The vast majority of Internet sites use it to display Flash video and other multimedia content. In addition, Flash is a convenient platform for application development. The main trouble for it today is to dislike Apple chief Steve Jobs, for which the technology is not supported by Adobe nor the iPhone, nor the iPad – and this is a significant part of the market.

A couple of years ago make sense to implement support for Flash in the smartphone was not – the majority of power devices for normal mapping would not be enough. But today the situation is quite different, smartphones and Internet tablets with gigahertz processors and graphics accelerators, the individual coping with Flash-graphics with a bang.

The fact that the development of Flash for Android entered the stage of debugging, and is about to be declared a set of all comers in a series of beta testers, said the chief ideologist of the platform from Adobe Li Braymelou. According to him, users Android-smartphone after the implementation of them is waiting for Flash support “a lot of exciting, the possibility of devices markedly improved.

Register to participate in a public beta Flash-player for Android can be on the official website of the company.

Resource:
http://it-chuiko.com/internet/3416-adobe-is-tesing-flash-for-android.html

According to Engadget, the Android-powered Mini 5 just showed up in the FCC database with the WCDMA Band IV radios. Those radios only are used on one US network: T-Mobile’s (DT).

The Mini 5 is just a bit bigger than a big smartphone (HTC’s Evo will be 4.3 inches vs. the Mini’s 5 inches) but is being marketed more like a mini tablet — but one with significantly more screen size than the market leading iPod touch from Apple (AAPL). It is powered by the same Qualcomm (QCOM) Snapdragon processor that powers HTC’s latest Android phones as well. Unfortunately for Dell, it’s been only show running an older version of the Android OS, version 1.6 (vs. 2.1 on the latest Android phones).

Perhaps most importantly however, the Mini 5 will launch with a big content partnership from Amazon (AMZN) which will provide the device with music, Video-on-Demand, eBooks and anything else Amazon sells.

The questions that remain are: When will this device be sold and for how much ?

• Dell (DELL) could sell this through the carriers (T-Mobile in this case) like most phones and some Netbooks are sold
• Google (GOOG) could sell it ad-hoc like it sells the Nexus One (also on T-Mobile) on its website?
• Dell could sell this like Apple sells the iPad — With specialized unlocked data-only plans (though the Mini 5 can make phone calls)
• Dell could just sell this outright on Dell.com and let customers find their own SIM / plan options.
• Any combination of the above.

The device itself is probably going to cost south of $500 (if it wants to have any chance vs. the iPad and iPod touch) and any carrier deals will just bring that down further.

The Mini 5 is a big deal for Dell, which is coming to the US with its first Android devices and first portable devices since it killed the Axiom and Dell DJ lines years ago. Dell also sells a smaller Mini 3 in Brazil and China.

The Dell Mini’ 5’s size might be a good differentiator vs. Apple and HP which both make significantly smaller phones and larger tablets.

Speaking of larger tablets, Dell is slated to have a 7-inch version of its Mini Tablet at the end of the year and a 10-inch variety at the beginning of 2011.

Resource:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/04/19/fcc-database-reveals-dells-mini-5-to-come-to-t-mobile/

Our iPad application developers understand the technical tweaks that would be required to an iPhone application to make it work well on the iPad and could utilize the unique features of the iPad that would give the entire application an absolutely different feel and make it iPad-compatible. iPod / iPhone Application Migration to iPad would bring a new delight to your tablet device with development of customized iPad apps from from existing iPhone/iPod apps.

Now, that the Apple iPad has already hit the stores and is believed to be a huge success, our iPad developers stand ready for migrating iPhone/iPod applications to the iPad. Most of the iPhone and iPod apps would run unchanged on the iPad but our dedicated iPad experts work dexterously at creating wonders even when an existing iPhone app is migrated on to an iPad.

If you wish to bring an extra fun to your iPad tablet by iPod / iPhone Application Migration to iPad, look no further. We are able to bring almost any category of existing iPhone application, from entertainment to music, from books to lifestyle, to the iPad.

Resource:
http://www.unlock-iphone.org/blog/2010/04/iphone-application-migration-to-ipad/

After all, the two devices seem hardly comparable. The Kindle uses a black-and-white screen and is designed primarily for reading books. The iPad, by contrast, is a full-on portable computing device capable of reading, watching video and playing games as well as sending e-mails and typing up documents — all from a high-definition, 9.7-inch LCD touch-screen.

