts of a desktop class performance and a great sound system, which includes a four-speaker audio system that balances stereo and frequencies depending on how you hold it.

Apple introduced two new features – the physical keyboard and the Apple Pencil. The keyboard can be attached to the iPad magnetically. The Apple Pencil was introduced to almost lukewarm reactions from the crowd. The stylus has a built in lightning cable for charging.

Apple in a surprising and amusing move, gave the stage to the Microsoft Office team headed by Kirk Konigsbauer, who introduced the Microsoft Office for the iPad. Using iOS9 multitasking, you can have word and excel on the screen at the same time. Earlier, Samsung came out with a multitasking feature, but Apple looks to make it more efficient and user friendly.

Next was Irene Walsh on stage who introduced a new app called 3D4Medical.

“I’m excited to show you how with the new iPad Pro, our ability to communicate with patients has dramatically improved.”

The app shows 3D models of the body, animated in real time. This app is sure to help both patients and medical professionals because the advantages seem to reach far and wide as one can draw out surgeries and get a look of injuries in 3D.

Last year’s iPad Air 2, had a new display, upgraded A8X chip, 6.1mm thin, less than a pound. This year’s new iPad, the iPad Pro, has a better display, upgraded A9X, slightly thicker, slightly heavier. The 32/128 (Wi-Fi)/128 (Wi-Fi + Cellular) GB iPad Pro will cost $799/ $949/ $1079 respectively, the Pencil will cost $99 and the keyboard will be $169.

The iPad Pro is a designer’s dream come true because of the apps and features it offers. However, only the future will tell us how it will make an impact in terms of usage, to the common man. Let us know what you think about this wonder, in the comments below.

September 9, 2015
Along with a Stylus, Next iPad Will Come with Advanced Features like NFC and Force Touch

The idea of including the hand-held Stylus accessory was never supported by Steve Jobs. But things have taken a different route altogether from Steve’s ideologies. We earlier came across KGI Securities’ prediction of Apple planning to bring out a stylus accessory for its future iPad. Now, a person familiar with the next iPad has reaffirmed this fact.

According to the source quoted by Apple Insider, the Cupertino-based tech giant is building an all-new iPad with a 12.9-inch display. Temporarily titled as ‘iPad Pro’, the tablet will feature a brand new set of features like a Stylus, NFC radio, and many more used in the Apple Watch and the latest MacBook.

If the source is to be believed, then Apple may embed NFC radio in its next iPad, allowing it to serve as a payment receiving terminal for Apple Pay. Another added benefit of NFC is simplified pairing, which could help connect the speculated stylus as well. There are also speculations of the stylus being connected through Bluetooth, but nothing can be confirmed as yet.

The inclusion of Force Touch indicates, that the future iPad would be smart enough to sense the difference between a deep tap and a soft tap. It opens a space of possibilities for new commands and combinations.

The USB-C port is the latest development included by Apple on the 12-inch MacBook. The compact, universal USB port is fast and connects to all your devices whether phone or charger. The iPad Pro is expected to have both the new USB-C port and the standard Lightning connector.

Another major feature to beef up the upcoming device is the next-gen A-series processor. There is no wording on the exact version of the processor, but considering the other high-end features, the processor will also be the latest.

For now, these are just reports and the final product may pack some different features from what are anticipated. For confirmation, we will have to wait for an official announcement.

May 4, 2015
The Secret’s Out! Nokia Unveils N1, a Tablet that Runs on Android

Hell yeah! That’s what we said when we finally saw what was inside that black box that Nokia teased us with this morning. Having paid a tribute to the company last week we couldn’t have been happier with the launch of a new digital device with the name Nokia branded on it.

The Nokia N1 is the first device from the company in its new era. The 7.9 inch device immediately reminds you of the iPad mini. With a thickness of 6.9 mm, the device is as thin as a tablet can get. It will also be the first device to come with the new reversible c-type USB.

First device to come with the new reversible USB

The N1 also comes strong on the spec sheet. The device is powered by 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor along with 2GB of RAM. It has 32GB of storage. It gets its juice from 5300 mAh battery. All these will lead to some amazing performance on the 2048 x 1536 resolution display on the device.

On the camera front, the Nokia N1 flaunts an 8-megapixel camera at the rear, and a 5-megapixel version at the front. The overall design of the device is unapologetically iPad-ish. Looks like Nokia isn’t taking a lot of chances with its first attempt back in consumer electronic business and is taking it safe.

The Z-launcher on the N1 has some unique features.

A feature of the N1 that is unique to it is the Z-launcher that is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Z-launcher lets you write text on the screen, and it can then perform tasks or search the device or the internet. It gives you a list of apps and contacts that change based on where you are and what you’re doing. The launcher is available on Google Play store starting today.

The branding on the device could have been better in terms of placement and design.

From the looks of it, the only thing that we found disappointing was branding on the device. A more prominent engraved or embossed logo would have been more appreciable. The bit that is really appreciable is the fact that this is the first device to hold the c-type USB. It was high time we got over the constant twisting of USB’s to find the ideal moment under the stars when it fits in the port. Who better than Nokia to lead an innovation. The device will be priced at $249 and will be first launched in China by early 2015.

November 18, 2014
iPad Air 2 Tipped to be Apple’s Thinnest Tablet Yet

Just when we thought that the iPad couldn’t get any slimmer, a new set of photos leaked online indicate otherwise. Apple is expected to unveil the next generation of iPads this week. Apple’s latest tablet is reportedly just 7 mm thick, its thinnest model yet. Citing images from Vietnamese tech blog Tinhte.vn, the upcoming iPad is expected to include Touch ID and a fingerprint sensor.

