How to Locate Purchased Apps in AppStore or Missing on iPad

On Mar 31, 2012, at 2:52 PM, Vixpix wrote:

The purchased iPhoto app on my iPad 2 did not transfer to my iPad 3. I did a backup to my Mac beforehand. Can I find it from there? I have no idea where the backup is. I don't see it in iTunes either.

If you launch the AppStore, you will find a "Purchased" tab on the bottom of the screen. Tapping this tab will display a list of apps that you have purchased. There is a tab on the upper left that lets you filter the list for IPad or iPhone apps. 

In the top center area, there is a toggle to display "all" apps or only "apps not on the iPad". If you haven't purchased a lot of apps, then you may quickly find an app here. If you own hundreds of apps, like I do, then you may need to search for a particular app.

On the upper right corner, of the Appstore, there is a search field that you can search for a purchased app by name.  Your purchased app will display in the center of the screen if found. An app that is not on your device will show a cloud icon near it, indicating that the app can be downloaded to this device without additional cost. If the app is already on your device, the app will indicate that the app is "installed". What if you are using this method to look for an app that you thought wasn't on your device, but the AppStore is indicating that it is "installed"?

It is possible to have an app installed, but not have it visible on any of your home screens. This is because Apple only allows 11 home screens and 6 icons on the tray. If you go beyond the maximum limit of displayed apps, you will have to search for apps using the spotlight feature. To get to spotlight screen, tap the home button once while at the first home screen or twice in a row (not double tap) from and other home screen. 

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks

iAmThereforeiPad, Founder and Chief Editor

iPad News, Reviews and How-To-Dos.  

We help make your iPad experience Magical through information!

http://www.iamthereforeipad.com

IPad Challenged ........ Connection Questions Answered

On Mar 31, 2012, at 7:39 AM, "Dieseldoc or Cumminsdoc" wrote:

> I am thinking about purching a new iPad. I know absolutely nothing about them. In order to be able to connect to the web, do you have to be in a "hot-spot" like with the iPod? Do you already have to have a data plan for a cell phone or can you get a data plan just for the iPad? What does a typical data plan run?

In order for any iPad to connect to the web, it has to be connected to the an Internet connection or hotspot.

You can get a wifi only iPad or one that has a built-in Internet modem that connects to a 3G (iPad 1, 2 or new) or 4G (iPad new).

The 3G iPad 1 is only available on AT&T. The 3G iPad 2 is available on AT&T and Verizon. The 4G iPad new is available on AT&T and Verizon. With either of these iPads, you can pay a monthly fee that gives you a certain amount data bandwidth to surf the web, download apps, stream content, check and send emails, etc. If you go over the bandwidth limit, you pay per gigabyte to keep using it during the month. There is no contract and you can turn it on and off at will right from the device. These models also have GPS capabilities that the wifi only models do not. Apps that use GPS feature will work only with the 3G/4G models. 3G/4G data plans have nothing to do with any data plans that you may have with these carriers on a smartphone or other device. They are usually and most likely separately billed at anywhere from $15-$80 a month depending on the bandwidth package you desire and the carrier you chose. Overage prices range from $10-$20 a gigabyte. Remember the 3G/4G models have Wifi too so they can do the following as well.

Wifi models have to connect to an external source for Internet access. If you have Cable Internet at home and currently have a single computer connected to it, you will need to get a wifi router to extend the service to your IPad and any other devices equipped with wifi like gaming devices like the Wii, Xbox or Play Station; laptops, etc. Cable companies offer a wifi router for a monthly cost, but I recommend an one time purchase of a router from Best Buy or Amazon (around $50).

Wifi hotspots are available at some public places like coffee shops, restaurants, parks, libraries, doctors office and possibly at work. If there are enough of these hotspot equipped locations accessible to you, then you are in a good position.

If not, you may have other options as well. Some smartphones have carrier approved hotspot capabilities available, usually at a monthly cost of $30. Some phones may have unsupported methods for sharing (often called wireless tethering) the Internet, you are already paying for, to your iPad.

If you have a Mifi device, usually from your business, for use with a laptop; it can be used with the iPad too.

Most devices, including iOS, are smart enough (programmed) to auto switch from cellular data connections to Wi-Fi if you re-enter an area with a wifi hotspot that you have signed unto before.

There are exceptions, like location that require you launch a website and agree to their web agreement before connecting to their wifi hotspot, like McDonalds or Sam's Clubs.

Keep in mind that, even when you are connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, there may be wifi blind spots that may drop you from a Wi-Fi hotspot. If you do not turn off the cellular data antenna, you can may reconnect to the cellular network and use minutes (actually bandwidth) that might have thought you were avoiding. Bottom line is that you should turn the cellular data off whenever you don't want to use it

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks

Syncing Photos to your iOS Devices - What you Need to Know

The camera roll on a iOS device is meant to be a temporary container for your photos. In the old days when you went to the local pharmacy to develop film, they gave you all of your pictures in a envelope. When you got home, you organized them. You gave some to family and friends (share). You put some in frames. You put others in photo albums. When you was done, you would store the negatives and throw the envelope away.
On the iOS device, when a picture is saved on the camera roll, the picture is in an unorganized holding area. You may need it for mailing, printing or Facebook sharing. Remember you may capture things with the camera that is no a photo of a person or place you want to retain. If that is the case, you might delete it after it is shared, printed or otherwise acted on. If the photo is indeed something you want to cherish, then you may want to organize it in an existing or new album
Photos imported from a Camera via the optional adapter are considered as "taken from a camera" and therefore added to the camera roll with the photos that were taken with an iPad or iPhone.
When you connect your iOS device to a Mac or a PC, you are prompted to import from the camera roll into your photo area on the desktop. At the end of the import, you will be given an option to delete the imported photos - again because this is a temporary storage area.

On the Mac, the app is iPhoto. On the PC, you have a separate smaller dialog window that launches along with iTunes when you plug your device into the computer. Most people automatically close this dialog window because they don't know why it pops up, this is one of the reasons; to import pictures from an external disks like an USB thumb drive, external hard drive, or iOS device.

In iTunes (on Windows or Mac), when you select your iPad device name on the left; tabs will appear in the center panel (under the Apple logo). If you select the "Photos" tab, you can get to select which main folder will be sync'd like "My Pictures" or browse for a different folder. Regardless of which parent folder is selected, you have the option to select "All folders" or "Selected folders".

If you select "All folders" then every picture in the "My Pictures" AND the subfolders will sync to the iOS device. If you select "Selected folders" then you are presented a list of all the subfolders inside of the parent directory. You would check the box next to each folder you want to sync to your device. The folder that are checked will sync; while the unchecked folders will not sync.

Thanks,
Carl W. Brooks

On Mar 29, 2012, at 7:25 AM, Devitt wrote:> I created a new album in the Photo app and copied some pix into it. Then I went back to Camera Roll to delete the originals since I don't want them in two places. Much to my surprise, when I tried to delete, the only choice that popped up was "delete everywhere" which I definitely do not want to do.
>
> Suggestions, anyone? That Camera Roll is getting too big to be useful.

The New iPad: Do you Buy, Wait or get an Android Tablet?

