Author Archives: AppleBitch

Microsoft Office App For iPad Screenshot

Posted on February 21, 2012 by AppleBitch


Following on from their launch of MS Office OnLive for iPad, Microsoft appear to have decided to go one further and release a native Microsoft Office iPad app. According to some screenshots leaked by The Daily, the new Office iPad app has wrapped development and will soon be getting submitted to the Apple review team for inclusion on the iOS App Store.

According to the report, sources who had some hands on time with the app are reporting an interface that has strong similarities to the UI in the Windows Phone and the upcoming Windows 8 OS. The app is initially allowing Word, Excel and Powerpoint files to be created or edited on the iPad itself, but there is no word on a release date as yet.
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Rumor: iPhone 5 For Fall 2012 Launch

Posted on February 20, 2012 by AppleBitch


The next version of the iPhone, the iPhone 5 if following historical nomenclature, will be released by Apple in the Fall of this year, according to Japanese site Macotakara. The site reports that they have some reliable Asian sources that suggest that the company is establishing a new release schedule for the iPhone and will be maintaining a Fall release date for the next generation iPhone, as they did with the iPhone 4S.

Initially, new iPhone models were released in the summer time frame, around June or July. However, when the summer of 2011 passed by without so much as a glimpse of the iPhone 4S, there was much tearing of hair as consumers tried to work out how this would affect their upgrade cycle. The launch of the iPhone 4S in October was, therefore, a relief.
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iPad 3 Screen Confirmed As Retina Display

Posted on February 18, 2012 by AppleBitch


A screen which is believed to be destined for the iPad 3 has been put under a microscope and confirmed to have four times as many pixels as the existing iPad 2 models, essentially making the Retina Display enabled iPad 3 a foregone conclusion. Intrepid investigators at MacRumors managed to secure a screen believed to be produced for the iPad 3 and, after close microscopic examination, have found that it carries a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels in a 9.7 inch display, meaning that the device will have display quality similar to that found in the iPhone 4 and 4S.

As suggested, the increased resolution means that the device will now support what Apple has termed the ‘Retina Display’. This means that the pixel density is so great that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels on the screen. This also means that, with the proportional scaling up of the display, iOS developers will have little trouble scaling up their apps for the new display.
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Apple Announces 25 Billion Apps Competition

Posted on February 17, 2012 by AppleBitch


Apple has today announced the launch of a competition with a $10,000 prize for the person that downloads the 25 billionth app from the App Store. The celebration reflects the fact that the App Store is approaching 25 billion downloads since launch and Apple wants to celebrate it in style. The lucky person who downloads the 25 billionth app will receive an iTunes gift card worth $10,000.

Entrants can either enter the traditional way and try to peg when the 10 billionth download will take place or you can complete an entry form (up to 25 per day).
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Apple Announces OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

Posted on February 16, 2012 by AppleBitch


Apple has today announced the next version of the Mac OS X operating system version 10.8, codenamed Mountain Lion. The new operating system will include over 100 new features, some of which inspired by features that have historically been offered in the iOS operating system for Apple mobile devices. As it currently stands, those wishing to get a glimpse of the new OS can visit the Mountain Lion preview page on Apple’s website. For registered members of Apple’s Developer Program, an early developer preview is being offered for download and installation.

Mountain Lion will bring a whole host of new features such as Messages which is a replacement for iChat and will allow users to receive and send iMessages on their Mac. In addition, the new OS will bring Reminders and Notes apps, familiar to iOS users. For gamers, Game Center will also be making an appearance on the Mac. A great new feature will also be Notification Center which will act much in the same way as Growl and bring desktop notifications for programs like e-mail and Twitter, fully integrated into Mountain Lion, to the Mac.
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Keep Clear: When An App Goes Viral

Posted on February 15, 2012 by AppleBitch


There is a thin line between success and failure on the iOS App Store, particularly given the fact that there is now in excess of half a million apps on the Store and there can be only so many at the top. What makes an app hit the heady heights of apps like Angry Birds, Reeder, Path or Instapaper? Some rely on functionality, some rely on heavy marketing and some rely on a sexy UI. That’s where the Clear app comes in.

Clear is a to-do list app that was released today onto the iOS App Store for $0.99. The app, it’s pre-release popularity bolstered by heavy marketing and a resultant high amount of anticipation will likely hit the top seller list very, very quickly. The app itself looks very simple, allowing the user to utilize a wide range of multi-touch gestures to control the app and compile to-do lists in an easy and fun manner.
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Rumor: March 7th Is The Day Of The iPad 3

Posted on February 14, 2012 by AppleBitch


March 7th is apparently going to be the day when Apple is planning on unveiling the iPad 3 to the world. This is according to a new report from iMore who are suggesting that Apple will host a media event in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, located in San Francisco. The YBCA is no stranger to iPad announcements because Apple also happened to choose this venue for the launch of both the iPad and the iPad 2.

The source of the information is unclear but, according to the site, have been reliable in the past. Certainly the day is free in the YBCA calendar and fits with previous reports that Apple would introduce the device in the first week of March.
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A Crazy Experience: Buying An iPhone 4S In Hong Kong

Posted on February 13, 2012 by AppleBitch


The iPhone 4S recently launched in China to massive crowds and overwhelming demand. Eager punters looking to get hold of the device have caused such problems, and sometimes, riots at Apple retail stores, that Apple has had to implement a lottery system in Hong Kong. The incredible demand for the device, helped in no small part by a huge number of scalpers looking to get hold of multiple iPhone 4S units for sale on the grey market.

The lottery system implemented by Apple means that Hong Kong residents have to enter a lottery between 9am and 12pm each morning in order to secure an appointment at the Apple Store to potentially purchase an iPhone 4S. The lottery requires that entrants supply the number printed on their government-issued ID, as well as being limited to two units per person. Having had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong in the past few days, I decided to look at what the iPhone 4S market in Hong Kong is actually like, as well as conducting a small experiment. The results were weird.
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NYT Adopts Apple Marketing Speak To Describe iPad 3 Screen

Posted on February 9, 2012 by AppleBitch


A new article from the New York Times has popped up following the sharp increase in the number of leaks and new information concerning the specifications and launch date of Apple’s iPad 3. The publication gushes over the as yet unannounced device by saying that it will have a ‘truly amazing’ screen. In a report that confirms what is already known, the publication suggests that the new device will be going all out and will have a greatly upgraded screen, improved processor and that the size and shape will not differ dramatically from the iPad 2.

Sadly the NYT article stops short of noting that the iPad 3 would change everything again or that it would be even harder to put down that the iPad 2, but still lends its support to the claims that the iPad 3 will be a much faster device. With component leaks seemingly occurring on an hourly basis, it does seems pretty certain now that the iPad 3 will also have a highly desirable screen, multi-touch and multi-talented, which will be good for work, play and everything in between.
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iPad 3 Launch Date Will Be First Week In March

Posted on February 9, 2012 by AppleBitch


A new report has popped up from the well-sourced AllThingsD which is suggesting that Apple will be holding a launch event for the iPad 3 in the first week of March. The report suggests that the event will be held in San Francisco at either the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts or else the Moscone Center, and that the device may go on sale quite quickly after the media event, perhaps even within a week or so.

The report goes on to say that the device will be pretty much in line with the rumors surrounding the specifications which mean that it will likely ship with a greatly improved Retina Display, thought to be at 2048 x 1536. In addition, there will be a much faster processor inside, suggesting that it will include a new A6 processor, perhaps even quad-core, rather than dual core (in contrast to a recent rumor). The device will also reportedly have greatly upgraded cameras.
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