Hasta La Gadget!

To say Apple’s iPad 2 is an easy tablet to review is somewhat of an understatement. The device, a follow up to last year’s wildly successful (and currently market-defining) iPad, is nearly identical when it comes to software, and though improved, closely related on the hardware side as well. With a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display, the general size and shape of the device has remained the same, and though inside there’s a new dual core A5 CPU, more memory, and a pair of new cameras, most of the iPad 2’s changes are cosmetic. Still, the previous tablet soared far above most of its competitors when it came to the quality of both the hardware (if not its raw specs) and its software selection — something Apple still stands head and shoulders over its adversaries on. So this new model, a thinner, sleeker, faster variant of the original may not be breaking lots of new ground, but it’s already at the front of the pack. But is the iPad 2 worth an upgrade for those that took the plunge on the first generation? More importantly, does the device have what it takes to bring new owners into the fold? Those questions — and more — are all about to be answered in the full Engadget review, so read on!

Continue reading iPad 2 review

iPad 2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

You know your product name is clever when not one but two companies go for it. Such is the name “Peel.” This offering we’re talking about is not the sort that turns an iPod into an iPhone, rather it’s the kind that turns an iPhone into a universal remote — though it’ll work with all the other iOS devices too. It’s a combination app and hardware that we’ve been tracking since last year, and now it’s up for order. The iOS app talks to a goofy shaped IR blaster, called the Fruit, which costs $99. The combination turns your mobile device into a Harmony-hunting universal remote, but a smarter one that not only knows how to turn on your TV but also how to tune it to the latest episode of Glee, apparently, since every promo shot seems to feature some bit of gleekery. The app is free now and the Fruit is up for purchase — though it’s currently showing as back ordered. Let’s hope it doesn’t spoil.

Peel universal remote adapter for iOS now available, $99 buys you expensive Fruit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileBeat, CrunchGear  |  Peel  | Email this | Comments

Ever find yourself wishing your iPad iPad 2 was free from the fickle whims of wireless internet connections? Neither do we — but, if you’re the cable-dependent type, your prayers may not go unanswered for much longer. Redpark (who gave the iPhone an RJ-11 dongle) has created the Console Cable with the ubiquitous 30-pin Apple connector on one end and an RJ-45 plug on the other. The $69 device is used in conjunction with a $9.99 Get Console app to allow Cisco engineers to use their iDevice of choice to perform maintenance out in the field. Cable and app are exclusively compatible with Cisco devices, however, so no Ethernet on the iPhone… yet. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes it happen — your move, hackers.

Redpark Console Cable gives iDevices an RJ-45 connector, not Ethernet access originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket-lint  |  Redpark  | Email this | Comments

We knew good and well that both Verizon Wireless and AT&T would be getting their own 3G iPad 2, and while the latter is still trumpeting the original iPad on its site, VZW has gone ahead and put up a placeholder for what’s next. A scant four months after the first iPad hit Verizon airwaves (by way of a MiFi), the “thinner, lighter, faster and FaceTime-equipped” model is just around the bend — complete with an embedded CDMA 3G module. Hit the source link if you’d like to be notified of updates, or just make sure to wake up on March 11th. Whatever’s easier for you.

[Thanks, Aaron]

Verizon hosts its own iPad 2 notification portal, no last-minute mention of LTE to be found originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Verizon Wireless  | Email this | Comments

Whether you love or loathe Apple, you have to be happy with the company’s aggressive upgrade of the iPad. It has led to Samsung, purveyor of an Android 3.0 tablet by the name of Galaxy Tab 10.1, to look more closely at its own hardware and pricing model and, according to executive VP Lee Don-Joo, “improve the parts that are inadequate.” We don’t know what those are, specifically, however he notes that “Apple made [the iPad 2] very thin” and also goes on to say that Samsung will be rethinking its pricing strategy with the Tab 10.1. It was originally going to cost more than the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, but in light of Apple’s new product, Samsung might have to cut into its profit margins… or maybe even forgo profits altogether to make its new Tab a success.

Samsung finds parts of Galaxy Tab 10.1 ‘inadequate’ compared to iPad 2, reconsiders pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AFP (PhysOrg)  |  Yonhap News Agency  | Email this | Comments