The ZodTTD Cydget

A developing story is emerging from the far east this morning, as scant reports with few details available indicate that an explosion has occurred at the Foxonnn plant in China - the very location where the iPad 2 is believed to be primarily manufactured.

The explosion is believed to have occurred around 4:00 am PST this morning. All that is known for the time being is that several workers - including six men and one woman - have been injured, some critically. There are also unconfirmed reports of several deaths. The cause of the blast, as you can imagine, has not yet been revealed to the public.

According to MICgadget, which appears to have broken the story in the US, sources quoted indicated the following: “The explosion occurred in the A05... the explosion caused many materials casted out from the building, and there are at least hundreds or more of workers inside the building. The whole building did not collapse yet, I do not know what is going on inside. Now there are more than 10 fire engines, 10 ambulances, many police cars.”

While the human suffering and potential loss of life is of paramount concern, there is also understandable apprehension about the prospect of the explosion further delaying iPad 2 production. At this time, it isn't clear if or how production will be impacted.

UPDATE:

Minutes ago, the Wall Street Journal confirmed that at least two people have tragically been pronounced dead so far in connection with the blast. Additional injuries were also reported.

Source: MICgadget

A developing story is emerging from the far east this morning, as scant reports with few details available indicate that an explosion has occurred at the Foxonnn plant in China - the very location where the iPad 2 is believed to be primarily manufactured.

The explosion is believed to have occurred around 4:00 am PST this morning. All that is known for the time being is that several workers - including six men and one woman - have been injured, some critically. There are also unconfirmed reports of several deaths. The cause of the blast, as you can imagine, has not yet been revealed to the public.

According to MICgadget, which appears to have broken the story in the US, sources quoted indicated the following: “The explosion occurred in the A05... the explosion caused many materials casted out from the building, and there are at least hundreds or more of workers inside the building. The whole building did not collapse yet, I do not know what is going on inside. Now there are more than 10 fire engines, 10 ambulances, many police cars.”

While the human suffering and potential loss of life is of paramount concern, there is also understandable apprehension about the prospect of the explosion further delaying iPad 2 production. At this time, it isn't clear if or how production will be impacted.

UPDATE:

Minutes ago, the Wall Street Journal confirmed that at least two people have tragically been pronounced dead so far in connection with the blast. Additional injuries were also reported.

Source: MICgadget

Who would have thought that the next app to use the Unreal Engine would not be a game, but instead be a tool to help drivers adjust to a new route? Bay Bridge Explorer is a new free app that is compatible with all iOS devices and gives drivers a chance to see what the new route will look like when construction is complete after the Memorial Day weekend.

The Bay Bridge has been undergoing major seismic upgrades for the last few years and an entirely new section is currently under construction that should be complete by 2013. Earthquakes are unavoidable in this part of the country and the Bay Bridge is a vital thoroughfare. This new app is a great way for drivers to demo the new freeway before the changes go into effect.

Currently, the Bay Bridge Explorer app is only available for iOS, but it should be available for more mobile devices in the near future. The graphics of the app are quite good, but that is to be expected with an app that is based on the Unreal Engine. Infinity Blade is probably the most well known example of an Unreal Engine based iOS app.


Before and After Images

If the Bay Bridge Explorer app were simply designed to be a driving game, it would be pretty horrible. You can’t go over 60MPH, crash into anything, fly off into the water or even go backwards. However, this is not what it’s been designed to do, it’s not a racing game, but a driving simulator. It’s intended to give motorists a better visual idea of what the new lanes will look like after the alterations are complete. The Bay Bridge sees about 250,000 drivers a day and this app gives iOS users a chance to practice the route before the change goes into effect.

Although Bay Bridge Explorer is based on an outstanding game engine, it is not going to win any gaming awards and that’s ok. As a simulator, however, it gets the job done and delivers some above average graphics along the way. The developers of the app promise to keep the app updated as construction continues throughout the year. It’s nice to see Caltrans embrace new technology to help get the word out regarding changes to the bridge. Hopefully, more civil engineers will be able to release similar apps in the future as well. For tech savvy users this is a much better way to get the message out about the bridge than traditional TV ads. Now, I only wish that traffic on the bridge moved as quickly in real life as it does in the app.


(skip to 3min 24 sec. for iOS info)

Source: Bay Bridge Info

Sometimes there is a subtle cue, a moment when an individual's poor choice of words hints at future products. Then sometimes those hints take the form of a neon wink, followed by a kick to the balls, and a back flip out of the room on to a tie-dye unicorn.

Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, pulled the latter.

Bezos, when asked in an interview by Paul Reynolds of Consumer Reports, if amazon would be putting out a non-kindle tablet device, Bezos said consumers should, "Stay tuned."

While it is an out of characteristic move for Bezos to make such a bold hang-on-to your seat comment, it does run in line with the rumors surrounding Amazon's wishes to expand the Kindle line of products. In March it was reported that Amazon posted more than five openings for programming jobs, specifically looking for developers with Android experience.

