Apple TV: Losing the tiny remote can be a big headache
We love the Apple TV's incredibly small and sleek design, but it's worth remembering that Apple's minimalist design ethos has its trade-offs. A friend recently e-mailed about her ordeal after losing her Apple TV's remote:My problem with my Apple TV was seemingly simple--I lost the remote and I couldn't get the Remote App to sync my Apple TV with my iPhone. But why couldn't I get my Remote App to sync? Because I had to change settings on my Apple TV...that I could only switch VIA REMOTE. See the problem? This brain twister challenged two customer support people on the phone and my Mac Genius at the store. I don't think it was an issue with their competence, at all, but rather a flaw in the Apple TV design.We're always quick to point out that the Apple TV can be controlled with other iOS devices, but if the remote goes missing and you haven't turned on Home Sharing yet, you're out of luck. (In fact, if you have an Apple TV, it's a good idea to make sure you turn on Home Sharing now, before your remote goes missing.) Also, the Remote app workaround isn't really a suitable backup plan, since not every Apple TV owner necessarily owns an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch that can be used when you can't find the included remote.A quality universal remote like a Harmony would also do the trick, but not everyone has one of those, either. (Those cheap remotes you can pick up at the drugstore may have codes for old Sylvania VCRs, but they probably don't have them for Apple products.)While my friend previously loved the Apple TV's sleek look, her struggle had her reconsidering how she thought it should be designed:My recommendations for the third generation of Apple TVs:1. I know it's not chic like a plain black box, but small buttons on the Apple TV would be helpful so the product can still be used if there's an issue with the remote and/or the owners' iPhone or iPad.2. It would also be nice if there was a way to control the Apple TV via iTunes.That would eliminate the ugly button issue.3. If the product is only going to be functional with a remote, please manufacture a remote that is bigger.The remote, while very pretty, slipped somewhere into my couch, never to be found again (I think it actually slipped into the bones of the sofa).4. My eyeballs and the eyeballs of the Mac Genius almost broke because the serial number is in a very tiny, metallic font on the bottom of the AppleTV.It is hard to read small numbers and letters when they are reflecting light.It is pretty, I KNOW, but still.Personally, I think the ability to navigate the Apple TV via iTunes would mostly eliminate the problem. (I like the tiny remote.) And because the Apple TV's menu system is already designed with the basic remote in mind, all you'd need it is a simple onscreen remote with a directional pad, and OK, menu, and play/pause buttons.Though it's easy to focus on the shortcomings of the Apple TV, you'd run into similar problems with essentially all of the Apple TV's competitors. The Roku XDS, Boxee Box, and Sony SMP-N100 all lack navigation controls on the device. You can get smartphone control working on a Roku XDS without the original remote, but you need the Roku's IP address to set it up. And the easiest way to find its IP address is...using the original remote to browse to the "info" screen in the Settings menu.Luckily my friend's story had a happy ending: the "Mac Genius" wound up giving her a new Apple TV remote for free. (A generous concession, since a replacement remote normally costs $19.) But even though things eventually worked out, she seemed less enthusiastic about her Apple TV and modern gadgets in general.I know this info makes me sound like a 80-year-old woman who yearns for the days of VCRs and is primarily interested in large-font crossword puzzles, but I am a tech-savvy lady in her twenties who owns a slew of Apple products. The Apple TV is great and I loved it but I shouldn't have to dedicate 4-5 hours of troubleshooting because I lost my remote. If I had that problem in 1990, I would just work my TV manually until I was at CVS and could pick up a $10 universal remote. With the Remote app and all this modern technology, I should not be wishing for the ease of VCR days.It's a point worth remembering. Old tech may look hopelessly clunky by today's standards, but it almost always had basic controls on it. I still prefer my gadgets will fewer buttons rather than more, but manufacturers need to realize that losing a remote is common and there needs to be a backup plan.
