Apple Unveils New iPhone 4

Apple has tonight unveiled the fourth generation of its iPhone which is thinner, more powerful and lighter than any of its previous incarnations.
The firm's boss Steve Jobs took to the stage at the Apple developer's conference in San Francisco tonight to officially unveil the worst-kept secret in technology - the iPhone 4.

Coated in glass front and back, the iPhone 4 has a high definition screen and will give new life to a handset that has achieved 50million sales in three years despite its high cost.
Jobs said the new-look device was the 'biggest leap' it had taken since the launch of the first iPhone.
'This is one of the most beautiful designs you've ever seen,' said Jobs. 'This is beyond a doubt one of the most precise and beautiful things we've ever made.'
The fourth generation iPhone will allow users to multi-task, operating a series of applications at the same time, which is something rival devices already have.
It also has a powerful 5 mega-pixel camera with built-in LED flash and is able to record high definition video.

And it has a front-facing video camera whixh enables users to video-conference for the first time on an iPhone. This feature will be know as FaceTime, said Jobs.
Jobs also announced that the new iPhone's resolution is far superior to any other smartphone screen currently available.
Unveiling the gadget's so-called 'retinal display' of 326 pixels per inch (ppi) Jobs said this was better than the magic number of of 300 ppi.
Above 300 pixels per inch the naked eye is unable to differentiate between digital screens or a printed book. The technology will be crucial if Apple hopes to dominate the eBook market.
iPhone 4 also has a much longer battery life, overcoming complaints that earlier versions burn through the power supply too quickly.
Other extras include a gyroscope which, when coupled with the existing accelerometer and compass, gives it six axis motion sensing.
And in a warning to Google, Jobs also announced that Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo will both now come as search options on the iPhone as well.
Jobs also announced the introduction of iBooks for the iPhone which will synch across all Apple devices including the iPad and the iPod Touch.
Another innovation is the introduction of iAds, specially designed adverts that will tie in with apps.
iPhone users will also be able to play hugely popular social media game Farmville, which is played by 35million people worldwide via Facebook.
The developers have written a version of the game which does not require Adobe's Flash, which Apple refuses to carry.
Apple faces a major challenge to its dominance from a raft of new smart phones from rival manufacturers that are powered by the Android software system developed by Google.
Historically, Apple has thrown up a wall of steel around its new products, keeping all details secret until the official announcement. However, that has failed on this occasion.
An Apple executive apparently left a disguised example of the latest iPhone in a bar in Redwood City, California, where it was found and passed on to the gadget website Gizmodo.
Gizmodo said the new design is sleeker, flatter and squarer than the iPhone 3GS that it will replace.
Apple's fury at the website's decision to publicise its findings has seen its staff banned from the San Francisco event.
The arrival of the new iPhone is expected to lead to Apple discontinuing supply of the original 3G version, while the price of the 3GS is expected to come down.
Currently, the UK's biggest mobile network, Orange, offers a 16GB iPhone 3GS for £189 for those who take out a £25 a month contract for two years. That is a total cost comes to £789.
The same phone can be bought for £450 for those who want a pay as you go deal.
Analyst at technology research firm Gartner, Carolina Milanesi, said: 'The iPhone 4.0 will keep it (Apple) ahead of the game.
'Is it as easy as last year to stay ahead? No. I think Android has made huge progress.'
Rodman & Renshaw analyst, Ashok Kumar, said: 'Android is the only real contender to the throne.'
He said other rival smartphone manufacturers including Nokia, the BlackBerry company RIM and Microsoft are struggling to land a blow on the iPhone.
Samsung has just released two new premium smartphones powered by the Android system, the ‘Wave’ and the ‘Galaxy S’.
Like the latest iPhone, The Wave, has what it calls a hyper definition screen giving superb image quality.
Samsung claims the technology built into The Wave provides superfast download speed and the quickest access to the internet over WiFi to date.
Historically, Apple has scored because of the tens of thousands of applications - Apps - available from its download store, including iTunes, games, maps, videos and many more. However, the Android Apps store is beginning to catch up.