Apple has wisely called the new iPad, just that - the new iPad. The iPad is finally a fixed device in their product line. The first iPad was a proof of concept; like a beta release. Apple was the only one who thought it would fit into our life either as a post PC device or as a go-between the cellular phone and the desktop/laptop. Even though Apple thought it had a need in out lives, there is no denying they too were surprised as to how successful it has been. Most of the world thought it would fail because it was NOT needed. The iPad 2 was a reaction to the many vendors that threatened to release the iPad-Killer tablet in 2011. They added cameras, that they had laying around from the iPod Touch devices, just as a strategy to counter those attacks by the the vendors. Of course most of those threats were empty threats or mediocre devices that did not represent a true challenge. This new 2012 iPad is what the first iPad from 2010 should have been.
For the first-timers
If you've never owned a tablet and you're considering the new iPad for your first tablet, don't hesitate any longer. The iPad will enough tablet power to last you quite a while. Trust me when I tell you, the new iPad's updated features or stats are irrelevant to you in making this decision. How much memory it has or many pixel it can display means nothing to you - and it shouldn't. All you need to know is that the iPad will be used by you (and your household, if you are wiling to share) for than any other device that you currently own. Yes, the iPad will be used more than your desktop computer, more than your laptop, more than your home gaming system, more than your phone and maybe more than your TV.
The AppStore has so many apps that, if you download the right combination, you will have something to do with the iPad for every dull moment of your life (i.e. while commuting on the bus or train, waiting at the doctor's office, sitting in the car until the kids' school bell rings, etc.). If you buy the iPad and don't love it and if you don't use it more than you thought you would, I will let you use my time machine to zip you back to the point in time before you bought it. Oh, I can't, I forgot I don't own my time machine anymore - I sold it on eBay two years ago. Seriously, you'll love it.
What about the iPad 2? Didn't Apple keep it around at a lower price? Yes, the 16GB iPad 2 is now priced at $399 (or $529 with 3G), and the iPad 2 offers most of the same overall features, but with an extremely less quality camera and a less quality screen. It is capable of running all of the same software (for now), it's technically lighter and thinner, and because many current owners will want to trade up to the new iPad, you could possibly pay even less for the iPad 2. You could get with the iPad 2, but when others show you their new iPad months later or you visit an Apple store or other retailer and see the quality of the new screen, you are going to be pissed that you made such a big deal about a $100 difference in price. There are apps today that won't run on my iPad 1, so it is likely that the iPad 2 will start to be excluded from the approved list at some apps take true advantage of the new iPad features. Why buy now and not give yourself the best opportunity? Really the $100 will seem so small at that time, I have been there before - trust me!
If you are looking for a tablet and think that you will only use it for e-mail, web browsing, and general amusement - think again. With the iPad selling as well it has already done through the pre-sales online, you can be guaranteed that there will be more people telling you about their "must have apps". Don't think that you can go get a cheap $199 tablet and have as much fun and options. The experience on those tablets WILL NOT be the same. I love Amazon, they have all ways been my favor go to online retailer. Their Amazon Fire is not the tablet you want to get for the long run!
If someone is offering you the original iPad 1 for around $200, then take it. You won't get a better $200 tablet anywhere else. This will make a great starter device for the kids or as the "house" tablet to keep people off of yours.
For the upgraders - this can be tricky.
If you have a first-generation iPad, it's time to upgrade. After two years of use, you're now at a tipping point where your iPad's A4 processor does a less spectacular job of running the more advanced apps. The biggest feature of the iPad 1 that will begin to affect your tablet experience is the memory. I am not talking about the internal storage (16GB, 32GB or 64GB), I am talking about the measly 128 MB of memory that is available for the loaded apps. This is typically called RAM. When you start to draft an email, but then switch over to Safari to research and then cut and paste information; the RAM is where this information is stored. That song you have playing in the background, it using RAM. The iPad 2 has 512 MB of RAM and the new iPad has 1 GB of RAM. This means they can run more memory hungry apps and allow you to run more apps at one time.
The longer you wait, the lower the resale value of your particular model of iPad 1 will go. If you sell now, you could make about $200 towards your next iPad. In my opinion, anything less than $200 is not worth selling it. I would rather gift it to someone in the family. Heck a two year old iPad is still more valuable than a brand new Kindle Fire. Like I said above, the new iPad is really the first iPad; so this is the experience that we thought we would get when we bought the original. I have the iPad 1 and will upgrade as soon as I can. I didn't preorder, nor will I be in line in the morning, but I will get it soon.
The choice then becomes: iPad 2 or new iPad? Unless you're just began reading this article at this paragraph you know the iPad 2 is not the device for you. You skipped the iPad 2 when it came out either because it didn't make sense to upgrade because of the incremental upgraded features or you were cash strapped after the first buy. Heck you may have felt that there was no need to even get anything better. Now come the new iPad with the improved screen, gaming performance, 4G data, and higher camera quality. This is the device you want.
The cheapskate might say go with the $399 iPad 2. Coming from the first iPad, the iPad 2's slim design, light weight, dual-core processor, and dual cameras is in fact an upgrade, but not worth forking out the cash - not then and not now. A new tablet owner may be tempted, but as a current iPad 1 owner, you know better.
The iPad 2 now only comes in one capacity (16GB). Yeah, if you sell the iPad 1 for $200, then you only really paid $100 for the iPad 2, but believe me you won't like the decision for two long. Logically, if you have the money to jump from the original iPad to the new iPad, it's a better investment for the short-term and in the long run as well.
For existing iPad 2 owners considering an upgrade, the choice is more difficult. On the plus side, the new iPad's vastly improved screen is stunning for e-books, movies, games, and photos, and the upgraded camera (and iCloud Photo Stream) makes it easy to feed that screen great shots that you can create on the device itself. You also have those 4G models available from AT&T and Verizon, which seemingly offer the first good deal on 4G data we've seen on tablets.
But if you're happy with your iPad 2 and you don't want to part with any money (especially for an iPad that's technically thicker and heavier than your current iPad), there's not much here that dramatically improves the basic capabilities of the device. Unless you count dictation, there's nothing the new iPad DOES that the iPad 2 can't. The new iPad WILL do most things a little better because of the improved A5X processor and doubled RAM and of course the new iPad's screen is way better than anything on the market.

Of course the iPad 2 has cameras too, but they suck. The new iPad's rear camera is actually very useable for both pictures and 1080p videos. Some people have complained that you will look dorky holding an iPad up to capture pictures and video, but I disagree. I think the benefit that it provides will out weigh any stigmas that may exist temporarily until we as humans make the adjustment that we will ultimately make. Heck, I used to lug a huge VHS equipment home video camera around in my lifetime. This won't need a power cord after 15 minutes. Plus you have the tools to edit, modify and improve the captured media without removing them from the device.
I personally don't think that the upgrade from the iPad 2 to the new iPad is justifiable. I felt the same way about the jump from the iPad 1 to the iPad 2. But if you're feeling the limitations of your iPad 2 and you'd like the new version with its feature upgrades, who am I to deter you. The average trade-in value for a current 16GB iPad 2 is around $200-$250, which would knock a nice chunk off the price of a new iPad.
For professionals
In spite of being criticized as a "couch potato" or consumer-only device, the iPad has infiltrated the professional world in a huge way. If you already use an iPad for work and are wondering if the upgrade is worthwhile, here's how I would see it.
Do you think that the new iPad's high-resolution display will give you a professional advantage? If you're a creative professional or Real Estate professional who routinely shows off a visual portfolio to your clients, then it's a worthwhile purchase.
Next, consider what impact the 4G data capability may have for you. If you're a jet-setter who travels light, the iPad 4G offers a combination of durability, design, battery life, and wireless data bands that you won't find in other products.
Finally, there are the little touches that may hook professionals, such as Bluetooth 4.0 peripheral support, voice-to-text, and 1080p display mirroring over HDMI (with a $49 adapter or a $99 Apple TV).
Unlike the iPad 2, both the Verizon and AT&T models of the new iPad support worldwide 3G GSM networks for connectivity, but 4G won't be available globally.
To 4G or not to 4G?
For business people 4G is something you have to look at because the speed is much improved. Most of us are used to paying a two-year contracts for data coverage via a mobile hotspot. I use a Verizon MiFi because I need connectivity for the iPad and my Ultrabook. So I am already paying for 4G, so I don't need 4G built into the new iPad.
If you don't already have or need connectivity to other devices like laptops, then the 4G ma be an option. Plus the new iPad can become a hotspot if the carrier allows it. It appears that Verizon will allow this, but AT&T will not (at least out the gate). This might be a factor for some. Plus the 4G data plans associated with the new iPad is based on a month to month basis. Plus there are no contracts to get in the way.

