• First Apple Store to Open in the Middle East, Dubai

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, News No Responses

    Apple is the final stages of opening an Apple Store in Dubai.  The Store – whether it is officially an ‘Apple Store’ or not, the distinction is dubious– will be a store within a store of Richard Branson’s Virgin Megastore.  It will be staffed by Apple geniuses/employees, however and will retain the Apple Store “look and feel”. Here is what Stuff Middle East had to say about the matter:

    It took long enough, but Virgin Megastore has finally answered UAE-based Apple fanboy’s calls and will be opening the region’s first official Apple Store next week. The store, in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, will be 100 per cent Apple, we’re told, complete with Apple staff and know-it-all Geniuses.

    It’s a real boon for Apple-lovers in the UAE, who in the past have had to deal with extra-long waits for Cupertino’s latest toys or suffer the hugely-inflated prices on the grey market.

    Bad news for other manufacturers though, who have no doubt capitalized on Apple’s lackluster presence in the region.

    More info – including better images (these are just sample shots) in a bit – and we’re going to ask Richard Branson himself if this means the iPad 2 will get here any quicker.

    UPDATE:

    The exact date is March 16th, and Virgin Megastore will be celebrating by giving away vouchers to would-be iMac and MacBook buyers.

  • Google ‘Street View’ is Available via ‘Maps’ on iPad iOS 4.3 [UPDATED]

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, google, News, Rants & Raves 4 Responses

    I was Checking the Maps Video Tour and just noted that Google Street View is now available on iOS Devices, Ive not tried iOS 4.3 but apparently its not an iPad only however.

    Apple has posted 14 Guided Tour movies for the company’s iPad 2, which ships on Friday, March 11th. The Guided Tours are divided into app-specific uses, rather than focusing on the new hardware, and include FaceTime, Mail, Safari, iBooks, Videos, Photos, Find My iPad, iPod, iTunes, App Store, Maps, AirPlay, and the company’s newest iPad apps, GarageBand and iMovie.

    Update:

    This feature is already there but .. worth noting however

  • Apple Added New iPad 2 Garageband, iMovie, and iBooks Video Tours

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPad, News, Rants & Raves No Responses

    Apple has posted video guided tours for the iPad 2 Garageband, iMovie, and iBooks applications. The walkthroughs showcase how the applications work on Apple’s iPad 2.

    iBooks is already available on the App Store and iMovie and Garageband for iPad will be available for $4.99 on March 11th. iBooks and Garageband work on the first iPad but iMovie is exclusive to iPad 2 .

  • Apple May Partner with TSMC ditching Samsung For A5 Production

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPad, iPhone, News, Rumors, Tech. No Responses

    Apple has allegedly inked a deal with chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to produce the A5 chip for the iPad 2, a move that is seen as a potential loss for Samsung.

    Apple is rumored to have entered a foundry agreement with TSMC to build the A5 processor, according to EETimes. In addition to powering the new iPad 2 set for release on Friday, Apple’s custom dual-core A5 processor is also expected to power the anticipated iPhone 5, expected to debut this summer.

    Apple is expected to spend $7.8 billion on components from Samsung alone in 2011, for parts including liquid crystal displays, processors and NAND flash memory chips in mobile devices including the iPhone and iPad. The deal would make Apple the largest customer of Samsung.

    The EETimes report said Apple is making the switch for three reasons, one of them being the fact that Samsung competes with both the iPhone and the iPad with its own devices.

    Apple, according to the source, will use TSMC for three reasons: 1. Samsung competes with the iPhone and iPad; 2. TSMC has the highest yielding 40-nm process in the foundry world; and 3. TSMC has the most 40-nm capacity.