I’ve never really been a fan of all the special add-ons and accessories sold alongside electronics. In my opinion, a nice solid case is as far as phone/tablet accessories should go. But at a meeting with Logitech recently, a couple of iPad accessories definitely caught my eye.
Both are very different in nature — one’s for gaming while the other is more of a utility device — but the reason they caught my eye is because of the added value they will bring to the tablet itself. There are plenty of funky attachable speaker bars and camera lenses you can slap onto your iPad, but in all seriousness, how often will you actually use those things? Maybe you’ll bust out a speaker bar for a party, or put the lens in your pocket before heading off on vacation, but that’s really the extent of it.
The new offerings from Logitech are for every day use, and will likely make a difference in the length of each iPad session, as well as the activities performed on the slate. So without further ado, let me introduce you to the latest iPad accessories from Logitech.
Logitech Fold-Up Keyboard for iPad 2
This thing is pretty damn nifty. It’s basically a two-in-one iPad 2 stand and Bluetooth keyboard dock, and works well with Apple’s smart cover. Though Logitech wouldn’t recommend it, it would probably protect against some minor falls and bumps (in conjunction with the smart cover), too. It also charges over USB, so you can stop worrying about how many times you’ll have to switch out batteries.When closed, the keyboard shuts off automatically to save power. When open, it automatically switches on and connects to the iPad. What’s more is the Fold-Up Keyboard is actually a full-sized keyboard — so not only are you breaking free of the touchscreen typing frustration we’ve all experienced, but you actually get a comfy physical keyboard roomy enough for two man hands.
The only real problem I have with this keyboard dock is that it’s bulky as a baby’s diaper. Thin and light, thin and light, thin and light. That’s what Apple, and just about every tablet/smartphone maker out there, is all about. Logitech’s Fold-Up Keyboard, while super functional, doesn’t really follow in the same thin and light vein. The pricing isn’t all that attractive either, come to think of it.
Logitech’s Fold-Up Keyboard for iPad 2 has an MSRP of $129.99 and should be available across the U.S. and Europe in September.
Logitech Joystick for iPad
We’ve seen a few odd joystick-style contraptions of late, but none quite as thought out as Logitech’s. If you’ve ever played a game on your iPad that requires a joystick or a D-pad, you understand where I’m coming from when I say losing sucks. Not because I or you or anyone else lacks the skill to beat the game, but because paying attention to the game and to your finger placement makes it feel unfair.
Logitech’s Joystick solves those problems pretty completely, without adding any heavy junk to your tablet. It connects to the iPad with suction cups, and is super light. Its spiral design makes sure the thumb pad always returns to the center position, finally offering some tactile feedback on the iPad.
The Logitech Joystick for iPad has an MSRP of $19.99 and should be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in September.
IPad Game:Lost in Time
View In iTunes
- Free
- Category: Games
- Updated: Apr 29, 2011
- Current Version: 1.0.1
- 1.0.1
- Size: 175 MB
- Language: English
- Seller: Namco Networks America
- Namco, Lost in Time: The Clockwork Tower, and all related logos, designs, and elements are the trademarks and © of Namco Networks America Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.
Rated 12+ for the following:
- Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later
Here’s probably one solid proof discounting the rumors that Apple maybe releasing the iPad 3 later this year. Digitimess, citing reliable sources is reporting that Apple has apparently cancelled its iPad 3 supply schedule for the second half of 2011. According to the report, Apple was supposed to launch its iPad 3 in the second half of 2011 with arounds 1.5-2 million units to be sold during the 3rd quarter and 5-6 million units in the 4th quarters. Unfortunately, some of Apple’s supply chain partners have discovered that these figures have already been cancelled by Apple.
The report also mentioned that the yield rate of the 9.7-inch panel with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 is one reason why Apple cancelled its supply chain. There has been a shortage of supply of these panels since these are mainly produced by Japan-based company, Sharp. Sharp is charging Apple with a high price for these panels. And since the other suppliers of these panels which include Samsung's and LG Display, Apple has no choice but to postpon the production of the iPad 3, hopefully by early next year.
Another issue that came out points to the fact that one of the requirements for the iPad 3 panels which is a high resolution which requires much larger backlight source and the single edge light bar, is not being met by the supplierss. This was said to be conflicting with Apple’s requirements for physical thinnes, rich color support and toughness of its upcoming iPad 3 .
