Redpark announces serial and RJ-11 cables for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad
It’s not like we spend much time with serial cables and RJ-11 jacks these days, but we do appreciate that they have their uses, especially among industrial customers and hobbyists — so it’s no surprise that the enterprising folks at Redpark have cooked up adapters for the iPhone / iPod touch (and, presumably, the iPad). Approved by Apple as reference designs, they’re not yet commercially available, but they do signal the continued expansion of iPhone / iPad functionality that we’ve noted with things like SD card readers, keyboard docks, and GPS car kits. So what do you think — contemplating any iPhone mods involving RS-232 communication? PR after the break.
Continue reading Redpark announces serial and RJ-11 cables for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad
Redpark announces serial and RJ-11 cables for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft considering Office for iPad?
Is anyone really surprised that Microsoft Senior Product manager, Mike Tedesco, said, “Yeah, it’s something that we’re looking at,” when asked by T3 about Office for Mac running on the Apple iPad? Like any responsible corporation, Microsoft must keep an eye on developments in computing and align its resources accordingly. And when the majority of its wealth comes from the 1-2 punch of Windows and Office, you can bet Microsoft is looking at every opportunity that comes along. So while we fully expect Microsoft to take a wait-and-see approach to the numbers Apple can generate from the current dead zone between laptops and smartphones, at least we finally get to use the image above in a post.
Microsoft considering Office for iPad? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Bill Gates thinks the iPad needs a keyboard, Disney CEO loves it as it is
Here, finally, is one point on which the two giants of computing, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, completely disagree on. Steve says netbooks are better at nothing, whereas Bill’s view is the polar opposite:
“You know, I’m a big believer in touch and digital reading, but I still think that some mixture of voice, the pen and a real keyboard – in other words a netbook – will be the mainstream on that.”
Unimpressed by the iPad, Bill goes on to say that he considers it a “nice reader,” but not something that made him wish Microsoft had done it first. Don’t tell that to Disney CEO Robert Iger though, who brings out the dreaded “game changer” tag when describing the potential he sees in the iPad for the creation of “essentially new forms of content.” Lest we forget, Steve Jobs also sits on the Disney board, so this could be just a friendly tip of the hat by Iger. Either way, we’re curious to see what new content Disney might scratch up, as well as to find out who’s right in this newfound binary question: keyboard-equipped netbooks or longevous, ultrathin tablets — what say you?
Bill Gates thinks the iPad needs a keyboard, Disney CEO loves it as it is originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple to sell 99 cent TV shows at iPad launch?
Today’s “people familiar with the discussions” prattle carried by both the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times has Apple reducing the price of some of its US television shows to 99 cents in time for the iPad launch. A quick search through the iTunes store makes it apparent that Apple has already been experimenting with the 99 cent rate (and a few freebies) on select iTunes episodes; shows that previously ran $1.99 for standard definition quality or $2.99 in HD. Of course, this could all change by the time the iPad launches since the talks are ongoing. Unfortunately, discussions between Apple and content providers to provide a monthly TV subscriptions have stalled according to sources at the Wall Street Journal, although Apple remains open to the idea.
It’s worth remembering that prior to adding video support to its iPods, Steve Jobs regularly lambasted the idea of watching video on a tiny, handheld display. The iPad, with its big 9.7-inch 1,024 x 768 pixel IPS panel, is certainly better positioned for video consumption so it’s no surprise to hear rumors that Apple’s trying to jump start its video business by getting back to the magical 99 cent price point it so loves.
Apple to sell 99 cent TV shows at iPad launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 2 busts loose
You’ve got to be one of the cool kids that shelled out a Benjamin to get into the iPhone Developer Program to get access, but if you’re already a card-carrying member, it looks like you’ve now got a green light to download beta 2 of the iPhone SDK for OS 3.2. We don’t know what’s new, changed, or removed, but presumably, most of the updates would center around the sundry changes Apple has made to support the iPad in the latest version of its mobile platform — so drop us a line and let us know what you find, alright?
iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 2 busts loose originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Analyst: Apple to be ‘nimble’ on iPad pricing, athletic on pommel horse
Apple’s $499 starting iPad price tag is already lower than many people — and a few competitors — expected, but apparently Steve and company have left themselves a little wiggle room: Credit Suisse analyst Bill Shope says that Apple told him it’ll remain “nimble” when it comes to iPad pricing, suggesting that the price could drop if sales don’t meet targets. That’s not a hugely surprising thing to say, considering Apple’s trying to be the first to achieve real success with a ‘tweener device and strong pressure from netbooks, laptops, and smartphones threatens to collapse the space entirely, but a lot of people are taking it to mean some kind of drop is a done deal — particularly since Apple cut the price of the first-gen iPhone by $200 just a few months after it launched and saw already-solid sales triple. We’re honestly not so sure, though: Apple always tells investors that it’s confident in how its products are priced but responsive to market changes, and it’s not like a smaller price cut boosted the Apple TV into hit product territory. We’ll see what happens after the iPad actually goes on sale — we doubt we’ll see any changes for another few months at least.
