iPad the 2nd Generation...

Its about that time. Time for rumors and guesses to start fying. According to MacNotes.de  the 2nd generation iPad will be released on either April 2nd or 9th – at least in the United States. Release outside of the US usually occurs weeks later, as I am sure this is part of Apple's marketing strategy.

What to expect with the iPad 2...

Cameras

Since Facetime is now on the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPod Touch, the iPad seems to be left out. This is most likely one of the major changes to be seen in the iPad's design. Facetime, of course, means a front-facing camera, however, some reports have also suggested that the device may also include a 5-megapixel camera on the rear. A camera and facetime would allow users to totally multitask with their iPads.Since many rical tablets have rear cameras it is highly likely we will see this.

Thinner and Lighter 

Analyst Brian Blair who predicts the rumor above also indicated that the next iPad will be thinner and made from one piece of metal, with a similar manufacturing process to that of the unibody aluminum MacBooks.

Now this one seems very likely. Apple always strives to improve upon its products, and often that means thinner, lighter, streamlined designs. Many critics already complain that the device is too heavy and too bulky, and I’m sure it’s safe to say Apple has been hard at work to make it the most desirable tablet on the market.

However, it’s unlikely that we’ll see an iPad with a smaller screen – Steve Jobs already quashed rumors of a 7-inch device  during a quarterly earnings conference call, saying, “The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit that price point, it’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software.”

GSM-CDMA Radio

A recent report from AppleInsider talks about the predictions of Wedge Partner analyst Brian Blair, who says that the next-gen iPad will be a “world mode” device with both GSM and CDMA radios. The chip would mean that one iPad model would be compatible with various wireless carriers using different wireless technology. The device has recently been made available through carriers AT&T and Verizon, however, because the 3G model isn’t compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network, a mobile hotspot device is needed to allow for a connection over Wi-Fi.I’d say a GSM-CDMA chip isn’t too unlikely – many would-be iPad users may be put off by the thought of having to carry around a mobile hotspot accessory to use data from the carrier of their choice.

Better Availability

When the current iPad was first released it sold out in many stores incredibly quickly, and countless users went home empty handed having to wait until more stock was available. With “iPad 2,” this may not be the case.

A report says that there will be several suppliers for the new iPad allowing Apple to “ramp up” shipments of the device upon its release. Three companies are rumored to have already received certification from Apple and will begin shipping parts for the device in December.

This one’s a no-brainer. The current iPad was a nightmare to get hold of for many when it was first released, especially for those of us in the U.K. Apple will surely work hard to ensure there are more of the 2nd-gen devices to go around next time.

Carbon Fibre Housing

One rumor suggests that the next iPad will not be made from aluminum, and that instead, the device will sport an ultra-strong carbon fibre housing. Cult of Mac recently reported on a new patent application for a “Reinforced Device Housing” filed by Apple that details “an outer casing for an electronic device composed of “layered fiber-in-matrix type material,” i.e. carbon fiber re-inforced polymer.”

It’s not clear whether the carbon fibre housing is indeed for the iPad, however, the illustration on the patent looks very much like the rear shell of Apple’s tablet.

A carbon fibre iPad certainly sounds very desirable, but I’m not sure it’s all that likely just yet – maybe later on down the line.

Retina Display

Now that many of us are used to the luxury of a Retina display in our iPhones and iPod Touches, we’re anticipating a nice large Retina display in the next iPad. Slash Gear reported back in October on the prospect of this one, and I’d like to think we can expect this with the new device next year.

As an iPhone 4 user, switching to the iPad can often be a little disappointing when I stare at its slightly ugly display – it’s just seems outdated now – and I for one am keeping my fingers crossed for a Retina display iPad next year.

Bigger Storage

Another typical Apple move for new devices is often increased storage, and many reports have claimed the iPad will be available with larger storage options next time around. The new MacBook Airs have also fueled this rumor, as they use the same flash storage chips found in their tablet siblings.

