Issue 4 of iPad-only mag Project available for free - Phone Arena

Phone Arena - Good news for all of you who want to try out Project - the iPad-only magazine - and try it out for free. That's because the new issue of Richard Branson's offering is now available in the App Store and it costs... well, not a single cent.

It's not often we feel like we want to thank the guys at American Express, but it seems the right time has come, as the Project folks say this promotion is only happening because of AmEx. Anyway, the really important part is that issue 4 of this mag features Eric Bana on the cover, and you can download it for free from the iTunes link below.

Besides Mr. Bana, here's what else you can expect from this Project issue:

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Nokia E7 vs LG Optimus 2X vs Apple iPhone 4 - Phone Arena

Nokia E7 vs LG Optimus 2X vs Apple iPhone 4 - Phone Arena: "The Nokia E7, LG Optimus 2X and the Apple iPhone 4 are one of the best and most current representatives of rather different mobile operating systems – Symbian, Android and iOS. It's a long shot to compare the three as they are so different, but it gives us a bird's eye view of how the mobile industry has changed in the last few years.

The Nokia E7 has the worst timing of the three, appearing right after Nokia announced its decision to slowly phase out Symbian, and replace it with Windows Phone. Still, it is an extremely well-crafted device, and its anodized aluminum chassis feels very solid in the hand, all the while it manages to keep a fairly slim profile, considering it carries an excellent chiclet-style physical keyboard.

The LG Optimus 2X is basically a big slab, but the curved battery cover edges, and the soft touch plastic on the back make it comfortable to hold. The iPhone 4, on the other hand, has exceptional looks too, but it achieves it with a steel and glass frame, while still having one of the thinnest profiles out there.

The displays utilized are also very different. First we have the 4” ClearBlack AMOLED on the Nokia E7, which offers the widest viewing angles, high contrast, and nice, saturated colors, plus it has a polarizing filter on top to aid in sunlight visibility, since it is not as bright as the LCD screens on Apple's and LG's handsets. Its main downside – the low 360x640 resolution.

The iPhone 4's so-called Retina Display is much smaller than the one on the E7 at 3.5”, but it has the highest mobile display resolution out there – 640x960 – and is one of the brightest too. And, finally, the display on the LG Optimus 2X is a solid 4” IPS-LCD with 480x800 pixels, making it a good choice if you'd rather have a bigger screen with standard resolution than the smaller one on the iPhone 4."

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Apple iPad 2 Gaming Test - Phone Arena

Apple iPad 2 Gaming Test - Phone Arena: "Already deemed as a venerable gaming machine in its own the regard, the iPad 2 will undoubtedly kick things up a notch, as it should, thanks to upgraded internals found under the hood. If 3D gaming is more your kind of thing, then the 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor is an inviting evolutionary step forward that should bring along some graphically rich titles down the road once developers begin to take advantage of it. In the meantime though, we decided to check out the kind of graphics prowess that the iPad 2 has to offer – and more importantly, how it compares to its brethren."

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Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter Demonstration - Phone Arena

Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter Demonstration - Phone Arena: "When so many devices nowadays are increasingly making it very easy to share content via wired connection to high-definition television sets, it’s only fitting that we’re seeing it coming aboard with the iPad 2. If there’s one ideal accessory worth shelling out for with your cold hard cash, it has to be none other than Apple’soptional digital AV adapter that sells for $39! Come to think of it, this doesn’t only enable you to quickly play 1080p videos and music stored on your iPad 2, but it doubles as an HDMI mirrored video output.

As much as it would’ve been nice to see an HDMI port built into the iPad 2, the optional adapter is still nonetheless not all that obtrusive – although it does seem to just dangle on there. Regardless, you basically connect your standard HDMI cable to the adapter, and from there, it’ll output the iPad 2’s display onto the big screen. So whether you're holding the tablet in portrait or landscape, it’ll mimic every action to the teeth with almost very minimal evidence of lag.