Molecules app picks up where The Elements left off
Molecules app picks up where The Elements left off
When it comes to learning about the building blocks of our universe, Theodore Gray's The Elements for iPad is the perfect gateway. It's comprehensive, covering every known element; each of which has its own entry, including applications, detailed properties, and interactive images and videos to explore.It's sort of a must-have for any suite of educational apps, or for anyone with even the vaguest interest in science -- and now it has its very own companion app, picking up where it left off. Theodore Gray has taken The Elements and extended it with the logical next step: Molecules.Related articlesBeautiful macro photgraphy catalogues the elementsNew iPad app brings the periodic table to lifeChemistry in Ultra HD shows science like you've never seen itThe iPad app (also available as a physical book, only without all the interactive bits) is, to be fair, a little less comprehensive; after all, when you have some 118 identified chemical elements, the number of combinations is astronomical."There is no catalog of all the molecules in the universe, and there can't be," Gray explains in the introduction to the app. "There may only be six different chess pieces, but it's out of the question to list all the ways of arranging them on a chess board."Instead, Molecules provides an overview: Gray has chosen to write about the molecules he finds the most interesting, and that demonstrate deeper and broader connections binding them. It is not, he clarifies, a chemistry textbook, and you won't find inside a catalogue of compounds. Rather, it's a primer, an overview."It's a little of everything, put together not to be complete, but to be interesting," Gray wrote. "It will teach you something about how the world of chemistry works, and give you a sense of the scope of the subject."The book is divided into chapters, each of which deals with a particular topic, such as types of molecules, or molecules that people hate for various reasons, or molecules that halt pain. And, like The Elements, it also includes interactive features.These aren't just animations that you can move around and interact with, although there are plenty of those: there is also a gallery of 348 molecules, which you can stretch and manipulate with multi-touch gestures in 3D space, experimenting with their motion -- which is explained in a special chapter written especially for the app.And, of course, it's every bit as beautiful as its predecessor. You can grab it from the iTunes app store for iPhone and iPad for $13.99 (AU$17.99 | £9.99), or the print edition from the Black Dog and Leventhal website.
When it comes to learning about the building blocks of our universe, Theodore Gray's The Elements for iPad is the perfect gateway. It's comprehensive, covering every known element; each of which has its own entry, including applications, detailed properties, and interactive images and videos to explore.It's sort of a must-have for any suite of educational apps, or for anyone with even the vaguest interest in science -- and now it has its very own companion app, picking up where it left off. Theodore Gray has taken The Elements and extended it with the logical next step: Molecules.Related articlesBeautiful macro photgraphy catalogues the elementsNew iPad app brings the periodic table to lifeChemistry in Ultra HD shows science like you've never seen itThe iPad app (also available as a physical book, only without all the interactive bits) is, to be fair, a little less comprehensive; after all, when you have some 118 identified chemical elements, the number of combinations is astronomical."There is no catalog of all the molecules in the universe, and there can't be," Gray explains in the introduction to the app. "There may only be six different chess pieces, but it's out of the question to list all the ways of arranging them on a chess board."Instead, Molecules provides an overview: Gray has chosen to write about the molecules he finds the most interesting, and that demonstrate deeper and broader connections binding them. It is not, he clarifies, a chemistry textbook, and you won't find inside a catalogue of compounds. Rather, it's a primer, an overview."It's a little of everything, put together not to be complete, but to be interesting," Gray wrote. "It will teach you something about how the world of chemistry works, and give you a sense of the scope of the subject."The book is divided into chapters, each of which deals with a particular topic, such as types of molecules, or molecules that people hate for various reasons, or molecules that halt pain. And, like The Elements, it also includes interactive features.These aren't just animations that you can move around and interact with, although there are plenty of those: there is also a gallery of 348 molecules, which you can stretch and manipulate with multi-touch gestures in 3D space, experimenting with their motion -- which is explained in a special chapter written especially for the app.And, of course, it's every bit as beautiful as its predecessor. You can grab it from the iTunes app store for iPhone and iPad for $13.99 (AU$17.99 | £9.99), or the print edition from the Black Dog and Leventhal website.
Might & Magic- Clash of Heroes lands on iOS
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes lands on iOS
When it comes to RPG titles, Might & Magic, with its first title hitting consoles in 1986, is one of those mainstays that helped define the genre in video games. The most recent title in the series â€" 2009's Clash of Heroes by Capybara Games (which you might know from Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP) turned the title into a turn-based puzzle game, with strategic colour matching.It's a style of gameplay that works particularly well on touch-based devices.Story-wise, it's about what you might expect from a fantasy RPG. There is evil threatening the world, and it's up to your band of intrepid heroes to lay the demon smackdown. As demons start to take over the world, they start popping up on the map; when you move to a position inhabited by demons, it's battle on.The battlefield is divided into a grid; your forces on the bottom half and enemy forces on the top. To attack, you have to line up at least three troops of the same colour vertically; to damage your enemy, your attack has to hit the back wall, so it pays to line them up where there are gaps in your enemy's troops. Other strategies involve lining up troops horizontally to create a wall, or skipping moves in order to build up to a stronger attack.It makes for an engrossing turn-based battle system supplemented by some lush, cartoon-style graphics. One caveat is that the screen size of the iPhone and iPod Touch is a little small for the battlefield, so it's hard to accurately tap your units. A pinch-zoom feature applies a fix, but then you can't see the entire field and will have to zoom back out again to access all your control buttons. It is, however, a minor irritation.As you move through the world, with regions inhabited by various races â€" elves, humans, wizards and necromancers â€" you build on your armies, level up and progress through the storylines, which are quite dramatic and engrossing, a nice supplement to the gameplay. However, if the story is getting in your way, there is a battle mode that allows you to skip the talking and get right to the fighting.And for the iOS version, a few new great features have been added: online multiplayer, where you can test your skills against other players; and cloud backup, so you never have to lose your game, even when switching devices.Capybara and Ubisoft have done a very capable job of the port, and it's a worthwhile addition to your RPG stable.Might & Magic Clash of Heroes is out now on the iTunes app store (AU$5.49).
