Apple’s Retail stores are a window of the company to its customers, and a large part of the store’s atmosphere are the Genius’ and the Genius Bar. The efficient setup allows employees to easily help customers and form an orderly process to address issues that customers face with their products.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Best Buy is now changing the design of their Geek Squad Solutions Center to operate similarly to a Genius Bar, with customers sitting in front of a wood table and employees addressing their issues face to face as opposed to taking the device and repairing it behind closed doors.

The company is currently testing a prototype store in Richfield, Minn., with the new Solutions Central table. The prototype stores also allow customers to buy products from employees walking around the store with a device to ring up the sale, similar to Apple’s current checkout process.

Best Buy interim chief executive, Mike Mikan called the newly designed stores, “Best Buy 2.0”. Best Buy, with this new design is attempting to make customers the focal point of the store which it hasn’t really enforced in the past as opposed to stocking as many products as possible.

Best Buy stocks numerous Apple products, including the iPod, iPhone, and iPad as well as MacBooks and sells almost as many devices as Apple does in their own stores. Best Buy’s Apple-like design will attract more customers and surround them with enough knowledge to make a purchase in-store, and not just use the brick and mortar location to test the product and then purchase online. Best Buy has not yet announced when the design will begin to be implemented, but will likely do it if it receives a positive response from the prototype stores.

{via AppleInsider}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) currently operates six retail stores in greater China, and serves more than 216 million people per store, in comparison to the total population in the country. AAPL has two retail stores in Beijing, three in Shanghai, and one in Hong Kong. In 2010, when Ron Johnson was still head of Apple Retail, he suggested that the company would open over 25 retail stores in China.

On Wednesday, a report from Reuters revealed that the state of Pennsylvania has more Apple Retail Stores than all of China, a fact that can be quite surprising when considering that the 6 retail stores in China bring in one fifth of Apple’s total revenue. Pennsylvania currently has eight stores, with 3 in Pittsburgh and 5 others across the state. The population of the state is at 12.7 million as opposed to the 1.2 billion people in China.

The Cupertino company is taking its time in China and selecting prime retail locations that can serve numerous regions. Due to Apple’s lack of a large retail presence in China, a strong surge in scalping has become an issue at some locations. Scalpers essentially buy out stock of a newly introduced Apple product on launch day and then attempt to sell them on the street illegally for much higher prices, because of Apple’s low stock and pent up demand.

Apple’s future is definitely in China, where the company is quickly building a reputation and a large customer base. Last month, Chinese government officials stated that Apple may be looking to open two new retail locations in Chengdu and Shenzhen. Shenzhen is currently the location of a Foxconn factory, where Apple’s products are manufactured. Apple has not yet commented on this report and has not announced any further plans to open more retail locations or follow Ron Johnson’s plans for over 25 retail stores in China.

I must admit, when a friend and I decided to take up app coding as a hobby to see if we could make a game, I thought mobile app coding was the same across the board. Guess what? It is not the same. Surprise I know, don’t get me wrong I didn’t think it was identical but I did think it would be more cross-platform than it is. Specifically, we’ll look at the differences of aesthetics between iOS and Android in this article.

In a nutshell, it’s easier to make good looking apps in iOS than in Android. Hipmunk UI/UX designer and iOS developer Danilo Campos explains: “The very simple short answer is it’s easier to make a good-looking, attractive iOS app compared to making an Android app.”

It’s no surprise that when you look at an Apple product vs. a Google product that the Apple product is going to most likely be more polished and sleek, also more expensive. This should give you a hint as to which one cares more about these qualities when it comes to software as well. Now that I sit down and think about it, it makes perfect sense, I just hadn’t thought about it.

Though many things that Apple product users such as myself see as issues with Android many Android users see as benefits. This might be true but some of these are the very reason for the apps not appearing as polished. One thing is for sure, it is is not for lack of talent in the Android development scene.

Let’s look at the reasoning before I am strung up by the Android users:

• Fragmentation: iOS devs have fewer resolutions and hardware profiles to worry about. The Android market is saturated with devices with different resolutions and hardware specs.

