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.

Article: RSS via TUAW

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.

Article: RSS via IntoMobile

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.

Article: RSS via Pocket-lint

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.”

Article: RSS via TechCrunch

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

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Study shows people want cheap tablets, and most are waiting for Amazon to deliver an iPad rival

A study done by Retrevo in June of this year on over 1,000 people finds that consumers would purchase a tablet device running Android if it just had the right price tag. Nearly 50% of the people surveyed said they’d get an Android tablet if it had all the features of the iPad, but cost less than $300. That figure jumps up to 79% if the price falls below $250. Asked which brands consumers would consider purchasing a tablet from: 55% said Amazon, whereas Samsung and Dell scored just 38% each, and Motorola and HP scored 31% each. If you’re wondering how that’s possible since adding those numbers up equals more than 100%, we imagine the answer to that question was multiple choice and more than once choice could be selected. Now when it comes to what’s the most important feature a tablet should have to warrant throwing down some hard earned money for, low price came out on top with 48%, followed by 28% saying a higher resolution screen, and finally 20% who want better input methods such as a keyboard.

It’s been widely reported that Amazon will come out with at least one Android powered tablet this year. Said tablet will probably use Android as nothing more than a base to build a completly new user experience around. Amazon already has their own app store, movie store, e-book store, music store, and you can even buy physical goods from them, so they can potentially copy the business model of videogame console makers whereby they take a loss on the hardware, but make it up with the purchase of goods and services later on. That would put Apple in a severely difficult situation since like it or not, they depend on the premium they charge for their hardware as a way to continue surviving.

What say you, waiting for iPad 3, iPad HD, or this new Amazon thing?

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Tags: Amazon, Android, Apple, iPad, Tablet PC's

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Android tablets now account for 30% of the market?

If you were to tell us that Android tablets would eventually become the dominant choice for consumers one day, we wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit. That said, it would be easier to believe if there were a better selection of decent Android tablets available to go against themarket leading iPad 2. Well, apparently quality doesn’t mean all that much because according to the latest report from Strategy Analytics show Google’s OS now taking up 30% of the market’s tablet sales.

Not long ago, the Apple iPad had the market all to itself and stood alone with 93% of the market as Android tablets struggled to get a foot in the door with less than 3%. Fast forward to today and Android’s strength in numbers is beginning to repeat its success the same way it took over the smartphone world. The OS still has a long way to go to genuinely compete with the likes of the iPad but the number of sales aspect is beginning to wane. Or so it seems.

Comparing the likes of the iPad 2 and Android tablets is simply unfair. There have only been two different iPad models,  both as high-end as possible when released and the majority of Android tablets are stuck in 2009. With the exception of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Android tablets are nowhere near the beauty of the iPad 2. Given that you can grab an Android tablet for significantly less than the cheapest iPad, the number isn’t as surprising as it sounds. That said, most of those cheaper Android tablets likely have questionable build quality, a lower version of the OS, and probably a no-name brand.

The one decently built, cheaper, Android Honeycomb tablet that seems to keep flying off shelves is the Asus Transformer. It’s definitely a chunkier tablet but those who have grabbed the device seem to be very happy with it. Asus is now shipping over 400,000 Transformer tablets a month, which may just be a spec on Apple’s radar, but is nonetheless impressive for a tablet that’s only $100 cheaper than the iPad 2.

One also needs to consider that this is just one analytic firm’s numbers and said numbers may be dramatically different from another firm’s findings. That said, this is really just the beginning of Android tablets taking off, if you believe these numbers or not. With the rumored Nexus tablet that’s still in the back of our minds, things could get very interesting in the coming months.

Article: RSS via IntoMobile

Tags: Android, Android 3.0, Asus, Eee Pad Transformer, Google, Honeycomb, iPad, Tablet PC's

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Line2 gives your iPad a phone number

The amount of accessories on the market and apps for the iPad is massive. Many of the accessories tend to be the same sort of thing with new cases, screen protectors, and mounting devices to keep your iPad in place just about anywhere. A new accessory for the iPad has landed and the accessory isn’t a case or one of the other things I mentioned, it’s a phone number for your iPad. Line2 has a new service launching about 13 days from now that turns the iPad into a phone.