When it comes to RPG titles, Might & Magic, with its first title hitting consoles in 1986, is one of those mainstays that helped define the genre in video games. The most recent title in the series â€" 2009's Clash of Heroes by Capybara Games (which you might know from Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP) turned the title into a turn-based puzzle game, with strategic colour matching.It's a style of gameplay that works particularly well on touch-based devices.Story-wise, it's about what you might expect from a fantasy RPG. There is evil threatening the world, and it's up to your band of intrepid heroes to lay the demon smackdown. As demons start to take over the world, they start popping up on the map; when you move to a position inhabited by demons, it's battle on.The battlefield is divided into a grid; your forces on the bottom half and enemy forces on the top. To attack, you have to line up at least three troops of the same colour vertically; to damage your enemy, your attack has to hit the back wall, so it pays to line them up where there are gaps in your enemy's troops. Other strategies involve lining up troops horizontally to create a wall, or skipping moves in order to build up to a stronger attack.It makes for an engrossing turn-based battle system supplemented by some lush, cartoon-style graphics. One caveat is that the screen size of the iPhone and iPod Touch is a little small for the battlefield, so it's hard to accurately tap your units. A pinch-zoom feature applies a fix, but then you can't see the entire field and will have to zoom back out again to access all your control buttons. It is, however, a minor irritation.As you move through the world, with regions inhabited by various races â€" elves, humans, wizards and necromancers â€" you build on your armies, level up and progress through the storylines, which are quite dramatic and engrossing, a nice supplement to the gameplay. However, if the story is getting in your way, there is a battle mode that allows you to skip the talking and get right to the fighting.And for the iOS version, a few new great features have been added: online multiplayer, where you can test your skills against other players; and cloud backup, so you never have to lose your game, even when switching devices.Capybara and Ubisoft have done a very capable job of the port, and it's a worthwhile addition to your RPG stable.Might & Magic Clash of Heroes is out now on the iTunes app store (AU$5.49).
Are you suffering from smartphone fatigue- (Poll)
Are you suffering from smartphone fatigue? (Poll)
There are days when it's so challenging to be a technology writer, I can only imagine what it's like to be a technology consumer.For example, and I'm just ballparking here, there are some 37,000 smartphones you can buy today. Whoops, hang on, just got a press release from HTC; make that 37,001. Oh, and here comes Android 4.3 -- wonder when I'll be able to load that on my S3. Hey, Best Buy took $50 off the iPhone last weekend. Must mean Apple's announcing a new model at next month's WWDC, right? Certainly we'll be getting iOS 7 before long. Of course, Samsung's new Galaxy S4 has the better camera anyway, so Apple better step it up.Exhausting, right? It can be a full-time job keeping up on all this stuff, though obviously we in the tech-journalism field are employed to do exactly that. Still, I can't help wondering if the average smartphone user feels similarly overwhelmed by all the options and updates and choices -- many of which seem to change almost daily.Truly, living the smartphone life can be daunting. 3G, 4G, LTE, GSM, HSPA+. NFC, GPS, PPI. Dual-core, quad-core. Five megapixels, eight megapixels. Android 4.1, Android 4.2. iOS 6, iOS 7. Q10, Z10. Google Play, iTunes, iCloud. Windows Phone 8 (or is it Windows 8 Phone?). BlackBerry (they're back!). iPhone 5, iPhone 5S. Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4. HTC One. Nexus 4.Smartphone fatigueDo you eat, sleep, and breathe smartphones, or is your head swimming from the onslaught of options?And I didn't even mention carriers. I'm with AT&T right now, but my two-year contract ends soon. Because I'm a cheapskate (not to mention The Cheapskate), there's no way I'm going to continue paying $80 monthly to keep using my iPhone 4S.That means I'm in the market for an MNVO, a mobile network virtual operator that will sell me service at a much lower rate -- and without a contract. But where do I take it? Walmart's Straight Talk? I've heard iffy things about their terms of service. There's Solavei, which offers a flat rate of $49 per month -- but its T-Mobile-powered 4G coverage doesn't yet reach my slice of suburbia.I could also sell my 4S on Ebay to cover a good chunk of the costs of a prepaid iPhone 5, which is now available from no-contract carriers including Boost Mobile, Cricket, Virgin Mobile, and, most recently, T-Mobile. Ah, but do they really afford the same level of coverage as AT&T?If I'm willing to switch to Android, I can save even more money by going to an upstart carrier like Republic Wireless, Ting, or Zact Mobile. But I won't be able to get the latest and greatest handsets, and I might miss out on some OS updates.Like I said: exhausting. Make no mistake, I love all this stuff. But sometimes the relentless onslaught of smartphone news and options fries my brain. Do you ever feel the same way?
