Despite medical leave, Apple CEO Steve Jobs intros the iPad 2

First things first: Steve Jobs made an appearance, and he actually look good. The Apple CEO appeared at the iPad 2 event on Wednesday, March 2, 10AM PST, in San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Of course, typical of these Apple events, the first portion of it was mostly back-slapping (of itself). Apple indicated that while iPad has some 65,000 iPad optimized apps, Honeycomb (Android 3.0) has only 100. Of course, they ignored the fact that most (not all) apps scale quite well on Honeycomb, as opposed to the initial iPad experience with 2X zoom mode when it first launched.

One commenter at Technologizer said:

as usual, he's also misinformed. Honeycomb doesn't need a special version if you code your app right.

Additionally, Steve Jobs used a quote from Samsung VP Lee Young-hee, which indicated that "sell-out" of the Samsung Galaxy S was "quite small." That was later corrected by Samsung, who said it was a translation error and was in fact "quite smooth."

While most were expecting a device with only tweaks, the iPad 2 was, according to Apple, a completely new design. It is 33 percent thinner (8.8mm vs. 13.4mm), 1.3 pounds vs. 1.5 pounds. It will ship in both white and black (as rumored, and no problems with white, apparently, as they said it will ship in white from day one). It will have front- and rear-facing cameras, and will ship in both CDMA and GSM models as well. No Thunderbolt I/O connector is listed in the specs on Apple's site, so that did not come to fruition.

Despite hardware changes, the iPad 2 will maintains the same battery life as before.  Despite hardware changes, the iPad 2 will maintains the same battery life as before.  that's including the A5 processor, which is dual-core and will reportedly offer 2x the CPU performance and 9x the graphics performance.

Pricing will remain the same. That will mean for wi-fi only devices $499, $599, $699 for 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models, respectively. 3G models will be $130 extra. The "magical" iPad 2 will ship on March 11 in the U.S. with availability in 26 more countries 2 weeks later.  [Correction: Jobs clearly said it would ship March 11, but the website says you can order it on March 11.  Perhaps he meant order and ship ... ... and perhaps they will be in stores that day.]

The older model of the iPad is currently $100 off across the board. That means a 16GB wi-fi only model is now $399, and the highest priced iPad (1) is $729, down from $829.

There will be an HDMI dongle that attaches to the iPad 2's standard connector port. There will also be a new case, or rather, a new cover: Apple is calling it a Smart Cover. It fits on the front of the device, just covering the glass, and attaches with magnets that auto-align it.

It comes in polyurethane ($39) or leather ($69). The device sleeps when the cover is on, and auto-wakes when it is removed. The cover can be folded into various shapes for different uses (like a triangle for supporting the device by having it lean against it).

Additional tech specs:

• One big problem with all these tablets is fingerprints on the screen. Apple was expected to add a new coating to reduce that, and they have, calling it a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
• Back camera supports HD (720p) and still images with 5x digital zoom
• Front camera VGA for FaceTime support and still images as well

Apple also described its upcoming iOS 4.3 release. Of note is the fact that the release will only cover iPad, iPhone (GSM) and iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation only). Verizon iPhone 4s will be out of luck, at least at first.


Apple showed off a number of iPad apps, as well, including a new version of iMovie for the iPad, which will be be $4.99 in the App Store, available on March 11th, launch date for the iPad 2. Also, Garage Band for the iPad was demo'ed, and it's also $4.99 on March 11, available in the App Store.

And the iPad 2 is on sale. Likely, Apple has convinced many to buy the iPad 2, and Motorola is probably disappointed that Apple has launched the iPad 2 so close to the launch of the Motorola Xoom, although its specs, and price, are right in line or better than the iPad 2.

And the site is back (as Apple usually takes it down for this sort of launch) and fans of magical devices can start ordering right now. Watch the iPad 2 introduction by Steve Jobs below.

BlackBerry PlayBook to launch to retail on April 10: report

As hard as it may be to believe, there are other tablets besides the iPad (and perhaps, the Motorola Xoom), and one of them is the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Multiple sources have told BGR that RIM first tablet, the PlayBook, will launch to retail on April 10th. They've also told the site that while the OS goes GM (gold master) on March 31 folks will get an OS update notification immediately upon booting up the device.

