iPad SDK 3.2 beta 4 squashes rumors of a camera, but adds new gesture controls
There’s only about a month to go before Apple drops the iPad on the world, and it looks like all those theories about a last-minute camera addition were just fond fanboy wishes — iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 4 just came out, and in addition to stripping out several video-call related icons, we’ve been told the docs contain this little tidbit about that Camera tab:
Launching the Photos application under the iPad Simulator will initially show three tabs: Photos, Albums, and Camera. The Camera tab represents photos available via the Camera Connection Kit for iPad, and is not relevant for the Simulator. The Camera tab will disappear after a few seconds.
So much for that, then. In the meantime, we also have some good news — 9to5 Mac did some digging and found some files indicating that Apple’s opening up some new gestures to app developers, namely the long tap currently used to pop up the copy / paste menu and the triple-tap used to flip the display on and off when using VoiceOver. It’s a small consolation, to be sure, but at least the iPad, will, um, be a great game machine, right?
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Eternal optimist Verizon calls iPad launch ‘an opportunity’ to sell some data plans
That’s the “glass is half full” attitude we like, Verizon — always looking for a way to sign a few more of those lucrative data contracts, no matter the circumstances! Turns out Big Red is tipping off its staffers on how it can encourage customers to go with the WiFi-only version of the iPad and pair it up with a device like the MiFi rather than shelling out $130 more for integrated AT&T 3G and waiting a few extra weeks. As usual, Verizon’s keen on playing up the anti-AT&T sentiment it’s cultivated in its recent ad campaign by openly calling its biggest competitor’s 3G network “overloaded,” but we see one big hangup: 5GB of data on a Verizon MiFi is going to run you $60 a month, twice as much as AT&T will be charging for its dedicated, unlimited iPad plan. Then again, AT&T’s own boss thinks WiFi’s a bigger deal than 3G for this thing, so who knows — maybe this is a zero-sum game for both of these guys.
[Thanks, Mark]
iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta for iPad released today
Apple has released the iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta for iPad today through the iPhone Dev Center. The SDK includes new tools for building iPad applications. No official list of changes but I’m sure developers are rummaging through the SDK and compiling a list.
Stay tuned for a list of changes.
First Apple iPad Commercial Aired During the Oscars (Video)
During the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Apple aired the first iPad commercial. The ad shows someone using the iPad on their lap and browsing through the apps.
The ad ends with “April 3.” confirming the launch. Pre-orders will start on March 12th.
Either Steve Jobs was at the Oscars or Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) is going bald.
Photo by Jon Chu
Gruber: No ‘Widget Mode’ for Minor Applications on iPad
Last month, speculation that a number of minor iPhone applications such as Stocks, Weather, Voice Memo, Clock, and Calculator “missing” from the iPad could reappear in some sort of “widget mode” similar to Dashboard on Mac OS X received a bit of publicity.
According to Daring Fireball’s John Gruber’s sources, however, there isno secret “widget mode” and these applications were in fact scrapped by Apple CEO Steve Jobs after internal “blown up” versions of them for the iPad were deemed unsatisfactory.
It’s not that Apple couldn’t just create bigger versions of these apps and have them run on the iPad. It wasn’t a technical problem, it was a design problem. There were, internally to Apple (of course), versions of these apps (or least some of them) with upscaled iPad-sized graphics, but otherwise the same UI and layout as the iPhone versions. Ends up that just blowing up iPhone apps to fill the iPad screen looks and feels weird, even if you use higher-resolution graphics so that nothing looks pixelated. So they were scrapped by you-know-who. Perhaps they’ll appear on the iPad in some re-imagined form this summer with OS 4.0, but when the iPad ships next month, there won’t be versions of these apps. At least that’s the story I’ve heard from a few well-informed little birdies.
(There is, alas, no secret “widget” mode for iPad in OS 3.2, either.)
Gruber further notes that, while some iPhone games will work well on the iPad, simpler non-game iPhone applications will just feel strange whether run full-screen or in the iPhone-sized box in the middle of the screen. Similar observations were made by a number of attendees at Apple’s media event to introduce the iPad. In particular, the Facebook iPhone application was thought by many to look and feel slightly “off” at the expanded size.
Many developers will likely take advantage of the iPad’s expanded screen real estate to offer enhanced versions of their iPhone applications, and Apple could easily due the same with its own minor applications if it so chooses, but it may take some time for those reworked versions to be completed.
AT&T’s CEO doesn’t think many people will use the iPad on 3G
With an exemplary track record of wireless network load planning like AT&T’s, it’s important to listen to what they believe will happen with future products. Tucked into yesterday’s investor meeting, AT&T’s CEO mentioned that he didn’t expect much 3G traffic from the 10-inch screen media device with Youtube and other network-heavy applications:
AT&T Inc expects users of Apple Inc’s iPad to connect to the Internet mostly using short-range Wi-Fi networks rather than AT&T’s cellular network, the chief executive of AT&T said on Tuesday. While AT&T has agreed to provide wireless connections to the iPad tablet computer, Randall Stephenson said he does not expect the device to result in many new service subscriptions for AT&T as consumers will instead use Wi-Fi or prepaid services, where they do not subscribe to a service contract. “My expectation is that there’s not going to be a lot of people out there looking for another subscription,” he said during a webcast of an investor conference, adding that the device would be a mainly “Wi-Fi driven product.” Many consumers have their own Wi-Fi networks at home or go to coffee shops where they can avail of free Wi-Fi.