I still groan at the $130 you pay up front for the privilege of Apple soldering in a wireless modem that probably costs it a few dollars to produce. Still, as ploys go, it feels a little more honest to me than a two-year contract.
So, down to brass tacks. Is it worth the extra $130 for a 4G-capable version of the new iPad?

Well, if you have the extra $130, go for it. Aside from the up-front cost, it's a no-risk feature. You don't even have to activate it unless you're in a pinch and can't find a Wi-Fi connection. Think of it as a security blanket.

But before you take the plunge, it's worth spending some time figuring out if your phone can already act as a 3G/4G hot spot that can be connected to a Wi-Fi-only iPad. Your phone is something you're always likely to have on you, so it may be a better option for your "just in case" cellular data than spending $130 on a feature you may never use. Plus, looking at current resale prices of older iPads, the value of the additional cellular data feature doesn't necessarily add as much to resale value as an investment in capacity.

AT&T or Verizon?

When you go to buy an iPad 4G, don't just blindly choose the model on your existing carrier. The models and capabilities of each carrier's iPad 4G are slightly different, and since you're not tied to a contract, you're free to choose whichever carrier you'd like.

If you're really hoping to make the most of 4G data speeds, be sure to check each carrier's coverage map to see if 4G is even offered where you live. Also, check the pricing on each carrier's data plans for the iPad. Currently, AT&T offers the lowest entry-level monthly plan, but pricing may shift over time.
If you plan on taking the new iPad on any globe-trotting adventures, do some research to figure out which carrier's iPad will be most compatible with your travel plans. Fortunately, unlike the iPad 2, both carrier models for the new iPad support worldwide GSM/UMTS networks and include Micro-SIM card slots that can be adapted for foreign networks.

Finally, if the idea of using your new iPad as a cellular hot spot appeals to you, take a moment to make sure the feature is supported by your preferred carrier. At launch, only Verizon is supporting the iPad's new hot-spot feature. Even if AT&T jumps on board, there's a good chance that each carrier will handle the hot-spot capability differently, and there's always a chance that additional fees could pop up, so do your homework.


Final thoughts

Here's the spoiler: it really doesn't matter what you do. If you wait another year, the next iPad will only get better. If you buy it and you're unimpressed, there's a good chance that you can make nearly all your money back selling it used. Who knows? If you're lucky, there'll be a shortage and you can turn a profit.

But whatever your thoughts on Apple, the company has not made its billions by disappointing customers. Odds are, you're going to like this thing.

Saving for the new iPad? There's an app for that!

I was hopeful that my birthday celebration last Friday would include a new IPad, but my wife held to her "hold off until May" stand.

I thought she was kidding to maintain suspense and surprise for a birthday reveal. The surprise was on me, but it should have - she has insisted that we wait. Admittingly, I still don't get her logic. We have the money in the bank, we wouldn't be buying it with credit.

If we are going to spend the money, just over a month from now, what different would have made to get it now? Even if she wanted to wait for our income Tax Refund to deposit in te bank, the money I going to be used either way. If I bought the iPad today, the May money would simply be added back into the savings account instead of going to Apple at that time.

Anyway, I gave her the option to buy it for me because she would most likely buy the lowest cost device. I would buy the most expensive Wi-Fi device. To avoid a bad communication issue event in May, I have begun to save cash to the side to cover the difference between the lowest cost device and the top priced device.

There is an app in the AppStore that help keep track of the things we desire. The app is accurately called Desire. Desire is a simple database app that allow users to add items to the "My Desires" list. Once added, items can be viewed separately and the user is able to add and withdrawal funds from the item. The screen shows how much the item costs, how much you have saved for the item and the percentage of the total amount need that you have.

You can use the deposit and withdrawal buttons to manage the money you have allocated for the item There is a history button that pulls up a screen to show the dates and amounts of each deposit and withdrawal.

So as I save, I have a nice simple app to keep track of my progress. I am using it for the iPad, but it can used for anything you are saving for. Download the Desire app from the Apple AppStore.

The iOS Apprentice: Free iOS 5.0 Programming Tutorial Makes Xcode Easier to Learn

Matthijs Hollemans has this to say about his ebook series titled, "The iOS Apprentice: iPhone and iPad Programming for Beginners":

"This first tutorial is completely standalone and teaches you how to write a complete iPhone game named Bull’s Eye. The best part is you can read it here in its entirety for free! The other tutorials in this series build on what you’ll learn here. 


Each tutorial describes a new app in full detail, and together they cover everything you need to know to make your own apps. By the end of the series you’ll be experienced enough to turn your ideas into real apps that you can sell on the App Store! Even if you’ve never programmed before or if you’re new to iOS, you should be able to follow along with the step-by-step instructions and understand how these apps are made. Each tutorial has a ton of illustrations to prevent you from getting lost. Not everything might make sense right away, but hang in there and all will become clear in time. Writing your own iPhone and iPad apps is a lot of fun, but it’s also hard work. 


If you have the imagination and perseverance there is no limit to what you can make these cool little devices do. It is my sincere belief that this ebook series can turn you from a complete newbie into an accomplished iOS developer, but you do have to put in the time and effort. By writing these tutorials I’ve done my part, now it’s up to you... Enjoy the first tutorial! If it works out for you, then I hope you’ll get the other parts of the series too. "

I must say that I have looked far and wide for the best resources to help me learn Xcode.  This is one of the best tutorial ebooks that I have ever seen (both Free and Paid books).  It not only uses the most current Xcode version available, but the developer speaks in such a way that the greenest novice can follow along with out be intimidated or deterred from reaching the end of the lesson.

I signed up for the free newsletter over at www.raywenderlich.com. Ray has an excellent site with many free iOS development tutorials.

After signing up for his newsletter — which is a very useful resource in its own right! — I received an email with the download link for the free copy of the epic-length tutorial iOS Apprentice: Getting Started by iOS Tutorial Team member Matthijs Hollemans (fully updated for iOS 5!).

I worked on it Saturday morning and after a few hours I have a fully functional game on my iPhone 4s that I had created with my own hands.  What a wonderful feeling!

Here are the screen shots of the Bull's Eye app that I created using the free tutorial.

I changed some of the text colors to make the key values pop.

