Slightly modifying one of its original iPad designs, Hard Candy Cases has released StreetSkin for iPad 2 ($40). This polyurethane shell features a hinged screen cover, and both portions are molded into a tread pattern in black, white, or translucent pink. Unlike the previous iteration, the screen cover is not removable. With the flap closed, the entire iPad 2 is protected with the exception of the headphone port, mic, Sleep/Wake button, rear camera, side switch, volume rocker, speaker, and Dock Connector; these components are accessible through openings that are cut pretty accurately, but just a hint off center. Nubs on the right corners of the shell and corresponding latches on the cover are used for holding the front flap in place both while it is protecting the screen and when it is folded under. One note of caution: the recessed areas of the rubber lid are still touch-sensitive, so we were able to unlock the iPad 2 through the cover when it was in landscape orientation.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Android Gingerbread Update for Samsung Galaxy S Suspended
The other day we saw the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Samsung Galaxy S at long last start rolling out to certain Galaxy S devices in Europe; however it appears that the rollout of Android Gingerbread didn’t last that long.
According to an article over on Phone Arena by way of Engadget, it appears that Google has slapped a hold on Android 2.3 Gingerbread for the Samsung Galaxy S without stating a reason for doing so.
However apparently Vodafone UK has piped in and stated that there are no known problems with the Android Gingerbread update in Europe, so hopefully this should mean that Google would sort out whatever problems they believe there is out quite rapidly.
Does this news of a temporary suspension of Android 2.3 Gingerbread coming to the Samsung Galaxy S just take you to the bring of anger or are you quite happy to wait until such times as the Google guys say its all clear to push out the update once again? I know I’m getting a tad impatient for the update to come.
Friday, April 22, 2011
iPhone nano may not exist, but this KIRF does
posted Apr 20th 2011 3:27AM 
While the folks "familiar with the matter" continue to debate over whether or not we'll actually see a real life iPhone nano at some point in our lifetime, the crafty KIRFers in China have taken matters into their own -- apparently undersized -- hands. Yes people, what you see above is a Shanzhai-crafted shrunken iPhone 4 running an iOS rip-off based on Java, garnished with a 1.3 megapixel camera. All it takes is a measly ¥380 (approximately $58) to be the coolest kid on the block with the "next iPhone" -- and maybe a quick trip to China.
Apple reportedly hires top UK gaming PR execs from Nintendo and Activision
posted Apr 11th 2011 4:56AM 
As you may have noticed, Apple has been more serious about gaming lately that it was even during its Pippin-fueled haze in the mid-1990s, and it's now offering yet more evidence of just how invested it is with a pair of new hires. While the company isn't confirming the move just yet, MCV is reporting that Apple has snatched up Nintendo UK's former head of communications, Rob Saunders, who just left the big N last week and will apparently be focusing on PR for iOS apps at Apple. What's more, he'll reportedly be joined at Apple by former Activision PR director Nick Grange, who's said to be focusing specifically on the iPad -- which, as we've seen, can be a pretty versatile gaming device in its own right. 
Some Worry That Apple’s Magic Is Stuck in Japan
The unusually sharp drop, which was twice as large as the decline in technology shares over all, was driven in part by worries over the impact that the crisis in Japan would have on Apple’s ability to make its blockbuster products. It didn’t help that the iPad 2, the latest Apple gadget that everyone seems to want to get their hands on, appears to be in increasingly short supply, a situation Apple has found itself in before.
The two factors are unrelated, at least for now. Any problems affecting Apple’s supply chain in Japan will not affect finished products for weeks, analysts say. But some investors fear that Apple’s challenges in meeting demand for a product like the iPad 2 will simply get worse in the months to come as some critical components are delayed.
Many companies would be happy to have Apple’s problem of high demand for their products. And on Monday, Apple’s shares bounced back, gaining more than 2.5 percent; on Tuesday, they gained another 0.56 percent.
But Apple, like other technology companies, is at risk of being buffeted by the unfolding crisis in Japan. Every major computer and consumer electronics maker relies on components that directly or indirectly come from Japan. Apple’s success, though, combined with its recurring difficulties in meeting the demand for some its hottest products, including the iPad and iPhone, have prompted investors to single out the company.
“Fear is affecting Apple in particular,” said Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray. “This is a company with tight supplies, and the fear is that they will get even tighter.”
Figuring out the precise impact on Apple of the disruptions in Japan is more art than science. The company, which declined to comment for this article, is intensely secretive about its supply chain. While other companies typically don’t talk about whom they buy parts from, analysts say Apple takes secrecy particularly seriously and will cut off any supplier that it suspects of being loose-lipped.
That has left analysts piecing together bits of information dribbling out of Japan about certain parts or suppliers. In a series of sometimes-conflicting reports, they have focused on a handful of iPad components.
On Monday, for example, analysts highlighted a new concern: 300-millimeter wafers, which are silicon disks used to manufacture essential chips for the iPhone and iPad. A factory operated by Shin-Etsu in Shirakawa, in northern Japan, produces at least 15 percent of the world’s supply of the wafers, said Gus Richard, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, and is not likely to become operational for a long time.