“Android devices come in different shapes and sizes, different screen resolutions, different device speeds – and that’s actually a huge hurdle,” Karma app co-founder Lee Linden told Wired.

• Images: Hipmunk generates its Android assets in three resolutions: 1x for older devices, 2x for high-resolution devices and 1.5x for other devices. Campos states that this is a must to avoid artifacting in some apps. The issue with this is that you’re spending more times on things like images and not on ground-breaking and cutting edge technology development. Even if you are, that’s added time and expense that iOS devs don’t have to worrry about.

• Tools & Documentation: Surprisingly, tools and documentation is less robust when it comes to Android. I say surprising as Android is more open than iOS. Part of that is that Apple has had a 20 year head start in developer support. That’s when you have to ask yourself, how old is Android really? That’s how long Google has been at developer support and it doesn’t come without some growing pains.

Campos states, “It feels like you’ve got more documentation, both officially sanctioned and thirdparty, so that makes things smoother.” He adds, “One of the hangups [with Android] is so much of the stuff doesn’t feel fully documented.” “Ryan, our Android guy, has to go digging around in the source code to figure out some XML formatting piece that isn’t made clear. That’s been painful for him.”

Overall, Google is learning from their developers and fixing many of the issues. Adding developer support pages to Google+ and also adding a much more robust Android training regiment. With these improvements, some issues still persist. The fragmentation remains as a major issue as less than 3 percent of Android devices currently run Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). I’ll continue to monitor the progress as my company utilizes Google Apps for Business and I am a fan of all things Google, except Android. Sorry Android fans, it just hasn’t lured me away from iOS… yet.

{via Gizmodo}

iCoverSkin Review

The are more cases on the market than you can shake a stick at but for some people adding bulk to their iPhone is not an option, yet they still want to add some individual creativity to their iPhone to make it unique or add protection.

For those people there are skins, thin, sticky covers that adhere securely and can be as creative as any mind can be.

One company that provides such things is iCoverSkin who not only provide skins for iPhones but also for iPads and MacBooks as well as other non-Apple products too.

Their latest range of skins are the brushed metal and carbon fiber range which give a great look and feel to your iOS Device when applied. They also come in a range of colors, blue, black, titanium, steal and even brushed gold if you want to go for some serious bling.

Applying them is easy too, just four easy steps, clean, peel, align and apply will have your new skin on in next to no time. I use a screen protector with my iPhone and while iCoverSkin.com advises that you can apply the skin over the screen protector I chose not to and applied it directly to my iPhone 4S. An option to have a screen protector cut to fit or included with the skin would be a nice option.

The iCoverSkin’s use quality 3M products which provide great adhesion to your iPhone and yet if your placement is initially off a little you can easily re-align it with no problems and without spoiling the look. In fact this is exactly what I did and even after 3 attempts to align the skin correctly it still stuck securely and looks great.

What’s really nice about iCoverSkin is that you can purchase as little or as much of the skin as you need. You can buy just the back, back and front or the complete kit which will provide front, back and side skins.

As you would expect all relevant cut outs are provided including a cut out for the Apple logo on the back of you iPhone which is a nice touch and leaves everything accessible.

The skins change the texture of the iPhone and while it’s debatable as to whether or not it provides you with more grip it’s certainly a nice change to the naked feel of the ‘nude’ iPhone.

If you are looking for a stylish and easy way to customize your iPhone without the bulk of a case then head on over to iCoverSkin.com now and pick yourself out a style and design that suits you.

Prices for the iPhone Carbon Fiber and Brushed Metal skins start at $29.95 and can be purchased from www.iCoverSkin.com for immediate delivery.

What we like:

• Look great
• Stylish metal effects
• Purchase as little or as much as you need

What to know:

• No built in screen protectors

For a limited time readers of Touch Reviews can get 50% off of any skin from iCoverSkin.com. To redeem the coupon:

1. Visit iCoverSkin.com
2. Select desired products by clicking “Add to Cart”.
3. When finished, click “Checkout” button.
4. Provide shipping information and click “Apply” at the bottom.
5. Select Shipping Method.
6. Enter the redemption code TOUCHREVIEWS into the “Coupon code” field on the right and click the arrow button.
7. Provide credit card information.
8. Enjoy!

