Microsoft has been launching some very in-your-face ads, and they continued to do so recently with a campaign intended to promote the ASUS VivoTab Smart as a great Windows RT iPad alternative. The problem, though, is that Microsoft has drastically exaggerated the tablet’s screen size and has even stated clearly false information as fact–saying that the ASUS tablet “has a bigger touchscreen.” (more…)
Mailbox [iTunes link], a popular third-party mailing solution for iOS devices, has been updated with support for the iPad. The app has larger panels that are optimized for the full-sized tablet, with the same swiping gestures as on iPhone for organizing your inbox.
Mailbox, which was recently scooped up by Dropbox in a multimillion dollar acquisition, still requires a Gmail account to function. The mailing platform gained a lot of notoriety for implementing a first-come, first-serve reservation system upon launch, which at one point had over 600,000 users queued in line.
It seems that one major tech corporation bashing another is becoming the norm in TV advertisements that Samsung, Microsoft, Nokia and other companies have released in recent months. In this latest Microsoft ad, the Redmond-based giant uses Siri as a voice-over to promote Windows 8 tablets over the industry-leading iPad.
Microsoft mocks the iPad for its lack of Live Tiles and PowerPoint support. Moreover, the ad promotes the $449 price tag of the 64 GB Asus VivoTab tablet versus $699 for the 64 GB model iPad. Microsoft finishes the 30-second spot with the tagline, “less talking, more doing,” a subtle jab at the Siri voice assistant. (more…)
The rumor mill has ramped up quickly to start the week, with three new reports on the table relating to Apple products. The first comes from hit-and-miss Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, which claims that fifth-generation iPad production will begin in July as monthly shipments reach 2 – 3 million by September.
The tablet will reportedly have the same 2,048 x 1536 pixels Retina display, although the display glass will be thinner at 0.2mm versus 0.25mm for the fourth-generation iPad. The next-generation iPad will have a narrow bezel, akin to the smaller iPad mini. But that’s not all. (more…)
You’re looking at the new Square Stand, a customizable peripheral that converts an iPad into a cash register. The stand has a credit card reader at the bottom, plus a secure mounting configuration for use with cash drawers, receipt printers, barcode scanners and other point of sale hardware.
The Square Stand was announced earlier this morning, with a retail price of $299.99, and pre-orders are now being accepted in the United States. International customers will have to exercise their patience for a little longer.
Square was co-founded by Twitter brainchild Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, allowing business owners to accept credit cards with an iPhone, iPad or Android device. Square reinvents the traditional POS system with a modernized iOS- or Android-based setup.
Apple’s Vice President Tara Bunch led a town hall session on Thursday, at which the Cupertino corporation told tech staff that big changes are coming to AppleCare and AppleCare+ services this fall. This “broadening” of the company’s current policies is intended to cut costs and make them more appealing to consumers. Of the biggest changes announced was the ability for customers to have their iOS devices repaired on the spot at Apple retail stores in the near future. (more…)
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, a very intelligent individual and leading philanthropist, appeared on American cable channel CNBC this morning to speak primarily about interest rates and other corporate matters. But the Microsoft co-founder was also probed about the post-PC era and continued emergence of tablets, to which he provided some interesting remarks.
Gates acknowledged that while Microsoft is still attempting to compete in a market that is dominated by iPad-like devices, that “a lot of those users are frustrated” because “they can’t type, they can’t create documents [and] they don’t have Office.” While I have tremendous respect for Gates, I simply disagree with that statement. It is more than possible to use the iPad as a professional workstation. (more…)
Rumors of an iPad mini with Retina display have been circulating ever since Apple released the tablet without one last October, but it might be wise to hold off on purchasing one when it comes out.
While market research firm NPD DisplaySearch has told CNET that the iPad mini is expected to gain a Retina display in a third-quarter refresh later this year, it also speculates that a second iPad mini model could follow. (more…)
After several months of anticipation, Jaku for iPad has been soft launched on Cydia. This new WinterBoard theme, the work of Canadian graphic designer William Szilveszter, is inspired by the extremely popular original Jaku theme for iPhone. With a pixel-perfect icon set and other meticulously-crafted iOS elements, including the dock and notification badges, Jaku for iPad customizes nearly every aspect of the user interface.
“With the release of the new Jaku for the Retina iPad, I wanted to touch base with everyone that is flying it on their iPad,” said Szilveszter. “Firstly, thanks for the immense support. I know a ton of you have been waiting for this day and have stuck with me for over a year (flying the original Jaku for the Retina iPhone). You guys made all this possible.”
It’s important to note, however, that Jaku for iPad isn’t nearly as fleshed out as its iPhone counterpart yet. The theme doesn’t skin the lock screen, and there are custom icons missing for a number of popular apps. Nevertheless, Szilveszter is fully committed to his product — as he was with Jaku for iPhone — and will be working hard to release updates with additional icons. If you have a particular icon that you would like to request, please post its Bundle ID and icon file name in the comments section. (more…)
Microsoft Ships Just 900,000 Surface Tablets in Second Quarter
Tom Warren for The Verge writes:
Microsoft shipped 900,000 Surface tablets during the recent quarter, according to data from IDC. Following rumors of strong initial Surface Pro sales, IDC says the combined total for Surface RT and Surface Pro was under just one million, with most of the units made up of Surface Pro.
That’s less than 1.8 million Surface tablets shipped in the past two quarters, compared to 42.4 million iPads.