There are days when it's so challenging to be a technology writer, I can only imagine what it's like to be a technology consumer.For example, and I'm just ballparking here, there are some 37,000 smartphones you can buy today. Whoops, hang on, just got a press release from HTC; make that 37,001. Oh, and here comes Android 4.3 -- wonder when I'll be able to load that on my S3. Hey, Best Buy took $50 off the iPhone last weekend. Must mean Apple's announcing a new model at next month's WWDC, right? Certainly we'll be getting iOS 7 before long. Of course, Samsung's new Galaxy S4 has the better camera anyway, so Apple better step it up.Exhausting, right? It can be a full-time job keeping up on all this stuff, though obviously we in the tech-journalism field are employed to do exactly that. Still, I can't help wondering if the average smartphone user feels similarly overwhelmed by all the options and updates and choices -- many of which seem to change almost daily.Truly, living the smartphone life can be daunting. 3G, 4G, LTE, GSM, HSPA+. NFC, GPS, PPI. Dual-core, quad-core. Five megapixels, eight megapixels. Android 4.1, Android 4.2. iOS 6, iOS 7. Q10, Z10. Google Play, iTunes, iCloud. Windows Phone 8 (or is it Windows 8 Phone?). BlackBerry (they're back!). iPhone 5, iPhone 5S. Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4. HTC One. Nexus 4.Smartphone fatigueDo you eat, sleep, and breathe smartphones, or is your head swimming from the onslaught of options?And I didn't even mention carriers. I'm with AT&T right now, but my two-year contract ends soon. Because I'm a cheapskate (not to mention The Cheapskate), there's no way I'm going to continue paying $80 monthly to keep using my iPhone 4S.That means I'm in the market for an MNVO, a mobile network virtual operator that will sell me service at a much lower rate -- and without a contract. But where do I take it? Walmart's Straight Talk? I've heard iffy things about their terms of service. There's Solavei, which offers a flat rate of $49 per month -- but its T-Mobile-powered 4G coverage doesn't yet reach my slice of suburbia.I could also sell my 4S on Ebay to cover a good chunk of the costs of a prepaid iPhone 5, which is now available from no-contract carriers including Boost Mobile, Cricket, Virgin Mobile, and, most recently, T-Mobile. Ah, but do they really afford the same level of coverage as AT&T?If I'm willing to switch to Android, I can save even more money by going to an upstart carrier like Republic Wireless, Ting, or Zact Mobile. But I won't be able to get the latest and greatest handsets, and I might miss out on some OS updates.Like I said: exhausting. Make no mistake, I love all this stuff. But sometimes the relentless onslaught of smartphone news and options fries my brain. Do you ever feel the same way?
The 404 1,067- Where tweets look better from behind (podcast)
The 404 1,067: Where tweets look better from behind (podcast)
Years from now, when our children are grown, we'll tell them we were all online when a single Web site changed the way we use the Internet. Unfortunately, Chatroulette stumbled after racking up more than a million users thanks to a certain part of the male anatomy, but Napster co-founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning have teamed up again for a video-chat pivot called Airtime.Though it's not ready for deployment yet, Airtime is already getting support from celebrities like Jim Carrey, Alicia Keys, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who can't wait to start a random conversation with a Facebook user online. The service is different from Chatroulette in that it actually protects the eyeballs of its users from "vulgar behavior, sexually suggestive behavior, violence, and animal cruelty". In other words, nobody associated with The 404 will receive an beta invite.Joseph Kaminski is back in the guest seat today and we'll spend the first segment of today's episode chatting about E3, tech shows, and a tweet from Asus that set off sexist alarms at Computex 2012.After that, we'll look at a study from a new dating site Circle.es that breaks down the attractiveness of its users by their e-mail services. It's no surprise that Gmailers get the most points, but tune in to find out which wild card skyrocketed the "other" domain choice a full 10 percent.Bathroom break video: Reporter goes for a swim.DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Episode 1,067PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
Years from now, when our children are grown, we'll tell them we were all online when a single Web site changed the way we use the Internet. Unfortunately, Chatroulette stumbled after racking up more than a million users thanks to a certain part of the male anatomy, but Napster co-founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning have teamed up again for a video-chat pivot called Airtime.Though it's not ready for deployment yet, Airtime is already getting support from celebrities like Jim Carrey, Alicia Keys, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who can't wait to start a random conversation with a Facebook user online. The service is different from Chatroulette in that it actually protects the eyeballs of its users from "vulgar behavior, sexually suggestive behavior, violence, and animal cruelty". In other words, nobody associated with The 404 will receive an beta invite.Joseph Kaminski is back in the guest seat today and we'll spend the first segment of today's episode chatting about E3, tech shows, and a tweet from Asus that set off sexist alarms at Computex 2012.After that, we'll look at a study from a new dating site Circle.es that breaks down the attractiveness of its users by their e-mail services. It's no surprise that Gmailers get the most points, but tune in to find out which wild card skyrocketed the "other" domain choice a full 10 percent.Bathroom break video: Reporter goes for a swim.DragCloseThis content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Episode 1,067PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
Jailbroken iPhone- SSH installed- Beware of worms!