Obviously, you can do just about anything on the iPad 2 as it keeps up in displaying all your actions on the big screen. From navigating between the homescreens to browsing a complex web site, it’s effortlessly accomplished and really shows the added functionality that is experienced by using the adapter. Furthermore, we’re able to even play videos and music stored on our iPad 2 through our television.

Interestingly enough, the biggest use for the adapter in our opinion comes in the gaming department since you can basically rely on the iPad 2 to act as the gameplay controls – while viewing your actions on your television set. Without a doubt, there are some interesting things that developers will be able to concoct at this point in getting the most out of the adapter’s usage. Even more, we were able to comfortably place a FaceTime call while sitting back on our couch as we relied on chatting it up with friends on our television.

So for only $39, it’s almost a no-brainer in picking it up – albeit, it’d be beneficial to have a lengthy HDMI cable on hand if you want to sit back far enough from your television. Well, that’s unless you can tolerate being up close and personal instead."

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Apple iPad 2 Unboxing & Hands-on - Phone Arena

Apple iPad 2 Unboxing & Hands-on - Phone Arena: "Precisely after it was unveiled to the public not too long ago, we only had to wait a short period of time before we found ourselves finally here at the launch of the highly anticipated Apple iPad 2. Setting the bar in terms of coming to market the fastest soon after it was officially announced, consumers all around have the opportunity starting today to purchase the follow up to last year’s model that seemingly revolutionized the industry in many ways. Packing some upgraded hardware under the hood, it’s naturally impressive to see all of the upgraded internals packaged into a slimmer body – while retaining the same price points as before."

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Have a taste of Android or WP7 by simulating them on your iPhone - Phone Arena

Have a taste of Android or WP7 by simulating them on your iPhone - Phone Arena: "Lets say that you are a happy iPhone owner but at the same time you have sometimes wondered what it might feel like to use Android or even Windows Phone 7 for a little bit. Well, now you can actually try either one of the operating systems to some extent by simulating them right there on your iPhone. OSFaker is the app that you need to download, assuming your iPhone has already been successfully jailbroken.

OSFaker can be easily obtained through Cydia and will do its best to give you a graphical representation of either Android or WP7. For those of you unfamiliar with Cydia, imagine Apple's App Store, but offering apps which were designed specifically to be used on a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch. Needless to say, such applications would have never made it to the listings of Apple's App Store.

Using the application proves to be pretty simple as it gives you the option to simulate Android or WP7 right after its launch. OSFaker added WP7 simulation in its most recent update, which explains its limited capabilities. On the other hand, the Android simulation includes access to a handful of basic apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Calculator, and Paint. Feel free to give it a try if you are curious enough already!"

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Apple Offers Free Download for iOS 4.3 iPad User Guide - Softpedia

Apple Offers Free Download for iOS 4.3 iPad User Guide - Softpedia: "Apple has prepared the official 'iPad User Guide for iOS 4.3' in eBook format, with an “expected” release date of March 11 in the iBookstore. According to an iBookstore listing (pictured left) showing the guide’s upcoming availability, Apple is poised to launch a ‘book’ containing everything you need to know about the iPad starting with version 4.3 of the iOS operating system.

Set to become available on March 11, “iPad User Guide for iOS 4.3” will be a free download from the iBookstore for anyone owning an iOS device and an Apple ID."

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Apple's Jobs: The tablet PC 'crashed and burned' | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News

Apple's Jobs: The tablet PC 'crashed and burned' | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News: "Apple CEO Steve Jobs had some choice words today for the tablet PC, a relatively obscure PC product category that never caught on with consumers. What is the tablet PC exactly? While there's a long history of this product category and thus not a hard-and-fast definition, it's probably best exemplified today by hybrids like Hewlett-Packard's EliteBook 2570p (which starts at a whopping $1,599) or the Fujitsu Lifebook T900 Tablet PC (which starts at an even higher $1,899).

The tablet PC has been largely a vain attempt--certainly compared with the popularity of the iPad--to meld the laptop with a tablet, based on the Windows tablet interface."

