ITC Published Rules Against Apple,Which Kodak Gains Benefits From

ITC Published Rules Against Apple,Which Kodak Gains Benefits From

Yesterday,ITC came into a decision to make rules against Apple in patent infringement.

At issue are two digital camera technologies owned by Apple. One allows a camera to process multiple photos at the same time, while the other enables users to simultaneously adjust an image’s balance, color and resolution.

Apple claimed that Kodak illegally used these mechanisms in its Z-series, M-series, C-series, and Slice cameras, in addition to some video cameras. Judge Rogers clearly disagreed, though he won’t be able to publicly explain his reasoning until both sides have had enough time to review confidential documents. Rogers’ decision will also be subject to review by the full ITC, which is expected to issue a yea or nay on September 19th.

A Kodak spokesman said the company is understandably “pleased” by the decision, but it won’t have much time to rest on its laurels. On May 23rd, the ITC will announce a decision in a patent lawsuit that Kodak filed against both Apple and RIM, way back in January 2010.

The Value Of The Brand -Apple,Ahead Of Google

The Value Of The Brand -Apple,Ahead Of Google

Have you considered the guestion of the famous brand-Apple?Or have you ever considered the value of the search tool- google?Have you ever compared of these two things?

If you’d asked the guys behind the BrandZ survey at any point over the last four years, they’d have told you “Google,” but in 2011 their answer has changed. Apple is now the hottest property in terms of consumer goodwill, earning an estimated valuation of $153.3 billion and leading a pack that includes the likes of Coca-Cola, BMW, HSBC, and Disney. The tech sector had a very strong year as a whole, with Facebook’s brand improving in value by a staggering 246 percent (to $19.1b) and Amazon becoming the world’s most valuable retailer (at $37.6b) in spite of having no actual stores. Sadly, there were some downers too, as Nintendo lost 37 percent of its brand worth over the past year, Nokia dropped by 28 percent, and the BlackBerry marque was considered 20 percent less awesome than before. Punch the source link to learn more.

Problem Of Thickness Of White I Phone4

Problem Of Thickness Of White I Phone4

Recently,you may see i phone4′s news everywhere,and you may see i phone products among your friend.But do you know it also has its problems?For its thickness makes problems both for the user and producers.

The white ones are some thick. The image above illustrates the point using a piece of lead from a mechanical pencil. So what, you say, in righteous indignation to a device that shipped ten months late. Well, the size difference creates a potential consumer issue since cases (at least the good ones) are manufactured against the tight tolerances supplied by Apple. We’ve confirmed ourselves, that an Incase slider that fits a black iPhone 4 just fine has to be forced into place on the new white model. Unfortunately, Apple‘s own spec page doesn’t highlight the change in thickness (measured at 9.5mm by TiPb). Instead it still shows a 9.3mm depth with a tiny disclaimer stating, “Actual size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.” The result is confusion — will this case fit or won’t it? — which is never a good thing for consumers.
But why does it make so thick?Someone may tell us.Phil Schiller mentioned that his team needed to add extra UV protection and other tweaks, in an attempt to reduce the “unexpected interactions” between the cover’s whiteness and the internal components. As such, Apple apparently needed to sacrifice some slimness for a better functioning white phone. In the end, we have what looks to be four different size / button configurations that must be considered when purchasing a shrink-wrapped case for your white iPhone 4, black iPhone 4, white Verizon iPhone 4, or black Verizon iPhone 4. Good luck with that.

Nokia Wants To Make A Difference

Nokia Wants To Make A Difference

Apple has a tablet. So does RIM. HP Palm too, soon enough.So Nokia want to make a change getting rid of the tablets.Even Sony has a few on the way.That leaves Nokia as the glaring anomaly conspicuously absent from the tablet wars.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is taking a very calculated approach to tablets, saying”We could take advantage of Microsoft technology and software, and build a Windows-oriented tablet, or we could do things with some of the other software assets that we have. Our team right now is assessing what’s the right tablet strategy for Nokia.”

