Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. We’re keeping our eyes on five particular stories of interest today.

Amazon Revenues Jump 51%

Amazon‘s revenues jumped 51% in the second quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, the fastest period of growth the company has experienced in a decade, CEO Jeff Bezos says.

Is Apple Working on a 15-inch MacBook Air/Pro Hybrid?

Apple is putting the finishing touches on a 15-inch ultra-portable MacBook Air/Pro hybrid that could make its debut this holiday season, according to multiple reports.

Apple To Bring Facial Recognition to iOS 5?

Apple might be planning to include face detection capabilities in the next version of its smartphone/tablet platform, iOS 5.

Windows Phone 7 OS “Mango” Ready for Release

The newest version of the Windows Phone OS, codename “Mango,” has reached the release to manufacturing stage (RTM). By this fall, Microsoft’s mobile OS will available on handsets worldwide.

Google Offers Go Mobile

Google has updated its Google Shopper for iPhone app to include nearby offers, mimicking similar offerings from Foursquare, Groupon and LivingSocial.

Further News

• Thousands of hacked Twitter accounts are sending a wave of spammy messages advertising a weight-loss product.
• Facebook is running a series of ads teaching users how to turn off facial recognition.
• Google has tripled the speed of its +1 button in an update released Tuesday.
• Facebook has introduced a new site that introduces potential advertisers to marketing on the social network.
• The first four seasons of Mad Men are now available via Netflix’s streaming service.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

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College student Amanda Foote has turned the die-hard techie tradition of waiting hours, sometimes days, to be the first to purchase a new Apple product into a lucrative odd job. After nearly 41 hours of waiting in line for the iPad 2 release at Apple’s flagship store in New York, she sold her number one spot for $900.

Foote sat through an entire day of rain, had a stranger help himself to a box of doughnuts she was eating, and slept a total of 3 hours and 10 minutes in the time between when she got in line at 5 p.m. Wednesday and when she left it at 9:00 a.m. Friday. She plans to buy tickets to a Lady Gaga concert with the cash that she earned for her trouble.

The buyer, app developer Hazem Sayed, says he is planning on leaving for a business trip Friday evening and wants to have an iPad 2 (which starts at $499) with him.

He’s not alone in paying for the cache of being among the first to purchase apple products. About 30 people back, 20-year-old Mario Longo had been waiting in line since 5 a.m. Friday for a friend who offered to pay him $100. Craigslist is littered with offers ranging from $100 to $999 to stand in line for a fee or sell a spot.

In June, before the iPhone 4 launch, spots in line to buy the new phone were reportedly going for as much as $1,200.

But the emerging marketplace for line standing hasn’t reduced the enthusiasm of people in line who actually want to buy the device. Behind Foote, standing in the second and third spots, were Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz. The high school students, both 17, had been in the line since 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. (Don’t tell their teachers.)

“We like the competition, the atmosphere, meeting people,” Cruz says.

Farther down the line in bright yellow ponchos, Rafael Fischmann and Breno Masi had been waiting since 3:00 a.m. They flew into New York from Brazil specifically to buy iPads, as did Francis Degode from Belgium, who beat them to the line by a few minutes.

The iPad will officially go on sale at Apple stores, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart at 5:00 p.m. Friday. Here’s a store report. For those who aren’t as enthusiastic about the authentic line experience, online orders are live right now.

Amanda Foote, a media studies student at Manhattan Community college, sold her spot in the line to purchase the iPad 2 for $900.

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College student Amanda Foote has turned the die-hard techie tradition of waiting hours, sometimes days, to be the first to purchase a new Apple product into a lucrative odd job. After nearly 41 hours of waiting in line for the iPad 2 release at Apple’s flagship store in New York, she sold her number one spot for $900.

Foote sat through an entire day of rain, had a stranger help himself to a box of doughnuts she was eating, and slept a total of 3 hours and 10 minutes in the time between when she got in line at 5 p.m. Wednesday and when she left it at 9:00 a.m. Friday. She plans to buy tickets to a Lady Gaga concert with the cash that she earned for her trouble.

