iChat : Apple's social network ??

In a world, where social networking has revolutionized the interaction mode of the society and "digital social profile" reflects the personality and character of an individual, it is becoming very difficult day by day to choose the perfect platform for networking.

If you thought "Facebook" is the best platform then think again, as new entrants like "twitter" and "google plus" has already threatened its numero uno position and the latest to join this $200 billion "social networking market" ,is none other than "Hardware and software" giant "APPLE".

Apple which already provides "iChat" an "instant messaging" application currently available on MAC OSX, is planning to take it to the next level and convert it into the full-fledged "social meadia network". As per our sources, Apple is making its best effort to introduce this social platform alongside the launch of iPad 3 next year.


When Apple first announced that it would launch "iChat"(to know more about it, read below) for the first time as an application on its next iPhone i.e. iPhone 5, many critics spontaneously referred to as BBM's (BlackBerry Messenger) killer as it has got each and every qualities to defeat Research in Motion's instant messaging service.

It wouldn't be difficult for Apple to gain the market share in the social networking field too as it already have the strong user base of iPhone and iPad all around the world. Apple which estimatedly sold 24million iPads (both 1 and 2) already in the market, wouldn't have to try it hard to get the user's attention.

ABOUT  iCHAT(application)


Full-featured instant messaging.
iChat is an instant messaging application that makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family using text and video. iChat works with AIM, the largest instant messaging community in the U.S., which means you and your buddies can use AIM on a Mac or a PC. iChat works with other services including Yahoo! too.

Video chatting made easy.
Most Mac computers include a built-in FaceTime or iSight camera and mic. When you use them with iChat, you can have high-quality video and audio chats with your friends and family.
Chat with just one person or make it a party by starting a multiway chat.

15 Billion Application Downloaded from Apple's App store

Apple’s App Store has served 15 billion application downloads, the Cupertino, California, company announced Thursday.

According to the official numbers, the store has gone from zero to 425,000 apps in just three years. About 100,000 of those are iPad-native.

Those are impressive figures, whichever way you cut them. And, doing some math actually makes them even more interesting. Apple says there are 200 million iOS users worldwide. Dividing one number by the other gives us a figure of 75 apps per user.

Sure, many of these apps are free (and lots are just plain junk), but that’s really not the point here. Before the App Store, installing software on your phone was a horrible experience. I’m a total nerd, but even I shied away from putting much extra software on my old Symbian-based Sony Ericsson P800 and P900. And when I did, it was uniformly ugly and buggy.

Now, it is so easy and compelling to install apps that the average user has 75 of them on their device. That’s pretty incredible. In fact, shopping for apps is actually something of a pastime. I have friends who browse the App Store in idle moments and think nothing of trying out something new for a few bucks.

Android to surpass iPAD by 2016

Google's Android has been a major competitor in the smartphone industry, but it hasn't quite been that successful in terms of tablets. That being said, a new research conducted by Informa suggests that Android tablets could overtake iPad sales by 2016, which is another 5 years from now.

Apple currently holds about 75%, but the research claims that company's dominance in the tablet market will see a huge fall and will end up at a mere 39%. The theory seems very well worked and we cannot disregard the possibility of this happening sooner than 2015. Apple doesn't have an array of tablets to brag about with the iPad 2 currently being the single and the flagship tablet of the company. We have always stressed on the fact that the head-start that the iPad maker got with the competitive tablet market has been very alarming for the likes of Google, and hence it became necessary to bring out the Honeycomb platform.

The Galaxy Tab, which initially came with Froyo, is the best selling Android tablet to date and that's mainly due to the fact that there weren't any (Android) competitors to the tablet at the time of the launch. However, today with Google's Honeycomb update, the Android scene has opened up considerably. That being said, even with the platform's arrival early this year, there haven't been many Android 3.x tablets.

