Apple iPad

The Apple iPad is one of the most anticipated product launches for a while. Sitting in the small gap between high-end smartphones and netbooks, it competes with devices like the Nokia Booklet 3G in trying to bring truly seamless and ultraportable data connectivity wherever users go.

It's not just a compact computer, the interface is derived in part from the iPhone and uses a completely different set of design concepts from a standard PC (or Mac) interface. The overall effect is that the iPad feels like something that has dropped out of a time-warp from the future, and it makes offerings like Nokia's look old-fashioned.. even if they are just as functional.

Apple are pricing the iPad in the US at just $499 for the basic 16GB WiFi model, up to $829 for a 64GB iPad with WiFi plus 3G support, with lots of price points in between including a 32GB variant. Apple say that the iPad should be available in 60 days for the WiFi only version (so the very end of March) and 90 days for the 3G + WiFi variant (end of April).

It looks like a stretched iPhone, with a large 1024 x 768 pixel 9.7" touchscreen display dominating the design plus an iPhone style button at the bottom. Inside is a 1GHz "Apple A4" processor (we guess this is ARM-derived), the iPad supports 802.11a, b, g and n WiFi, it comes with Bluetooth 2.1 support, GPS and a compass, plus a microphone and speaker.. we don't know if it's possible to make voice calls on it though, or even if you would want to try! The iPad is around 13mm thick and weighs very roughly 700 grams, which is impressively thin and lightweight for a fully-featured device such as this. The iPad also includes USB connectivity for local synchronisation.

Despite all the hype, the iPad is just a tablet computer, and these have been around for years.. but that's a little like saying that the iPhone is just a mobile phone. Apple will no doubt add their own magic to the concept, and will somehow persuade consumers that they actually want to go and buy a type of device that they have previously always avoided.

Apple's raison d'être for the iPad is that phones are often just too fiddly for web browsing, watching videos and carrying out everyday tasks like email, but a traditional laptop computer is often overkill. To this end, the iPad is designed to be simpler to use and comes with an interface similar to the iPhone's, including the famous "slide to unlock" gesture that users start with.

It's not just the interface that looks like the iPhone, the iPad can run iPhone applications unmodified either in a small window on a black background or by doing an on-the-fly pixel resize to run full screen. Presumably this also means that applications for the iPad will be tightly controlled, although we have yet to see. Applications will need to be rewritten to take full advantage of the iPad's hardware though.

From initial indications, it looks like there's a heavy emphasis on games and content from the likes of the New York Times and similar publications, and the iPad can also be used as an e-book reader.. although you probably would be very upset if you left your iPad on the bus or dropped it in the bath. Everything is available for purchase directly through the iPad itself.

Apple will also make available a version of their iWork productivity suite, although it has been re-engineered to fit in with the iPad's user interface and takes into account that the underlying hardware is somewhat more modest than on a Mac. The form factor of a tablet PC means that it is far from ideal when doing serious work though, although there is an optional keyboard dock available. Each component of the iWork suite is slated to cost just $9.99 to download in the US. As a comparison, the full version of Microsoft Office retails for around $400.

Annoyingly, there appears to be no multi-tasking support on the iPad, meaning that it is designed for running just one application at a time and this may well be a key weakness. This is bizarre, because the underlying operating system is a descendant of Unix which has had full multitasking since 1969.. although you can't fit a PDP-7 in your pocket.

There's no built-in keyboard on the iPad, but the large touchscreen leaves plenty of space to have a virtual one on-screen which should satisfy most casual users. Of course, the Apple iPad has WiFi built in, but it also has optional cellular connectivity which should be a lot easier than the traditional messing around with dongles, cards and Bluetooth connections.

Apple say that the data plans available with the iPad in the US will be $29.99 per month for "unlimited data" and $14.99 for a much more modest 250MB limit, available through AT&T. Contracts can be cancelled at any time without notice, which is not a bad idea considering that many iPads will never roam beyond a WiFi connection. International deals should be in place in June. On a side note, one unusual feature is that the iPad uses something called "GSM micro SIMs" which we have not come across before.

The Apple iPad won't appeal to everyone, and the price tag makes it more expensive than some low-end netbooks. The huge size means that it won't be replacing many people's mobile phones, and for serious computing power the iPad is never going to challenge desktops and laptops. But Apple are betting that there are enough people who are looking for a device just like this, and we have to say that it certainly looks compelling and slick enough to be a success.. and a potential game-changer in the industry.

Apple have more details of this device at at www.apple.com/ipad.

Apple iPad at a glance


Available:
March - April 2010

Network:
Cellular support optional:
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 +
UMTS 850 / 1900 / 2100

Data:
802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi

Cellular support optional:
GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + HSDPA

Screen:
9.7" 1024 x 768 pixels

Camera:
None

Size:
Tablet PC
243 x 190 x 13mm / 680g (WiFi only) or 730g (WiFi + 3G)

Bluetooth:
Yes

Memory card:
No

Infra-red:
No

Polyphonic:
Yes

Java:
No

GPS:
Yes

OS:
iPhone OS

Battery life:
10 hours continuous use

Apple iPhone 3G S

The Apple iPhone 3G S is the latest revision of Apple's iPhone handset. Announced one year after the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3G S is a faster phone with more features, but one that looks remarkably similar to previous generation iPhones.