It is said that the iPad Air 2 will be roughly the same thickness of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which clock in at 6.9 and 7.1 mm thick, respectively. Gadgets always seem to be getting thinner, so this isn’t exactly unexpected. It is also said that the slimmer chassis might lead to the sacrifice of the mute button in the right side.

Similarly, a Chinese blog has got its hands on the internal hardware of the forthcoming iPad Air. It says that we can expect it to come with a faster A8X processor and 2GB of Ram. According to Macrumors, Apple has traditionally used “X” versions of its main chips with enhanced graphics for its iPads, so we can expect better performance in games and other graphics-heavy apps and websites.

Also, there’s little change in the design, except for recessed volume buttons, which were first adopted in Apple’s latest iPhone 6 models. According to AppleInsider, the speaker grille has apparently changed from two rows to a single row of holes.

October 13, 2014
Microsoft Rolls Out Major Updates of it Office Suite for iPad Users
Microsoft released the first major update to its Office suite for the iPad. Labeled as version 1.1, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint each received several new features that were widely requested since the suite was released on March 27, 2014.

Although both PowerPoint and Excel received their own unique updates, several features were added to all three apps, including the frequently requested ability to export documents as PDF files. Users can also manually crop photos and images in all three apps using a new crop tool that allows you to choose from a list of popular preset sizes, or create your own. (A reset button is also included.) Finally, Office for iPad also has the ability to import external fonts.

Word for iPad (1.1 update):
- Now you can send Word files as PDFs.
- Picture Tools: Crop to focus on just the right part of a photo, or reset to undo your changes.
- Fonts: Third-party fonts are now available in the Fonts menu.
Excel for iPad (1.1 update):
- Now you can send Excel files as PDFs.
- Flick to Select: Flick a cell’s selection handle in any direction to quickly and easily select all the data in a row or column.
- External Keyboard Support: Using an external keyboard is even easier. Use the same keys to input data and move around a worksheet as you would on your PC or Mac.
- PivotTables: Interact with PivotTables that have source data in the same workbook.
- Print Options: More paper sizes and scaling options give you more control over the layout when printing your workbooks.
- Picture Tools: Crop to focus on just the right part of the photo, or reset to undo your changes.
- Fonts: Third-party fonts are now available in the Fonts menu.
PowerPoint for iPad (1.1 update):
- Presenter View: View and edit speaker notes, see your next slide, or jump to other slides while presenting.
- Play Media: Play videos, sound effects, and background music while presenting.
- Insert Video: Insert videos from your Camera Roll.
- Picture Tools: Crop to focus on just the right part of the photo, or reset to undo your changes.
- Presenter Tools: Now you can erase highlights and drawings on your presentation.
- Send PDFs: Send PowerPoint files as PDFs.
- Hyperlinks: Add links to your presentation or edit existing ones.
- Fonts: Third-party fonts are now available in the Fonts menu.
This update is the second major update the Office software has gotten since its March release. Back in April, the three apps gained some important features that had been missing since the launch, including the ability to print directly from the apps. Microsoft’s Office for iPad apps have proven to be highly successful for the company. During its Q4 earnings call in July, Microsoft announced that its Office for iPad software had been downloaded more than 35 million times.

Microsoft has committed to continually improving its Office for iPad apps, which now directly compete with Apple’s own iWork suite including Numbers, Keynote, and Pages. “As this wave of updates hopefully shows, we’re making good on our commitment to delivering continuous updates and improvements to the Office for iPad apps,” reads the company’s blog post on the new update.

All of the updates to the new Office apps are currently available and can be downloaded from the App Store for free. While the apps can be accessed for free, unlocking full capabilities, including editing and creating documents, requires an Office 365 subscription. Adding to that, Microsoft’s OneNote app for iPad has also been updated.
August 4, 2014
iSketchnote: This Smart iPad Cover Will Digitalize Your Doodles

A company based in Grenoble, France called Iskn has developed an iPad cover that lets you mimic your physical doodlings in the digital realm called iSketchnote. Iskn’s mission is to combine the natural experience of familiar tools with the power of digital technology. They have successfully accomplished this by giving us this amazing iPod cover.

This could be the perfect cross-platform product for those individuals who prefer to use pen and paper instead of digital words, but they’d also like to have a digital copy for easy sharing. The iSketchnote can be connected to a PC or a Mac via USB, so those who don’t own an iPad will still be able to use the product. The company is soon planning to offer bluetooth services as well.

The iSketchnote is equipped with an array of sensors inside it to catch each and every stroke your pen makes on the paper placed on the iPad cover. You can use any kind of paper on this cover, while you have to use special kinds of pens that come with a ring-shaped magnet embedded in them. These special pens look like regular ball-point pens but work in unison with the cover that can also detect the color and tip of the pen being used.

Once you are finished with whatever you were doing on the notepad or paper, you can save the digital copy of your work, watch replays of your scribbling process and you can easily share it through e-mail or social media.

The start-up spent two year to develop the prototype of the iSketchnote. They have raised funds for the production through Kickstarter with the pledged goal of $35,000. The product can be pre-ordered on their official site for $358 USD.

Watch the video below to understand the technology better:

July 3, 2014
Apple Replaces Entry 2nd Gen iPad with 4th Gen iPad

Apple has dropped the old iPad 2 from its range of tablets as an entry level tablet and replaced it yesterday with the relatively recent Apple iPad 4th Generation.

Doing this has not decreased the availability of the different variants, as the company has brought back the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display as the new entry-level full-size tablet at $399 for the Wi-Fi only variant. This relaunched 4th generation iPad comes with Retina Display and the new lightning connector.

The 16 GB iPad 2 was selling for 28,900 INR and 37,900 INR for the Wi-Fi and cellular models respectively. You can expect the new variants to be sold at the same price tag.

March 19, 2014