The buyer, app developer Hazem Sayed, says he is planning on leaving for a business trip Friday evening and wants to have an iPad 2 (which starts at $499) with him.

He’s not alone in paying for the cache of being among the first to purchase apple products. About 30 people back, 20-year-old Mario Longo had been waiting in line since 5 a.m. Friday for a friend who offered to pay him $100. Craigslist is littered with offers ranging from $100 to $999 to stand in line for a fee or sell a spot.

In June, before the iPhone 4 launch, spots in line to buy the new phone were reportedly going for as much as $1,200.

But the emerging marketplace for line standing hasn’t reduced the enthusiasm of people in line who actually want to buy the device. Behind Foote, standing in the second and third spots, were Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz. The high school students, both 17, had been in the line since 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. (Don’t tell their teachers.)

“We like the competition, the atmosphere, meeting people,” Cruz says.

Farther down the line in bright yellow ponchos, Rafael Fischmann and Breno Masi had been waiting since 3:00 a.m. They flew into New York from Brazil specifically to buy iPads, as did Francis Degode from Belgium, who beat them to the line by a few minutes.

The iPad will officially go on sale at Apple stores, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart at 5:00 p.m. Friday. Here’s a store report. For those who aren’t as enthusiastic about the authentic line experience, online orders are live right now.

Amanda Foote, a media studies student at Manhattan Community college, sold her spot in the line to purchase the iPad 2 for $900.

More About: apple, Apple Store, ipad, line, trending

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

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College student Amanda Foote has turned the die-hard techie tradition of waiting hours, sometimes days, to be the first to purchase a new Apple product into a lucrative odd job. After nearly 41 hours of waiting in line for the iPad 2 release at Apple’s flagship store in New York, she sold her number one spot for $900.

Foote sat through an entire day of rain, had a stranger help himself to a box of doughnuts she was eating, and slept a total of 3 hours and 10 minutes in the time between when she got in line at 5 p.m. Wednesday and when she left it at 9:00 a.m. Friday. She plans to buy tickets to a Lady Gaga concert with the cash that she earned for her trouble.

The buyer, app developer Hazem Sayed, says he is planning on leaving for a business trip Friday evening and wants to have an iPad 2 (which starts at $499) with him.

He’s not alone in paying for the cache of being among the first to purchase apple products. About 30 people back, 20-year-old Mario Longo had been waiting in line since 5 a.m. Friday for a friend who offered to pay him $100. Craigslist is littered with offers ranging from $100 to $999 to stand in line for a fee or sell a spot.

In June, before the iPhone 4 launch, spots in line to buy the new phone were reportedly going for as much as $1,200.

But the emerging marketplace for line standing hasn’t reduced the enthusiasm of people in line who actually want to buy the device. Behind Foote, standing in the second and third spots, were Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz. The high school students, both 17, had been in the line since 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. (Don’t tell their teachers.)

“We like the competition, the atmosphere, meeting people,” Cruz says.

Farther down the line in bright yellow ponchos, Rafael Fischmann and Breno Masi had been waiting since 3:00 a.m. They flew into New York from Brazil specifically to buy iPads, as did Francis Degode from Belgium, who beat them to the line by a few minutes.

The iPad will officially go on sale at Apple stores, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart at 5:00 p.m. Friday. Here’s a store report. For those who aren’t as enthusiastic about the authentic line experience, online orders are live right now.

Amanda Foote, a media studies student at Manhattan Community college, sold her spot in the line to purchase the iPad 2 for $900.

More About: apple, Apple Store, ipad, line, trending

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However, here is where designer Nuno Teixeira had a chance to show his brilliance.  Not that it is the first time anyone has battled this problem, but Nuno did it in such a practical way that it leaves pretty much all questions answered.  Instead of having a dual monitor setup, you will get a curved view, called the iView, of the same screen width as two monitors but without the annoying separation line in between them.

The design is, of course, a concept design aimed at being an Apple product.  The fact that it has all the features you could ever want in a “dual monitor” setup all bundled into one screen makes me all giddy inside.  Furthermore, there is a small screen in the back which tends to tell me that it is a showcase or display monitor for a store or demo.  The brilliance is really in the curving of the monitor itself.  All I can do now is to wish for this one to come true.  Awesomeness defined!