“Will it affect Apple today or tomorrow?” Mr. Richard said. “No. But everyone is worried about those wafers. At some point, chip makers will run out.”
Last week, the focus was elsewhere. On Thursday, IHS iSuppli, which is known for its “teardowns” of new Apple products — taking them apart as soon as they come out to analyze their components — identified five parts that it said could be affected. They included the flash storage, memory chips, an electronic compass, batteries and glass used in the touch screen.
Underscoring the challenges with its analysis, iSuppli said that the glass was only likely to come from Japan, and that it might have failed to identify other Japanese components in the device.
Other analysts said last week that they were concerned about the supply of BT resin, a product used to produce circuit boards for iPhone and iPad chips, manufactured primarily by a Mitsubishi facility in Japan that was temporarily shut down.
“Part of it is a guessing game,” said Andy Hargreaves, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities. Mr. Hargreaves was among those who played down the impact of the crisis on Apple. Mr. Hargreaves noted that Apple would be first in line to receive components like flash storage and memory chips. He also noted that the prices of those components, while likely to rise, were still lower than in 2010.
Like many others, though, Mr. Hargreaves was cautious. “The biggest thing we don’t know is how long will the disruptions last,” he said.
With supplies for the iPad 2 and the iPhone tight, even a short-lived disruption could have an effect. Apple has not said how many of the new iPads it has sold since it went on sale on March 11. Analysts estimated that the number was around 500,000 in the first weekend. After that, sales slowed to a trickle, even as demand remained strong.
Apple stores have been resupplied daily, but in small amounts. Mr. Munster said a large group of people lined up overnight at the Apple store in New York’s meatpacking district one day last week. Only the first 20 people were able to buy an iPad. Another Apple store, at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, received just six iPads on a recent day, while a Target store received 15, he said.
On Apple’s own Web site, the waiting time for new orders has increased to four to five weeks, from two to three weeks. On Friday, the company plans to begin selling the iPad 2 in some two dozen countries. While Apple is certain to have earmarked units for the international debut, no one outside of the company knows how many. Analysts said they were unsure whether serving a bigger market would worsen supply problems.
Apple has faced challenges in meeting demand as far back as 2004, when it first released the iPod Mini. The iPhone has been in tight supply since Apple introduced it in 2007. And only in the most recent quarter, Apple managed to end the backlog for the original iPad.
“This is a problem that Apple has had since 2004,” Mr. Munster said. “They are doing a better job than before, but they still can’t make enough.”
Mr. Munster predicted that the delay for online orders of the iPad 2 would extend to six or seven weeks by summer.
Apple iPad and iPhone Gaining HBO Go: Video
If you are one of the iOS faithful and enjoy watching TV programs and movies on your Apple iPad or iPhone, the word is your iOS device may soon be getting a little iOS app from HBO called HBO Go for iOS devices.
Last week HBO posted a video on YouTube promoting the new iOS and Android app HBO Go and w have that video for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of Appshopper and by way of Cnet which lasts just 37 seconds and touts what the new app has to offer.
Here’s the blurb from HBO’s YouTube page…” HBO GO.® It’s HBO. Anywhere.® You’re just a click away from instant access to over 1400 HBO programs including HBO original series, blockbuster hits, sports, specials and more. Coming soon to iPad®, iPhone®, and Android.™ Free with your HBO subscription through participating TV providers.”
Apparently according to the video the HBO Go app should be available for download to your chosen mobile device as of the 5th of May and will be free to HBO subscribers, although it is unclear whether HBO content will be available over 3G.
So will you be snapping up the HBO Go app for your iOS device or Android device once the app becomes available?
iOS outreaches Android when iPod touch, iPad are counted in the mix
Some fascinating statistics have been released by comScore based on its MobiLens marketing analytics service, and the numbers show that iOS devices (including the iPad and iPod touch) outreach the Android platform by a whopping 59% in the U.S. market.
The comScore numbers show a total installed base of 37,868,000 iOS users in the United States, with Android OS devices lagging behind with only about 23,763,000 users. Those numbers come out to 16.2% (Apple) and 10.2% (Android) respectively for share of the total U.S. mobile subscriber market. The installed US base of iPhones and iPod touch devices were almost equal, with both device totals approximately twice as high as the number of iPads. That statistic is amazing, considering that the iPad had only been on the market for 10 months at the time that the study was performed.
comScore's senior vice president of mobile, Mark Donovan, noted that the numbers indicate that "the Apple ecosystem extends far beyond the iPhone," and that the assumption that the Apple user base is made up of "Apple fanboys" is invalid. [Was anyone assuming that? We doubt it. –Ed.]
The comScore study also show that iPad owners aren't necessarily owners of iPhones. While iPhone owners make up about 27% of iPad owners, close to 14% of iPad owners had Android phones. The numbers also show that Samsung, LG, and Nokia are over-represented among iPad owners in comparison to their shares of the smartphone market.
The age demographic for the iPad was a final index created by comScore, and it showed that the age profile is skewed mostly towards those in the 25-34 year old age range. Almost half of iPads are sold to Americans between the ages of 25 and 44, with another 30% of the Apple tablets going to the older U.S. demographic over the age of 45. These numbers should be of interest to iOS developers, who may want to start creating apps for an older audience.