According to a new report, published by Korea IT News, Apple has requested for silver nanowire material from its display suppliers like Samsung Display and LG Display among others. The new material being investigated for use in the larger iPad is expected to enable Apple to make a thinner display for its upcoming iPad and increase touch sensitivity.

As the name suggests, the material is created from a mesh of silver wires which dramatically increases conductivity and eliminates the need for additional sensors to make multi-touch technology work.

iPad Pro isn’t expected to be announced this year. The report suggests that the company is aiming for 2016 release date. The device is also expected to include NFC chip to bring Apple Pay support to the tablet.

Apple’s next gen products always tend to be thinner than previous. If we compare the original iPad with the iPad Air 2 it will be clear that for the tablet category weight and thickness are very important aspects. We can certainly expect Apple to adopt new display technology even if it saves the slightest bit of weight or thickness.

It is will be interesting to see if the iPad Pro actually ships with a stylus as the company has never officially appreciated the development surrounding the stylus accessory. The most recent exception to this public acknowledgement of the stylus adding value to the iPad is the latest ad campaign which shows an app from the App Store being used with a stylus.

Are you excited about iPad Pro? Do you think it will ship with a stylus? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The ad begins with showing a classroom with “Make a film with iPad” written on a blackboard and then goes on to show students preparing and shooting their video projects. Apple’s latest ad features voiceover by Martin Scorsese. Mr. Scorsese is regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinema history.

“Make a film with iPad” features excerpts from Martin Scorsese’s commencement speech to the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Class of 2014.

In addition to posting the new tv ad Apple has also posted videos of students of Los Angeles County High School, featured in the ad, sharing their inspiration and concept behind their video project.

As a disclosure Apple shared that the company provided iPads to the students for the purpose of creating their movies. The students used the iPad to write, produce, shoot, score, and edit their films.

The ad also highlights the apps and accessories the students used during the making of the video. The apps shown in the video include: Final Draft Writer, FiLMiC Pro, GarageBand, and VideoGrade. The students also used the Apogee MiC (available from Apple’s online store) to record high-fidelity dialogues.

Apple’s iOS tv ads have almost always focused on what you can accomplish with the devices rather than talking about the hardware specifications. This contrasts with its competitors ad campaigns that boast about camera megapixels, RAM and processors.

What do you think about Apple’s new iPad tv ad? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The ad showcases the entire process that goes into creating music, from writing the lyrics, making beats, remixing to filming the performance entirely on an iPad Air 2. Elliphant’s song “All or Nothing” was remixed specifically for this advertisement and it is estimated that Apple spent somewhere around $2 million for this.

In this ad we can see the recording artist using Pages to write lyrics and then GarageBand and Apogee Mic to record bits and pieces of audio. Then Riton, the producer makes beats using iMPC Pro and NanoStudio. DJ The Gaslamp Killer used Serato Remote to remix the song live while roaming the stage. The performance was filmed by  Director So Me using a specialized lens and handheld mount with the Manual Camera app.

In order to showcase iPad’s capabilities Apple has once again chosen to show real tasks done entirely on an iPad. Instead of highlighting hardware features or camera specifications the company continues to showcase apps from the App Store to show what you can do with the device.

The ad was debuted ahead of 57th annual Grammy Awards telecast. It is also believed that Apple CEO Tim Cook and SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue were the focus of attention at a Grammy party held by record producer Clive Davis.

Apple acquired Beats Music for $3 billion, the biggest acquisition in the history of Apple. The company has been reportedly working on integrating Beats music with OS X and iOS.

Watch the new tv ad below and let us know what you think.

Set in a fantasy world full of monsters and magic, Outcast Odyssey tasks you with exploring your surroundings and collecting treasures, as well as defeating the various creatures that you encounter in RPG-like battles.

Your weapons of choice in these battles are – of course – cards. There are hundreds of hand-drawn cards available to collect in Outcast Odyssey – many of which can be enhanced and even evolved to create more powerful variants.

You won’t just be battling monsters in Outcast Odyssey, mind. Through the game’s PvP mode, you can compete against other players from around the globe and even earn weekly prizes if you manage to outshine your opponents.

Are you a fan of joining guilds with other players? If so, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can do just that. In fact, you can battle outcasts from opposing guilds in the game’s arena for the chance to pick up ‘great rewards’.

Outcast Odyssey is now available to download worldwide for free. Be sure to grab it for your iPhone and iPad [download] right away. The game will be available for Android-powered smartphones and tablets very soon.

Trailer

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This is a sponsored feature.