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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch Review & Rating | PCMag.com

The original MacBook Air ($1,799 direct, 3 stars) took the concept of thin to a whole new level, but ended up sacrificing too much in the process. Just when you thought the MacBook Air was about to collapse under its shortcomings, Apple, inspired by what it did with the Apple iPad, breathes new life into the MacBook Air 13-inch ($1,299 direct). We all knew Apple had the design chops to push the boundaries of thin, but what it added in terms of features and performance set the precedent for what's to come. After all, Steve Jobs called the latest MacBook Air, "the future of MacBooks." The 13-inch version adds an extra USB port and an SD slot-features it desperately needed to compete as a laptop. It completely transitions to flash storage (SSDs), which, in addition to enabling the Air's zippy wake-from-sleep times, made room for a bigger 50Wh battery and its over 5 hours of battery life. But for those who complained about the MacBook Air's steep prices, they'll be complaining for a while longer.

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U.S. chip manufacturing in the age of the iPad | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News

Behind the fly-off-the-shelf popularity of products like Apple's iPad and iPhone are hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs--mostly overseas. Is it possible to create more of those jobs here in the U.S. to combat chronically high levels of unemployment? Personal computing is moving rapidly beyond the laptop. And there's no better example than Apple, whose most popular products are now the iPhone and the iPad. The surging demand for anything Apple is causing a seismic shift in chip manufacturing to Asia, the hotbed of new silicon ecosystems. Though companies like Hewlett-Packard and Dell also play a role, they are still primarily Intel-centric PC makers, while Apple is morphing into a maker of smartphones and tablets, which is creating the alternative non-Intel silicon manufacturing ecosystems overseas. Thus the focus on Apple.

So, is there anything a U.S. gadget supplier like Apple can--or should--do to help maintain a chip manufacturing base in the U.S.? Seeking an answer to that question I recently sat in on a Stanford University class taught by Andy Grove, the former Intel chief executive, and talked to Vivek Wadhwa, director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering.

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Mobile phone display mega shootout: The full picture - GSMArena.com

There are so many of them that it’s pretty hard to make up your mind. It all boils down to LCD vs. LED although this simple fact is easy to overlook. You can go ahead and blame it all on marketing but that’s one thing that just can’t be black and white. Instead of keeping it simple, manufacturers are busy making up catchy names.

Had enough with LCD? Be our guest, try Super LCD. There’s even Super Clear LCD for the sake of being different. Same with AMOLED. There’s the garden variety. But there’s also Clear Black and Super AMOLED.

Anyway, with so many screens around even we got mixed up. And instead of writing down “We’ll never again mistake regular LCD for Super LCD” three thousand times, we got assigned to do this article. Yes sir. Coming up, boss. It’s about LCD and AMOLED, about Super AMOLED and SUPER LCD. It’s about the Retina display, which technically is a type of LCD.

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iOS 4.2 IPSW Download Sources - Softpedia

Apple claims everyone who owns a supported iOS device can now tether the unit to their computer, launch iTunes (minimum version 10.1) and check for the iOS 4.2 software update. Alternately, users can manually download the firmware bundle and store it locally for a scheduled, manual installation. The IPSW download is free, while most iOS devices are supported. Avid Softpedia readers should already be aware that iOS software update files are easily obtainable through our web site. Just hit the links below and choose the iOS 4.2 IPSW supported by your device.

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City game artwork - Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Available for Mac OS X - Download Limited to 30 Days - Softpedia

Rockstar Games and TransGaming have announced Grand Theft Auto Trilogy for the Macintosh, a unique chance for Mac gamers to revisit the classic entries of the series, which include Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Ported to the Mac via TransGaming’s Cider, a technology that allows PC games to be enabled on Apple's Intel Macs, the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy is available via TransGaming's GameTreeMac.com Mac gaming portal for 30 days starting today. The game is also available at retailers across Europe, Rockstar Games said. North American retailers are on track to receive shipments starting November 22.

