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iPad 3 to Feature Better Cameras? iPad 2 Getting Price Cut?

Published by TechJohnson on January 5th, 2012 | No Comments »

Conventional wisdom says Apple won’t tick off proud new owners of Xmas Gift iPad 2s by launching the next iPad at a rumored mid-January media event in New York City. But that doesn’t mean the next iPad isn’t already in production and awaiting an early Spring coming out party.

Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge claims via his Twitter account to have new intel on a new iPad 3 said to largely resemble the current slate, physically. “Curve radiuses on the body will change only a little to accommodate the added thickness, not dramatically. Think iPad 2 Pro, not a redesign,” he tweeted as part of a string of teasers said to come from an inside source. The main differences between the rumored new iPad and Apple’s current tablet? Better cameras, more pixels, and a faster processor.

The tweets detail a new iPad with a front-facing “FaceTime HD” camera and a rear-mounted 8 megapixel shooter identical to the sensor used in the current iPhone 4S. We can also expect a new, more powerful chipset to handle the increased demands of pushing four times the pixels as compared to iPad 2; the expected “iPad Retina Display” would be a 9.7-inch, 2048 x 1536 resolution IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) panel. If this pans out, it would mark Apple’s first use of IGZO display technology, likely marking the beginning of a company-wide switch from IPS (in-plane switching) technology in mobile products.

Horwitz’ source also expects a March 2012 launch for the next iPad, or roughly a year after the announcement/ship dates of iPad 2.

And, oh yeah … In typical Apple fashion, iPad 3 (or whatever it’s called) would slot in at the top of the iPad lineup and be different enough from iPad 2 to warrant a marked price separation. Specifically, Horwitz theorized about a $100 price cut bringing the 16GB iPad 2 down to $399 when the new model launches.

[via TechnoBuffalo]

Tags: iPad 3

5 Apps Worth Downloading this Week

Published by TechJohnson on December 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

iOS Applications are probably one of the world’s most downloaded pieces of software. I’m here to give you guys the top 5 Apps that are worth downloading this week. I’ll be covering Temple Run, Rail Maze, Drag Racing, Amazing Breaker and Evernote.

If you would like me to ever review an application and possibly have it in this serious, please suggestions/sponsor them to me by contacting me here.

Temple Run (Free)

Temple Run is a great action filled adventure game for your iOS device. Basically, it’s a never ending running game that’s very simple to learn and will be addicting for weeks to come. I hope you enjoy running away from big monkeys or chimpanzees. For a never ending game, the graphics are amazing that brings the frames to life with some 3D animations.

Features

Simple swipe and tilt controls that are easy to use and just feel right
Level up your character and use crazy powerups
Original 3D running mechanic combining turning, jumping, sliding and tilting – the first of its kind!
Play as 7 different characters!
Game Center Leaderboards and Achievements
Incredibly fun, just one more time, endless game play!

With a perfect 5 start rating in the iTunes App Store, I would highly recommend this application to all ages.

Rail Maze (Free)

“Rail Maze is an amazing puzzle game that will give you so many different options, you’ll be busy playing it for hours.”

If you’re into games that really put your mind to the test, Rail Maze by Spooky House Studios is probably a perfect match for you. The object of the game is to get the train from begin to end by turning around tracks and avoiding obstacles and bombs. It’s a great puzzle game for all ages. While the game play might sound a bit corny, I promise you will become addicted in a matter of no time.

Features

100+ puzzles
Tunnels
Bombs
Pirate Trains
Super long trains
Global online scoreboards by Scoreloop
4 Game modes: Labyrinth, Build Railroad, Snake, Longest Railroad

With a current rating of 4 stars in the app store, you know it’ll be a good choice. Game play is simple to learn but will take days to master each puzzle. I would also recommend this application to all ages. This application is also available for a small purchase of $0.99 for the pro model.

Drag Racing (Free)

Being a guy that has racing in their blood, of course I’m going to choose this application for this week. In this game, you won’t even notice that hours that have just ticked by while you’re playing this game. Of course, if you’re not into cars, you may not enjoy this realistic drag racing game. With over 50 cars ranging from imports to all american muscle, you will always find a car that suits you and your personality. The game play is all about racing the opponent and trying to win. Isn’t that how all racing games are played? Graphics aren’t leading edge, but they are still very beautiful.

