Apple just announced the new iPad, the latest in its popular line of tablets. As expected, it has a Retina Display, with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. That's good for a pixel density of 264ppi, which means you can't distinguish individual pixels when held at 10 inches -- the standard Apple uses for the Retina moniker. Existing apps will automatically take advantage of the higher resolution, but Apple's optimized all of its stock apps and is obviously encouraging developers to do the same.
In addition to the new display, the new iPad also features an A5X processor with a new quad-core graphics processor, which Apple claims is four times as fast as the Tegra 3. There's also a new iSight camera, which is the same as the camera built into the iPhone 4S: auto-exposure, auto-focus, 5 megapixel backside-illuminated sensor with 1080p stabilized video. That's a huge upgrade from the iPad 2, and a massive jump over competitive tablets, which all have terrible cameras. The front camera for FaceTime remains at VGA. There's also a new microphone icon on the keyboard for voice dictation, which works in several languages.
Apple's also added 4G LTE and 42Mbps HSPA+ mobile networking, with models for AT&T, Verizon, Rogers, Telus, and Bell. The Verizon and AT&T LTE models will be separate, but will both support 3G around the world. The iPad also now supports hotspot functionality, per your carrier's rules.
Battery life is pegged at 10 hours, which is the same as the iPad 2, with 9 hours on 4G. The only downside? At 9.4mm thick and 1.4 pounds, the new iPad is a little bit heavier and thicker than the iPad 2, which measured 8.8mm thick and 1.35 pounds.
The new iPad starts at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $629 for the 16GB 4G model, with 32GB and 64GB sizes commanding an extra $100 and $200 each. It'll be in stores on March 16th, but pre-orders start today in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan -- and it'll hit 100 more countries on March 23.

Apple's brand new iPad has just launched with a Retina Display! The resolution is 2048 x 1536, quadrupling that of the first and second generation iPads. The new 9.7-inch iOS tablet keeps the same screen size as its predecessors, but now comes with just over 3.1 million pixels, resulting in an impressive 264ppi density. You might not think that's quite enough to merit Apple's designation of a Retina Display — one dense enough to make individual pixels indistiguishable — however Phil Schiller explained that the iPad is expected to be held at a distance of 15 inches away from the user's eyes, qualifying it for that title.
All stock iOS apps have been updated and optimized for the new resolution and text will automatically be rendered accordingly. Apple already pulled off this sort of a resolution jump with the move between iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, so we imagine the transitional process for developers updating their apps will be no different with the new iPad.
The new display is not merely denser, however, as Apple has also revealed that it'll have 44 percent greater color saturation than the old 1024 x 768 panel. Phil Schiller's conclusion about the updated display is categorical: "The best mobile display that has ever shipped." Apple's 2012 iPad will be in stores on March 16th.

New Apple TV interface now available on 2nd-generation models

Thu, Mar 8 2012 01:54 | IOS, ATV, Apple

www.tech-sanity.com

We all expected most of the new interface and features on Apple announced for the new generation of the Apple TV to find their way down the previous generation, and just as with iOS 5.1 for the iPad and the iPhone, Apple isn't wasting any time. We hear that the update should be available today, bringing the new interface, movie re-downloading, and direct Netflix signup to current models. Of course, that won't mean that current models will be able to display 1080p content, but beyond that small niggle it appears that the previous generation will still be functionally identical with the new model.

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shane blyth

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iTunes 10.6 adds 1080p support

Thu, Mar 8 2012 01:46 | Software, Apple

www.tech-sanity.com


On Wednesday, Apple released an updated version of iTunes to add support for 1080p video and address several issues with iTunes Match.
iTunes 10.6 adds the ability to play 1080p HD movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store, a new offering from Apple that goes along with the new Apple TV unveiled on Wednesday. iTunes could play 1080p content in the past, however, such as movies shot using an iPhone 4S.
More exciting to many iTunes Match subscribers are improvements to the music matching and storage service. Apple says iTunes 10.6 provides for improved song matching; improved album artwork handling, downloading, and display; and fixes an issue where songs may skip when playing from iCloud.
The update is currently available via Software Update, or via Apple’s iTunes download page.

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shane blyth

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Apple TV third generation info

Thu, Mar 8 2012 01:43 | IOS, ATV, Apple

www.tech-sanity.com

While Apple executives have continued to call the Apple TV a hobby, over the past couple years, the company has dedicated a fair amount of resources to it. The Apple TV 2 was a major upgrade, and Apple has added a good number of features to that media player through software updates.
COMPLETE COVERAGE


The third-generation Apple TV unveiled Wednesday shows Apple is taking its hobby just a little bit more seriously, thanks to improved video support and an overhauled interface. But there are still plenty of questions about the latest edition. Here’s what we know so far.
What’s new about it? Does it finally do 1080p?
The new Apple TV looks exactly like its predecessor, and is housed in the same tiny, black enclosure. The big hardware change for the new the Apple TV is inside: Instead of the Apple A4 chip found in the previous Apple TV and the iPad 2, the new model hosts a single-core A5 chip. The improved horsepower finally allows the Apple TV to support 1080p video output.

