The part appears nearly identical to that of the iPad 2, with the major distinguishing feature being a relatively long ribbon cable extending up the side of the display as opposed to a shorter cable with a sideways orientation seen in the iPad 2. Other features of the iPad 3 display include the same round home button seen in all iOS devices so far and a hole in the top bezel to accommodate both the front-facing camera and the ambient light sensor.
A separate posting from the same blogger claims that the A5X system-on-a-chip seen in a leaked photo has a dual-core processor and that the iPad 3 will support Siri. The report also claims that the iPad 3 will launch with iOS 5.1 and a rear camera capable of recording 1080p video. Finally, the posting says that the iPad 3 will launch in the U.S. in mid-March with France, Germany, Japan, and the UK to follow in April. Other markets including China and Hong Kong should see the device launch by June 1.
With the revelation of the front glass assembly and earlier leaks of the rear casing, ultra high-resolution display, logic board, and several other internal components, most of the iPad 3′s major parts with the exception of the battery and camera modules have now been seen. Apple is expected to introduce the iPad 3 with a media event scheduled for March 7.
Seen on top of each other, the iPad 3 does appear to have a more gradual taper to the edges than the iPad 2. The difference in size, however, is said to be minimal but seems exaggerated in this shot above due to the staggered positioning of the casings. The next shot shows that the difference in thickness is only 1-1.5mm, with the iPad 3 enclosure being slightly thicker than the iPad 2.
MICGadget also confirms that the iPad 3 camer lens hole is “noticeably larger”, suggesting that there has been some improvement in the camera quality, though they seem to question whether or not it will make it all the way to 8 Megapixels as claimed by one publication.
These same iPad 3 enclosures have been seen in the hands of many sites now. It’s not uncommon for parts and enclosures to leak out of Apple’s supply chain as production of new products ramp up. The iPad 3 is believed to be in manufacturing at this time with an expected announcement date on March 7th.
ABC has now posted a preview of the segment, along with a teaser video from Nightline co-anchor Bill Weir.
Apple promised complete access, no dog-and-pony, no Potemkin Village, but they denied my repeated requests to interview Apple CEO Tim Cook or the senior vice president of industrial design, Jony Ive.
In a three-golf-cart convoy, both Apple and Foxconn reps took us around to a half dozen production lines in Shenzhen and Chengdu, and there were always five to six people with us as we toured the factories and dorms. But aside from suggesting a visit to the counseling center or canteen, they never steered us to interviews and never interrupted.
The extensive preview offers comments from several Foxconn employees, as well as Louis Woo, a former Apple executive who now serves as an advisor to Foxconn CEO Terry Gou, and Fair Labor Association president Auret van Heerden.
Nightline‘s “iFactory: Inside Apple” segment airs tomorrow, February 21, at 11:35 PM Eastern and Pacific on ABC.
This week at 148Apps.com, we pined for the release of the newest version of Mac OSX, named Mountain Lion. Brad Hilderbrand writes, “Apple shocked the world today by announcing a brand-new operating system for desktop devices, less than a year after the launch of OS X Lion. Codenamed Mountain Lion, the latest update further blurs the line between home computers and tablets, bringing a host of features that make your MacBook or iMac run more like an iPad.
Read about all of the new features on 148Apps.
Our GiggleApps compatriots were busy this week as well, reviewing the latest apps for kids. Amy Solomon reviewed David and Goliath for the iPad (the MVP Edition), and had this to say about it: “The quality of this application is undeniable. Although I am not always a fan of computer-generated animations and the use of 3D effects, the look of this app is impressive, with vivid colors and a thoughtful use of pitch-perfect music that creates an incredibly rich experience. I love the details found throughout from the clouds in the sky and other details of nature as well as textures found within, seen in the tents used often-times as backdrops for these characters. There are also some interesting moments of silhouetting characters for a nice effect that I enjoy.”
Read the full review on GiggleApps.com.
