Ed Sutherland - page 59

It can be difficult getting your hands on an iPad. Apple admits it. Analysts announce it. Now the mainstream media are reporting it. Following up on online stories stretching back into mid-April, an investigation now finds Apple retail stores in 13 cities across the country have no iPad inventory.

New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Seattle, Denver and five other areas told Bloomberg Thursday they were out of iPads with no indication when a new supply would arrive.

We start off with another deal on iMacs, including a 21.5-inch 3.06GHz desktop machine with LED-backlit screen for $999. Also on tap is the latest batch price cuts from the App Store, including “Dogs Play Poker,” a poker game. Finally, we check out DMG Canvas 2 for the Mac, which helps create and customize disk images.

Along the way we’ll look at many more items, details of which can always be found on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

The iPad has always been seen as Apple’s answer to the growing demand for low-cost netbooks. Now comes more evidence that the iPad is hurting sales of netbooks. Since the iPad’s introduction in January, demand for the low-cost notebook computers has steadily fallen, one analyst said Thursday.

It’s hard to envision the “magical” tablet (as Apple CEO Steve Jobs often describes the iPad) being a cannibal, but that’s what Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty indicates. Sales of notebooks and netbook computers are the leading candidates for cannibalization by the iPad, Huberty told investors Thursday.

More than half of Verizon Wireless customers surveyed are interested in buying the iPhone when it becomes available, a new report indicates. There is “an unprecedented demand for the iPhone among Verizon subscribers,” one analyst firm says.

Changewave surveyed 4,000 Verizon subscribers and found 19 percent are “very likely” to buy the Apple handset with another 34 percent saying they are “somewhat likely” to purchase an iPhone. Another analyst believes a Verizon iPhone could appear in 2011 and sell a minimum of 11 million handsets the first year.

The Apple Store topped consumer satisfaction for online retailers in the computer/electronics category, ranking No. 4 overall, behind Netflix, Amazon and Avon. The survey of more than 23,000 consumers also found the Cupertino, Calif. company’s online flagship also garnered the most-improved ranking, reaching a score of 83 out of 100 points, or an 8 percent increase over 2009.

The survey by ForeSee Results noted Apple’s impressive showing came during a tough economic period. “Since so much of the financial downturn was out of their control, companies turned to those things they could improve, and now they are reaping the benefits,” Larry Freed, ForeSee CEO, said in a statement. Every point of increased consumer satisfaction equates to $89 million in higher sales, according to the company.

Are you looking for a good price on an iPod? Maybe $99 for a nano? We have the deal for you. The Apple Store is selling a number of iPods (nanos and touches), starting at $99 for an 8GB fourth-generation iPod nano. There’s also a deal on a 16GB iPhone 3GS for $149. Finally, the App Store has another round of freebies, including “Pew Pew Land”, a tower defense game for your iPhone or iPod touch.

Along the way, we’ll check out some bargains on Filemaker Pro 11 and Final Cut Studio 3, as well as an Eye-Fi 8GB memory add-on and a Morphie Juice Pack battery backup. As usual, details on these and many other items can be found on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

As the old saying goes, statistics can be made to say anything. Particularly when it comes to the increasingly-heated rivalry between Apple and Google. Half of all visits to mobile websites are done via the iPhone, ad network Chitika just announced.

The numbers come just days after Admob released figures in late April indicating smartphones running Google’s Android operating system outpacing iPhone OS-based phones. Does that fact Admob is owned by Google make any difference? Possibly, say some observers.

Add Google to the list of companies planning an ebook service. The Internet giant’s Google Editions service could be up and running as early as June, the Mountain View, Calif. company told publishers Tuesday. Google would compete with Apple, Amazon and Barnes & Noble for the growing audience of electronic readers.

Unlike its competitors, Google Editions would be available from any Web browser. Apple ties its iBook library to the iPad and iPhone while Amazon has its Kindle reader.

