Yesterday, Steve Jobs and company unveiled the much-anticipated iPad 2. While it didn't come with some of the things we were expecting (a higher resolution screen and built-in SD card reader to name a few), it does have a few great attributes that make it a worthy purchase. In fact, although it may not stack up in some aspects to its competitors, it more than makes up for in design, speed, and function. Check out five reasons why you'll love the iPad 2 below!
- It's fast — The iPad 2 comes with a dual core A5 chip and major graphics card upgrades, which makes it nine times faster than its predecessor . . . and it shows.
- It's super thin — The first iPad was thin, but the iPad 2 is even smaller. You may think the smaller size would make it seem delicate and fragile, but the reality is it's easier to hold and seems sturdier than the first iPad.
- It comes in two colors — How can you say no to a color option? The iPad 2 comes in white or black, and there's no delaying the white — it's due out on March 11 as well.
See the rest of the list after the break.
2010 was a huge year for Foursquare, and 2011 appears to be looking up, too. As location-based services surge in popularity, the original check-in service has evolved from a simple way to share your location with friends to a full social media experience. Here, five cool uses for Foursquare — if you're not on the service yet, perhaps one of these fun facts will convince you!
- Discovering city trends and attitudes Foursquare engineers recently determined the rudest cities based on the amount of profanity used as people checked into certain locations.
- Discovering new food Foursquare recently announced a special Mario Batali badge that users receive after checking into one of his restaurants. But besides the badge, you'll also get special food recommendations from the chef himself. I always check Foursquare tips from friends if I'm eating at a new place; chances are someone will have left a note detailing a favorite dish.
- Creating a personal history log The site Foursquare&7Years will email you with a daily reminder of what you were up to a year ago. You can also access your own history through the site and app, which is fun to do if you're feeling nostalgic.
- Upping your credibility Whether it's geek cred you're after or something else, Foursquare does indulge a little bit of nepotism, especially when you're checking into somewhere especially awesome, like a hot restaurant or concert.
- Having a laugh While I wouldn't necessarily encourage checking into one of these places — strip clubs and bathrooms make funny check-ins when you're just playing around with friends.
As you may have heard, Apple announced the iPad 2 during a press event in San Francisco yesterday. Reviews so far have been glowing, but Steve Jobs did not hold back on discussing why the company's competitors aren't succeeding in this space. Jobs declared that manufacturers are still designing tablets to work like PCs, when tablets aren't used like regular computers; Apple understands this, which is why they are winning the tablet war. I know many of you are Apple fans, and plenty of you are not, but I've found it very interesting over the years to see the two camps collide, and it makes me wonder — how do we go about deciding which products to buy?
I predominately use Apple products (we are a Mac office here at Sugar HQ), but I've had my share of Microsoft and RIM products as well, and I may as well tell you that I liked the new iPad. But I'm sure you're wondering how it stacks up against its competitors. Check out the spec breakdown of four popular tablets after the jump.
In case you missed it, the price of an iPhone 3GS has diminished to just $50, and now that the iPad 2 has been officially unveiled, Apple is taking the price on the first-generation 16GB WiFi-only iPad down to $399 ($350 if you snatch up a refurbished model).
While you won't get the option to choose white or black and won't have any cameras to FaceTime your friends, you can load it up with some celeb-worthy apps, including the new Garageband app ($5), which drops on March 11.
So tell me — will you be picking up a first generation iPad now that it's $100 cheaper?
After today's iPad 2 presentation, I got a chance to play around with the tablet myself. While it's true what they say — the second-generation tablet is thinner and lighter — it's also got a lot under the hood. I got a chance to demo FaceTime (check out that video on our Facebook page), test out the gyroscopes during some in-game play, surf the web, and play a video or two. My verdict? It's remarkably improved over the last version, coming in faster, sleeker, and so much easier to hold in your hands. Not to mention the options — 16, 32, 64GB, white or black, AT&T or Verizon, and price points starting at $499. Take your pick!
While there was no screen resolution bump, watching videos on the iPad 2 was a joy, not only for me with the crisp screen, but also for the iPad — there was no lag whatsoever, even during games. Check out some close-up images of the iPad from the demo area here, and don't forget to click through our slideshow of the presentation!
Source
Well, that was fast! The iPad 2 was only announced this morning, and already iLuv has unleashed its line of cases created specifically for the iPad 2.
From a simple shell to a leather case with built-in bluetooth keyboard, the new line offers something for any potential iPad owner. If Apple's Smart Cover isn't your thing, click through this slideshow for more options.
City Walk
L'Wren Scott
Avon