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Apple has just applied for a new patent indicating the company’s possible interest in the location-based social networking space.

The gadgets giant applied to trademark the word “Places” in both Europe and China. The trademark application is, according to its numeric classifications, related to a wide range of hardware, online social networking, entertainment, media and GPS systems; it’s not related to photos or geotagging.

This particular patent application was first unearthed by Patenty Apple, which noted that the application may or may not have anything to do with Ping, Apple’s social music service linked to iTunes.

Given the plethora of location-aware Apple devices, it’s almost silly to think that Apple wouldn’t be working on products and features in the location space — which, as you’re probably aware, becomes hotter by the day, both in terms of startup innovation and user adoption.

Of course, not every Apple patent application ends up leading to a bona fide Apple product or feature; nevertheless, these documents can be telling when it comes to the company’s ambitions.

Here’s a look at the trademark application itself; let us know in the comments where you think this might be headed:

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Apple has just applied for a new patent indicating the company’s possible interest in the location-based social networking space.

The gadgets giant applied to trademark the word “Places” in both Europe and China. The trademark application is, according to its numeric classifications, related to a wide range of hardware, online social networking, entertainment, media and GPS systems; it’s not related to photos or geotagging.

This particular patent application was first unearthed by Patenty Apple, which noted that the application may or may not have anything to do with Ping, Apple’s social music service linked to iTunes.

Given the plethora of location-aware Apple devices, it’s almost silly to think that Apple wouldn’t be working on products and features in the location space — which, as you’re probably aware, becomes hotter by the day, both in terms of startup innovation and user adoption.

Of course, not every Apple patent application ends up leading to a bona fide Apple product or feature; nevertheless, these documents can be telling when it comes to the company’s ambitions.

Here’s a look at the trademark application itself; let us know in the comments where you think this might be headed:

More About: apple, gps, location, patent, places

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As we approach the time when Apple is expected to launch two of its flagship products for 2011 — the iPhone 5 and the iPad 2 — the rumors around the company, its plans, the products’ features and the launch dates are entering a frenzy matched perhaps only by high profile celebrity rumor mills.

It is at this point that, to paraphrase the legendary post-modern saying, the rumors get so intense that everything is pointless. Even if you’re closely following Apple, which keeps its secrets behind a tightly locked 10-inch-thick steel door, it’s getting hard to track every single rumor about the upcoming products, and it’s even harder to discern which of them could be true.

We cannot be certain what features the iPhone 5 and the iPad 2 will have. Hell, we don’t know for sure that these products even exist. The rumors themselves, however, follow an interesting set of patterns that seem to reappear every time an Apple product is about to be launched.

1. The Age of Innocence

At this early stage, actual products are several months away, and the only palpable data anyone really has is the timing of Apple’s yearly events, such as the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. It is also at this time when the rumors actually make the most sense, as analysts and media outlets take the obvious picks. The new iPhone, you will often read at this time, will have a better camera, a faster processor and more memory.

Well, duh. The features sound good, but they’re also so obvious that anyone could’ve predicted them. While the predictions at this stage are often correct, they only point toward an evolutionary product release, which Apple often does.

2. The Advent of 3D Models

This is where the 3D Studio Max and Illustrator wizards take the matter into their hands. Why wait for the official pictures of the new devices when you can imagine them yourself, thinner and more beautiful than they can ever be in reality?

The models get better as the first images that relate to the new product start to trickle onto the Internet. A case seemingly designed for the next generation of iPad will set a whole new wave of 3D model creation in motion, and soon we’ll have some models that look like they could be the real thing. But the real thing, as it almost invariably turns out, is often so much more perfect than any 3D model could be. The images you see at this stage of the Apple rumor mill will be enough to sate your brain for a little while, but you will forget them all the second Apple shows us the actual design.