At a special October event Apple unveiled the new fifth-gen iPad which the company is calling, iPad Air. The new 9.7 inch tablet will be available on November 1.

iPad Air features an all-new design which has been inspired by iPad mini. The new tablet has thinner bezel and reduced thickness which makes it lighter and thinner. The 16GB WiFi model weights just 1 pound which is 20% lighter, 20% thinner and 24% less in volume when compared with the previous generation model.

While the retina display remains the same at 9.7 inch, the new iPad Air is smaller in height, width and depth. With a thickness of 0.29 inches it is as thick as the iPad mini. Apple has a known obsession to make its newer products thinner and refining the production process to the extreme.

The man behind this obsessive simplicity and manufacturing precision, Jonathan Ive, continues to evolve the existing product line up and make them look fantastic year after year.

iPad Air features the same diamond-cut chamfers and anodised aluminium body as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and the iPad mini. It is not just an all-new design but it also features the latest 64-bit that Apple introduced in the iPhone 5s. iPad Air runs on A7 chip that makes its CPU and GPU performance twice as fast as its predecessor. It also includes M7 motion coprocessor which enables optimal battery performance. Even with a 64-bit iPad Air continues to provide 10 hour battery life.

Apple did not update the camera sensor in the fifth-gen iPad. It continues to feature 5MP rear camera and FaceTime HD Camera which is a 1.2MP sensor.

This year the company has added support for even more LTE bands as they prepare to launch the new device in China on the same day as the rest of the countries.

iPad Air is available in WiFi andWiFi+ cellular versions with storage capacities ranging from 16GB to 128GB.

There had been a few rumours about fingerprint Touch ID being part of the feature set however, it seems that we’ll have to wait for iPad Air 2 (?) for that.

Are you excited about the new thinner tablet from Apple? Will you be upgrading your tablet this holiday season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Ubisoft is all set to launch Rabbids Big Bang for the iPhone and iPad on October 17th. It is a physics-based game where you get to control little mammals called Rabbids.

Rabbids belong to the race of bunnies that have evolved over a hundred years. The Earth is not enough for them so they are taking a journey to space to explore and make it their playground.

You get to pilot the Rabbids using jetpack boots and gravitational pull of the planets. The goal is to avoid accidents by flying around various obstacles.

The game will include 150 different missions including “crash-landing landing on planets, bouncing off of space cows and reaching specific speeds.” Ubisoft in a press release revealed that Rabbids Big Bang will include lots of customisation options such as upgrading jetpacks, dressing up Rabbids and much more.

Rabbids Big Bang for iPhone and iPad will be priced at $0.99. Ubisoft shared a few screenshots of the game with us. The 3D game environment reveals that you will collect bunny coins and you will have limited fuel to complete your journey around the planets.

Physics-based games have proved to be a popular genre on the App Store. Angry Birds has been one of the most successful series in this genre. In Angry Birds Space we saw the birds fighting the pigs in space.

We will have to wait for the launch of Rabbids on iPhone to see how exciting will the gameplay be and if it manages to get us addicted.

The App Store is a powerful storehouse of some of the best content creation apps for the iPad. Creativity is no more limited to the confines of ones “desktop” and neither does it require heavy equipment to get the job done. iPad’s large screen and the ease of performing complex functions on multitouch screen has resulted in some amazing innovation in mobile software.

iDraw for iPad is yet another example of a power-packed app that enables you to draw vector shapes or any kind of illustration on your tablet. A quick look at the set of features the developer, Indeeo, Inc., mentions in description and the history of updates speaks about their commitment towards adding new features and how the app has evolved to become the best vector drawing app for iPad.

If you’ve ever used any drawing or iWork app for the iPad you’ll feel completely at home with iDraw’s user interface. The canvas area can easily be customised to fit the nature of project you’re working on. The app comes with blank, gradient, image, grid, graph paper, blueprint, looseleaf, notepad and lined paper based templates for the canvas as options to choose from.

All the commonly used brush, transforming and shape tools are stacked on the left. On the top left you have icons to open inspector windows to set different properties of the selected object for example, changing the color, adding gradient, set the position numerically, modify or arrange object relative to other objects and much more. The app supports layers so if you’re working on a project that requires you to use layers iDraw has you covered.

The app features dedicated buttons for redo and undo which is very helpful as you don’t have to dig further into menus to find the often used buttons. Additionally, the developers have also added a dedicated drop down menu for common functions such as copy, paste, paste in place, delete, select all and select none. This may sound like a small feature but it saves a lot of time by not having to press and hold to select or paste all the time.

