• Amazon Launches Web-Based Kindle Cloud Reader

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Books, Cloud, News 1 Response

    While Apple was harsh with their recent changes to the iOS terms. many expected the big players in eBook world will have to pull their apps. It seems Amazon’s popular Kindle app adheres to Apple’s terms But at the same time, they were also working on an alternative.

    Amazon and its Kindle brand are making some new moves today on iOS with a brand new amazing WebApp.

    Branded Cloud reader, Amazon’s new Web-based Kindle reader is one of the most accomplished HTML5 WebApps you’ve probably seen so far. As its name indicates, it’s an eBook reader that lives in the clouds, or more precisely, in your browser. It’s aimed to work with any browser (besides the iPhone for now), but the app seems to feel particularly at home on the iPad, especially once you add it to your home screen and get rid of the url bar.

    As you would expect, the app lets you log in to your Amazon account, access all your books, and read them. It’s very well done, and while the animations and looks of the reading mode aren’t as good as iBook’s, the WebApp is still fully capable of downloading books for offline reading, changing fonts, or accessing your notes. Downloading books will even count against your download limit. Swiping through pages is done through simple taps or gestures.

    On the downside, purchasing books is still done through Amazon’s website, and the experience isn’t as great as it could be. This is a smart move by Amazon, isn’t it?!

    [via TechCrunch ]

  • Could Apple be Worth $1 Trillion?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, News, Rants & Raves 1 Response

    Apple, the $347 billion maker of iPhones and iPads became, although briefly, the most valuable company in the US when it passed Exxon Mobil yesterday. It lasted a few hours until the market put Exxon back on top. Is it a hint at brighter future for Apple?

    According to NYtimes, Robert Cyran doesn’t understand why Apple isn’t headed straight towards hitting the $1 Trillion mark.

    Apple’s sales have been surging 80 percent a year, and its profit faster. What’s more, it trades roughly in line with the growing stock market — and at less than half the price-to-earnings multiple it fetched in 2006, when revenue growth was much slower. Apple now trades at about 11 times estimated earnings for the fiscal year ending September 2012. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index is valued at about 10 times next year’s profit. But Apple’s sales growth is nearly 10 times faster than that of the average company. Apple also holds $76 billion of cash and investments.

    So, what’s the deal?

    Put Apple on the same P/E multiple it traded on in 2006, and it would be worth almost $900 billion. A premium for today’s faster growth could get it to $1 trillion. Apple can’t be so cheap just because Steven P. Jobs, the chief executive, is in bad health.

  • Google+ for iOS Now Available For iPad and iPod Touch [Updated]

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Download, google, How To, iPad, Tutorials No Responses

    Waiting for Google+ app on your your iPad or iPod touch? You can update the now-universal version right away.

    The update comes with more control over huddle feature via the app, as well as aggregated circle add notifications, stability improvements, and bug fixes.

    Download the latest Google+ update here.

    There is no native iPad app yet but I have activated the version and now works natively. Check screenshots below:

    You can make it iPad compatible without pixelation and 2x button. Here is how:

    1.  Navigate to the app you want to make compatible in /var/mobile/Applications
    2.  Open the info.plist in the applications main folder
    3.  Add the follow:

    <key>UIDeviceFamily</key>
    <array>
    <integer>1</integer>
    <integer>2</integer>
    </array>

    4. Respring and then you should have a nice iPad size app

  • Apple iPhone 5 Features Speculation Roundup

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves, Rumors, Tech. No Responses

    There’s still a few weeks in which talk about what new features will drive the future iPhone 5. Here is a great collection by Jonny Evans who sums up a good amount of features and specifications rumored or said to be included in the upcoming iPhone 5.

    Poker face

    The fifth-generation iPhone (iPhone 5, or, possibly, the iPhone 4S) is a very important release. Not only will it be a major attempt by which Apple hopes to consolidate its lead on the smartphone biz, but it is also likely to spark renewed competitive peaks within that business.

    The game is Apple’s to lose: it now dominates both by revenue and model sales. With that in mind here’s the current speculation, roughly in order of likelihood:

    1Ghz Dual-core A5 processor

    There have been some reports that production has been delayed by problems with heat dissipation on the new models. It’s impossible to say if that’s true, but Apple does seem likely to pop its most recent A-series processor inside its new phone.