3. The Stage of Wild Predictions

We have recently entered the third stage, perhaps the most tiresome of them all. Rumors abound at this time, and it is no longer enough to go with the obvious picks; if you want to start a good rumor, you have to go for something wild. The new iPad will not have a camera, and Apple is about to release a very, very small version of the iPhone that needs to be installed under your skin — these are the type of rumors you are likely to encounter at this time.

One could also call this stage the Age of Opposites. Everything you thought was true might be wrong, or so you will be told. Is the new iPhone really a phone? Has Apple completely given up on the concept of data storage? Just like in George Orwell’s 1984, you will learn to doublethink — two completely opposite concepts will suddenly start making sense in your head. And this is the perfect setup for…

4. The Dark Age of Chaos

Yes, this is the time when tech media journalists get physically sick when they hear words starting with “i,” while the readers repeatedly bash them for being Apple fanboys. The rumors have stopped making sense a long time ago, but you still cling onto them. With a mad look in your eyes and a hint of a snicker on your lips, you refresh the Google Reader on your iPad, looking for a new glimmer of hope on that 8-megapixel iPhone camera you’ve been craving.

The worst part is that this is when some data about the upcoming products actually leaks. Now you have to change everything you’ve believed in, but are you strong enough to do that? Isn’t it easier to just keep on living the dream in which the next iPad has a 2 GHz quad-core CPU, more RAM than your desktop computer and a screen with more pixels than the current state of technology can possibly allow?

5. The Silence Before the Storm

The time is near. Apple has actually set a date, and now most readers, analysts and media outlets are collectively: a) sick of predictions and, b) explored every possible rumor avenue. It is now pointless to fabricate any new rumors, and even if you do, the actual product launch is so close that the exhausted Apple fanbase is more content to wait for the real thing than to live in the fantasy world.

This is, by far, the most rewarding part of being a journalist and a tech media reader: finally, you get some well-deserved rest. We’re not quite here yet, but when we do reach this point, do yourself a favor: have a night out, drink a couple of drinks, forget about Apple. The truth will be revealed soon, and you’ve earned it.

More Apple Resources from Mashable:

– The Apple Canvas: 10 Outstanding Works of iOS Art [PICS]
– 10 Classy Cocktail Apps for Your iPhone
– How The iPad Is Helping Businesses Go Green
– 8 Educational iPhone Apps for Small Business Owners
– 10 iPod Touch 4G Cases That Stand Out From the Crowd [PICS]

More About: apple, ipad, iphone, rumors, tech

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

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If I had a dime for every rumor that surfaces about an unannounced Apple product, I could probably buy myself an apple-shaped island bursting with iPad trees.

Last week, Bloomberg ignited the flammable Apple rumor mill with a report saying Apple is considering building a smaller iPhone that would only cost $200. The rumors of an “iPhone nano” gained steam after a Wall Street Journal report with more details about the device. It even had a codename: the N97. It was looking more and more likely that a smaller version of the iPhone was imminent.

The New York Times says throw all of that out the window, though. It has just published a report claiming Apple is not building a smaller iPhone, but that it is exploring the possibility of a cheaper iPhone, though it would “be similar in size to the current iPhone 4.” Like Bloomberg and WSJ, NYT cited anonymous sources for this information.

In the time between Bloomberg‘s report and today’s story from NYT, there have been hundreds — if not thousands — of news and analysis stories surrounding the mythical device. And don’t get me started on the countless “Apple tablet” rumors that dominated the headlines before the iPad’s debut.

It’s simply part of the allure of Apple; people want to know what product the technology giant is going to launch next, and the rumors start flying. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these reports simply are off-the-mark.

Actually, One Person Knows What Apple Is Planning

Above: one of the dozens of renderings of the iPad before its debut.

Apple is known for its secrecy. The company bolted down iPad prototypes to tables and tracked every single one to make sure there were no leaks. The one notable product that got past Apple’s walled garden, the iPhone 4 prototype, only leaked because an engineer with very bad luck lost it in a bar. Gizmodo, which bought the device, has never been invited to an Apple event since.

Is there some truth to Bloomberg‘s report on the smaller version of the iPhone? Probably, but the same can be said about the stories published by WSJ and NYT. Notice how these stories say Apple “has been exploring,” “is considering” or “is working on” a new iPhone model.