Jailbroken iPhone? SSH installed? Beware of worms!
According to Sophos, the current worm is available in four variants, which suggests more may soon be released. So far the worm does not appear to do anything malicious to affected iPhones, and seems to be more of a proof-of-concept attack than anything else; however, it does expose a vulnerability for those who have jailbroken their systems.The worm mainly takes advantage of an overlooked security step where people who have enabled SSH have not changed the root password from the default "alpine" to something else. This basically will allow any script to run if it provides this password, so for worried iPhone users here are some simple suggestions:Do not jailbreak your iPhone unless you are aware of these and other consequences.If you do install or enable SSH, change the root password.If you have already jailbroken your iPhone and have been affected by this worm, your safest course at this point would be to use iTunes to completely wipe the device and restore. Currently the malware is only a prank, but it will take time for malware detectors such as Sophos to fully analyze the code. Hopefully you have a recent backup of your iPhone that you can restore. Meanwhile, we should expect Apple to address this problem in some form with an update, though they have warned numerous times against jailbreaking iPhones so fixing jailbroken ones may not be on their list of priorities.AV for iPhone?Since the iPhone OS is a variant of OS X, and is clearly a target for people bent on exposing or taking advantage of vulnerabilities, does this mean users will someday need to have antivirus enabled on their phones and mobile devices? I imagine solutions such as this will make their way out, but as always the best way to secure your devices is to be smart about them. Installing SSH on your iPhone should be researched and tested before you rely on it and do it.Questions? Comments? Post them below or email us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
According to Sophos, the current worm is available in four variants, which suggests more may soon be released. So far the worm does not appear to do anything malicious to affected iPhones, and seems to be more of a proof-of-concept attack than anything else; however, it does expose a vulnerability for those who have jailbroken their systems.The worm mainly takes advantage of an overlooked security step where people who have enabled SSH have not changed the root password from the default "alpine" to something else. This basically will allow any script to run if it provides this password, so for worried iPhone users here are some simple suggestions:Do not jailbreak your iPhone unless you are aware of these and other consequences.If you do install or enable SSH, change the root password.If you have already jailbroken your iPhone and have been affected by this worm, your safest course at this point would be to use iTunes to completely wipe the device and restore. Currently the malware is only a prank, but it will take time for malware detectors such as Sophos to fully analyze the code. Hopefully you have a recent backup of your iPhone that you can restore. Meanwhile, we should expect Apple to address this problem in some form with an update, though they have warned numerous times against jailbreaking iPhones so fixing jailbroken ones may not be on their list of priorities.AV for iPhone?Since the iPhone OS is a variant of OS X, and is clearly a target for people bent on exposing or taking advantage of vulnerabilities, does this mean users will someday need to have antivirus enabled on their phones and mobile devices? I imagine solutions such as this will make their way out, but as always the best way to secure your devices is to be smart about them. Installing SSH on your iPhone should be researched and tested before you rely on it and do it.Questions? Comments? Post them below or email us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
Apple's iPad 2 now shipping in less than a week
Apple's iPad 2 now shipping in less than a week
Apple's self-described "mother of all backlogs" with regard to iPad 2 supplies appears to have improved, with customers now being able to order one from the company and have it shipped out in less than a week.Apple has 18 different variations of the tablet, accounting for color, capacity, and wireless networking options. All those variations are now listed on the company's online store as shipping in three to five business days. By comparison, the device is listed as "not available" on Best Buy's and Wal-Mart's online stores, while AT&T's online store lists availability of 5 to 10 days, and Apple authorized reseller MacMall posts a one- to two-week wait.The shipping time improvement, which was picked up on by AppleInsider earlier today, comes almost exactly four months after the U.S. launch of the device. Just a few days after the release, Apple had to push its online store ship times all the way to four to five weeks. Signs that Apple was getting closer to meeting demand began in late April, with the company making strides in bringing ship times from 3-4 weeks, down to 2-3 weeks, then 1-2 weeks, where it's held.The iPad 2 is currently available in 46 countries, the most recent of which are Brazil, Russia, and the Ukraine. Demand for the first-generation product was so high after its U.S. launch that Apple originally had to delay its international rollout by a month to make more units. This time around, the only international delay was a release in Japan, which Apple put on hold following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the region back in early March.The improvement in shipping estimates comes at a time when Apple is rumored to be nearing completion on a possible iPad 2 successor, or companion product to be released later this year. A report from Thisismynext yesterday claimed Apple was working on a model with a higher-resolution display that would be sold alongside the iPad 2, while a DigiTimes report from days earlier suggested the company was busy pulling up components for an all-out successor.