Apple say that the iPhone 3G S is up to twice as fast as the iPhone 3G, and that in turn was twice as fast as the original iPhone. So, if you still have the original model, then it's probably worth trading up for the speed increase alone.

On the back is a three megapixel camera with autofocus, but no flash. The iPhone 3G S is the first iPhone to include video recording (something that other phones have had for years). Apple say that the 3G S can record up to 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second, which is comparable with most other high-end phones. It doesn't really compete with the 5, 8 or even 12 megapixel cameras in some rivals though, but it is certainly a huge improvement over the old model.

Something else missing from previous iPhones was support for MMS multimedia messaging, a feature rarely used by most people.. but perhaps something that will appeal to iPhone users. The new iPhone 3.0 software also introduces some other long overdue features such as copy and paste and a landscape virtual keyboard - but it also comes with some highly innovative features that you might wonder how you lived without, including an application to locate a lost iPhone on a map and a remote wipe feature if it gets stolen.

There are a whole load of other upgrades in the new version of the iPhone software, and existing iPhone owners can upgrade their handsets to take advantage of some of these features too. These include a better calendar, more comprehensive search facility, improvements to web browsing and more multimedia playback features. Another long overdue feature is that you can tether the iPhone 3G S to a laptop as a portable modem.. but only if you are not using the US AT&T network. One key weakness with the iPhone has been the inability to run several applications at once, and it seems that the iPhone 3G S may still have this problem.

The iPhone has had GPS support in it since last year - the iPhone 3G S introduces a digital compass which can be used either like a traditional compass, or it can combine with the iPhone's mapping application to automatically orient maps depending on which way you are facing. GPS also integrates with the camera so that both photos and videos can be geo-tagged.

The 3.5" 320 x 480 pixel touchscreen display is pretty similar to the one found on older models. Although the iPhone's software makes good use of the available pixels, handsets such as the HTC Touch Diamond2 have much higher resolution displays. The iPhone supports multi-touch, which is something that some rivals can't manage, and it also has a special coating to resist fingerprints.

Internal memory is now 16GB or 32GB, which should be enough for most people, although there is no way to expand it. It's certainly better than the 4GB of memory in the original base model. Apple say that they have improved the battery life, but it still gives the same 5 hours talktime on 3G with up to 12 days standby time of the previous model, and annoyingly the battery is not user replaceable.

Underneath, this is a quad-band GSM phone with tri-band UMTS support plus HSDPA high-speed downloads up to 7.2 Mbps. The iPhone 3G S also supports WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and USB connectivity. The size and weight are pretty much unchanged from the previous version, and there are two simple colour schemes available of black or white.

The phrase "the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" certainly applies here. The iPhone 3G S is almost impossible to tell apart from the previous generation from the outside, it builds on the strengths of previous iPhone generations and it finally gets around to correcting some of their faults.

Apple say that the iPhone should be available on the US AT&T network from 19th June onwards, priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model when taken with a 2 year contract. There's no word of availability on other carriers worldwide, but presumably we will hear more over the next few weeks.

Unlock Your iPhone in Minutes

The iPhone is one of the best inventions that the cell phone industry has witnessed and this has brought about a great demand for the device across the globe. There is a now a way to unlock iPhone in minutes and allow you to run various third-party applications on your iPhone. Another advantage you will get when you unlock the iPhone is that you will be able to make use of your phone on the cell phone carrier of your choice.

To begin with you must understand what it means to unlock iPhone. The default carrier on the iPhone is AT&T and therefore when you remove their SIM card and insert another SIM card from a different carrier, which is referred to as unlocking. This procedure is not normally done on the iPhone therefore some sort of hacking has to be done. For most iPhone owners, the biggest concern is whether unlocking it will destroy the phone. The only way you can get over this is by asking for information from those who have done the procedure. The instructions that are given should be followed very carefully to reduce any chances of messing up your iPhone.

t was previously very difficult to unlock an iPhone but now there are many programs available that make it much easier. The first thing you need to do is to get an upgrade of Firmware on your iPhone. This is a simple step and all you need to do is to log on to iTunes and get the 2.2 Firmware. Before getting the update make sure you backup all the notes, settings and programs that you want to keep on the iPhone. The next step is to get the Quickpwn download that will help you to jailbreak the iPhone before you can unlock it. This is done by plugging your phone to a PC and starting Quickpwn and you select your phone on the computer and then choose the firmware that your phone uses. Incase you had not updated your firmware; you can install Installer or Cydia. For those who choose to get Cydia start up the application and add http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com as the application repository. For the Installer application the repository is http://i.yellowsm0w.com/.

he fourth step to unlock iPhone is to use Installer or Cydia depending on which one you chose to set up yellowsn0w and then run it. Once this is done, you should switch off your phone and use a paper clip to remove your SIM card and put in the SIM card from a new carrier. Once this is done, you can switch your iPhone on. The process of removing the SIM card and putting it back in can be repeated if the carrier on your iPhone does not appear after a while. There are always new versions of the applications that are used to unlock iPhone and you should ensure that you use the latest on when you make the decision to unlock Apple iPhone.

Reference:
http://www.unlock-apple-iphone.com/