The BlackBerry PlayBook will run RIM's new OS, QNX, and possibly run Android apps, as well. It will come with a 7-inch, 1024 x 600, capacitive multitouch display, a Cortex A9-based, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 3-megapixel front-facing camera along with a 5-megapixel rear- facing camera.

The first version will be wi-fi only, although users can pair with their BlackBerry smartphone to have cellular connectivity. Of course, they could also use a Droid X or iPhone 4 as a hotspot, instead. RIM will ship 3G and 4G versions later.

Watch a BlackBerry PlayBook video below.

Via: BGR

@ceoSteveJobs parody Twitter account gets the axe

In early January it was reported that Apple had complained to Twitter about the @ceoSteveJobs parody account. On March 2, it appears that the hammer has fallen.

The @ceoSteveJobs account no longer exists. The original complaint was that the name of the account did not conform to the appropriate Twitter terms of service for parody accounts, which said:

The username should not be the exact name of the subject of the parody, commentary, or fandom; to make it clearer, you should distinguish the account with a qualifier such as "not," "fake," or "fan."

Steve Jobs does not have a Twitter accound of his own, but the parody account had, in the past, been mistaken for a real account. A famous example of this was last year, when the U.K.'s Daily Mail quoted a post that said Apple might have have to recall the iPhone 4 (shown above).

The Tweet (now deleted, along with the account) said,

We may have to recall the new iPhone. This, I did not expect.

The actual owner of the account was warned of the violation. However, although he changed the bio on the account to read:

"More than meets the i. As you should expect from a parody account."

he did not change the name. At the time of the warning, he was concerned that changing the name would ruin all the fun, and that all the "good" Steve Jobs usernames with "fake" were taken.

With the user being deleted, the fun is gone for good now.  At the time of its deletion it had over 460,000 followers.

Via: GeekSmack

Charlie Sheen's new Twitter account gaining about 2,000 followers per minute

Charlie Sheen has said that his multiple appearances on various talk shows like "The Today Show," "20/20" and "Piers Morgan Tonight" have all been about spreading the "truth." What better way, however, to spread it, than via Twitter.

In fact, the Charlie Sheen Twitter account, which was created on March 1st, already has over 400,000 followers. He's only following 10 people himself, however, including porn star Bree Olsen, Piers Morgan (who seemed to soft pedal questions to Sheen on Monday night), Howard Stern, Alyssa Milano, and a few more.

Obviously his choice of Bree Olsen makes sense, as does his choice of Piers Morgan and Stern. Sheen appeared on Stern's show on Tuesday, where he said,

"I have to right this unconscionable wrong. I have to take a stand ... many people are suffering and I'm the only guy who can effect a change."Despite asking for a raise on Monday, Sheen is now saying that his greatest interest is in making sure the staff on his show are paid. That would be what he means when he says "people are suffering," speaking of the hiatus of his show and its effects on the crew of his show.

In terms of his own image, Sheen said,

"I don't have much of a reputation left to ruin."Charlie Sheen's Twitter account is indeed verified, so we know it's valid. lHe describes himself as an "unemploye winner" although there's been no confirmation that his show "Two and a Half Men" is cancelled permanently. He's only Tweeted three times so far, including:

Winning..! Choose your Vice... #winning #chooseyourvicehttp://twitpic.com/455ly9

Just got invited to do the Nancy Grace show... I'd rather go on a long road trip with Chuck Lorre in a '75 Pacer....

Winner..! 2012... #winner http://twitpic.com/4575pdHe continues to rapidly gain followers, and that should show CBS that perhaps the people are behind Charlie. It could also mean that people are following Charlie Sheen on Twitter in hopes of another outlandish statement, like his famous:

“I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available because if you try it once you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”Update: As of early Wednesday morning (PST) Sheen now has close to 750,000 followers. He's added six more that he follows, including World Champion San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson, who drew attention recently for visiting Sheen.

Via: TechCrunch

Verizon Wireless to end unlimited data plans by mid-summer: CFO

Verizon Wireless CFO Fran Shammo, speaking at a Morgan Stanley investor conference on Tuesday, March 1, let loose with the news that Verizon would be targeting mid-summer for an overhaul of its data plans, with tiered pricing coming. Naturally, that sounds like it will arrive right at the same time that the iPhone 5 does.