On top of that, Apple /quotes/comstock/15*!aapl/quotes/nls/aapl (AAPL 247.07, -0.33, -0.13%) managed to surprise the market by bringing in the iPad at a starting price of $499 — well below most estimations before the product was announced in late January.

“The iPad makes things much more difficult for e-reader devices,” said Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets who has followed the e-reader market. “Especially when you’re a higher-priced e-reader, then the value proposition becomes less clear.”

Still, many companies are making bets on the e-reader business. And analysts say those bets could still pay off, depending on how they are executed. IDC estimates that about 2.5 million e-readers were sold in 2009, and that number is expected to double to 5.1 million this year

Those estimates have attracted several players to the market, with more coming. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in January, showcased several such devices, which targeted market niches that ranged from book readers to newspapers to devices that are designed primarily for business uses. See full story on e-readers making a big splash at CES.

Still, the Kindle from Amazon.com (AMZN 142.43, +0.26, +0.18%) rules the e-reader market with an estimated 60% share, according to estimates from Forrester Research. Sony Corp. (SNE 36.11, +0.55, +1.55%) is believed to have accounted for another 35% of the e-readers sold last year, with other vendors splitting the rest.

Worries about the iPad’s effect on the Kindle have helped weighed down Amazon’s stock this year. The shares are up 4% since the first of the year — an under-performance compared to the Nasdaq Composite, which has gained more than 8% in the same period.

“The market fears that the iPad will materially undermine the value proposition and growth prospects for the Kindle,” Mark Mahaney of Citigroup wrote in a note to clients on March 25.

Staying alive — and cheap

Many analysts still see a strong future for dedicated e-readers — depending on price, content and other factors that could help them stand out to consumers.

First and foremost, most e-readers are still priced at a sharp discount to the iPad. The Kindle and its rival device called the Nook — sold by Barnes & Noble (BKS 22.14, -0.52, -2.29%) — both start at $259. Sony sells a model for $199 called the Pocket Edition, with another touch-screen version priced at $299.

But others have little space from the iPad. IRex, a reader that went on sale at Best Buy earlier this year, sells for $399. Plastic Logic, a venture-backed startup, introduced an e-reader at CES that it planned to start at $650 for a model that only offers WiFi connectivity, and $800 for one that can access a 3G wireless network.

The Plastic Logic Que was originally planned to launch this month, but the company delayed the release until June 24 “in order to fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience.” See Tech Tales commentary on Plastic Logic.

Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps says e-readers will have to compete with the iPad mainly on price, since there is no way for them to offer the same capabilities.

“We do see a role for a stand-alone e-reader, but it’s not going to be a premium price point,” Epps said in an interview. “They will have to get under $99 to get the mainstream market.”

Ross Rubin of the NPD Group agrees, adding that markets such as textbooks remain largely untouched by e-readers, and have a lot of potential.

“We are still very early in this market, which is still expanding,” Rubin said.

Setting apart

Besides price, analysts believe e-readers can set themselves apart from the iPad in other ways.

Product design is one area. While the iPad is widely hailed for its sharp design, one disadvantage is its 1.5-pound weight, which is more than double the weight of the 10.2-ounce Kindle. This would be a serious issue for those looking to use a Kindle or iPad for long-form reading.

“Weight is an attribute that’s easy to overlook,” said Rubin. “If you have an extra pound on your laptop, you won’t be feeling it most of the time. But if you have an extra pound on a tablet device, you will certainly feel that.”

Adding a color screen is another. While fine for book reading, devices with black-and-white screens are unlikely to be a draw for readers — and publishers of — newspapers and magazines, who are all gravitating towards the iPad. Color screens using E-Ink technology are not available yet, but are in development.

“In this market, we don’t think it’s sufficient for Amazon to go with only a black-and-white Kindle,” said IDG analyst Susan Kevorkian.

E-readers such as the Kindle, Nook and Alex from Spring Design will have another advantage through ties to big retailers. The Alex will be sold through retail chain Borders (BGP 2.93, +0.19, +6.93%) later this year. The iRex and Sony e-readers are currently sold through Best Buy.

Amazon’s different avenues

Gauging the performance of the iPad compared to the Kindle in the market will be difficult, given Amazon’s long-standing policy of not disclosing sales figures for the device.

