Apple today released its iOS 4.2 software update, a welcome sight for users of the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
The iOS 4.2 download will be available today through iTunes.
The update brings multitasking and app folders to the iPad and the ability to print wirelessly from all the devices.
“iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a news release. “Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit.”
It also brings AirPlay integration, which will allow users of any of the iDevices to stream audio, photo and videos to compatible speakers or to your TV through an Apple TV set-top box.
In a surprise, the software update also brings the once-premium service called Find my iPhone to all the devices. The service allows users to load the location of their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch on a map in case it gets stolen or lost.
Users can also use the service to remotely wipe the iDevice or display a custom prompt on the screen.
The decision to change the wording was taken to “provide a fair experience for all users of the Orange network and not only provide more transparency on the data allowances customers receive, but… also help [Orange] to provide a sustainable experience for the majority,” an Orange spokesperson told ZDNet UK on Wednesday.Competitor networks 3, Vodafone and Tesco all offer the iPhone 4 with a flat-rate 1GB data allowance, while O2 and T-Mobile both range between 500MB and 1GB, depending on the price and length of the contract. T-Mobile offers 3GB a month with Android phones.
Orange is also offering the iPhone 4 on pay-as-you-go (PAYG) with an upfront cost of £480, plus a £10 top-up. A monthly £10 top-up will net PAYG customers 250MB data allowance and 300 free texts.
Apple might come to regret its decision not to support Adobe’s Flash.
According to a recent survey, researchers at Changewave found that the most common dislike among Ipad owners was the device’s lack of Flash support. Apple’s dear leader Steve Jobs has made it clear that he will not allow devices running Iphone OS to use Adobe’s Flash.
Given that over 80 per cent of respondents in the report claim to use their Ipads for web browsing and almost 50 per cent for viewing video, areas in which Flash is particularly pervasive, it’s not surprising that users find lack of support for the format annoying.
Those who have shelled out big bucks to get their hands on an Ipad may complain about the situation, but given Jobs’ very public spat with Adobe it’s highly unlikely that Adobe will ever see Flash support in the Iphone OS. After Jobs made a number of accusations and false claims about the software, it was revealed why he is so fervently against Adobe’s product when plans for Apple’s own Cocoa fuelled web were outed.
Few would argue that Adobe and its products are open, but given that so many aspects of the web currently depend on it, simply blocking it will, as this report shows, only leave users aggrieved.
Adobe, realising that its relationship with Apple has hit the buffers, decided to cosy up to Google and its open source Android operating system, meaning those who want to enjoy all that the web has to offer can do so by purchasing a device running Android.
The report also dismisses Jobs’ ridiculous claim that the Ipad is a “revolutionary device” by asking users what they do with the shiny toy. Aside from web browsing and watching videos, checking email, playing games and listening to music were all popular Ipad activities, just as they are on netbooks and even the firm’s Iphones and Macbooks.
As Jobs’ Mob decides whether or not to deride this report, it cannot hide from the fact that the road its dear leader has decided to take it down might lead to alienating a significant percentage of its customers.
The fruit themed toymaker is launching the Ipad on May 28 or June 7 depending on which date you believe. That is also the same time that Google is set to release Android 2.2, which features multi-tasking and Adobe’s Flash 10.1, both of which are features absent from Apple’s oversized Iphone without a phone.
Source: the inquirer
The luxury iPad has sparkling gems set into its Apple logo, as well as a solid-gold rear and screen surround.
Fans of the blinged-up device should bring their money with them, however, as Mr Hughes’s 2.1kg unique iPad also weighs in with a hefty price tag of £130,000 – more than 180 times pricier than even the most expensive UK model.
Mr Hughes’s website describes the unique gadget as ‘outstanding even down to the precise polishing to reveal its most beautiful harmonious appearance’.
It continues: ‘A magnificent combination of top-of-the-industry technology and unrivalled craftsmanship was invloved in creating this masterpiece.’
Mr Hughes, 39, from Liverpool, started creating the super-plush gadgets with wife Katherine eight years ago.
He makes the stunning gizmos by casting moulds in the shapes of the gadgets, before pouring in gold to complete the process, which can sometimes take up to six weeks.
The couple offer luxury customised phones, like diamond-encrusted Blackberrys, as well as the ultimate games console – a gold-plated Nintendo Wii ‘Supreme’ costing £300,000.
For those who can’t quite stretch to £130,000, Mr Hughes also offers a budget gold-plated iPad for a mere £2,000.
He said: ‘The process works for objects and gadgets people can relate to, and when we’re finished with the products they can often look bizarre and outrageous.
‘We’ve gone for the higher end of the gadget market. When someone spends £80,000 on an expensive car, they don’t want to drive it home and find their nextdoor neighbour has got the same one.
Source: Daily Mail
Alongside the up-front cost of the device, consumers will have to pay for Wi-Fi access when they leave their home, or sign up for a 3G mobile broadband package.
O2 has announced that it will be offering three tariffs. For £2 a day, iPad owners can access up to 500MB, without having to sign any contract. It also has two monthly payment options: for £10 a month iPad users get 1GB of usage and for £15 they get 3GB. Customers can cancel their contracts – with 24 hours’ notice – at the end of the month.
Orange’s pay monthly option offers a better deal for heavy mobile broadband users with £25 buying 10GB. But all three of O2′s offers come with unlimited Wi-Fi access through hotspots operated by BT Openzone and The Cloud. Only Orange’s pay monthly deals come with Wi-Fi access and they only include a paltry 750MB of Wi-Fi browsing – again through BT Openzone’s network of hotspots.
Vodafone, the last of the three mobile phone networks that will be supporting the iPad when it goes on sale on 28 May, has yet to announce its prices. Figures being quoted on some websites are apparently incorrect, according to a Vodafone spokesman.
Source: Guardian
