Apple has begun issuing its employees with Apple-branded hoodies as a thank you for all their hard work during a terrific year for the Cupertino company. In addition to a free hoody, employees also got extra vacation time over Thanksgiving, and some departments were given personalized noted from higher-level staff, according to 9to5Mac.
Having been forgotten at Apple’s ‘Let’s talk iPhone’ event back in October, the completely redesigned iPhone 5 is now on track for a Fall 2012 launch, according to a “close source” who is familiar with Apple’s plans. And like the iPad, the sixth-generation device will reportedly sport an aluminum rear casing, with a rubberized bezel much like Apple’s iPhone 4 bumper cases.
Just got an iPad for the holidays? You lucky sod! You scored the crown jewel, the Big Tamale — the most marvelous gadget Apple has ever made. Yes, go ahead, pick up its slim aluminum frame and dive right in — Steve knew that’s what you wanted to do, and he designed the iPad so you could do just that.
We want to make sure you get everything right though, and we know there are a few key setup tricks along the way that new (and even some not-so-new) iPad users miss. So take a look at the short list of steps we’ve lined up here. They won’t take long, and they’ll make sure you get the best out of your iPad 2. Ready? Here we go.
2011 has been Apple’s most incredible year left. Heck, they’ve released more revolutionary products in this year alone than most companies manage in a generation. So we knew it would be difficult when we asked you to help us choose Apple’s best products of 2011. Now the results are in, and we’ve whittled the list down to just the finalists. Check out the finalists below, then help us choose just one of them that we’ll declare to be the best Apple product of 2011 in next week’s Cult of Mac Best Of 2011 awards.
Henry D. is an awesome boy hacker out of the UK, and this video of him “pwning” a local Apple Store is just too cute and funny for words.
Remember the infamous Steve Jobs put-down of 7-inch tablet screens, telling reporters buyers would need to file down their fingertips in order to use the darn thing? Although we don’t see tinier fingers becoming the in-style for Christmas, suppliers are pumping out more 7-inch screens for the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet and fewer 9.7-inch displays for the iPad 2.
Can Apple save print journalism? That’s the question in our minds upon learning the parent company of USA Today has hoarded thousands of iPhones and iPods to provide newsrooms in January. The aim is to help journalists focus on a faster news cycle, including increased use of video to tell stories.
Yesterday, we reported about an explosion at a Shanghai iPad 2 factory owned by Foxconn that injured 61 people, some seriously. It’s the second time in the last year an explosion has rocked an iPad 2 factory, and it’s now been seemingly confirmed that both explosions happened for the same reason: a build-up of aluminum dust in the factory area that eventually combusted.
Psst. You wanna buy a stolen iPhone or iPad? New York City police say the iPhone is such in demand shop owners will buy the handset even when they know the device was stolen. The NYPD recently arrested 141 employees who purchased hot iPhones to sell at pawnshops, grocery stores and barbershops.
Ever noticed that slapping a case on your iPad somewhat restricts its 3G signal? That’s because your iPad is equipped with a clever proximity sensor that reduces the power of its 3G sensor by as much as 75% when it detects your device is close to your body, thereby reducing your exposure to harmful radiation.
Unfortunately the sensor isn’t clever enough to work out the difference between your body and a protective case, so as soon as it comes into contact with a case its 3G signal is restricted. However, this particular case from Pong Research not only prevents your iPad from limiting its 3G signal — giving you faster, more reliable data — but it also redistributes its radiation away from your body.
A Pegatron plant in Shanghai, China, where rear panels for Apple’s iPad will be manufactured, suffered an explosion over the weekend which hospitalized 23 workers and injured a further 38. Though the explosion did not cause a fire, according to a Reuters report, the Pegatron factory reports there is “some damage” to machinery.
New tablets from booksellers Amazon and Barnes & Noble are chipping away at the iPad’s commanding lead of the market. The Kindle Fire is expected to be the strongest challenger, dropping Apple’s market share below 60 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, analysts write today.
The booster rockets have yet to stop for iPhone demand. That’s the word from one Wall Street analyst expecting sales of Apple’s handset to be 30 percent higher than predicted for the December quarter – and even more in 2012.
I’ve been so excited for the iOS port of Grand Theft Auto 3 that as soon as I opened my eyes this morning, I reached over to my iPhone and checked the App Store to see if it had arrived. (Sad, I know.) As promised, it was there, and having played it for a little while this morning, I can assure you it’s better than you ever imagined.