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Dell Android Tablet to Tackle The iPad

US computer giant Dell will begin selling an Android tablet computer called the "Streak" in Britain next month.

With a five-inch (12.5-centimeter) screen, the Streak is smaller than the Apple iPad which goes on sale in Australia on Friday following its debut in the United States last month.

"The Dell Streak hits the sweet spot between traditional smartphones and larger-screen tablets," Ron Garriques, the president of Dell Communication Solutions Group, said in a statement.

"Its unique size provides people new ways to enjoy, connect, and navigate their lives," Garriques said.

Apple's iPad has a 9.7-inch (24.6-centimeter) color screen. The California maker of the Macintosh computer, iPhone and iPod sold over one million of the devices in the first month of availability.

Dell said the Streak will be available in the United States later in the summer. A spokesman for Dell Australia there are not plans as yet to sell it in Australia.

The company did not announce prices for the device, which connects to the internet through Wi-Fi or 3G cellular networks.

Dell said the Streak gives users "'on-the-go' entertainment, social connection, and navigation experience" and is "ideal for experiencing thousands of Android Market widgets, games and applications."

The Streak features a multi-touch display, a high-resolution five megapixel camera and two gigabytes of dedicated storage, Dell said. Unlike the iPad, it can run Adobe's popular Flash software.

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4th generation iPhone

A new set of photos of a 4th generation iPhone prototype have surfaced on a Vietnamese website. The phone in the photos - which bears Apple markings - look almost identical to the one which was lost in March, photos of which were later published on the US gadget website Gizmodo.

If the new images prove to be authentic, and the components of the disassembled phone appear to confirm the provenance, then it marks another serious security breach for Apple.

According to a YouTube video accompanying the write-up on the Vietnamese website, the prototype was bought by a businessman from an unnamed source for $US4000.

The new prototype looks to include several new changes from the one lost in March, indicating that it might be a more advanced test unit.

Pictures of the phone's innards reveal what looks to be a smaller version of the A4 CPU, the same processor family that drives the iPad.

Apple, which is known for its obsession about keeping new products under wraps, is due to release the 4G iPhone in a few months.

The discovery is a boon for companies which make iPhone accessories and gives them a valuable head start in designing new covers and pouches for the next model.

Last month Gizmodo pulled off a major scoop when it posted photos of the new iPhone, which had been left in a Silicon Valley bar by Apple engineer Gray Powell during his birthday drinks. The finder later sold the phone for $US5000 to Gizmodo, a gadget blog owned by Gawker Media.

According to Gizmodo, features of the new phone, expected to be unveiled later this year, include a front-facing video camera for video chat, a flash and an improved regular camera with a larger lens.

It also has a flat back instead of curved back, is thinner than the 3GS, is heavier and has a larger battery.

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Optimize your blog for IPad

It's not news that the iPad has taken the world by storm. From the 99 year old who got the iPad as her first computer to the mass of people ditching their Amazon Kindles in exchange for this new ultra-portable computer, iPad is sending computer manufacturers into a tizzy.



With Apple's emphasis on HTML5, CSS and Javascript, there's a new host of web standards that any website owner or developer should get accustomed to if they want to keep visitors on their website and as engaged as they would be from any standard computer browser.

If keeping your audience engagement rates high and your bounce-rates low is important to you, here are 8 ways to optimize your blog for iPad and keep consumers on your website:

1. Remove any and all Flash
Whether you simply have flash introduction, have your videos embedded with Flash code, or your entire site is built using Flash—get rid of it. Neither the iPad nor the iPhone can read Flash and Apple developers have no intention of making the devices compatible. Any Flash objects on your website is replaced by a blue box for anyone trying to view it on the iPad. Check out Apple's list of iPad Ready Websites.

2. Update your code to HTML5
This isn't a requirement, but it's by recommendation of Apple. Besides, with the world wide web upgrading to HTML5, you might as well update your site, which the Apple iPad can not only read, but is a clean framework that will also help you in other areas such as the time it takes for your site to load.