In other words, Apple is experimenting with potential new products, like every other giant tech company on the planet. Steve Jobs reportedly scrapped countless iPad prototypes before finally approving the device that’s on the market today. We bet that Apple has considered or even built prototypes of smaller iPhones, iPhones with physical keyboards and iPhones of all shapes and sizes. That’s just what happens when you’re trying to design new products.

Then again, we don’t really know, because nobody but Steve Jobs knows what Apple is thinking or planning. And that’s exactly why the Apple rumor mill will continue to churn for years to come.

Now where’s my apple-shaped island?

More About: apple, iOS, ipad, iphone, iphone 4, iphone nano

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If I had a dime for every rumor that surfaces about an unannounced Apple product, I could probably buy myself an apple-shaped island bursting with iPad trees.

Last week, Bloomberg ignited the flammable Apple rumor mill with a report saying Apple is considering building a smaller iPhone that would only cost $200. The rumors of an “iPhone nano” gained steam after a Wall Street Journal report with more details about the device. It even had a codename: the N97. It was looking more and more likely that a smaller version of the iPhone was imminent.

The New York Times says throw all of that out the window, though. It has just published a report claiming Apple is not building a smaller iPhone, but that it is exploring the possibility of a cheaper iPhone, though it would “be similar in size to the current iPhone 4.” Like Bloomberg and WSJ, NYT cited anonymous sources for this information.

In the time between Bloomberg‘s report and today’s story from NYT, there have been hundreds — if not thousands — of news and analysis stories surrounding the mythical device. And don’t get me started on the countless “Apple tablet” rumors that dominated the headlines before the iPad’s debut.

It’s simply part of the allure of Apple; people want to know what product the technology giant is going to launch next, and the rumors start flying. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these reports simply are off-the-mark.

Actually, One Person Knows What Apple Is Planning

Above: one of the dozens of renderings of the iPad before its debut.

Apple is known for its secrecy. The company bolted down iPad prototypes to tables and tracked every single one to make sure there were no leaks. The one notable product that got past Apple’s walled garden, the iPhone 4 prototype, only leaked because an engineer with very bad luck lost it in a bar. Gizmodo, which bought the device, has never been invited to an Apple event since.

Is there some truth to Bloomberg‘s report on the smaller version of the iPhone? Probably, but the same can be said about the stories published by WSJ and NYT. Notice how these stories say Apple “has been exploring,” “is considering” or “is working on” a new iPhone model.

In other words, Apple is experimenting with potential new products, like every other giant tech company on the planet. Steve Jobs reportedly scrapped countless iPad prototypes before finally approving the device that’s on the market today. We bet that Apple has considered or even built prototypes of smaller iPhones, iPhones with physical keyboards and iPhones of all shapes and sizes. That’s just what happens when you’re trying to design new products.

Then again, we don’t really know, because nobody but Steve Jobs knows what Apple is thinking or planning. And that’s exactly why the Apple rumor mill will continue to churn for years to come.

Now where’s my apple-shaped island?

More About: apple, iOS, ipad, iphone, iphone 4, iphone nano

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We’ve found ten cool Apple design concepts from around the web that we think could make pretty sweet products in their own right.

Take a look through the gallery below for some futuristic fun and let us know which designs you’d like to see gracing Apple Store shelves soon.

1. Tribook

Anyone who uses a dual-screen setup will appreciate this idea. You could multitask like mad while the extra wide touchpad would offer even more gesture controls.

2. iShow

This portable projector would be the perfect companion for your iPhone, letting you share content with others wherever you are.

3. iPod Slide

As the name suggests, the iPod Slide offers a slide-out touchscreen display as well as exterior controls for easy media playback when you’re on the go.

4. MacBook Touch

The MacBook Touch is not a dual-screen laptop, it’s a foldable OLED touchscreen device that offers some serious screen real estate when open.

5. iRing

The iRing concept gives you remote Bluetooth control of your iDevice. Twisting the ring would adjust the volume, while buttons would play, pause and skip.

