My Live-Blog picks for today’s Apple Media Event in San Jose.

Apple’s Media Event is just over an hour away and Apple is streaming the event live on Apple.com and also via a new Apple events app on Apple TV. 

However, if can’t watch the live-stream then there are some great alternatives. If you prefer watching a single live-blog to keep pace with the event then i suggest you follow gdgt’s live blog. Ryan Block has become my favourite live-blogger during the Apple Events. 

Other fantastic alternatives:

The Loop 

Jim Dalrymple keeps his updates short and to the point. 

The Verge

Joshua Topolsky and Nilay Patel have done a fantastic job of covering Apple events in the past and i expect nothing different this time around. Expect a few jokes in the time-line.

Macworld

It’s Macworld and Jason Snell and Dan Moren are two of the best writers in the Apple community. They definitely don’t shy away from throwing in a couple of jokes in the time-line. 

Apple Likely to Unveil "iPad Mini" at October 23 Event

appleobsession:

As AllThingsD reported in August, Apple will hold a special event this month at which it will showcase a new, smaller iPad. People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the company will unveil the so-called “iPad mini” on October 23 at an invitation-only event.

Update: Jim Dalrymple Says “Yep” to All Things D’s Report. It just can’t get any credible than this. 

Glad Apple is diversifying the iPad line not that i ever doubted otherwise. 

Google generates four times more revenue from iPhone than Android

Charles Arthur:

Android generated less than $550m in revenues for Google between 2008 and the end of 2011, if figures provided by the search giant as part of a settlement offer with Oracle ahead of an expected patent and copyright infringement trial are an accurate guide.

The figures also suggest that Apple devices such as the iPhone, which use products such as its Maps as well as Google Search in its Safari browser, generated more than four times as much revenue for Google as its own handsets in the same period.

Android is Winning. 

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Displaymate heaps praise on the New iPad's Stunning Display

Dr. Raymond M. Soneira: 

Apple has taken the very good display on the iPad 2 and dramatically improved two of its major weak points: sharpness and color saturation – they are now state-of-the-art. Our lab tests and visual tests agree with Apple’s claim that the new iPad has “the best display ever on a mobile device” so we have awarded the new iPad the Best Mobile Display Award in DisplayMate’s Best Video Hardware Guide. But there’s more…the new iPad’s picture quality, color accuracy, and gray scale are not only much better than any other Tablet or Smartphone, it’s also much better than most HDTVs, laptops, and monitors. In fact with some minor calibration tweaks the new iPad would qualify as a studio reference monitor. So we have also awarded the new iPad the Best Mobile Picture Quality Award, which was previously held by the original Motorola Droid (not the more recent Droids, which all have poor picture quality). Finally, almost as impressive is that Apple has maintained the base price of $499. Who says Apple doesn’t compete aggressively on price!


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iPad A5X CPU vs ASUS Transformer Prime Tegra 3 CPU benchmarks

Steven Sande:

Back on March 8, TUAW reported that NVIDIA was not happy with Apple’s claim that the A5X system-on-a-chip that powers the new iPad would put the NVIDIA Tegra 3 to shame. Australian tech blogger Ritchie has put the claim to the test by doing a side-by-side video comparison of the new iPad and the Tegra 3-powered ASUS Transformer Prime.

The results, while not as dramatic as Apple’s claims of 4 times the graphics processing power of the Tegra 3, do show conclusively that the two-core four-graphic-core A5X trounces the quad-core, 12-graphic-core Tegra 3.

As our very own Chris Rawson noted at the time of the post on March 8, “Prediction: Once NVIDIA runs A5X benchmarks and finds out it trounces the Tegra 3, we hear nothing more from them about it.” We’re waiting, NVIDIA…

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The New iPad (3rd Gen) Review Roundup.

The New Resolutionary iPad (Image Credit: Apple Inc.)   

The first reviews of the New iPad are in and all the reviewers love the Retina Display. All the reviewers think that Apple has raised the bar with the New iPad and they all think  that ‘The New iPad’ is the best tablet on the market. Here are a few bits from my favourite reviews:

iPad (3) - John Gruber / Daring Fireball

Pixels pixels pixels. Battery battery battery. Speed speed speed.

That’s the new iPad, a.k.a. (for comparison’s sake) the iPad 3. The retina display, significantly faster graphics, and the potential for startlingly fast cellular networking — all with the same renowned battery life (and standby time) as the original iPad and iPad 2.

…..

