Apple is Present in More Than Half of American Households

Apple products can be seen almost anywhere these days. With iPhones, iPads, iPods and MacBooks, Apple is definitely finding its way into the American household. According to a survey that was conducted by CNBC, more than half of all American households own one or more Apple product.

That means that more than 55 million U.S. homes own some kind of Apple product, and CNBC says that this number will only be going up. Of those polled, a quarter of the individuals said that they would be buying an Apple device sometime within the next year.

“It's a fantastic business model — the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more,” says Jay Campbell, the vice president of Hart Research Associates, which helped to conduct the CNBC survey. “Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level.”

The survey found that the majority of Apple consumers are younger, college-educated males. It also showed that, not surprisingly, the more money that an individual made, the more Apple products that they tended to have. Seventy-seven percent of individuals making $75,000 or more owned at least one Apple device, and on average, owned three devices; while only 28 percent of individuals that made $30,000 or less owned at least one Apple device, and on average, they owned 0.6 devices.

It’s crazy to think how many devices Apple has sold. When the third-generation iPad was released, more than 3 million devices were sold on the first weekend. According to the CNBC survey, it really looks like in the future it’s only going to get better for Apple.

Sources: CNBC - Apples Are Growing in American Homes and PCMag - Half of American Homes Own at Least One Apple Product

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Could the Kindle Fire Outsell Apple's iPad?

Consumers can’t seem to wait to get their hands on the Kindle Fire, and according to Cult of Android, there are numbers that have been compiled showing that the newly released tablet has the potential to outsell Apple’s iPad.

About a week ago, there were leaked screen shots of Amazon’s internal inventory management system that allegedly revealed that consumers had already preordered more than 250,000 Kindle Fires. Amazon announced the tablet less than a week prior to the leaked screen shots. Cult of Android claims that the tablet is already selling around 50,000 devices a day, more than 2,000 tablets per hour.

Two thousand devices per hour?!? That’s absolutely insane! If these numbers are correct, this would mean that Amazon is set to have the biggest tablet launch to-date. It would be even bigger than the launch of the iPad or the iPad 2.

On April 3, 2010 Apple sold 300,000 of the original iPads at the devices launch. As of right now, Apple still has not released any of the details concerning the launch of the iPad 2, but Cult of Android claims that somewhere close to 2.5 million devices were sold in the first month that the device was available.

So far, Amazon has not released any numbers concerning the Kindle Fire, but it has been estimated that Amazon presold 95,000 units the very first day that it was announced.

According to Cult of Android, none of the other devices have had presale numbers like the Kindle Fire. BlackBerry sold 250,000 PlayBooks in the first month, while Motorola only sold 100,000 Xooms.

The Kindle Fire does not ship until November 15, so Amazon has plenty of time to overtake the iPad, even if presale numbers begin to slow. Another tablet could definitely help to boost the sales numbers, and reportedly Amazon is working on a 10-inch version of the Kindle Fire.

The media is saying that the Kindle Fire is the tablet that could actually present some decent competition to Apple’s iPad. It also helps that the Kindle Fire will only cost you $199 and that Amazon is offering free two-day shipping. Who knows how it will all turn out, but if Cult of Android is even close to being on track with their estimates, the Kindle Fire really could become the tablet to beat.

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Consumers Choose the iPad Over Other Tablets

According to a survey that was conducted by Bernstein Research, it seems as though half of the consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom want an iPad if they decide to purchase a tablet. The other half of the consumer population that didn’t choose the iPad said that they wanted a tablet that looks and feels just like the iPad.

Well, this survey only seems to confirm the fact that Apple is certainly the brand that is dominating the tablet industry. The iPad and the iPad 2 are the front running tablets, despite the many other tablets that seek to sneak past the Apple tablets. The Bernstein Research survey caused All Things D to state Monday, “Consumers don’t want tablets, they want iPads.”

Fifty percent of the consumers polled in both the U.S. and the U.K. chose the Apple iPad, so that left the other fifty percent choosing either Research in Motion, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, Dell, Hewlett-Packard or “no preference” as their tablet choice.

All Things D is comparing Apple’s dominance in the tablet industry to the company’s iPod’s supremacy among the MP3 player industry. Right now, that seems like a pretty good comparison. According to industry researcher Gartner, Apple is expected to stay ahead of the other tablets at least until 2015. That would be pretty sad if no one else could come up with something that would challenge the iPad until then. We always need a little healthy competition.

Bernstein’s survey also showed that other tablet manufacturers better not attempt to deviate from the standards that Apple has set down with its iPad.

"We find that consumers are not interested in form factors that deviate from the benchmark set by Apple," the Bernstein Research report stated. "Few consumers, less than 15 percent, prefer the 7-inch screen size versus the 10-inch screen of the iPad."

"Over 50 percent of respondents are firmly in favor of the 10-inch screen, which leads us to conclude that the 7-inch tablet models recently launched, like the BlackBerry PlayBook, are destined for failure. Consumers' preference for the 10-inch form factor explains the lukewarm response to Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy tablet and the rapid introduction of larger screen models in that series."

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64GB MicroSD Card Announced by Kingmax

In a press release that came out on Tuesday, May 24, a Chinese semiconductor company called Kingmax announced its new 64GB microSD card and released all of the details about it.

Right now, the largest microSD card on the market is 32GB, so a card that could hold double that amount of stuff would be something great for individuals who have enormous amounts of MP3s and videos bogging down their phones and tablets. They would no longer need to feel restrained by the 32GB microSD cards and could simply switch out their current card for the massive 64GB one.

The original microSD card was introduced to the world by SanDisk, and it was also SanDisk that brought us the current maximum capacity microSD card, so I can’t help but be a little surprised that it is not SanDisk that is making this gigantic leap in the microSD world. When we were first introduced to the 32GB microSD card, it was priced at $199.99, but now you can find it on websites like Amazon for around $60. Mobile technology is becoming much more refined, but as file sizes expand for much more data-intensive formats, including FLAC and HD video, a card with a much bigger capacity is really in demand. Now, of course, Apple users get lucky. Due to all of the internal storage found on Apple devices, users should have no need to up their microSD card capacity.

