OnLive Desktop: Windows virtualization made easy and cool

OnLive, the company that made the Cloud Gaming idea work, has announced OnLive Desktop, a remote desktop application that brings Windows 7 into the iPad, but this app does not control your PC. Instead, it gives you access to a Windows instance running inside OnLive. The company claims that this new variant of remote desktop does bring all the power of Windows 7 and more. OnLive Desktop brings multi-touch gestures, handwriting recognition and a virtual keyboard, all of which are key features if one is to make Windows work on the iPad 9.7″ display.We have not had a chance to test the application (because we’re running all over the place at CES…) but OnLive can pull it off better than others. Why? Because a company that can stream a 30FPS game with low-latency should be capable of streaming a Windows desktop very fast too. When Cloud Gaming was in its infancy, 3 years ago, I have argued that one possible application of ultra-low latency video streaming would be such a remote desktop app, just like this. While others were chasing dreams of “as-good-as-movies” gaming, OnLive went on to build a real business, and now delivers what seems to be a convenient service that uses their fundamental technology building block.

The OnLive Desktop app comes with 2GB of cloud storage, and a Windows instance that is pre-loaded with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more. A premium version called OnLive Desktop Pro comes with 50GB of storage will be available for $9.99/mo. And that’s not it: while available only for the iPad for now, this virtualized Windows is soon going to be available from all the computers that can run Onlive, which means the OnLive box, PCs and Macs.

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Tags: Apps, CES 2012, Cloud Computing, Cloud Storage, iOS, iPad, OnLive, OnLive Desktop, Virtual Desktop, Windows 7

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Demand for the iPad slows down, causes worry for investors

There have been many claims of iPad killers by tablet manufacturers in the past, but it appears that Amazon’s latest offering of the 7” Kindle Fire might actually do it. It seems that investors are worried about Apple’s iPad, claiming that demands for the highly popular tablet are starting to slow down.

These concerns were voiced out by Goldman Sach’s analyst, Bill Shope, who claims that the iPad is currently facing some near-term demand challenges. These challenges include the pricing of the iPad, which while was never an issue before, but with announcement of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which costs $199 and is a good few hundred dollars cheaper than the iPad 2, the disparity in price could be what is driving potential iPad customers over to the Kindle Fire.

Bill Shope also stated that in order for the iPad to start regaining its demand, it would need to lower its price which Apple could be doing, assuming that the rumors of a cheaper and smaller iPad mini are to be believed. Will Apple’s iPad continue to reign supreme, or will Amazon’s Kindle Fire offerings finally take the number one spot? We guess only time will tell.

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Tags: Apple, iOS, iPad, Tablet PC's

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iPad Mini: why a slimmed down Apple slate is inevitable

Today’s gossip surrounding Apple’s plans for a new iPad Miniwith a 7.35-inch screen would have been greeted with cries of derision 12 months ago. In October last year, Steve Jobs used an Apple conference call to issue a lengthy diatribe on why rivals’ 7-inch devices weren’t up to scratch, saying, “We believe 10-inch screen is minimum.” Leaving aside the fact that the iPad’s screen is actually 9.7-inches, what Jobs was saying is that a tablet needs to be sizeable enough to work as intended.

Fast forward a year though, and the landscape is all set to change. Yes, the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook has been a disaster, but the imminent arrival of the 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire changes things hugely. Jobs may have said 7-inch slates were “dead on arrival”, but my feeling is that an Apple iPad Mini with a display of that size is inevitable.

Until now, Apple’s competition has been largely from manufacturers offering decent Android Honeycomb slates, but without the same breezy content access and app support which makes the iPad so successful. The dawn of the Kindle Fire, though, changes that. Not only does Amazon’s new tablet offer access to MP3s, movies, TV shows and app content on a beautifully designed platform, it also comes in cheap, thanks in no small part to its size.

Apple is obviously going to feel the heat. 2012 will be the year that competitors, especially the Kindle Fire, finally start to make head way into Apple’s huge lead in the tablet space. It can of course cut prices, but that’s never been the Apple way. What it needs is an entry level product, something to entice those unsure of the tablet space, but definitely sure that they love the Apple brand.

Step forward, then, the iPad Mini. The LG executive who said that his company was working on screens for this device has clearly overstepped the mark. The original story, which appeared in The Korea Times, has been pulled. Is Apple behind such a move? I wouldn’t be surprised. This says everything you need to know about the sensitivity of this device and the likelihood of its existence.

