APPLE: Let's talk iPad

So today was Apple's conference at which most people were expecting to see the new iPad 3 or iPad HD. The rumors were flying as to what we'd see in the new device and if everything was true, the device probably wouldn't function and would cost about $4,000. So what was the big news from today? Check it out:

 - 76% of Apple revenues in 2011 were from mobile devices, not computers. That's an insanely huge portion of their profits.
 - 315 million iOS devices sold through last year, 62 million in one quarter alone. Craziness.
 - Siri is hitting Japan today.
 - 585,000 apps currently in the app store.
 - 25 BILLION apps have been downloaded, that's an absurd number.
 - iTunes in the Cloud will now support movies in 1080p!

New Apple TV:
 - Supports 1080p with a "streamlined new user interface."
 - You can get your iTunes playlists on the TV from the iCloud and photos and third party apps are easy to access.
 - Apple TV will cost $99. Not too shabby.

Let's talk iPad:
 - 15.4 million sold in last quarter. HP sold 15.1 million PCs in the same quarter. Tablets are definitely the future.
 - Over 200,000 apps that are custom made for the iPad.

The New iPad!
 - Retina display. For the first time the iPad has a higher resolution than the screen at the conference, makes it tough for them to showcase the clarity. Ha!
 - Gorgeous, high resolution display.
 - 2048 x 1536, running 3.1 million pixels the most ever in a mobile device. Literally more pixels (over a million) and clarity than 1080p. Wow.
 - 40% better color saturation than previous devices.
 - There IS a physical "Home" button, debunking rumors that the system would be the first without one.
 - A5X Processor, quad-core graphics! Good Lord this thing is going to look incredible.

 - iSight camera: basically the same as the iPhone 4S which means it will look great. Auto-exposure, auto-focus, all that jazz.
 - 1080p video recording as expected.
 - Voice dictation: A taste of Siri on the iPad.
 - 4G LTE! A faster experience through the AT&T and Verizon networks. New iPad now has 21Mbps HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA at 42Mbps, with LTE taking the cake at 73Mbps.
 - Opening links and photos on emails and such is going to be infinitely faster.
 - Telus, Rogers and Bell are other 4G LTE networks around the world.
 - iPad can now be a personal hotspot if the carrier supports it. Nice!
 - 10 hours of battery life and 9 on 4G! That is nothing short of phenomenal! Damn impressive Apple.

 - 9.4mm thin weighing in at 1.4 pounds, slightly heavier than previous iterations.
 - $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB. $629, $729 and $829 for the 4G models!
 - Same exact prices as the current iPad!
 - The new iPad is available on March 16th!

 - Pre-orders start today!
 - US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan all on day one! Apple's largest rollout ever!
 - Video game graphics look pretty!
 - HDR Graphics and tone-mapping. Basically means it's going to look beautiful...of course.
 - INFINITY BLADE: DUNGEONS! This entry puts you on a quest to craft the ultimate weapon. Looks to build on what made Infinity Blade great and improve the formula even more.
 - WOW. Apparently more memory AND screen resolution than BOTH the Xbox 360 and PS3?!?! Ridiculous.

 - It is apparently called the "New iPad" not iPad HD or iPad 3.
 - New iMovie, etc. etc.
 - Introducing iPhoto for iPad! 19 megapixel photos. Available today for $4.99.
 - Bezel gesture support.
 - No new dock connector, debunking another rumor.
 - iPad2 price drops by $100 per model. Definitely an incredible deal for someone who wants a 2.

Well it sounds like that's about it from the Apple conference today. I don't really know what I can add other than I'm f**king pumped to see it in action. With a quad-core processor, 4G LTE, retina display and more The new iPad is going to put Apple that much more ahead of the competition this year. Not to mention for the same price that the iPad 2 was listed at! What do you think? Will you be getting The new iPad on day one???

APPLE: Accio iPad 3!

Well today Apple finally confirmed that on March 7th they will be holding an event. It's basically 100% fact that they're going to unveil the iPad 3 and I couldn't be more excited! I've put off getting an iPad up until this point, but the more I see them in person and the more they improve the device with each new design I don't think I'll be able to resist the 3. It's expected the device will have retina display, possibly a quad-core processor and hopefully a bunch of other technical stuff that makes it a real beauty. If they can keep it at a reasonable price point I think it's safe to say this will be the most successful tablet to date. Will you be getting the iPad 3??