Analyst: Apple to be ‘nimble’ on iPad pricing, athletic on pommel horse originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Switched On: Mined the gap
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
At the introduction of the iPad, Steve Jobs showed a simple slide illustrating one of the burning questions in the industry for many years. On the left was a smartphone. On the right was a laptop. And in the middle was a gap. Apple, like many companies in the PC industry, was seeking to create a product that filled this gap. Indeed, the iPad itself reflects elements of the Apple devices that flank it. Its enclosure resembles the silver metallic enclosure of a MacBook Pro, but inside, it has the ARM processor architecture and operating system of the iPhone.
But the iPad is but the latest in a long line of products and would-be general-purpose devices that seeks to fill this gap, most of them short-lived. Some of the more recent ones include the aborted Palm Foleo, the Sony Mylo, Nokia Internet Tablets, UMPCs, and MIDs. Why are so many companies convinced there is opportunity in these products?
Let’s turn back the clock to 2002, the year Handspring launched its first smartphone, the monochrome 160 x 160-pixel Treo 180. It was the year that Verizon Wireless launched the first 3G network in the U.S. and the year MobileStar declared bankruptcy after deploying public Wi-Fi throughout many Starbucks locations in 2001. In 2002, PC World awarded its World Class Award for ultralight notebooks to the Fujitsu LifeBook P-2000. It was less than three pounds and had a 10.6-inch screen, but was 1.6-inches thick and had a starting price of $1,499. And it couldn’t access Facebook, Hulu, YouTube or Engadget — because they didn’t exist.
Continue reading Switched On: Mined the gap
Switched On: Mined the gap originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hutchison Austria to offer discounted iPad with 2-year contract for i-Mo 3G modem
Coveting an iPad, but not willing to pay full price? If you happen to live in Austria and don’t mind committing to a two-year data contract, Hutchison’s got you covered. The carrier’s offering a 333 Euro (approximately US $455) discount if you sign up for a 29.90 Euro, 5GB monthly data contract. Sounds great, but frankly we still don’t know how much it’s gonna cost outside of the US — the foreign sites still list American prices, as far as we can tell. The other catch is that instead of offering the integrated 3G version, you’re getting a Huawei i-Mo 3G modem to create a personal WiFi cloud with the iPad. Elegant? Not really, but it’s still quite the deal (short-term, at any rate). No indication when Apple’s device will hit Austria, but we gotta imagine they wouldn’t set up such an offer without a short-term plan.
Hutchison Austria to offer discounted iPad with 2-year contract for i-Mo 3G modem originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
X2 brings the Amtek iTablet back from the abyss, forgets that no one cared the first time
Apple might have surprised everyone — including us — by naming its tablet the “iPad,” but the UK’s X2 isn’t letting this opportunity pass it by: it’s managed to drum up some cheap attention today by announcing an “iTablet” powered by a “1.6GHz Intel processor” and running whatever flavor of Windows from XP to 7 your heart desires. Of course, what X2 isn’t telling anyone is that it’s actually not doing anything more than simply reselling the Amtek iTablet, a product that’s been out for ages and that we’ve covered in the past — you might recognize this early post by one Mr. Joshua Topolsky in which he said the resistive touchscreen looked “quite frisky.” How dramatically things change. Anyway, we don’t have a detailed spec list right now, but the Amtek iTablet has a 1.6GHz Pentium M, not an Atom, so this thing could potentially be a serious dog. Feel like making with the goods, X2?
Update: X2 tells Register Hardware that its iTablet will go on sale in April in both 10 and 12-inch sizes, but declined to say what kind of Intel chip is powering this thing. If we had to guess, we’d say they’re using the name and pictures of the older Amtek device to cash in on iPad hype right now while they get their actual product in order — and hey, it seems to be working. We’ll let you know if we see the real deal anytime soon.
X2 brings the Amtek iTablet back from the abyss, forgets that no one cared the first time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Publishers continue pummeling Amazon over e-book prices
Amazon’s $9.99 e-book price point may be a rarity as more book publishers declare that they’ll set their own prices for books, with the seller taking a standard 30 percent cut. Another major publisher has decided to move to what’s referred to as the “agency model” while others are hinting that they, too, are about to force the new model on Amazon.
Hachette has become the latest publisher to announce that it was done with what it calls the artificially depressed e-book prices imposed by Amazon. In an e-mail to its employees, CEO David Young extolled the virtues of the agency model, noting that it “allows Hachette to make pricing decisions that are rational and reflect the value of our authors’ works,” according to an excerpt posted by Media Bistro. “Without this investment in our authors, the diversity of books available to consumers will contract, as will the diversity of retailers, and our literary culture will suffer.”
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