What is certain for now is the fact that Apple will maintain the supply of iPad 2 in the seconds half of this year. Apple is earmarking around 28-30 million units of iPad 2 to be shipped later this year.
So much for the waiting and anticipation, I guess?
A lot of people are asking me for a rundown of the differences between the original iPad and the new iPad 2 unveiled yesterday. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s changed, and what hasn’t changed.
Dimensions - CHANGED (slightly)
While the overall footprint of the iPad 2 is the same as that of the iPad, the thickness has gone down from 13.4mm to 8.8mm. The weight is also down for all models (WiFi model down from 680g to 601g while the WiFi + 3G is down from 730g to 613g for the AT&T model and 607g for the Verizon model.
Screen - UNCHANGED
No change here - The iPad 2 makes use of the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS 1024 x 768 screen as the original iPad. At this point one unknown relating to the screen is what graphics processor Apple has used. The original iPad used a PowerVR SGX 535 chip. We’ll have to wait for the teardowns to find this out.
Processor - UPDATED
Out with the old 1GHz single-core A4 chip, and in with a dual-core 1GHz A5 chip. The original A4 featured 256MB of RAM while the iPhone 4 has 512MB. Again, we’re going to have to wait for the teardowns to appear to know if this has changed.
Storage - UNCHNAGED
The options for storage remain the same - 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.
Radios - UPDATED
While WiFi and Bluetooth ramain the same (802.11 a/b/g/n and 2.1 + EDR respectively) the cell radio in the updated ipad has been updated. The original iPad featured EDGE plus triband HSPA while the iPad 2 features EDGE plus quadband UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) for the AT&T versions and CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz) for the Verizon model.
Price - UNCHANGED
The price remains unchanged for all models - iPad 2 starts at $499 for the 16GB WiFi-only model.
New features
There are a few features completely new to the iPad 2. Here’s a rundown:
- Front-facing VGA camera
- Rear-facing 720p camera
- Gyroscope
- New case (optional) that is attached by magnets (how DO they work? ;) and features a microfibre surface.
- HDMI output dongle (optional).
Apple is yet to formalize the demand stream for iPad 2 and the news of iPad 3 is being relished by news makers. If rumors were to be believed then iPad 3 will emerge out to be as the cutting edge tablet in the market. It will have a sleeker design than iPad 2 and will have better content editing features too. The combination of iPad 3 over iOS 5 will indeed be a formidable target for the rest to achieve. The users are already demanding for FaceTime in HD over the new iPad. The tablet device from Apple is being sold at a premium rate and it will be a nice idea if smart covers were made as a part of the deal.
The tablet will be powered on A6 chipset and the usability options will be streamlined to support quick request-response mechanisms. The tablet arena has been redefined to meet the business expectations of the users.
The new device will offer on the air updates of OS and patches to the users. Apple has been working on themethodology of providing updates without PC tethering on the go. Therefore, get going and look to invest in the new device.
Something interesting happen a couple of hours ago on the iTunes App Store. Some folks noticed that Skype for iPad was released on the App Store, particularly on the New Zealand app store. Those who have access to the said App Store was quick to grab the app from the App Store and started posting screenshots. Less than an hour after the New Zealand releases, Skype for iPad went live on the U.S. App Store as well. Naturally, those who were still awake managed to grab the app and posted screenshots on their respective blogs as well.
A couple of minutes later, the unexpected happeneds. Skype pulled out their app from the App Store and posted a tweet using the official Skype Twitter account, apologizing for pull out of the Skype for iPad app. Skype’s reasons? The said app was “prematurely released.” And since Skype wants to give its users the best Skype experience, they had to pull out the app because it was not ready for public consumption well.
Right now, the app is nowhere to be found on the App Store. Fortunately for me, I managed to take a glimpse of the app’s description. And from what I can remember, Skype for iPad will have almost the same features as its iPhone counterpart. Specifically, the app will allow video calls through Wi-Fi and 3G. Video quality was said to be at CD-quality.
And that’s all I can remember from the app’s description. Skype did not announce when the app will be ready. Hopefully, it will be soon especially since those who managed to use the app for a moment said that it was good.