At the beginning of next month Apple will launch the iPad 3. It’ll be new and shiny and full of faster processors and what have you, but it will still fall short on one major point: you can’t type at length on a touchscreen. For that you need a keyboard.

While Apple keeps its touchscreens and keyboards separate in the name of keeping its different products from eating each other, has the rest of the market got it right already with the influx of hybrids? And if so, will that mean that the iPad will become a relic in the market it invented? Yes. Read on to find out why.

Remember when the iPad was originally launched? Steve Jobs claimed that Apple had solved a problem by filling the gap between the laptop and the smartphone. The iPad does that, but it also opens up another gap: the space between a tablet and a laptop now exists, and it’s already being filled.

Is Asus the most underrated company ever?

Asus is doing it best. The Asus Transformer Prime is a real showcase for the rest of the industry in how to correctly do a tablet/laptop hybrid on Android. The thing is, Android is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure you’ve seen Windows 8 in action before, but take a quick look again:

It’s built for touchscreens. In the lower-end of the market (where netbooks used to sit) you will start to see a helluva lot of Windows 8 hybrids start to pile in.

It makes sense at that level: have something lightly specced enough to be light and portable as a laptop, while retaining the ability to use the device as a standalone tablet with Windows 8 gestures.

Here’s the big problem for Apple: it can’t do that. At the lower end of the Apple spec sheet you have the iPad. Now that the MacBook is dead, the next jump up is to the 11-inch MacBook Air. It’s very similar in size to the iPad, but boasts the full Mac OS X operating software, a keyboard and trackpad.

Transformer Prime sequel coming this summer?

If you’re coming in at the lower end those are your choices. Those were my choices in early 2011 when I was weighing up my options. I didn’t need anything super powerful. I just needed something that would be fun, extremely portable and would let me type with ease. The iPad had it on the first two points, but not on the latter.

I know that you can buy iPad keyboard cases that fill in the gap, but they’re not as polished as if Apple were to do it properly itself. Likewise, I know that Apple makes a keyboard dock for the iPad, but it’s designed to be used on a desk, rather than on your lap.

I ended up buying the 11-inch MacBook Air. I’m happy with the decision still, but there’s a part of me that knows that I would have opted for the iPad if it came with a detachable keyboard.

Alas, Apple won’t do that. If it made an iPad with such an appendage in the same mould of the Transformer Prime, it would cannabalise both the standard iPad underneath it and the MacBook Air above it.

I believe that people needing very basic typing and Facebook-checking capabilities – the sort that have bought the iPad in their droves – would almost certainly choose  the keyboard-sporting model instead. Likewise, people like me who need a portable typing machine and not much else, would opt for it over the more expensive Air.

iPad 3 launch confirmed

That’s why I doubt I’ll ever buy an iPad. Apple is in a position where it’s unable to cater for that middle market and the danger is that this will leave it vulnerable in the future. Apple’s tab undoubtedly invented the market as it was, but its inability to adapt with it could very well be its undoing in the market that is. People will start to expect more from this low-end sort of computer.

Imagine if the bulk of both Windows 8 devices and Android tablets end up being hybrids, it’ll be a whole new party – one to which Apple’s uninvited itself. When the iPad 2 launched there were rumbles from the press that it wasn’t as big of an update as they’d hoped.

I daresay the same will probably be true of the iPad 3, because short of making it a full-on hybrid device, where else is there for it to go? If it can’t change for the better in a big enough way, the iPad has no hope of winning over the people who it hasn’t yet won over.

If that’s the case, it could be the beginning of a true turnaround in the tablet market.

No related posts.

Still waiting for the Amazon Kindle Fire in the UK? Fresh data on Kindle Fire sales has shaped analyst views to the point that they think the current model is about to be superseded by a larger 9-inch model to fight the upcoming iPad 3. Read on for the full details…

Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley has been assessing the tremendous success of the Amazon Kindle Fire in the US, suggesting that the overall sales figures for 2012 will be bolstered in the middle of the year by two new models – one to replace the current 7-inch Kindle Fire, and one with a 9-inch display:

“We are raising our 2012 sales forecasts to 14.9 million from 12.7 million. But we believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7- and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012,” says Bartley.