 I displayed the number that was selected from the slider unto the pop window so that you could see which number you had chosen.

 Also you can see the random number that the program selected in the background to assure you of what you should chosen.

 I elected to keep the original "info" screen text plus adding a tribute to the tutorial and a link to my blog.

Make sure you get your free copy of the the Tutorial and start having some fun yourself programming for the iPhone and iPad.

EXCLUSIVE: Steve Wozniak in Line for iPad 3 at Apple Store

Watch this interview with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak waiting outside the Apple Store for the new iPad 3/iPad HD at the Westfield Mall in Century City, CA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATfqKRZ0z-4

New iPad Draw Smaller lines throughout the day and in more locations

Apple's latest iPad drew die-hard fans to stores in the U.S. and nine other countries Friday, many of whom lined up for hours to be among the first to buy one.

The third version of the iPad went on sale at 8 a.m. local time, with 25 other countries getting it a week later. The new model, starting at $499 in the U.S., comes with a faster processor, a much sharper screen and an improved camera. They also made the iPad available in more partner retail shops on the same day. The changes are are huge upgrades from the original iPad, but not so much from the iPad 2.

About 50 people lined up outside Apple's store in the Twelve Oaks mall in Novi, Mi. This is about 1950 people less than the number that lined up outside the same store a year ago for the release of the iPad 2.  People may think that Apple is not selling as many because the line sizes are small at some stores, but that won't be the case.  The earlier opening time affects the size of the line and the need to not have lines in many cases. People can trickle in all day instead of all showing up to a big line at a later time in the day. Apple has made some great changes.

Apple changed quite a bit this year with this device. The first change was to remove the number from the IPad naming convention. I reported earlier that I believed they would also change the way the stores handled the opening for sales of the iPad. Instead of closing down the store until 4 p.m. and restricting all sales except iPads, I hoped they would just open the store for business as usual.

I almost guessed it right. They did what I thought except they just opened two hours earlier. They did away with black curtain dropping and the gang of Apple employees clapping and cheering. One Apple employee, I spoke with, openly admitted he would miss the old way of opening the store. He had been at the store since 5:30 a.m.

Some people had chairs outside the store. People were prohibit from standing outside the mall until 6:30 a.m. on Friday. Once people were let into to the mall, very few brought their chairs. Most people just stood or sat on the floor. Many had other Apple products with them; some laptops, iPads and iPhones. A few played games on older iPads.

I spoke with Al from Brighton, MI.who seemed a little embarrassed that he was standing in line for an Apple product  (I guess this is a side effect of the Samsung's Anti-Apple commercials).  "I usually don't do this!", he started.  "I bought my wife the iPad 2 and tried to get my new iPad online but the ship dates are 2-3 weeks now."  It was 7:20 a.m. and the store was scheduled to open at 8 a.m.  I explained to Al that his wait would have been much longer and he would have had hundreds of people both in front and behind him during the prior iPad launches. He was thankful that today was different.

For other customers, standing in line was the only way they would get a new iPad on Friday. Apple quickly ran out of their pre-order supply it set aside for advance orders. Others in line were veterans who wouldn't buy an Apple product without the line waiting.  I believe the new changes at Apple will make their company less and less in the coming years.  Despite the lower numbers at a time, Apple store employees still bought out water and snacks like they did when the line was much bigger and snaked through the mall.

The Apple employees also handed out cards that indicated which iPad (or iPads) you wanted to buy.  This card would hold that unit until the end of the day.  Al chose the 32GB iPad from AT&T.  He was a little bummed to hear that AT&T hadn't decided if or when they would offer Hot spot tethering services on their 4G iPads.

At 7:40 a.m. a loud series of shorting erupted from the front of the line.  Apparently they would start letting people in prior to the 8:00 a.m. time slot.  I am not sure if a customer or Apple employee initiated the cheers; someone obviously don't want to let go of the old way of doing things.  The front of the line consisted of those who had pre-ordered their iPad; presumably via the Apple store app for iOS device. We were all in the store by 8:00 a.m. and everyone was processed by 8:12 a.m.


Here is a quick look at the new iPad.  I used a new iPad to film this video.



Many others had walked in and was serviced in the time I spent monkeying around with the display units.  I didn't get my unit today, but I look to do so very soon.  I played with the iPad for quite some time and the display is gorgeous and vivid. I can't say it better and agree with Walt Mossberg when he stated, "Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription—you suddenly realize what you thought looked sharp before wasn't nearly as sharp as it could be."

The unit is very snappy and did thing much faster than my original model.I created videos with iMovie and uploaded them to Youtube in a fraction of the time it would have taken on my device.  The device seemed to stay warm as I handled it, but I attribute that to the hot bright light shining on the store display units.

Despite competition from cheaper tablet computers such as Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, the iPad remains the most popular tablet computer. Apple Inc. has sold more than 55 million iPads since its debut in 2010.  Apple is going to see a few million this weekend for sure, but I think they will do well over a million in the first day alone.  I can't wait to get mine.

Here is a short iMovie Trailer of the new iPad

AirDisplay - Extending beyond the Mac Desktop

I love my iMac.  The 21" screen is big and beautiful.  Sometimes that big screen not enough.  At work, I have four (4) monitors on my Windows PC.  I get use to working with multiple screens and it makes working on my single screen iMac troublesome.  Thankfully I have AirDisplay on my iPad 1 to create another monitor for my iMac.  If you never used a second monitor on your desktop or laptop, I might as well me talking Chinese (这将是疯了！).  You have no idea how powerful your workspace becomes by adding a second monitor.  At home, I don't have room for two monitors to sit on my desk, but I have plenty of room for my iPad to become my second monitor when I need it.

In the example above in the picture, I am working full screen on the iMac with xcode. On the iPad, I have a PDF book open. You might ask, "Why not just have the PDF book open in the iPad's native software?" I could do this, but the book would simply be read only. Using AirDIsplay to show it in a separate monitor, I can interact with the book and copy text from the page so I don't have to type all of the code into xcode. The great thing about is you can use the mouse, touchpad or your finger to manipulate the content on your Mac. It is a wonderful tool to add to your workspace when you need to.

The iOS app is $9.99. Install the app from the AppStore and then download the AirDisplay Connect for Mac to load in the background on the desktop or laptop. In minutes, you will have your iPad acting as a second monitor for your computer (it works with Windows too).

MAC OS X: If you can run the Mac App Store, you can run the Air Display app. Both 32-Bit & 64-Bit systems are supported.

NETWORK: In order for Air Display for Mac to work both computers must be connected to the same network. Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet are both supported.

Important note about Air Display on Lion The Air Display host software runs well on Lion, except for Mac models with dual NVIDIA GeForce 9400M & 9600M video adapter.

The Air Display driver is incompatible with these specific machines.
Affected Mac models include:

• 15" MacBook Pro (late 2008 and mid 2009) 
• 17" MacBook Pro (early and mid 2009). 

Avatron® Software is a leading developer of productivity-enhancing applications that blur the boundaries between personal computers, mobile devices, and the cloud. Avatron’s Air Sharing file-sharing app was downloaded by more than 1 million users in its first two weeks and raised the bar for iOS application design and quality. The company’s Air Display app turns an iPad into a wireless computer monitor with a touchscreen. Avatron was founded in April 2008 by Dave Howell, a former Apple software engineering manager, and a team of veteran Mac OS X programmers. The company is based in Portland, Oregon.

iMovie updated to included movie trailers

Apple updated the iMovie for iOS to include the movie trailer feature.

