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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The Primo Power Core from PhoneSuit

When most people travel, they make it their personal mission to take as much technology with them as possible. The thought of being disconnected from the world for even a second sends chills down the spines of many a man. Many people just cannot bear to leave behind their laptops, smartphones or iPods, so they don't. The only problem with this is that all of these devices have batteries that need charging. So, the more pieces of technology you decide to take with you, the more things that need to be charged and the more chargers, cords and cables you have to take with you.

Thankfully, there are companies out there that are dedicated to making universal devices that are capable of charging each and every single piece of equipment you could possibly want to bring along when you travel. One such company is PhoneSuit, and their newest product is known as the Primo Power Core.

The Primo Power Core is a new device from PhoneSuit that acts as a portable power plant. The device features an 8200mAh capacity battery that comes in a lightweight package and has enough power to charge a number of different portable devices multiple times on a single charge. The Primo Power Core features a lot of cool features like automatic amp switching technology which ensures that all of your devices will charge as quickly as possible.

This power core uses high density lithium ion batteries that deliver the 8200mAh of power which is enough to fully charge an iPhone 4 or Android phone up to four or five times or even fully charge an iPad once. An integrated power switch on the device allows you to put the power core in a standby mode which prolongs its power storage allowing you to have it ready for whenever you need it.

What is great about this power core is that it is extremely universal. This device is compatible with almost all smartphones, tablets, netbooks, laptops and mobile devices. The device is also Apple certified, meaning Steve Jobs has yet another device to try and take over the world with. The Primo Power Core works with all types of iPhones, iPods and iPads ensuring that you can always get your Apple crack fix.

Here is a full list of all the products supported by the Primo Power Core. Supported devices include: iPad, iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, Android Smartphones, Android Tablets, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG, Palm, Bluetooth Headsets, GPS, eReaders and a ton more.

The Primo Power Core makes a perfect stocking stuffer for this holiday season and is definitely something every tech junkie will be dying to get their hands on. So, why not make your technology obsessed special someone the happiest little nerd this year and get them the Primo Power Core from PhoneSuit? This device is available now for a market price of $99.95.

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New iPod Dock/Pico Projector?

Lately, I’ve been noticing that companies are beginning to couple certain devices into one convenient device. I’ve especially been seeing this within the projector field. Everywhere you can find phones with projectors, cameras with projectors, and now an iPod deck with a projector. Optoma, a manufacturer of DLP and pico projectors, has just recently announced their new Neo-i. The company says that the Neo-i is the world’s first all-in-one iPod sound dock to feature a built-in pico projector. This is definitely an odd combination, but it could be extremely useful at times.

Although the Neo-i is technically not a portable device, it is very easy to move from place to place. It measures in at 8.9 x 12.8 x 3.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.5 pounds. The device features a variety of inputs including a VGA, an A/V jack, an Audio Out, an HDMI, and a DC jack. It also comes with a 16-watt speaker system that provides some great sound including a nice bass reflex for an iPod dock. The docking station of the Neo-i uses Apple’s 30-pin connector. This means that you can use your Apple iPod, iPhone, or iPod Touch with the device, and that the station will charge whatever device you are utilizing. The HDMI and VGA ports even allow you to connect devices like your laptop, Blu-ray player, or Apple TV to the Neo-i. There is also an accessory kit that is offered that will allow you to connect your iPad to the docking station.

Optoma allows you to control your iPhone or iPod from the device with an IR remote that they include with the dock or from the backlit control panel on the top of the Neo-i. You are also able to display the artist name or song or video titles by utilizing the projector, which is awesome. The projector built in to the oval shaped dock is a 50 ANSI Lumen Pico projector. It utilizes LED backlight behind the device's 0.3” WVGA DLP color wheel. This means that the device has a low enough power draw to run on batteries alone. The pico projector can deliver up to a 854 x 480 pixel resolution in its 16:9 format. Its image can be projected at any size from 5 to 120 inches, and it features a contrast ratio of 2000:1.

Unfortunately, the Neo-i iPod Dock/Pico Projector will not be available for sale until sometime in mid-December. It will be selling for $449.

I think that this new technology from Optoma is fantastic. Optoma has been producing projectors for quite some time, so it’s not too incredibly hard to believe that they decided to integrate a projector into an iPod dock. It makes sense. I think it’s a great combination and something that will definitely be a hit with iPod and iPhone users. It’s also going to be released just in time for the holiday season. I think that Optoma will do well with this new product, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

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New Nook Color at Barnes & Noble

On Tuesday, October 26th, Barnes & Noble released their first major brand color e-book reader. In the past few months, other companies like Literati and Pandigital have released their own color e-book reader devices, but Barnes & Noble is the company that really got things right.

The device has been dubbed the Nook Color. The classy e-book reader features a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 LCD screen from LG surrounded by a black bevel that offers customers over 16 million different colors. The device weighs under a pound, runs Android 2.1, features built-in Wi-Fi, 8GB of memory, and a microSD card slot that allows users to add even more memory to the device. The battery life of the device comes in at about eight hours, which is a lot less than many of the other e-book readers available as of now.

At the time of the launching of the device, Barnes & Noble’s bookstore will have more than two million books available and over a hundred periodicals. These periodicals can either be subscribed to or purchased as single issues, which is a nice touch.

There are several new things featured in the Nook Color that have not been included with the previous devices in the Nook line. One of these fantastic features is the “Nook Kids” section that offers a variety of different children’s books. Children are given the option to either read the book to themselves or have the book read to them out loud by the e-book itself.

