iPhone OS 3.1.3 now available

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software

Apple has just released an iPhone firmware update in iPhone OS 3.1.3. It’s basically a big fix release, focusing on:

• Improving accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS
• Resolves issues where third-party apps would not launch
• Fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using Japanese Kana keyboard

Doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but for those of you who like your iPhone to be fresh, there you have it.

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iPad bezel has spot for a camera

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cameras, Handhelds, Rumors

Looks like those of you who were sure that the iPad would have a camera were almost right. If the iPad internal bezel component is anything to go buy, it looks like Apple decided late in the game to not include a camera in their soon-to-be-released tablet - that, or they were keeping their options open. In the image above, you see the iPad bezel at the top, and a bezel for a unibody MacBook at the bottom. In the middle is the camera that slips into the MacBook frame, and as you can see, it fits perfectly into the iPad frame as well. I guess this means we can hold out hope for a camera in iPad version 2?

Read More | Mission:Repair

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How awesome is the iPad?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Videos

In case you didn’t watch that iPad introduction keynote, someone’s gone through the trouble of condensing the entire 93-minute event event into 180 seconds. It does a great job at explaining what Steve Jobs and company think of their latest creation. Check out the iPad announcement video above to see what me mean.

A little excessive?

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AT&T providing iPad 3G service without contracts

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi

If you’re considering picking up an Apple iPad when they launch a couple of months from now and you plan on taking it on the go, you’ll want to know about the extra fees you’ll incur if you choose to go the with AT&T-provided 3G access plans. First, though, your 3G iPad will cost $130 more than the Wi-Fi-only version. Once you get it, you’ve got two options with AT&T:

• $29.99 per month unlimited data plan
• $14.99 per month for 250MB of monthly data

It’s a good deal for monthly 3G access, especially when you consider the fact that both plans are pre-paid month-to-month plans that don’t require any sort of contract. The other benefit that you get from picking up a 3G iPad model is assisted GPS, which the Wi-Fi-only iPad lacks.

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iPad keyboard accessory

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Handhelds

Looks like Apple is realizing that if you are going to be building a larger-form factor device like the iPad, you’ve gotta realize that some of the people that use it are going to want a physical keyboard. With that knowledge, they’ve prepared a keyboard accessory for the iPad. It’s actually both a keyboard and a dock for charging the iPad as well, which can be used to plug in to a USB power adapter, sync with a computer, etc. It also has an audio jack that let’s you connect the keyboard dock to a stereo system or powered speakers. No word on price just yet.

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Apple iPad revealed

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Handhelds

It’s been a long, rumor-filled road, but today Apple has finally revealed a tablet, called the iPad. Steve Jobs seemed genuinely thrilled to demo the iPad, which weighs just 1.5 pounds, is a half-inch thin, and has a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS display. More interesting, Apple has built their own custom 1GHz processor, called the Apple A4 chip, to power the iPad. According to Jobs, the A4 chip “just screams,” and as a result, the iPad boasts a 10-hour battery life, with a full one month of standby time. You’ll be able to get one in 16, 32, or 64GB sizes, and we’ll have the prices as soon as they’re announced prices listed below. Bluetoth, 802.11n Wi-Fi, speaker, microphone, and dock connector round out the offerings.

One of the big draws of the iPad is that all current iPhone apps will run just fine on it, and you can choose to run them at the original resolution, or in a pixel-doubled mode for fullscreen on the iPad. Apps can also be optimized for iPad to take advantage of the full screen resolution, as well as enhanced gestures. A new iPhone SDK, which includes iPad support, will be released later today.

The goal with the iPad is to do the tasks like web browsing, email, photo viewing, video watching, and e-book reading (Apple is including a new ereader app called iBooks) better than a netbook ever could, but also better than a smartphone ever could. The iPad has a “gorgeous” keyboard that actually looks very easy to use, and the actual built-in applications look more like the full version of OS X than what you’d find on the iPhone or iPod touch. In fact, you even get full-featured applications like iPhoto, iTunes, iBooks, and even Pages, Keynote, and Numbers in iWork for the iPad.

As far as 3G data plans, the iPad has two plans available from AT&T in the US. $14.99 per month for up to 250MB of data, or $29.99 per month for unlimited data. The best part? There are no contracts. You pay on a pre-paid month-to-month basis, so there are no cancellation fees. You activate your plan directly from the iPad, with no reason to hit an AT&T Store. All iPad 3G models are unlocked and use GSM micro SIMs, so in theory, you could get a better plan of your own elsewhere and just use that.

Let’s talk pricing - each model of the iPad is available as a Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi + 3G configuration. 16GB is $499 / $629, 32GB costs $499 / $729, and the 64GB model will be $699 / $829. As far as availability, iPad without 3G will start shipping at the end of March, while the 3G models will start shipping at the end of April. Choose wisely!

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Steve Jobs reveals the Apple iPad

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds

At this morning’s Apple tablet event, Steve Jobs revealed the latest creation from the company, the Apple iPad. More details as we get them!

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Confirmed: Apple Tablet runs iPhone OS says McGraw-Hill CEO

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Rumors

Okay, we all know by now that Apple is going to be announcing their tablet at tomorrow’s January 27th Apple event, but the CEO of McGraw-Hill, Terry McGraw, just kinda spilled the beans on CNBC:

“Yeah, Very exciting. Yes, they’ll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system and so it will be transferable. So what you are going to be able to do now is we have a consortium of e-books. And we have 95% of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one. So now with the tablet you’re going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tablet is going to be just really terrific.”

Is true, that means no Snow Leopard tablet, to those who were hoping for that. Thoughts?

Read More | MacRumors

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First iPad Apple tablet review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Rumors, Videos

Oh, we knew the Apple tablet / iPad / iSlate would be good, but we didn’t think it’d be this good. Walt Mosspuppetberg got his hands on an iSlate, and has been using one for a couple of years as it’s gone through its various development cycles. He finally breaks his silence with this review, stating that “this is probably the most completely perfect product to ever be released.”

Wednesday’s Apple tablet event can’t come soon enough!

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Analyst: iPhone will soon be available on all US wireless carriers

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Rumors

Gotta love those analysts, as they’re always good for stirring the rumor mill - this time it’s BusinessWeek reporting claims that Apple will likely be ending it’s exclusive relationship with AT&T in order to bring the iPhone to all major US carriers. According to Tim Horan, telecommunications analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., T-Mobile USA should have the iPhone available this summer (whatever the follow-up to the iPhone 3GS turns out to be,) with Verizon and Sprint getting the goods this fall. Even Clearwire will be able to get in on the action, as they are expected to get the iPhone sometime in 2011. Of course, AT&T has been the exclusive carrier of the iPhone since it launched in June 2007.

Of course, Apple has the perfect opportunity to announce changes like this if they’d like, as they’ve got what many are predicting to be a colossal Apple event on January 27th, just two days from now. We’ll keep you posted.

Read More | BusinessWeek

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