The company is mum on a lot of the details of the service ahead of the official launch. It does have comparison chart up that shows what it has feature wise compared to services like Skype, Google Voice, and major wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T. The calls you make with the service will operate on 3G, 4G, and WiFi networks. All calls that come into the number for your iPad can be forwarded to you.

You can move your existing number to the Line2 service so you can get your current number on the iPad. Line 2 is based in the US and has live US phone support. The company has three plans with Line2 Standard, Line2 Professional, and toktumi custom. The standard service has voice mail, conference call capability, works on all mobile networks, and has unlimited calls and texting among other features for $9.95 monthly or $99.50 a year. The professional version has the same features as the standard version plus toll free support, virtual receptionist, auto attendant, contact management, and a computer softphone. The Pro version is $14.95 monthly or $149.50 yearly. The custom version is designed around the user’s needs and the price varies.

Article: RSS via Slashgear

Tags: 3G, 4G, Apple, Apps, iOS, iPad, Line2, WiFi

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Bing for iPad updated with lasso search

It’s a little bizarre to thing of Microsoft making cool apps for Apple products, but a few months ago Bing launched on the iPad, and it was actually pretty impressive. Today, they’ve followed up with their first update, which has a snazzy feature called Lasso. After you tap a new option in the navigation bar, you enter into Lasso mode, and you just circle a word in whatever page you happen to be reading. Bing then launches into a search for that term.

Bing for iPad produces results in a graphically-rich interface that suits the larger screen of a tablet, and if you’re not looking for anything in particular, there are categories of content that you can skim through, and a Trends section to see what’s hot today. Maps and weather are baked in, as is voice search, and automatic suggestions while you’re typing a query. Gestures are a big part of the UI. For one, you can swipe from the edge of web pages you’ve loaded to go backwards or forwards in your activity history. The category view lays everything out in scrollable rows, much like Pulse News. Finally, there’s a movies section in there that’s powered by Fandango, complete with showtimes and trailers.

Bing for iPad 1.1 is a great update, and leaves me wondering why Google hasn’t bothered to make up something as visually impressive. The app’s free, which you can pick up in the App Store just below this demo video.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOj922HRCdg

Article: RSS via Mashable

Tags: Apps, Bing, iOS, iPad, Lasso Search, Microsoft, Video

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Samsung Lets Apple Users Get a 3D Glimpse of Its New Smartphone

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHYqfGB3-JU

Samsung launched what its ad agency, Starcom, is calling the first 3D ad campaign to be shown on Samsung’s competitor, Apple’s iPad.

The ads, which will run in the UK only, aren’t exactly 3D in the way you might expect — that is, they’re not jumping off your iPad’s screen — but they are unusually eye-catching and interactive. A mix of lighting, shading, parallax and motion effects have been used to render the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone visible from all angles, as shown in the video above.

What’s perhaps most interesting is that these ads are being run on a mobile ad network that displays ads on many of Apple’s mobile devices. It’s ironic because Apple is currently suing Samsung because it feels its line of Galaxy S devices too closely mimics the look and feel of Apple’s products.

I guess iPhone users will get to see how closely the devices resemble one another up close.

Article: RSS via Mashable

Tags: 3D, Advertising, Android, Apple, Galaxy S II, iOS, iPad, Samsung, Smartphones, Tablet PC's, Video

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Connecting to Google+ on your iOS device

Google enabled invitations and opened the floodgates to its new Google+ service last night before shutting it down due to “insane demand”. Many iOS users were included in this new group of invitees and they may be wondering how to get Google+ on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Unfortunately, a native app for Google+ is not yet available. It’s tied up in the App Store approval process with no discernible ETA. The next best alternative is Safari and the mobile web app version of the social network. Before you cringe, the experience is not that bad. You have access to your circle of friends, stream, notifications, photos and profile.

What are you missing by using a web app? The two biggest items I noticed are push notifications and native camera support. Hopefully, the Google+ app will hit the App Store soon. We’ll be watching and will let you know when it officially arrives.

Article: RSS via TUAW

Tags: Apps, Google, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Social Networks, Web Apps

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