So, what has Apple got to gain by introducing a device which Jobs was so clearly against in the last year of his life? More users inside its ecosystem for one. It’ll also give it the chance to market the iPad to a wider audience, following the same path as the iPod Mini and the iPod nano. Obviously, those were much easier devices to slim down and sell, as they weren’t so reliant on vast swathes of different kinds of content. But hooking new users into iTunes, iCloud and the App Store is just what Apple wants. It can’t face losing out in the tablet space in the same way it did in the PC space in the 80s.

Apple will doubtless want to get the iPad Mini right and will find a way of trying to square Jobs’ previous comments with a new device. But make no mistake, this pared down slate is coming, and means Amazon and countless others will have to redouble their efforts to take down Apple’s slate.

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Tags: Apple, iOS, iPad, iPad Mini, Steve Jobs, Tablet PC's

Posted in Apple, iOS, iPad, Tablet PC's | 1 Comment »

Windows 8 tablets will kill the iPad, claims Asus boss

Asus’s top exec, Jerry Shen, has never been shy in coming forward with bold predictions. But his latest may well be his most outlandish yet. See, he’s claiming that Windows 8 will win out in the tablet wars with Apple’s iPad. This despite the fact that Windows slates aren’t expected until late 2012, and while his own company are peddling an increasingly smart line of Android slates. Read on to see just what Shen had to say.

Speaking with Digitimes in Taiwan, Shen said that Windows 8’s ‘familiar user interface’ would lead to a huge shift in the tablet space, with iOS being beaten down by the Big M’s new look OS.

This seems rather strange considering Windows 8’s UI is anything but familiar. It’s undoubtedly sleek, but is completely different to previous iterations of Windows and lacks the familiarity that consumers currently have with the rampant iOS platform.

Aside from this left field assertion, Shen also said that having shifted 1.2 million Android-packing Asus Eee Pads so far, the Taiwanese tech titan would be rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich to its slates in early December, including the forthcoming Transformer Prime.

That’s great news. Perhaps Jerry and co should stick to making slick Android kit rather than making predictions that seem unlikely at best.

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Tags: Asus, iPad, Tablet PC's, Windows 8, Windows OS

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Hands-on: Facebook iPad app – Facebook FINALLY comes to the iPad!

It’s been a long time coming, but Facebook has finally pulled the switch to release its official iPad app onto the App Store. The Facebook iPad app has been rumored to be in the works for a very long, the latest rumor being it possibly launching during Apple’s iPhone 4S event, which of course didn’t happen. Thankfully, we Facebook / iPad users didn’t have to wait long as the app has officially been released.

If you’ve been using Facebook on your iPad in the past, you know you either had two choices to get your social media fix: use the iPhone app or just go to the website in order to get your daily dose of Facebook goodness. Now the iPad app allows you to get the full Facebook experience straight from the app itself. Wall posts, messages, and notifications can all be viewed from within the iPad app.

We went ahead and did a walkthrough video of the app in action on an iPad 2 below. Check it out. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll watch a grown man eat Doritos and drink Sprite while Facebooking.

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Tags: Apps, Facebook, iOS, iPad, Video

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iPhone / iPad Hotmail coming with iOS 5 – confirmed!

To follow Android imminently

While the Hotmail application for Android handsets and tablets is now available, it’s only a matter of time before Apple iPhone and iPad owners will be able to integrate Hotmail email accounts with their devices too. However, it won’t be released in app form as with the Google operating system. Instead, Microsoft has confirmed to Pocket-lint that it will be selectable as an account option in “Mail” when iOS 5 launches.

Speaking to us in an exclusive one-to-one briefing, Bryan Saftler, Hotmail product manager, Microsoft Consumer and Online UK, explained that Apple’s soon-to-be-released software upgrade will have the email service ingrained in its very core: ”We’re going to be native on iOS 5, which is going to be released momentarily, so just like you get any other email, it’s going to be on that experience: push, calendar, contacts and email,” he said.

It’s the final piece in the puzzle to bring Hotmail back to the public conciousness, it seems.

With Apple devices soon to be covered, and an Android portal already out there to download for free, Microsoft can finally say that it has brought the service to all smartphones, and can therefore compete on a level footing with Gmail.

Saftler is certainly confident: “Windows Phone on Mango – phenomenal experience. We’ve always had an experience on BlackBerry. Always had an experience on Nokia. So now we’ve covered the major smartphone market, and we’ll be available fully for free.”