With so many features and so little time to type them all, I’ll just leave you with this. World Records will be making its way to this application. Wouldn’t you like to say you have one of the fastest cars in the game, world wide?

Like I said, this game might only suit those who are truly into cars but if you are not, don’t knock it. Give it a try and you might find yourself a new and expensive life hobby! Just stay out of trouble with the law and speeding. If you would like to avoid seeing advertisements during your game play, a small fee of $0.99 will eliminate all ads. With an under rating of 3 1/2 stars, this application deserves more respect and I would recommend to all ages.

Amazing Breaker ($0.99)

Interested in a game that may be more addicting then the popular Angry Birds, check this out. The basics of this game is to toss bombs and destroy a glassy textured shape. It sounds weird but I’m not so sure how to exactly describe it. You will just have to check it out and take my word on this. This application puts your mind to the task as well as steady hands and good eye judgement. Who doesn’t like blowing things up in HD Quality graphics?

“It’s definitely a must-buy if you like challenging puzzle games”

Features:

Full high resolution Retina Display graphics
Addictive “Aim and Shoot” gameplay
Game Center and Achievements and OpenFeint
80 Awesome Levels
More levels coming soon…
Easy to learn but hard to master
Explosive Excitement (literally) – create cascades of exploding crystals

If you’re skeptical about spending a misely one dollar, you can always download the free version which lets you try out 20 levels so you can get the hang of the game. Honestly, take my word and just spend the buck. For a well deserved 4 1/2 stars, I again, highly recommend this application to all ages.

Evernote (Free)

If you are anything like me, you love to be organized. I have found Evernote to be an extremely helpful tool to help me stay organized while I brain storm and take notes. Evernote lets you take notes on your iOS device on the go and it automatically syncs up with your computer if you have Evernote installed on your computer. Evernote is also available for BlackBerry and I believe Android. It’s not only for notes because it lets you have the ability to snap pictures and take audio notes. There are so many fantastic little features to help you stay organized.

Features:

Create text, photo and audio notes
Auto-synchronize your notes to your Mac, PC, and Web
Magically makes text within snapshots searchable
Mark notes as “Favorite” for quick access
All notes include geo-location information for mapping and search

If you aren’t an organized person, you should really consider starting out and using this application. It’s very simple to use and master and it will always look pleasing to the eye. Evernote uses a great style when you’re typing and saving notes. Once you get organized, you will see a bit more ease in your life goals. Trust me! With a 4 1/2 star rating, why not try to get organized! Perfect for all ages but best for the business man and school student.

HTC launching another tablet?

Published by TechJohnson on November 7th, 2011 | No Comments »

It looks like it may be that time of the month again. I don’t mean this to sound vague or wrong, but it does seem as if HTC releases a new tablet every month. HTC just unveiled its Flyer and Jetstream devices this year and there have been talks of HTC releasing another tablet.

According to Reuters, HTC is planning to release another tablet next year. Next year sounds so far away but keep in mind, it’s November. One month from now, it will be the new year!

Tablet is a market we would like to try and test, to see whether we can make ourselves stand out and prevent a me-too product

All this was said by the CEO Pete Chou of HTC.

Whether all this talk is true or false, HTC will need to be much more price-sensitive to their product due to the dominating iPad and possibly cheaper Android alternatives.

There is a lot I could say about this topic but I’ll keep it short and simple for your eyes. The bottom line, do you think HTC should release another tablet or wait awhile to see what the real competition is going to be for the year 2012?

Tags: Android, HTC, Tablet

Does Apple feel the heat from Kindle Fire?

Published by TechJohnson on November 3rd, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Since the release of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, there have been many speculations that Apple may be feeling heat, but is this true? Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will be the first to tell you that they are feeling absolutely no “heat” at all. In fact, Apple is not concerned at all about competition from the Amazon Kindle Fire. You might as well put Apple in a fire-proof box!