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Apple Posts Updated iOS 4.2 GM for iPad - Softpedia

Apple has released a second iOS 4.2 GM build to developers this week, hoping to address Wi-Fi issues with the tablet device, sources inform. The company was on track to publicly release the new software update not once, but twice this this month, reports indicate. However, a bug relating to wireless connectivity reportedly pushes it into late November. Earlier this week, Softpedia reported that two separate sources claimed Apple was struggling to fix a Wi-Fi bug inside iOS 4.2, prompting the company to push the public launch of the update into the week to follow.

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Apple MacBook Air Clone from E-Stary Looks Almost Like the Real Thing - Softpedia

You know it, we know it and Apple certainly knows it too that China is the land where just about any electronic device can be copied (and sometimes, even improved) in a very short amount of time, the knock-offs coming from this part of the world becoming pretty famous, especially since the “source of inspiration” is a device that's managed to seriously keep itself in the spotlight, such as the MacBook Air from Apple. In fact, although the redesigned MacBook Air has only been around for a fairly limited amount of time, its first knock-offs have already appeared on the Chinese market, the latest being the HY118 portable computing system developed by a company called E-Stary and uncovered by the people over at Shanzaiben.

The HY118, despite sharing the external design of the MacBook Air, has the core of a netbook inside, sporting a choice of Intel Atom N270/N450 CPUs and Intel 945GSE/NM10 chipsets, as well as 1GB of DDR2 memory and an 160GB HDD. Quite obviously, the clone sports a 11.6-inch display (1366x768 pixels resolution) powered by either integrated Intel GMA 950 or 3150 graphics chipsets.

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Apple releases iOS 4.2 Gold Master for developers | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews

Apple has released the final testing version of their next update to iOS, iOS 4.2 Gold Master, to developers for a final look before public consumption. The update to iOS promises to catch iPad users up to the features that have existed on iPhones and iPod touches running iOS 4 for the last several months. Highlights of the expected update include Multitasking, Folders, AirPrint, and AirPlay as well as Game Center compatibility, better Mail, enhanced Safari, increased enterprise support, and keyboard and accessibility upgrades. With the Gold Master of iOS 4.2 now in the hands of developers, a public release should happen within the next couple weeks.

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Q3 summary:Top 5 Mobile Phone Vendors

This week was chock full of financial reports and now it’s time for a summary. According to industry analysts IDC, mobile phone market grew 14.6% with 340.5 million units shipped. Smartphones are playing an ever-increasing role - the estimated smartphone market share is expected to grow by over 50% by the end of the year.

Apple entered the Top 5 phone manufacturers and it’s the second smartphone-only manufacturer among them. Along with RIM (the other smartphone-only company), the two manufacturers have the highest growth rates in the third quarter of 2010.

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iPod touch 4 Gains Video Calling Support in Yahoo! Messenger 2.0.1

According to the makers of Yahoo! Messenger for iOS, the application can now be used “to make video calls and stream live video one-to-one.” The feature was previously exclusive to iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users running iOS 4.1. It is now available for iPod touch 4th generation users as well, with the same iOS requirement.

In addition to enabling video calling on iPod touch 4th generation units, Yahoo! Messenger 2.0.1 also brings bug fixes, as a bonus.

Yahoo! doesn’t mention what bugs it has ironed out, but we can be sure of a great experience, given that the app wasn’t too buggy in the first place.

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Refurbished iPads hit the Apple Store

I'm a longtime fan of refurbished gear--especially Apple's refurbished gear, which looks and operates like new and comes with the same warranty as the new stuff.

I speak from experience, having purchased several refurbished iPhones and iPod Touches. But I've yet to land an iPad this way--mostly because Apple didn't offer them. Until now.

For the first time, refurbished iPads are available from the Apple Store (online only).

Like their smaller counterparts, they come with a new battery, a new outer shell, and a full one-year warranty. You also get all the same accessories (USB cable, power adapter, etc.), and even the same free shipping.

So what's the catch? There isn't one. These units are literally good as new. The only noticeable difference is the box: refurbished iPads (and iPods and iPhones) come in a plain cardboard one. The only time I can see that being an issue is if you're wrapping one up as a gift--but even then, it's what's inside the box that counts, right?

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Obama Signing iPad using Adobe Ideas app

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