David and Goliath for the iPad (The MVP Edition)
iPad Only App – Designed for the iPad
Buy Now: $ 4.99
Released: 2011-10-04 :: Category: Books
Finally, 148Apps.biz kept a brisk pace this week as well. Jack-of-all-trades Brad Hilderbrand reported on the success of Apple’s iPhone 4s, saying, “Anyone still wondering if the iPhone 4S was enough of an upgrade to help Apple maintain industry dominance can stop pondering, as a recent report from Gartner claims that Apple has officially surpassed Samsung as the maker of the world’s most-wanted phones. According to the numbers, Apple moved 35.5 million smartphones in Q4 (primarily driven by the iPhone 4S), while Samsung trailed with 34 million. Not only have these numbers allowed Apple to become the dominant force in smartphones, but the company has also surpassed LG to become the third biggest vendor of all mobile devices, period.”
Read the full report on 148Apps.biz.
Another week is in the bag, but that doesn’t mean we’re done. No, sir, it doesn’t! Follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook to get the latest updates on news, reviews and contests. It really is that simple. See you next week, web-heads!
Apps mentioned in this post: David and Goliath for the iPad (The MVP Edition)
About: This Week at 148Apps: February 13-17 is a post from 148Apps
148Apps – iPhone App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, and iPhone News
Tiny Toots Review
By Jennifer Allen on February 17th, 2012
Our Rating:
:: SIMPLE FUNiPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Shallow yet undeniably fun, Tiny Toots is a hoot.
Price: $ 0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4
Graphics / Sound Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.56 out of 5 stars
Farts are funny. Few people can deny this, even if they’d like to pretend that they prefer high brow fare. So how about a dinosaur that’s fart propelled thanks to his love of beans? That’s what Tiny Toots offers in abundance and it’s great fun for those times when simple yet compelling gameplay are favored over in-depth storytelling, even if it does owe much to Tiny Wings.
Tiny Toots is a game that requires one finger to unleash the power of wind propelled dinosaur running. Throughout each level, numerous hills are between Houston the dinosaur and the end of the stage. Holding a finger to the screen speeds Houston up on his descent from each hill while the opposite is true while climbing the obstacle.
It makes for a one touch game that still requires a fair amount of concentration and timing. Indeed, it’s more challenging than Tiny Wings and practice is essential in order to keep Houston’s speed up. This speed is of the essence as the evil Dr Beanstalk is chasing Houston, intent on taking him back to the dinosaur farm, and ending the game for the player.
Along the way, players can collect more beans and special chilli beans, in order to give Houston a precious speed boost and gain extra points. Four different cups can be gained – stone, bronze, silver, and gold – along with plenty of other satisfying achievements. The basic principles are still there, however, and it’s a fun ride despite its shallow nature. Controls are simple to get to grips with and the whole look of the title ensures that it’s ideal for family gamers as well as older players.
Tiny Toots might be a very simple and familiar idea but it executes the concept well. At the low price of $ 0.99, it makes for an ideal commuting game that’s easy to drop in to and see results fast, especially for those in need of something different from the feathered bird variety. A steady stream of updates in the future will go some way to ensuring that players don’t forget about Tiny Toots after the initial fun factor has faded.
Tiny Toots
iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Buy Now: $ 0.99
:: SIMPLE FUNRead Our Full Review >>
Released: 2011-12-10 :: Category: Games
Apps mentioned in this post: Tiny Toots
About: Tiny Toots Review is a post from 148Apps
148Apps – iPhone App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, and iPhone News
CNet reports that Apple has settled a class action suit over the iPhone 4′s antenna.
The settlement comes from 18 separate lawsuits that were consolidated into one. All share the claim that Apple was “misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4–particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software.”
When the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, some customers were affected by low signals and dropped calls that were believed to be related to the iPhone 4′s external antenna. At the time, Apple’s response was a press conference as well as a refund offer for iPhone 4 customers or free bumper cases.
Based on the preliminary approval, U.S. residents who bought the iPhone 4 will be entitled to $15 in cash or a bumper case provided by Apple. The lawyers claim that the 25 million customers may be eligible.