APPLE: Third time's the charm.

I know that phrase usually applies if the first two attempts were failures so it doesn't really work here. It sounds like Apple is going to stay true to form and reveal the anticipated iPad 3 during the first week of March. Historically March has been the month for Apple to reveal the newest iteration of the iPad swiftly following an iOS update. In this case, iOS 5.1 is set to hit devices on March 9 and rumors are that Apple will hold an event to reveal the iPad 3 in the first week of the month. Obviously we're expecting the device to be amazing and I have a feeling Apple is really going to deliver. We already know it will have retina display which means it will look absolutely gorgeous but I'm excited to see if Apple makes some innovations that haven't already been anticipated. Until now I've refrained from buying an iPad but I graduate in May and the 3 is sounding pretty appealing to handle everything on the go for me. What about you guys? Excited for the iPad 3? Do you own the 1 or 2? Are you a Kindle fan?

Check out the full story on IGN HERE!

GEAR: The 4S seems to be doing ok.

Despite people pretending that they were less than impressed with the iPhone 4S over 4 million have been sold in the first weekend alone! Yea, that's a lot of iPhones. It's a new record for iPhone sales and more than double the amount if iPhone 4's sold in its first weekend. Last night I got my hands on one for the first time and Siri was pretty awesome. There were a few times where she either didn't understand me or couldn't answer my question (they were pretty ridiculous). But I even said "I feel like pizza" and she located all pizza in the area and sorted them by distance. Later I asked "I want the best steak in town" and rather than order the restaurants by location she ordered them by rating. Definitely awesome. So good luck if you're trying to get one in the next couple of weeks because they're hot property!

APPLE: Wow

So apparently October 16th is Steve Jobs Day in the state of California. Like it's going to be a real thing on Sunday. Governor Jerry Brown has tweeted that the day "will be Steve Jobs day in the state of California." During the day there will be a private memorial service for the biggest names in Silicon Valley. It's interesting to see the impact that Jobs had on so many people and how much recognition he is now getting through his passing. I'm actually not sure how I feel about a "Steve Jobs Day." I completely understand how pivotal he was in directing the future of the technology we use and it's ridiculous how much I respect the man, but I'm not sure a day dedicated to him is appropriate. But regardless, while using your iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macbooks, watching Finding Nemo or whatever else you do that Steve Jobs made possible on Sunday, think about where we'd be if the world had a few more people like him.

Full story over at Fox News HERE!

GEAR: iCloud gets a little more legit.

So if you don't know already, iCloud is the new system from Apple that lets you download stuff online and stream it directly to your home computer, iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc. It's great to not have to worry about downloading something on your phone and having to go through a hassle to get it on your computer. Well Apple has announced that in addition to pushing your music to all devices, soon movies will also be available through iCloud. No word on which ones or how many but I think this could be pretty cool. A different cloud service dubbed "Ultraviolet" is already in the works and it will be interesting to see how iCloud will compete with Ultraviolet since iCloud is obviously restricted to Apple products.

For the full story check out Collider HERE!

GEAR: Get your iOS 5!!!

As of today you can now update your iPhone to the newest version of iOS, iOS 5!. What does this mean? Well you'll be getting over 200 new features the most prominent of which are:
 - Software updates over wi-fi.
 - Camera software improvements
 - iCloud support.
 - iMessage
 - A new notification system
 - Twitter integration
There's a ton of other stuff too and although I'm currently downloading my updated version, it sounds like those who already have it are enjoying it immensely! I'm still on the fence about a 4S but I think when Christmas gets closer it might find its way onto my list. To update your phone simply update your iTunes on your computer to the new 10.5 version and plug in your phone. Enjoy!

GEAR: Stop complaining about the 4S.

Remember when everyone bitched and complained about the changes to the Star Wars movies in the blu-ray set? Remember how two weeks later that same set broke all kinds of sales records? Well the internet bitchers have done it again! Despite some heavy backlash about the absolutely incredible iPhone 4S not being an absolutely incredible iPhone 5, the 4S sold 1 million pre-orders in ONE DAY! Wow. Obviously it already sold out and orders that are placed now will have a ship date of two weeks out. And I'm sure the number of people who pre-ordered just because of Steve Jobs' passing is actually pretty minimal. It's still a big purchase to make. So stop whining everyone, or better yet, whine to Siri and she'll let you know how stupid you are.

