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Apple, Conde Nast reach "New Yorker" iPad deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Apple Inc and magazine publisher Conde Nast reached a deal to offer the New Yorker on the iPad device in the latest sign that relationships are improving between the technology company and content owners.

Conde Nast said iPad editions of other magazines will also be available by subscription through Apple's In-App Purchase system on the popular App Store. Titles including Vanity Fair, Glamour, Golf Digest, Allure, Wired, Self and GQ will be available in coming weeks.

Publishers have eyed fancy digital versions of print publications for tablet computers like the iPad but have held back because of what they considered onerous terms.

"Over time, we'll see subscriptions leading to greater and greater scale, helping to drive overall industry growth," said Robert Sauerberg, Conde Nast president, in a statement.

Apple clashed with publishers in February when it introduced a standard 30 percent fee on all sales within the App Store, including paid subscriptions.

Many publishers have complained that the fee is too onerous to establish profitable subscription sales via the increasingly popular iPad. Also at issue: whether the publisher or Apple owned the customer relationship.

Conde Nast focused on customer relationship data in its negotiations with Apple's Internet services executive, Eddie Cue.

Under the agreement Conde Nast now has with Apple, when customers subscribe to magazines via the App Store they will receive a prompt to share their email and establish a log-in to access additional content, according to a Conde Nast spokeswoman.

The magazine publisher also convinced Apple to let the 1 million existing subscribers of the print edition of the New Yorker download and read iPad versions of the magazine for no additional fee.

"We are confident we will have data we need to make this a strong business long-term," said Conde Nast spokeswoman Mistrella Murphy.

Conde Nast also pushed for pricing flexibility with Apple. In February Apple said publishers would not be allowed to sell a subscription via the App Store at a higher price than it does elsewhere. Conde Nast said it will offer print and digital bundles of some of its titles like Wired for the same price as it sells the iPad edition on its own.

Following the uproar over its February announcement, Apple has in recent weeks started reaching individual deals with major publishers, including Time Warner Inc's Time Inc and Hearst Corp. Hearst, which publishes Esquire and O: the Oprah magazine, will have more access to customer information from subscriptions sold through the App Store.

Time Inc's improved relationship with Apple has already inspired it to begin testing the limits of getting online readers accustomed to paying to read Fortune, a publication that hitherto has been available for free.

Fortune magazine, owned by Time, made a widely discussed feature story about Apple available only to customers of its print and iPad editions. The story was kept off Fortune.com.

(Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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iPad 2 Case Review: Seidio Active Case for iPad 2

iPad 2 Case Review: Seidio Active Case for iPad 2
Reviewed by Tong Zhang

Editor's Ratings (1-5): 5

What's Hot: Very protective with three-piece design, has perfect cutouts and a built-in stand.

What's Not: We can't find any.

Seidio makes cases for gadget users who are active and on the go. Most of their cases aren't as rugged as cases from OtterBox, but they are rugged enough to protect your devices from big bumps and bruises. We liked their Innocase Active X case for the iPhone 4, and the Seidio Active Case for the iPad 2 has a similar design with 2-layer protection. But the iPad 2 case adds something that the iPhone 4 didn't have: a hard shell screen cover that doubles as a sturdy tablet stand. Like with the iPhone 4 Active case, the back cover on the iPad 2 also comes in different colors, though currently only the black version is available and Sapphire Blue and Amethyst are coming soon.

Design

Very similar to the iPhone 4 Active X case, the Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 has a clever two-layer design. The interior layer is made with soft rubber polymer that can absorb impact but won?t scratch the surface of your iPad2. The polymer layer has some thickness and fits the iPad 2 like a glove. The rubber case has inset for the exterior skeleton hard cover so that the hard cover sits flush with the rest of the rubber layer, adding no additional bulk to the case. The rubber case also has ribbed sides to help you handle the iPad 2 better. Like with the iPhone 4 case, the Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 has a hard shell that covers most of the iPad 2?s back and grabs on the four corners and two sides like ?claws?. The hard shell provides not only the extra protect for the back of the tablet but also gives lots of support for the structural integrity. Your iPad 2 will sit safely in a crowded bag thanks to the skeleton cover.

The Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 isn?t just a blown-up version of the Active X case for the iPhone 4. It has something to protect the large screen on the tablet, a multi-purpose screen cover. The screen cover reminds us of some of the screen covers on OtterBox cases as it?s hard and sturdy. The hard cover also has a very clever design: it covers the iPad 2?s screen and also has ?claws? to latch onto the ?claws? of the skeleton shell. This design ensures that the screen cover goes onto the rest of the case securely but since it works with the hard shell pieces, it doesn?t add any pressure to the iPad 2 through the rubber layer. Together with the two hard shell pieces on the front and back, the Seidio Active Case is like armor for your iPad 2. The skeleton shell has some flexibility for you to put it on or take it off without too much struggle.

The case weighs 6.4 oz. without the screen cover, and 12 oz. with it.

Features

The Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 has perfect cutouts for all ports and buttons on the tablet as well as the rear camera and the speaker grill. You should have no trouble using any charging cables or audio headsets on the iPad 2. The rubber layer case and the skeleton claws wrap around the front of the iPad 2, creating a protective frame so that when you lay the tablet screen side down, the case touches the table surface, not the iPad 2?s screen. The front screen frame stops short at the front facing camera, leaving it exposed for video chat. The case has semicircle cutout for the Home button making it very easy to use while the iPad 2 is sitting in the case.

The additional piece in the iPad 2 version of the Active case is perhaps the most used one. The screen cover is sturdy yet light, coated with the same rubberized coating as the skeleton shell, so it feels soft in hand yet it?s very rigid. The cover has rubber material on the sides to help with handling the tablet, and it has grippy strips so that it won?t slide when your tablet is propped up sitting on the cover. The stand built into the case has a metal ring that can slide into one of the 15 slots to create different viewing angles for your iPad 2. The side of the stand that touches your tablet has a very soft suede surface so it won?t scratch your iPad 2 when you use the stand. The stand is steady when holding up the iPad 2, and you can fold the stand up when it?s not in use.

Conclusion

We liked the Seidio Active X case for the iPhone 4, and we like the Seidio Active Case for iPad 2 for the same reasons. It?s semi-rugged yet very slim, it?s very well built and can protect your iPad 2 from shocks, bumps and other harmful factors in a crowded backpack or computer bag. The additional screen cover makes a lot of sense for the large screen, and it doubles as a very capable tablet stands that?s steady and won?t slip on a flat surface. You can choose to take the entire case for a trip or leave the screen cover behind for a day in the office. You will like all the details and cares put into this case when you have it in your hand.

Price: $69.95
Web site: Seidio

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Three Tablets Cheaper Than the iPad 2

At $499, the lowest-end iPad 2 is in many ways a steal. But it's also more expensive than a low-end laptop or desktop PC, even though it can't fully replace either.

Meanwhile, extremely cheap Android tablets sell for as little as $150, but they're slow and practically disposable. And their resistive, or pressure-based, plastic touch screens with styluses hearken back to the days of the Palm Pilot, rather than the iPad's glass multitouch screen.

Is there a happy medium, somewhere between the two price points? As it turns out, there are several.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

Retailing for only $399, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer has a lot going for it. It's got an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, front- and rear-facing cameras and an HDMI out, which are standard for Android tablets. But it also has two unique features: MyCloud, and a keyboard docking station.

Asus' MyCloud lets you "remotely access and control any PC or Mac system," plus get to your music and movies from anywhere. You get a year's worth of free, unlimited online storage with the purchase on an Asus Eee Pad Transformer. Meanwhile, the optional keyboard dock accessory gives the Transformer its name, plus a total of 16 hours of battery life. And the included Polaris Office suite lets you put that keyboard to good use, plus Google recently released its own Google Docs app for Android tablets and smartphones.

Toshiba Antares

The upcoming Toshiba tablet hasn't been released, and its actual name isn't known yet. A leak from Newegg says that it will be priced starting at $449, though, and also reveals its technical specs: That low-end model only gets you 8 GBs of storage, compared to the $499 16 GB model (equivalent in price to an iPad 2).

It has a full-sized SD card slot to read camera memory cards with, though, plus a full-sized USB port. And with 32 GB SD cards selling for right around $50, that 8 GB tablet could become a 40 GB tablet, for much less than the cost of an iPad 2 with comparable storage.

The Apple iPad

What's this? We're looking for tablets that are cheaper than the iPad 2.

As it turns out, the original iPad is, in fact, cheaper. You can buy a refurbished 16 GB original iPad for $349 from the Apple Store, when they're available. Other original iPad models are available there as well, all for less than last year's list price and several for under $500.

To Droid or not to Droid?

Even though I'm an Android fan, I'm not sure I'd recommend the two Android tablets on this list unless you've tried out Android "Honeycomb" in the stores, and know what you're getting into. There are plenty of Android apps on the Market, but few that are designed for tablets yet. And Honeycomb itself is more complicated than both the iPad's iOS and the normal version of Android, plus it's got a few bugs in it still.