This is nothing new to Mac owners who may have used it on the desktop version of iMovie.

What it does is allow you to create a one minute video that resembles Hollywood quality movie trailers.

You select the theme or template and then fill out the storyboard with Studio name, number of subjects, etc.

Then it directs you to select the appropriate still or video for each subject. For example, you may need to select a shot or video with all subjects visible, then a close up of each subject, an action sequence or whatever shot is appropriate for the theme.

It adds music, transitions and whatever else is needed to make the video work.

The bottom line is that you can take some ordinarily boring video shots and make it exciting and interesting to view.

I did the following video on my iMac using iMovie. The videos cuts were shot with a non-HD Flip camera and the stills were taken with an Android smartphone.

To think that you can now capture the video, stills and create a similar video on your iPhone or iPad device is awesome.

Check out my video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiGBUXPgpds&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks

Is the new iPad line worthy?

Apple surprised many when they called their new iPad simply that, "the new iPad". It appeared that Apple is trying to make its iPad a normal item in its list of products. Just as it does with its MacBook Pro, iPod Touch, MacBook Air, and iMac products, Apple is simply calling the next new device by its name without adding a number behind it.

Apple may have began this in regards to the name, but will it be willing to continue this transformation when it comes to releasing the iPad into the market or into their stores?

Will Apple close its stores, close the black curtains, or make a big deal of sale of the new iPad? If the iPad is just another Apple product, why should we have to stand in line for it? Shouldn't it just shows up on the shelves at the stores?

Who is going to be in those lines outside the Apple stores anyway? Will it be owners of the iPad 1? Will it be owners of the iPad 2? Or will it be all new owners? Surely it will be a combination of all these? For the previous owners of the two prior iPads, doesn't make sense for us to go stand in line?

Do we really want to expose ourselves like that? So Samsung can make fun of us to try and sell their wacky little phones? Should we just pre-order it and have it delivered to our homes or business? Some will and many of them have already placed their orders online. Others will not be happy unless they get to stand in line and hang out with other Apple lovers.

For many, standing in line is part of the process. As a blogger isn't just part of my job right? It's funny, I have stood around three different lines over last couple years, but have never purchased anything from those lines. I either order mine online or wait a few days later to get my own personal device, but I love to be there to be part of the excitement and to cover the event for my website. I am sure the day will come with the iPads will simply show up on the shelf and there will not be any lines outside the Apple stores, but this iPad launch is not the time for such a thing. For many people, the new iPad is worth standing in line to be the first to own one. And as silly as it may seem, it really is quite an event. Samsung has copied a lot from Apple, but they cannot copy the demand. Even though they poke fun at the subject, they wish people would stand in line by the thousands to buy their tablet.

Will you be at your local Apple store holding your place in line? Let us know.

IOS 5.1 Update available Today in the Settings App

Apple has made the iOS 5.1 update available for over the air (OTA) push. It contains improvement and bug fixes, including:

• The update adds Japanese language support for Siri on the iPhone.
• Photos can now be deleted from the Photo Stream
• Camera shortcut now always visible on lock screen for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4S, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (fourth-generation)
• Camera face detection now highlights all detected faces
• Redesigned camera app for iPad
• Genius mixes and genius playlist for iTunes match subscribers
• Audio for TV shows and movies on iPad optimized to sound louder and clear
• Podcast controls for playback speed and a 30 second rewind for iPad
• Updated AT&T network indicator
• Addresses bugs affecting battery life
• Fixes an issue that occasionally caused audio to drop for outgoing calls

Simply open the Settings app on your device and click the Software Update option under the General tab.

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks

So What is the new iPad all about?

If you have been waiting for the new iPad to arrive, your wait is almost over. On Friday March 16, 2012, the new iPad will be available for purchase in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands. The price for the new iPad is the same as for it was the iPad 1 and iPad 2. So what is new about the new iPad? Let us dig into it.

Apple has done away with the numbering system for the iPad and are doing what they do with the iMac, iPod Touch, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices; simply calling the new device by name. This makes a lot of sense. There are people saying that Apple didn't call the new iPad the iPad 3 because it is just "a stall" between the iPad 2 and the iPad 3; that is silly.


When things need to be changed on the device, Apple should simply change or update the device without having to pretend to create a whole new device; just as they do with other Apple devices. When Dell changes a desktop from Optiplex 755 to Optiplex 760; with minor changes between the two - no one blinks an eye.  Apple is the only company that demand this type of attention for releasing a "regular" update.  Each revision won't be a game changer.


There is no reason for the average user to swap out their devices each year. They should keep the current device until it no longer does the desired functions that they purchased it to perform. So Apple got this right, the new iPad is just that, "The New iPad".  I suspect Apple will do the same when they announce the new iPhone later this year; no iPhone 5, simply the "new" iPhone.

The biggest change to the new iPad is the screen resolution. Apple's marketing slogan calls the new iPad, "Resolutionary". No, not "revolutionary" or "evolutionary", but "Resolutionary" which is a word play to bring attention to the resolution of the screen. The new iPad’s Retina display has 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi). The iPad delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that Apple claims that "the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance". Whether you can see the pixels or not, you will immediately be able to see the rich graphics it can display.

What does this mean for the user? Making so much resolution available in the very portable 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display means that your web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HD TV, and with 44 percent increased color saturation the new iPad displays colors that are much richer, deeper and more vivid than any other device you can hold in your hands. Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution, delivering an incomparable viewing experience on a mobile device. So the rumor mill was correct that the new iPad would get the Retina display. Bottom line, the graphics on the iPad 2 are just fine; however, the new screen is incredibly richer and developers will soon begin to develop "Retina-specific" apps will leave iPad 1 and iPad 2 owners lusting in envy.

The rumor mill also thought the processor would be upgraded to an A6 chip; that didn't happen, but it did receive an upgrade of sorts. The dual-core A5X chip was equipped with quad-core graphics performance. It was designed by Apple to deliver a fast, responsive user experience and support for the new Retina display. The A5X chip doubles the graphics performance of the A5 chip found in the iPad 2. The processing power remained the same as with the iPad 2 with its built-in dual-core processor. So they kept the processor the same as the iPad 2, but added the "X"tra graphics performance to a quad-core performance.

Apple agreed with us that the camera needed a serious upgrade. They just didn't agree with the path that we thought it should take. Apple left the front camera as is, but upgraded the rear camera to a 5 megapixel iSight camera. While not the 8 megapixel camera like the one on my iPhone 4s, it is much better than the measly 0.9 megapixel camera from the iPad 2 device. While it borrowed the camera from the older iPhone 4, it did add some of the features from the iPhone 4s like the advanced optics for taking stunning pictures and recording full HD video. Backside illumination allows you to take great photos in low-light conditions and a new video image stabilization feature removes the bumps and shakes typically seen when filming with a hand-held device. It also borrowed from the iPhone 4s, the ability to edited, enhanced and easily shared with friends and family using the built-in Photos app on iPad.

The new iPad comes in both a Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 4G models. So the 3G antenna is replaced with built-in next generation 4G LTE technologies. Apple will create separate models to support HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA which supports both CDMA and GSM cellular systems. The world-ready iPad now allow faster 4G speeds for downloads and uploads. This means you will have faster web page viewing, quickly open and send email with large attachments and faster rendering and buffering for online viewing of videos, music, etc. Personal Hotspot can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB if you carrier supports it. If they do support it, it will most likely do so with an additional monthly fee.