3. Look for website plugins
If you are running any type of open source Content Management System (CMS), keep on top of available and upcoming plugins that will automatically format your website for the iPad. Joomla already has a plugin released, called the Mobile Content Switch which will let you choose which content people can view depending on which device they're browsing from.

4. Drop complicated navigation
On the iPad, drop-downs and other hovering-type menus don't always work as smoothly as they do on computer browsers. In most cases, the user can only get into the first layer of navigation and nothing underneath. If you decide to design an iPad-compatible version of your website, a more simplistic navigation will help users get to the areas of your site that they're looking for without being obstructed.

5. Remove any fixed positioning CSS
Since you can't resize your browser on the iPad like you can on a computer, Apple warns against using fixed-positioning in your CSS. The fixed elements depend on the size of your browser, and since the iPad had a fixed width and height, this can cause overlapping of elements like text and images.

6. Pay attention to Apple
Apple does more than most companies to get users involved in their products. They've put together extensive kits for developers who want to create apps on the iPhone and iPad, so it's no surprise that they already have a helpful Preparing Your Web Content for iPad guide.

7. Test your site on an iPad
This doesn't mean you need to go out and buy one, you can always just stop by an Apple store and test it out or borrow one. Just because your website displays correctly in Safari doesn't guarantee it's working on the iPad, since the browsers are built differently and optimized for different sized screens.

8. Create your own app
Not only is this a great way to monetize the content on your website, but creating an app for the iPad gives you increased exposure to consumers who might have known about your site beforehand. Whether you are a content publisher or you sell shoes online, an app created for the iPad is obviously the ultimate in iPad optimization. Start developing apps by downloading the iPad SDK.

Remember, you're designing for a touch screen. Apple has taken care of all the back-end work that transforms your HTML into touchable objects, all you have to do is make your calls to action easy to click and your layout clean to view.

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BlackBerry new operating system

BlackBerry to have new operating system as it takes on Apple's iPhone

MONTREAL - The BlackBerry will have a faster browser for Internet surfing with its new operating system as the competition to win consumers continues between Research In Motion (TSX: RIM) and iPhone maker Apple.

RIM showed off its new BlackBerry operating system to analysts in a video with music by the Black Eyed Peas at its annual trade show in Florida in Tuesday.

Mackie Research Capital analyst Nick Agostino said the new operating system puts the RIM device on par with the iPhone for ease of use.

"The demonstration they made would lead you to believe that they've levelled that playing field," said Agostino, who attended RIM's trade show in Orlando.

Analysts have often knocked the BlackBerry for a clunky, slow web browsing experience.

PCMag analyst Sascha Segan noted the BlackBerry now has a "modern" web browser that uses the same core technology that's in Apple, Android and Nokia smartphone browsers.

"The new web browser is going to improve RIM's position somewhat," Segan said. "This means that hopefully with BlackBerry 6.0 that you're going to have a full desktop-like web experience."

However, Segan noted the new operating system still lacks enough appeal for developers to create consumer applications for the BlackBerry.

"Apple and Android still have the edge in consumer apps," said Segan, managing editor for PCMag Mobile in New York.

"RIM is in danger of their phones becoming things that just do what they do out of the box, as opposed to smartphones that get new features through apps every day."

Apple has been able to get a lasting buzz from its consumers applications that offer everything from identifying snippets of songs to translation services to finding restaurants.

When connecting to someone, the new system will offer all the possible ways that you can talk to them, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Segan said.

It also has a "fancier" music player and the operating system is designed for touch devices developed by Waterloo, Ont.-based RIM and BlackBerrys with keyboards.

Segan the new operating system is designed for current BlackBerry platforms, meaning many BlackBerrys can be upgraded as long as wireless carriers OK the upgrade.

He also said RIM announced it will enhance the browser with flash technology that powers videos on a lot of websites, something the iPhone does not support.

Shares in Research In Motion closed down 28 cents at $72.59 on Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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