Apple iPad and other wonders

[burnt fare]

Apple fans eagerly touch and swipe first iPads
Now that the iPad is in the hands of early adopters, the hard work for Apple Inc. begins.

By JESSICA MINTZ

AP Technology Writer

SEATTLE —
Now that the iPad is in the hands of early adopters, the hard work for Apple Inc. begins.

Eager customers intent on being among the first owners of this new class of gadgetry stood in long lines across the country Saturday. They seemed willing to buy first - and discover uses for the iPad later.

In some ways, it was reminiscent of the lines and hoopla surrounding the 2007 launch of the first iPhone. The difference: People knew then that the iPhone would replace their existing cell phone, an appliance that has become a must-have for everyone from uber-geeks to stay-at-home moms.

With the iPad, which fits somewhere between phone and computer, Apple must convince people who already have smart phones, laptops, e-book readers, set-top boxes and home broadband connections that they need another device that serves many of the same purposes.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011517460_apustecappleipad12thldwritethru.html

Swipe means steal or put one's card through the card terminal. Odd choice of word. Apple gizmo still gets people to lineup for the latest device.

Then there are those who buy iPads and take them apart--just as happened with the iPods of the past:
http://topics.signonsandiego.com/photo/0aGsfmyfzgcqq?q=Virginia

Apple's iPad unearthed: Samsung, LG appear
Gabriel Madway
RICHMOND, Virginia
Sat Apr 3, 2010 5:08pm EDT
(Reuters) - Luke Soules was one of the first on the planet to get his hands on an iPad. And he wasted no time taking it apart.

Technology | Media

After staking out three locations in the Eastern United States, Soules -- co-founder of teardown firm iFixit -- cracked the device open on Saturday to unearth NAND flash memory by Samsung Electronics, an LCD display from LG Display and microchips from Broadcom Corp, Texas Instruments Inc and NXP Semiconductor.

Soules and his outfit provide and advise on components in Apple gadgets -- and also identifies them. The work of teardown firms such as iFixit may prove crucial in identifying which manufacturer gets its parts into a device expected to sell upwards of 5 million units in 2010 alone.

Soules had slept overnight in the parking lot outside an Apple mall store in Richmond, Virginia. He was the first to walk out of the store, moments after the outlet opened at 9 a.m., iPad in hand. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6321B320100403

[CielOnTap]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/yahoocanada/100419/canada/the_ipad__a_cat_s_perspective

Two Youtube videos are in the link, one of a cat and one of a dog being encouraged by their owners to play with an iPad.

I think the dog is worrying about reflections. The cat seems to be playing with a strange visual sound app--green intestinal tract (could that be an option by the user, which visual representation of sound is used?)

Both owners seems ok with the idea that their units are going to get some rough handling--I'm sure that would nullify any warranty on screens.

[CielOnTap]

According to CBC Newsworld, there were 800 people lined up outside Yorkdale Mall's (Toronto, ON) store for the iPad launch. The store opened at 8:00 a.m.

Technology writer was on the morning program a few minutes ago and said the device is between an iPhone and laptop. Drawbacks-no keyboard unless you purchase one, no phone/video features, no drives--must buy the entertainment through the online store.

CityTV's BT show just announced a winner of the iPad and 1 year of free service--there was a photo competion of some kind.

[pysanky]

More dust magnet for average person. Good item for plane or waiting room visits, if credit card has room for spending and buying e-items.

[CielOnTap]

Adults see benefits for children playing together with an iPad. But I imagine any round of "mine!" will result in some expensive repair after a dispute in a tug of war between kids.

Is iPad the next big toy for toddlers?
June 17, 2010
Nicole Baute LIVING REPORTER


But, will they break it?

Three-year-old Zane is a bit of a chatterbox, but he stops talking the moment he's handed an iPad, shiny and new. He's silent. Focused. Fifteen seconds in, he carefully taps an icon of an orange cat. On his first try, he has found a colouring game.

With little help, Zane figures out how to navigate Apple's newest toy, pressing the little black button to get out of apps and find new ones to explore. He paints a fish orange and a bus purple on Colour Me HD, spells “camel,” “bird” and “panda,” on FirstWords: Animals, and composes some kind of masterpiece on the Smule Magic Piano.

Zane's mother, Barbara Fine, says that even though her son is computer-savvy and loves to play Nintendo Wii, she was impressed by how easily he figured out the iPad, with few questions. “He hasn't handed it to me and said, ‘Show me what to do,' ” she says.http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/news%20%20features/article/824100--is-ipad-the-next-big-toy-for-toddlers

Jargon spotted!

Children born between the mid-1990s and 2010 are tech-savvy, globally connected and comfortable with or even dependent on technology, says a recent report by Grail Research, an international consulting and market research firm based in Cambridge, Mass. They are “digital natives” or “generation Z.”

What will generation A mean, since the end of the alphabet has been attained?

[guitarblues]

That's some disposable income if folks can manage to give the youngers expensive play pad to use. What about teaching kids to appreciate simpler things while young, so they can learn to appreciate more valuable things later? Lack of empathy or respect for other's things?

[CielOnTap]

Samsung gives free phones to iPhone users
By QMI Agency

Last Updated: July 24, 2010 4:25pm
Samsung is so confident that their Galaxy S phone is better than Apple's iPhone 4 that the company is giving them away to victims of Antennagate.

Tech magazine Wired confirmed with the company that it's contacting frustrated iPhone users online and offering them a free Samsung phone. Over the past weeks, Apple has received a lot of criticism that its newest iPhone loses reception when held a certain way. Apple CEO Steve Jobs also came under fire from other phone providers when he said the reception problem is common among all phones — including Samsung's Omnia II. http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2010/07/24/14815891.html

Antennagate is the name the online world gave to Consumer Reports' discovery of the new iPhone's reception fault: squeeze on the lower left side of the phone and there goes the reception. Apple responded to the problem by saying it would offer phone cases to help users avoid squeezing the spot. But some users want a repair, not a case.