One disappointment is that Apple did not increase the storage options, opting to stick with the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. In the "Post PC" era, as Apple like to call today, we were hoping to get a 128GB offering. Without this and bigger storage choices, some of us have to keep a computer or PC around to storage the pictures, music, movies, video and other items on because it cannot fit on the currently available models. I am hoping Apple will provide more storage in the future devices. Until then, someone in the household might have to keep a PC sitting in a corner for a bit longer.

Another disappointment is the decision to leave Siri off the new iPad. Instead of adding Siri, Apple added only the dictation feature. Apple added a microphone on the virtual keyboard that allows you to speak into the microphone and have the iPad to the transcribing. This is a very useful feature that I use often on my iPhone 4s as I did with my Android devices. The iPad is able to utilize Siri from a hardware performance aspect, but Siri requires a connection to the Internet in order to work fully. One would think that Apple decided not to add Siri because the iPad could be without a connection to the Internet at many times and therefore unable to use Siri, but the new Dictation feature requires a Internet connection too. So we don't know why Apple has excluded Siri from the new iPad. All hope is not lost because Siri is something that can be added later as the product\service improves - Siri is still in Beta you know. So until then, the new iPad owners will have to settle with only the dictation feature. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, and then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.

The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in either black or white (just like it was with the iPad 2). The suggested retail prices are: $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.

Borrowing also from the iPhone 4s offering, Apple now offers AppleCare+ for the new iPad. AppleCare+ for iPad extends your repair coverage up to two years from the original purchase date of your iPad and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage. Each incident is subject to a $49 service fee and must be purchased at the time you order the iPad for $99.00 USD.

The bottom-line is that the new iPad adds a 2048x1536 Retina Display, a dual-core Apple A5X processor with quad-core graphics, 1080p recording with the 5MP rear iSight auto-focus rear camera, a 4G LTE broadband antenna, Bluetooth 4.0 technology and adds voice dictation functionality. The new iPad is 0.03 inches or 0.6mm thicker, 0.11 lbs or 51 grams heavier, added 17.5 more watt/hr to the battery to maintain the same 10hr (9hr on LTE) battery life the prior models offered. They also kept the same prices for each of last years models and available with either the black or white shell.

Apple is again providing a device that will out shine its competitors’ offerings in the tablet space. Apple has cleverly offered enough improvements to convince the diehard fan-boys to again pony up some money to buy the latest and greatest Apple device, but more importantly provided a device that will give the fence walkers yet another reason to buy the iPad instead of the other devices. By the way, Apple is keeping the iPad 2 around in the 16GB Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G variety for those who don’t want to pony up $100 more for the latest iPad. The iPad 2 Wi-Fi only will continue to sell for $399 and the Wi-Fi + 3G model for $529. Now anyone that wants an iPad can get one if they wish, but they'll will have to wait until March16, 2012. I am buying the new iPad with at least 32GB of storage and will pass my iPad 1 (16GB) to someone else in my household to use.  

(Long lines formed outside the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, MI on March 11, 2011 for the iPad 2 launch- Credit: Carl Brooks)

Since this is just a regular item in the product line, can we skip the store closing, black curtain drawing, 2000+ line forming events and simply shipped the items to the store and let people show up to get them?  I guessing Apple can't simply be a regular old computer company after all.  I'm betting it going to be MAYHAM again like last year.

Location:Novi, MI

Thanks,

Carl W. Brooks
iAmThereforeiPad, Founder and Chief Editor

iPad News, Reviews and How-To-Dos.
We help make your iPad experience Magical through information!
http://www.iamthereforeipad.com

Apple iPad Event Coverage - March 7, 2012

Apple set to begin it's event at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Here is what they revealed: ???

• The new iPad has a 2048 x 1536, Retina Display . That's 3.1 million pixels. "The most ever in a mobile device."


• A5X processor, quad-core graphics!iSight Camera on the rear with 5-megapixel backside illuminated sensor on the back, 5-element lens, IR filter, and ISP built into the A5X


• Third feature: 1080p video recording। No big shocker there। "Wherever you are, you want to grab a​ video for work or play or school you've got a great camera to grab that with।


• Fourth feature: voice dictation।Fifth feature: 4G LTE! - Verizon, Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T will be the LTE partners


• iPad can be a hotspot


• 10 hours of battery life still! 9 hours on 4G!


• 9।4mm thin, weighing 1।4lbs.


• $499 for 16GB!, 32GB is $599 and 64GB for $699। Sorry, no 128GB!


• If you want 4G it's $629, $729 and $829।


• Available on March 16th in US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan.
  

The Best Cydia Apps for iPhone 4s (5.0.1) - JailBroken

If you upgraded to 5.1 on your iPhone 4s, then you will have to wait a little longer before you can Jailbreak your phone. If this is the case, then can use bookmark this site for when the latest version is cracked. For those who were fortunate enough to Jailbreak before the well went dry, you are in luck. Whether this is your first time Jailbreaking your iPhone or you had a previous Jailbroken iPhone at an earlier version, you will need to know which Cydia apps are OK to use with the current version of the iOS operating system. Well iOS 5.0.1 is the first Jailbreak available for the iPhone 4s, so you know I was on it. For the most part, I have not ran into a lot of JailBroken apps that don't work anymore (with the latest version of iOS 5.0.1). There are some that may not be needed because of enhancements added in the new iPhone operating system. You may be asking, “I just JailBroke my 5.0.1 iPhone 4s, what do I do now?”

Quite possibly, you may be confused as to why one might want to Jailbreak the iPhone 4s in the first place। JailBreaking is all about choices. Here is a nice video that highlight a few things for your consideration.

As you can see there are tons of options available. You can choose to do a little, a lot or none at all. If you are interested, then you will need to know which Cydia apps are worth installing.

More importantly, you may need help determining which apps are compatible. Here are the ones that I enjoy on my iPhone 4s. I'll give a little information about them and then follow up with a YouTube video.

The first apps or tweaks shown are as follows:

f.lux

Ever notice how people texting at night have that eerie blue glow? Or wake up ready to write down the Next Great Idea, and get blinded by your iPhone screen?

During the day, the screens look good—they're designed to look like the sun. But, at 9PM, 10PM, or 3AM, you probably shouldn't be looking at the sun.

F.lux fixes this: it makes the color of your iPhone's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.

Graviboard

Graviboard is a tweak that brings gravity to the homescreen. When activated, all the icons on your homescreen will fall down and the chaos will ensue!

Use your finger to drag and fling icons! Tilt your device and the icons follow! Tweak settings like bounciness!


Multifl0w

The iPad now had multitasking available for a limited number of (mostly audio) apps; therefore Pandora Radio, Stitcher Radio, Police Scanner or other similar apps can be used in the background as you read a book, draft an email or surf the web. Apple has included an icon tray that is accessible by double clicking the Home button. This tray doesn't just show opened or background apps, but also show the recently accessed apps were well as brightness, music, rotation and audio controls. I like this, but I would like to see my "opened apps" in a fashion that is similar to my desktop (think table top, not computer desktop). I miss this from my Palm Pre days. There is a Cydia app that helps with this need, it is called Multidl0w.

