Apple to unveil new iPads, Macs on October 15

We aren’t even a week removed from Apple’s iPhone 5S, 5C media event yet we’re already hearing rumors concerning Cupertino’s next major product announcement. Early indications suggest Apple is preparing to showcase the next wave of iPads at a special press event on October 15.

Most believe Apple will debut the next generation full-sized iPad as well as a new iPad mini a month from now. The larger iPad 5 is expected to have a slight redesign that will see it more resemble the iPad mini while the latter device will almost certainly receive a Retina display.

The second part of Tim Cook’s “busy fall” is likely to include new Haswell-powered Macs and the launch of OS X Mavericks. The updated operating system is said to be pretty much finished. As such, a gold master could arrive any day now unless Apple decides to seed one final beta to developers.

The rumored date originated from MacGeneration, a French blog with a track record that’s described as mixed at best so take the news with a grain of salt. Apple did launch the fourth generation iPad and iPad mini last October which means we could very well see the same thing for 2013.

Apple’s new iPhone 5S and 5C will begin shipping this Friday, September 20. Current iOS users can pick up a free copy of iOS 7 starting on Wednesday, September 18.

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Microsoft will pay at least $200 for your old iPad

We’ve seen Microsoft attack Apple in the past through clever commercial spots and by launching a comparison website but now Redmond is going after Cupertino’s hardware directly. From now through October 27, Microsoft will offer at least $200 to anyone that trades in their old iPad.

There are a few caveats worth mentioning from the get-go. Instead of cold hard cash, traders will receive a gift card to the Microsoft Store that can be used toward the purchase of a Surface tablet or any other Microsoft gear. Eligible devices include the iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 and you must bring it (along with the power cable) to a physical retail location as it doesn’t appear there is an online option.

It’s all part of Microsoft’s plan to convince iPad owners to dump Apple and play for their team. Doing so thus far has proven difficult as Microsoft was forced to slash prices on existing models after a $900 million write-off.

If you are on the fence about whether or not to get a Surface tablet, you’d be well advised to hold on to your money for a couple of weeks. That’s because Microsoft will be unveiling a refreshed line of Surface tablets on September 23 in NYC. The revised flagship machine is expected to ship with Intel’s latest Haswell processor for improved battery life and 8GB of RAM. The Surface 2, on the other hand, will be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 4 SoC and will run Windows RT 8.1.

Chrome 29 for iOS availble now, brings enahanced voice search features

Google has just recently released a small but useful update to its iOS Chrome app. The now available Chrome 29 for your iPhone or iPad boasts a few new interesting features.

The app's main new additions come in the way of new search, data management and voice search features. The new search feature will allow users to get back to their search results faster: Once you do a search, click a result and then find out its not what you wanted, when you hit back "your search results will instantly appear, ready for you to choose the next one," Google's Chrome for iOS update post read.

Chrome 29 will also come with an interesting voice search enhancement. Now you can request follow up searches by using pronouns. So for example, your initial search could be “Who is the president of the United States?” and now with the new pronoun recognition, you could follow up with, “Who is his wife?”

Lastly, Google has also given users the ability to view their data savings in Bandwidth Management Settings. At this point, the feature is being rolled out slowly, but according to Google will be available to "all users over time." Other additions coming along with the update include general improvements with security and Single Sign On. You can grab Chrome 29 for free through the App Store now.

iPhone 5 rumored to have smaller connector, currently in production

According to Reuters' anonymous sources, the next iPhone to hit shelvesmay have a smaller cable interface with just 19 pins instead of the 30 found in traditional cables. The shrunken connector would be a significant change for the company as Apple has relied on its proprietary 30-pin design since 2003. This rumor falls in line with purported design leaks of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini earlier this month which illustrate the move to a smaller connector.

It's worth noting that while 30-pin dock connectors have been standard-issue since the third-gen iPod, some minor electrical changes have affected compatibility along the way. But the real reason for the redesign, according to Reuters, is due to Apple's relocation of the 3.5mm audio jack from the top to the bottom of the device. 

The existing dock connector design has been criticized for being bulky and overly complicated. With portable devices becoming thinner and smaller, the timing might be right to ditch it all together and start from scratch. Unfortunately, doing so will almost certainly break compatibility with nearly a decade of genuine and third-party peripherals -- including car stereos -- so the redesign does not come lightly. There is currently no information regarding backwards compatibility with the use of adapters or converters.

In addition to shrinking iPad and iPod connectors, Digitimes reports that industry sources in Taiwan claim that production of the iPhone 5 is already underway. The timing seems right for a timely fall launch. For reference, the iPhone 4S was available for pre-order on October 7, 2011.

With the addition of the dock connector shrink, the next iPhone is conjectured to feature a larger 4-inch display with a movie-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio (previous models are 3:2) and may mark the return of an aluminum back -- a design element not seen since the original iPhone.