The press release that Kingmax released gave plenty of details about the 64GB microSD card but did not indicate when they will be releasing the product. They also did not mention any type of price range. Taking into consideration what SanDisk first charged for their original 32GB card, Kingmax’s new product could be hundreds of dollars. Another issue that I didn’t immediately think of is that not all phones would be able to support a 64GB card. Verizon’s LG Revolution, with a 16GB card, and its Droid Charge, with a 32GB card, both can only support up to a 32GB card. It looks like the phone technology will need to catch up to Kingmax.

When you think about it, there really aren’t a ton of devices that are compatible with a card that is 64GB. I mean the card’s capacity is on par with the top, most expensive versions of the iPad and the iPod Touch. I’m sure that technology will quickly be catching up to Kingmax’s capabilities though, and while the company waits for technology to catch up, I’m sure that there are plenty of other storage companies that will be working to get out their own 64GB microSD card as well.

Here are the features listed in the press release on Kingmax’s website:
Product Features:
‧High compatibility & reliability
‧Ultra fast transfer rate
‧plug and play

Product specifications:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
‧SD3.0
‧Capacity：64GB
‧Speed：Class6
‧Dimension：15 mm x11 mm x1.0mm
‧Wear leveling algorithm to maximize product lifetime
‧Built-in Error Correction Code that auto corrects data
‧Energy efficient, extends mobile devices’ battery lifetime

Want to know more? Check out the actual press release at Kingmax’s website: KINGMAX Unveils World's Largest Capacity 64GB Micro SDXC Card.

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The Foxconn Explosion Wasn’t an Accident

Although the Chinese government had previously said that the explosion at the Foxconn factory was an accident, a Hong Kong workers advocacy group is claiming otherwise. The group alleged on Monday, May 23 that the blast was the result of Foxconn management disregarding work safety at the plant.

"The explosion is not accidental," Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) wrote in a blog post. The blog went on to condemn the conditions at Foxconn’s facilities in mainland China. It also alleged a total lack of inaction on the part of the contract computer and electronic manufacturers including Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell.

The explosion at Foxconn’s Chengdu facilities in southwestern China killed three people and left more than a dozen workers injured. The explosion occurred in the factory’s “polishing plant” where the aluminum cases for Apple’s iPad 2 are polished. Reports now seem to be linking the blast to combustible “ultra-light” aluminum dust.

"SACOM pinpointed the problem of the aluminum dust in the polishing department in our report in early May," the advocacy group stated. They are referring to a report that the group released on May 6, 2011. The report condemned the alleged failure of Foxconn and its partners to improve the conditions for the workers at the plant in lieu of the string of worker suicides that took place.

"Regrettably, Foxconn turns a deaf ear to SACOM's findings. After the spate of suicides, the blast also affirms Foxconn puts productivity of [the] iPad before workers' lives," the blog continued.

Apple is the most prominent customer of the factories. Foxconn, which is a subsidiary of Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, assembles iPads, iPhones and iPods for the company; however, they also provide products for Amazon (the Kindle e-reader), Acer, Asus, Intel, Cisco, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Nintendo, Nokia, Sony and Vizio, among a variety of other clients.

In recent years, Hon Hai Precision Industry and its many high-profile customers have been under scrutiny and sparked many controversies with the worker suicide and leaked product design incidents. It was the suicides that really drew attention to the working conditions at the plants, especially its Shenzen plant, which houses more than 420,000 workers inside of the facilities.

After the suicides, Foxconn announced that they would have a series of pay raises that included a 30 percent across-the-board pay hike and a 66-percent performance-based raise for those employees who received good marks following a three-month evaluation. Some of the partners, including Apple, HP and Dell, pledged that they would monitor the pay rate changes at Foxconn to make sure that employees new pay rates, safety and overtime compensation were taken care of.

However, SACOM reported in their May 6 report that these pledges by the partners and the company have not been kept.

SACOM said that when they last visited the Foxconn facilities, there were “anti-suicide nets” in the workers' living spaces, but working conditions and promised compensation allegedly remained completely unaltered.

SACOM also said that Foxconn promised that it would provide adequate personal protective equipment for workers, but the workers do not have this protection and “are not well-informed about the chemical in use.”

SACOM called out Apple in the report that they released May 6 and the blog post that they posted May 23. They alleged that “while Apple commends the measures taken by Foxconn to improve working conditions, SACOM finds [the] predicaments of workers remain.”

"Workers always have excessive and forced overtime in order to gain a higher wage. Workers are exposed to dust from construction site[s] and shop floor[s] without adequate protection. Even worse, they are threatened by [the] potential harm of occupational diseases in various departments. Additionally, a military-styled management is still in practice, characterized by 'military training' for new workers."

According to the International Business Times, Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou said that the explosion will not cause any production delays for the iPad 2.

Close to 30 percent of Apple’s iPad 2 tablets are produced at the Chengdu plant where the explosion occurred; however, the managing director of Ticonderoga Securities said that the production of the iPad 2 will simply move to the Foxconn facility in Shenzhen. This will prevent any supply issues for Apple.

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iPad and iPhone Shortages Could Cause Shipment Delays

There could be some definite delays in the shipping of Apple products including the iPad and the iPhone. One of Apple’s key manufacturers, Foxconn, whose factory is in Chengdu, China, is reported to be dealing with a shortage of parts as well as labor.

Digitimes is saying that the alleged shortage could, and most likely will, cause a stall in the shipment of Apple products, particularly the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2. Digitimes also reported that so far Foxconn has not directly commented on the possible issue. The only thing that they have said is that "the company's capacity is being arranged fully at the request of its clients." They refused to comment on whether or not the shortages would delay the shipment of Apple products. The company also went on to say that "it has experience arranging manpower to assist its clients in reaching their goals."

Although Foxconn isn’t speaking up about the problem, recent Apple iPad news seems to indicate that the shipping delay rumors could definitely be true. In Apple’s most recent earning report, they conveyed a decrease in iPad sales. In the first quarter sales slipped from the 7.33 million units that the company sold in the fourth quarter to 4.69 million units. According to Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, the company faced “the mother of all backlogs” with the iPad 2.