Amazon, which reports first-quarter results on Thursday, still refers to the Kindle as the top-selling product on its Web site. Mahaney of Citigroup estimates that the company sold 2.4 million units of the device last year and will sell 3.5 million units this year. He also expects e-book revenue to reach $760 million this year — or about 2.3% of total estimated revenue for the company.

“The strength and relatively low price points of the iPad increase the pressure on Amazon to deliver an improved product (perhaps with touch screen capability) at a lower price point (probably sub $200) in 2010,” Mahaney wrote. “But we believe this is a likely scenario.”

Kevorkian of IDC believes Amazon will also benefit from having its Kindle app available on the iPad – especially since its own e-reader does not have a color display. “The Kindle app lets the company get into the business of selling color content,” she said.

Still, few analysts believe the current number of e-reader devices on the mark is sustainable, especially with more tablet devices on the way. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ 53.64, -0.11, -0.20%) , Dell (DELL 16.90, +0.14, +0.82%) and Google (GOOG 550.10, -0.05, -0.01%) are all developing competitor devices to the iPad, which will likely put more pressure on the e-reader market.

“We’re not going to have a market where 30 different e-readers survive,” Sebastian said.

Resource:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/can-e-readers-still-compete-with-the-ipad-2010-04-20?pagenumber=2

U.S. buyers who ordered one of three 3G versions before yesterday will still get their iPad by the end of April, as originally promised, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said. The 3G model connects to the Internet using mobile-phone carriers’ third-generation service, in addition to Wi-Fi networks.

Apple said last week that demand for the iPad was “far higher” than predicted, leading the company to delay international sales of the device by one month, until the end of May. Cupertino, California-based Apple sold more than 500,000 iPads in the first week after its U.S. debut on April 3.

“There’s a learning curve at play here,” said Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Bros. in San Francisco. “This is the reality of manufacturing.”

The iPad’s initial release only included models that run on Wi-Fi networks, starting at $499. The newer versions will cost at least $629. Both types let users surf the Web, watch videos, listen to music and play games on a touch screen.

Apple fell 33 cents to $247.07 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading yesterday. The shares have doubled in the past year.

‘Production Bottleneck’

The company, which said on April 14 that demand will outpace supply for the next several weeks, may be struggling to get enough touch screens produced, according to ISuppli Corp.

Suppliers, challenged by the size of the display, may be unable to make usable screens in the quantities Apple needs, said Andrew Rassweiler, an ISuppli analyst in El Segundo, California. The 9.7-inch (25-centimeter) screen is made by LG Display Co., Samsung Electronics Co. and Seiko Epson Corp., according to ISuppli.

The iPad’s LED-backlit display is about 6 inches larger than the screen used in Apple’s iPhone. For the iPad, Apple opted for a screen technology called IPS, or in-plane switching, that the company says provides “crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide” viewing angle.

“We understand that the yields on the display have been low and that they’re creating a production bottleneck,” Rassweiler said. “That they have been doing it for the iPhone for some time is great, but once you go to 9.7 inches, it is a much more complicated process.”

Resource:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-20/apple-says-new-orders-of-the-ipad-3g-won-t-arrive-until-may-7.html

The move apparently comes after the ministry’s engineering staff could not agree on a means to test the iPad’s compatibility with Israel’s wireless networks.

“The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its WiFi modem] compatible with American standards,” according to statement published by the Monitor. “As the Israeli regulations in the area of WiFi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.”

One man had his iPad taken away and placed in a customs warehouse. He will have to apply to the Israeli government to have it shipped back to the U.S.

Apple announced yesterday that it has sold 500,000 of the tablets since its April 3 debut, but increased demand has prompted the company to delay international sales for one month, until the end of May.

Resource:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362697,00.asp

There’s been much debate and hype over the iPad’s next-big-thing status. Instead of jumping into that particular mosh pit, we’ve been closely watching as the applications have started rolling out, anticipating which tools will organize, simplify and entertain. Here, our picks for the top apps for any business professional.

In Pictures: 10 Must-Have iPad Apps For Every Professional

In Pictures: iPad Debut’s Fan Fenzy

In Pictures: What Your iPhone Apps Know About You

In Pictures: Apple’s Ecosystem

In Pictures: Steve Jobs’ Frenemies

Air Sharing Pro The Air Sharing Pro app turns your iPad into a portable hard drive, and the upgrade from the iPhone version puts the larger screen to good use. Wirelessly mount your iPad as a drive on your computer so you can load any files you need on-the-go. The iPad now can open, view or e-mail files in any format–Excel docs, movie files, pdfs, you name it. Air Sharing also allows your iPad to locate any printers available on a wireless network, which will surely come in handy. $9.99.