Why did we do the unlimited $30 plan on the iPhone? Well, the reason we did that was we didn't really want to put up a barrier to anybody who wanted to come over and experience the Verizon Wireless network. So we felt it was important to go out at the $30.

But I think everybody would know that that is not a long-term strategy. That we are going to move to a tiered price [level]. So we will probably do that probably in the mid-summer timeframe, somewhere in that perspective.

Shammo didn't go into details on how the plans might work, although he mentioned that the HTC Thunderbolt, the first LTE handset on their network, will (when it launches) give buyers an idea of how things will work. At the same time, Shammo kept mentioning the $50 a month for 5GB / $80 a month for 10GB LTE modem data plan prices, which could be a clue to (we hope) upper level tiers on the network.

However, the carrier is reportedly still unclear on how it wants to generate those tiers. It could do so via amount of data, or on speed, or on some combination of the two. It is also unclear if Verizon would allow grandfathering in of existing customers with unlimited data packages.

Via: Reuters, Verizon

Best Buy deletes iPad from inventory systems, lending credence to early iPad 2 release rumor

Possible further evidence that Apple may be planning a surprise for the iPad 2 event scheduled for Wednesday comes via this new report. A Best Buy source told MacRumors that all iPad models have now show a status of "deleted" at the source's store.

The source further provided screenshots which showed both the 16GB wi-fi-only and 16GB 3G iPads as "deleted" in the store's inventory system. Although it was clear from Apple's invitation to tomorrow's event (10AM PST in San Francisco) that it would be an iPad event, it is (as always) unclear when the device will hit retail.

However, rumors have indicated that Apple might introduce the new iPad 2 into retail quickly, as quickly as the same week, to offset the expected wave of Honeycomb-based Android tablets that launched on Feb. 24 with the Motorola Xoom.

Via: AppleInsider, MacRumors

iPad 2 a lukewarm upgrade; iPad 3 the exciting one, coming later in 2011: report

Echoing earlier rumors that the iPad 2 would be more of an interim update, a new rumor on March 1, on the eve of the iPad 2 event, says that it's the iPad 3, not the iPad 2, that consumers really will get excited about.

The report comes from an Apple staffer, who told Cult of Mac that:

“For the iPad 2 don’t get your hopes up too high. That’s all I’m going to say. They’ve had a number of problems along the way, and the third-generation iPad is the one to make a song and a dance about.”

That makes the iPad 2 sound much like the iPhone 3G to iPhone 3GS upgrade: not too exciting externally. The anonymous source added that the iPad 3 is on track for later this year, which is something that was discussed earlier: a possible early refresh cycle around the time of the iPod refresh for the iPad 3.

Meanwhile, the source added that MobileMe is being updated with cloud storage features. This is something that has also been rumored of late. Those reportedly include the storage of music, TV shows, and films that were purchased from iTunes. The source also said there was some discussion to allow uploading of non-iTunes purchased content, as well.

Everything about the iPad 2, however, is really innuendo and rumor. What is assumed is that the device will maintain its 9.7-inch screen, its 1024 x 768 resolution, while adding more RAM, a dual-core processor, and at the very least a front-facing FaceTime camera and perhaps a rear-facing one as well.

Serbian boy less magnetic, more sticky: experts

The famed "magnetic boy" has been debunked, according to a report issued on Feb. 28. Rather than having a truly attractive personality, instead the boy is just sticky, reported LiveScience.

The news comes despite video demonstrations of the abilities of the 7-year-old Serbian boy, named (below), which also have been debunked by the experts and respondents in the report. For one, Benjamin Radford, managing editor of the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, noted there are several clues in the video and in similar reports:

"A lot of times when you see these videos, the people are leaning back slightly [which is visible in the video below; Bogdan appears to be leaning back slightly]. If there really is some magnetic attraction, the person should be able to lean over. If a magnetic force is overcoming gravity, we should see that. That's one strong clue that what we're seeing is not any sort of magnetism."

In addition, non-metallic objects are shown sticking to the boy's chest, and Radford adds,

"Glass is not magnetic. If a smooth piece of glass is sticking to him and a smooth piece of metal, what do those have in common? A very smooth surface. Not magnetism. These people aren't magnetic, it's just that things that have smooth surfaces stick to skin. Often these magnetic people have smooth skin and hairless chests."