We start off with a roundup of iPad apps, including “Glyder 2 for iPad.” In the same vein, we have the latest batch of App Store price drops, including the “Chop Chop Ninja” action game. Finally, the Apple Store offers a number of unibody MacBook Pro laptops, starting at $929 for a 2.26GHz model with 13-inch screen. (There’s also a deal on a fully-loaded Core i7 MacBook Pro with AppleCare for $2,699.)

Along the way we’ll also check out software bargains and other deals on gadgets. As always, details on these and many other items can be found on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page which starts right after the jump.

As Microsoft’s Internet Explorer falls to just under 60 percent of the browser market, Google’s Chrome has jumped ahead of Apple’s Safari, indicates a new survey released Tuesday. Although Mozilla’s Firefox took the largest percentage of the market lost by Microsoft, Google’s Chrome took 6.7 percent, versus 2.5 percent for Apple’s Safari.

Internet Explorer declined to 59.95 percent of the browser market, down from its high point of 80 percent in 2008, according to Net Applications, which analyzes Internet traffic trends. Firefox picked up about nine of those lost percentage points, with Google’s Chrome snaring 6.7 percent of IE’s share (up from 0 before 2009), and Safari took 2.5 percentage points for 4.72 percent of the browser market.

China’s government has finally approved the sale of iPhones with Wi-Fi, removing one of the last barriers for Apple to fully introduce the handset to one of the world’s largest mobile populations. Until now, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the country, China Unicom, could only offer the iPhone 3GS with WAPI, a homegrown version of Wi-Fi approved by the government.

The official announcement comes after the CEO of one mobile carrier said in March the iPhone would gain Wi-Fi in the near future.

We start off another week with a deal on refubished 16GB iPhone 3Gs for $449. Also on tap is the latest batch of App Store freebies, including “Meatball Madness!” memory game and myTracks 2 for Mac, a GPS track management utility and geotagged photo linker.

We’ll also check out other bargains, including external batteries for your iPod or iPhone, along with many other items. As always, details on these and many more products are available on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple sold 300,000 iPad 3G devices during the first weekend the device was available, one analyst estimates. Nearly all stores surveyed – 49 out of 50 – had run out of stock, according to Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster.

Munster’s comments about lack of availability of the 3G models coincides with Monday remarks by Apple CEO Steve Jobs that the Cupertino, Calif. company was trying to keep up with demand. More than 1 million iPads were sold in the first 27 days, the company announced.

Federal regulators apparently have taken note of the ongoing spat between Apple and Adobe, and the iPhone maker’s decision to prohibit developers from submitting apps originally created for Flash. The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are “days away” from deciding which agency will launch an antitrust probe into Apple’s developer agreement banning Flash from apps, according to the New York Post.

The probe “will focus on whether the policy, which took effect last month, kill competition by forcing programmers to choose between developing apps that can only run on Apple gizmos or come up with apps that are platform neutral, and can be on a variety of operating systems, such as those from rivals Google, Mikcrosoft and Research in Motion,” the report said, citing persons in the know.

One million iPads have sold in under 30 days, Apple announced Monday. It took twice as long for the iPhone to reach the same figure.

“One million iPads in 28 days — that’s less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with the iPhone,” CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. Demand for the tablet device continues to outstrip supply, but the Cupertino, Calif. company is “working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers,” Jobs added.

We close out the week with another Mac hardware showcase. This time, the Apple store has a number of refurbished iMacs on sale, including a 21.5-inch LED-backlit model running a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processor for $999. Also on the price-chopping block: a 13.3-inch 2.4GHz MacBook Pro for $1,049 and a 15″ 2.53GHz MacBook Pro for $1,629.

Along the way, we check out software bargains and other gadgets. As always, details on these and many other items are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page, which starts right after the jump.

“The Future of the Web is HTML5,” Microsoft declared. The software giant, in throwing its weight behind the Apple-approved standard, also announced its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 will not use Adobe Flash for video playback.

“Microsoft is deeply engaged in the HTML5 process with the W3C,” the Redmond, Wash.-based company announced in on its Internet Explorer blog. “HTML5 will be very important in advancing rich, interactive web applications and site design,” IE General Manager Dean Hachamovitch adds.