The retina display is amazing, everything in the UI feels faster, and the price points remain the same. What’s not to love? It’s that simple.

Review: The third-generation iPad - Jason Snell / Macworld 

Apple advances the ball with a better screen, camera, and cellular connection

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Maintaining Apple’s lead in tablet devices is the job of the third-generation iPad, a product that doesn’t mess with success. Like the iPad 2 before it, this new iPad is not a re-thinking of the original concept. Instead, Apple has chosen to focus on a few areas of improvement while keeping the overall package the same. Though it’s an approach that can frustrate people who are disappointed by anything that’s not a quantum leap, Apple executes it to perfection and reaps the rewards.

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But the changes Apple has wrought with this iPad aren’t about making it thinner or lighter or faster, but about making it better. And on nearly every front, the third-generation iPad is markedly better than its predecessor.

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I wasn’t able to do extensive battery testing, but in my use over the past week I’ve found that Apple’s claims of comparable life to the iPad 2 are accurate. I can get through an entire day using my iPad and I don’t run out of juice. I suspect that this new battery will take longer to charge than previous models, though—so prepare for an overnight recharge in order to completely juice up your battery.

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The new iPad is just that: The iPad, updated for a new year and millions of new iPad users. It’s not smaller or lighter, but it’s got a remarkable screen, a much better rear camera, and support for cellular networking that can run at Wi-Fi speeds. It’s the iPad that millions of people have embraced, only one year better.

Users of the iPad 2 shouldn’t fret: Their iPad investment is certainly good for another year. But they might not want to look too closely at the new iPad’s screen. Once you get a load of that Retina display, it’s hard to go back to anything else.

Review: iPad third generation - Jim Dalrymple / The Loop 

I’ve been using the iPad for a week now and I’m so impressed. From the first time I turned it on and saw the Retina display, I was in awe of how good it was. Trust me, even if you watched the introduction video, you still have no idea how good this display is. You really do have to see it to believe it.

I struggled after the event to put the right words together to describe the display and a week later I’m still lost for the proper analogy. The only thing I can think of that comes close is comparing it to the first time you ever saw an HDTV. Remember how startling it was to go from one of those giant standard definition projector TVs to an HDTV? That’s what this is like.

The Retina display will make you do a double-take the first time you see it. Even on the home screen, it’s crisp and clear — you can notice a huge difference, even from the iPad 2.

…..

So, what did I like about the iPad? Simple — the experience. Nobody in the market today can touch the Apple experience.

The New iPad Makes Apple’s Tablet Domination Clearer Than Ever - MG Siegler / TechCrunch

Even if you have perfect vision, indulge me here for a second. You know when you go in for an eye exam and you’re asked to look at a combination of letters and numbers on a chart against a far wall? You read the first few lines, then realize you actually can’t go any further. Then you get prescribed glasses (or contacts) and you can all of a sudden read every letter and number. And even the ones you could read before are now so much clearer.

That’s what it’s like looking at the new iPad versus the older iPads.

It’s weird because I was never one of those people who thought the original iPad’s and the iPad 2′s screen was poor (but there were plenty of those people in the post-iPhone Retina world). I guess it’s just like a pre-glasses world — you never realize how blurry things are because that’s just how you’ve always seen everything. And then you put the glasses on and you wonder how you ever managed without them.

Once you see and use the new iPad, there will be no going back.

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So how was Apple able to keep the battery life the same while adding LTE and without drastically changing the design? It appears that they’ve had a fairly major breakthrough in their battery technology. While the new battery clearly isn’t much bigger than the old one, it can hold much more juice (42 watt-hours versus 25-watt-hours). The downside of this is that I’ve found it takes quite a bit longer to charge the new iPad. As in several hours — you’ll probably want to do it overnight.

One other slight downside which I have to assume is related to either the battery or the LTE functionality is that unlike previous iPad models, the new iPad does get noticeably warm in the lower left corner after prolonged use. It’s never hot, just warm. But again, I never noticed this on other models.

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Technology is amazing, and this new iPad is amazing. Also amazing: the only company competing with Apple right now in this particular space is Apple. So the only real question is: do you upgrade if you have a previous iPad model?

If you have the original iPad, I say this is a no-brainer. If you have an iPad 2, it’s a tougher call since it still seems nearly as fast as the new iPad. But if you choose not to upgrade (or to spend $399 for the 16 GB iPad 2 now), again, treat the new iPad as if it were Medusa when you’re in an Apple Store. Do. Not. Look. At. It.