Multifl0w is an app switcher for Jailbroken iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that is a lot better than the default app switcher as it shows the snapshot of the running application. You can close the apps running in the background by either clicking on the X button or flicking the app snapshot up, down or to the side. Multifl0w shows all open apps (up to 9) on the same screen, for easy and quick task switching. This makes it more intuitive and it also quicker to close the app compared to Apple’s implementation as you can just tap on the cross button. The apps can be dragged and dropped to re-arrange them. In iOS4, Multifl0w can work alongside or totally replace Apple's task switcher by going to Settings –> Multifl0w –> Activation Methods –> Home Button – tap on Double Press. There is no icon for this feature; access the app information in the extensions area in the Settings app. The app is available in the Cydia store for $4.99.

DeepEnd

DeepEnd allows you to add a 3D effect to your iPhone homescreen wallpaper. Well, the DeepEnd Cydia tweak has been developed by Ryan Petrich, the well-known developer. Also, the DeepEnd works just as expected, basically, using your iPhone 4′s gyroscope, it appears to change your iPhone’s screen orientation based on the angle you hold your handset at.



The next group or apps or tweaks shown are as follows:

Display Recorder

Available at $4.99 in the Cydia Store, Display Recorder lets record your iPhone or iPad display activity and save videos as .avi files you can publish to Youtube within the app, browse from your desktop browser using the built in web server or save into your Camera roll. The app is very complete and full of options: you can setup custom activation gestures, enable OpenGL capture, choose video quality and orientation, enable taps and adjust the framerate. You can setup all these preferences from the Display Recorder tab in Settings.app. There is also an app that lets you manage your recording. Display Recorder now allows you to capture audio as well. My three videos (with audio) in this story were made with Display Recorder.

Color Keyboard

Color Keyboard is an iPhone tweak that will let you color, design, and fully customize your iPhone's keyboard pretty much any way you'd like. Color Keyboard is available now in the Cydia Store for $1.99, and allows you to even add backgrounds to your keyboard. No more boring virtual keyboard anymore.

xCon

There are certain apps on the iTunes App Store that refuse to run if they find your device is jailbroken. As always, the iOS dev community rises to the challenge and comes up with an app to counter this issue. Introducing xCon, a free Cydia tweak that bypasses the aforementioned jailbreak check, allowing you to run all such App Store apps that normally wouldn’t run on a jailbroken device.

SbSettings

SBSettings is a helpful "app" that let you easily change certain iPad settings. SBSettings can be accessed from almost anywhere on the iPhone/iPod by sliding a finger across the top status bar. SBSettings can allow you to change settings such as toggle WiFi, toggle Bluetooth or brightness. It allows you to all the date, IP address and Wi-Fi router name to the status bar. I use this app the most to change the brightness without leaving the app that I am currently in. Even with Apple’s icon status bar feature, it is still faster to change the brightness with SBSettings. There is no icon for this feature; access the app information in the extensions area in the Settings app. The app is Free.

Here is the video for the above items.




The last group or apps or tweaks shown are as follows:

App Stat

This new tweak in Cydia called App Stat will help you figure out which apps you don’t use very often. App Stat will keep a running count of every app you use, and how many times you use each. If you were to install the software and let it keep track of your app usage for a week, you’d get a pretty good idea of which ones to get rid of. Oddly, there no way to reset the number though. Maybe we show email the developer and make a request.

Fake Carrier

Tired of the same carrier logo? Example: Rogers, Telus, AT&T, etc. How about adding style by customizing it. FakeCarrier allows you to change the carrier name and time string, located on the status bar. If you’re running FW 3.0 +, theres also the option to show battery level. Launching Cydia, search for FakeCarrier and select install. Once installed, a Carrier icon appears on the iPhone springboard. Tap Carrier, choose Fake Carrier and enter your customized name. Once created, tap set and instantly you’ll notice a change. Do the following steps to change Fake Time and to Show BatteryLevel.

Five Icon Dock

This is what the developer says and I agree. Some people want five icons on their dock; not six, not seven, certainly not an arbitrarily large number of icons. For these people, this package is the only correct choice: the only extension that knows enough to "just return 5;". In a sense, this package is "a classic": one of the early, one of the strong, one of the simple, and... one of the best.

MultiIconMover

MultiIconMover is a pretty cool mod (there is no app icon) that allows for a quick and easy way to rearrange multiple icons at one. Once installed, you can to go into the normal “wiggle” move mode. Once in wiggle mode, just tap on the icons you would like to move. When you tap on an icon a check mark will appear on it (you can tap the icon again to remove the check mark). You can then scroll to the page on your Springboard in which you would like to move the icons and tap the Home Button. This will move the selected icons to that page on your Springboard. Just tap the Home Button again to stop the wiggle mode. There is no icon for this nor is there an area in the Settings app to configure; it simply works in the wiggle mode. For the Jailbreakers, just click on over to the Cydia app, search for MultiIconMover and install this free app.

iPad 3 or iPad HD; We will see Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Apple's next iPad could arrive with the moniker "iPad HD."
That information comes from the blog Gizmodo, which cited a reader-supplied parts listing from accessories manufacturers Griffin and Belkin.
For months, media and tech pundits have used "iPad 3" to describe Apple's next-generation tablet. Apple is hosting a March 7 event in San Francisco where the device will almost certainly be unveiled. Rumored features include a high-resolution Retina Display (hence the possible "HD" name), a more powerful processor and an improved camera. "We have something you really have to see. And touch," read the invitation sent to the media for the event, which included an image of a finger touching the calendar app on an iPad screen.
Sources such as Apple Insider suggest that the next iPad could also feature 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) support and a significant update to iOS which the blog terms "iOS 6."
Whatever its name, the next iPad will enter the market in a dominant position over its competitors, which for the moment include a host of Google Android tablets and Research In Motion's PlayBook. However, that landscape will change by the end of 2012, when Microsoft and its manufacturing partners are expected to debut a host of tablets loaded with the upcoming Windows 8.

What Does the Apple IPad 3 Have to Have?

Apple is scheduled to release the next version of its iPad; the wildly popular mobile computer that many thought should have never been built. There are tons of rumors about which features will be included with the next version. While we all would love to see tons of new feature added to the new iPad, Apple is unlikely to deliver on all or most of those wishes. Are there any pressing features that Apple must include on the next iPad?

Improved Cameras

When the iPad 2 was announced last March, there were tons of potential competitors claiming to be releasing a new device or iPad killer. The most pressing features, that these potential devices were going to include that Apple did not have on its device were cameras. Whether Apple was ready to put cameras on his iPad or not it had to respond. Apple could not allow those competitors to reach the market before it had a device with those same feature sets. No matter how poor the two cameras were that Apple included on this iPad 2, they were good enough to keep the competitors at bay. One year later, the cameras remains to be the most important upgrade required for the new iPad. Even though most people struggle to see why there is even a need for the iPad to have cameras on it.

Most people understand that a front facing camera is required for video chatting. Most people are lost on the need to have a high-quality camera on the rear. You have to realize that most users of the iPad have never had a camera on their traditional computer; why have two of something that you never had one of? It is one of those things that you have to have first in order for the developers to make incredible things with it. Because it's not just an mobile camera, it is a mobile camera on an incredibly powerful mobile computer. The computer, the software and the imagination of the developers are the key ingredients that makes the iPad's cameras incredible and even magical. There is no way that the next iPad will not have this feature upgraded.