Even though the Kindle Fire has a cheaper price tag, Apple will still win the hearts from many due to the fact that it’s made by Apple. With that being said, this will always help Apple keep the iPad on top of the competition. Here is what Reitzes had to say:

While compatible with Android, the Apps work with Amazon products. The more fragmentation, the better, says Apple, since that could drive more consumers to the stable Apple platform. We believe that Apple will get more aggressive on price with the iPad eventually but not compromise the product quality and experience.

The real question is, will Apple change the price of the iPad 3 (if that’s what they will call it) or continue to keep the price tag higher? Do you prefer the iPad 2 or the Kindle Fire? Leave your thoughts.

Tags: Amazon, Apple, iPad 2, Kindle Fire

Drag Racing App Review

Published by TechJohnson on November 2nd, 2011 | No Comments »

If you like cars and racing and you have an iOS device, you will fall in love with this addicting racing game called Drag Racing. It’s a free application that you will literally play for hours on end. You can spend money to remove the ads and get more RP points but it’s not a big deal. If you can race well then your RP points will go up. For those of you who get annoyed with ads, it’s only $0.99 to remove them.

The graphics are absolutely stunning for an iOS game and the game play is phenomenal. I would have to give this a perfect 5/5 stars! Highly recommended and great for all ages.

Tags: Drag Racing

Get a Free Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Samsung TVs at Best Buy

Published by TechJohnson on August 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

Now this is most certainly one of the sweetest promotions I’ve seen in some time … or at least it was at first sight. Best Buy has announced that customers who purchase select Samsung HDTVs between August 21 and August 27 will get a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.The free tablet is, of course, the base model — that’s the 16GB Wi-Fi only device, which Best Buynormally sells for $499.99. Only two Samsung TV sets qualify for the deal — the 46-inch 3D HDTV for $1,499.99, and the 55-inch 3D set at $1,999.99.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Best Buy says this promotion is “part of a campaign dedicated to selling big-screen TVs, not tablets.” However, you have to wonder whether the struggle to sell Android tablets — or, in fact, anything that isn’t an iPad — has something to do with it.

Sarah Rotman Epps, a Forrester analyst who covers the tablet market, says that promotions like this one are the only way Android tablets can compete with Apple’s iPad:

“This [bundling] is what they should have been doing from the beginning. Other than the iPad there is no convincing standalone tablet. The only way anyone else can compete is by bundling.”

However, this isn’t one of the best bundles, according to Epps. Samsung’s 46-inch 3D set is already overpriced, with a similar LG set selling for just $999 on Best Buy’s website. “It’s like bundling two losing products together,” Epps said.

That takes a bit of the excitement out of this promotion. What looks like an awesome deal at first sight is actually a little disappointing when you realize that a similar LG set can be purchased for just $999 — $500 less than Samsung’s model.

So, if you’re looking for a TV and a tablet, but you’re not so keen on Android devices, you can pick up the LG set and a 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad for the same price you’d pay for the Samsung deal.

Which bundle would you be more interested in?

[via TechnoBuffalo]

Tags: Best Buy, Samsung

Angry Birds Apparel for a Baby

Published by TechJohnson on August 9th, 2011 | No Comments »

I’m writing this post for a number of reasons and the main reason is because I have a child on the way and I love Angry Birds. It’s probably the most addicting game that I own on my iOS Device. Even the tiniest of humans can get in on the Angry Brids craze. I’m so happy that I came across this on Mashable.

I’m so glad that I will be able to outfit my son with Angry Birds attire. Apparel ranges from bibs, changing pads, to even clothes. Yes, Rivio has teamed up with baby product maker SwaddleDesigns. Probably the most amazing thing, ever! You better believe that I will be purchasing an Angry Birds product for my son when he is born in December.

Tags: Angry Birds, Apparel, Baby, Clothing

Facebook Messenger App for iPhone with Video Conferencing

Published by TechJohnson on August 9th, 2011 | No Comments »

Facebook is one of the world’s leading Social Media sites, if not the world’s largest. One thing that stood out with Facebook from the early stages was their IMing service or simply put, their chat. Facebook has just released the Facebook Messenger application which is an extension to Facebook’s Messages service which will allow you to send a text message to your phone’s contacts. Not only that, it’s able to send messages to Facebook contacts, that’s a given! The cool thing is that Facebook is also allowing you to send pictures. Consider that a little bonus!