In other words, Nokia is investigating tablets running Windows 7 (doubtful), MeeGo (doubtful), and Windows Next, aka that tablet-friendly Windows 8 OS (likely).

There are now over 200 different tablets on the marketplace, only one of them is doing really well.So it’s wise to make a change.

Web Apps On iOS Being Throttled By Last-Generation Engine Now

This probably sounds worse than it is, but it’s strange that it should be an issue at all. It appears that web apps and games launched from the home screen (as opposed to being used in the browser) do not at present have access to iOS 4.3′s improved “Nitro” Javascript engine, and are restricted in using web-related cache and resources they would otherwise have when used in-browser. It could be that the Nitro engine simply hasn’t been extended for use by the non-browser web UI tools, but one developer says that the Safari team indicated the problem would not be fixed.

It’s a pretty serious oversight when Apple has indicated such an interest in HTML5 and standards-based apps, but it’s also worth considering that it has a large interest in making such apps available via the App Store, where they have editorial control and revenue possibilities. By refusing to give web apps that have “gone native” access to the improved Javascript engine or preventing them from being run while offline (another new trouble), they could be trying to subtly prod users in the direction of paid or ad-based “real” apps.

On the other hand, it could also be just a slow roll-out of a complicated new bit of code and the developers being affected could just be a minority being affected by this very specific problem.

If you’re interested, there are a number of threads and other sites investigating this issuecollected over at Register Hardware.

Google’s AdMob Now Ready To Serve Ads To Windows Phone 7 App Developers

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is getting a vote of confidence from a company not usually counted among its allies.

Google’s AdMob mobile advertising division is ready to introduce a software development kit that will let mobile application developers put AdMob ads in applications designed for Windows Phone 7 for the first time, the company plans to announce Tuesday. AdMob also plans to take the wraps off new SDKs for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android developers that brings their ads closer to HTML5 compliance, said 
Mark Schaaf, engineering director for AdMob and one of the company’s earliest employees.

Mobile advertising is still pretty small compared to Google’s desktop-Web advertising juggernaut, but it’s a more and more attractive way for mobile developers to make money on their games and news applications without having to charge for the app. AdMob has been serving Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and Android developers for years now, but started to receive more and more requests from those developers for Windows Phone 7 support, since many of the larger developers want to get their apps onto as many platforms as possible, Schaaf said. Microsoft’s new partnership with Nokia also stands to open up those developers to a host of new devices, although the details of that plan will take some time to unfold.

AdMob also supports WebOS applications, and with the move to support Windows Phone 7 that leaves RIM’s BlackBerry software as the lone holdout among the major mobile operating system companies. Despite the fact that BlackBerry remains one of the most popular operating systems in the U.S., Admob hasn’t gotten the same level of demand from its customers for BlackBerry support as it has other platforms, Schaaf said.

“We’ve talked a lot about BlackBerry,” he said. “We’ve had some projects we’ve started on the blackberry side, and will (provide support) if it starts to make sense for our developers.”

Schaaf said the HTML5 enhancements could allow advertisers and mobile developesr to incorporate richer ads into their apps, such as, for example, an ad for a gas station that integrates with a phone’s compass to point the way toward the closest station.

OC Register Planing iPad-Only Content For Tablet Relaunch

While News Corp.‘s The Daily hasn’t set the world on fire with as the first major “iPad newspaper,” the influence is clearly having its affect on other outlets. But more than that, newspapers, after sensing that Apple’s dominance isn’t going away, are also looking for ways to capitalize on the device’s popularity. Freedom Communications’ Orange County Registeris preparing to reboot its existing iPad app in the next few weeks with an emphasis on “iPad-first” and “iPad-only content.”

The OC Register did not release a specific date for the relaunched app.

The California paper’s new iPad app will be available on a free-trial basis for a “limited time.” After that, assuming it hits some unspecified audience targets, the app will shift to a weekly or yearly subscription model.