Apple has been expanding their retail stores all over the world, with over 357 retail stores worldwide with plans to build a number of others in China and the United States. Now, Apple is expanding their retail efforts by setting up new product displays in Walmart stores around the country. Although Best Buy has had smaller Apple product displays in their stores for quite some time, this is the first time that Apple has introduced such a wide variety of products and accessories in a major retail outlet other than its own stores. The first Apple Store within a store was spotted in an Arkansas Walmart, where ifoapplestore snapped a couple of pictures and posted them online.

A report from 9to5Mac also speculated that the displays may be a prototype for future expansion into the Sam’s Club retail chain, which is the warehouse retail division of Walmart. Sam’s Club is usually within the same retail area as Walmart and are readily available in areas that do not have a local Apple Store. The new displays have back-lit graphics, just like the Apple Stores, the same classic wood table, the iconic array of display products and under-table accessory storage.

The under-table accessory storage features the same products available in the Apple Store, with anything from chargers, docks and headphones. This new display is available in Lowell, a town of 7,500 residents. The town does not have a local Apple Store, and would therefore benefit from the new store within a store at the local Walmart. At this point, this is the only known Apple Store within a Walmart in the United States, however, Apple will likely expand this idea into other Walmart Store, and maybe eventually Sam’s Club as well. This is a great idea not only for Apple and its retail expansion, but for the other retail stores such as Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

{via ifoapplestore}

We all know how well Apple Inc. (AAPL) is doing in recent years. Enjoying unparalleled success in products such as the iPhone and iPad. The sentiment since I have been in the Technology business is that “Ya, Apple has cool items but everyone owns Microsoft, Apple is too expensive”. Perhaps people are putting more stock in the quality of AAPL products than thriftiness these days. A recent survey by CNBC found that 51% of US homes own at least 1 Apple product. Undoubtedly this can be largely attributed to the Apple’s revolutionary music product, the iPod. It could be because of the product that revolutionized smart phones, the iPhone. Starting to see the trend?

I was one of those Windows guys who always trashed Apple and their high priced products and mocked them for what i could do with my Windows machine for less money. Parts of that argument are sound but you can’t deny their progress. I have worked in Corporate IT now for about 6 years and went from being Windows Mobile and Windows OS only to almost solely Apple devices. 2 years ago I owned 6 Windows devices. I now own 7 Apple devices, borderline fanboy huh? Not everyone has to agree with my move and that is fine but I have thoroughly enjoyed my move to Apple devices and apparently so have many other Americans.

Other findings in the survey:

– Income level is a strong indicator of Apple product ownership: 28% of those making under $30k/year own one, while 77% of those making more than $75k/year do.

– 63% of those aged 18-34 and 35-49 own Apple products, while only 50% of the 50-64 group do, and 26% among those 65 and older.

– 61% of households with children own an Apple product, versus 48% in those without kids.

– The average home in the South owns 1.2 Apple products, the smallest in any region. The average household in the country owns 1.6 devices.

CNBC noted that “the poll of 836 Americans was conducted by landline and cellphone from March 19 to 22 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.”

The data can be manipulated however you’d like to manipulate it but the fact remains that Apple is doing something right. They are getting their products in front of more and more people each year. Lowering prices to items like the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2 are just another way for Apple to get their last gen devices to people at a discounted rate. Thus aiding in the Apple devices cost too much argument. I leave this article posing the question, how man Apple devices do you have?

Apple’s new iPad 3 is only one day away from being announced to the public and new details about what to expect tomorrow are still being leaked. On Monday, iLounge editor, Jeremy Horowitz published a report on two Apple products that he believes that Apple will change or retain. Horowitz reported that Apple is working on a new iPad 3 “Smart Case” and new “glass back” iPhone 5.

