This week, the Apple world was flooded with the release of the iPad 2. With stock sold out, it looks like Apple has once again succeeded in creating hype through minor upgrades and purposeful short supply.
Teardown of iPad 2
Several websites got their hands on a brand new iPad 2 only to tear it apart to see what makes it tick. The iPad 2, from the report, appears to use the same Broadcom touch controllers and WiFi chip found in the first iPad and other iOS devices. The A5 processor shows a manufacture date of January or February 2011, but other codes on it have not been deciphered. The three-cell battery offers only a little bit more power than the original iPad, but is much flatter to help Apple achieve the thinner style. Apparently, despite the new speaker grill, the speakers still look more like an afterthought and remain very small.
Belgium to Enact French Law for Online Poker
Apparently, Belgium wants to follow the lead of the French and institute its own intra-nation online poker market. The online rooms may need to be connected to existing casinos. Moreover, players would have to register in person at the casino itself. Many have been outraged at the European Union for allowing the French law to come into being given the free trade laws that exist between the nations.
Yellow Screen Tinting on iPad 2
Back when the iPhone was released, there was a yellow tinting issue on the screen of some phones that would fix itself over the course of a few days. Well, the issue is back with the iPad 2 and, like the iPhone 4, it goes away after a few days. It has to do with a bonding agent to help bond the layers of glass.
iPad 2 Models in Short Supply
Not surprisingly, Apple failed to make enough iPad 2 models to meet or even come close to the demand on its release day. Many know this to be a tactic to help build hype for a product. All of the retailers that carry iPad 2s appear to be out of stock, even as of Saturday, with no word on when the next shipments are coming in. If you want to order online from the Apple Store, you’ll have to wait approximately three to four weeks right now.
iPad 2 Benchmarking
Popular review site Anandtech determined that the iPad 2 uses the PowerVR SGX543MP2 chip, is a more advanced dual-core version of the original, which is also used in the iPhone 4. The site determined that the new graphics processor is three to five times the speed in simple geometry tests over the original version. Other benchmarks showed improvements ranging from three to seven times the speed of the first iPad.
No NFC System in iPhone 5
Apple was rumored to be including Near Field Communications (NFC) in the iPhone 5. Apparently, this rumor is false according to various sources. The technology will be worked on for 2012 device releases, specifically the iPhone 6 and iPad 3. One use of such a technology would be simply entering a code into your iPhone and waving it over a credit card terminal at a store to pay for goods.
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