As the iPhone stands out to many with this application, it’s also available for the Android phones out there. Don’t worry, Facebook hasn’t forgotten about you like they forgotten about BlackBerry users. What a shame!

The big thing that was released with this application was the hidden video conferencing. They didn’t say too much about this feature but after using this application, the video conferencing was found! With the video conferencing, I couldn’t see of a way to get the video to actually work like the iPad did after a few tweeks. It seems to be that Facebook is trying to keep it “private” but we all know it’s impossible for them!

What do you think about this application? Will you be downloading this application for your iPhone or Android? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Tags: Application, Facebook, Messenger

250GB Android Tablet coming soon?

Published by TechJohnson on August 8th, 2011 | No Comments »

Here’s something you can’t get with an iPad: 250GB of internal storage. Archos’ upcoming Android ”Honeycomb” 3.2 tablet will pack a 250GB hard disk drive that’s been tweaked to perform more like a flash drive.

Archos G9 combines a 250GB hard disk drive with a 4GB flash drive.

(Credit: Archos)

The Archos G9 will sport a 250GB Seagate Momentus Thin 2.5-inch hard drive–a mere 7 millimeters thick. Though not as compact as a 1.8-inch HDD (like Apple once used in its MacBook Air and iPod), it’s not as expensive either.

And Archos has tweaked the Seagate drive a bit to allow it to perform more like the flash drives found in practically all tablets today. 4GB of flash storage sits on top of the HDD, according to Craig TerBlanche, director of marketing for Archos in North America. Often-used data is stored in the flash component, allowing faster access than a standard 2.5-inch HDD, TerBlanche said.

All of this results in bigger bang for the buck. “You get 250GB for the same cost as a 32GB flash drive,” he said.

Another marquee feature is the 1.5GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 dual-core processor. This is the same processor that Google has approved for upcoming Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices. That means consumers can expect to see a new wave of tablets and smartphones built around the TI 4460. But Archos will likely be one of the first, as those devices aren’t expected until late in the year.

The 8-inch 250GB Archos G9 will be $369.99 and the 10-inch 250GB model, $469.99. Both are due in September

[via cnet]

Tags: 250GB Android Tablet

Logitech Announces Keyboards, Mice, and Speakers for Tablets

Published by TechJohnson on May 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

With the iPad growing daily, Logitech decided that just carrying around your tablet is no longer good enough. Even though the iPad is very portable, so are these items. Logitech has announced a keyboard, mouse, and speakers that will work with the iPad or the Android tablets all through Bluetooth.

First matter of business is the keyboard. We already know the iPad has keyboards that work with it via Bluetooth, even from Apple, but does it have a stand? Logitech launched a keyboard that also features as a protective case that doubles as a stand for the tablet when you’re typing away. This case will allow you to put your device in landscape or portrait mode. This is all up to your personal preference. Starting at just $69.99 in May, who would say no to this amazing accessory for your tablet!

Logitech has a Wireless Speaker with a model number at z515 for $99.99 with a release date of June. While this may seem expensive for just a speaker, it may actually come in handy if you don’t like the stock sound of the iPads “dinky” speakers. This speaker system has a huge operating distance of potentially 50 feet. This will obviously depend on the conditions of where you are trying to use it. If you want to keep your iPad hooked up to the speakers but go into the other room and check email and keep the speakers going, you will be able to do so! (in theory)

The last of the new tablet related items will be a mouse. This has me thinking of how this will be functional to a tablet. Even though you may be more familiar with the original functionality of a mouse, how will this come into play with the touch screen interface? It certainly has me thinking, a lot! Do you honestly think it’s worth to shell out $49.99 for a mouse that you may never use for your TOUCH SCREEN device?

Even though these new accessories seem great, they will make your tablet less portable. Isn’t that the reason you purchased the tablet, for the portability? Is it truly worth giving up the portability for slightly quicker typing speeds and a more original feeling with a mouse? Why not just purchase a desktop computer if this is the case. I can understand the speakers as you can leave them in one room or on your desk as you walk around.

What do you think about these new accessories by Logitech? If you own a tablet, will you be interested in purchasing any of these? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Tags: Android, iPad, Keyboard, Mouse, Speaker, Tablet