    What does this mean? It means the new iPhone will be blazingly fast — twice as fast as the previous version and with up to nine times the graphics processing power, if the iPad 2 improvements be seen as guide.

    iOS 5 inside

    Apple has been very busy working on iOS 5, which, among other things, will offer support for the new ‘Find My Mac’ feature I predicted last May. And will also integrate tightly with iCloud for a computing anywhere style experience.

    A better camera

    Omnivision made waves this week with news that it has produced camera modules that are 20 percent thinner than before. The new iPhone is expected to boast an 8-megapixel Omnivision camera with an improved LED flash system. The front camera is also expected to improve.

    Bigger screen

    Replacement of the mechanical Home button with a capacitive controller could enable Apple to equip the iPhone 5 with a bigger 3.7-inch (or, perhaps, 4-inch) display.

    Better speakers

    Apple continues to improve the speakers it places inside its mobile devices. You’ll be able to drown out those tinny phones the kids at the back of the bus use with these.

    World class

    The iPhone 5 is expected to host a combined hybrid GSM/CDMA radio possibly by qualcomm. This means you’ll be able to use one device on most available networks. This also means you can expect iPhone 5 to hit Verizon and AT&T simultaneously, and to reach CDMA networks (such as those in China) pretty soon after Apple’s manufacturers begin to meet US demand.

    Screen resolution, RAM, storage

    1,280-x-720px Retina Display, 367ppi. 512MB RAM and available in models equipped with up to 64GB storage

    Thinner, too

    That’s right, the new iPhone’s expected to be thinner — given Omnivision’s news and potential use of a Thunderbolt connector, it could be considerably thinner. (10 percent?)

    A teardrop phone

    All those purported leaked case designs suggest that the new iPhone will have a teardrop-style chassis, thicker at one end than another.

    Voice Control

    The new iPhone will boast voice control using an app called Assistant. This will let you speak your music requests, send texts and make Facetime calls. Based on Siri, it will also make simple requests, for example, “Where’s my nearest Starbuck’s?”.

    Wireless Sync

    This has been confirmed as a feature within iOS 5. You won’t need a computer in the post PC smartphone era.

    Available in September

    That’s the deal following news that Pegatron has secured orders to deliver 10 million units of iPhone 5, beginning in September.

    Bluetooth 4 and/or NFC support

    Apple has been working away at NFC for several years, but it is possible the company will instead choose to implement Bluetooth 4, which includes some specifications which could theoretically support secure payments.

    iPhone HD — TV on demand

    The iPhone 5 will support Full HD, just like the iPad. AirPlay movies to your Apple TV, or connect it to an HDTV for a high-res viewing experience. (And don’t get me started on those shiny new TV streaming services claims).

    No LTE 4G phone

    The sad truth here is that while LTE is much-discussed, it hasn’t really seen wide deployment globally at this time. This means that there isn’t yet a sufficiently wide market to justify the expense of including support for the standard in this edition of the phone.

    I’m predicting LTE in the next-generation, when networks in key markets (eg., the UK) have upgraded their infrastructure to support the new standard.

    A new antenna

    Apple will not repeat antenna-gate. Jobs was not happy — recall the subsequent resignation of Mr Papermaster? Be prepared for a metal, rather than a glass back to the new device.

    A nice price

    I’m expecting the new device to come in at approximately the same price as the current models, though this will be tempered by local taxation changes and any unpredictable scarcity in component supply.

    An iPhone nano?

    I’m the biggest proponent of this device. Apple’s gone enigmatic on the matter.

    RBC Capital’s Mike Abramsky met with Apple this week, and writes, “Apple’s primary criterion for launching a lower-end iPhone is an innovative, category-killer experience.”

    That’s neither a yes or a no, and is a response which will keep competitors guessing, I suspect. Wait and see.

    Apple Maps?

    Perhaps next year. Or the C3 Technologies?

    And Smart Covers

    Will the iPhone 5 have its own set of Smart Covers?