Report claims iPad 3 launch may face shortages

This is one of those stories that we just can't help but take with a grain of salt, because it feels like every time Apple is releasing a new iOS device, it faces some sort of component shortage. Of course, unless you're planning to line up late on launch day, you may not notice any shortage. 

A new report from DigiTimes says that info from component suppliers (which DigiTimes often gets right) says that the new QXGA iPad screen (2048x1536) hasn't seen the ramp-up in production needed for the launch. LG, Samsung and Sharp are all hard at work producing the screens for Apple, but haven't been able to produce enough screens. DigiTimes goes on to predict (which is where many DigiTimes stories become unreliable) that this means the iPad 2 will continue as the "mainstream in shipments" through Q1, until iPad 3 shipments can really get going in Q2. 

First, of course the iPad 2 will be the "mainstream in shipments" in Q1 because Q1 runs from January through March and the iPad 3 isn't even being released until March 7th at the very earliest. For all we know, Apple will take this "shortage" into account and announce the iPad 3 on March 7th, but not release the tablet until later in March. Second, unless the report has actual numbers for production and the shortages, none of this information really means anything. We don't doubt that there is a shortage, but if it means cutting iPad 3 shipments from 10 million units to 8 million, will that really make a difference to consumers? And lastly, even if there is a shortage in stores, it doesn't mean people will suddenly flock to Android. It just means the secondary market on eBay and Craigslist will go through the roof and more casual consumers will wait a month or two. 

source: DigiTimes via BGR

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Apple says it has created or supported 514k jobs in the US

You have to hand it to Apple, the exhibitors have barely finished packing up from Mobile World Congress, but the Apple marketing team is already hard at work in shifting the focus to the upcoming iPad 3 announcement. We have suddenly seen new concept videos showing what people wish the iPad would be (even though the iPad 7 probably won't reach the levels shown), not to mention a resurgence in news about the fabled iPad Mini, and also some talk of iPad "shortages" (which assumes a level of demand) before the device is even announced, let alone in stores. We've seen that Apple is now the "Most Admired Company", worth half a trillion dollars, and that in a wonderful marketing coincidence, the App Store is closing in on 25 billion downloads just in time for the iPad 3 launch. 

Apple obviously didn't have a hand in all of those stories, but it is also a company that has never been one to turn down free marketing in the news media. Still, Apple won't leave all of the marketing to the rumor mill, because it still has some repairs to do to its reputation in the wake of the stories about worker conditions in Asia. On that front, Apple has announced that it has had a hand in creating or supporting 514,000 jobs in the USA. 

Many have criticized Apple for having so much of its production in Asia, and this seems to be Apple's response. According to Apple's numbers, the company has created or supported 304,000 jobs in the USA and has supported 214,000 by creating the "iOS app ecosystem". Apple has 47,000 workers internally in the US, which is two-thirds of Apple's worldwide workforce. The company has added 7,800 jobs in 2008, and 19,500 since 2008, which is certainly impressive, and a testament to the success Apple has had recently. Of the 47,000 US workers, just over 27,000 are employed in Apple Stores around the country. 

The trouble is that this leaves 257,000 jobs in the "created/supported" category, which covers everything from engineers to shipping to sales and even health care. So, Apple seems to be adding the people bringing your iPad "to your door" in the supported jobs, as if shipping companies would go out of business without Apple. This "supported" jobs category is far too ambiguous for our tastes, because sure Apple gives health care to its employees, but how many jobs are claimed as being "supported" because of that? We certainly applaud the more transparent information that Apple is putting out, but we would prefer a bit more explanation, because numbers can be skewed a little too easily.

Another amusing thing is that if you go to Apple's Job Creation website and save the image of the USA there, you'll find it named "hero.jpg". We'll assume Apple is referring to the employees, not itself with that name. 

What do you guys think? Is creating/supporting 514,000 jobs in a country of over 300 million something to be proud of? 

source: Apple via BGR

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NSA creates special Android spy phones

Even spies need smartphones, and not just to play Angry Birds on while they are saving the country from harm. Obviously though, a spy can't just walk into a store and order a box full of handsets. Instead, the NSA has taken the Android OS and has made it the center of its own model which is built to make sure that its agents have a secure line to communicate over. The openness of the system allows NSA technicians to make the necessary changes to the OS and to remove parts that could be a security threat.

