Samsung Tab, RIM PlayBook Looking to Challenge Apple Ipad Dominance. Now Acer Joins the Race of Tablets

RIM is rumored to enter the touchscreen tablet market with their PlayBook at $100 less than Apple’s iPad for the entry level version (8GB with WiFi). The PlayBook was rumored to be 3 times faster than the iPad, a counterstatement to Steve Jobs’ comments that devices like the PlayBook are dead on arrival because their 7 inch screens are too small for a desired user experience.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab has shown potential to rival iPad’s dominance as it recorded 600,000 units sold in the first month. Apple sold 1 million iPads in its first month. Those figures really show some seriously significant information on the touchscreen tablet market and begs the question of how much market is still left out there untapped. No wonder more and more companies are tapping into the touchscreen market to gain a share of the pie now kept by Apple.

Taiwan maker ACER has launched its own quest to challenge Apple’s iPad by introducing 3 models of touchscreen tablets for release next quarter. 2 of them will be powered by, guess what, Android and 1 more will use Windows. The iPad opened the door and led the way, now can the others surpass it or just merely play catch up. Can iPad continue to be ahead of the pack when iPad 2 comes out? Many will bet it will.

Apple iOS 4.2 Update Release for iPad (Also for iPod and iPhone)

The much-awaited update of iOS 4.2 from Apple is finally available to the public officially. Now you can fire up your iTunes and get the [number] MB update. This update will bring the much awaited multitasking feature to the iPad which disappointed Apple fanboys after the initial OS of the iPad, iOS 4.1 does not support multitasking even though it has been presented in the keynote by Steve Jobs during the unveiling of the iPhone 4. This iOS 4.2 update will bring the iPad closer to the purpose of a netbook replacement. Other features brought onboard by iOS 4.2 are folders, unified inbox, AirPlay wireless streaming and AirPrint wireless printing.

Steve Jobs said this update “makes the iPad a completely new product.” Apple pre-dominated the tablet market with iPad beginning April 2010 before other competitors started coming out with their own versions of touchscreen tablet to cash in on the hype, popularity and uptrend generated by the iPad. South Korea's Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab which runs on Android and has a smaller 7 inch screen and Canada's Research In Motion (RIM) who makes the Blackberry, are going to launch a version of theirs in the PlayBook.

Many of the features in iOS 4.2 were already available for the latest versions of the iPhone and the iPod touch but not for the iPad. So the victors are the iPad owners. With multitasking, iPad users can now switch between applications instantly and run multiple apps in parallel, something which the iPhone 4 users have been enjoying. Applications can now be organised into folders with a drag-and-drop feature. E-mail features a unified inbox for users with more than one account while Game Centre lets users of the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch play against friends or other opponents and discover games that others are playing.

A new feature called AirPlay streams music, video and photos wirelessly from the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to a television set equipped with Apple TV, Apple's TV set-top box.AirPrint allows an iPad owner to wirelessly print documents or photos to AirPrint-enabled printers.
Apple said that 40,000 applications have been created for the iPad and 300,000 for the iPhone and iPod touch. It would be difficult for the other makers to match the iPad’s popularity, so look forward to more dominance by the Cupertino giant.

Google Voice App is Coming to Your iPhone

The Google Voice app is finally approved for iPhone. Google Inc.'s Voice application has won approval to be on the iPhone after more than a year of haggling with Apple Inc. where the FCC inquiry of both Apple and AT&T were trying to prevent Google's popular app from competing with them. Google's Voice application has the edge in terms of cheaper rates on international calls and voice mail. The free app already has been available for Blackberry phones and devices running on Google's Android operating system. It now joins the more than 300,000 apps currently available on the App Store.

The FCC sent letters to Google, Apple and AT&T asking why Google Voice had not been approved for the iPhone during which Apple replied that it was blocking the app because it duplicated some of the iPhone's built-in features. AT&T initially only allowed Internet calling services through WiFi but later on started allowing iPhone owners to use Internet calling services on its 3G network.

33% of People Waiting for GT5 Do Not Own a PS3

If you’re reading this site, you probably know Gran Turismo 5 is a big deal for the PlayStation brand, but we can’t often quantify that into numbers. Data collected by marketing research agency OTX GamePlan, however, gives a peek into stats you know Sony is taking into careful consideration. According to their latest survey, 33% of people who plan on purchasing GT5 don’t yet own a PlayStation 3 console to play it on. In other words, if GT5 sells anywhere close to GT4’s 10.9 million copies, there will have to be several million consoles out the door along with it. For a system that sells around 10 million units per year, that would be healthy increase. Without a solid release date for the game, though, those consoles could be sitting on the shelf for a while…

Boss, the iPhone Alarm Was Late

There is a software glitch which will make iPhone alarms late this Monday. Apple iPhone users in the United States must remember to delete and then reset their phone's alarm clock -- otherwise they may say the above line on Monday morning -- for being an hour late for work.
This glitch in the iPhone's operating system will cause recurring weekday alarms not to ring on time on Monday morning because of the end of Daylight Saving Time, which occurs at 2 a.m. on Sunday in the United States.

The phone's alarm app doesn't recognize the time change and will ring an hour late if left as it is.
If you depend on the iPhone for your wake up call, then you should create a one-time alarm specifically for Monday morning! Similar event affected users in Europe on Nov 1 2010. Later this month, Apple will release an updated version of its mobile software, iOS 4.2, which will fix the problem.

If you're in the United States and want to create an iPhone alarm that will work Monday, follow these steps:

1. Open the Clock application.
2. Click on the Alarm icon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Click the "plus sign" icon in the top right corner.
4. Create an alarm and make sure you have the "repeat" option set to "never." (The glitch only occurs with repeat alarms, such as those workers set to wake them up at the same time each weekday).
5. Select the appropriate time and sound, and click "save."
6. After November 7, you can again create repeat alarms without trouble, but you should delete any recurring alarms that you set before that date.

McRib is Back November 2 2010

The McRib® Sandwich is BACK at McDonald's® for a limited time only starting November 2nd. The McRib® is the one sandwich that is so delicious, so special, so awesome that it instills a devotion like no other. It is a boneless slab of tenderness slathered with our own special barbecue sauce, then topped with crisp onions and pickles. Be sure to visit your local McDonald’s® to enjoy the McRib® Sandwich or McRib® Extra Value Meal® with an ice cold Dr Pepper at participating McDonald’s®.