Hasta La Gadget!

As noted in our review, the iPad mini is simply a smaller iPad with some of its specs akin to the iPad 2. In spite of Apple’s effort in launching a smaller tablet at a cheaper price, many are still hesitant to buy one, probably because the idea of an iPad mini hasn’t fully settled in yet. In a bid to win customers, Apple has just published two new adverts today that are highlighting iBooks and iPhoto.

The ads basically shows an iPad mini and an iPad sharing one half of the frames, with the iPhoto ad (seen above) pointing out the basic editing features of the iPad mini. The iBooks ad, on the other hand, basically shows the similar functionalities of the app on the two tablets. But what’s more interesting is the caption that reads, “Introducing iPad mini. It’s every inch an iPad.” The background music, by the way, is Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer’s “Two of a Kind” classic. The second ad follows after the break.  (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple sold 3 million iPads in 3 days, iPad mini revealed,

Some buyers of Apple’s 4th generation iPad with LTE are receiving notices (via 9t05Mac and MacRumors) that their shipments will arrive by November 16, otherwise known as this coming Friday. The latest iPad had originally been announced with an anticipated shipping date of mid-November, which would mean Apple is making good on its promises with shipping coming soon.

The ship times for Apple’s latest iPad with cellular connectivity recently jumped to 7 business days in the U.S. store, which could be an indication that those models didn’t make up the bulk of the 3 million iPad pre-orders (both mini and standard sizes) that Apple crowed about following its launch weekend of both devices. The LTE-capable iPad mini is still listed at 2 weeks anticipated shipping time in the U.S. store, but the longer lead times could just be a result of a more mature supply chain already existing for its larger sibling, which inherits a lot of similarities from its predecessor terms of components or assembly. Anticipated delivery dates for the iPad mini with LTE remain a bit further out, according to recent reports.

An earlier report also pegged the in-store selling day of the iPad mini and 4th generation iPad with LTE at November 16, at least at AT&T locations in the U.S. Apple’s non-LTE iPads and iPad mini models have been available for purchase in-store since November 2, although certain SKUs continue to remain scarce.

The 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad mini has been the strongest seller to date, according to a recent survey by Topeka analyst Brian White of retail stock levels, with the 32 GB black version coming in second. It’ll be interesting to see if buyers continue to opt for lower capacity versions when the cellular-capable versions hit stores, and how the added value of LTE sways buying decisions.

Friday is here once again, but before you get too terribly sloshed, be sure you read through our recap of the day’s big news! Today we heard that Judge Lucy Koh will examine claims of misconduct on the part of the jury foreman in the Samsung vs. Apple patent trial, and Apple is actually being dragged back to court for a dispute over FaceTime in the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Speaking of the iPad mini, Apple confirmed today that the LTE iPad minis should be shipping out in the next five days, and the company announced that it will be donating $2.5 million to the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort on behalf of its employees.

Earlier in the day, we learned that ASUS was handing out vouchers to consumers in Europe who bought the 16GB Nexus 7 right before its price drop, and then later on Google announced that it will be offering a “price protection program,” for 16GB Nexus 7 purchasers as well. The Nokia Lumia 920T leaked today, and it seems that China Telecom may be getting the iPhone 5 before long. Six companies may be facing fines for alleged CRT price fixing, and after learning a ton about Grand Theft Auto V yesterday, a leak today gave us all new information.

Google said today that it will begin focusing more on mobile than desktop, and Apple was named the most innovative company of the year by Booz and Co. There will be a new Windows 8 security update landing on November 13, and some users are already reporting issues with their Microsoft Surface touch covers. US video game sales were down 25% in October, and today Zynga revealed that it has acquired November Software, even though that purchase happened back in spring.

Angry Birds Star Wars rose to the top of the iOS charts in record time, and BioWare wants your suggestions for its next Mass Effect game. We learned today that climate change might mean a bleak future for the world’s coffee beans, and that the Motorola DROID RAZR M will soon be getting an upgrade to Jelly Bean from Verizon. Finally tonight, we compare the the Nokia Lumia 920 to the HTC Windows Phone 8X in a head-to-head battle, we take a closer look at the FanVision displays used during NASCAR races, and Chris Burns has a new interview with NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, we hope you enjoy the weekend ahead!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 9, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The iPad is too expensive. The Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 are too cheap. That seems to be the logic behind the iPad mini, the filling of a crucial void in our tablet lives. But after spending a week with it, I’m pretty sure the mini is less Goldilocks than it is Rapunzel: beautiful, flawed, and ultimately not worth the trouble. More »

Apple has begun notifying iPad mini WiFi + Cellular preorder customers that their LTE tablet is preparing for shipment, with the first models set to wing out to US buyers in five days. The ship estimate was confirmed in an email to US shoppers this morning, though no specific delivery dates were given; instead, Apple said that it would follow up with a tracking number – and such specifics – in a subsequent message.

Apple had been coy with specific availability details at the iPad mini’s launch, putting the smaller iOS tablet up for preorder with a vague “mid-November” promise for shipping. Subsequent indications pointed to November 21  being the first date customers could expect to see their tablets, but Apple then removed those estimates.

Currently, Apple’s online store is still listing a two week shipping estimate for both the WiFi-only and WiFi + Cellular versions of the iPad mini. Outside of the US, the wait is likely to be a little longer; in the UK, for instance, the Apple Store lists “late November” for the 4G-enabled mini, while the WiFi model is at two weeks.

The iPad mini WiFi + Cellular is priced from $459 for the 16GB model, with different versions for three carriers in the US. The AT&T and Verizon models support LTE connectivity, though not necessarily when roaming outside of the US.

Still on the fence about the iPad mini? Check out our full review to get you up to speed on the 7.9-inch tablet.

iPad mini LTE ships in five days Apple confirms is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.