Amazon Kindle Fire 2: 10 things it needs to have

If a 9-inch Kindle Fire does launch, it’ll take the device from the realms of content viewer to the iPad’s content creator. That’ll undoubtedly shakeup the tablet market considerably.

Although the Kindle Fire is selling well, it’s misguided to compare it to the iPad due to the vast difference in both size and general use.

With the iPad 3 launch just around the corner, it’s all eyes on Apple to see if they can hit one out of the proverbial park and future proof the tablet from subsequent Amazon attacks. Can we have one in the UK now please, Amazon?

No related posts.

Ex-LucasArts king Tim Schafer has managed to raise over $1 million for his company’s next project in 24 hours. Double Fine games has sourced all this cash from fans, via crowd-sourced funding website Kickstarter.

There’s a lot of buzz that this could change the gaming world for good, but you have to remember that Schafer’s got a billion fans around the world and is generally a gaming industry god. If any other companies are going to look to replicate Double Fine’s success, they’re going to need something special.

These are the games we’d put forward…

1. Shenmue 3

The mythical end to the Shenmue trilogy needs to get on Kickstarter now. We’re certain that there’s enough gamers out there who’d pay anything to find out what happened at the end of Ryu’s quest for vengeance, and the added boon of current-generation technology could make a third in the series genuinely stunning.

The action RPG, sailor-searching, forklift driving antics need to come to a proper close. Just do it already.

2. Beyond Good & Evil 2

Platforming adventure Beyond Good & Evil was one of those unfortunate games that received poor sales despite massive critical acclaim. Back in 2008 Ubisoft revealed the game’s existence with some key artwork and the above trailer. Creative Director Michel Ancel was back on board and everything looked ace.

Then nothing really happened. Ancel moved away from the project to focus on Rayman Origins, but now no one’s really sure if it’s still on, on hiatus or just waiting for the next generation of consoles. The last anyone heard was in 2010. Either way, Ubisoft could do with being shown that there’s demand for the sequel. Kickstarter time, if you ask us.

3. Gorilla Nation

You probably haven’t heard of Gorilla Nation, but mark our words: it’s the best cancelled game of all time. Look at the prototype gameplay trailer above and tell us we’re wrong.

The game takes place in a future London, under attack from giant robot tanks. Your primary job is to not die, but you can do that either on foot, or by taking control of the beasts themselves. Why the hell was this cancelled? We’d fund it ourselves if we could.

4. Project H.A.M.M.E.R

Don’t ask us what the acronym stood for, but Nintendo’s action beat-em-up Project H.A.M.M.E.R looked really promising. The plot? You’re a bloke with a massive hammer, running down the road fighting massive robots.

Throw in Wii motion control and you’ve got a winner in our books. Sure enough, the uproar after it got cancelled was huge. Nintendo America’s head of PR Beth Llewelyn has said that the game isn’t on the priority list any more, but ‘may come back’ in the future. Lord knows that the Wii needs some more core games with death and fighting and all that kind of stuff.

5. Half-Life 3

Ok, so Valve doesn’t need any extra cash – it’s probably doing just fine through its many other titles and the Steam store. That said, it’d be interesting to see how much money would materialise over night if Half-Life 3 were dumped on Kickstarter.

Given that it’s probably the most eagerly anticipated game of the last 5 years hands down, you’ve got to imagine that the amount of donated money would absolutely trounce what Tim Schafer’s managed for Double Fine. Watch the epic fan-made video of Half-Life 2 above to get you in the mood.

Any more classics in need of Kickstarting? Let us know below…

Like gaming? Check these out:

- The best console-quality games available on smartphones

- How Steam’s sales should teach the industry a lesson

- Debate: Should Nintendo stop making hardware?

- HTC will sell you your next console

No related posts.

ZTE has slashed the price of the ZTE Tania before it’s even come out, making it the cheapest Windows Phone handset on the market and the real start of Microsoft’s sneak attack on Android.