If you’re at all interested in LTE in an Apple product, obviously, get a new iPad. If you read a lot on your iPad, get the new iPad. If you take a lot of photos and videos (yeah you, the joker in the front row of the concert with your iPad in the air), get the new iPad. If you play a lot of games on the iPad, get the new iPad.

If you don’t yet have an iPad, get the new iPad.

iPad Review (2012) - Joshua Topolsky / The Verge

THE IPAD REMAINS BEST IN BREED WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGN

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50 YEARS FROM NOW, THE IPAD WON’T LOOK OUT OF PLACE

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SPECS DO MATTER, IT SEEMS, AND THE NEW IPAD DELIVERS A SUBSTANTIAL UPGRADE IN NEARLY EVERY DEPARTMENt

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YES, THIS DISPLAY IS OUTRAGEOUS. IT’S STUNNING. IT’S INCREDIBLE

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THERE’S A CERTAIN KIND OF CONFIDENCE WITH WHICH IT EXECUTES TASKS

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Let’s be clear: the new iPad is in a class by itself, just as its predecessor was. As the latest product in a lineage of devices that defined this category, the iPad continues to stand head and shoulders above the competition. With the addition of the Retina display, LTE, more memory, and a more powerful CPU, Apple has absolutely held onto the iPad’s market position as the dominant player and product to beat. 

….

However, if you’re in the market for your first tablet, or upgrading from the original iPad or an Android device, do not hesitate. The new iPad is the most functional, usable, and beautiful tablet that any company has ever produced. 

New iPad: A Million More Pixels Than HDTV - Walt Mossberg / All Things D

Since it launched in 2010, the iPad has been the best tablet on the planet. With the new, third-generation model, it still holds that crown.

The New iPad is Much the Same, Only Better - David Pogue / New York Times

The new iPad doesn’t introduce anything that we haven’t seen before, either in the iPhone or in rival tablets. There’s no Steve Jobs “one more thing” moment here; Apple just took its white-hot iPad and added the latest screen, battery and cellular technologies.

If you’re in the market for a tablet, here’s the bright side: For the same price as before, you can now get an updated iPad that’s still better-looking, better integrated and more consistently designed than any of its rivals.

And if you already have the iPad 2, here’s an even brighter side: At least this time around, you don’t have to feel quite as obsolete as usual.

More Reviews:

Apple iPad Review - Shane Richmond / The Telegraph

Apple’s new iPad has a better camera, a faster graphics processor and a screen that has to be seen to be believed. 

Apple iPad 3 Review - Charles Arthur / The Gaurdian 

iPad Maintains Apple’s Lead - Rich Jaroslovsky / Bloomberg

New Apple iPad, with amazing screen, is a delight - Edward C. Baig / USA Today

Apple iPad (3rd generation) review - David Phelan / Pocket Lint

New iPad Review (3rd Gen) - Vincent Nguyen / Slashgear 


P.S. The New iPad will be first iPad. So, Are you getting one? 

The joy of iPad

GigaOm’s Om Mailk Descibes the Joy of the iPad after gifting it to his mom:

I handed over the iPad to my mom. She had this look of amazement, one of pure unadulterated joy as she chatted with her grandson.

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It didn’t matter how it was happening — just that she could talk to her grandson who was oceans apart from her. If there ever was a moment that captured the emotion in a piece technology, that was it. The look on her face made me realize how lucky I am to write about an industry that makes such things possible. I also thought to myself, maybe somewhere Steve Jobs is smiling too.

…

Apple, clearly, is not for everyone. But for me that moment of joy experienced by my mother is enough of a reason why there will be no other computer company. Apple’s competitors will do their own thing. Some, like Samsung, will do spectacularly well. But for me, Apple finds ways to delight people, pushing technology into the background. 

This is a very touching post. Read the Entire thing here. 

Apple’s iPad 3 Event Invite As you can see in the image above, the display of the iPad 3 appears to have a higher resolution screen than the Origianal iPad or The iPad 2 (Each had a 1024x768 Screen). iPad 3 is expected to have 2048x1536 according to the rumour mill. Another Notable Exception: The Iconic Home button is not visible in the image above.
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Apple’s iPad 3 Event Invite

As you can see in the image above, the display of the iPad 3 appears to have a higher resolution screen than the Origianal iPad or The iPad 2 (Each had a 1024x768 Screen). iPad 3 is expected to have 2048x1536 according to the rumour mill.

Another Notable Exception: The Iconic Home button is not visible in the image above.