The written musings of a long-time Apple //e and Macintosh tech nerd. Opinions are my own.
Since applying the iOS 5.1 software update on my iPhone 4S (Sprint) back on March 7, I’ve noticed much improved battery performance. While I still can’t go two days without having to recharge, I can go a day and little bit before I have to share up again.
Ya, there was no chance that I wasn’t going to buy and Apple iPad 3rd Generation this weekend. I was just getting my new “Business Tool” at the New Haven, CT Apple Store.
The iPad’s screen looks AMAZING and is well worth the trip to pick one up this weekend.
There are lots of units still in stock so go and grab yours now!!
iPhoto only received one update, but I think it will be a very popular one, the ability to delete a photo from the Photo Stream. iDevices running iOS 5.1 also have this ability.
iBooks Author received updates in two areas. The first is support for iPad 3’s (ok, Apple calls the new iPad, “the new iPad”) new Retina display. The other area is performance and stability updates.
All in all, it’s been a nice week for the Apple fan club.
Both apps are available from the Mac App Store. iPhoto ’11 9.2.2 is a free update to customers who previously purchased the software. If you need to buy iPhoto ’11, it can be purchased for $14.99. iBooks Author is free.
Our favorite ticked off birds are back at it again with Rovio’s Cherry Blossom Festival, the latest installment of Angry Birds Seasons.
Angry Birds Seasons is available now for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch as a free update to current owners. If you haven’t purchased Seasons yet, you can purchase the iPad edition for $1.99 or the iPhone/iPod touch edition for $0.99.
As part of today’s massive software deployment from Apple, our old friend iPhone received an iOS, touch enabled makeover and is now available as a $4.99 app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
“With iPhoto for iOS, Apple brings Multi-Touch to photography in a breakthrough way. Browse, edit, and share your photos from your iPad or iPhone, like never before – all the powerful tools you need are at your fingertips. And with iCloud, you can share your experiences as stunning photo journals.”
iPhoto for iOS is compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 Wi-Fi, and iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G and requires iOS 5.1 or later.
You can purchase iPhoto for iOS from the iTunes Store.
Earlier today, while unveiling the new revolutionary iPad with Retina display and the third generation AppleTV, Apple released iOS 5.1.
The new iOS update can be used to upgrade the following iOS devices:
To receive the update on your iOS 5 device, go to: Settings > General > Software Update. If you prefer to update your iDevice the ‘old fashioned’ way, or haven’t yet installed iOS 5, connect your handset to your computer running iTunes 10.6, also released today, and sync your device. Then select your iDevice from the iTunes source pane and click the “Check for Updates” button in the pane on the right.
With today’s release of iOS 5.1 for current generation iDevices, Apple is also rolling out a number of software updates to their iOS titles. iOS applications receiving an update today include:
While some of the updates are specific to the new iPad and it’s new Retina display, there are some goodies for those of us with older iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches.
The iOS versions of the iWork applications – Pages, Numbers, and Keynote – all received updates to take advantage of iOS 5.1 and the new iPad, but also gained support for creating and viewing stunning 3D bar, line, area, and pie charts. The new versions of the iWork apps for iOS also include general performance improvements.
To download the new software, I recommend first upgrading to iOS 5.1 on your supported iDevice, and then using the App Store application on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to make sure you have all the latest software installed.
Along side the third generation iPad, Apple introduced the third generation AppleTV. The “tiny entertainment powerhouse” as it is referred to by Apple, now supports 1080p videos downloaded from the iTunes Store for playback on your 1080p television and had a new, streamlined user interface.
The third generation AppleTV retains the same $99 price point. AppleTV’s tentpole features include: video playback from iTunes Store purchase, Netflix, YouTube and major league baseball streaming video (subscriptions maybe required), AirPlay, iCloud support, iTunes Match, and Photo Stream.
Owners of the second generation AppleTV will gain access to the new user interface and software features by way of a free iOS software update.
For more details or to order the new AppleTV, visit the Apple website.
Update
The new AppleTV will go on sale next Friday, March 16, at the same time the new iPad goes on sale. Unlike the new iPad, Apple does not appear to be taking pre-orders for the new AppleTV and the website is still showing a 1-2 week lead time.
Earlier today, Apple unveiled the revolutionary third generation iPad.
For all the new features and specifications of the new iPad, check out the Apple website. You can view Apple CEO Tim Cook’s keynote, the new iPad video, and the new TV spot also on the Apple website.
In addition to the new iPad, Apple also unleashed a boat load of new software updates, including: iTunes for Mac OS X and Windows, iOS 5.1, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iTunes U, iBooks, Find My iPhone, Find My Friends, iMovie, and Remote. Use the App Store application on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to upgrade your software.
On the hardware front, Apple also unveiled the new third edition AppleTV.
The new iPad can be pre-ordered now and has the same price points as the previous two generations of iPad, and will begin shipping on Friday, March 16. The iPad 2 is still available at a new low $399 price point.
The third generation AppleTV is available for order now at the same $99 price point and will begin shipping in 1-2 weeks according to the Apple website.
Take this one with a grain of salt; a big one. According to The Daily, the iPad only News Corp. daily newspaper, Microsoft is working on a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad. Just imagine being able to run Word, Excel, and PowerPoint natively on your iPad.
Sounds too good to be true? It might be. Microsoft has come out denying that they are working on an iOS edition of Office and that The Daily flat out got bad information for their exclusive scoop. I read the report this morning, interestingly enough, on my iPad while reading The Daily. You can read the full story on The Daily website.
Following up on the story, The New York Times wrote today:
“A Microsoft spokeswoman issued this statement: “The Daily story is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation. We have no further comment.” She added that a screen image included with The Daily’s article showing an Office product for iPad was “not Microsoft’s software,” she said.
But perhaps that isn’t the entire story. Peter Ha, tech editor at The Daily, said that a Microsoft employee had demonstrated a version of the app on an iPad. “The launch screen may not be final, but the app itself is real,” Mr. Ha said. “We were told that the app was done and it was being tested internally.””
So is Microsoft working on a version of Office for the iPad? They might be. And they might not be.
Pros:
1. Windows and Office have long been cash cows for Microsoft. By releasing Office for the iPad, Microsoft opens the door to some 55 million plus new customers.
2. Microsoft Office is the de facto office productivity suite, and now we can get Office on our Windows, Mac, and iOS devices; there by eliminating a number of cross platform translation and formatting headaches.
3. Chances are that you’ve used a version of Office before and you will be instantly familiar with how to use the software.
Cons:
1. Microsoft wants to keep Office as a Windows Phone 7, Windows 8 Tablet Edition exclusive to help differentiate tables and phones running Windows from those running Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, or RIM’s BlackBerry OS.
2. The iPad is regarded, by-and-large, as a content consumption device, not a content creation device. There may not be a strong demand for Office-on-an-iPad to justify the cost to develop the software.
3. The development of iOS applications will draw resources away from the Windows and Mac OS X Office development teams.
Personally, I think Microsoft is testing the water for iOS applications. They’ve already released Bing, MSN for iPad, OneNote and Microsoft Lync 2010 for iPad. There are a few iPhone applications also, including SkyDrive, Windows Live Messenger, and Photosynth. That’s a lot of toes to dip in the water without developing a full blow Office suite. I think OneNote and Lync 2010 are strong indications that Microsoft is at the very least, considering releasing a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad. Only time will tell.
[Via The Daily, The New York Times…]