Other great features include the social integration option. It allows users to easily send a quote or status to Facebook or Twitter while reading a book. Also included with the Nook Color is the LendMe feature. This allows users to lend a book to a friend and see the books that your friends have that you might like to borrow. Obviously there are restrictions put into place by the publishers, but no matter what, this is still a really cool feature.

You can expect to have a wonderful reading experience with the Nook Color. The screen is bright and extremely responsive, and navigation is incredibly simple with the device. There is one single button at the bottom of the device that works as the home button. It allows you to go to the home screen or to help navigate books and apps.

The bugs are still being worked out of the Nook Color, but it really does give you a pretty darn good experience. The software found on the Nook Color is definitely much better than the software found on the original Nook. Right now, loading books and apps is rather slow, but flipping through the pages of the books or swiping across the screen is very quick and responsive.

Barnes & Noble says that they will continue to sell the original Nook, which has had a large firmware update that worked out many of the kinks that had been the complaints of many customers. The Nook Color will be available on Friday, November 19th. It will be sold at Best Buy, Walmart, Books a Million, and online for $249. If you’re looking for an e-book reader, the Nook Color is definitely one to keep on your list of possibilities.

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab is Coming Soon

Just recently Verizon Wireless announced that they would be offering customers the Apple iPad in over 2,000 of their stores as of October 28th. Now they have said that they will also be selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab in stores on November 11th for $599.99.

There have been many rumors and speculations circulating about the 7-inch Android tablet from Samsung. Although the tablet will most definitely be made available in Verizon stores, Samsung has said that it will be available from all four of the major U.S. carriers. Unlike Verizon, the other carriers have not come up with a concrete date or price for the tablet.

When Samsung announced that they would be releasing the Galaxy Tab in the U.K. on November 1st, more rumors began to swirl surrounding the tablet. Boy Genius said that the device would be released from Sprint for $400 sometime around November 14th if you signed up for a contract. Without a contract they claimed that the tablet would cost $600. There were also speculations that T-Mobile would offer the device for $400 with a two-year contract and a $50 rebate or $650 without a contract.

The $600 price that Verizon is selling the Galaxy Tab for is without a contract. The carrier will be offering customers a $20 per month plan that will give them up to 1GB of data each month. They are also offering data plans with the iPad that include a 3GB, $35 per month plan and a 5GB, $500 per month plan. As of October 28th, Verizon will also have a 16GB iPad bundle that includes MiFi Mobile hotspot for $629 that can allow you to connect up to five mobile devices.

I have been extremely excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. As amazing as iPads may be, I have a feeling that until the iPad is updated, the Galaxy Tab is going to be even more amazing. The Galaxy Tab can do so many of the things that the iPad unfortunately cannot. It is much closer to functioning like a laptop. It does have a smaller screen than the iPad, but it features things that cannot be found on the iPad like two cameras, phone capabilities with Bluetooth, and flash video support. I think Samsung definitely added some great features to the Galaxy Tab that have been missing from the tablet industry. If I was looking for a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab would definitely be the first I would consider. Check out more details to see if the Galaxy Tab is right for you.

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Why You Should Never Be Without Your iPhone...

Public and online polling has revealed that the general public truly believes that the iPhone is the ultimate travel tool. The iPhone allows individuals to stay informed, connected, and entertained. A creative consultant who commutes weekly from NYC and London, Felicia Tumaneng, said, “I wouldn't be able to leave the country without it.”

The iPhone is the best electronic guide available right now. Here are some of the ways that you can use your iPhone as the ultimate travel guide.

In the Car
One of the great features is the new TomTom App for the iPhone. It features “navigate-to-photo,” turn by turn directions, and rush hour and traffic alerts. The TomTom App turns your iPhone into a fantastic GPS system. It is available for $39.99.

The useful GasBook app is available at the Apple store for $0.99. This app offers you the most up-to-date gas price listings at stations nationwide. It also includes a fuel log that will keep track of your vehicle’s fuel stats. This is a very convenient app to have on your iPhone.

Trapster is another great app to have in the car. It is the perfect app for those individuals who might drive a little on the speedy side. This app alerts users when they approach speed traps, red lights, speed cameras, police check points, accidents, and other roadway hazards.

At the Airport
FlightBoard is another amazing app to have on your iPhone and is available for $3.99. It gives you an interactive view of over 4,000 airport and 1,400 airline boards. You can view either the arrival or departure board from basically any airport in the world.

The FLYSmart app is free and is geared towards individuals traveling within the United States. This app allows you to not only track flights but also find restaurants, bathrooms, and clubhouses in airports across the nation.

Bored and Need Entertainment
There are thousands of games available for the iPhone at the Apple apps store. One of these incredibly entertaining games is Words with Friends. It is a game that is essentially Scrabble. It is a great game to exercise your mind and waste some spare time when you’re bored.

Recently an app was released that allows subscribers to watch TV on their iPhone. PlayOn is available for $40/year and allows users to watch Hulu, ESPN, Netflix, Comedy Central and lots of other channels right from their smartphone.

Need a Bite to Eat
There are plenty of restaurant locating apps that are available for the iPhone. Yelp is free, UrbanSpoon is free, and Local Eats is only $0.99. These are all great apps that will help you locate any kind of restaurant you want no matter where you are.

Want to Make a Payment?
You can easily pay your bills with your iPhone. Apps like MobilePay USA allow users to make payments directly from their phones. Users simply enter their account information online. The card’s information is not stored in the phone, and a PIN number is required to access the information online. It is a safe and secure app that can be very useful at times.

These are just a few of the incredibly useful travel apps offered for the iPhone. There are plenty more that can be found at the Apple apps store. It is definitely true that the iPhone is the best possible travel companion. It can assist you with so many of your travel needs. So before you walk out the door, always make sure that you have your iPhone with you.

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