May 18, 2012

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 proves that bigger isn’t always better

gdgt.com

May 17, 2012

JBL’s OnBeat Air is a good AirPlay-enabled speaker dock, but isn’t the best choice for iPad owners

gdgt.com

May 15, 2012

Retina Displays Also Coming to Next-Generation iMac?As part of ABC News‘ roundup of the latest MacBook Pro rumors, Joanna Stern claims that not only the MacBook Pro family but also the iMac line is set to gain ultra high-resolution “Retina” displays.

The laptop will see the introduction of the “Mac Retina Display,” which is said to have a very high resolution. ABC News has similarly heard from its own sources that both the next MacBook Pro and the iMac would be getting very, very high resolution displays. Apple refreshed its new iPad with a Retina Display in March.

The MacBook Pro has long been the focus of the Retina or HiDPI display rumors, but it seems natural that Apple would want to move all of its displays to the standard. What is unclear, however, is just how Apple will implement the increased resolution given that most Macs already approach Retina resolution at typical viewing distances.

Many have assumed that Apple will follow the model used in the iPhone and iPad, doubling the resolution in each dimension with a screen carrying four times the pixels of its predecessor. That specific suggestion has already been made in regards to a rumored 15-inch MacBook Pro with 2880×1800 display compared to the 1440×900 display in the current model.

But as screen sizes get even larger, quadrupling the number of pixels starts to bump up against the hardware capabilities of graphics chips and display interface standards. While a 17-inch MacBook Pro coming in at a Retina resolution of 3840×2400 might be possible, the more significant issues surface with the iMac, which is also gaining higher-resolution displays according to today’s report.

The 21.5-inch iMac would see a pixel count in the range of the 17-inch MacBook Pro as its 1920×1080 resolution would be bumped to 3840×2160, but the 27-inch iMac would move from its current resolution of 2560×1440 to a monster Retina display at 5120×2880. The same panel could also be used in a revised Apple Thunderbolt Display should hardware be able to support the resolution.

Consequently, some have suggested that Apple would increase display resolution on its Mac lines by a smaller amount than seen on iOS devices, with current variation in pixel density among Mac models already introducing some flexibility in interface element sizes. But with most Mac models offering pixel densities in the range of 100-130 pixels per inch (ppi), moving to a somewhat higher density such as 160-170 ppi to qualify as a Retina display still imposes some difficulties for developers and users.

While user interface elements do vary in physical size depending on the machine they are displayed on, they are designed to be usable in the typical range of 100-130 ppi. Moving to something in the range of 160-170 ppi, for example, could result in user interface elements becoming too small for users to click on with ease unless applications are specifically updated with new elements designed for that pixel density range. Otherwise, elements could be scaled to approximate the physical size seen on lower-resolution displays, but this scaling would undoubtedly degrade image quality.

David Barnard has argued that Apple could still use the pixel doubling motif on larger Mac displays without necessarily having to quadruple the number of actual pixels if users would be willing to accept a smaller workspace than seen on current machines. In one example, Barnard describes how rather than moving the current 2560×1440 27-inch iMac all the way to 5120×2880, Apple could instead offer a display at 3840×2400 that would present itself with a Retina workspace of 1920×1200.

Apple could build a 3840 by 2400 pixel 27-inch screen that presented itself as a pixel doubled 1920 by 1200 pixel display. That’s effectively an 84ppi screen @1X and 168ppi screen @2X. [...]

What you should notice is that the text and UI elements are physically smaller on the current 109ppi iMac than they’d be on the hypothetical 84/168ppi 27-inch iMac. This may be frustrating to some users, but I actually prefer my old 94ppi 24-inch Cinema Display to any of Apple’s higher PPI displays. I like that the system default 12pt text is larger. The sacrifice is in the usable workspace, and that’s a matter of taste.

So while Apple appears to face some challenges in bringing its Retina display concept to the Mac, the company seems to be committed to making the transition. It simply remains to be seen how the company will implement the move, hardware rumors and hints within OS X Lion and Mountain Lion are certainly pointing toward Retina Mac displays sooner rather than later.

macrumors.com

May 15, 2012

Time Warner Cable CEO Hasn’t Heard of Apple’s AirPlay [iOS Blog]AirPlay is a technology that seamlessly moves audio and video from device to device in the Apple ecosystem. It’s built into the iPhone, iPad, and — most importantly — the Apple TV set-top box. Among other things, AirPlay can be used to send video from iPhone apps like YouTube, MLB.tv, or WatchESPN to the AppleTV.

Apple hasn’t advertised AirPlay as strongly as some other features, like the iPhone 4S’s Siri, though it did run a television ad after the iPhone 4 was introduced in 2011. That said, it’s surprising that Glenn A. Britt, the chief executive of Time Warner Cable said he hadn’t heard of the service, according to the New York Times.

“I’m not sure I know what AirPlay is,” he said, though he noted that he was an enthusiastic Apple customer. “Today we want to be on every screen. Today it’s a little bit clunky to get programming from the Internet onto the TV — not so hard to get it on your iPad. What’s hard is the plumbing, what wires do you connect, what device do you use. So the current Apple TV, the little thing, the hockey puck, really doesn’t do anything to help enable you to get Internet material on your TV.”

Ironically, Apple has solved Britt’s problem — though he wasn’t aware of it — but the company is not pushing AirPlay too strongly upon its users, nor the media companies. The Apple TV natively supports only a handful of third party services like streaming MLB, NHL, and NBA games, as well as Netflix.

However, AirPlay support has allowed many apps to send “programming from the Internet onto the TV”, just as Britt wants, and could foreshadow the market segment a rumored Apple television set would fill.

macrumors.com

May 13, 2012

Apple Interested In Acquiring German Television Maker Loewe? [Updated: Company Denies]Apple is in talks to acquire German luxury television manufacturer Loewe, according to an unconfirmed report from AppleInsider. The site claims Apple has offered €87.3 million for the company, a 48% premium from Loewe’s Friday close on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Word of the negotiations was exclusively revealed to AppleInsider, and although the offer has yet to be accepted, a source claims that Loewe “has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012.”

Loewe makes sleek, minimalist televisions that would seem to fit well with Jony Ive’s product designs. The company also makes speaker systems, including the AirPlay-compatible AirSpeaker, as well as a sleek app that controls the Loewe television set via an iPad.

Loewe’s largest shareholder is Sharp, the same company that has been rumored to be Apple’s choice to work with Foxconn to build a television set. Foxconn and Sharp announced a partnership to work together in March. AppleInsider says a decision on the acquisition will be announced internally by the end of this week.

Update: A Loewe company spokesman told German website Heise (via The Next Web) that the report has “absolutely nothing to it.”

macrumors.com