Apple is already using 128GB flash chips in its new MacBook Airs, so it wouldn’t be too much trouble to stick them in the iPad. This is another rumor that I’d say we can safely expect.

What Do You Want?

So there’s a few of the features that are rumored to be introduced in the second-generation iPad. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Retina display and a thinner, lighter design – these are high up on my wish-list for iPad 2, and will be deciding factors when I’m thinking about whether or not to upgrade.

’I'd love to hear what you want from Apple’s next tablet device. Leave a comment and let me know!

2011 Mobile Predictions

With 2010 in the past, 2011 will bring an abundance of technology advances. The mobile industry will bring the majority of those changes.

1. Verizon iPhone. Since Verizon announced its iPhone partnership a large number of consumers will be switching from At&t to the largest carrier Verizon within the next few months. The iPad will gain the rumored cameras required for FaceTime, too. With Apple’s 2010 re-hire of Rich Dellenger, a user interface designer who created the effectivenotification system for Palm’s webOS, iOS will likely see improved notifications in iOS version 5. Thanks to more robust mobile broadband options,  expect Apple to offer iTunes music streaming in 2011, as well. I don’t forsee any new mobile products from Apple, however, even though I think there’s a market for a smaller iPad.
2. Android Phone Improvements. Android phones will come closer to rivaling the user experience of Apple iOS devices, but they’ll still fall short. It won’t matter in terms of platform market share, and more developers will code for both iOS and Android, with a greater emphasis on Google’s platform if pressed to choose just one.
3. Android + Verizon LTE. Google will design one stock Android handset for Verizon’s LTE network.
4. Intel Chips. Intel will finally deliver on its Atom effort and get the chip in a few phones, but none will be blockbuster successes. While Android can be ported to Intel’s x86 chip architecture, few will tackle the effort because of investments in ARM technology. Instead, Intel’s best showing will be in Nokia MeeGo devices (more on that below). Even with a few available products, the gap between Intel- and ARM-powered handsets and tablets will continue to widen.
5. Speaking of ARM handsets… Although phones with dual-core processors will debut in early 2011, more than 25 percent of smartphones sold by the end of the year will use dual-core chips.
6. Microsoft Kinect. Microsoft’s Kinect product will keep the Xbox a leading platform and the device will continue to be used for various interface hacks. No other gaming platform will have a similar peripheral that unseats the Kinect as a top-seller. Microsoft will officially support the device in an update to Windows 7 and my son will still not be able to beat me in a Kinect game.
7. Nokia. Nokia’s smartphone market share will stabilize, but not grow beyond 40 percent as cheaper Android phones will flood the market by the second half of the year. The company will continue to tout MeeGo, which will become available in the form of six devices in 2011, not limited to handsets; I expect a tablet and netbook to run MeeGo next year. There will be talk of Microsoft buying Nokia, but it won’t happen. Windows Phone 7 on a Nokia device might, however, as a short-term trial strategy for both parties.
8. Smart home technology. Smart homes with web-connected automation will slip into mainstream conversation, but near-field communications will still be confusing to most due to a lack of mobile payment standards.
9. Tablets. The iPad will continue to sell in record numbers next year, but the combined sales of Android tablets will be close behind at the end of 2011. Consumers will still pass up Microsoft Windows 7 tablets. However, Microsoft will demonstrate a lighter, touch-optimized platform for tablets by mid-2011 and follow up with products near the end of the year. Research In Motion’s PlayBook will gain enterprise customers in 2011, but businesses will adopt the iPad, and possibly even Android tablets, far more heavily.
10. Metered Mobile Data. Although U.S. carriers will continue to rely on network offload solutions such as femtocells and more public Wi-Fi zones, at least one carrier will supplement current data plans with a truly metered trial option.
11. The Return of WebOS. HP will debut a half-dozen new webOS products: mostly phones, but at least one tablet too. Even though I expect a compelling interface and feature set, webOS still won’t see a market share higher than 6 percent in 2011 as developer mindshare is focused on Android and iOS.
12. Samsung Galaxy. Samsung will continue to leverage the Galaxy brand and approach with fewer new smartphone models in 2011. Instead, the company will take the lesson learned from 2010: design one base handset and tweak slightly for carrier customization. The company will sell 17 million or more such handsets as a result. The effort will carry over to the tablet space as well; I expect 5 million Samsung tablets to sell next year, both in 7-inch and 10-inch sizes. And while Apple will continue its digital audio player dominance, Samsung will grab a 5 percent chunk of the market currently held by Apple’s iPod: even more if Google Music is available in dozens of countries.
13. Motorola Mobility. Motorola Mobility will have a solid first year due to Android phones and tablets, but won’t see huge growth until it can gain additional large carrier partners and the backing they provide. And Verizon Wireless will still have the best Motorola devices with some exclusivity.                                                                                                           Reference: By Kevin C. Tofel Dec. 28, 2010, 1:27pm PDThttp://gigaom.com/mobile/mobile-tech-predictions-2011/