There was no word on what the price would be yet either. The company’s e-paper pay options include a prepaid 4-week subscription for $5.25 or yearly subscription for $65.00. Both subscriptions are prepaid and are automatically re-billed at the appropriate interval. Kindle OC Register subs are charged $5.99 a month for daily access on the Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) device.

Apple Tweaks In-App Purchasing To Prevent Accidental Purchases

Bad news for any shady iOS developers out there: if you were sneakin’ In-App Purchase opportunities into the first 15 minutes of your game in hopes that lil’ ones might accidentally buy it, your evil-genius plan has been foiled.

For those who haven’t been keepin’ up on the ruckus: soon after Apple introduced In-App Purchase for iOS, someone figured out that users could make In-App Purchases without entering their iTunes password ifsaid In-App Purchase was made within 15 minutes of purchasing the app. That’s a marvelous idea, in theory — no one likes entering their password multiple times.

The problem? Parents would buy games, hand’em over to their kid, and come back to find that pint-size had unknowingly bought up all sorts of virtual goodies (friggin’ Smurfberries!) with real world cash. With the release of iOS 4.3, this should no longer happen.

As of yesterday’s software update, Apple will require your password be entered a second time before In-App Purchases can be made. Once that’s done, In-App Purchases can be made sans-password for up to 15 minutes. As long as you keep Junior’s prying eyes away from your password and don’t go out of your way to enable In-App Purchases, there shouldn’t be any more surprise charges for $99 boxes of virtual food for your kid’s virtual cat.

Or you could, you know, tell your kid to not buy these things. If they’re too young to understand that, they probably shouldn’t be using $500+ slabs of glass completely unsupervised anyway.

(Update: We’ve updated this post for clarification. We originally implied that a password was required for EVERY In-App Purchase, which isn’t the case. You’ll be asked for your password a second time to enable In-App Purchases, at which point you’ll be able to buy In-App content for 15 minutes without reentering your password. You can also disable In-App Purchases all together under Settings >> General >> Restrictions)

Peel universal remote adapter for iOS now available, $99 buying you expensive Fruit

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.

LookTel's Money Reader iOS app helping the visually impaired count money

We may not use cash as often as we once did, but there are still times when it comes in handy or is necessary, and that can pose some problems for the visually impaired. They now have one other possible solution courtesy of LookTel, however, which has just released its new Money Reader app for iOS devices. Using a "patented and proprietary object recognition technology," it's able to recognize paper bills (from $1 to $100) instantly, and simply speaks the value aloud. What's more impressive, though, is that you don't need to hold the bill steady in front of the camera, or even have the whole thing in the frame -- even just thumbing through a stack will work. See for yourself in the video after the break, and hit up the App Store to grab it now for $1.99.

Six reasons iPad 2 will become a huge success for Apple

Since last Wednesday's announcement of the iPad 2, we've heard a lot of tech bloggers stating that they think the newest Apple tablet is going to be a flop. Well, maybe not exactly a failure, but not as successful as the original iPad was.

I think the naysayers are completely out to lunch, and it's not just because I am a rabid fan of Apple products. Follow along as I go through my reasoning as to why the iPad 2 is going to be a resounding success for Apple.

Newer is better (or at least that's the perception)

Unlike the innovators and early adopters who write for tech blogs, there are a lot of people who don't buy the first round of anything; instead, they wait until the second edition becomes available. I heard this a lot from people who were gazing at my iPad with lust in their eyes: "I really want to get one, but I'm going to wait until the second generation comes out."

For those who waited, they now have their chance to get an iPad that is demonstrably better than the first model. It has cameras, it has a dual-core processor, and it has graphics capabilities that are much better than what came with the first-generation iPad. Those people who waited are still in the "early majority" of consumers, so they'll still appear to be ahead of the curve in terms of being technological leaders to their friends.