Big Oven Ever find yourself roaming the grocery store aisles with little or no clue what to make for dinner. BigOven, a recipe-centric social-networking site with over 170,000 recipes, has built an app just for you. Browse for recipe suggestions and create grocery lists right on the iPad; you’ll be eating better and shopping smarter in no time. $4.99.

Cube Forgetting a taxi receipt or business lunch can get you into trouble when it comes time to fill out your montly T&E report. Cube, which works with your existing Google or Gmail accounts just might be your saving grace. This minimalist app (no fussy design elements here) is an easy way to keep track of time, travel and money. Freelancers, especially, can benefit from Cube’s feature that tracks different projects, tasks and clients with color-coding. Free.

Dragon Dictation Typing on the iPad has mixed reviews from early users, many saying that pecking away at the screen when placed flat is awkward, and propping the tablet on an angle is problematic when you’re on-the-move. Enter Dragon Dictation–a voice dictation app from the well-known software maker that translates your voice into text.

A reviewer from USA Today says his tests were a whopping 98% accurate–a serious step up from most other voice dictation software and far faster than the earlier app developed for the iPhone. Click a tab and your voice note becomes email-ready. Free.

Instapaper Pro Instantly makes a newspaper out of the many articles and blog posts you come across during the day–but never the time to read. Instapaper lets you cache Web pages right to your iPad to read later on. Bonus from Instapaper: The app is universal. You only have to pay for it once, and it will work on any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. $4.99

Kayak Flights Kayak is the best place on the Web to find the cheapest flights out of town–or out of a dreadful conference weekend in the middle of nowhere. The iPad app makes browsing for flights simple and easy-to-use, and early reviews say the bigger screen of the iPad upgrades the existing iPhone app a million-to-one. Free.

LinkedIn Read the ForbesWoman group on LinkedIn, and you will find evidence of why it works: It’s a great way to talk about things that matter and to stay connected to past, present and future colleagues and business contacts. The newest version of LinkedIn for iPad promises to allow you to update your status right from your profile, even when you’re on the go–which we can already see coming in handy when iPadding from conferences or events. Free.

NPR The NPR app for iPhone is great–but the public broadcaster has so much content on the page that it’s better used on the iPad’s bigger screen. The news source has three main categories to choose from: news, arts and life and music. A multitasking plus is the app lets users listen to full episodes of favorite NPR programs like “All Things Considered” while browsing the rest of the site for other content. Here’s to tapping into local NPR affiliates from around the world. Free.

Pocket Yoga De-stress at your desk, or wherever you are. Pocket Yoga offers an instructor at your fingertips: three practices, three difficulty levels and three duration times to give you 27 different Flow Yoga combination routines. The “instructor” uses both illustrations on iPad’s large screen and voice commands to help with your poses and breathing while the iPad’s memory can store a log of your training. Multitasking bonus: Pocket Yoga works with iTunes simultaneously so you can work out to our own music. $2.99.

Scrabble For word people, Scrabble has always been a favorite downtime distraction not to feel guilty about. Scrabble for iPad looks great on the big display and includes options for playing against the computer, online opponents or friends–just passing the iPad back and forth. Or by adding an additional (free) app, synche iPhones or iPod touches to use the smaller screens as letter racks. This is another app that works with iTunes to let you control the soundtrack to your game. $9.99.

Resource:
Yahoo News

And Gap has brought an app out, too. Just kidding – they’re a big enough name in the clothing world. Although they didn’t call it the Gap App, funnily enough.

It was actually christened the “Gap 1969 Stream”, after the year the company was born.

The app, which is described as a new way to shop online, lets the user browse through fresh denim looks and styles, before allowing them to purchase.

It also contains a number of celebrity photos, designer videos and other bits and pieces.

The 62MB app is free, as well, although currently only available in the States, naturally enough given the iPad isn’t out here yet.

When Apple launches its tablet in the UK, you can expect Gap to follow over here.

Resource:
http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2010/04/08/gap-launches-fashionable-app-for-ipad/

“We’ve factored the iPad into our network technology planning, and we’re ready,” an AT&T spokesperson said in an e-mail. AT&T, which claims to have the fastest 3G network, is reportedly spending between $18 and $19 billion on network upgrades this year, including a doubling of its wireless network investment.