The report claims that Apple is experimenting with “Glass and ceramic rear shells” for a future iPhone, probably iPhone 5. Although rumors of a aluminum back iPhone 5 have been floating around on the web, sources of the publication indicated that Apple is planning to use Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2, unveiled at CES 2012. The Gorilla Glass 2 will allow the iPhone 5 to be thinner and stronger than previous models and may even arrive without the addition of the 30 pin dock connector.

The report also pointed at the possibility of a larger screen display. Recently, Apple identified Corning as a supplier of screens for previous generations of iPhone, saying that “Corning employees in Kentucky and New York…create the majority of the glass for iPhone.”

iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S all glass design has been a huge success for Apple. Stronger glass could address issues of the device being very fragile. It will be interesting to see if Apple introduces yet another glass based design or goes with aluminum for the fifth-gen iPhone.

Said to be similar to Incase’s Magazine Jacket (and a host of subsequent alternatives that have appeared for the iPad 2), this new case has a folding magnetized Smart Cover on the front, and a rear shell made from fiberglass covered with PU/bicast leather. It’s unclear whether this case will be solely for the thicker new iPad or include backwards compatibility for the iPad 2.

The “Smart Case” for iPad 3 was described to be something similar to Incase’s Magazine Jacket because it will now feature a back cover. The iPad 2 Smart Cover only protected the from screen from scratches and scuffs and will now work in tandem with the back cover in a folio style encasement.

{via 9to5 Mac}

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) opened its first retail stores in the US long ago, giving customers a whole new retail experience, allowing them to use the devices hands on, try out the products and provide them with help if needed. Now, over a decade later, AAPL is opening up retail stores all around the world.

Apple has branched out to China, London, Japan, and many other countries. However, in a recent report from Indian business newspaper, Mint, it was mentioned that Apple is looking to increase their presence in India and is looking to open a number of retail stores in major retail districts.

Apple Inc. may open its own shops following the Indian government allowing full ownership of single-brand retail stores by foreign companies, according to a senior official of the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP).

The maker of the iPad and iPhone has been in discussion with the department for some time and is keen to re-enter Indian market after an earlier bid to do so in 2006, said the official on condition of anonymity.

The report also suggests that Apple went ahead with plans to make stores in India after the Indian government decided to eliminate ownership requirements, which previously required retail stores such as Apple Stores to have at least 49% domestic investment.

However, problems remain, with Apple being forced to source 30% of their product value from small businesses in India. Regulators are willing to address the requirement based on the guarantee of whether Apple will be moving their retail presence to India. Mint’s report also suggested that Apple attempted to open a tech support call center in India in 2006 in order to expand its presence but later drew back the effort and scrapped the idea.

However, if Apple were to open retail stores in India, a large influence of Apple products would spread across the east, starting with China, which is a large part of Apple’s international profits.

{via MacRumors}

On Tuesday, Japanese site Macotakara reported that Apple is planning to hold an iPad event in early February to announce the iPad 3, which is expected to arrive with iOS 5.1. The website pointed out that they had an Asian supplier and a source in the U.S who could confirm these rumors.

Although the iPad 3 is expected to be announced in February, other rumors suggest that the iPad 3 will actually be released in March, the same as the iPad 2 which arrived on March 11. This long delay could be in part because of the Chinese New Year which is going to be celebrated from January 23 to the 28th.

Foxconn and Pegatron, two of Apple’s main suppliers are expected to start shipping the device to the Apple Stores in early March, likely for a mid-March release. The iPad 3 has long been rumored to include a higher resolution display, as well as the introduction of the A6 chip and better 2 megapixel camera, up from 0.9 megapixels.

Macotakara has a mixed track record with the release of Apple products, correctly reporting on Apple’s iPad 2 and iPhone 4S but incorrectly suggesting that Apple would be releasing a Macbook Air with high-speed 400MBps flash memory and that a fifth-generation iPhone would feature an aluminum back.