Windows Phone 7 Review: Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have Ourselves a Race

Windows Phone 7 is the most aggressively different, fresh approach to a phone interface since the iPhone. Everything is superflat and two dimensional. Ultra-basic squares, primary colors and lists. Fonts are gigantic and clean, white text on an almost universally black void. It's fluid. This spartan nature is emblematic of the entire OS, for better and for worse. You don't get a lot of choices; there are no custom ringtones, for instance. It just is how it is. And while it looks and feels very different in some regards, it's still uncanny just how deeply inspired Windows Phone is by the iPhone in its philosophy, versus anything else Microsoft or anybody else has made.

The interface is oriented around three core concepts:

• Hubs Essentially panoramic apps that span multiple screens. Ironically, what really proves the Hub concept works are the third-party apps that use it. It works perfectly with Twitter, Netflix, Foursquare and Facebook, swiping over a screen to get to mentions, or to see your friends checkins.
• Live Tiles These are the home screen's icons, and they update with fresh info like email counts. But the Tiles don't do quite enough to function as full-fledged widgets—the weather Tile, for instance, doesn't show the weather.
• The App Bar a semi-persistent menu/taskbar that hides deeper actions—like starting a new email or switching tabs in Internet Explorer. It's a necessarily evil, given how radically Microsoft has reduced the onscreen UI.

Windows Phone strikes the best balance of any smartphone between web-oriented and local storage, using the cloud for info like contacts and apps, tying itself to a PC (or Mac, with a basic client) only for big updates, music and video syncing. Contacts from Facebook and Google beam in, sync and integrate perfectly. Finding your lost phone, photo uploading and note syncing is built-in, automatic and free.

The core OS is very, very good, if embryonic in some ways, much like the original iPhone. It's really up to the apps to make Windows Phone usable. Microsoft won't have 250,000 at launch, but true to their word, it seems like they'll have a lot of what's needed, with the early launch apps feeling great. That said, it's still way too tricky to find things, especially given there ain't that much in the store yet. It could be the best platform launch yet.

Like

The most polished UI this side of the iPhone: It just feels amazing, even if it is missing some things like copy and paste (coming next year, supposedly). A nearly perfect melange of Microsoft services—Bing (Maps and Search), Zune, Xbox Live, Office—in a cohesive, logical and typically beautiful way. (Though the more tied into Microsoft you are, the better experience you'll have, like Google and Android.) Native apps are almost gratuitously tasty eye candy. The keyboard is boss. Outlook mail app looks and works fantastically. Zune streams over the air. Even IE doesn't suck, though anything that renders poorly in desktop IE will also do so on the phone.

Dislike

Remember how iTunes wasn't so bad, and then Apple kept pinning on feature after feature, bloating it into a massive, disgusting corpus? Yeah, well, the Zune desktop client is slowly meeting the same fate now that's it used to sync your phone and as the browser for the app marketplace.