Indeed, a seven-year-old doesn't usually have any hair on their chest.

Sadie Crabtree of the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF), an organization that funds the scientific investigation of paranormal claims, said:

"Skin is naturally slightly sticky, and some types of skin are probably stickier than others. But this is really no different than the trick where someone hangs a spoon from the end of their nose. It's just sticking through friction."

James Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic. He is best-known as a critic and challenger of those making paranormal and pseudoscience claims.

Additionally, the sweatier a person is, the stickier he is. Elmar Kroner, a German materials scientist said,

"The sweat has a crucial function: With increasing wetness of the skin, its mechanical properties change. The skin becomes softer, and this reduces the elastically-stored energy of the skin and again leads to higher adhesion."

This effect is apparent to those parents whose kids get very sweaty when running around playing. They often feel quite sticky as a result.

So, faux or real? Take a look at the video below and decide yourself.

Would a Steve Jobs appearance at iPad 2 event be too distracting?

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is considering attending the iPad 2 event on Wednesday, March 2, according to several anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation. The report came via Boomtown, on March 1, the day before the iPad 2 event.

The iPad 2 event is scheduled for March 2 at 10AM PST in San Francisco. Apple will hold the event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where it has held several past product introductions.

Steve Jobs is currently on medical leave from Apple, with Tim Cook handling day-to-day activities. However, he's been seen at Apple's campus, and an appearance at the iPad 2 event would go a long way to dispelling rumors that the Apple executive has only weeks to live.

At the same time, however, it would detract from the iPad 2 itself, and that's something that has to weigh on Jobs. Much of the attention of attendees would be focused on Jobs rather than the product, as people try to figure out if he is ill or how ill he is.

When Steve Jobs has missed product introductions before, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP of worldwide product marketing has hosted the event. It's believed that Schiller is more comfortable with the presentation necessary for a product launch, and that is why he presents rather than COO Tim Cook.


At the same time, Apple could have him come out at the very end, as a sort of "One More Thing" homage to him.
The iPad 2 is expected to be slimmer, sleeker, lighter, perhaps come in white as well as black, and have at least one forward-facing camera for FaceTime support. It will likely have a dual-core CPU, increased RAM, but retain the same screen size and resolution. It's also possible that the iPad 2 will carry Apple and Intel's new Thunderbolt I/O connection technology.

Google's in-app payment system coming to Android in May

It's coming; it's coming. The long-awaited in-app purchasing feature is coming to Android in May, according to a report in TechCrunch on Tuesday, March 1.

TC's report bases its info on an email that Jambool began sending, also on March 1. Jambool is a company that was acquired by Google last August. The company has a product called "Social Gold" that, as described by Wikipedia, "enables developers to create and manage their own white-labeled virtual currency, to provide an in-app payments experience to their users, and to optimize their virtual economy using analytics."


The email to Social Gold users said:

Hello,

Thank you for your use of the Jambool Social Gold platform. As you know, Jambool was acquired by Google last August. This acquisition meant that some changes to our business were inevitable, and we’d like to share them with you today.

First, the existing Jambool Social Gold product will be discontinued in favor of a new Google in-app payment product in May 2011. Rest assured that you will be able to sign in to the Jambool merchant console through September 2011, and you will receive year-end financial statements in February 2012.

Second, we’d like to invite you to participate in the pre-release beta of the Google in-app payment system. This system will enable developers to accept payments within an app, but it will not have the full functionality of Social Gold at launch. We understand that this will not meet the needs of all developers currently using Social Gold, but we highly encourage interested developers to join the Google in-app payments beta by submitting your information at http://google.com/checkout/inapp.

Again, we thank you for your flexibility during this transition period. Please feel free to respond to this email with any questions about your Jambool account or the new Google in-app payment product.

Sincerely,

The Jambool Team

The email is pretty clear: the Social Gold product is going away, at the end of May, Android's new in-apps payment system will replace them, but it won't offer all the functionality of Social Gold (which obviously isn't good for developers who are already using that system).

In-app payments are of course, important for mobile developers, so they can add levels or additional functionality or content. Apple certainly recognizes this, and so does Rovio, who went and established its own system after waiting (and waiting).