iPad

In the dark days before the iPad 2 announcement the rumour-mill was in full swing, with mockups doing the rounds of the usual tech blogs with even more frequency than usual. These mockups were unusually accurate this time around, thanks to various leaks of case specifications coming out of China and Taiwan. We even had photos of cases for an unreleased iPad 2, all but confirming the size and dimensions of Apple's next wonder-tablet. Apple wasn't happy, and now three Foxconn employees have been charged over the saga.

The iPad 2 is "winning" with two double-your-fun hardware features. Buh-bye iPad 1. After using the iPad 2 for a few weeks, I can now say the upgrade was worth it. Even waiting in line with the huddled Los Angeles masses, yearning for the iPad 2, was worth it.

Allow me to insert a brief parenthetical by saying I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't mention there's always a psychological need to justify the purchase of a pricey gadget. Not unlike seeking absolution for a sin. That said, I'm pretty sure this review passes the objective, dispassionate analysis test.

The iPad 2 has been chronically selling out at stores everywhere so news that a new outlet will have the iPad 2 can potentially send shoppers scurrying to that location.

But don't expect to waltz into a Toys R Us today and get one. In the Los Angeles area, only select Toys R Us stores got a shipment of iPad 2s. In northern Los Angeles, for example, only a couple of stores (Santa Clarita and Bakersfield) got the iPad 2, according to a store representative.

Component makers for Apple's iPad claim that the company has released its roadmap for higher-resolution touchscreen tablets, but the project is still at the "initial planning stage" and an upgraded iPad is unlikely to come later this year, according to a new report.

Insiders suggest that Apple could choose AMOLED technology or a high-resolution standard as part of its plan to upgrade the image quality on the iPad, DigiTimes reported on Monday.

Apple's supply of the iPad 2 edged closer to demand today as the company's online store showed a two-to-three week shipping delay. That is an improvement on the three-to-four week delay between ordering and shipping that Apple was quoting customers last week.

The iPhone Dev-Team has finally released untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 via Redsn0w and PwnageTool. Except for the iPad 2, this new untethered jailbreak is compatible to work with all devices, including: iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad (1st-gen) and iPod touch 3G/4G on the newly released iOS 4.3.1 firmware.

This untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 is based on an exploit found by iPhone security expert and hacker Stefan Esser, who demoed it on his iPod touch last week before handing it over to the Dev-Team to do the rest.

Apple has started airing a new spot promoting iPad 2 as a collection of "delightful, even magical" integrated functions rather than just a device with various hardware specifications.

The new ad continues the series of iPad commercials that have focused on its capabilities, with little if any mention of its hardware specifications. However, the new ad strikes a new sentimental tone portraying the device as being natural and intuitive to the point where the underlying technology vanishes.

Like a sucker punch, the iPad's popularity has taken the enterprise by surprise. Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler recently held a teleconference with 241 IT pros to talk about the impact the iPad and other tablets may have on their organizations. Did they have questions? You bet.

Of the 15 million iPads on the street, Forrester figures half make their way to work. Forrester released results of a survey of 2,300 IT executives last week that shows one out of four companies using or planning to use tablets.