India has introduced a cheap tablet computer, saying it would deliver modern technology to the countryside to help lift villagers out of poverty.
The computer, called Aakash, or “sky” in Hindi, is the latest in a series of “world’s cheapest” innovations in India that include a 100,000 rupee ($2104) compact Nano car, a 750 rupee ($15.78) water purifier and $2078 open-heart surgery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaNzbCtxtcY&feature=player_embedded
Disney announced a new toy line Tuesday that turns the iPad into an interactive play mat. The new toys, called Disney Appmates, interact directly with a free app for the iPad that brings them to life.
The first toys in the Appmates series are from Pixar’s Cars. Twin packs of toy autos — each representing a character from the popular film series — will be available in stores for about $20.
In addition to the excellent video demo (above), we’ve had a chance to play with the product. Sunny Lauridsen, director of digital toys at Disney Consumer Products gave us a hands-on demo of the toys and app in action. After playing with the Appmates themselves, we were bowled over by the ingenuity — and by how fun they were.
Each plastic car has specially designed capacitive sensors on the bottom. Once placed on the iPad, these sensors provide the app with information about what character the car represents (each pattern of sensors slightly different) and where it is on the screen.
The app then adjusts itself to match the position of the car and to speak and interact with the character. The voices from Cars and Cars 2 are a nice touch. Kids can freely explore the area around Radiator Springs and Route 66 during the day and at night.
In addition to a free play mode, kids can also compete in races and complete missions. This earns them coins that outfit their cars with power-ups, special tires and different kinds of fuel. The coins are virtual only — no in-app purchase or real currency exchange takes place — and Disney tells us it is still exploring how it might offer add-on levels or additional items.
I was shocked by just how well the toys work with the iPad. Fundamentally, however, the coolest part of the toys is that they assimilate so well with how kids actually play. Rather than trying to re-create a new paradigm, Disney has just given the experience a digital boost.
The big question is: Won’t the toys break the screen? In my experience, it would be difficult (though not impossible) for the toys to inflict any substantial damage to the iPad’s glass. The sensors are designed not to scratch the surface and the toys are lightweight enough that excessive pounding shouldn’t inflict much damage. Still, this is probably a good opportunity to explain to your kids how to best take care of electronics.
We could have designed our own tablet — and in fact that’s something we actually considered doing,” Lauridsen says. “After the iPad was released, we looked at its success in the market — especially with families — and decided not to reinvent the wheel and instead focus on creating toys for the existing platform.” As a strategy, this makes sense. Since its release in April 2010, the iPad has proven to be as popular with kids as it is with adults.
Disney already has a successful presence on the iPhone and iPad, and the Appmates series of toys will just continue to build on that. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Steve Jobs, Apple’s chairman, is a member of the Disney board of directors and its single largest shareholder.
The initial release of the Cars Appmates app will only work with the iPad 2, because of the processor and memory requirements for the app. Future releases, however, will work with the iPad 1 as well.
Apple retail stores and Apple.com will be selling their own exclusive two-pack of Appmates in stores this October. Disney tells us that in the future, other Disney franchises will also get the Appmates treatment.
Frankly, toys like this make me wish I was a kid again.
Surprise! HBO has made on-demand streaming applications available on the iPad, iPhone and select Android devices, a few days ahead of their expected launch date. (Hat tip to BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield, who first spotted the iPad app.)
The HBO Go apps were teased in a YouTube ad released last week, promising a May 2 launch date. But they appeared a few days early, enabling subscribers to the premium cable network to access new release movies, as well as every episode from every season of every HBO original series on Apple iOS devices, as well as some Android phones.
Apple has reported another exceptional quarter, nearly doubling its net income and far exceeding analyst estimates on the strength of the seemingly unstoppable iPhone.
However, sales of Apple’s big new product, the iPad tablet computer, came in below expectations. The second version of the tablet launched three weeks before the end of the quarter, and manufacturing constraints prevented Apple from selling more of them.
Apple plans to introduce services that would let customers use its iPhone and iPad computer to make purchases, said Richard Doherty, director of consulting firm Envisioneering Group.
The services are based on “Near-Field Communication”, a technology that can beam and receive information at a distance of up to four inches, due to be embedded in the next iteration of the iPhone and the iPad 2, Doherty said. Both products are likely to be introduced this year, he said, citing engineers who are working on hardware for the Apple project.
We knew it was coming, but until now we didn’t know when. Over the Christmas break, Channel Ten finally released their iPhone app to the general public.
The app, which went live on January 3 but was promised late last year, boasts features including an in-app television guide and the ability to receive push notifications for upcoming programs.
From the iTunes app description:
The new TEN iPhone app offers you a full free-to-air and subscription TV Guide where you can set reminders for your favourite TV shows. The app features Twitter and Facebook integration and you can also watch full episodes of TEN TV shows!
View pics, download wallpapers and find out all about your favourite cast members as well as watching exclusive behind the scenes video.
The application currently has a five star rating by users who’ve downloaded the app. Of note is the ability to watch “full episodes” feature of the app – we could only get 5 to play, and they’re specially edited for the iPhone.
If you’re keen to get your hands on the Channel Ten iPhone app, it’s free in the App Store right now.
Apple plans to introduce services that would let customers use its iPhone and iPad computer to make purchases, said Richard Doherty, director of consulting firm Envisioneering Group.
The services are based on “Near-Field Communication”, a technology that can beam and receive information at a distance of up to four inches, due to be embedded in the next iteration of the iPhone and the iPad 2, Doherty said. Both products are likely to be introduced this year, he said, citing engineers who are working on hardware for the Apple project.
IF YOU seek Cleo’s advice on how to ”think your way to the perfect life”, you can now do so on your iPad as well as in this month’s print edition.
But despite its publisher, the ACP Magazines division of the Nine Entertainment Co, releasing an application selling iPad editions of 16 magazines, you cannot subscribe to any of them.
News Corporation is pushing back the launch of the world’s first iPad-only newspaper.
The company declined to comment on why. But a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorisation to disclose details, said on Friday News Corp and iPad maker Apple Inc have decided to delay the launch while they work on the technology involved in providing subscriptions.