Cook even said in the earnings calls, "I wish that we could have made a lot more iPad 2s because there were a lot of people waiting for them."

The Foxconn factory that is struggling with the shortage issues reportedly has 52 different iPad production lines, and it supposedly can produce more than 40 million units a year, but obviously, things are not working out as planned.

One of the reported reasons that there have been iPad 2 supply problems is a leaky touch screen, but this issue has supposedly been fixed. Besides the comments that Cook made during Apple’s earnings report, the company has not commented on anything surrounding the issue.

Hopefully, Foxconn and Apple will figure out all of the shipping issues, and there won’t be big delays on their products; or if there are going to be major delays, I hope that the companies will be upfront and discuss the issues with the public. We’ll just have to wait to see how everything turns out.

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iPad Sales Slipping

Surprisingly and certainly unexpectedly, Apple’s iPad sales are slipping. They’re slipping enough that iSuppli has gone ahead and readjusted the predicted numbers of iPads that it believed Apple would sell in 2011. That’s a pretty quick decision. Is it really that bad?

At an earnings call on Wednesday, April 20 Apple reported that it had sold 4.69 million iPads in the first quarter. That seems like a ton, doesn’t it? Well, in the fourth quarter of 2010, Apple sold more than 7.33 million iPads, although you have to consider that this number includes the holiday sales.

Originally, iSuppli was predicting that Apple would sell 43.7 million iPad units in 2011, but due to the decline, AppleInsider is saying that they have dropped that forecast to 39.7 million. Before the earnings call, there were a variety of different iPad sale predictions ranging from 45 to 60 million, but I think that those numbers will be dropping very soon.

So why is it that the sales aren't meeting the expectations? One of the biggest issues seems to be that Apple simply cannot keep up with the incredible demand for the device. Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, said that Apple is dealing with “the mother of all backlogs.”

"I wish that we could have made a lot more iPad 2s because there were a lot of people waiting for them," Cook added.

The new and improved version of the device was released on March 11 in the United States, and it has been incredibly popular. It was reported that Apple sold almost a half a million iPad 2s during the first week that it was in stores, although there was a five week wait period for the device. Reports also stated that they sold out overseas just as quickly.

iSuppli said that some of the slowdown surrounding the iPad 2 was due to the quality of the touch screen LCD panels and the production shortages of the advanced speakers that went into the device. It simply was more difficult to crank out these higher quality parts. There are also rumors that Apple ran into a few manufacturing glitches that slowed down the process as well.

“When we looked at the manufacturing numbers, they must have run into some manufacturing issues, some quality issues in terms of turning those products around, because we didn't see the volume manufactured that we expected to see in the first quarter," said Rhoda Alexander, the director of monitor research at iSuppli.

Some might question whether or not the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that devastated Japan could have caused some production delays as well, but Apple claims that this had no effect on the manufacturing of the device. It was rumored that Apple was being forced to pay extra to ensure smooth shipping of the iPad 2 parts that they received from their Japanese suppliers, but Cook claimed that the disastrous event did not have any kind of impact on supply or cost for Apple.

Although iSuppli has decreased its prediction of sales in 2011, the 2012 predictions have gone up. Previously, it was forecasting that 61.6 million units would be sold in 2012, but they have now increased that number to 62.6 million.

It’s interesting that although there has been a decline in iPad sales, Apple is reporting record earnings. They recently reported profits of $5.99 billion, which is a 95 percent increase over the same time period last year.

It doesn't matter if iPad sales do continue to slip; I think that it is safe to say that Apple will somehow make it through.

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Is the iPad a Necessary Business Tool?

What do you think? Is the iPad a bad business tool? According to Dell and HP, it is. This week, both of these technology giants criticized Apple’s enterprise strategy. "Apple is great if you've got a lot of money and live on an island. It's not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex," said Dell’s global marketing chief Andy Lark. In an interview with CRN Stephen DeWitt, senior vice president of HP Americas Solution Partners Organization, said "Apple's relationship with partners is transactional, completely. Apple doesn't have an inclusive philosophy of partner capabilities, and that's just absurd."

On Thursday, March 31 there was a sort of rebuttal against these criticisms when SmithBucklin, a global company that deals with managing anything from the basic logistics to event promotion of trade shows, took on the role as the first company to place an entire order for iPad 2s. So, why did SmithBucklin choose the iPad 2?

They say that one of the main reasons for choosing the iPad 2 over a tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, etc. was because they wanted to boost the use of social media among their employees. "We wanted to make sure our employees were actually walking the walk and not just talking the talk," Mike Nikolich, SmithBucklin's chief marketing officer, said. "We advise our clients all the time on managing blogs, commenting, updating Facebook pages, etc.” "Ultimately we see the iPad 2 as a productivity tool. It's a lot easier to bring the tablet on the train or out of town for work, and lots of people here already use them during meetings."

Nikolich went on to say that most of the 600 employees at SmithBucklin will receive an iPad 2. He also said that almost half of the office already owns an original iPad, but when given the opportunity to have the new iPad 2, 95 percent of the employees chose the upgraded tablet. "It's so new, there's still the 'wow' factor," he said. He also said that his company’s interaction with Apple was minimal because there was very little integration work needed. "Honestly, direct contact with Apple did not have an impact in our decision."

So again I pose the question…what do you think? Do you feel that the iPad 2 is a useful business tool? It’s a very expensive tool. I know that for sure. I think that it can definitely be useful tool, but there are many other things that can do the same job. Yes, it’s convenient access to social media outlets, but can’t laptops and computers and even smartphones do the same thing? If your business has plenty of money to spend on things like iPads, then by all means, go for it, but I don’t think that the average corporation is going to be sending Apple orders for iPads for all of their employees. Maybe someday in the future, when iPads are cheaper, this could be a possibility, but for now, I think most companies will be waiting.

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Thinking of Trading in Your Original iPad?

Are you thinking about getting the new iPad 2 and don’t know what to do with your original iPad? Well, now there is an option. Best Buy and Target are both offering an iPad buyback program that allows iPad owners to trade in their original iPads for in-store credit or a check.