I think we'll see a lot of people who were on the fence about buying an iPad suddenly deciding to pick up an iPad 2. The features of the newer tablet address many of the complaints that the tech press had about the original iPad, and for a number of people, those features will take down the last barrier to making a purchase decision. Even if the iPad 2's specs aren't a huge step forward over the original iPad, for many people the perception is that "newer is better," and that perception is all it takes for someone to make a purchasing decision.

Click or tap on that read more link to see the rest of this post.

Many networks are better than one

When the original iPad hit the stores last year, it was available only in the United States, and for a while it was Wi-Fi only. When the Wi-Fi + 3G model finally made it to market, it was only available on the AT&T network. For a lot of people on the Verizon network the iPad wasn't an option, as they didn't want to get a Wi-Fi version with a MiFi tacked on.

With the iPad 2, we'll see availability of GSM and CDMA models (as well as the Wi-Fi only version) immediately. Better network coverage by two American mobile carriers will make for less indecision on the part of potential buyers. As noted in the next section of this post, there will also be faster worldwide availability of the iPad 2, most of those devices connecting to GSM-based networks around the globe.

Greater Retail Availability

Last April during the launch of the iPad, there was one place you could buy one: at an Apple Store in the United States. As time went by, availability grew dramatically. AT&T Stores started carrying the iPad, then Verizon was selling them with mobile Wi-Fi hotspots. Best Buy had 'em, along with Target, Walmart and Sam's Club. The iPad is now sold in a huge number of countries worldwide, and the iPad 2 will only see a two-week delay before it starts appearing in overseas markets.

More instant availability in stores is going to make the iPad 2 even more of an impulse buy for people who were considering the original iPad but decided to wait.

FaceTime (almost) everywhere

Although I've heard other tech bloggers pooh-poohing the impact of FaceTime on the iPad, I think that it's going to make the new device even more popular that the original. FaceTime has made it very easy for anyone with a Mac, iPhone, and now an iPad to easily make face-to-face video calls.

So why will FaceTime on the iPad be so compelling? It's the size of the screen. Sure, those Apple iPhone 4 ads last year tugged at the heartstrings and made video calling look like something that all the cool kids were doing. In reality the 3.5" screen of an iPhone 4 doesn't have the impact of the iPad 2's 9.7" screen, even if it does have almost the same number of pixels.

Rather than having the family huddle around an iPhone 4 screen to make a FaceTime call to Dad in Afghanistan, they can now use an iPad 2 to make the call and everyone can see the screen. FaceTime's ease of use compared to other solutions (i.e., Skype, Google chat, and other video chat options) and the new portability of the application on a large-screen device like the iPad 2 are sure to make it a selling point for many potential tablet buyers.

Competition? What competition?

Earlier today, Apple stock blogger "Sammy the Walrus IV" provided an enlightening analysis over at Business Insider about the iPad's market share. While Steve Jobs noted during his talk on Wednesday that "Many have said (iPad) is the most successful consumer product ever launched. Over 90% market share and our competitors were flummoxed," a lot of people were wondering where that number came from. After all, Strategic Analytics had showed the iPad's market share to be around 75% and dropping rapidly.

I won't go through the details here, as Sammy provides a logical argument in his post, but if you look at actual devices sold and not just shipped, Apple's market share does appear to be over 90%. Now, there is a certain percentage of the population that wouldn't buy an Apple product even if it was the only available product in its class, but a lot of people want to go with the market leader. Why? Just because they know that they're making a solid and safe purchasing decision.

During CES 2011, we heard about over a hundred new tablet devices that are expected to hit the market this year. Given the number of manufacturers who are going to be creating "me too" Android tablets, the noise and confusion in that part of the market is going to be tremendous. Sure, a few larger players like Samsung and HTC may pick up market share percentage points here and there, but faced with the overwhelming variety of devices that are going to be coming out, it seems likely that the average consumer will go with the iPad 2 because it's a safe decision.

