Apple iPad and related items

[editor]

He made his own t-shirt. Aww, somehow this one is so over the top that it amuses me rather than annoys me like they usually do.

Matching Apple iBorg Staff blue too!

Bless.

 

[elbows]

Sounds like VLC is coming out in a few hours (once it becomes Tuesday here). Apples slightly more relaxed stance to a range of app issues (eg duplicating built-in functionality) is very welcome. Still control freaks, but at least the grip isnt quite so tight.

Seen some rumours about new model of iPad next year, which would fit with the idea that they will do a new model once a year. A camera for facetime is the main change sites go on about. I cant think of many possible new features that would compel me to get a new model, although I really hope they improve the speakers one day. A need for more RAM could quickly become an issue once the multitasking OS is out I suppose. Weight is a slight issue, although I dont want them to offer anything with less battery life than the current model, Id rather it stays the same weight if it comes down to it. Other than USB or memory card slot nothing else really springs to mind for improvements, my other wishes are fantasy for the forseeable future, eg foldable screen that has some sort of 'readable in sunlight' mode without compromising the current screen capabilities. I suppose they will bump the screen res up one day, although they should wait till they can ensure the processor & gpu are up to the task of pushing a lot more pixels around.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Hopefully the increased threat from Android will force Apple to relax further. Competition is a good thing in this market...

 

[elbows]

That and they probably realised they were going to have some legal woes & more bad publicity as a result.

VLC came out, it works ok

 

[Crispy]

It doesn't work over the network does it? (VLC)

 

[elbows]

No it just plays local files that you transfer via the usual itunes app file method as far as I know. No wmv support either.

 

[Crispy]

Bah If they can get a simple local-server-browsing, multi-format player going on iPad, I'll be on it like a shot.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

You want the moon on a stick.

 

[Crispy]

with strawberry sauce please

 

[g force]

Sounds like VLC is coming out in a few hours (once it becomes Tuesday here). Apples slightly more relaxed stance to a range of app issues (eg duplicating built-in functionality) is very welcome. Still control freaks, but at least the grip isnt quite so tight.

Seen some rumours about new model of iPad next year, which would fit with the idea that they will do a new model once a year. A camera for facetime is the main change sites go on about. I cant think of many possible new features that would compel me to get a new model, although I really hope they improve the speakers one day. A need for more RAM could quickly become an issue once the multitasking OS is out I suppose. Weight is a slight issue, although I dont want them to offer anything with less battery life than the current model, Id rather it stays the same weight if it comes down to it. Other than USB or memory card slot nothing else really springs to mind for improvements, my other wishes are fantasy for the forseeable future, eg foldable screen that has some sort of 'readable in sunlight' mode without compromising the current screen capabilities. I suppose they will bump the screen res up one day, although they should wait till they can ensure the processor & gpu are up to the task of pushing a lot more pixels around.

Not sure about USB/memory slots on the iPad...personally i'd love them but I think they've been purposely left off to avoid it killing the Macbook Air.

 

[paolo]

Bah If they can get a simple local-server-browsing, multi-format player going on iPad, I'll be on it like a shot.

You tried AirVideo?

Local server browsing, on the fly format conversion, etc.

 

[grit]

Bah If they can get a simple local-server-browsing, multi-format player going on iPad, I'll be on it like a shot.

Viewing a shared drive and playing back a lot of codecs isn't exactly a moon and stars request in fairness.

 

[paolo]

Viewing a shared drive and playing back a lot of codecs isn't exactly a moon and stars request in fairness.

Which is why it exists, today.

 

[Crispy]

You tried AirVideo?

Local server browsing, on the fly format conversion, etc.

Yeah, it's great but canes my computer while I'm using it. With native .avi streaming, I could finally excuse myself a little NAS box and leave my computer off.

 

[paolo]

Yeah, it's great but canes my computer while I'm using it. With native .avi streaming, I could finally excuse myself a little NAS box and leave my computer off.

Ah yeah. The reencoding is CPU heavy.

As elbows also said earlier, I wonder if the A4 is actually up to decoding any old bitrate random codec stuff. (or does this implementation of VMC prove that it is? Do AVI files transfer from iTunes without reencoding to h.264? Do they play OK? elbows?)

 

[Crispy]

The Internet reports that SD videos play well and although the battery doesn't last as long its not catastrophic

 

[elbows]

There is no reencoding. Performance seems to be as Crispy indicates. But I've not used it enough yet to form strong conclusions, nor have I tried to push the res etc to the point where it cant handle it anymore.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I just loaded three random DVD-res DivX files onto it and they all seem to be playing fine.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Does subtitles too, as long as the SRT or SUB file has the same base filename as the movie (i.e. the standard way).

 

[editor]

Get in quick if you fancy bagging a back up power source for your iPad:

HyperMac will stop selling MacBook charging cables on November 2 -- Apple wins, you lose

Uh oh, HyperMac just announced that it will cease the sale of MacBook charging cables and car chargers -- on November 2nd at 00:00 US Pacific Time, they'll be gone for good. While the HyperMac batteries will be sold, you won't be able to charge your MagSafe-equipped MacBook without the cable, so what's the point? This, obviously, is the direct result of the patent-infringement lawsuit Apple filed over Sanho's unlicensed use of Apple's MagSafe power connector. And while it may be a victory for Apple legal, it's an unsettling blow to consumers like Engadget editors who need the extra juice to augment the life of Apple's non-removeable MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro batteries.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/18/hypermac-will-stop-selling-macbook-charging-cables-on-november-2/

 

[Crispy]

Get in quick if you want a back up power source for your macbook, you mean. It's just the magsafe connector issue here, which doesn't affect the ipad at all.

 

[elbows]

More diligence required in the quest to find something negative to say about apple tablets

 

[Kid_Eternity]

More diligence required in the quest to find something negative to say about apple tablets

LOL!

 

[editor]

More diligence required in the quest to find something negative to say about apple tablets

Where did I say anything negative about Apple's tablets? I just quoted from the biggest tech site on the planet.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Where did I say anything negative about Apple's tablets? I just quoted from the biggest tech site on the planet.

I believe this may, just may have been something called a 'joke'.

 

[elbows]

Where did I say anything negative about Apple's tablets? I just quoted from the biggest tech site on the planet.

You are quoting an article that has nothing to do with iPads in the iPad thread, so Im only half joking.

 

[editor]

You are quoting an article that has nothing to do with iPads in the iPad thread, so Im only half joking.

I could be wrong but I could have sworn I'm seeing a big iPad in the picture that accompanied the article!

Anyway, I didn't make a single negative comment about the iPad and that's the end of it.

 

[Crispy]

The article's not about the iPad at all.

 

[paolo]

The article's not about the iPad at all.

That was what confused me. I read it several times and still couldn't figure it out.

So all is now revealed. It was posted here because there was a picture.

If anyone else sees any pictures of an iPad in the news, please do let us know.

 

[elbows]

I could be wrong but I could have sworn I'm seeing a big iPad in the picture that accompanied the article!

The relevant part of the picture in relation to the story is the red banner that says they are ceasing the sale of the MacBook charging cables. So you dont need to 'get in quick' if you want that particular ipad backup power source. Crispy pointed this out before I even spoke so Im not sure why this part of the conversation continues!

You didnt make any negative iPad comments in relation to this device, that was thejoke part of my comment, although its only possible to make this joke because you have something of a reputation for not exactly being Apples biggest fan. Nothing wrong with that, although pushed to the extreme it will cause some goofs like me to occasionally extrapolate the urine, quite ineffectively it seems!