Update: The Loop‘s Jim Dalrymple has obtained a statement from Apple on the settlement:
“This settlement relates to a small number of customers who indicated that they experienced antenna or reception issues with their iPhone 4 and didn’t want to take advantage of a free case from Apple while it was being offered in 2010,” Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison told me on Saturday.
The blogsphere is awash with best guesses, including that aliens, not pigs will be the enemy and that gravity will (or won’t) play into the physics. The only non-speculative information comes from VentureBeat. They report that the new game based on uber-hit Angry Birds – which passed 700 million downloads recently and launched last week on Facebook – “will have numerous new characters and players can expect the science part of the game to be physically accurate … On top of launching birds at pigs in zero gravity, the game will have a variety of other gameplay elements, including slow-motion, lightspeed destruction.”
Rovio put out a teaser with a menacing space-faring cardinal and promises more information in early March. It’s a safe bet that this will be even bigger that the Angry Birds Rio movie tie-in from last year, or anything we’ve seen from the Finnish game company so far. We’ll keep you posted as details land here on Earth.
About: Three, Two One, The Countdown to Angry Birds Space Begins – Landing on the App Store March 22 is a post from 148Apps
148Apps – iPhone App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, and iPhone News
Track Lapse Review
By Carter Dotson on February 17th, 2012
Our Rating:
:: LAPSE OF SANITYiPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Track Lapse is a level-based runner game that is full of quirky environments.
Price: $ 0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
Device Reviewed On: iPod touch 4
Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.13 out of 5 stars
Track Lapse is a weird game. It’s something of an endless runner – well, it has fixed levels, but it’s still a “character running forward without stopping” game. The runner in this one is literally a runner, a man running for fitness, with no shirt and an mp3 player. He’s also prone to hallucinations, as on his run he finds himself in very strange places, like what appears to be a volcano, and a disco where he must either jump over or moonwalk past characters in his way. He can sprint to go faster, but this drains more health when he takes damage from obstacles.
Track Lapse’s concept doesn’t seem that weird, but there’s just something about the way it’s so persistent with it, that the protagonist keeps imagining odd new scenarios, that makes it feel weirder than it really is. It’s an interesting experience to see what’s next, from discos to zombies to fiery hellscapes.
The problem is that the levels are never really all that, well…interesting. There are few moments that are frustrating when to figure out, but otherwise, it just winds up being a few set pieces in each section over and over again. Endless runners tend to work because failure is a constant threat, and starting over from the beginning with a reset high score is what happens. However, with the levels with multiple checkpoints that can be restarted multiple times, there is no threat of failure.
Run Roo Run shows how this formula can work: by having short, engaging sections with the challenge coming from difficult timing windows, but being short levels that are quick to restart. This just feels like how this type of game should not be done. Adding in a limited lives mechanic or fewer checkpoints would just be annoying. The faults are with the concept itself. The way that double jumping keeps resetting speed, and how double damage is always taken when sprinting just make the game more frustrating to play and tend to break up the pace of the game. This is as opposed to what a good gameplay mechanic should do: enhance and value to the game, making it more enjoyable to play.
While Track Lapse is weird, that isn’t really enough to make it a good recommendation. This is only for those that like endless runners but like fixed levels, and/or those who like their games weird and quirky.
Track Lapse
iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Buy Now: $ 0.99
Released: 2012-02-15 :: Category: Games
Apps mentioned in this post: Track Lapse
About: Track Lapse Review is a post from 148Apps
148Apps – iPhone App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, and iPhone News
Graffiti Me!
Some may see it as unsightly but graffiti can look extremely impressive and artistic when drawn by someone with talent. Graffiti Me! takes that kind of style and offers the ability to turn photos into beautiful and cool graffiti art. Like all the best photo filter apps, it takes seconds to create the effect at the touch of one button, with further control stemming from adjustable parameters.