From the cockpit to the squad car and everywhere in between, 2011 was the year the iPad became a part of business. Throughout the year, we’ve introduced a number of jobs that have adopted the iPad and we return to see how Apple’s tablet has reshaped industries big and small. In fact, the jet you take for your holiday travel may be co-piloted by the iPad 2.
iOS hacker and Chronic Dev-Team member Pod2g is making quite a name for himself right now as he works away on an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5. According to his latest blog posts, he has now completed the code for an untethered jailbreak on all A4-powered devices, suggesting a public release of the exploit isn’t too far away.
We all know how the mano a mano duel between an iPad and a blender turns out, but what happens when you open up an iPad 2 and then plop it down in some molten lava? That’s just what accessory maker ZooGue wanted to find out, so they jumped on a plane to Hawaii and then threw their iPad 2 into a volcano.
The result? Pretty much as you expect: the iPad 2 complains about the heat for awhile, then bursts into flame and melts into metallic goo. It’s strangely cathartic, but that’s doubtless because it’s not my iPad 2.
[via NeoWin]
Treating yourself to an iPad 2 this Christmas? Well, you may want to hold onto your cash for a few months. According to sources in Apple’s supply chain, manufacturers have already begun shipping parts and components for the iPad 3, which is expected to launch in just 3–4 months.
It could easily be imagined that the bookbinding industry is struggling to survive these days. As books cross over in ever-increasing numbers into the digital world, the demand for physical books have disappeared — and with it, the niche crafts that help create them. Ironic, then, that what’s breathing life into the industry now is that which began to kill it: e-books, e-readers and tablets (and in this case, the iPad 2 specifically).
Like the FieldFolio case Killian reviewed last week, Pad & Quill’s Contega Case for iPad 2 ($90) is a devilishly handsome iPad case that harnesses the mystic craft of bookbinding to create a stylish book-like home for the iPad 2. Unlike the FieldFolio though, Pad & Quill has given the Contega a large dose of practicality.
Earlier this morning, we told you about a promising untethered jailbreak for most older devices capable of running iOS 5. Unfortunately, though, this jailbreak will only work on past-gen devices like the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, and the iPod touch.
Why? So far, the A5 chip inside of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S have proven impossible to jailbreak by conventional methods. The iPad 2 was jailbreakable under iOS 4.3.3 thanks to the JailbreakMe 3.0 userland exploit, but since then, no further jailbreaks — tethered or untethered — have been identified.
Here’s the good news, though. French jailbreaker Pod2G just took to his Twitter feed and while he didn’t confirm his new jailbreak exploit would work on the iPhone 4S or iPad 2, he at least suggested that it was possible it would. Could this be the ray of hope every iPhone 4S owner has been looking for?
Are you a rag-swaddled, impoverished soul, prowling the cold, ice-swept streets in an O. Henry-esque search for the perfect Christmas gift that can be had for your loved one for less than $420? The Spirit of Christmas is here with the deal for you: Apple has just dropped the price of all their refurbished iPad 2s, and they now start at just $419.
According to Japanese Mac blog Macotakara, the iPad 3 will be backwards compatible with current Smart Covers, despite the fact that it will be so thick as to not work with iPad 2 cases.
Macotakara claims that they don’t know the reason the iPad 3 will be thicker than the iPad 2, but we do: it’s necessary in order to install the twin-light system needed to lluminate the iPad 3’s Retina Display.
As for the image above, your guess is as good as ours. Macotakara seems to think it somehow relates to an iPad 3, so maybe it’s the unbranded aluminum back panel of one or something? As for the Smart Cover backwards compatibility, considering that all that is necessary to keep a Smart Cover on are magnets in the right places, I wouldn’t be surprised if Smart Covers continued to be backwards compatible for future iPads for many generations to come.
The FieldFolio case ($70) for iPad 2 is an innovative case that’s inspired by classic cloth-bound notebooks. It’s manufactured by hand from recycled board and cotton-blend bookbinding linens, and traditionally bound just like a real book. But instead of paper inside it, you’ll find a custom-fit cradle that houses your iPad.
While Apple computers today are famous for their svelte aluminum enclosures, the company’s first machine — born way back in 1976 — was made out of wood. In a bid to bring back that look, the iStation dock attempts turns your iPad 2 into the original Apple Computer.
Because hanging a fragile slate of glass and aluminum from a thin twig of Christmas fir is a road to ruin: these iPad 2 and iPhone 4 Christmas Tree ornaments.
Don’t expect anything fancy — they are strictly two-dimensional, printed from photo-quality paper and backed by high-quality cardboard. Heck, you could probably save $11.00 and make them yourself from paper lying around your office. Still, ’tis the season to spend lots of cash on silly ornaments…
