Tag Archives: Ipad2

Hands-on with Logitech’s Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

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Hands on with Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

Logitech announced its Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the new iPad and iPad 2 a couple of weeks ago, and today we got our grubby mitts on the thing. In case you forgot, it attaches to your Apple tablet like a Smart Cover when not in use, but perhaps you didn't know that those magnets secure the slate in stand mode as well. And secure is the operative word, once you slot your slate in, it takes a concerted effort to dislodge it -- plus, there's virtually no shaking of the screen while typing away on the keyboard. As for those chiclets, they have a predictably short throw, but aside from a hollow feeling when pressing the spacebar and shift keys, the rest of the grid gave a satisfying snick with each button press. Build quality of the keyboard was good, without any massive seam gaps or other glaring defects, and the aluminum back makes for quite an attractive package when attached to the iPad. The deck is, unfortunately, slathered in glossy black plastic -- a customer preference, Logitech was quick to point out -- which results in plenty of finger and palm prints when typing. Other than those niggles, however, it's a compelling option for folks wanting to do some tactile tablet typing.

Gallery: Hands-on Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

Hands-on with Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 19:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion

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How do you follow up a stunning Q1 where you set record quarterly earnings and issue a sizable dividend to investors? Well, if you're Apple, you just keep on keepin' on, shattering even the wildest expectations with "a record March quarter." Leading up to today's earnings, the outfit's stock was down around two percent, mostly on reports that iPhone activations were something other than mind-blowing. That said, shares have already started to creep back into positive territory in after-hours trading. Wall Street was hoping for around $36.88 billion in revenue (despite lower guidance from Apple itself), with upwards of 30 million iPhones sold and 12 million iPads sold -- galling numbers, no matter how you slice it.

The actuals? Well, we're seeing $12.30 earnings per share, compared to an estimated $10.04 earnings per share. It all adds up to $39.2 billion in revenue and $11.6 billion in pure, unadulterated profit with 35.1 million iPhone units sold alongside 11.8 million iPads. (Of note, the new iPad was only on sale for around a fortnight in this quarter, making that figure even more impressive.) The former represents an 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter, while the latter shows a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Though Mac sales weren't equally astonishing, the four million units sold in the past three months indicates a seven percent uptick compared to Q2 2011. The iPod department, which has been sinking in recent years as iPads and iPhones become the primary music players of consumers, still saw 7.7 million units sold, representing a 15 percent decline from the same quarter last year.

Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010.

Just to put things in perspective, Apple nearly doubled its profits in Q2 2012 compared to Q2 2011, and practically quadrupled it compared to Q2 2010. As for CEO Tim Cook's reaction? Aside from grinning from ear-to-ear looking at his growing stash of loot, he stated: "We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver." Keep on telling us that, Tim, and we'll keep waiting. The conference call kicks off at 5PM ET, and we'll be liveblogging it just after the break!

Continue reading Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion

Apple Q2 2012 earnings: $39.2 billion in revenue, net profit of $11.6 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Padcaster / Lenscaster lets you mount SLR lenses on iPad, we go hands-on at NAB (video)

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http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/18/padcaster-lenscaster-ipad-SLR-mount-hands-on/

Think people look ridiculous shooting stills or video with an iPad? Try throwing an SLR lens into the equation as well. Manhattan Edit Workshop founder Josh Apter developed the Padcaster as an inexpensive solution for mounting an Apple iPad on a tripod. And why would you want to do such a thing? With 1080p video capture, built-in LTE and a on-board editing suite, such a device makes for an excellent on-the-go all-in-one, letting you shoot, cut and transmit video with a single package. One major aspect of visual storytelling that the tablet doesn't excel at, however, is emphasizing details with blurred backgrounds, along with magnifying your subject with optical zoom. Enter the Lenscaster. This universal lens mount lets you use a standard 35mm adapter to attach any SLR optic to the iPad camera, enabling a small variety of hardware-driven optical effects, including shallow depth of field, manual focus and a zoom option that doesn't result in detail loss.

Apter took the Padcaster and Lenscaster along on a demo shoot in New York City's Union Square, interviewing passersby with a Cinevate 35mm lens adapter, 85mm f/1.4 Carl Zeiss lens and a Sennheiser MKH-60 shotgun mic, all mounted to a Padcaster-equipped new iPad. The mounting duo may note be visually appealing from a physical perspective, but the resulting footage does look convincing -- you can see it in full after the break. The Padcaster's aluminum frame even doubles as a DSLR cage, letting you assemble a pro rig complete with camera, lens, mic and lights after removing the urethane iPad insert. The designer is also working on an iPad insert, though the tablet-sized contraption may prove to be overkill when paired with a pocketable smartphone. The Padcaster will be available soon for "about $200," while the Lenscaster attachment should ship for an additional 60 bucks. You'll also need to factor in a magnification optic to compensate for the distance between the iPad and the lens, along with a 35mm adapter, both of which are not included. The device is also unable to take full advantage of the iPad's resolution, creating black borders around the image, which you'll notice in the sample video, positioned just below our hands-on video right after the break.

Gallery: Padcaster and Lenscaster for iPad hands-on

Continue reading Padcaster / Lenscaster lets you mount SLR lenses on iPad, we go hands-on at NAB (video)

Padcaster / Lenscaster lets you mount SLR lenses on iPad, we go hands-on at NAB (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buy this book: Darren Murph’s ‘iPad Secrets’

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We have something of a history of Engadget editors writing books on tech-related topics, and our esteemed Managing Editor (and Guinness World Record-holder) Darren Murph is the latest to join the club. He's written a book in which he'll enlighten you on some of the inner workings of Apple's favorite tablet -- and he won't call you a Dummy in the process. Heck, the publisher was thoughtful enough to put the man's signature right there on the cover, so if you're not satisfied it'll make forging checks and cleaning out Darren's checking account that much easier.

Buy this book: Darren Murph's 'iPad Secrets' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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