David McQueen, who is an analyst, said, "From 2013, as cheaper and more advanced Android tablets enter the market, we forecast that sales will pick up considerably, eventually surpassing iPad sales in 2016". He further added, "We have seen a huge explosion in the tablet market in recent years, driven primarily by the iPad, and we estimate that the market will go from strength to strength, growing from under 20 million tablets sold in 2010, to over 230 million in 2015". Given Android's open source nature, it isn't quite hard to make these speculations. The slow roll out of iPads could benefit Honeycomb and ultimately Google.

Review of Application : Flipboard

Available on: iOS
Reviewed on: iPad
Price: Free







Introduction:

Crowned Apple's app of the year, Flipboard is the premier information aggregator on the iOS. It allows the user to consume information in an enjoyable way while delivering customized content.

Usability:

When we first opened Flipboard, we were welcomed with a neat page flipping animation from which the app derives its name. We were asked to sync our Twitter and Facebook accounts, which led us to the Flipboard content grid. The grid was a very intuitive way of portraying the content page as one could easily access all the default Flipboard headers and also the synced social networking headers.

As far customization of content went, the app allowed us to select a custom header. For example, for technology we had the 'tech and science' header which was further sub categorized to include some of the most popular technology blogs such as 'Wired', 'CNET' and 'All things digital'. Once we selected these, we would get a header of the particular blog under the Flipboard contents grid.

We do feel that the customization options are not as streamlined as on Zite, but Flipboard offers a different experience on the whole. It has been designed to provide a more social experience as it does a brilliant job of compiling data from social networks which include images and content.

It gathers all the content trending on our social networks and presents it in a very cool magazine like layout.

It even plays video embedded in those sites but, unfortunately, Flipboard never seems to reveal the name of the author of a particular article, it only reveals the source. So if one is looking for an article authored by 'David Pogue' one will only receive the NYT link.  This is a minor issue but it should be sorted out and the least they could do is give the author the credit for his work.

Interestingly, unlike Zite and Pulse, Flipboard just displays a part of the information in its own window and then redirects to the original website in a Safari like window. This maneuver has been deliberately adopted so that Flipboard does not violate copyright laws.

On the whole, it succeeds as an information aggregator but we do miss the customization options now available on other information aggregators such as Pulse and Zite.

Verdict:

Flipboard brilliantly aggregates information from social networks and various RSS Feeds but it does not offer the plethora of customization options that Zite does. It has neat animations, which enhance the experience. Flipboard and also does not blatantly violate copyright laws. The best part is that it's free. Little wonder, then, that it won Apple's app of the year award.

Trip Jacket for Apple iPad 2

We have news of some new iPad 2 accessories. The company has just unveiled eleven new iPad 2 sleeves and jackets, which M-Edge CEO Patrick Mish says will compliment Apple’s tablet with style, elegance and protection.
One such product is the new Trip Jacket, which just like the company’s Incline Jacket can be folded into five different typing and viewing angles. The Trip Jacket – which is priced up at $49.99 and is available in 3 different color options – features a soft microfiber interior, a durable canvas and leather trim exterior and an elastic strap to hold it closed when it’s not in use.
If that doesn’t appeal to you, then maybe you will like the book-style New Yorker Jackets. These cases are made from printed fabric, and feature 5 of The New Yorker magazine’s most iconic covers. The new Yorker Jackets are also priced up at $49.99. Another of the newly announced products is the Back It shell, which is designed to use with Apple’s Smart Cover.
The Back It shell simply snaps onto the rear of the iPad 2 to protect the back and corners of the tablet. The Back It shell comes in 4 different colors: orange, clear, grey and aqua, and is available for $19.99. The other new M-Edge accessories include the Pop Sleeve ($29.99), Leisure Jacket ($39.99), Incline Jacket ($49.99) and the Latitude with Theater-Stand ($59.99).
As well as the new iPad 2 accessories, the company is also offering customers a series of fully customizable jackets via its design-your-own-cover website MyEdge. Customers will have the ability to create a cover using their favorite artwork, photos, pattern or text. M-Edge accessories can be purchased at Best Buy, Walmart and Staples, as well as through the company’s website.
Are you thinking about buying a new case for your Apple iPad 2?