Path selection tool has different modes to select more than one points and also includes convert mode that converts a straight line into a curve. Once  you’ve created a vector shape the next step is to fill color and this is where iDraw offers powerful gradient tools that enables to pick as many colors you want and set the transparency level for each. So, if you’re working with shadows or just need that perfect skyline the tools included in iDraw will help you achieve it.

It doesn’t stop just at vector drawing. Even if you wanted to use iDraw to create flowcharts or more measurement driven projects such as a floor plan or mockup for a website or iPhone app iDraw works very well for any kind of illustrative project. For such projects the app has a dedicated line style called “length” that automatically inserts the measurement of the area where the line is drawn. It is small details like these that make this app the best out there.

The developers have even included a shape library with shapes commonly used in floor plans, iPhone mockups, iPhone sketch, numbers and symbols. You can even add your own shape easily for using them again in another project. The app also features the ability to import custom fonts.

Masking a shape or text with image is also supported and you can also align text to a curved line. The brush strokes can be fine tuned in the brush editor to fit the perfect roundness, angle or diameter you’re looking for.

While creating different shapes I found the modify menu very helpful as it automatically allows you to combine two or more shapes in union, make them intersect, exclude or even divide or subtract them. This saves time as you can get the desired result by using these options rather than using multiples shapes and then having them to move front, backwards etc.

Another area when the app shines is the recently added inner shadow, inner glow and outer glow. The combination of these options with custom fill, stroke and drop shadow effects allow you to create the perfect vector shape for your project.

In order to help you get started with a project iDraw can import image, font files, vector PDF or even SVG files. You can import your files to iDraw by connecting through iTunes file sharing or use Dropbox.

Once your project is complete you can share it in PDF, SVG, PNG or JPEG format and choose to include or exclude background. The project can be exported to iTunes, sent via Email (option to export as iDraw file is also supported), send to another app, copy as image, save to photos, save to dropbox, print and even share on facebook or twitter.

The overall performance of the app is very impressive and the advanced set of features make iDraw the best vector drawing and illustration app for the iPad in the App Store. If you professionally create vectors then you will really enjoy working on the iPad using iDraw. However, if you’ve never tried drawing or creating vectors then the ease of use of iDraw will compel you to get creative and make something you thought you couldn’t.

What we like

• Advanced tool set
• Customisable canvas
• Good performance
• Export and Import features

What to know

• Not many video tutorials available

Smartphones and tablets are increasingly being adopted by businesses to be a part of the employees workflow. Major corporations are already deploying custom apps to increase the productivity of its employees. The App Store has seen a rise in the kind of business and productivity apps that make complex tasks easier with the use of the intuitive multitouch screen and iOS.

When we think about organising or developing a process for an activity or creating an event driven process the tool we all think of is mind maps and flowchart. These allow us to visually comprehend complex structures and the relation one activity has with the other. Even though there are many advantages of creating mindmaps and flowcharts often the complex nature of software required could possibly impact our productivity negatively instead of enhancing it.

Cubetto for iPhone and iPad developed by semture GmbH aims to offer an easy to use interface with a new approach that enables even an amateur to create complex flowcharts. Cubetto is a full featured app for creating business process, collaboration diagrams, event driven process charts, flowcharts and much more.

Instead of offering drawing tools for you to figure out which diagram or arrow or icons to use the app offers an intuitive template and wizard format which enables you to create your flowchart easily. Just like any flowchart or business process has a structure, the wizard and template format in Cubetto structures your diagram and automatically does the layout for you. The app is smart to set the size of the canvas and connects the different flowchart elements automatically. Even as most of the layout is handled automatically the app still gives you a lot of control over the look and feel of your chart or process.

You start a new project by tapping the ‘plus’ sign and then choosing whether you want to create BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation), Mindmap, EPC (Event-driven Process Chain), Flowchart, Notes & Edges or UML (Use Case, Class and Activity Diagram. After selecting the type of diagram that best meets your project need you start simply by tapping on the screen and a menu pop-up will appear which acts as a wizard to help you choose the type of content you want to use in your diagram. For example in a BPMN diagram the wizard offers content such as Activity, Data Object, Data Storage, Event, Gateway, Group, Message, Pool, Swimlane. As you select the content you further get options to fine tune the details and then choose the successor of the previous activity.

When you choose a successor you will get options to select the type of connection you want to establish which could either be an Annotation, Association, Message flow, Sequence Flow and much more. Each connector or activity box can be customised with text, description, colour and type of edges and nodes.