Apple's self-described "mother of all backlogs" with regard to iPad 2 supplies appears to have improved, with customers now being able to order one from the company and have it shipped out in less than a week.Apple has 18 different variations of the tablet, accounting for color, capacity, and wireless networking options. All those variations are now listed on the company's online store as shipping in three to five business days. By comparison, the device is listed as "not available" on Best Buy's and Wal-Mart's online stores, while AT&T's online store lists availability of 5 to 10 days, and Apple authorized reseller MacMall posts a one- to two-week wait.The shipping time improvement, which was picked up on by AppleInsider earlier today, comes almost exactly four months after the U.S. launch of the device. Just a few days after the release, Apple had to push its online store ship times all the way to four to five weeks. Signs that Apple was getting closer to meeting demand began in late April, with the company making strides in bringing ship times from 3-4 weeks, down to 2-3 weeks, then 1-2 weeks, where it's held.The iPad 2 is currently available in 46 countries, the most recent of which are Brazil, Russia, and the Ukraine. Demand for the first-generation product was so high after its U.S. launch that Apple originally had to delay its international rollout by a month to make more units. This time around, the only international delay was a release in Japan, which Apple put on hold following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the region back in early March.The improvement in shipping estimates comes at a time when Apple is rumored to be nearing completion on a possible iPad 2 successor, or companion product to be released later this year. A report from Thisismynext yesterday claimed Apple was working on a model with a higher-resolution display that would be sold alongside the iPad 2, while a DigiTimes report from days earlier suggested the company was busy pulling up components for an all-out successor.
Apple's iPad 2 launch abroad still on track
Apple's iPad 2 launch abroad still on track
Whispers that Apple might delay the international launch of the iPad 2 given the general lack of availability here in the U.S. since its launch just 10 days ago have proven to be false. Proof positive of that is new word from the company this morning that buyers abroad will still be able to get their hands on the tablet come Friday, as originally planned.Speaking to TechRadar earlier today about the iPad 2 launch in the UK, an Apple representative told the site that "everything on the Web site still holds true; the Web site says 25 March and that's when it'll be."In a follow-up conversation, an Apple representative told CNET that the original launch plans for the other 24 countries that make up the second launch wave have not changed either.That list of countries had originally been 26, but given the dire situation in Japan, Apple last week announced that it was delaying the launch there while the country recovers.With the overwhelming demand in the U.S. for the first-generation iPad, Apple chose to delay availability to its initial wave of international launch countries by a month, giving it time to catch up with some of the supply shortages. Some of those same shortages have hit the iPad 2, with units trickling in to Apple's retail stores and third-party retailers and resellers, while those who wish to order the device online face a wait of four to five weeks.Update 6:05 a.m. PT on March 22: Apple today announced that in addition to the 25 countries getting the iPad 2 on March 25, an unspecified number of other locales will get the tablet in April: Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and "additional countries."The full list of countries receiving the iPad 2 on March 25 is as follows: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.This post was earlier updated at 10:25 a.m. PT on March 21 with comment from Apple.
Whispers that Apple might delay the international launch of the iPad 2 given the general lack of availability here in the U.S. since its launch just 10 days ago have proven to be false. Proof positive of that is new word from the company this morning that buyers abroad will still be able to get their hands on the tablet come Friday, as originally planned.Speaking to TechRadar earlier today about the iPad 2 launch in the UK, an Apple representative told the site that "everything on the Web site still holds true; the Web site says 25 March and that's when it'll be."In a follow-up conversation, an Apple representative told CNET that the original launch plans for the other 24 countries that make up the second launch wave have not changed either.That list of countries had originally been 26, but given the dire situation in Japan, Apple last week announced that it was delaying the launch there while the country recovers.With the overwhelming demand in the U.S. for the first-generation iPad, Apple chose to delay availability to its initial wave of international launch countries by a month, giving it time to catch up with some of the supply shortages. Some of those same shortages have hit the iPad 2, with units trickling in to Apple's retail stores and third-party retailers and resellers, while those who wish to order the device online face a wait of four to five weeks.Update 6:05 a.m. PT on March 22: Apple today announced that in addition to the 25 countries getting the iPad 2 on March 25, an unspecified number of other locales will get the tablet in April: Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and "additional countries."The full list of countries receiving the iPad 2 on March 25 is as follows: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.This post was earlier updated at 10:25 a.m. PT on March 21 with comment from Apple.