Graffiti Me!
iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Buy Now: $ 0.99
Released: 2012-02-15 :: Category: Photography
Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space Ep 2
The rabbit and dog detective duo, Sam & Max, have been popular for many years, offering sharp and witty humor and some very surreal storytelling. While Beyond Time and Space has been available on other systems in the past, it’s only now that iOS gamers get the chance to try out the series. This week marked the release of Episode 2, Moai Better Blues, and it’s one of the best of the season.
Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space Ep 2
Universal App – Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: $ 4.99
Released: 2012-02-16 :: Category: Games
WinZip
WinZip has been saving precious hard drive space for the past 20 years with its leading file compression technology. That technology has now reached iOS, offering users the ability to open and browse Zip files while on the move. Numerous zipped file types can also be previewed covering all the major file extensions.
Pinmark
There are a ton of different journal apps out there. Pinmark does things a little differently, however, by automatically collecting and organizing the places the user visits as well as the photos they take and music they listen to, all alongside a note taking facility. All information is stored on the iPhone rather than on any remote server and it makes for a great way to look back at places visited to relive some memories of what happened back then.
Fractal
Originally a PC and Mac title, Fractal is a puzzle game that will seem quite familiar, yet offers compelling gameplay. Players must manipulate fractals to a gloriously imaginative backdrop and memorable musical score. Think Bejewelled but with more style.
Fractal : Make Blooms Not War
iPad Only App – Designed for the iPad
Buy Now: FREE
Released: 2012-02-15 :: Category: Games
Apps mentioned in this post: Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space Ep 2, Fractal : Make Blooms Not War, Graffiti Me!, Pinmark, WinZip
About: Five For Friday: Week of February 17 is a post from 148Apps
148Apps – iPhone App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, and iPhone News
Polkast Review
By Kevin Stout on February 16th, 2012
Our Rating:
:: FREE!?!iPhone App – Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Polkast is a cloud service that uses your own computer for storage.
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.0.5.6
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4
iPhone Integration Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars
Polkast is a personal cloud service that gives users unlimited storage by using their own computer as storage. There are some minor user interface annoyances and a few other small problems, but Polkast is an incredibly useful app for viewing or downloading files from a computer. I’m honestly amazed that it’s free.
In order to use the app, an application needs to be downloaded onto a Mac or Windows computer. The download and installation were quick in my experience. The app runs in the background after the user decides which folders to give Polkast access to. After that, simply sign into an account on the iPhone or iPad app.
I preferred using the “All Files” button to find what I was looking for. Other options, like Videos and Music, found all of those types of files out of all of the folders Polkast had access. I have quite a bit of movies and music, so the organization in those folder options were awful. Using my own organization I created on my computer with “All Files” made the experience easiest.
The app has to completely download a file in order to “stream” it. The good news about that is that the file becomes accessible even when offline. At least deleting an item from the cache is as easy as going to the “Transfer Queue,” swiping the item, and pressing delete.
Though it took quite a while, I actually downloaded a movie I had on an external hard drive that was connected to my computer with Polkast installed. I forgive the ten 
minutes it took to download the movie. The file went from my external hard drive, to my computer, and over my wireless network to my iPhone. Ten minutes isn’t bad at all.
The app refuses to download more than one file at a time. I’m not sure if that’s a limitation that the developers can address or not. I attempted to open a 2.2 kB text file while my large movie was downloading. I had to go to the Queue and pause the movie download in order to see the text file.
I had a few other minor problems. The two small buttons at the top (search and Now Playing) and the incredibly small settings button at the bottom are hard to touch. I even have small fingers for an average person. And both .mov and.mp4 files play perfectly through Polkast. But the app would not play .avi video files.
Polkast is free. For anyone who doesn’t have an app to retrieve and view files from their computer, this app needs to be on their iOS device.
Polkast
Universal App – Designed for iPhone and iPad
Buy Now: FREE
:: FREE!?!Read Our Full Review >>
Released: 2011-07-25 :: Category: Productivity
Apps mentioned in this post: Polkast
About: Polkast Review is a post from 148Apps
148Apps – iPhone App Reviews, iPhone Game Reviews, and iPhone News