The Fishbowl project is the name given to the NSA's plan to take a commercially available communication system and change it to meet the requirements of the agency. Two layers of encryption are used on each call which is also routed through the NSA's secure server. And despite these layers of encryption, the call quality is not impacted, except for a small delay. When you consider the secure nature of the line, the delay is a small price to pay for the comfort of knowing that no one can spy on your call. NSA is now thinking about offering a special app market that will allow its agents to download apps on their phones without compromising safety.

source: Gizmodo

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Someone buys a BlackBerry PlayBook 4G on eBay

A guy looking to buy a BlackBerry PlayBook for his wife, spotted one for sale on eBay. The eBay listing said that the device would not boot up, but the buyer bought it thinking that he would be able to fix the problem. So far, so good. When the unit arrived, the buyer was a little stunned because what he had purchased was a BlackBerry PlayBook 4G Evaluation Unit.

a BlackBerry PlayBook 4G

It is not a secret that a 4G edition of the 7 inch BlackBerry tablet was being worked on by RIM. It was even introduced a year ago when Co-CEO Mike Larzaridis said it would be launched in the second half of last year. We also told you that 4G icons for the PlayBook had been discovered in the Playbook 2.0 developer beta. Unfortunately though, this model remained bricked, most likely when the original owner tried to update it with PlayBook 2.0. And in case you were wondering, the unit was sold on eBay "as is".

The buyer isn't so much worried about the money he lost. His main concern is that he purchased a stolen device and soon will be wearing prison garb and getting three squares a day courtesy of the taxpayers. In case you are wondering, the tablet does say, "Property of Research in Motion Limited" Evaluation Unit. Not for sale or lease."

source: Crackberry

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Samsung to "significantly" invest more on bada, but Android will remain its dominant OS

We know that bada has no market in the US, and there's no clear path for Samsung to bring it over, but we still like to keep people updated on the OS. It is Samsung's baby, and it has had a pretty nice run in other regions and now it looks like it may get even more of a push. This was a story that we missed during MWC, but it seemed interesting enough that we thought we'd pass it along now.

Samsung has obviously been killing it with its Android portfolio, and it has also reaffirmed its dedication to Windows Phone, but it seems that the Korean company still has big plans for its own mobile OS, bada. In an interview with Bloomberg, Samsung senior vice president of product strategy, Juha Park, said that the company is planning to invest "significantly" more in bada, and that Samsung wants "to have a full range of portfolio for Bada, from high-end to mass-volume segments.”

Samsung did see relative success with bada last year, selling somewhere between 8 and 9 million units worldwide. We say "relative" because of course the Samsung Galaxy S II alone has sold over 20 million units worldwide since April 2011, but of course Android demand far outstrips bada in many markets. Still, it should be interesting to see what Samsung has planned for bada, especially in regards to the possible merge with Intel's Tizen, which is said may be the precursor to bringing bada to the USA. 

source: Bloomberg

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Apple iPad 3 prices, storage to stay the same: $499 for the basic 16GB model?

Apple iPad 3 prices, storage to stay the same: $499 for the basic 16GB model? The Apple iPad 3 is just a couple of days away from getting unveiled, and recent troublesome rumors claimed that it will cost more than iPads have cost so far. 9to5Mac counters that claim as it got information that both pricing and capacity of the new iPad won’t change. This means that the iPad 3 will be available in the same 16GB/32GB and 64GB versions with prices starting from $499 for the Wi-Fi-only model. The publication’s Mr. X source got the model numbers of the upcoming iPad 3 to back the claims up. Here is what’s allegedly the model numbers of the upcoming tablet: MC705LL/A – J1 GOOD A-USA MC706LL/A – J1 BETTER A-USA MC707LL/A – J1 BEST A-USA MD328LL/A – J1 GOOD B- USA MD329LL/A – J1 BETTER B-USA MD330LL/A – J1 BEST-B-USA MD366LL/A – J2A GOOD A-USA MD367LL/A – J2A BETTER A-USA MD368LL/A – J2A BEST A-USA MD369LL/A – J2A GOOD B-USA MD370LL/A – J2A BETTER B-USA MD371LL/A – J2A BEST B-USA Good, Better and Best seem to refer to the storage capacity, while the J1 and J2A are indicators that should differentiate the iPads by either connectivity or less likely color. 9to5Mac’s source, Mr. X, has been mostly right about his predictions. He gave out the 64GB iPhone 4S news a couple of days before Apple made it official. He’s also had some misses, though, so we’d still take this with a slight grain of salt. There’s no word on whether 4G LTE will be included and that’s the single biggest question that we expect Apple to answer on March 7th at the official unveiling of the tablet. Except for that, most sources agree that the new iPad will have a stunning resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, a faster processor and improved camera. It’s also possible that it will have more RAM memory.

 source: 9to5Mac

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