For the full story head over to Mobile Orchard HERE!

MOVIES: This should come as no surprise.

So the Steve Jobs biography book got pushed up to November and today Sony has purchased the rights to make a movie based on Jobs' life. Obviously spurred by Jobs' passing, the movie will tell the story of Jobs' rise from his parents' garage to creating one of the most powerful companies in the world. I for one am fascinated by Jobs' life and I think he was one of the rare breeds where intelligence and determination are the two most prominent assets for a person. Hopefully the movie does a good job at showing how unique Steve truly was.

For the full story check out Collider HERE!

GEAR: Get your pre-orders in for the iPhone 4S!

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S have officially begun. If you're like me, the idea of having a phone that takes better pictures than your camera, better videos than your video camera, and has a personal assistant who will eventually probably know more about you than you know yourself, then you think the 4S is pretty sweet! I'm thinking I'll wait until Christmas and see how everyone reacts to it but at this point I'm pretty tempted to get one. It will be interesting to see the effect Steve Jobs' death has on Apple over the next year or so. It's a testament to how incredible of a business man he was that he got the company in order, new CEO and all, before his passing. I'm part of the camp that believes Apple will continue to be as strong as ever and I'm excited for the incredible products they will continue to give us.

Pre-order your iPhone 4S right now HERE!

STEVE JOBS: A visionary passes.

Pixar and Apple. Two companies that have affected millions of people across the globe for years. Neither would have existed without Steve Jobs. After a long struggle with pancreatic cancer, Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56. It's definitely a sad day across the globe as I'm sure you can't find a single person who hasn't used or been influenced by the work of Jobs. He was a man who understood people and was able to predict where we were going, and how to help us get there. He saw the potential in Pixar when they were struggling to get out of the gate and he lived out his passion starting a little company called Apple from his parents' garage. Needless to say our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and co-workers. The world needs more visionaries like Jobs.

"Things don't have to change the world to be important." - Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

APPLE: Let's talk iPhone

With the internet buzzing and live blogging over Apple's anticipated reveal of the iPhone 5, Tim Cook states, "Next up is iPhone, this could be the reason why the room is so full today." Shortly after that he starts talking about the iPad...damn you Apple! It's no secret that the only thing people cared about today was the reveal of the iPhone 5. Would it be a complete redesign of the system or just a similar design with some minor tweaks? There were plenty of announcements at the conference titled "Let's talk iPhone" but here's what I thought were the coolest ones:

 - A new "Cards" app is coming in which people can customize their own cards for birthdays, graduation, etc. by adding their own pictures, words, etc. Apple will print it out and send it to you for only $2.99 in the US and $4.99 anywhere in the world...goodbye Hallmark.

 - Over 1 billion apps are downloaded each month from iOS...ya, month.

 - iMessage which is basically BBM for iOS devices is coming and it will send messages to all your iOS devices, i.e. iPad and iPhone.

 - Reminders app will alert you when you are near something you need to be doing.

 - Newstand app will feature GQ, Allure, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, etc.

 - Easier photo taking by double tapping the Home button or clicking the volume buttons.

 - Game Center updating to add friend photos, achievement points, friend recommendations, etc.

 - Tabbed web browsing coming to the iPad and pages can be saved so you can view them instantly on either your iPhone, iPad, etc.

 - iOS 5 will drop on October 12th!


 - iCloud comes October 12th and will store your contently and automatically push it to all your devices. Take a photo on your iPhone and it's automatically pushed to your iPad as well. Also daily backups on the cloud for all devices. Honestly it sounds pretty incredible.

 - Find My Friends will show you where your friends are if they have opted to show their location. Sounds cool to me, except when you don't invite a friend to a party and forget to turn it off...uh oh! It might suck with parents too for you high schoolers. Parental controls included to keep away those pesky stalkers. You can also see where someone is for a limited time, i.e. they're lost trying to get to your house and you can see where they are and direct them...that's sweet.