While sitting in the budget bracket, the ZTE Tania isn’t underpowered. Windows Phone’s emphasis on uniform specs means its stocked with Windows Phone 7.5, a 5-Megapixel camera a 1GHz processor (plenty of power for Microsoft’s silky OS) and a 4.3-inch display.

The real reason the phone is full of win? It’s £199. That’s £50 cheaper than it was yesterday and it’s not even out for another week and a half.

Budget Windows Phone: The sneak attack on Android 

ZTE means business this year. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer is best known for budget handsets because it does them pretty damn well. Teaming up with Windows Phone could be a master stroke for both the manufacturer and Microsoft.

As we’ve mentioned before, Windows Phone has a real avenue of attack in the budget market, where it can ensure quality while retaining a low price. Either way, at £199 for a seemingly top-end handset, what’s not to love?

Via Clove

No related posts.

Forget what we said about all Android manufacturers finally getting it right. While Samsung seems to have switched on to Android updates of late, it seems that HTC is still mucking about with its priorities all in the wrong order; HTC’s Android 4.0 updates have just been delayed.

According to the company, the updates for the HTC Senstation and HTC Sensation XE have both been pushed back to late March, despite initially being pencilled in for ‘early 2012’. Late March is about as late in ‘early 2012’ as you can get, if you ask us.

The full Android Ice Cream Sandwich update list

The HTC Sensation XL, meanwhile, will get the update ‘soon thereafter’. It’s worse news for owners of the HTC Incredible S, Desire S or Desire HD, though; those phones won’t be updated until ‘later this year’, whatever that means.

In recent posts we’ve praised Samsung for its sharpish turnaround of Ice Cream Sandwich. The Galaxy S2 is likely to get the update officially faster than the hackers can turn it around.

The deadly Android middle ground that could kill HTC

It may have been naive of us to claim that all Android manufacturers were starting to get it right, though, given the delay in getting the update out elsewhere. Google gave everyone the code in November last year. Surely this has been enough time to be able to push out all the necessary updates? As it is, it’s HTC: quietly late.

No related posts.

Tired of being locked into your handset for 24 long months? Phones 4u feels your pain, and has just launched a new type of contract to try and combat the problem. Phones 4u JUMP lets you upgrade your phone as much as every 6 months.

JUMP (Just Upgrade My Phone) will be rolled out to all Phones 4u stores as of May 2012, offering customers the ability to switch up mobiles far more often.

The complete Ice Cream Sandwich update list?

“The idea for JUMP was born out of research we conducted that revealed people were frustrated by the inability to upgrade their handsets sooner,” says Alistair Firth, Director of Customer Development at Phones 4u.

Enough preamble: What’s the deal? Basically, Phones 4u has split the price of your contract into two parts: the airtime you get from the network, and the JUMP agreement for your phone.

“When customers choose to upgrade, there is no upfront fee involved – they can trade in the handset, which Phones 4u guarantees will be worth at least £100 for the first 12 months, along with up to two more, and create a new plan. Alternatively, they do have the option of keeping it for themselves or giving it to someone else.”

Keep your phone, upgrade its brain: The processor keyring

Sounds like a really top idea, but it will still get expensive. The example Phones 4u is pushing is thus:

Say you get an Android smartphone on a 24 month JUMP contract. The £37.99 monthly contract will be split between £15 to the network and £22.99 to Phones 4u. Say in 6 months you want to jump to the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 or whatever. That’ll leave you with 18 months outstanding on the JUMP balance.

You can trade you Android phone in against that for £175, which leaves £238.82 left to pay. Split over 18 months that’s £9.95, which needs to be added to your new iPhone contract, making your new monthly bill £58.44

In essence, you’ve got to pay the difference from the handset contract on top of your new contract. A good deal if you’re desperate for the next phone, then, but perhaps not for those on a budget.

No related posts.

Thinking of getting in on the web TV craze? Roku may be your answer: the miniature Apple TV-alike TV box has just touched down in the UK for a very wallet-friendly price.