As you build your diagram and define the rules of each connection and relation with each activity Cubetto will intelligently do the layout of your chart or diagram. The app allows you to focus on creating the flow and handles the layout itself. This feature is very powerful and proves to be a great help when users are creating complex processes. It can be a bit of a daunting task to arrange the diagram when there are many boxes and arrows connecting so Cubetto handles this task very efficiently so that your diagram always follows the structure and flow that you intended.

There are infinite possibilities with this app and you can get very creative with the kind of diagram you want to create. The template feature in this app allows you to automate the creation of similar activities without the need to manually enter the settings again.

The powerful nature of the auto-layout is evident when with the tap of just one button you change the layout of your diagram from horizontal to vertical without the need to worry about the connections, text or any other setting. It’s very  simple and highly intuitive. You can even create multiple models or diagrams and store them in a folder within one project. So, you can begin with creating a Mindmap for the Organization and then create an event driven process chain and even have nested folders.

Once you’ve created your diagram Cubetto allows you to export your project as a PDF, JPG, PNG and email it. It even allows you to export as XHTML, BPMN XML, Cubetto XML, iTunes folder, iCloud and Dropbox.

The app does not feature any in-app purchases so when you buy Cubetto you get a full-featured powerful app for your iPhone and iPad to create any type of flowchart, diagram or process that you want to.

Cubetto is available on the App Store as a universal download. The auto-layout, wizard and template features easily make it the most comprehensive solution for  business process modeling and the illustration of organizational structures.

New photo of iPad 5 bezel and digitizer have appeared online again. Apple.pro has published new image that appears to be of the upcoming fifth-generation iPad. This is not the first time we are seeing these images. The rumor mill in the past has leaked photos that claim to be of Apple’s next gen tablet.

The upcoming iPad 5 is expected to receive a new design similar to the iPad mini. Recent rumors and leaked images all suggest that iPad 5 will get a “narrower” bezel. The photo above was published to a Photobucket account, it shows the bezel and ribbon cable of the digitizer of the rumored fifth-gen iPad.

Apple announced the fourth-gen iPad and iPad mini in October last year and it’s likely that the company will announce the new iPad during the same time frame this year. While recent leaks all point to new hardware design for the next iPad however, the authenticity of the photo is difficult to establish.

Product leaks have become fairly common for Apple since the iPhone 4, even as Tim Cook last year during All Things D suggested he wanted to double down on product leaks, it is still an issue for Apple. With leaks about upcoming products the sales of Apple’s existing product line up take a huge hit which has been evident in Apple’s annual financial report following any major product launch.

{via MacRumors}

Update : NowhereElse.fr has revealed that the photo above is of an iPad mini part taken from a Chinese part vendor.

Apple’s next major mobile software release, iOS 7, will feature a flatter design losing artificial textures and skeuomorphism. According to a new report published by 9to5 Mac, iOS 7 is expected to introduce a complete redesign of the operating system but will continue to keep the basic functions and behaviour of the OS.

Last October, Apple fired Scott Forstall and made Jony Ive the head of human interface design. It has been widely reported that Ive was never a fan of the skeuomorphism used in iOS and actually leans more towards a flatter and clean design.

 

While the look of the updated system may be surprising to some, iOS 7 is reportedly not more difficult to use than earlier versions of software platform. There is apparently no new learning curve in the same way there was no learning curve when the iPods went color. While iOS 7 does look different, its core apps and system fundamentals (like the Lock and Home screens) mostly operate in a similar fashion to how they do today.

iOS 7 is codenamed “Innsbruck,” according to three people familiar with the OS. The interface changes include an all-new icon set for Apple’s native apps in addition to newly designed tool bars, tab bars, and other fundamental interface features across the system.

A recent update to the Podcasts app for iPhone and iPad could give us some clue to what we could expect in iOS 7. When Forstall was heading the iOS team the app featured design of an old tape recorder and later when the app was updated under Ive’s leadership the skeomorphism was replaced with flatter design elements and focused more on ease of use.

The report on new features in iOS 7 points us to new gestures being investigated by Apple that could reveal more information to the user by just swiping left or right of the screen, just like how Notification Center can be accessed by swiping the screen downwards.

Since Jony Ive now leads both hardware and human interface design teams, the software design teams now get early access to the prototype designs so that the software and hardware look even more similar. Apple feels that this move will “increase collaboration across hardware, software & services”.

With rumors about a new second generation iPad mini, as well as an iPad 5, it is no surprise that Apple and authorized retailers are lowering prices on the tablet. On Tuesday, Apple cut prices on refurbished 2nd generation and 3rd generation cellular iPads, offering up to a $50 discount on the WiFi+Cellular models.