Google estimated to earn $15 for every Nexus 7 tablet sold

It’s generally a rule of thumb for a company to produce a product that could be profitable but if you are already one of the wealthiest and most respected in the industry, that metric isn’t always required. Case in point is Google’s upcoming Nexus 7 tablet, a device that the search giant is putting out primarily to compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. The $199 price tag will certainly make it competitive but is Google going to make enough profit from each sale to be worth their while?

Research firm UBM TechInsights believes it is costing Google $184 to manufacture each Nexus 7, leaving a sparse $15 profit margin at the end of the day. In contrast, it is believed that Amazon makes $46 per Kindle Fire sold while Apple generates a profit of around $170 per iPad, so why would Google even bother with such a low margin product?

There are a couple of compelling reasons, actually. First, if consumers shopping in this price range are buying the Nexus 7, that means money isn’t being sent directly to their competitors for their tablets. It could be as simple as that, but CNET also points out that Google is probably hoping to generate additional revenue streams based on tablet use. The majority of this revenue is likely to come from advertising, the publication says.

Google is expected to launch the Nexus 7 tablet within a couple of weeks. Be sure to check out our hands-on review later this evening for a full evaluation.

Samsung fails to lift U.S. sales ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung’s attempt to lift a ban on the sale of theirGalaxy Tab 10.1 in America fell short on Monday as US District Judge Lucy Koh declined the South Korean giant’s request. The rejection comes ahead of a planned patent trial later this month, according to Mercury News.

Koh originally declined Apple’s request for injunction but Cupertino took the case to Federal Appeals Court. The court instructed the judge to reconsider her initial ruling and late last month, Koh banned the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US until a patent dispute between the two companies had been resolved.

"Samsung is disappointed with the court's decision that denied our motion to stay. We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the United States," Samsung said in a statement.

An Apple spokesperson stood by their claim that some Samsung products look very similar to the iPhone and iPad.

"Although Samsung has a right to compete, it does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products," Koh noted during the ruling. Furthermore, she imposed a pre-trial ban on the sale or import of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the US late last week, dealing yet another blow to Samsung.

The news is the latest in an ongoing patent battle between the world’s two largest electronics makers. The duo have been at odds for years, winding up in courtrooms in at least 10 countries as they aim to capitalize on the emerging and lucrative mobile device market. The latest battle is scheduled to take place on July 30 in a US courtroom.

Apple pays $60 million for iPad brand name rights in China

country. According to an announcement by Chinese-based, Hong-Kong registered computer display maker Proview, the two parties reached a settlement during mediation.

This removes the last obstacle preventing the Cupertino firm from selling its popular tablet in the Chinese market.

"The iPad dispute resolution is ended," the Guangdong High People's Court said. "Apple has transferred $60m to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter." The amount was paid into the courts account so that Proview's creditors can receive the money they are owed, according to the Telegraph.

The dispute started in 2010, after Proview, a Chinese technology firm demanded Apple cease using the iPad brand name in the Chinese market, claiming they owned the rights. Apple ignored Proview's request and a legal battle ensued, which culminated in November last year when the Intermediate People's Court of Shenzhen ruled in favor of the Chinese firm.

In February, Proview then sued Apple $1.6 billion over copyright infringement, filed a temporary restraining order and demanded a formal apology. Now that settlement has been reached, Apple's latest iPad could be made available almost immediately to consumers, especially since the country's certification authorities already approved the device back in May.

"The settlement is great news for Apple. It just allows them to get on with business and stop being distracted. The new iPad has been so late to the China market that if they drag it any longer, Apple will stand to lose quite a bit more," said Teck-Zhung Wong, a Beijing-based analyst at IDC.

By Apple's standards it's a relatively small amount, which does suggest that Proview was influenced by the court or its creditors as its well known to be struggling financially. It also reflects Chinese Courts' preferences for encouraging disputing parties to reach a settlement rather than force a ruling, according to Stan Abrams, a US lawyer who teaches intellectual law to students at Beijing's Central University of Finance and Economics. 

Spotify challenges Pandora with free radio on iPhone, iPad

Music streaming service Spotify has announced it is adding a free radio feature to its iOS appthat will compete with the likes of Pandora, Slacker and Songza. Previously only available to desktop users, the feature will enable both free and premium Spotify users to create unlimited radio stations based on specific artists, songs, playlists or albums and stream them from an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Those under the $9.99 a month plan won’t hear any commercials and will be able to skip as many songs as they like, while free users will hear two to three minutes of commercials each hour and can skip about six songs every 60 minutes. Also, although Spotify Radio will be available for free and premium users in the US, it will be limited to premium subscribers only in the remaining fourteen markets Spotify supports.

The company is betting that free, ad-supported radio will attract users who can turn into paying subscribers later. The model is also cheaper to operate because it doesn’t require agreements with record companies — which Spotify has for its on demand service — thus royalty rates are lower and set by Congress.