Let battle commence.

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Tags: Android, Apps, Email, Hotmail, iOS, iOS 5, iPad, iPhone, Microsoft, Smartphones, Tablet PC's, Web Mail

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Kazaa reborn as iPhone, iPad music service

Several years back, Kazaa shed its roots as a file-sharing service with questionable content and is now a legitimate music subscription service. To expand its offerings, the subscription service recently introduced both an iPhone and an iPad client.

Similar to Rdio and Spotify, Kazaa lets you listen to music on the fly on your iOS device. The app lets you search for artists, create playlists and sync your music for offline listening. Kazaa for iOS is available for free, while the service has a $10 monthly fee.

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Tags: Apps, Cloud Music, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Kazaa, Music, Streaming Music

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Google launches Music Beta webapp for iOS

Finally, iOS users can enjoy a sigh of relief, as Google today launched an HTML5-powered webapp for Google Music specifically for iOS 4 users, so they can now play music from their Google Music account on their iPhones or iPads. From the looks of it, this new app does look similar to the native Google Music app for Android.

This new iOS version has some pretty impressive features like the ability for music to continue to play in the background when users exit Safari, which is all controlled by the iOS music controls. Also, users can browse the artists, albums, songs, playlists, and genres in their libraries. Tracks will play in the background while browsing other parts of the library, and you can control playback with the standard iOS play, pause, and skip controls. The option to cache the music for offline use isn’t available in the webapp, and you cannot create either standard playlists or instant mixes.

The webapp has its minor downfalls like not having the access to cache the music for offline use, and you cannot create either standard playlists or instant mixes, but I’m sure Google will implement these features in no time. I find it interesting that cloud mega powers like Google and Amazon rather buck Apple’s strict App Store rules, releasing its cloud music services working on iOS through the browser.

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Tags: Beta, Google, Google Music, HTML5, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Music, Web Apps

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iPad 3 delayed due to Retina display problems

Even though it doesn’t exist yet anyway

Those damned Retina Displays, with their lovely high resolution ultra sharp details are causing all sorts of problems with the iPad 3.

According to reports from Digitimes, Apple has cancelled iPad 3 parts orders with a Taiwanese supply chain. The 2048 x 1536 pixel display was turning out low yield rates and could have led to increased costs for Apple. This does mean however that Apple may very well have been planning for an Autumn release for a new generation iPad.

As is always the case with any Apple rumour, it ain’t over until the devices start hitting shop shelves. Whether or not a Retina Display was or is planned for the new iPad is impossible to know until we have one sat in our hands.

Meanwhile in the Apple rumour-camp, the iPhone 5 launch date guessing game has begun.Telefonica is allegedly prepping for a 12 September or later launch. There is also Japanese site Kodawarisan’s prediction of 7 September, which given the site was spot on about the Mac Mini in 2009 could turn out to be right. You never know eh.

Apple is a big fan of disrupting things around IFA time when competitors are making multiple big releases. This means September is a most likely month, with last year seeing no less iTunes 10, a new Apple TV and Shuffle as well as iTunes 4.1 and 4.2 being launched. Given IFA gets started on 1 September, we expect things will get exciting in Apple land around then.

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Tags: Apple, iOS, iPad, iPad 3, Retina Display, Tablet PC's

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Twitter Rolls Out An Improved, HTML5 Version Of Twitter.com For iPad

Because the stream of realtime palaver that is Twitter needed even more ways to be consumed oneven more devices, the company has just announced that it’s started to roll out an HTML5-based Twitter.com for iPad, and that all iPad users should have it accessible within the week.

The app is full HTML5 and an improvement over the current one-paned experience of the Twitter mobile site on the tablet. Not surprisingly it is reminiscent of a hybrid of Twitter.com and the mobile apps and was based on Twitter’s HTML5 client for iPhone and Android, Twitter mobile engineer Manuel Deschamps tells me. The HTML5 web app will be rolled out to all users within the week, eh hem, beating Facebook which has yet to launch its own HTML5 initiative Project Spartan.

Says Twitter representative Carolyn Penner, “The HTML5 app provides a great option for people who prefer to use the browser over native apps. Its two-column view is consistent with the Twitter experience you’re used to (on Twitter.com), and it takes advantage of touch gestures and other device capabilities.”

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Tags: HTML5, iOS, iPad, Social Networks, Twitter

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