While it is still unclear what Amazon has up its sleeve, the prospect of seeing a Kindle branded Android tablet seems more and more likely.

Amazon doesn't share Kindle sales number publicly, which are estimated to be around the 5-8 million units sold since the devices inception. Apple on the other hand flaunts its sales numbers like prized tattoos plastered on the companies forehead, and at over 20 million iPads sold rightfully so. A well equipped, and feature rich Kindle tablet could help Amazon prevent a complete takeover by Apple in the eBook arena. Also, it would allow them to tap magazine publishers and other graphic rich publications that have recently enjoyed a flurry of activity on the iPad.

Letting apple and other Android tablets have sole control, and access to digital magazines would not be a wise move. Here's to hoping Amazon makes the tablet market more competitive and maybe even shakes things up a bit.

Source: NY Times

You read the headline right. Wipe the coffee off you just spit all over your monitor, and continue reading.

The new LCD technology, developed by Samsung's subsidiary Nouvoyance, packs a 2560-by-1600 pixel resolution into a 10.1" display. This doubles the count of full 1080p displays and achieves a pixel density of 300 dpi. Any display capable of packing a 300 dpi pixel count qualifies as a "Retina" display.

For those unfamiliar with the term "Retina" display, it is Apples term for a display that produces a pixel density so high the human retina can't discern between pixels from any viewing distance. This allows curves to appear smooth and eliminates jagged, pixelated edges. The iPhone 4 was the first mobile device to include this technology, and it has been widely rumored the next iPad will include the technology as well. Samsung, Apple's ever clever frenemy, will now likely provide Apple with the necessary retina displays for the next iPad.

The Samsung display will be demoed at this years SID Display Week and likely be in production by the end of the year. In addition to the amazing resolution, the device will use 40% less power than traditional LCD's in power saving mode, as well as sport an improved color gamut.

All of this sounds like gravy, and amazing, but even with a 40% reduction in power, it's going to take one hell of CPU and GPU to power a display pushing this many pixels. Imagine this kind of pixel density on a 27" iMac. I'd hate to do the math on what that resolution is.

Source: Nouvoyance

Digitimes is reporting shortages of both labor and materials, specifically at Foxconn, will be affecting Apple's overseas supply chain.

The shortage will likely affect Apple's ability to ship the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 in the second quarter of 2011 (Calendar time, not financial, so like June), upstream component makers told Digitime. Foxconn released a statement on the issue, (that in no way directly addressed the issue) merely emphasizing "that is has expereience arranging manpower to assist its clients in reaching their goals."

In Apple's case, those goals can be lofty. Apple sold 18.6 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2011, up from 16.2 million units in the fourth quarter of 2010. Apple's estimates put sales for iPhones in the second quarter of 2011 in the 20-22 million units sold range. Apple expects to sell 10-10.5 million iPad 2's in the second quarter of 2011 as well. However, shortages in parts like memory components, and power amplifiers, due to the earthquakes in Japan, have caused the majority of iPad production to shift from the Chengdu Foxconn Plants to the less capable Foxconn plants in Shenzhen. In order to meet the 3 million iPad 2's a month Apple demands, Foxconn will need to find a way to supply the ailing Chengdu plant with the necessary parts, and labor.

Hungry investors, and Apple's track record for continually beating sales estimates, could be at odd come the end of the 2nd quarter this year. Apple, though has been flexing its purchasing power buying up every touch panel, memory component, processor, and other necessary component it can get its hands on to meet demand. So much so, other tablet and smartphone manufacturers are experiencing even more purchasing woes. Samsung already saw the wi-fi version if it's 7" Galaxy tab miss it's march release date window, with the Galaxy 10.1 being delayed as well. Although, if you were fortunate enough to be one of the 5,000 attendees at Google's I/O conference, you walked away with a Galaxy 10.1 tablet ahead of its release date.

Don't expect Apple to run out of iDevices, just don't be surprised if the ridiculous waiting that accompanied the iPad 2's launch shortage makes a comeback.

Source: Digitimes

Adobe has just released three new iPad apps designed to work with the latest version of Photoshop. Last week Adobe released Creative Suite 5.5, which now includes support for iPad apps that can be used seamlessly with Photoshop. With these new apps, Adobe has finally given users a new and more tactile way to interact with the program. The new apps include Adobe Eazel, Color Lava and Nav for Photoshop.

Adobe Eazel for Photoshop ($4.99) is the most versatile app of the bunch. It turns your iPad into a virtual canvas where you can paint with your fingers. Adobe has also come up with a unique solution to switching tools when you’re painting. Simply put five fingers on the iPad screen and an array of tools pops up beneath your fingertips. “With Adobe Eazel, you can use your iPad and your fingertips to paint beautiful works of art. Paint across your entire iPad screen, and easily access the tools you need.”

Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop ($2.99) turns your iPad into a virtual color palette giving you the freedom to mix custom colors and use them in Photoshop as you work. “With Adobe Color Lava, you can use your fingertips to mix colors on your iPad and create custom swatches and five-swatch themes. Instantly access them in Photoshop CS5—all you need is a network connection between your iPad and computer.”



Adobe Nav for Photoshop ($1.99) lets you use your iPad as a Photoshop toolbar and document viewer. “With Adobe Nav and a network connection between your iPad and computer, you can customize the Photoshop CS5 toolbar on iPad to easily access the tools you use most. Browse, reorder, view, and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop documents on iPad.”



Total cost for all three of these cool new apps is only $9.97. Not too bad if you’ve upgraded to version 5.5 and already have an iPad. All three apps are available now. I guess it’s about time for me to upgrade from CS3 so I can access some of these great new tools for Photoshop.



Source: Adobe

The amount of innovation and technology developments in the last 20 years is astounding. The jump from "PCs" to true personal computers, laptops, powerful mobile phones, and the technology advancements within each category are just a few examples. These major developments are still recurring today and were shaped through tons of research and inventive work that started in the early 1980's.

An article recently posted in the Bits (Business * Innovation * Technology * Society) blog on the New York Times website brings many of us back to the days of 80s super computers. However, the article does not discuss what the supercomputers of 80's were like - but how a recently benchmarked iPad 2 blows the computing capabilities of these "super" computers out of the water.

Dr. Jack Dongarra, a computer scientist at the Unversity of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Labratory, is one of the computer scientists responsible for tracking the world's 500 fastest computers. As a result, he is an operator of the Linpack computing benchmark which tests the mathematical capabilities of computers using a linear algebra test. When he and his team tested the computing capabilities of the iPad 2, it was discovered this small pad-sized device would make a major rival of the Cray 2 supercomputer. The Cray 2 in its day was the fastest computer in the world (1985) and contained eight processors.

The team also concluded the iPad 2's processing speed is almost 10 times faster than it's predecessor, the iPad. The design of the new processor is most likely the cause for this incredible change.

Dongarra's team only tested one of the iPad 2's microprocessors. And even from those results, the figures make it a good competitor to the Cray 2 supercomputer. When they have finished conducting research on both microprocessors together, they are speculating the amount of computing power would have allowed the iPad 2 to be the fastest computer in the world all the way until 1994.

Source(s): Bits - New York Times

Stop the presses. The Queen of England has an iPad. And rumor has it, she got it for free (don't you just love it when people with a gazillion dollars get stuff for free?).

As it turns out, Her Royal Highness was turned on to the tablet by her grandsons, Harry and William, who are said to be equally enamored of the touchscreen device - ironic, especially since the Royals aren't ones to easily lift a finger for anything. But, regardless, the 85-year old Queen was believed to be interested in the iPad as a way to help pass time on long trips.

Perhaps the Queen wants to personally test out the tablet before deciding if Steve Jobs truly deserves to be knighted. Or, it could very well be that the aging monarch is a closet jailbreaker who wants to conquer the iPad 2 from her throne. We may never know for sure. But one thing is for certain. The Queen is down with modern technology. After all, the Queen does own a cell phone (although we can't confirm if its an iPhone or not.)

We also know that the Queen has an iPod. Two years ago, President Barack Obama supposedly presented Queen Elizabeth II with an iPod featuring photos from her trip to the US two years earlier. Just this week, a Buckingham Palace source informed the British tabloid known as The Sun that the Queen "was particularly taken with how easy [the iPad] was to use, the large screen and how light it was. For a woman of her age, she is very switched on. It was only a matter of time before she asked someone to go and get her one."

Source: The Sun

Weekly recap of Magazine Publisher World: Time Inc. announces magazine subscribers will be able to view iPad versions of their magazines for free. Then Hearst stole Apple's heart and announced they made a deal with the devil to provide subscription for their magazines starting in July.

Now, The New York Post is reporting Conde Nast will get the last laugh and be the first Publisher to pop Apple's subscription cherry.

The deal, to be announced officially next week, will make subscriptions of The New Yorker available immediately. Seven of Conde Nasts' magazines (Wired, Golf Digest, Self, Allure, GQ, and Glamour) will follow and be available via subscription by the end of May, beating Hearst's offerings to market by at least a month.

With the new subscription model in place the current price of single issue digital copies will be cut from $4.99 ($3.99 for Glamour and Wired) to $1.99. Annual subscriptions for each magazine will sell for $19.99.

The tidal wave of activity in the last week between Apple and publishers is surprising. Both sides have remained stoic in their positions over key dividing issues involving subscriber information until the last few days. Publishers want as much detailed information about their subscriber base as possible. Apple doesn't want to give them that information. It appears as though Conde Nast and Hearst will utilize an opt-in system to get more information from consumers. The problem for publishers is they must get subscribers consent before getting the information.

Earlier this week I posed the question who would prove more important, the Pulpit (Apple) or the Preachers (publishers). Well it looks like Apple just bought the church.

Source: The New York Post