Spotify has about 3 million paying subscribers globally and 10 million registered users worldwide as of November 2011.  Pandora, which was founded in 2005 and has yet to expand outside of the US, has 150 million registered users with 49 million listening within the last 30 days.

Apple to release iPad 3 in March, iPad 4 following in October

Apple could be preparing to release two new iPads this year. The iPad 3 may be unveiled in March and a secondary tablet, dubbed the iPad 4, could arrive in October, according to Taiwan component makers via DigiTimes.

Update: In addition to the information divulged earlier by DigiTimes, 9to5mac has found references about quad-core processing in iOS 5.1 which is currently in beta. This upcoming OS update from Apple is supposed to be paired with a next-generation iPad 3 and potentially the iPhone 5.

The iPad 3 is expected to ship with a QXGA (2084 x 1536 pixels) display and improved battery life but other than these two enhancements, we are told not to expect much more from the tablet. Previous rumors had pointed to two iPad 3 models, a mid-range and high-end product, being unveiled at iWorld on January 26.

The latest speculation indicates that the iPad 2 will receive a price cut to $399 with the introduction of the iPad 3. The lower price would allow Apple to compete with other vendors such as Sony, Motorola and Samsung that offer tablets at a lower price point.

Sources expect the real battle for market share to take place in the second half of 2012 when Apple ships their iPad 4. This would be around the same time that Microsoft releases Windows 8 and Intel introduces its Clover Trail-W platform. These sources suggest that the iPad 4 would feature the same 9.7-inch display as the iPad 3 but would include upgraded hardware specifications and new applications. This could perhaps include the Samsung-manufactured quad-core A6 processor that has been rumored to be the successor to the dual-core A5 SoC.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record, especially when it comes to Apple rumors. As such, we suggest you take this latest dose with a grain of salt.

60beat introduces GamePad accessory for iOS gaming

Smartphones may not be as suited for gaming as traditional handhelds from Sony and Nintendo, but that isn't stopping iOS and Android from dominating the mobile games market in terms of revenue. A number of factors have contributed to this phenomenal growth, such as the high adoption rate of new smartphones and tablets, and the super cheap prices for quality titles compared to those for dedicated portable gaming systems.

But for all the convenience of smartphones and tablets, we can hardly say that relying on touch controls is ideal for gaming. With that in mind a company called 60beat has launched the 60beat GamePad, which connects through the headphone jack to enable console-like controls on your iOS devices.

It sports a similar design to Sony’s PlayStation 3 controller and the button configuration is rather similar as well -- there are a couple of analog joysticks, a D-Pad, 10 action buttons and 3 menu buttons. The GamePad draws power from your iDevice, eliminating the hassle of changing dying batteries and making it heavy to hold.

Games have to be programmed to support the new device and so far only 2 titles support it: Bugdom 2 and Aftermath. But the accessory maker says a "full collection" of supported games will be added in February 2012. The 60beat GamePad is priced at $49.99 and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Apple to announce two new iPad models in January

Apple could release two new iPad models in less than a month. The new devices are rumored to make their debut at iWorld (formerly Macworld Expo) which is scheduled for January 26, 2012. The timing is particularly interesting as Apple hasn’t attended this event since 2009.

Citing sources at supply chain partners, DigiTimes reports that the two new models will join the existing iPad 2 to target entry-level, mid-range and high-end market segments. The current iPad 2 is said to compete directly with Amazon’s Kindle Fire, meaning it would represent the low-end market. This is a bit hard to believe as Apple would have to lower the price of their tablet by a significant amount. Amazon has priced the Kindle Fire at $199 while the iPad starts at $499.

Both new models will feature a 9.7-inch screen but will include a resolution upgrade to 2,048 x 1,536. Dual LED light bars are being used to supply enough brightness to the new screens. Sharp will handle the majority of display orders but Samsung and LG Display will also supply some parts.

A Samsung-manufactured quad-core A6 processor will power the next generation iPads, according to the sources. Samsung has also been tapped to supply the CMOS image sensor for one of the new tablets with a 5MP camera. Sony will manufacture the other sensor with an 8MP lens.

Two manufacturers, Simplo Technology and Dynapack Internation Technology are supplying batteries with a capacity up to 14,000mAh. This is more than double the capacity of the current iPad 2.

PC makers losing interest in tablets, focusing on Ultrabooks

After struggling to play catch-up for more than a year, PC vendors are reportedly losing interest in competing against Apple (and now Amazon) in the tablet business. As you well know, Apple has maintained an iron grip on the market for nearly two years with its iPad, while Amazon's first tablet has been highly successful, becoming the e-tailler's best-selling product this holiday season. Although the company hasn't released any sales figures, it claims to have sold millions of Kindle Fires before the Black Friday craze began.