The reduced price comes just as rumors about the iPad 5 are beginning to heat up, and customers are beginning to expect a new full-sized iPad with a design similar to the current iPad mini. In early April, a refurbished iPad 2 was priced at $399, but with the discount is brought down to $349. This means that customers will be able to enjoy a total savings of $180.

If customers purchase a 32GB or a 64GB model, the iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G is available for $429 and $529, while the 32GB and 64GB models of the 3rd generation iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular are priced at $499 and $579, respectively. This is a bargain, when considering that each of the iPads will come with a standard 1 year warranty, which will cover any damage or defects caused by the company’s manufacturing process. Apple is not offering any discounts on the WiFi versions of the 2nd and 3rd generation iPads, which remain priced at $319 for the 16GB iPad 2 and $379 for a 16GB third generation iPad.

Apple’s refurbished devices are required to pass a series of stringent checks, in order for the company to ensure that customers receive a device that is fully operational. Each defective device that is refurbished receives a new shell and a new battery. The only remaining pieces of the older device are the cameras, chips, etc. Essentially, customers are receiving a brand new device, with the same 1 year standard warranty as a new iPad at a discount.

By reducing prices, Apple is likely clearing out stock before the iPad 5 arrives, which will eventually will also be sold as refurbished. It is unclear if Apple plans to reduce prices on the refurbished iPad mini prior to a refresh, however, there is some time left as the new model isn’t expected until the September timeframe.

{Via MacRumors}

French site Noweherelse.fr released a report with images of a purported iPad 5 screen, which shows a thinner bezel, similar to the current iPad mini. Reports and mockups from earlier this year also showed a full sized iPad next to the iPad mini with a very similar.

The new iPad 5 is also expected to use the same color scheme as the current iPhone 5, and iPad mini, with the Black bezel matching with the slate back and the white bezel matching with the silver. Case designs from early last month also suggest that the iPad 5 will be very similar to the iPad mini. It is unclear when the iPad 5 will debut, although a number of sources have suggested that an event may be held as early as this month.

Others suggest that Apple will release it during its normal Fall timeframe, as they did with the iPad mini and the 4th generation iPad. It is not surprising that Apple is adopting the IPad mini design for its iPad 5, especially when considering that it is the only iOS device that has yet remained unchanged from the black and silver design and the thick bezel.

{Via MacRumors}

Rumors surrounding the 5th generation iPad have been around the web for several months now, with claims that the refreshed iPad would carry a design similar to the current iPad mini. On Tuesday, Digitimes reported that Apple will begin production of the 5th generation iPad during the July / August timeframe.

This means that the 5th gen iPad release date would likely occur in the Fall, similar to the 4th generation and the iPad mini which were released last Fall. The timeframe for the 5th generation iPad reportedly comes from Taiwan-based supply chain makers, who are likely working on the device. With 3 iPads released in 2012, one in March and two in November, it makes sense that Apple would wait a full year before releasing a new iPad.

The 5th gen iPad is expected to carry the thinner and lighter design of the iPad mini, meaning a thinner bezel and color mixtures of White / Silver and Black / Slate. It is also possible that Apple would release a new A8 chip and perhaps a new 8 megapixel camera, currently included on the iPhone 4S and the 5.

{Via MacRumors}

With the web abuzz with rumors of a new iPad 5 with an iPad mini-like design and even a redesigned mini with a Retina Display, retailers are beginning to slash prices on the device. On Wednesday, Walmart began selling Apple’s iPad mini for $299, marking one of the first price drops for the device since its release.

The $299 price point is only available for the 16GB WiFi iPad mini and is the same price that Apple is currently selling its refurbished units for. The iPad mini, from both Walmart and Apple still come with the Cupertino company’s standard 1 year warranty on all of its products and accessories. However, if the iPad mini is purchased from Walmart, the customer will be receiving a new device, as opposed to Apple’s refurbished units.

If a customer decides to partake in this deal, they may go through the in-store pickup process, giving them the option reserve a device online and then pick up in the store. It also appears that the “ship to home” option is also available, even though it was not when the deal originally went up. It is unclear if other retailers will begin to lower prices on Apple’s iPad. However, if other retailers do decide to follow suit with Walmart’s discount, it may be very soon, especially since Apple is expected to introduce a new lineup of iPads in the next several months.

With the second fiscal quarter of 2013 (first calendar quarter) at an end, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is once again set to report its quarterly earnings. AAPL will announce the Q2 2013 earnings results on April 23, exactly 3 months after they announced the Q1 earnings of 2013. The company notified the public of this earnings call by posting the date on its investor relations page.