Apple's iOS grabs 65% of mobile Web traffic
Apple's iOS grabs 65% of mobile Web traffic
Android is often considered king of the mobile world, but Apple's iOS actually accounts for the lion's share of the mobile Web traffic, at least according to the latest stats from Net Applications.iOS continues to grow, capturing a global traffic tally of 65.3 percent in June, up from 52.4 percent a year ago. Though in second place, Android has also expanded and now holds a share of 19.7 percent as of last month, compared with 14.3 percent in June 2011.Breaking down the results by device, the iPad was the leader in June with a 36.7 percent share, followed by the iPhone with 26.8 percent. Android 2.3 took third place, while other flavors of Android were scattered among the 24 mobile operating systems tracked in total.The dominance of iOS and Android left little but scraps left for other mobile platforms. Java ME, typically installed on feature phones, grabbed the No. 3 spot with a 10.2 percent share. RIM's BlackBerry OS scooped out 1.9 percent of the market, while Nokia's Symbian snuck in a 1.5 percent share.Collectively, Microsoft's Windows Phone and Windows Mobile took home less than three-quarters of a percentage point.Related storiesApple's iOS grabs record market shareApple's iOS grabs 52 percent of mobile browser usersiOS still tops Android with app developersReports from other research firms often show Android as the mobile leader over iOS. Why does Net Applications view iOS as the top dog? The answer lies in the way the data is gathered.To compile its results, Net Applications collects data from the browsers of visitors -- in this case, the mobile traffic -- to its network of more than 40,000 Web sites -- so it's not measuring overall market share. Only the number of unique visitors are counted, and only one unique visit per site per day. In total, around 160 million unique visits per month are tallied in the results.
Android is often considered king of the mobile world, but Apple's iOS actually accounts for the lion's share of the mobile Web traffic, at least according to the latest stats from Net Applications.iOS continues to grow, capturing a global traffic tally of 65.3 percent in June, up from 52.4 percent a year ago. Though in second place, Android has also expanded and now holds a share of 19.7 percent as of last month, compared with 14.3 percent in June 2011.Breaking down the results by device, the iPad was the leader in June with a 36.7 percent share, followed by the iPhone with 26.8 percent. Android 2.3 took third place, while other flavors of Android were scattered among the 24 mobile operating systems tracked in total.The dominance of iOS and Android left little but scraps left for other mobile platforms. Java ME, typically installed on feature phones, grabbed the No. 3 spot with a 10.2 percent share. RIM's BlackBerry OS scooped out 1.9 percent of the market, while Nokia's Symbian snuck in a 1.5 percent share.Collectively, Microsoft's Windows Phone and Windows Mobile took home less than three-quarters of a percentage point.Related storiesApple's iOS grabs record market shareApple's iOS grabs 52 percent of mobile browser usersiOS still tops Android with app developersReports from other research firms often show Android as the mobile leader over iOS. Why does Net Applications view iOS as the top dog? The answer lies in the way the data is gathered.To compile its results, Net Applications collects data from the browsers of visitors -- in this case, the mobile traffic -- to its network of more than 40,000 Web sites -- so it's not measuring overall market share. Only the number of unique visitors are counted, and only one unique visit per site per day. In total, around 160 million unique visits per month are tallied in the results.
Apple's iOS grabs 52 percent of mobile browser users
Apple's iOS grabs 52 percent of mobile browser users
Despite a drop in December, Apple's iOS remained the top platform for mobile browsing, according to the latest stats from NetApplications.Throughout December, iOS carved out a 52 percent share of the mobile market, down from 54 percent in November and 61 percent in October, but still in the lead. Google's Android ended December with a 16 percent share, a dip from the prior two months.Drilling down further, the iPhone accounted for 25 percent of all mobile browsing and the iPad 24 percent, leaving the iPod Touch with 2 percent. Android 2.3 was the most popular version of Google's OS in terms of mobile browsing, followed by 2.2 and 2.1. Devices running Honeycomb 3.2 and 3.1 picked up a 1 percent share. But nestled in second place between iOS and Android was Java ME (Micro Edition), a mobile platform found predominantly on feature phones. Smartphones have continued to surge in popularity this past year. But less-pricey feature phones still hold a fair chunk of the mobile marketplace as evidenced by Java ME's 21 percent share in December.Trailing the big three were Nokia's Symbian with almost 6 percent of the mobile browsing market and RIM's BlackBerry with 3.5 percent.Looking at specific devices, Samsung's Galaxy Tab grabbed almost half a percentage point. And though it's been hot among consumers, Amazon's Kindle Fire accounted for just one-tenth of a percentage point in the mobile browsing world last month, according to NetApplications.