Given the rise of tablets, netbook profits have been whittled to the bone and most vendors have already abandoned the mini-notebook segment with Acer and Asus clashing over the remaining turf. Meanwhile, traditional laptop sales are currently being strained by worldwide economic turmoil and supply shortages stemming from recent flooding in Thailand. As gloomy as things might appear, DigiTimes' sources believe the notebook industry is in for a rapid upturn in the coming year, especially with the rollout of Ultrabooks.

PC makers are reportedly enthusiastic about Intel's thin-and-light initiative, not least because Ultrabooks offer greater profitability than standard mobile machines. The MacBook Air competitors kicked off to a mediocre start this year as Acer and Asus quickly halved their sales forecasts. At least part of the problem is blamed on the systems' unexpectedly high retail prices. Some early models breached Intel's intended sub-$1,000 target, costing more than the Air. Despite witnessing a lukewarm response, insiders remain optimistic.

PC makers are implementing various cost-cutting measures to ensure the next wave or two of Ultrabooks meet Intel's pricing guidelines. The chipmaker itself is supposedly offering partners a marketing subsidy to cut MSRP prices by 5-10% in conjunction with heavily discounted CPUs. DigiTimes also reported last month that Ultrabook manufacturers are looking to cut corners by using more plastic internals. Along with lower prices, Ultrabook sales will undoubtedly benefit from the upcoming hype of Ivy Bridge and Windows 8.

Apple loses lawsuit over iPad name in China

The Intermediate People’s Court in Shenzhen has ruled against Apple in a complaint against a Chinese technology company over the use of the iPad name. Apple has confirmed the lawsuit but has declined further comment, according to a report from Reuters.

In the lawsuit, Proview Technology claims to have registered the iPad trademark as early as 2000 in multiple countries including China, potentially 10 years before Apple released their tablet with the same name. In October, Proview reportedly sued Apple for 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) for copyright infringement.

China is crucial to Apple’s continued growth overseas but the company has been fighting an uphill battle for quite some time. Nearly two dozen fake Apple stores were shut down in the region over the summer after authorities in Kunming saw photos of a phony store online. An American living in the city published a blog post about a visit to one of the stores which eventually prompted Chinese trade officials to take action.

Authorities in Shanghai arrested five people in September for manufacturing and selling counterfeit iPhones. The bust reportedly led police to an organized crime group that was responsible for buying components in Guandong and assembling them in Shanghai apartments.

It’s unclear at this point how Apple will deal with the unfavorable ruling over the iPad name in China. Cupertino could try to work out a licensing deal with Proview that would allow them to use the trademark for their tablet, or potentially even change the name of the device in that region.

Walgreens sells Android tablet for $99, but is it real

The drugstore Walgreens has an Android Tablet called the Maylong M-150 on their site for sale for only $99. They claim that the tablet sports a 7-inch LCD screen, and runs the Android operating system but does not state which version. The rest of the specifications are very nice if true for the price, they are as follows:

• Google Android™ Operating System
• LCD color touch-screen 7-inches
• Full Internet browsing capability
• Experience YouTube at your fingertips
• Easy access to emails
• Download and play games
• Included digital music, video player and digital picture viewer
• Digital picture frame
• e-Book reader
• Download and install custom Google Android™ Applications

• CPU: ARM9(VM8505+)
• Memory – RAM: 256MB DDR
• Memory – Flash: Built-in Flash
• Display – Touch Panel: 7-inch TFT LCD
• Display: Resolution 800 X 480 Pixels
• WIFI: 802.11b/g
• Input/Output – Touch Panel: Resistive type touch panel
• Input/Output – Speaker: Built-in loud speakers
• Input/Output – SD/MMC: T-Flash card slot
• Input/Output – Network/USB: Dongle for RJ-45 network and USB connection
• Buttons/Switches: Power On/Off, Volume adjustment
• Battery: Built-in Li-Polymer battery
• Charger – Input: AC 100-240V, 0.5A
• Charger – Output: 9V, 1500MA

• Tablet device with 7-inch color touch screen
• Stylus
• AC Adapter
• Network/USB dongle
• User’s manual

One of the main problems I have with this tablet is the picture, take a good look what do you see. It is a sideways picture of an iPad and not the actual tablet that they claim to sell. I doubt that Walgreens would sell a fake tablet but they need to actually use the correct picture.

The specifications specify an ARM9 CPU but not the clock speed. Upon searching for the processor I found that it could be around 533 MHZ which isnt too bad and I even found asimilar tablet for the same price. The tablet I found is a TOLOVO which runs Android 1.6 which is quite possible the version of Android that the Walgreens tablet may be running.

Now I have found another tablet that has the exact same picture that is on the Walgreens site found here. The tablet specs almost match the Walgreens specs and believe it or not it does look like an iPad. Check it out.