Normally, Apple’s earnings calls start around 4:30 PM Eastern Time at around 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific because stock trading, which happens on the East Coast stops for the day around 4:20 PM. Apple proposed that this quarter, the company will record revenue between $41 and $43 billion and gross margin between 37.5% and 38.5%. Majority of the revenue will come from the sale of the iPad mini and the iPhone 5.

Three months ago, the company reported one of its most successful quarters, increasing its revenue and profit each year. However, in recent weeks and months, the company has experienced a major drop in stock price after reports began suggesting that Apple was no longer and innovative company and that it had nothing new to move towards now that Steve Jobs was gone.

It will be interesting to see how Apple’s CEO Tim Cook will handle the earnings call, especially since many of the negative reports on the company’s innovation emerged very recently.

{Via MacRumors}

On Thursday, Apple launched another web campaign very similar to its “Why You’ll Love an iPhone” campaign. In fact, this web campaign has the same idea, being called “Why You’ll Love an iPad” and shows all of the great reasons why customers should go out and purchase an iPad.

On the “Why iPad” page on its website, Apple focuses specifically on the over 300,000 apps available for the iPad, something that is also mentioned in the company’s billboard and print ads. Apple also mentions J.D. Power satisfaction rankings, percentages of schools and companies using the devices, as well as the materials used and the popular Retina Display.

As Samsung continues to rise in the smartphone market and becomes a serious competitor for Apple, the Cupertino company is moving quickly with its ad campaigns to show customers why they initially chose Apple or why they should.

Apple has recently been under fire from analysts and the public who claim that the company is experiencing a “lack of innovation”. The company is however, showing consumers why Apple is the right choice and is also rumored to be introducing a smartwatch and even a television set.

{Via MacRumors}

According to a report from Electronista, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be supplying iOS devices to the United States Department of Defense, replacing all of the 470,000 BlackBerry devices currently in use by employees. Until this year, the DOD handed out a Blackberry to each of its employees for answering emails, business calls etc. However, with Blackberry upheaving its old system with the new Blackberry 10 OS, the DOD can no longer use the older devices.

The DOD also experienced a cut in the funding for the new software as the result of the sequester. Now, they will be replacing the older technology with the purchase of 120,000 iPads, 100,000 iPad minis, 200,000 iPod touches, and 210,000 iPhones.

The iPhones will vary, likely depending on each employee’s usage and need for certain features. According to the report, “more than half are headed to the battlefield, afloat, and to associated support commands. Most of the rest will stay [at the Pentagon].”

Late last year, the U.S government said that RIM (now Blackberry), would no longer have an exclusive contract for smartphone devices. This is great news for Apple, with its products currently being used to run businesses such as Salesforce, by pilots as electronic flight bags, and now the U.S government.

It is not surprising that the DOD is making the move to Apple products, however, it does mean that Apple would need to make sure their iOS devices are extremely secure, especially with soldiers using them overseas.

Update – The original source of this news published new information stating, “The initial telephone conversation claims that the information obtained “is not from an official DoD source” and notes that the BlackBerry platform is not being dumped.” However, the publication emphasized on the fact that “the report of the purchase order is accurate, but emphasized that the purchase awaits rectification of the government’s financial situation, as previously reported.”

{Via TechCrunch}

Fortune bases the ranking on nine key categories: Innovation, People management, Use of corporate assets, Social responsibility, Quality of management, Financial soundness, Long-term investment, Quality of products/services and Global competitiveness.

These come from a large poll from executives, analysts and directors in the field. It is not surprising that Apple scored #1 on all of the fields, and it is also not surprising that Google is trailing the Cupertino, California company at #2.

Apple has had a rough time lately with its stock price in a free fall and the widely publicized failure of its Maps feature. However, it remains a financial juggernaut, posting $13 billion in net income last quarter, making it the most profitable company in the world during that period. The company has its fanatical customer base, and it still refuses to compete on price, making the iconic iPhone and iPad products that are still widely seen as prestige devices. Competition may be stiff, but so far it remains behind: In Q4 2012, the iPhone 5 was the world’s best selling smartphone, followed in second place by the iPhone 4S.

Apple has been consistent over the past few years, making sure to set records with its quarterly earnings each year. The company has had issues with its stock lately, with analysts, consumers, and shareholders concerned about the future of the company. However, recent rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a number of projects, including a redesign of the iPad, a new iPhone, an Apple television set, and even a Apple smart watch.

Apple has not seen many changes, particularly in its product lines, since late CEO Steve Jobs stepped down and handed the reins over to current CEO Tim Cook. However, Cook has shown promise and assures that Apple is heading in the right direction. Fortune’s #1 ranking as ‘Most Admired Company’ is most definitely a good start in that direction.