Once Android tablets are a bit more mature and have more apps available for them, I'd probably feel more comfortable recommending them to lay buyers. If you're already an Android fan, though, you can buy a whole lot of tablet for less than $500.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

View the original article here

iPad 3 to feature a Retina Display?

Will the iPad 3 sport a Retina Display?

Will the next iPad offer a Retina Display?

(Credit: Apple)

Images found in the software development kit for iOS 5 have kicked the rumor mill back into gear.

Tech site TechUnwrapped reported yesterday that a tipster found images in the framework for integrating Twitter into Apple's next mobile OS that were double the 1,024x768 resolution used in the current iPad. Based on those images, TechUnwrapped said this could mean the next-gen iPad will offer a 2,048x1,536 Retina Display.

However, since the high-resolution images were initially found only in the Twitter framework, TechUnwrapped seemed dubious that an iPad 3 would hit the market this September at the same time that iOS 5 is released--a rumor that was floating around several months ago. But a later update to the TechUnwrapped story also revealed high-resolution images found in Apple's new Newsstand app, offering another potential piece of evidence for a Retina Display.

Apple's Retina Display launched last summer with the iPhone 4. Its high density of 326 pixels per inch makes text and images look smoother and crisper than on previous displays.

The discovery of these Twitter and Newsstand images has created some debate among tech commentators.

9to5Mac sees the images as a "strong indication" that the next iPad will include a 2,048x1,536 Retina Display. However, TechRadar asserts the new images "prove nothing" because similar high-resolution images were found in some iPad icons earlier this year, but then the iPad 2 failed to include a Retina Display.

With the iPad 2 already several months old, more rumors about the iPad 3 have been popping up lately.

A DigiTimes article says that Apple is already drumming up and certifying parts for the next iPad, with component makers eyeing a 2012 launch date. A peek into the iOS 5 code by sources cited by TUAW discovered that Apple may release two different iPad models--a traditional Wi-Fi-only version and a world-mode edition capable of running under either CDMA or GSM.

View the original article here

Original iPad, iPhone 3GS outsell new Android devices - Digitaltrends.com

Research shows that consumers are buying more units of the iPhone 3GS and original iPad than newer devices based on Google's Android operating system.

Smartphones and tablets running Google’s Android operating system may be quickly taking over the mobile industry overall. But according to an industry analyst, previous-generation Apple devices often still outsell new Android units, like the HTC Inspire and the Motorola Atrix, reports Apple Insider.

A study of US mobile retail sales conducted by Canaccord Genuity technology analyst Michael Walkey found that Apple’s most recent smartphone, the iPhone 4, is “by far” the most-sold smartphone for both AT&T and Verizon, the only two wireless carriers that offer the popular device. But in the face of increase competition from devices that run on Android, Apple has found success in keeping the older iPhone 3GS on the market for a considerably lower price.

“Interestingly, our April checks indicated continued strong demand for the iPhone 3GS at AT&T and iPad 1 at Verizon, as these older generation products with reduced prices often outsold new Android products,” wrote Walkey in a note to investors on Monday. “We believe this highlights Apple’s significant competitive advantage, and these older products help Apple offer a tiered pricing strategy at key channels.”

One of the reasons for the success of Android, which now runs on a whopping 35 percent of all smartphones worldwide, is the availability of “budget” devices, which cost far less than a full-priced iPhone 4. But when confronted with the option to purchase an older-but-still-Apple iPhone 3GS for only $49 (with a two-year contract) on AT&T, the deal is too good for may to pass up.

The iPhone 3GS isn’t the only previous-gen device making Apple money. According to Walkey’s checks, both the 16GB and 32GB versions of the original iPad sold out within the first two weeks after the iPad 2 went on sale, most likely due to a drop in price for the first-gen tablet. Compare that to the “modest sales” of Android-based tablets, like the Motorola Xoom.

Some say consumers’ willingness to buy older iPhones further supports the theory that Apple could release a less expensive — but still new — model of the iPhone for greater push-back against the Android juggernaut. But when they already have exactly that in the form of their previous year’s device, why would Apple even bother?

Edit: Correction made at 12:45pm EST

Trackback URL: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/original-ipad-iphone-3gs-outsell-new-android-devices/trackback/

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Gadgetwise: Adobe Makes Apps to Enhance Photoshop - New York Times (blog)

Adobe Adobe Lava for the iPad allows people to mix colors that are then accessible in Photoshop.