If the event is scheduled for February we can expect media invites to be sent out in the first week of the next month. It will be interesting to see if Apple will finally bring the retina display to the iPad, which will certainly make the poplar tablet worth an upgrade for many users.

{via AppleInsider}

Yet, that’s not to say there aren’t opposing points of view out there. Author, tech pundit, and cultural chronicler Cory Doctrow has come out against the iPad. You can read Cory’s piece from BoingBoing here. Windows author and expert Paul Thurriott and LifeHacker founder, blogger, and open source expert Gina Trapani have similarly come out discouraging immediate adoption of Apple’s new device. It’s unfortunate the criticism of the iPad has split down some traditional lines, Thurriott specializes in Windows and Trapani is a notable Google/Android booster, because what they have to say is interesting, well-reasoned, and worth entering into the discussion. The arguments against immediate adoption of the iPad can be broken down into the following general categories:

• You’ll get burned buying a first generation Apple product
• The iPad is another closed system
• The iPad doesn’t have an obvious niche
• The iPad is all hype and no substance

As you review these points, you see that while there is a bit of emotion infused in them, there is also some reason. The iPhone was released to much fanfare in 2007 at a premium price between $500 and $600 USD. The next year the iPhone 3G came out at $300 USD less for a faster, more robust system. That could lead anyone to believe Apple is playing the same game this time. In fact, evidence has already been found for the next generation iPad buried deep in Apple code.

It is true the iPad is another closed system. If you don’t like closed systems you certainly shouldn’t buy an iPad. End of story. Apple isn’t in the business of building a hackable, changable device in the iPhone and iPad platforms. They are intended as consumer electronics, not computers. Consumer electronics disguised as a computer but consumer electronics none the less. Do you want to hack your television? Do you rip apart your DVD player to overclock it? Of course not. This device isn’t made for those types of people. Apple is aiming the iPad squarely at my mother and father, grandmother and grandfather. The closed system protects them from fault and broken devices the same way the closed TV insures they can watch JAG without the need to solder circuits just to get the thing to operate.

Obvious niche? Well that’s where the iPad is like a computer. It’s not a single use device like a Kindle but instead encapsulates the functionality of many different devices into one package. It will fill the voids people leave for it much like the iPhone before it. Many people have said its just a big iPod Touch with a sneer in their voice. I say that’s precisely what it is and think that it’s an immense positive. I would love my iPod Touch to be that big.

I can’t argue with the last point. I’d say 70% of the people standing in line on Saturday where there thanks to Steve Jobs and the technology media machine. Apple knows how to move product. Whether you find that a positive or a negative is entirely up to you.

In the end, I think you need to make your own choices about whether you should or shouldn’t get an iPad. I’ll be honest with you, if I had $600 USD of disposable income I’d be first in line to get one. At this point it’s merely a financial decision for me. I’m saving my pennies and perhaps around Christmas I’ll buy one. But at least at that point I’ll be buying from a position of strength and not one of weakness. If anything, the most obvious reason against buying one is letting someone else be the guinea pig for your money.

Did you buy an iPad this weekend or did you abstain? Are you happy with your decision? Are you just saving your money and waiting for iPad 2G? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Chinese manufacturers have long been copying the iPhone and iPod, and undercutting Apple’s price with hugely inferior products, mostly available in Asia.

The Korean IT Times is reporting that electronics firms in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China are announcing the release of counterfeit iPads for 2000 yuan (US$290). That price is half of the actual Apple product.

The release date is the same as the release date for Apple’s iPad.

President Xiong Yiwei of Shenzhen Huayi said,

After developing modules, we basically made the designs to look like a jumbo iPhone. The profit margin of counterfeit cell phones reached up to 30 percent in the past, but only 10 yuan (US$1.50) profit margin is made per one product. We had a great expectation of netbooks last year, but only 100 yuan (US$15) profit margin was made. The success of iPhonish product is a matter of life or death for us.

Be very careful if you are buying grey import iPads from sources other than Apple. You may be disappointed with what you get!

Let us know if you see these in the wild. We’d love to see pictures and videos.