Target is only offering an in-store credit for trade-ins. Owners will receive the maximum amount of credit for fully functional iPads that are turned in with their original boxes. You can either go to Target’s Mobile Stand (there are currently 850 in 1,490 Target stores nationwide) or Target’s trade-in e-store if you want to trade in your old iPad.

Target also mentioned that their REDCard 5 percent discount program will apply to the iPad 2.

Listed below are the maximum values that Target is offering as an in-store credit which you can receive when you trade in your old iPad:

iPad WiFi 16GB (original price: $499) – $194
iPad WiFi 32GB ($599) -- $229
iPad WiFi 64GB ($629) -- $257
iPad WiFi + 3G 16GB ($699) -- 229
iPad WiFi + 3G 32GB ($729) -- $264
iPad WiFi + 3G 64GB ($829) -- $303

Best Buy's longstanding trade-in program offers the choice of either an in-store credit or a mailed check. Listed below are the maximum values that Best Buy is offering for your iPad without the box:

iPad WiFi 16GB -- gift card: $230; check: $150
iPad WiFi 32GB -- gift card: $275; check: $179
iPad WiFi 64GB -- gift card: $311; check: $202
iPad WiFi + 3G 16GB -- gift card: $275; check: $179
iPad WiFi + 3G 32GB -- gift card: $320; check:$ 208
iPad WiFi + 3G 64GB -- gift card: $370; check: $240

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$100 Refund for Recent Purchases of the Original iPad

So you did it. You have had enough of working on the go and lugging your laptop around with you, so you broke down and finally bought an iPad. The bad news? The iPad 2 was literally just released and the original iPad got a pretty price cut. I bet in your mind you are spouting some pretty obscene curse words but alas, I have some very very good news for you. If you recently purchased a first generation iPad, then you may qualify for a $100 refund.

That's right, Apple is offering a $100 refund to customers who purchased the iPad at its former price according to a customer service representative from Apple. The refund, which will be applied directly to your credit card, applies to each and every single version of the first generation iPad.

But like most good news in the world, there is a catch. According to the customer service representative, who recently spoke with CNET, Apple is only offering the $100 refund to anybody who purchased a first generation iPad within 14 days of the March 2nd announcement of the iPad 2. There was no official date given by the customer service representative but if you do your math right, that cut-off date would seemingly be February 16th.

The iPad 2, which comes with some serious updates including two cameras, a dual-core processor and either a black or white finish, is scheduled to hit store shelves on March 11th for a base price of $499. Apple also released a statement yesterday that it has started selling first generation iPad models for $100 less than their previous price tags, which is where the $100 refund comes in.

If you purchased your iPad online, then you need to call Apple customer service to process the refund according to the customer service representative. Customers who purchased iPads from a store must bring their receipt with them to the store they purchased it from in order to receive their refunds.

Source: cnet News - Apple giving $100 refund on recent iPad purchases

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10.1-inch Honeycomb Tablet Coming from Samsung this Sunday?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phones! Could Samsung be launching a Galaxy Tab 2 with Honeycomb this Sunday? If so, it is definitely a bit of a surprise to the tech world.

According to sources from Pocket-lint, Samsung will be launching a 10.1-inch tablet on Sunday night complete with Honeycomb as the start of Mobile World Congress. According to what we know so far, the device will be thinner and lighter that the current Samsung Galaxy Tab, will have a bigger screen and be featured in black as opposed to white.

Running Honeycomb, (Android 3.0) Samsung is hoping the new tablet will be able to hold its own against some of the more popular devices out there like the Xoom from Motorola and the dominating iPad from Apple. Pocket-lint sources also believed that Samsung was considering launching a 9-inch tablet at the same time, making it appear that Samsung didn't really have a full plan laid out. However, it appears now that this is untrue.

Specifications are scarce on this device. What we do know is that it will have a dual-core Qualcomm chip as well as an 8-megapixel camera. It has also been released that this Galaxy Tab will be physically smaller than Apple's iPad, even though it has a moderately larger screen than Apple's device.

I guess we will figure out more details concerning this tablet, which is still without a name, on Sunday. Samsung's first Galaxy Tab did o.k. but couldn't really hold a candle to the iPad. But then again, what device could? Maybe this next generation device will be different. One can only hope.

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The Daily- A Subscription News App for iPad Users

On Wednesday, February 2 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Rupert Murdoch, the founder, chairman, and CEO of News Corp., unveiled his newspaper called The Daily that is just for Apple’s iPad.

"In the tablet era, there's room for a fresh and new voice," Murdoch said. "The iPad demands that we completely reinvent our craft."

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Murdoch went on to give a nice little overview of the new digital newspaper. He said that The Daily will feature close to 100 pages of brand new content each and every day in six different categories: news, sports, gossip and celebrity, opinion, art and life, and apps and games. iPad users that are interested in the paper can subscribe to the publication and decide whether they want to be billed each week for $0.99 or each year for $39.99. This comes down to about $0.14 a day. Once users have subscribed to The Daily, the publication will be automatically delivered to their iPad each and every morning.

"No million dollar presses, no trucks, and we're passing on that savings to the reader," Murdoch said.

The digital newspaper from Murdoch is really a fantastic idea, and not only does it provide a green newspaper solution for iPad users, but also it features bonuses like HD video and 360 degree photos. Users will be able to navigate through The Daily via a carousel at the bottom of the newspaper.

There were many different notable names at the event that was held on Wednesday. A few of these names included Apple's head of Internet Services, Eddie Cue; The Daily's Editor-in-Chief Jesse Angelo; and News Corp.'s Chief Digital Officer Jon Miller.

"It's the first national daily news publication built from the ground up for the iPad," Cue said.

The newly featured subscription for The Daily breaks new ground for the iPad. The new news app from Murdoch is one of the very few apps for the iPad that has a model. Most consumer magazines do have an app for the iPad, but barely any have a subscription model; however, Cue says that this is all about to change.

"[Subscriptions are] available today on The Daily," Cue said. "You'll hear an announcement from us soon for other news publications."

The Daily features content covering a variety of different subjects. Miller said that the digital newspaper is a very important tool to tell stories.

The Daily has been highly anticipated for a while now. Before Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, left on a medical leave, he was supposed to appear with Murdoch to reveal The Daily at an event at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on January 19.