Apps make the device

Robert Scoble made a good point in a post on March 2nd: "No apps, no sale." For the iPad and iPad 2, there are already 65,000 apps available. As he points out, the highly-touted (and over-advertised) Motorola Xoom has a whopping total of 16 apps, and most of those are smartphone versions that are stretched to fit the larger screen rather than apps that have been specifically designed for the big screen. As we all found out last April, stretched apps look like crap.

As for the other platforms, HP's TouchPad and BlackBerry's PlayBook, there are no apps right now. Zip. Neither of those devices are even shipping right now. Scoble also points out that in terms of hardware specs, most of these devices are remarkably similar to the iPad 2. So what does the iPad 2 have that the others don't? A huge variety and depth of apps.

Conclusion

I'm sure that this post will generate a lot of comments. There will be those who agree with my points and believe that the iPad 2 is going to do even better than the original, and then there will be those who think that the rising tide of Android devices is going to knock Apple out of the tablet business altogether.

Whatever your feelings, we'd like to hear them in the comments. Just one thing: please respect your fellow commenters and don't make personal attacks.

Nielsen: Apple, RIM Are Now Beating Android OEMs In The U.S. Smartphone Race

Google’s Android OS is leading the pack for smartphone market share in the U.S., but when it comes to the largest smartphone manufacturer, RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) are neck-in-neck for the top position. Table after the jump.

The data, which comes from Nielsen and covers the period between November 2010 and February 2011, indicates that Apple and RIM are the biggest single smartphone vendors, at 27 percent each.

Meanwhile, Android devices collectively make up 29 percent of all smartphones in the U.S., making it the most popular OS, but that number is divided up between three main vendors—HTC (12 percent), Motorola (NYSE: MMI) (10 percent) and Samsung (five percent)—plus a selection of smaller shares that get grouped as “others” and account for just two percent of all Android sales. (Those others probably include the likes of LG (SEO: 066570), ZTE, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson (NSDQ: ERIC) and Huawei).

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), the other player that is deploying its OS across multiple vendors, has, at 10 percent, a far smaller market share than Android, but an equally fragmented number of vendors making devices on the platform.

Here are some takeaways:

—RIM and Apple, being both leaders in OS and in actual handsets sold, are in the stronger position as far as issues of fragmentation are concerned, compared to the likes of the Android and Windows Phone vendors.

—Nokia (NYSE: NOK), with only a two percent share of the market, has a very long way to go before it can claim a strong position, considering that it is partnering with an equally small-market-share OS, in the form of Microsoft’s Windows Phone. If anything, it would seem that partnering both with Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Microsoft would have been the smart option, if one of Nokia’s biggest goals was to keep itself in the game in the U.S. market (and elsewhere). But that’s not something that has been entirely ruled out by either party.

—So far, HTC has been the most successful in playing the multiple OS game, but at a 19 percent share, it is still quite a ways behind RIM and Apple.

—Other data from Nielsen shows that in terms of age breakdown, all the OS’s are virtually identical, except for in one respect: Android leads by two percentage points as the most popular OS with 16-24 year olds. That points not only to lower prices but also securing key customers for years to come.

Apple iOS 4.3 GM available now to the developers

That's right, kids! The Golden Master version of iOS 4.3 has become available -- it's seeding as we speak. If you do any development on the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, and you're ready to get to partake in (or even dev for) all the new AirPlay and Personal Hotspot capabilities (for starters), you know where to go. As for the rest of us, we guess we'll have to wait until the OS gets its official release on March 11. By the way, there's no word of an OS update for Apple TV yet. Sorry, kids. That's what they call "tough love."

Question : Why Rocketpack Entered Disney’s Orbit

If you believe Disney’s every digital-minded move is dictated by board member Steve Jobs, note that its latest acquisition, Rocketpack, is intended to be of use outside the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) App store. The purchase was first reported by Techcrunch.