Improved Display

We’ve heard a lot about how the iPad 3 will finally get a 2048×1536 Retina Display, but it’s easy to forget exactly how many pixels that is. The only non-scientific answer is “a bunch.” On my PS2, the ESPN football game announcer always uses "a bunch" when describing a score that was unbelievable. If the score was 96 to 10, it would read like this "The New England Patriots are leading "a bunch" to 10!". If Siri was used to describe how many pixels the new Retina display would include, she definitely would say "a bunch". Heck, when the Retina Display iPad 3 ships, it will actually pack more pixels than everything short of Apple’s 27-inch iMac! Do we really need this much resolution on a mobile device?

The included chart comes from cloerner, but Paul Horowitz over at OS X Daily raises an interesting point that a Retina Display iPad 3 will make an interesting challenge for developers, who will be designing their apps on Macs that will very likely have an inferior resolution to the tablet their building for. Of course, with HiDPI ”Retina Display” Macs on the horizon, that’s probably not going to be a problem for developers for very long. Apple will once again set the standard for what a display can and should be. Although my many regarded the iPhone 3G as having one of the best screens in the business, the iPhone 4 took it to a whole new level. Having used the Retina display for a while, it is tough to think of going back to the old pixellated low-res screens. Honestly, the screen on the iPad 1 and 2 looks good just like the one on the iPhone 3G did, but the newer one will look incredible.

It is like the difference between Blu-ray and DVD. For people who have not seen Blu-ray material, the DVD format is just fine. Once they have, it is tough to go back to it. I have this struggle with my family, in regards to my HD television content. My wife continues to watch and record the standard resolution channels instead of the High-Definition (HD) versions of the same channel. She swears that she don't see a difference. While this change is most like included with the next IPad, it isn't as pressing as other things I would to see.

More Internal Memory Storage

The thing I would like to see most is an increase in memory storage sizes. The minimum should be no less than 32GB. So keeping to the three models, they would be 32GB, 64GB and 128GB units. I had a 16GB iPod Touch and a 16GB IPad 1 and both had inadequate storage capacities. My iPhone 4s has 32GB and is better equipped than the other two. With this. I am able to include more of the things that make me happy on the go without having to swap out media all the time. The 128GB may see huge, but even with the push towards cloud storage, there is plenty of justification to have your data local versus remotely. My Ultrabook computer has a 128GB SSD hard drive and believe me, it didn't take very long to fill it to capacity. There is a slim chance that we will see a bump in capacity in the next iPad version.

Interface facelift

Where can the new iPad show the most improvement? I believe it is in the software! The interface for the iOS platform is so badly in need of a facelift. The KISS or keep it simple sweetie approach from Apple is getting old in the tooth. The home screen or launch screen on the Apple iOS platform is badly in need of a upgrade. The Android devices run circles around iOS as far as the interface goes. Apple responded in its last OS revision with the new notifications section that include widgets for weather and stock information, but this is clearly not enough. Even the non-techies desire these types of improvements. People don't want their device looking exactly the same as the other people.

When the competition depicts the Apple followers as cookie-cutter drones, they are definitely on target when it comes to the interface of the iOS devices. Everyone of them look the same. There is very little room for customization. Apple should strive toward giving users more choices.

The biggest changes required for me, are the improvements needed to the AppStore. With the 5.0 revision to the iOS, we saw some much needed changes to the AppStore. We saw an area for past purchases to could be seen and downloaded. We saw the addition the genius feature to help suggest new applications. The changes began last year when the AppStore navigation was improved and better filtering functions were added to help cut through the ever growing number of apps. Despite this, the AppStore needs a lot of attention.

Despite needing improvements, the Apple AppStore recently reached its 25 billion app download milestone. The AppStore reached the historic milestone on Saturday, March 3, 2012. Apple announced the winner of the $10,000 App Store gift card as Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China, who downloaded a free version of the ‘Where’s My Water?‘ app.

“We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.” App Store downloads crossed the 1 billion mark back in April of 2009, and then broke through the 10 billion mark in January of 2011. Despite all of its success, there is plenty of room for the AppStore to be made better.

If you have never seen an Android device personally, ask a friend or family member to show you theirs. Launch the Market app on the Android device and you will immediately see what Apple needs to change. If I searched the Android Market App for a term like "rose", I would get results for apps, music, books and anything else that us available for sell with that term in the title or description. I may have been looking for an app, but now I see more items for consideration and for buying. This makes south sense that I am surprised that it is taking Apple so long to recognize this.

Apple has a separate AppStore, a separate music store and a separate bookstore. Look at the real world of retail, why is Meijer, Walmart and even Target doing well? Shoppers have more choices under one roof. Apple needs un un-fragment it shopping experience and put it all under one roof or one app. They need to have a single source for purchases. But it they do that, won't it make it more difficult to search for what you want? I don't think so, but they need to think differently from how they have in the past.
They recently purchased Chomp. People think that the Cupertino, California-based company paid about $50 million for Chomp. Chomp, the mobile application search engine developed by entrepreneurs Ben Keighran and Cathy Edwards has been bought by Apple. Apple has not disclosed the details of the deal.

Chomp's software provides a facility to the internet users to find and download the applications for iPhone and iPad and the Android operating systems. Chomp has made the task of finding software easier by allowing the user to search by functionality rather than their name or title. So they find their desired applications more conveniently. This acquisition provides Apple with resources to help get the AppStore some much needed improvements, but it may not make it on the next iPad at launch though. Whenever it does arrive, it will be a much needed and welcomes addition to the iOS platform.
What do you see as a required feature for the new iPad?

Not the iPad 3, but very nice concept of a future iPad

This concept video by digital effects house Aatma Studio Animation is both sweet and convincing. It depicts a fictional future iPad with a currently-technologically-impossible full-bleed screen, magnets in the edges so you can gang multiple iPads together, and a crazy-looking holograph feature. But enough talk, let's get to the goods; a picture's worth a thousand words and this video's got nearly 1.5 million YouTube hits and counting.

Apple's App Store reaches 25 billion download milestone

The App Store reached the historic milestone of 25 billion application downloads early on Saturday, though Apple has yet to announce the winner of the $10,000 App Store gift card.

I was watching the counter around midnight on Saturday while I was talking to my brother on the phone. I knew it would happen as I slept. Man I wanted that $10,000. I wonder who won and which app was being downloaded. Apple will definitely mention this on the March 7th event in it's slides when announcing the newest iPad (and possibly newest AppleTV).

Apple changed the counter on its homepage to a thank you page early on Saturday after it reached the 25 billion number. The graphic shows the App Store icon surrounded by icons of popular iOS apps, such as Twitter, Yelp, Instagram, eBay and Fruit Ninja.

"A billion thanks. 25 times over. The App Store has reached 25 billion downloads. Thanks for getting us there," the page read.

Customers are instructed to come back to the 25 billion app countdown page later to see who won the App Store gift card.

The countdown took just over two weeks from when Apple initiated it on February 17. At that time, the number of app downloads stood around 24.29 billion.

Apple held a similar countdown to the 10 billionth App Store download last year and reached the milestone on January 22, 2011.

The company has paid out over $4 billion to App Store developers and now carries roughly 600,000 applications in the digital storefront. The App Store launched in 2008, serving up 1.5 billion applications in its first year of operation.