Obviously, that didn’t come about. The new launch was confirmed on Thursday, January 27 when invitations were sent out to journalists.

Reportedly, the delay with the release of The Daily was so that News Corp. and Apple could work out all of the kinks surrounding the subscription platform. News Corp. did confirm the delay but did not seem interested in expanding on any further reasons for the delay.

Murdoch said that, despite the absence of Jobs at the event, Apple’s CEO "has been a champion behind The Daily since day one."

While the delays with The Daily were going on, the 100-member staff of the digital newspaper, which includes journalists from publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Forbes, was hard at work. They have been working to produce mock versions of the issues for an exclusive email list of 1,000 readers.

So, right now, The Daily is solely for the Apple iPad, but this won’t last forever.

"As other tablets get established, we will develop the tech to go on them," Murdoch said. "We will be on all the major tablets."

Murdoch did add though that this will most likely not occur for another few years.

If you’re interested in The Daily app for the Apple iPad, News Corp. is offering a trial offer that you can download for a free subscription for the next two weeks.

This is definitely a really cool idea, and it will be interesting to see if digital newspapers for tablets become a growing trend.

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Early Results of the eReader Project

It appears that a decent amount of students at the University of Notre Dame have decided to throw textbooks to the wind and have instead chosen to adopt the iPad as an e-reader replacement. Seven weeks into the study, students said that they learned more and were able to enjoy their classes more.

There is currently a yearlong study being conducted called the eReader project. Forty percent of a school’s management students (mostly undergraduates) are given an iPad as a loan for the study. Other schools besides Notre Dame are doing similar studies, but Notre Dame is the first school to release some early results concerning the study.

According to the eReader project, students said that the iPad really helped encourage them to further explore additional course topics, increase their knowledge, and keep their interest in the course. They also loved the portability of the iPad.

Dr. Corey M. Angst, the professor who taught the management class, noted that one advantage to the iPad was that it didn’t have the annoying and distracting clicking sound that a laptop has.

The students who enrolled in Angst’s class were not aware that they would be offered an iPad free of charge when they signed up for the class. It’s not a surprise that not one single student out of the forty offered an iPad rejected the offer.

Once the students were given the devices, there were a few rules that were laid down about what they could and could not do on their iPads. "We did this because we wanted to understand how or if the iPad changed the way students read, studied, participated, took notes, etc. We also anticipated that students would 'invent' ways of using the iPad to improve their course engagement," the authors wrote in their report.

This is a very interesting way to conduct the study because it allows users the freedom to figure things out on their own.

The success that Notre Dame is reporting from the study could possibly cause some two-year colleges' wheels to turn. The Obama administration just recently outlined funding that would provide eligible two-year colleges with new technology. The grant program plans to provide $2 billion in funding to support online learning strategies. This funding includes providing new ways of delivering core material to students.

Although most of the comments from the students were positives, the one negative comment was that it was frustrating using the highlighting and note-taking tools.
College is not the only place that iPads are popping up though. The New York Times reported that New York public schools went ahead and ordered more than 2,000 iPads for $1.3 million. In Chicago there were 200 public schools that applied for iPad grants totaling $450,000. In California there are six middle schools that are only teaching algebra courses via the iPad.

"It allows us to extend the classroom beyond these four walls," Larry Reiff, an English teacher at Roslyn High School in Long Island, which has 47 iPads, told the Times.

Scott Wolfe, the principal of a New Jersey elementary school, said that the iPad could quite possibly be the best new technology that has come to the school “since the overhead projector.”

Technology coordinator at the Bronx Green Middle School Michael Little wrote a blog discussing the integration of iPads into the school system. "For the students who don't remember the old math and can’t quite grasp the new, they can shut down in class or act out because of the frustration. The MathBoard app helps with the basic skills, but oftentimes I pull up a math game through the game center app and let those students focus on that while working with the rest of the class."

Not everyone is so excited about the devices though. "There is very little evidence that kids learn more, faster or better by using these machines," Larry Cuban, a professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, told the Times. "iPads are marvelous tools to engage kids, but then the novelty wears off and you get into hard-core issues of teaching and learning."

I’m not exactly sure where I stand on whether or not the iPad is a helpful device within the classroom. I feel like it could easily become a distraction instead of a help. It will be very interesting to see the final results of the eReader project when the year is over and whether or not the iPad really made much of a difference with the college students at Notre Dame.

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iPad Hackers Finally Arrested

On Tuesday, January 18 two men were arrested by federal officials for allegedly hacking into AT&T’s servers last year.

Andrew Auernheimer, 25, from Fayetteville, Ark. and Daniel Spitler, 26, from San Francisco supposedly stole e-mail addresses and other information about AT&T’s iPad customers. The two men were taken into custody by the FBI on Tuesday morning.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Newark, New Jersey, Auernheimer and Spitler are being officially charged with allegedly attempting to hack into AT&T’s network in order to obtain personal subscriber information.

Auernheimer was arrested when he appeared in an Arkansas state court for drug charges that were completely unrelated to the hacking charges. He was quickly scheduled to appear in court before the U.S. Magistrate in Fayetteville, Judge Erin L. Setser, later Tuesday. Spitler’s arrest was a little less complicated. He gave himself up to the FBI in Newark and will be appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark’s federal court.

The maximum potential penalty for both Auernheimer and Spitler is five years in prison as well as a $250,000 fine.

Back in June 2010, AT&T did recognize the fact that a breach to its server had taken place. The breach exposed approximately 114,000 e-mail addresses and ICC-IDs of Apple iPad users, including such users as Michael Bloomberg, Harvey Weinstein, and blogger Kara Swisher. Later on, AT&T blamed the breach on hackers who had utilized a feature that was meant to help users log into their accounts more quickly.

The simple function allowed users to link the iPad’s unique identifier to their personal e-mail address so that they would be able to sign on to AT&T’s Web site as quickly as possible. The problem was that sometimes the ICC-ID was displayed in the AT&T Web site URL.

"Seeing this, and discovering that each ICC-ID was connected to an iPad 3G user e-mail address, hackers wrote a script termed the 'iPad 3G Account Slurper,'” said the Office of U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. They then “deployed it against AT&T's servers," Fishman’s office continued.