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shane blyth

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Apple updates iPad App Store with faster UI ahead of iPad 3 launch

Wed, Mar 7 2012 01:57 | iPad, Software, Apple

www.tech-sanity.com

Apple's revamped user interface of the iPad "Top Charts" section on its iOS App Store could possibly be in preparation of a third generation tablet expected to be announced on Wednesday.

The iPad App Store facelift saw minor tweaks in how top selling apps are displayed and a new horizontal scrolling UI, among other small updates.

The changes could be a prelude to the much rumored debut of Apple's next-generation iPad that scheduled to take place tomorrow at a special event in San Francisco.

While the majority of changes are superficial, the new top-selling paid and free app layout allows for greatly reduced load times. Instead of displaying the top 25 apps for each category, the new store only lists six apps at a time, which could explain why the "display more" option is so quick.

The move could be related to the resolution of the next-generation iPad's display, which is rumored to be twice that of Apple's current tablet lineup. If image assets within the App Store are not scaled, a doubling in pixel density would result in a perceived decrease in icon size. The change in size wouldn't be a problem with a Retina Display-equipped product like the iPhone 4S, however visibility issues could occur when using a device like an iPad that is normally held farther away from the face.

A developer recently weighed in on how scaling would affect image quality in a Retina Display iPad. "Food Run" app maker Kevin Ng noted that upscaling his game to the resolution expected from the upcoming iPad's screen would result in favorable image quality due to vector-based graphics, though icons would have to be be submitted separately.

Currently, developers are required to submit 512x512 pixel icons with their apps, and the new interface will most likely take advantage of the resolution bump if and when a Retina Display iPad is released.




In early February, Apple sent out a note to third-party developers asking for screenshot upgrades that would better support the Retina Displays in the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch. The app makers were informed that any future updates of their software would not be approved unless a 960x640 pixel screenshot was submitted.

Apple's newest tablet is widely thought to include a 9.7-inch 2,048x1,536 pixel display with a perceived resolution nearing that of the company's 3.5-inch 960x640 pixel Retina Display.

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shane blyth

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Apple updates iPad App Store with faster UI ahead of iPad 3 launch

Wed, Mar 7 2012 01:57 | iPad, Software, Apple

www.tech-sanity.com

Apple's revamped user interface of the iPad "Top Charts" section on its iOS App Store could possibly be in preparation of a third generation tablet expected to be announced on Wednesday.

The iPad App Store facelift saw minor tweaks in how top selling apps are displayed and a new horizontal scrolling UI, among other small updates.

The changes could be a prelude to the much rumored debut of Apple's next-generation iPad that scheduled to take place tomorrow at a special event in San Francisco.

While the majority of changes are superficial, the new top-selling paid and free app layout allows for greatly reduced load times. Instead of displaying the top 25 apps for each category, the new store only lists six apps at a time, which could explain why the "display more" option is so quick.

The move could be related to the resolution of the next-generation iPad's display, which is rumored to be twice that of Apple's current tablet lineup. If image assets within the App Store are not scaled, a doubling in pixel density would result in a perceived decrease in icon size. The change in size wouldn't be a problem with a Retina Display-equipped product like the iPhone 4S, however visibility issues could occur when using a device like an iPad that is normally held farther away from the face.

A developer recently weighed in on how scaling would affect image quality in a Retina Display iPad. "Food Run" app maker Kevin Ng noted that upscaling his game to the resolution expected from the upcoming iPad's screen would result in favorable image quality due to vector-based graphics, though icons would have to be be submitted separately.

Currently, developers are required to submit 512x512 pixel icons with their apps, and the new interface will most likely take advantage of the resolution bump if and when a Retina Display iPad is released.




In early February, Apple sent out a note to third-party developers asking for screenshot upgrades that would better support the Retina Displays in the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch. The app makers were informed that any future updates of their software would not be approved unless a 960x640 pixel screenshot was submitted.

Apple's newest tablet is widely thought to include a 9.7-inch 2,048x1,536 pixel display with a perceived resolution nearing that of the company's 3.5-inch 960x640 pixel Retina Display.

Click to Read More....

shane blyth

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Adobe ships Photoshop Lightroom 4 and cuts price in half

Tue, Mar 6 2012 07:10 | Adobe, Software

www.tech-sanity.com

Adobe has released version 4 of Photoshop Lightroom, its professional photo management application, following a beta period of about two months. But perhaps the biggest news is that Adobe has permanently cut the price of Lightroom in half. Version 4 is priced at $149, as opposed to the $299 shipping price of version 3. The upgrade price is now $79, as opposed to the previous upgrade price of $99. "Lowering the price makes Lightroom more accessible to a broader range of photographers—from pros to amateurs,” said Tom Hogarty, Lightroom's principal product manager.

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shane blyth

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