6. MagicBook

This futuristic design sees the keyboard disappear at the touch of a button to be replaced with a giant magic trackpad.

7. GameDock

Apple hasn’t had much luck in the gaming console department, but it has seen amazing success with gaming on its iOS devices. This great idea docks your iDevice, hooks it up to a big screen and adds some controllers and a hefty chunk of hard drive for saving your gaming progress.

8. Docking Storage

For the ultimate Apple fan, this Docking Storage would make your monitor the center of your iWorld with three docking options for your entire collection of Apple gadgets. Tidy.

9. OS Calculator

This fun design offers the Mac OS’s calculator recreated in real life.

10. iPhone Color

No great tech advancements here, but a splash of official color for the iPhone and iPod touch wouldn’t go unappreciated. How about it, Apple?

More Apple Resources from Mashable:

- 10 Intriguing Apple Patents to Get Excited About
- 5 Vintage Apple Products That Time Forgot [PICS]
- 10 Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About Apple
- The Evolution of the Apple Mouse [PICS]
- 10 Vintage Apple Ads That Time Forgot [VIDEOS]

More About: apple, concept designs, concepts, gallery, pics

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The graph below should make the basis for the title clear.  More and more consumers decided to give Android a try during the second half of 2010, while in terms of percentages, Apple’s iOS hasn’t made much progress in recent months and the BlackBerry OS is losing ground.

Of course, those trends don’t exist in a bubble, and so Android’s also doing well in terms of overall market share.  Nielsen put Android’s share at 25.8 percent, not too far behind iOS’s 28.6 percent.

Meanwhile, the BlackBerry OS might soon fall out of the race, as its share has slid to 26.1 percent.

Nielsen reported, however, "This much is clear . . . All three smartphone OS leaders – Apple iOS, RIM Blackberry and Android – are benefitting from strong demand for smartphones.  In November, 45 percent of recent acquirers chose a smartphone over a feature phone."

That figure’s sure to increase over time, too.

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Pablo Picasso once said “Good Artists Copy Great Artists Steal” then Steve Jobs mention that in one interview long ago. We all know that Apple products are the best out there, there’s no doubt about it, and the main reason about that is because they have the best design. Jonhathan Ive, the chief industrial designer at Apple is a fantastic designer but it’s always good to know what and who inspired him to come up with the Apple product designs. We might think that they are pretty unique and new but when we look at Dieter Rams the Pablo Picasso’s quote makes even more sense.

About Dieter Rams (Wikipedia)

Dieter Rams (born May 20, 1932 in Wiesbaden, Hesse) is a German industrial designer closely associated with the consumer products company Braun and the Functionalist school of industrial design.

Rams studied architecture at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden as well as learning carpentry from 1943 to 1957. After working for the architect Otto Apel between 1953 and 1955 he joined the electronic devices manufacturer Braun where he became chief of design in 1961, a position he kept until 1995.

Rams once explained his design approach in the phrase “Weniger, aber besser” which freely translates as “Less, but better”. Rams and his staff designed many memorable products for Braun including the famous SK-4 record player and the high-quality ‘D’-series (D45, D46) of 35 mm film slide projectors. He is also known for designing the 606 Universal Shelving System by Vitsœ in 1960.

Rams’ ten principles to “good design”

• is innovative
• makes a product useful
• is aesthetic
• makes a product understandable
• is unobtrusive
• is honest
• is long-lasting
• is thorough down to the last detail
• is environmentally friendly
• is as little design as possible

Video About Dieter Rams

Works

Further reading

• DIETER RAMS: Less But Better
• Seperated At Birth? Dieter Rams and Apple’s Ive
• “The man behind Apple’s design magic”
• Dieter Rams – Design Museum
• Dieter Rams: “Less, but better.”
• Designboom – dieter rams

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Not reading this in a feedreader? If so this has been taken from the original post as seen here: Apple Launches Official Apple Store App For iPhone [Apple Store App Now Available In The App Store, Will Let You Shop Apple Website & Schedule Genius Appointments From Your iPhone].