How much would you pay for your favorite print magazine to appear on the iPad? That’s the question some magazine publishers are asking themselves, including the makers of Popular Science. Pop Science is charging $4.99 per iPad issue, or nearly half the price for an entire year’s subscription to their traditional format. What’s been the readers’ reaction? So far, so good.

“We’re trying to make our readers not feel like we’re slapping them in the face as we explore this new world,” Popular Science chief editor Mark Jannot told the audience at Tabula Rasa NYC, a conference of publishing and media experts. While the iPad edition of Popular Science is currently $4.99, a year-long subscription to the print version costs $12.

We start off with another deal on MacBook Pros. This offer includes a number of MacBook Pros, starting at $1,349 for a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo. Also on tap is a deal on a 8GB iPod touch for $170. Finally, we round out our top trio with a deal on an iBook G4 (2.66GHz) with a 12-inch screen for $300.

Along the way, we’ll check out new software deals for the Mac, iPhone and iPad, as well as intriguing hardware bargains for the Mac fan. As always, details on all of these item, plus many more, are available on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page, starting right after the jump.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said Thursday his company and Adobe have “grown apart” as he claims the Cupertino, Calif. company moves beyond the PC era into an age of mobility. In an open letter entitled “Thoughts on Flash,” the co-founder of the computer company outlined his reasons for breaking away from the traditional Web animation application.

Jobs said his objections to Flash center on six issues, including openness, reliability and security.

Amid speculation of when the iPhone 4G will be officially released and a brewing court battle over its premature disclosure by a gadget blog, manufacturers are already ramping up production of Apple’s upcoming handset, reports suggest. LG Innotek has starting making the 5-megapixel camera and could reach full-tilt by July, according to a Korean publication.

“LG Innotek will supply 5-megapixel cameras for Apple’s next-generation smartphone, the iPhone 4G,” reports the Chosun Ibo. Production began this month with mass-production expected in the second half of 2010.

We start off with two more deals on MacBook Pros. First are a number of unibody MacBook Pros, including a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo unit for $929. Next are some MacBook Pro deals that include AppleCare, starting at $1,358 for a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo computer with AppleCare. Finally, there is a deal on iPods, including a 8GB iPod nano for $99.

Along the way, we check out apps for the iPhone and iPad, as well as cases for your iPhone. Details on these and many other items are available at CoM’s Daily Deal page, which begins right after the jump.

Retail sales of Apple products grew 8 percent during the March quarter, an analyst said Wednesday. What’s even more intriguing was a 21.3 percent jump in Mac sales during a period when no new Apple computers were introduced.

Charlie Wolf, analyst with Needham & Company, told investors the March performance followed 19.8 percent year-over-year growth of same-store sales in December, a traditionally-strong period. Even more dramatic was March’s increase served as a nearly mirror image of a year ago, when Mac retail sales were down almost 22 percent.

Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be June 7 through June 11 in San Francisco, Calif.’s Mascone Center, the Cupertino, Calif. consumer electronics firm announced Wednesday. The event could also serve to introduce the iPhone 4G, Apple’s next-generation handset which Gizmodo unofficially announced earlier this month.

Historically, the WWDC has been used to unveil new Apple products. The iPhone 3GS was introduced at last year’s conference, which ran June 8 through June 12. Some analysts believe the leak of a prototype iPhone 4G would force Apple to introduce a new handset earlier than planned, as Cult of Mac reported Tuesday.

We start off with a new batch of lower prices on some App Store items, including “Guerrilla Bob,” a third-person shooter. Everyone has their 15 minutes of fame, and I guess it’s Gray Powell’s turn. Don’t know the name? Powell is reportedly the Apple engineer that helped exposed the iPhone 4G prototype. Get a t-shirt and become part of the “in” crowd. (Woz even has one.) Also on tap is a deal on a family pack of Apple’s MobileMe “cloud” services.

We also check out other items, including “Super Turbo Action Pig,” and iPhone game where a pig gets his revenge, tracking down the butcher. There are other Mac-related bargains, of course, such as MYOB’s AccountEdge and more. As always, details on everything is available on CoM’s “Daily Deals” page, which starts right after the jump.