We took a poll (screengrabbed below) which seems to say that 3G will be an important part of the iPad experience with almost half of the people expecting to get iPads opting for the 3G version. Our poll wasn’t alone in this “reverse Bell curve”. Changewave got similar results.
The next few months might be interesting for those of us who rely on AT&T’s network. Meanwhile some may consider the Mifi model.
Source: 9t05mac.com
Apple security has iPad under lock and key at WSJ
Apple has someone over at the Wall St. Journal HQ in New York City keeping an eye on their loaner iPad ifremarks from Rupert Murdoch are taken at face value.
Mr. Murdoch said the Journal planned to be on Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computer. 
“In fact, we’ve been allowed to work on one, and it’s under padlock and key. The
key is turned by Apple every night,” he said in response to a question. “But we will be on that with The Wall Street Journal.” Mr. Murdoch said he believed in a year or so there will be a half dozen or more devices on which consumers will be able to receive newspapers and other media.
Oh, and the Journal is going to be on the iPad (in case you thought it might not be) as well a a slew of other devices like the Kindle (pictured).
Apple Making Plans to Extend iBookstore Internationally
While much has been made of Apple’s negotiations with book publishers to bring their content to the company’s iBookstore for distribution to the iPad, little news has surfaced about Apple’s plans to extend the iBookstore beyond the United States. Since the device’s introduction, Apple has noted that the iBookstore will only be available in the U.S. at launch, although it has been presumed that the company is planning to extend the offerings to other countries around the world.
A new Apple job listing posted yesterday confirms just that, with the company looking to hire a manager for its “Asia Pacific & Canada” iBooks division. While the exact geographic coverage for the position is not given, it appears at this time to be primarily focused on Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with other countries also in the mix.
The role includes: working with management, regionally and in Cupertino to determine strategies and priorities for iBooks in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries; identifying content providers to target, establish and develop relationships; working with legal and production teams to finalize relationships and secure content; and coordinate launches with partners, production, and marketing. This role will also be responsible for marketing the books offering on the iBooks store by coordinating with Apple’s production teams, the marketing team, and the production and marketing teams of partners.
The successful employee holding the position will be based in either Markham, Ontario (outside of Toronto) or Sydney, Australia.
Apple is also beefing up its broader iBookstore staffing, with brand-new job postings seeking publisheraccount managers, including one focused on independent publishers, as well as several operations-side and marketing employees. Apple is presumably also pursuing international deals in countries other than those covered by the “Asia Pacific & Canada” division, although there are no currently open positions listed for such regions.
Rumour: Apple iPad to start from £389 in the UK
A UK tech site claims to have insider information on UK pricing for Apple’s forthcoming iPad. Despite going on sale in a month, Apple has yet to officially announce pricing and 3G data carrier partners here.
Quoting a “source” Geeky Gadgets claims the following prices.
16GB Wi-fi – £389 (confirmed as $499 in the US)
32GB Wi-fi – £439 (confirmed as $599 in the US)
64GB Wi-fi – £489 (confirmed as $699 in the US)
“Our source didn’t have any information on the Wi-fi and 3G iPads pricing, but one thing they did reveal is that we are more likely to get the iPad in the UK in April as opposed to March which is currently being quoted on Apple’s website,” Geeky Gadgets adds.
Click here for more Apple iPad coverage
“We can’t confirm 100 per cent that these prices are correct, but we are pretty sure from the information our source provided us with that these will be the prices when the Apple iPad goes on sale in the UK.”
The UK Apple site is still listening the following: “Wi-Fi models shipping in late March.
3G models shipping in April. UK pricing to be announced,” and “nternational carrier availability to be announced. 3G data plan may be sold separately.”
But information comes from yet another unnamed “source”
Apple Releases iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 3 for iPad
Apple today released an update to its iPhone SDK 3.2 for developers looking to create applications for the company’s forthcoming iPad tablet device. The new update is the third beta version of the SDK, and there is no word yet on changes included in the update.
The initial version of the SDK was released late last month alongside the iPad introduction, and was last updated two weeks ago.
Update: Apple appears to have pulled the Beta 3 release, and several readers who were able to download the update before it was removed have reported that it contains a major bug that is the likely cause of the removal.
Update 2: 9to5mac posts a screenshot of the Photos app which is now included:
Update 3: Mac4Ever notes that the Photo app also has a Camera tab, which we’ve seen before referenced in the iPad SDK.
Recent Comments