{Via MacRumors}

Rumors about Apple working on an iPad 5 with an iPad mini style design have been on the web for several weeks now. However, images of a purported iPad 5 case, based off of recent rumors suggests that the updated version of the current 9.7” tablet will carry a slimmer and lighter profile as well as a thinner bezel.

The “iPad 5” case, which was created by Apple accessory manufacturer MiniSuit shows what appears to be a thinner and flatter design, similar to the rear shell of the current iPad mini. The company notes that they created the case based on specs that they received from reliable sources.

In the images of the iPad 5 case, there appears to be a hole directly in the center of the case, suggesting that Apple may have relocated the mic from the top of the iPad (where it is now) to the backside. The back of the iPad is a more convenient location, easier to build and picks up sound when talking on FaceTime or recording video.

With the iPad 5, Apple is expected to retain the same 9.7” screen, while reducing the bezels as on the iPad mini. Apple may also have to rearrange the internal components and put in smaller chips and processors in order to make the device thinner than the current generation.

It is unclear when Apple plans to announce the release date for the new iPad 5 or even the rumored iPad mini refresh, however, it is likely that the 9.7” tablet will arrive anytime between March and October of this year. Prior to this timeframe, case manufacturers will begin to develop cases based entirely on speculations and rumors. Although Apple does release the specs after releasing the device, a number of case manufacturers generate more income by selling cases on the first official day an iPad is available.

{Via MacRumors}

Rumors of an next gen iPad mini have been on the web for several weeks now, and many reports are suggesting that the new device would include a Retina Display as one of the many new features. However, according to market researchers, the inclusion of a Retina Display would bump the price of the second gen iPad mini by up to 30%. This means that each iPad mini would cost Apple $12 more per unit to produce, and would subsequently cause a price increase for consumers.

According to Digitimes, this addition of $12 per unit would raise the total price of the iPad mini above $200 for production. A Retina Display would tack on a number of new costs, including a new LED backlight for the higher pixel density. Overall, this would total up to a 30% increase in price for production. The most expensive part of an iPad mini is the screen, which is $80 per unit. A teardown by research firm IHS iSuppli in November estimated that the iPad mini internals cost Apple $188 to produce.

Although analysts are expecting a price increase for consumers, it is likely that Apple will find a way to retain the current price point as they did with the 3rd generation iPad after it received a Retina Display. It is unclear exactly when Apple plans to introduce a iPad mini with Retina Display, however, other issues such as retaining the same form factor and battery life may also present an issues alongside the price.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple has launched new TV ad campaigns, focusing on the App Store and the range of apps offered for iOS devices. On Sunday, Apple aired two new TV ads for its iPad and iPad mini, called ‘Alive’ and ‘Together’, highlighting the over 300,000 apps available for the device. The ads, both of which had a similar theme, showed a number of words flashing across the screen, stopping at a few to describe the device.

At the same time, applications from the App Store were in use on the iPad including AmpliTube, Style.com, GarageBand, TED, iMovie, iBooks, Dinosaur Zoo, Toca Hair Salon, Vimeo, Rockmate, Glow Hockey 2 HD, and FaceTime.The ads arrive after Apple launched a billboard campaign with a similar theme, and seem to accompany the billboards posted along many highways and train stations in major metropolitan areas.

Apple’s latest ad campaign appears to show a range of applications from gaming and reading, to built in features such as FaceTime. In a 9to5Mac report about the new Apple ad, the site posted a tweet from one of its users, which noted that the hands using the device in the new ads change depending on the type of app. At one point, a baby appears to be using one of the word identification applications in the ad, “Together”.

Apple’s ad campaigns have been highly successful in the past, particularly those introduced for the iPad mini following its release. Apple has always been focused on the usability of a device instead of the device’s technology since the introduction of the original iPad in 2010. However, the company appears to be refocusing its ads on the applications available for the device, which has also played a large part in the iPad’s success.

{Via MacRumors}

Last week, Apple officially released iOS 6.1 to the public with new LTE carriers and the ability to buy Fandango movie tickets through Siri. Since then, the company has continued to work on the mobile software, seeding the first beta of iOS 6.1.1 to developers on Wednesday.