What attracted Disney (NYSE: DIS) Interactive Media Group to this Finnish social gaming developer is an engine—named Rocketfuel, natch—that enables game play on any digital platform without bothering with the restriction of Apple or Adobe (NSDQ: ADBE) Flash. Their games can work as easily on Facebook, which has been a boon to the likes of gaming sensations like Zynga, or any old website.

There’s a reason that appeals to DIMG, where co-presidents John Pleasants and James Pitaro couldn’t be more bullish on the future of social gaming (and not the console side of the business). While Pleasants oversees the gaming aspect of the business, it’s Pitaro who could be the beneficiary of Rocketpack. He oversees Disney.com, where casual games are a big part of the strategy to building up traffic across that flagship and other Disney-owned sites, as well as the company’s emphasis on a big presence on social networks, whether Facebook or another new Disney acquisition, a social network for kiddies called Togetherville.

DIMG has also put a lot of focus on taking the many franchises and characters at its disposal and making them available across platforms, whether mobile, tablet, laptop or TV. The best way to make that vision happens is to remove any hurdles to the instant-gratification experience that is social gaming, and Rocketpack makes that happen.

Disney isn’t the only one conglomerate that has focused on easy access to browser-based social experiences. Paramount recently made a deal with Funtactix to create MMOs around intellectual property like new movie Rango that don’t require plug-ins or downloads.

Our Poll: Most Of You Really Do Want The Apple iPad 2

When Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) unveiled its iPad 2 on Wednesday, we took an informal poll to see how interested you all are in buying the device. And it looks like most of the 400 paidContent and mocoNews readers who voted plan on ordering the new iPad as soon as they can (53 percent, or 212 votes) after it goes on sale March 11. See the full results embedded below:

Coming in at second, with 25 percent or 99 of the votes, was the exact opposite sentiment: Meh. I’ll wait for the iPad 3. Ten percent, or 40 of you, plan to wait in line and nine percent—37 readers—are sticking to their first-generation iPads. Meanwhile, three percent—12 of you—lamented (at least facetiously) that you do want the new iPad but you need to sell your Kindle first, or rather, that you want it but don’t have the cash right now.

Two other things worth noting:

—Last night the results were tilted more in favor of waiting for the iPad 3; they shifted overnight to buying the iPad ASAP.

—We didn’t include an option that said, “No iPad for me, thanks.” (We figured if you don’t want an iPad you probably wouldn’t have cared to vote.) But you can continue your comments below.

ShoppingKoo Report: Tablet-Optimized Version of Windows Not Ready Until Mid-2012

The company that practically invented the tablet is taking its sweet time getting back around to it now that people are actually interested.

Bloomberg reported late Thursday that Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) doesn’t plan to release a version of Windows specifically for tablets until “the 2012 back-to-school season,” which is generally considered July or August. Apparently Microsoft is planning to develop a tablet-suitable version of Windows 7, rather than Windows Phone 7, and it’s going to take some time to make the PC operating system ready for tablets with smaller screen sizes, gesture-based interfaces, and long battery life requirements.

It’s not clear from the report whether or not the software is really a version of Windows 8, which according to Microsoft watcher Mary-Jo Foley is on a similar mid-2012 release schedule. In the meantime, Microsoft and some partners have been showing off Windows 7-based tablets, and talking about a version of Windows 8 that will run on the ARM processors used in just about every tablet currently on the market or planned for this year.

But by then, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) will have had over two years in the tablet market and Google’s Android partners will have been shipping devices for over a year. HP (NYSE: HPQ) and RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) are expected to launch tablets later this year running their own software as well.

MIcrosoft may be able to string things along for a while with Windows 7 tablets, but it doesn’t seem like too many hardware manufacturers are betting on Intel’s low-power x86 chips, meaning that Microsoft could have trouble gaining traction for those devices until that ARM-based version of Windows is ready. Considering that Microsoft founder Bill Gates considered the Tablet PC software Microsoft developed in the early past of last decade to be one of the company’s more important projects, it’s kind of amazing to see how far behind its rivals Microsoft has fallen.