Despite a drop in December, Apple's iOS remained the top platform for mobile browsing, according to the latest stats from NetApplications.Throughout December, iOS carved out a 52 percent share of the mobile market, down from 54 percent in November and 61 percent in October, but still in the lead. Google's Android ended December with a 16 percent share, a dip from the prior two months.Drilling down further, the iPhone accounted for 25 percent of all mobile browsing and the iPad 24 percent, leaving the iPod Touch with 2 percent. Android 2.3 was the most popular version of Google's OS in terms of mobile browsing, followed by 2.2 and 2.1. Devices running Honeycomb 3.2 and 3.1 picked up a 1 percent share. But nestled in second place between iOS and Android was Java ME (Micro Edition), a mobile platform found predominantly on feature phones. Smartphones have continued to surge in popularity this past year. But less-pricey feature phones still hold a fair chunk of the mobile marketplace as evidenced by Java ME's 21 percent share in December.Trailing the big three were Nokia's Symbian with almost 6 percent of the mobile browsing market and RIM's BlackBerry with 3.5 percent.Looking at specific devices, Samsung's Galaxy Tab grabbed almost half a percentage point. And though it's been hot among consumers, Amazon's Kindle Fire accounted for just one-tenth of a percentage point in the mobile browsing world last month, according to NetApplications.
Apple's iOS 7 overhaul said taking a black-and-white tack
Apple's iOS 7 overhaul said taking a black-and-white tack
Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design and the new design chief for iOS, has one idea in mind for the mobile operating system: out with the old and in with the new.According to 9to5Mac, which cited unidentified sources who claim to have knowledge of the major changes intended for the upcoming iOS 7, Ive's new design ideas boil down to "black, white, and flat all over." What that means, the sources told 9to5Mac, is that Ive has decided to drop the textures, the shiny icons, and the lifelike design features in favor of a simpler interface.The sources told 9to5Mac that Ive doesn't believe software designs that mimic their real-life counterparts will hold up over time. For that reason, he decided to dramatically alter built-in iOS apps, like Notes, which look like real-life counterparts, to follow a single software design theme. Ive also wants to make Apple's many built-in apps, including Mail and Maps, look more alike than they do now.Rumors have been circulating for some time that Apple would be changing the look of iOS, making it "very flat" compared with earlier versions.Here's a brief list of what Ive has in store for iOS 7, according to 9to5Mac:The lock screen in iOS 7 will look quite different, with a new design for the passcode-entry feature and a new, shine-free black look where the time is displayed towards the top.The Notifications pane is losing its textured look and will be replaced with simple black and white coloring, according to 9to5Mac.The Home Screen won't change all that much, but Apple's icons will lose their current shiny look.Apple is expected to show off iOS 7 at the Worldwide Developers Conference next month. The company's keynote address, when new products and updated features typically are unveiled, is scheduled for June 10.This story has been updated throughout the morning.iOS through the years (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 37NextPrev
Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design and the new design chief for iOS, has one idea in mind for the mobile operating system: out with the old and in with the new.According to 9to5Mac, which cited unidentified sources who claim to have knowledge of the major changes intended for the upcoming iOS 7, Ive's new design ideas boil down to "black, white, and flat all over." What that means, the sources told 9to5Mac, is that Ive has decided to drop the textures, the shiny icons, and the lifelike design features in favor of a simpler interface.The sources told 9to5Mac that Ive doesn't believe software designs that mimic their real-life counterparts will hold up over time. For that reason, he decided to dramatically alter built-in iOS apps, like Notes, which look like real-life counterparts, to follow a single software design theme. Ive also wants to make Apple's many built-in apps, including Mail and Maps, look more alike than they do now.Rumors have been circulating for some time that Apple would be changing the look of iOS, making it "very flat" compared with earlier versions.Here's a brief list of what Ive has in store for iOS 7, according to 9to5Mac:The lock screen in iOS 7 will look quite different, with a new design for the passcode-entry feature and a new, shine-free black look where the time is displayed towards the top.The Notifications pane is losing its textured look and will be replaced with simple black and white coloring, according to 9to5Mac.The Home Screen won't change all that much, but Apple's icons will lose their current shiny look.Apple is expected to show off iOS 7 at the Worldwide Developers Conference next month. The company's keynote address, when new products and updated features typically are unveiled, is scheduled for June 10.This story has been updated throughout the morning.iOS through the years (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 37NextPrev
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