In June 2010 the “Account Slurper” attacked AT&T’s servers for several days. It worked to collect as many e-mails as it possibly could. The script tricked AT&T’s servers into providing access for the Account Slurper by mimicking the behavior of an iPad 3G.

"Once deployed, the Account Slurper used a process known as a 'brute force' attack – an iterative process used to obtain information from a computer system – against the servers, randomly guessing at ranges of ICC-IDs," Fishman's office said. "An incorrect guess was met with no additional information, while a correct guess was rewarded with an ICC-ID/e-mail pairing for a specific, identifiable iPad 3G user."

After stealing all of the information, the hackers provided the gossip blog Gawker with the stolen e-mail addresses. Gawker then posted the stolen information and said that a group known as Goatse Security was claiming responsibility for all of the hacking.

Fishman reported that Auernheimer and Spitler discussed all of the hacking over an instant messaging program known as Internet Relay Chat. Fishman’s office said that both men formulated the attack to "simultaneously damage AT&T and promote themselves and Goatse Security."

"Hacking is not a competitive sport, and security breaches are not a game. Companies that are hacked can suffer significant losses, and their customers made vulnerable to other crimes, privacy violations, and unwanted contact," Fishman said in a statement. "Computer intrusions and the spread of malicious code are a threat to national security, corporate security, and personal security. Those who use technological expertise for malicious purposes take note: your activities in cyberspace can have serious consequences for you in the real world."

"Such intrusion cases, regardless if the motive is criminal gain or prestige among peers in the cyber-hacking world, must and will be aggressively pursued to ensure these rights are protected to the highest degree," added Michael B. Ward, a Special Agent in charge of the FBI's Newark field office.

Hacking is something that we have to deal with if we’re going to be part of the tech world. It’s intimidating though to see that AT&T took several days to even realize that a hack was occurring. Despite all of this, the Apple iPad is an incredibly convenient device that people are going to keep using in spite of a few issues. Hopefully AT&T and Apple have worked through any other possible hacking issues that could occur on the iPad so that iPad users can continue with their on-the-go use of the devices free of any worries.

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Top iPad 2 Rumors

The rumors about Apple’s iPad 2 have been swirling around everywhere. Everyone seems to have their own speculations about the highly anticipated tablet. Even industry analysts can’t help but make some predictions of their own. Analysts like iSuppli are already predicting that Apple will ship close to 40 billion iPad 2s by next year and will far surpass the estimated 12.9 million original iPads that they shipped in 2010.

So, there are plenty of rumors, but here are the most prevalent rumors currently floating around about the iPad 2.

1. There will be three different versions: Wi-Fi, CDMA, and GSM.

The original iPad comes in two different versions: Wi-Fi only and GSM (3G). Supposedly, upstream component makers told DigiTimes on Wednesday, December 29, that there would be three versions of the iPad 2. They even claimed that Apple will begin shipping these devices out sometime in January which, according to the iPad’s supply-chain schedule, would allow the iPad 2 to hit stores by April 2011.

2. Certain functions will be very much like the iPhone 4.

Various reports, including Reuters, are claiming that the iPad 2 will feature things like two cameras (a front-facing VGA camera and a back-facing 5-megapixel one), a three-axel gyroscope that is useful to gamers, and retina display technology.

3. It will be the very first Apple mobile device with a USB port.

This would be an awesome addition to the iPad 2. Reports have said that this would be an attempt by Apple to bridge the gap between phone and computer. According to Digitimes, the iPad 2 should come complete with two micro USB ports. This would open up so many more connectivity options for iPad users.

4. There will be a smaller version of the iPad 2.

The Japanese blog Kantedian cited an unknown Chinese source when they claimed that they had “found” the specific dimensions of the iPad 2. They said that the iPad 2 would measure in at 9.41 inches by 7.32 inches. This is smaller than the original iPad, which measured in at 9.56 inches by 7.47 inches.

In August an unknown source told Digitimes that the iPad 2’s screen would be 7 inches; however, in October Steve Jobs shot this down when he said, “The 7-inch tablets are tweeners.” What he meant was that a 7-inch tablet was too big to compete with a phone and too small to compete with a 10-inch tablet.

5. Apple has ordered 65 million units.

Digitimes has also been spreading around that Apple was ordering 65 million screens from their Asian suppliers. They said, “"Market players noted that the 65 million unit shipment goal indicates that Apple is very optimistic about the tablet PC market in 2011, and it may also mean that Apple is overbooking panel capacity."

6. The iPad 2 will feature an anti-smudge, anti-reflective screen.

The Kindle is known for its anti-reflective screen and is doing quite well.
DigiTimes claims that Apple is “also working on strengthening the iPad 2's anti-smudge and anti-reflective treatments in order to compete against Kindle and attract more consumers" only makes sense.

7. The back will have wide-range speakers.

Mac Otakara, a blogger for Japan’s May-The-Force-Be-With-You, cited leaked photos from a source in China claiming they showed “a hole in the lower right of the rear panel is neither a USB connector nor a SD card slot. It is a large, wide-ranged speaker unit covered with metal mesh."

8. The new device from Apple will have an SD card.

New York analyst at Rodman and Renshaw Ashok Kumar said, “Apple is on track to refresh the iPad by March and iPhone by late summer. A key component upgrade across these platforms will be a dual-core processor featuring a pair of 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores."

Other analysts agree, claiming that the rear slot that was seen on the early iPad 2 cases was made for SD cards. It would be a great addition to the tablet.

9. It will feature a dual-core processor.

As Kumar said, the iPad 2 will feature a dual-core processor. This could definitely satisfy the Apple haters who criticize the iPad and are awaiting the dual-core RIM PlayBook and the Motorola Android tablet.

10. Cases already exist for the iPad 2.

Pictures popped up on the trading site Alibaba showing cases for the iPad 2. Unfortunately, an unnamed company contacted the site and asked them to take down the pictures. John Spelich, a spokesman for Alibaba, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, “We do not know whether these products are what they say they are, but we have received a legitimate takedown request and are removing the listings.”