The Roku LT and Roku 2 XS are now shipping in the UK, at £49.99 and £99.99 respectively. The cheaper Roku LT (pictured) is half the price of its nearest competitor, Apple TV, but brings with it far more TV content than Apple’s box currently does.

For a start, the BBC iPlayer is built in, along with Fox News, Netflix, Vimeo, HBO and games such as Angry Birds. More channels are being added all the time. Tempted? You’ll want to know what the two boxes get you.

Roku 2: 5 ways it’s better than Apple TV

The more expensive Roku 2 XS builds on top of the LT’s WiFi and 720p HD, adding ethernet and USB ports, Bluetooth, expandable memory and a more swanky remote with built in motion control.

While Apple is expected to launch full HD TV sets later this year, Roku is the biggest rival to the current generation of Apple TV by far.

Via Roku UK

No related posts.

You probably saw this one coming. Just as with the previous two models, Apple is planning to launch its next iPad, the iPad 3, at an even in early March. Read on for the full details.

The iPad 3 looks set to get its first airing at an event in the first few days of March, for an on-sale date a couple of weeks later – nothing new there. The news comes from the Wall Street Journal, who’re normally bang on with their Apple sources. Mark this one in your diary; it’s almost definitely right.

iPad 3 specs revealed

The specs for the iPad 3 are (aside from multiple rumours) a bit of a mystery, as you’d expect, but anyone following the tablet’s progression thus far can hazard a guess: a faster processor, increased graphical prowess, a better camera and a display with a resolution encroaching on ‘Retina Display’ territory.

Nothing groundbreaking, then, but then Apple will only ever be able to make incremental changes to the iPad from here on in; once you get the form and OS right, what’s left to do but make it quicker and prettier?

So, yeah: early March. Look out for the next jump forward in the iPad lineage. Rumours of an iPad 4 launching later this year, meanwhile, are another matter entirely.

Via AllThingsD

No related posts.

For all its merits, the Amazon Kindle Fire has come under, erm… Fire, for having its version of Android locked down under a thick Amazon skin. While previous hacks have seen it break free into Android proper, a new ROM allows you to access Android 4.0 features. Read on for the details and video.

The MIUI 4 skin is a UI designed to being some of the best bits from both Ice Cream Sandwich and iOS, but more closely resembles the former. It’s been around on phones for a short while now, but the hacking community has just managed to bring it to the Kindle Fire.

10 Things the Kindle Fire 2 needs to have

To install it you’ll need to root the device and flash the ROM, which is pretty hardcore stuff that’ll mean the device waves goodbye to the Amazon skin.

You’ll still be able to access the Amazon App Store, but you’ll also be granted access to the full, uncensored Android Market.

Crucially, you’ll be allowed more freedom and gifted the slick look and feel of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Check out the video below to see how MIUI 4 runs on the hacked Amazon Kindle Fire. If you want to try it yourself, download the ROM from here.

No related posts.

Apple is to exclusively broadcast a paul McCartney gig at 3am UK time via Apple TV. No Airplay, no iPads or iPhones needed. Now, if you ask us, that’s the first big step towards Apple’s future TV plans. Just how long until Apple becomes a major TV broadcaster?

The Paul McCartney gig is set to beam straight from Hollywood tonight, where he’s playing tracks form his new album. While the option hasn’t yet appeared on our Apple TV boxes, it’ll probably do so without much fuss; Apple added Genius to the box this week without the need for a software update.

Apple TV hacks: Game-changing set-top box tweaks

Securing the rights to beam TV content into your living room is a giant move for the company. While we know that the current set-top box Apple TV is a very different beast to the HD TV sets that Apple is rumoured to be building at the moment, a gradual move into original content is definitely on the cards for both old and new devices.

Earlier this year it was suggested that Apple was looking to bid on rights to broadcast the Barclays Premier League. Whether that’s true or not, the fact that Macca’s going to be beamed into your Apple TVs tonight without any trouble says that Apple has the power to bring far more TV content to you than it currently does. Watch this space.

No related posts.