 - iTunes Match allows you to sync all your music instantaneously whether you've bought it from iTunes or not? Don't quite fully understand this one. But it's $24.99 for a year. It comes at the end of October.

 - Some cool iPod Nano accessories like a wristwatch, automatic run/walk tracker and different clock faces one of which was Mickey Mouse! $129 for 8GB and $149 for 16GB...not bad.

 - New iPod Touches are sweet including a new white model. The new version can run iOS 5 and be plugged in with iCloud. 8GB is $199. 32GB is $299 and 64GB is $399...wow.

 - Infinity Blade 2 is coming to iOS on December 1st. The sequel to one of the best selling games in iOS history. The new graphics look pretty awesome.

 - New iPhone 4S features an A5 chip, up to 2X faster than before with dual core graphics which are said to be seven times faster than previous iPhones. It supports both CDMA and GDS networks which means it will be faster more consistently utilizing two antennas. Battery life is eight hours of 3G talk time, six hours of browsing, nine hours on WiFi. 10 hours of video and 40 hours of music. Features an all new camera with an 8 megapixel sensor which is 3264x2448 (very nice resolution). Videos will be recorded in 1080p. 

 - A brand new thing called Siri makes your phone eerily intelligent and helpful, seriously this thing is absolutely insane. It recognizes your voice and has the ability to answer questions regardless of how they are presented. 
For example, asking "What is the weather today" is the same as saying "Will it rain in Cupertino?," "Do I need an umbrella today?" "What's the upcoming forecast?" etc. 


 - It will answer based on the question asked, i.e. "Do I need a raincoat today?" Siri responds, "It sure looks like rain today." 
 - "Wake me up tomorrow at 6am." Siri responds, "Ok, I set it for 6am." 

 - "Find me a Greek restaurant in the Palo Alto area." Siri responds that she found 14 - sorted by rating.
 - If you have a bluetooth in and you get a text message you can have Siri read the message to you by pressing your bluetooth button.
 - This is insane, you can make an appointment all by talking to Siri and she will set your calendar, clock, etc.

 - Tell her, "Remind me to call my wife when I leave work." Siri asks to confirm and makes the reminder. Siri already knew who his wife is and set up a geofence around work.

 - Tell her, "Define Mitosis." It's defined.

 - This is insane. Honestly what this represents for the future of technology is staggering. This is a phone we're talking about and the things it can do are impressive. Truly incredible technology.

 - PRICE POINTS FOR 4S: $199 for 16GB. $299 for 32GB. $399 for 64GB! Both black and white versions and price is with carrier agreement. 

 - PRE-ORDERS start October 7th and the iPhone 4S hits shelves on October 14th! Available for Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

And that's it from the "Let's Talk iPhone" conference! No iPhone 5 revealed...yet. But honestly the improvements to the iPhone 4S are so significant it may as well have been a brand new model. Not only is it priced well, but the new features are incredible. Siri may change the way that people do business and it seems that there is only plans to grow in Apple's future.

VIDEO GAMES: GameStop has an iDea about how to stay alive.

I've talked before about how desperately GameStop is going to need to come up with some new methods of business in the near future as physical games become less prominent with the glory of direct download. Well it sounds like the top dogs at GameStop aren't oblivious to this idea because they have announced that they will start selling Apple products! Everything from iPods, iPhones and iPads will soon be available for purchase from GameStop. They are also now accepting Apple devices for trade in effective immediately. It is rumored that they will begin selling Apple products when the iPhone 5 hits shelves which is rumored for early October (nearly confirmed). I think this is a great move by GameStop and I think they're going to need several more great moves to secure the future of the company. I really hope they do because I love GameStop.

REAL LIFE: Steve Jobs calls it quits.

As of today Steve Jobs has officially resigned as CEO of a company you may have heard of called Apple. He is not leaving Apple entirely though as he will stay on as the Chairman of the Board at the company. His replacement will be Tim Cook whom Jobs recommended as his replacement in his resignation. What effect will this have on Apple? I can't even begin to speculate. Honestly, we probably won't see anything different from the outside. They'll still make the best products and I'm sure this is anything but a step in the wrong direction for the company. It seems that everyone involved in this process today is on the same page and it doesn't sound like Jobs was forced or asked to resign.

Update: Here is a copy of Jobs' resignation letter.

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

Full story on Yahoo HERE.