Despite this, it definitely looks like there are iPad 2 cases already made and ready for the device.

Now, of course, all of these claims are only rumors, but there are some very interesting claims to consider. No matter what, it looks like the iPad 2 will definitely be leaps and bounds ahead of the original iPad. Hopefully, Apple will soon release some information so we can stop all of the speculations about the fascinating new device.

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Apple Sued Over Privacy Issues

Apple is being sued by a California man due to the privacy issues with some of their apps.

Jonathan Lalo filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California on Thursday, December 23, because he says that Apple produces devices that give access to ad networks to allow them to track a user’s app activity without the consent of the user. The complaint that Lalo filed mentions names like Pandora, Paper Toss, The Weather Channel and Dictionary.com.

Lalo claims that this ad network tracking occurs on Apple’s iPhone and the iPad, and it allows the networks to see which applications people are downloading, how often they use them, and how long they are using them. Lalo also claims that both iPhones and iPads feature a Unique Device Identifier (UDID), a number that is specific to that device, which users cannot block, alter or delete.

According to the suit, the UDID "is now being used by ad networks to track Plaintiffs and the Class – including what apps they download, how frequently they use the apps, and for how long. Some apps are also selling additional information to ad networks, including users' location, age, gender, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation and political views."

It continues saying that due to this, Apple and the app developers both “invaded their privacy, misappropriated and misused their personal information and interfered with the operability of their mobile devices." According to Bloomberg, the suit claims that it is seeking justice on behalf of all of the Apple iPhone and iPad users who have downloaded an app between December 1, 2008 and last week.

"None of the defendants adequately informed plaintiffs of their practices, and none of the defendants obtained plaintiffs' consent to do so," one plaintiff of the lawsuit alleged.

So far, Apple has made no comment concerning the allegations.

Issues over privacy have been prevalent of late. Just last week, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal that discussed how mobile apps send certain information out without the user’s consent or knowledge and that the use was “widely and regularly” practiced by companies. The article focused on a study that examined 101 different mobile applications. It found that iPhone apps gave out more personal information without a user’s consent than Android apps did.

The Journal also included a list of the “leakiest” apps that included Pandora, Paper Toss, and TextPlus 4. These apps send out information including age, gender, ZIP codes and user IDs to several different ad networks. The information that is released the most often, which is usually either sent back to the app manufacturer or sold to an ad network, is the device’s UDID because this information allows companies to see what the owner does with his or her device.

The article in the Journal spurred the Mobile Marketing Association to decide that new, more specific privacy guidelines need to be devised that inform consumers about what information is being released to advertisers and how it is being utilized.

Right now there are two separate suits going on. One deals with the
iPhone, and the other deals with the iPad. A partner in the Fears & Nachawati law firm and the attorney of one of the complainants Majed Nachawati said that he would not be surprised if at some point the cases were consolidated into one case by the judges that are presiding over the cases.

Nachawati also said, "We are also looking at Google's Android platform and a lawsuit against them has not been ruled out.”

After these privacy issues have been made known to the public, there now seems to be a growing concern about users' privacy on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Despite the filing of the two separate lawsuits, some experts are predicting that the court cases will not be successful.

In April Apple did amend its developer agreement to ban all apps from sending user data to third parties unless it was information that was directly necessary for the functionality of the app.

The lawsuits say though that Apple really hasn’t taken any steps to implement or enforce the changes that they have made due to the criticism that they received from advertising networks.

Trip Chowdhry, a research analyst for Global Equities Research, said that he does not think that the lawsuits will have a big impact on investors.

“If this were a major issue, all web browsers would have to shut down and there would not be any advertising on the Internet,” Chowdhry said.

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iPad 2 Speculations from Digitimes

There have been a ton of rumors swirling around about the possibilities surrounding the iPad 2. Not a lot of details are known about it besides the fact that it will definitely be an upgrade from the original iPad, and it will address some of the issues that the iPad has been criticized for.

According to a report from Digitimes on Tuesday, December 7th, Apple’s manufacturer Foxconn Electronics will begin to ship out the iPad 2 by the end of February 2011. Now that doesn’t mean that Apple will be making the iPad 2 available to the public yet. It only means that the devices are being shipped to Apple to be readied for release.

The Foxconn Electronics plant, located in Shenzen, China, is rumored to initially supply anywhere between 400,000 and 600,000 units over the course of the next 100 days. Digitimes reported that the hardware that will be featured on the device is still being tested. Digitimes also said that eventually Foxconn will supply Apple with their products from a plant located in Chengdu, but as of right now, those devices are still in production.

Recently, an analyst from Gleacher & Company suggested that the iPad 2 should be on sale in the United States by April, but right now Apple hasn’t said anything about a release date. Earlier reports said that Apple would continue with its typical update cycle and offer the newest version of the iPad for the holiday season, but obviously that isn’t happening.

Although everyone is calling the new version of the iPad the iPad 2, that is not its official name. Apple has not publicized the new name yet. As mentioned above, the new version will take care of many of the issues that people had with the original iPad. It will feature a dual-camera setup, support of Facetime video chat, and much more. Some gamers are hoping that the iPad 2 will also feature a gyroscopic setup for motion control. Reports say that the 30-pin dock connector that is found on the original iPad could easily be replaced with a mini-USB port, a Cortex A9 CPU, and additional memory which could make the new iPad much more powerful.

Since the launch of the original iPad in April, the sales of the device have been incredibly strong. In the third quarter alone, Apple sold 4.19 million iPads. The sales for this quarter seem as though they will not be as high as expected. They will most likely come in somewhere around five million.

Digitimes said that Apple should most likely begin clearing out their inventory so they have room for the new version of the iPad. They continued saying that last quarter Foxconn shipped out around six million iPads, which leaves about 1.8 million devices that have not been sold yet. Apple should order around 1.6 to 1.8 million iPads at the beginning of the year, but after that order, they should start reducing the number of iPads that they ship in so that they have room for the iPad 2.

It is really exciting to see possible release dates for the iPad 2. The original iPad is incredible in itself so it will be even more amazing to see a new and improved version of the device. Hopefully, Apple will soon release some official reports about dates, prices, features, etc., but until then, it is all left up to speculation.

