iPad

The next major versions of two of Apple's key products are said to face delays as the company scrambles to add new security and display technologies.

In a note to investors this morning, summarized over at Apple Insider, KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo said the next iPhone is being held up by Apple's desire to include finger-scanning technology.

"Apple has to work out how to prevent interference from the black-and-white coating material under the cover glass," Kuo wrote.

Presumably that technology -- which could authenticate a user's identity without a passcode or passwords -- would … Read more

Those of you waiting for Microsoft to unveil a version of Office for iOS or Android should stop waiting and take CloudOn's Office app for a spin.

Reports of Microsoft bringing Office to the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices have been in the wind for the past year.

Initial rumors pointed to a launch date of last November. The timeframe then slipped to last month. And now an alleged Microsoft road map suggests that a mobile version of Office won't appear until later next year.

The head of the Microsoft Office division recently suggested that iOS and Android users try Microsoft's SkyDrive app. … Read more

Apple may shake up the next version of iOS with the introduction of a true mobile wallet, forecasts Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty.

Dubbed a "killer app" by the analyst, the mobile wallet feature would surface as part of iOS 7, which Apple is expected to preview at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Huberty's prediction echoes that of fellow Apple analyst Gene Munster, who also thinks a digital wallet is in Apple's future. However, Munster believes the technology won't surface on iOS devices for another year or two.

Apple got its feet wet in … Read more

You are driving your car. You see something flying at you.

What do you do? What do you think? Do you assume the aliens have arrived? Do you you decide that this is mere debris from a passing truck, so as long as it doesn't hit the windshield you'll be fine?

Well, that depends on if you're in Georgia. For in that state, iPads allegedly fly.

You might sense that my senses have flown to foreign parts. Before you judge, I will just ask that you peruse this report from Atlanta's ABC57 News.

There, you will … Read more

Foxconn, the manufacturing company best known for producing iPhones and iPads, saw sales drop considerably during the first quarter.

According to Reuters, which obtained a copy of the company's financials during the three-month period ending March, Foxconn saw its sales drop 19 percent to 808.9 billion Taiwan new dollars ($26.9 billion). During the same period last year, Foxconn's revenue hit 1 trillion Taiwan new dollars.

The bad news for Foxconn didn't stop there. The company said that its second-quarter revenue would be relatively flat compared to the prior period, and it might have trouble maintaining … Read more

The next-generation iPad will follow its smaller counterpart in offering a thinner design, at least according to an image leaked by French Web site Nowhereelse.fr.

The alleged image of the iPad 5 shows the front cover and the surrounding bezel with a much thinner design than that of the current iPad. The thinness of the case suggests that Apple is borrowing some design tips from the iPad Mini for its fifth-generation iPad.

Past rumors have already suggested that the next 9.7-inch iPad would sport a thinner design. But this may be the first photo evidence to back up … Read more

The idea behind Browser with Note for iPad is good. Add a memo box to a browser so users can jot notes while browsing, instead of flipping back and forth between Safari and a note app. However, the execution is lacking in many ways, and this app, which is devoid of features, is clogged with a space- stealing ad, and buggy on more than a handful of Web sites.

When you open the new browser, you'll be greeted with a Google landing page, back button, address bar, memo box, and "mail" button. The idea is that as … Read more

Want to buy a new song or video from iTunes even though you're offline? A new Apple patent envisions a way, at least sometime down the road.

Granted to Apple today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, the patent appropriately named "On-device offline purchases using credits" describes a system of using credits to purchase iTunes content that's stored on your device but which you don't already own. The goal is to allow you to unlock and play iTunes songs, videos, and other items without having to be online.

You would first buy credits … Read more

Apple is expected to get its fifth-generation iPad into production this summer, according to a new report.

The company has informed suppliers that it wants to start producing its next-generation iPad in July or August, Digitimes is reporting, citing people with knowledge of the company's plans. According to Digitimes' sources, who have proven to be hit or miss in their information, the device will come with the same 9.7-inch display. The new iPad will also be thinner and lighter than its predecessor, which hit store shelves late last year.

Digitimes' report fails to match up with one that hit the wire last month from Apple-focused blog iMore, … Read more