The Apple iPad is quickly moving from a consumption device to a creation device.

To help this transformation along, Adobe has produced three new iPad applications that can sync with Adobe Photoshop, the photo editing and design software, on a desktop computer.

The applications have been expected, since the company announced them last month.

The new applications now available in the iTunes apps store include Adobe Color Lava, which allows people to mix colors using the iPad’s multitouch screen. The colors can then be sent to a desktop computer and incorporated into the Photoshop software. Adobe also made Adobe Eazel, which the company says will let “digital artists create rich realistic paintings with their fingertips, and introduces a new kind of interaction between ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ paints.” The applications cost $2 to $5 each.

Adobe also released a software development kit that will allow developers who build applications for the iPad and other tablets to build applications that interact with Adobe Photoshop.

View the original article here

Asus Eee Pad Transformer review - V3.co.uk

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10 May 2011

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With the Eee Pad Transformer, Asus has succeded in making a tablet that offers more to business users than the iPad. It's not a complete success, especially where some PC functionality is concerned, but it's still a fantastic piece of equipment.

Pros:

Stylish, well built, sensibly priced, easy to use, brilliant performance

Cons:

Not capable of everything a regular laptop can do, keyboard can be fiddly

Overall Rating:

Price: £429 as tested, £379 without keyboard

Manufacturer: Asus

Review Specifications

There were people who laughed when Apple launched the iPad. Firstly, the idea seemed ludicrous: the form factor hadn't existed previously and was not one in which anyone had shown any interest.

Secondly, the name was subject to much derision. Now, though, the market is aware of tablets and has accepted them in varying degrees, even when they have ludicrous names.

Well, no name we've seen yet is as bad as Asus' Eee Pad Transformer. But no product has caused as much excitement either. It's an Android Honeycomb tablet with dimensions similar to the iPad's, but with features that could make your laptop redundant.

The Eee Pad does this by offering a two-part solution. The main component is a tablet with a 10.1in screen and the usual features that come with the latest version of Android.

The second component - a keyboard with additional battery - costs around £90 extra but aims to allow the Eee Pad to compete with a PC. So does this system work, or will your compact laptop still triumph?

Laptop replacement
To dive straight in, we don't honestly think the Asus system can replace a Windows, Mac OS X or a Linux laptop. Honeycomb is a good mobile operating system, but there are several things about it that don't work as a serious computing platform.

Take, for example, copy and paste. This has never been the strong suit of most smartphones (although Nokia has never had a problem making this feature work). It took ages for Apple to introduce it and, while it does work on a phone, it's nowhere near as slick as on a desktop PC.

To use the Eee Pad like a laptop, you're going to need to copy and paste into and out of documents from time to time. This seems to involve transferring your hands from the keyboard onto the touchscreen. The way the docked tablet is angled makes this monstrously difficult and a very poor user experience.

Indeed, attaching the keyboard seemed to affect how we thought of the device. We have no problem using a tablet, but the addition of a dock with a decent keypad seemed to confuse us slightly, as if we were battling against the muscle memory of using a Windows laptop.

We found ourselves hardly using the touch screen, and tried to do everything with the mouse and keyboard. In the same way that Windows isn't designed for touch-screen displays, Android isn't really designed for keyboards and mouse inputs.

And then there's the keyboard shortcuts, which we're used to on all desktop operating systems. On Android, the likes of control+v don't work, and people who use PCs will find this frustrating. To be fair, these are early days for Honeycomb and future updates should improve all these concerns.

We also found that that the trackpad and arrow keys on the Transformer keyboard enticed us to do stupid things quite often. Several times we found our cursor jumping up the screen as we typed (because we leaned on the wrong bit of the keyboard). The good news is that you can switch off the trackpad. The bad news is that you can't turn of the arrow keys.

So far, you could be forgiven for thinking we don't much like the Asus. In fact, the truth is that we have loved every moment we've spent with it. The typing quirks are an irritation, but using the device as a laptop is still plausible.

SD card sockets on the tablet section and a full sized socket on the keyboard dock means that you can add storage, read and manipulate files from a digital camera (Adobe offers a mobile version of Photoshop for free on Android) as well as upload them to the internet.

1 2 Continued on page 2

Android 3.0 Honeycomb, 10.1in 1,280x800 screen, dual-core 1GHz NVidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB storage, MicroSD card reader (SD card reader on Keyboard dock), 2xUSB (on keyboard)

Topics: Tablets AsusAsus EeeTablet PC

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