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So, What Do the Masses Think About the Samsung Galaxy Tab vs. Apple’s iPad?

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is the highly anticipated, extremely hyped-up tablet that was released worldwide about two months ago. In mid-November the device was made available at all four of the major wireless U.S. carriers, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile, which is sure to help boost the Galaxy Tab's sales numbers.

So, how has it done so far you might ask? Well, just recently, Samsung reported that they had sold over 1 million devices. But how does this compare to Apple’s iPad when it was first released? The larger 9.7 inch screen Apple iPad went on sale this past April and hit the 1 million devices sold mark in about a month, meaning that comparatively the Galaxy Tab is definitely behind numbers-wise. You must consider though that the iPad was a novelty that drew people in with its exclusive uniqueness. It had no real competition when it was released. When taking this into consideration, it shows that realistically Samsung is doing quite well with their Android-based 7-inch screen Galaxy Tab.

The Thanksgiving weekend is sure to have spurred the Galaxy Tab sales, although Samsung has not yet released those sales figures. Individual carriers have said that they are very encouraged by the sales of the Galaxy Tab, but they also have not revealed any of those numbers.

As of right now, despite Samsung’s best efforts to market their new product, it seems as though the iPad will be the dominant tablet this holiday season. In a survey conducted by Piper Jaffray, a hearty 85 percent of respondents said that they preferred the iPad over the Galaxy Tab.

Senior research analyst Gene Munster wrote, "Although we expect both platforms to find success in the market in [2011], we believe iPad is taking an early lead over competing Android-based tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab."

Now it is important to note that the survey was only taken by 65 people, and the Galaxy Tab really hasn’t been out very long, while the iPad has had close to eight months to make its impression. Piper Jaffray chose people at random to participate in their survey. They asked individuals on their way in or out of a large national retail chain store to spend some time with both the Galaxy Tab and the iPad, and they then asked them which device they preferred.

The survey also asked people about their perceived value of both the devices. Respondents said that they felt the iPad (3G + Wi-Fi) was worth $417 (34 percent below its actual price) and that the Galaxy Tab was worth $283 (53 percent below its actual price). People seemed to think that the iPad seemed fancier than the Galaxy Tab. It is interesting to consider what people really felt the value of the devices was. "While the iPad is priced $30 higher than the Galaxy Tab, the perceived value of the iPad was $134 higher," said Munster.

Although right now it seems that the iPad is the preferred device, Piper Jaffray said that they believe both tablets will be successful.

"While we expect both the iPad and Android tablet platforms to find success in the market, we believe iPad is taking an early lead over competing tablets," the report said. "We are modeling for Apple to sell 13 million iPads in [2010], an estimated 89 percent market share with very limited competition; however, we estimate this share will drop to 53 percent next year, with Android-based tablets attracting 33 percent of the market. "

In Apple’s fourth quarter which ended October 31st, they reported that more than 4 million iPads had been sold, and analysts estimated that prior to the Thanksgiving weekend about 8 million iPads have been sold overall since its release. Despite this, Samsung is a fantastic company that is respected by many. The Galaxy Tab also features some things that the iPad cannot offer. I believe that the device will most definitely be a success. It just needs a little time to catch up with the iPad.

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Facetime-Compatible iPad from Apple?

According to sources, Apple is already hard at work updating the iPad. There are a variety of new features that the iPad will include, but one of the most exciting features is Apple’s Facetime video chat capabilities.

Apple will have to build a user-facing camera into the iPad. It will most likely be very similar to the built-in camera on the iPhone 4 or the newest version of the iPod Touch. Apple Insider sources are saying that this revamped version of the iPad is already in the testing phase and should be released no later than the first quarter of 2011. Apple really hopes to be able to release their new iPad before the 2010 holiday season.

The iPad has taken the world by storm. I think that these new upgrades will only cause sales to go up even more. In July Apple had sold over 3.27 million iPads. The demand for iPads was incredible when they were first released. Apple’s shipping process was disrupted for months. They were forced to delay the shipping of U.S. and international orders of the device due to the unbelievable popularity and sales of the iPad. Starting in late August, Apple finally has been able to get a handle on their iPad sales. Orders that are placed now are shipped within 24 hours.

Facetime has become one of Apple’s newest technological advances that they are incorporating in their devices. It only makes sense to include it with the iPad. Facetime is something that people want in their devices. It’s a novelty that deserves to be a part of an elegant device like the iPad. If Apple can have the newest version of the iPad with Facetime available before the holiday season, I have a feeling that lots of lucky people will be finding iPads in their stockings. I guess we’ll just have to see if Apple can get it all together by then.

Not sure if you're convinced the iPad is the tablet for you? Check out Samsung's Galaxy Tab or the Kindle 3G.

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Comparing Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Apple’s iPad

The tablet industry is booming right now. It seems that every leading technology company feels the need to release a tablet after observing the continuously growing popularity of the Apple iPad. On Wednesday, September 1 Samsung announced that they are joining the tablet movement with their Galaxy Tab. From the looks of this device, it seems that it could quite possibly give the iPad some serious competition.

The iPad has dominated the tablet industry up to this point. Why is that? Well, yes it is constructed extremely well and has incredible features, but it also is one of the very few tablets to actually make it on the market. There are a few other tablets available to date, but they don’t even come close to measuring up to the iPad. Now that the Galaxy Tab is set to be released soon, that could all change.

Unfortunately, Samsung has not given a specific date for the release of the Galaxy Tab. Representatives have said that it will be released in the United States and Europe sometime “in the coming months.” An actual working device was revealed to the public at the IFA trade show in Berlin recently. This at least gives some hope that the release date will be sooner rather than later.

So how does the Galaxy Tab compare to the iPad you might ask? Well, take a look at them side by side.


































I don’t know what you may think about this, but in my opinion, there are definitely some features on the Galaxy Tab that could give it the edge over the iPad. I guess we’ll just have to see what everyone thinks when Samsung releases the tablet. I think that Apple needs to be getting ready to release a new and improved iPad though, in case the public goes for some of the Galaxy Tab’s features that aren’t found on the iPad.

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