The beta is labeled with a build number of 10B31 and addresses a number of issues with Maps in Japan, including improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation and an updated freeway color to green. The full list of features, as reported by 9to5Mac is listed as follows:

iOS 6.1.1 beta 1 includes the following improvements to Maps for Japan:

– Improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation
– Optimized directions to more strongly prefer highways over narrower roads
– Now indicates upcoming toll roads during turn-by-turn navigation
– Added labels for junctions, interchanges, on-ramps, off-ramps, and intersections
– Added indicators for transit station buildings, subway lines, and traffic lights
– Updated freeway color to green
– Updated icons for some location categories including fire stations, hospitals, and post offices Added 3D buildings including Tokyo Station, Japan Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Tower

It is unclear when Apple plans to release the update or if it will include other bug fixes, however, it is clear that the company is clearly dedicated to fixing issues in iOS 6. This comes after the software was released to intense criticism of the company’s Siri voice assistant, and Maps which also led to the ousting of iOS chief Scott Forstall.

{Via MacRumors}

Last week Apple Inc. (AAPL) announced that it would be offering a new iPad model with more storage. Today AAPL began offering the 128GB iPad on its online store with shipping estimate as 1-3 business days.

The higher capacity iPad is available in WiFi and WiFi + cellular models. The cellular models will be available with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. 128GB WiFi costs $799 and WiFi+Cellular costs $929. Both versions carry $100 premium which is consistent with Apple’s existing pricing strategy for the iPad.

Apple announced the 128GB iPad on January 29, 2013 via a press release and highlighted the importance of offering twice the storage of the 64GB version. With more and more apps being available for the iPad, more flash storage would allow users to work with larger files and photos.

At a price of $929 for the WiFi + Cellular model the pricing is just $70 less than the entry level MacBook Air. With apps AutoCAD, iWork, iLife and many more available on the App Store users can create more content on their tablet. The new model would also help Apple push the profit margins.

Apple has been struggling with supply constraints, which affected both the new iMac and the iPad mini. During the earnings call Tim Cook noted that Apple could have pushed more iMac sales if the supply constraints would have not affected the launch. It will be interesting to see if Apple will be able to manage the supply for its new launches and push for higher sales figures.

The iPad mini currently has a pixel density of 163 ppi (pixels-per-inch), which is the same as the iPad 2. However, Apple is reportedly working on a second gen iPad mini which is slated for release later this year. New rumors are now beginning to circulate that the next generation iPad mini will carry a 324ppi Retina Display.

According to news service BrightWire, AU Optronics is managing the production of the iPad mini and that the new screen on the device will be 2,048 by 1,536 pixels, which is four times as many pixels as the current iPad mini. Rumors about the iPad mini receiving a Retina Display have been around since the introduction of the device in October.

With a Retina Display on the same 7.9” screen, developers would only need to update the apps with high resolution artwork. During the introduction of the iPad mini, Apple noted that applications developed for the full sized iPad would be able to run on the 7.9” screen without being reworked. However, it appears that some apps do run letterboxed, similar to the transition from 3.5” screen of the iPhone 4S to the 4” inch screen of the iPhone 5.

Apps running letterboxed still take advantage of the Retina Display as they do not take up any more space than the device that it is developed for. Alongside the iPad mini’s thin bezel, majority of users won’t notice a huge difference when the device does letterbox videos or apps.

The rumored Retina Display, coming in at 324ppi would be 2 pixels short of matching up the current iPhone 5 display, which is an impressive feat when noting the larger screen size of the iPad mini. It is unclear how Apple plans to incorporate the Retina Display and retain the same form factor of the device without sacrificing the legendary 10 hour battery life.

{Via AppleInsider}

Last week, Apple Inc. (AAPL) shipping estimates for the iPad mini dropped to 3-5 days in the U.S Apple Store. Now, the iPad mini’s shipping estimates has once again improved to 1-3 days in the U.S store. The estimates have been slowly improving and customers will now have an iPad mini order fulfilled, shipped, and delivered in under a week.

Other online Apple Stores around the world are also experiencing improvements in their shipping estimates, coming in at 3-5 business days. Apple’s European store had a two week wait for an iPad mini, which has since improved to 3-5 days.

The introduction of a smaller iPad has proved to be successful for Apple. It is a direct competitor to all the e-readers available in the market. By launching a smaller tablet Apple aims to capture every segment of the tablet market. Even though the iPad mini is an expensive product when compared to other smaller tablets available, consumers continue to pay premium for seamless integration of hardware and software services.

Apple experienced supply constraints for the iPad mini which caused a backlog of orders, and as a result, a very long wait time. Apple noted that it expects the supply to catch up to demand by the end of March. Supply constraints were caused in part by the iPad mini’s G/F2 (DITO) thin-film display technology, which is also rumored to be used in the new iPad 5 (fifth gen).

{Via MacRumors}