A Microsoft representative declined to comment on the report.

Apple's new Digital AV Adapter: what it will do and won't do

Apple introduced the iPad 2 today and along with it rolled out a few new accessories to accompany its new tablet. One new cable to hit the retail shelves is the Digital AV adapter which can be used to pipe content from your iOS device to your TV. Not just iPad 2-specific, the adapter is compatible with the iPhone 4, the original iPad, and the 4th generation iPod touch (although it is somewhat limited on those devices, see below).

One side of the adapter plugs into the 30-pin connector on your iOS device while the other connects to an HDMI cable attached to your HDTV. Right next to the HDMI plug is as a second 30-pin connector that lets you charge your iOS device while you are connected to your TV. When you purchase the adapter, don't forget to have a spare HDMI cable as the adapter is packaged alone in its box.

Before you grab one of these adapters, take note that there is a major difference in functionality between the iPad 2 and the older iOS devices. The iPad 2 is the only device that supports mirroring and 1080p HD. With the second generation tablet, you can send your apps, presentations, websites, and more to your HDTV in full HD. The only exception is movies which are streamed at 720p. The iPhone 4, iPod touch 4th gen and iPad will only push over 720p-quality slideshows and movies. The adapter will also send over digital audio to TVs that support this feature.

The Digital AV adapter will be available for $40 from the Apple online store and in Apple retail stores when the iPad 2 becomes available on March 11.

Recommerce sites now offering cash for current iPads

Sites that offer to buy users' now "previous generation" iPads are still offering good prices for used first-generation iPads, varying by site but offering up to $600 depending on models and condition, the money from which can be used to buy the just announced model. Among other sites, Gazelle.com and NextWorth.com have specifically posted prices for good-condition iPads. Some sites will "lock" offers for up to 30 days to ensure time for the new models to arrive in various places.

NextWorth.com conditions their offer on various questions regarding condition, but as an example we priced a good-condition 32GB Wi-Fi iPad and got an offer of $310. The company also specializes in smartphone buying, particularly the iPhone.

Gazelle come has posted a list for various models and assumes they are in good condition; the same 32GB Wi-Fi fetches $340, however the company has indicated that for a limited time (due to high demand) rates for selling may actually go up. The company offers to "lock-in" offers for up to 30 days. Gazelle said in a statement that they expect five to 10 percent of their consumer sales will involve trade-ins of the first-generation iPad.

Both companies use safe data recycling practices to ensure that all consumer data on traded-in items is thoroughly destroyed.

Google spiking 21 malicious apps with big download counts from the Market (update: Android 2.2.2 and up are immune)

We're sure that the debate of a carefully controlled and curated environment like Apple's App Store versus a free-for-all like the Android Market will rage on for years to come, but here's something to chew on: Google just removed some 21 apps from the Market in the last day from a publisher going by Myournet for doing all sorts of naughty things to your device. Offenses include attempting to root your phone, uploading phone information (including IMEI) to who-knows-where, and -- most egregiously -- adding a backdoor that allows additional code to be pulled down and executed.

At least some of the apps are pirated versions of existing apps that have been re-uploaded at zero cost to the user, which makes them appealing... and the trick apparently works quite well, because the 21 managed to clock over 50,000 downloads before getting taken down. This isn't the first time malicious apps have shown up on smartphones -- far from it -- but it's probably the highest-profile case of a first-party app store being infiltrated by really bad stuff. If there's a silver lining, it's that Google was extraordinarily quick to respond once Android Police reported the situation -- the site says it took less than five minutes from the time they reached out to the time the apps actually went offline. Still, that's little consolation if you've already installed your "free" copy of Super History Eraser. Hit the source links for the full list of pulled apps.

Update: Android Central points out that the type of root exploit used in these apps was patched in Android 2.2.2 and up, so Nexus One and Nexus S owners should be fine; everyone else is left out in the cold, though, thanks to the vexing third-party update lag.