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Gadgets Google

Google Tablet Launching – To Run Adobe Flash

Apple and Google are on the verge of locking heads in one more segment. According to reports on the New York Times, the Mountain View based search engine giant could be working on an Android OS based tablet PC to take on the recently launched Apple iPad. With this, Apple’s iPhone OS could be up for a fight against Android OS on the wider form factor device.

Interestingly, the companies have extended their “my enemy’s enemy is my best friend” relationships to the tablet segment as well. According to the report, the Google Tablet PC may support Adobe Flash – the ubiquitous multimedia platform that Apple has termed a “dying technology” and whose exclusion has created a furore in the blogosphere. Considering that Apple’s hate for the the platform comes from Flash’s ability to let users consume from outside the iTunes store, the inclusion of the same on Google Tablet can give a huge leverage to Mountain View in its fight over Apple.

What do you think?

[via NY Times]

Categories
Apple Mobile

iPhone OS 4.0 To Be Unveiled On April 8

This was something totally unexpected. Apple has been sending invitations to selected folks for a media event to offer a sneak peek into the next generation iPhone operating system. The invitation reads, “Get a sneak peek into the future of iPhone OS” with a ‘4’ in the background.

We are not sure if a launch date for the same would be announced. That is unlikely considering that would also mean the launch date of iPhone 4G will then be out. However, this could possibly be the shortest time between the launch of one version of the iPhone OS and a sneak peek into the next. The latest version of the iPhone OS, the iPhone OS 3.2 was just launched with the iPad last Saturday.

What do you think is going to be special on the new iPhone OS? There are indications that the next gen iPhone could be called iPhone HD. If that is so, do expect a lot of “revolutionary” and “magical” in Steve Jobs‘ speech this week.

[via BGR]

Categories
Apple Mobile

iPhone 4G Features Leaked?

Did the tech specs of the next generation iPhone just get leaked? I am not sure, but I hope these are true. Here are some tech specs that is speculated to come with the iPhone 4G aka iPhone HD

Resolution : 960 x 640 pixels
CPU : In-house A4 (like the iPad)
A second front facing camera
iPhone OS 4.0
Multitasking
End of exclusivity and a new Verizon based model

While the specs are definitely interesting, it is worth a note that a better display on iPhone could actually cannibalize the sale of iPad. That is however, only if the iPad fails to carve out a niche for itself in this period. This is one gamble, Apple could be taking.

[via Daring Fireball]

Categories
Apple Mobile

iPhone OS 4.1 To Unify iPhone With iPad

Despite running on the same OS, the iPhone and iPad are caught up in different versions, each incapable of being compatible with the other. While iPad runs on iPhone OS 3.2, it is being speculated that the next generation iPhone shall run on iPhone OS 4.0; which is expected to be launched in the summer of this year.

According to a recent report on the Loop, the period between the launch of the iPad and iPhone 4G is not sufficient enough to expect an iPad compatible iPhone to launch. This could mean that an OS compatible with both iPhone and iPad could launch not earlier than the iPhone OS 4.1 version – expected by the end of this year or early next year.

While this is purely speculation on part of Loop, we are quite skeptical. For one, the iPad has been in the making for quite sometime and it is likely that the iPhone OS for the next generation iPhone has derived a lot of technology from work done for the iPad. This leads to a possible unification as early as June of this year.

What are your thoughts?

[via The Loop]

Categories
Apple Gadgets

Apple TV To Become A Gaming Console?

Apple has always maintained that its foray into TV is nothing but a “hobby” and their ambitions have always stayed on innovations in the mobile device front. But that could change in a couple of years, says Michael Patcher from Webush Morgan Securities in a note to investors.

According to him, the iPhone OS with its vast array of gaming applications may help Apple graduate to a level where the company’s relationship with third party gaming providers will be leveraged to provide a comprehensive gaming console system on Apple TV. He says

“I think Apple’s going to be a serious gaming company, the difference between Apple and Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft is, Apple is not known for internal software development. So I don’t think you’re going to get an Apple Games Group like you have Microsoft Games Studios making games you’re certainly never going to approach the quality of games you get out of Nintendo. So Apple’s going to be solely dependent on third parties to support their console in the future.”

Sounds very plausible. What do you think? Do you see it coming?

[via Distorted Loop]

Categories
Apple Gadgets

iPad Camera Will Come With Flash And Zoom?

Officially, the iPad does not come with a camera. But as we have already heard, the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK indicates support for a forward facing camera that will allow video conferencing.

Now, here is more information – The iPad camera could also come with flash and zooming ability. Indications of this have been dug out from the latest beta version of the iPhone SDK. According to a report on MacRumors, the the code snippets confirm the presence of camera flash and zoom besides a forward facing camera. No details have yet been dug out on autofocus, though that could be another likely feature.

We are getting curiouser by the day over why Apple has chosen to do away with a camera for the first generation of iPad when so much of the back-end work has anyway been completed.

What do you think is the reason?

[via MacRumors]

Categories
Apple Mobile

iPhone OS Coming To Other Platforms

A recent job posting on Apple’s website reads

“The Core Platform team within Apple’s Core OS organization is looking for a talented and inspired manager to lead a team focused on bring-up of iPhone OS on new platforms. The team is responsible for low level platform architecture, firmware, core drivers and bring-up of new hardware platforms. The team consists of talented engineers with experience in hardware, firmware, IOKit drivers, security and platform architecture.”

This announcement is exciting and intriguing at the same time. We are not exactly sure what “platformApple is referring to here. As TiPb notes, this might be referring to Apple TV;  a device that debuted alongside the iPhone but has failed to take off. It is possible that Apple is looking at an integration of platform among the iPhone, Apple TV and other devices including iPod and iPad in order to create Apple households.

This might also be referring to other new devices in the making, though it is unlikely considering that Apple is just out with the iPad.

What do you think Apple is implying here? Tell us your thoughts.

[Apple Job Board via TiPb]

Categories
Apple Gadgets

Hulu To Be Available On iPad

Steve Jobs’ hate for Adobe Flash had Hulu fans worried that their favorite online destination might not be made available on the soon-to-be launched Apple iPad. However, a recent blog post on TechCrunch notes that Hulu could soon be releasing an iPad friendly version of their website.

As you would know, iPad doesn’t run Flash and the Hulu player runs on Flash player. Fortunatly though, the back end of the site is encoded in H.264 format which is supported by iPad. It is now being rumored that Hulu would be working on reformatting the front end in order to make the site viewable on the iPad.

This move could be a huge blow to Adobe which might have expected incompatibility of sites such as Hulu on the iPad would mean Apple would have to relent sooner than later to make Flash available on their iPhone OS platforms.

As for Hulu, no timeline is known for when the changes would be implemented though it is expected to be rolled out before the iPad launches in March.

[via TechCrunch]

Categories
Apple Mobile

iPhone OS To Be Renamed iOS?

The iPhone OS is Apple’s Operating system that drives not just the iPhone, but also iPod touch. Now with Apple Tablet on the verge of being unveiled, yet another device running the iPhone OS is on the cards.

Apparently, among the several announcements scheduled for the media event that is to happen in a few hours from now is one that the iPhone OS could be renamed as iOS to better reflect the diversity of devices running the software.

We have absolutely no info on the veracity of these claims. Folks at MacDailyNews are pointing to a video grab that points towards this, but then, with so many rumors and speculations surrounding the event, it is pretty possible that this one too is fake. Watch the video and let us know what you think.

[via MacDailyNews]