Still, while carriers in other countries are planning to offer subsidized iPads with contract agreements, AT&T is going a different route by letting customers buy 3G service on a month-to-month basis. The iPad will launch with two data plans from AT&T: one with a monthly data cap 250MB a month for $14.99, the other with unlimited data for $29.99.

If AT&T’s network is ready for the iPad, why isn’t it locking customers into 3G service agreements? According to industry experts, AT&T appears to think that iPad users will get the bandwidth they need primarily from Wi-Fi.

Dan Croft, president and CEO of Mission Critical Wireless, a solution provider in Lincolnshire, Ill., says AT&T is betting that subscribers’ actual 3G consumption will be less with the iPad than it is with the iPhone.

“An iPhone is attached to your hip, in constant use even when you’re mobile. I believe a larger device like an iPad will be more session oriented, and that could result in less airtime,” said Croft.

Last month at CTIA Wireless, Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T’s wireless and consumer markets, suggested that Wi-Fi and femtocells will play an important role in complementing cellular networks.

Given the increased multimedia capabilities of the iPad, AT&T’s 3G network may be hard-pressed to handle bandwidth intensive tasks like streaming video, especially once iPad-optimized apps start to arrive.

“The iPad is targeted to a different audience, one that’s more used to getting online with Wi-Fi. So AT&T is trying to get people to go to Wi-Fi first,” said Gary Berzack, CTO and COO of eTribeca LLC, a New York City-based wireless solution provider.

Another possibility is that AT&T simply wants to avoid another PR disaster like the one stemming from its angry iPhone subscribers’. AT&T has said all its previous models for predicting network capacity needs were blown away by the iPhone, with the not-so-subtle implication that other carriers will encounter the same issues if they’re granted the rights to sell the iPhone.

Resource:
http://www.crn.com/mobile/224202025

Netflix is offering subscribers a free app that lets them instantly watch an unlimited number of TV shows and movies streamed to the tablet. iPad streaming will be free on all Netflix plans costing $8.99 or more per month. Netflix subscribers can also stream TV episodes and films by selecting them from a broad list of genres via the iPad’s touch screen or by adding them to a queue for future viewing, said the company.

Electronic Arts is launching several games for iPad buyers. Scrabble ($9.99), Tetris ($7.99), Need for Speed Shift ($14.99), Mirror’s Edge ($12.99), and Command & Conquer Red Alert ($12.99) will debut in larger, higher-resolution versions designed to take advantage of the tablet’s screen. Certain games will deliver additional benefits by tapping into the iPad’s interface, noted EA.

The Scrabble app lets up to four people–each with an iPhone or iPod Touch for their tiles–to play together over a Wi-Fi network, using an iPad as the virtual game board. Need for Speed Shift adds a visual accelerator and brakes, controls for manual shifting, and a rear-view mirror to check out who’s on your tail. In Command & Conquer, players can use a three-finger multitouch approach to move their armies around the screen and zoom in and out of the battlefield.

Fans of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk will be able to view more than 500 comic books on the iPad’s high-resolution screen, via an iPad app from Marvel. Each comic has been optimized for the iPad by redigitizing and recoloring each print issue for the tablet’s larger, brighter format, said Marvel. Using the device’s touch screen, readers can virtually flip from one page to another by swiping their fingers and can zoom in or out of each page and panel.

Marvel’s iPad app is free, but each individual comic will cost $1.99. Readers can view the first three pages of a comic for free before deciding whether to buy it. And for the launch, Marvel is offering a few titles for free for a limited time, including New Avengers No. 1, Captain America No. 1, Invincible Iron Man No. 1, Thor No. 1, and, for the younger readers, Super Hero Squad No. 1.

The app can offer all fans recommendations of new comic books based on their past reading habits. And for people who miss the feel of a good, old-fashioned print comic book, the Marvel app even features a comic shop locator to track down their friendly neighborhood comic book dealers.

These are a few of the apps debuting in time for Saturday’s iPad debut. Other new iPad apps launching include:

• Citrix Systems’ GoToMeeting (free)
• The Weather Channel (free)
• Yahoo (free)
• Zillow Real Estate Search (free)
• Dragon Dictate (free for a limited time)
• Autodesk SketchBook Pro ($7.99)
• Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences ($19.99)

Updated 11:00 a.m. PDT with further details on Marvel app and list of other companies announcing iPad apps.

Resource:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20001642-37.html