And in pursuit of a stark aesthetic, there's a radical reduction of elements on a WP7 screen: The home screen, for example, only fits eight tiles at once. So to get to something else, you've gotta swipe a mile or two. (The iPhone gives you access to 20 items; Android 2.2, up to 19.) No universal search to call up apps. No singular email app: Every email account creates its own tile, which sucks when real estate is so valuable. Browsing for apps is the single most painful experience of Windows Phone. Stumbling upon Netflix felt like a happy accident after 10 minutes of flipping through apps to see what was new. Loading app lists takes forever, and it's the one time the phone ever becomes totally nonresponsive. Annoying "Resuming..." screen pops up any time you lock the phone with an app open and then turn the screen back on. Sometimes the whole app reloads. It's highly annoying, like hitting a speed bump in a Ferrari. No multi-tasking.

Should you Get One?

Windows Phone 7 is really great. A solid foundation, it's elegant and joyful. True, a lot of that greatness is potential. But if anybody can follow through on their platform, it's Microsoft. Should you buy this instead of an iPhone or Android phone though? In six months, after the ecosystem has filled out, the answer will be more clear. But right now, Window Phone is definitely an option. Considering where Microsoft was just a year ago, that's saying a hell of a lot.

http://gizmodo.com/5668738/windows-phone-7-review

Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Women

Admit it, picking the perfect gift for that special lady in your life can be difficult. When it comes to picking gifts men often choose so so gifts. My suggestion to the women out there, start dropping hints early. Here is a list of the top 10 gifts to give your lil' lady this holiday season. Not all of them are electronic but after all women are complex.

10. Just because women are generally less obstinate about asking for directions doesn't mean they want to stop at some shady gas station 100 miles south of the Oklahoma border on the way to a relative's house to get them. Buy her a Garmin or a TomTom Global Positioning System, and you're sure to make her day. However, if she's very opposed to learning new electronics, you need to be prepared to help her learn how to use it, or pick a different gift altogether.

9. An ipod Touch.Yes, we females love music and movies just as much as you do. The trick to buying one of these and getting away with it is to buy it in a very feminine color, like pink or purple. If the actual electronic only comes in black, buy a case that's feminine-colored, and she'll know you're not planning on using it 80% of the time. Plus, these players are some of the easiest to use. 

8. A noise machine. Whether you snore loudly on a continual basis, like to watch late-night movies, or play your noisy video games into the wee hours of the morning as I have a tendency to do, your wife might appreciate a noise machine to keep out the clamor and get to sleep. Depending on her preferences, you can either buy a simple white noise machine, a machine with several nature sounds, like ocean waves, and even a dual noise machine with alarm clock.

7. Simple Camera, by purchasing a simple, point-and-shoot camera in a fashionable color, such as any  metallic shade or a pink or light green, you'll score lots of points on Christmas morning. 

6. Amazon Kindle. Amazon just came out with a better, revolutionized Kindle reader that has a bigger reading screen, background music capabilities, and more. This is a great option if she loves to read books and magazines. Even better, purchase a Kindle subscription to a magazine or buy a couple of her favorite genre book downloads, and you'll make her Christmas day for sure.



5. iPad. The iPad is the big ticket item this year. Everyone wants one but no one needs one. This will  tickle her fancy Christmas morning.

4. Gift Cards. Let her pick out the perfect gift for herself. You cant lose with a gift card.
3. Digital Photo Frames. Capture memories and relive them over and over with Digital photo frames.

2. Perfume. Remember her sent and get her, her favorite perfume. She will love it for sure

1. And finally the number one sure way to make any girl happy this Holiday Season JEWELRY. As cliche as it is Diamonds are a girls best friend. You cant lose with this gift!



links:
http://www.overstock.com/guides/best-holiday-gifts-for-women
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/best-gifts-for-women
http://budgetstyle.about.com/od/specialoccasions/tp/gifts_for_women.htm
http://www.sheknows.com/holidays-and-seasons/articles/806638/top-25-christmas-gifts-for-her