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The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot

iCade, Part III: Adventures in Homebrew: http://ow.ly/1Y0AY

100 Years Of Propaganda: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: http://ow.ly/1Y0up

Cute: Stationary That Looks Like Email Icons http://bit.ly/dy1Ajy (via @9swords)

Strong photos! Hellingly Asylum Mental Hospital Photos: http://ow.ly/1Y0vm

Why Web Designers Should Not Use Ad Blockers (Opinion Column): http://ow.ly/1Ywli

Experimental fonts collab between two designers. #3, “Trisec Organic,” is spectacular :: http://cot.ag/dpJvPy (via @Behance)

Best of Breadcrumbs and How They Enhance Your Website: http://ow.ly/1Ywn4

Top 10 Beautiful Minimalist Icon Sets: http://ow.ly/206UK

A Designer and Developer’s Dilemma: 9 Detestable “Requests” http://bsa.ly/160 (via @buysellads)

What it’s like to own an Apple product: http://ow.ly/1Zykc

Amazing Photo Manipulation Art To Blow Your Mind Away: http://ow.ly/1YwjY

WordPress 3.0! Now available. http://wordpress.org

Be inspired or copy: what is the difference? http://ow.ly/1Ywqe

9 Usability And UX Pitfalls: Learn How To Avoid Them: http://ow.ly/1Z1sd

How To Stop Ruining Your Designs: http://ow.ly/1Z1sV

The Freelancer’s Bucket List: http://ow.ly/1Z1tF

7 Great Tips To Boost Your Creativity: http://ow.ly/1Zyht

Finally: The Truth About The iPad: http://ow.ly/20G83

Want more? No problem! Keep track of all our tweets by following us @DesignerDepot

If you find an exclusive RSS freebie on this feed or on the live WDD website, please use the following code to download it: l1yo5W

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However if you get to see the iMousePad, you may probably consider using it once more. At first glance, it looks like the popular iPad. It is only when you get up and close that you would realize that this is nothing but a neatly designed mouse pad.

Designed by DarkDesingGroup, this is only a concept for now. The iMousePad does seem neat to have, especially if you are the prankster-type. But the reality of it all is that mouse pads are a thing of the past. Especially now since optical mice simply need a good surface to aid you in your mouse-pointing interface, the only selling point here is the iPad-inspired design itself.

Great concept but for sure something a select few (most probably Apple product addicts) are going to want to have. It is curious to find out how much this mouse pad would cost if ever it does come out in the market.

[See original posting for applicable credits]

Looking to catch up on all the E3 2010 news? See Click here to access our extensive E3 2010 coverage.

Related Reading on TFTS:

1. Logitech Announces Performance Mouse MX, Anywhere Mouse MX With Darkfield Technology [Work on Any Surface, 2.4GHz Wireless, Sculpted Design]
2. Bud Ceramic Concept Computer Mouse
3. Razer Naga MMOG Mouse [17 MMO-Optimized Buttons, Custom Interface AddOns for MMO Games, Ergonomic Design]
4. Razer Announces New Abyssus Gaming Mouse [3500DPI, Very Simple Design; Abyssus to Sell for $49.99]
5. WarMouse Meta Rises From The Ashes Of OpenOfficeMouse [After Design, Legality Controversy, 18-button Mouse Rebranded]

Not reading this in a feedreader? If so this has been taken from the original post as seen here: WarMouse Meta Rises From The Ashes Of OpenOfficeMouse [After Design, Legality Controversy, 18-button Mouse Rebranded].

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Once again, as with their iPad teardown, iFixit seem pretty impressed with the overall fabrication of the 2010 Mac Mini as they disassemble it to reveal its two SO-DIMM slots, its single low noise brushless fan, Wi-Fi antenna, logic board and I/O frame assembly (and HDMI).

The teardown treatment further continues to reveal the 2010 Mac Mini’s internal 3/8″ woofer dome, antenna connectors and, of course, its Intel P8600 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of shared DDR3 SDRAM, Broadcom BCM57765 integrated gigabit ethernet and memory card reader controller, Cirrus 4206ACNZ audio controller and Delta LFE9249-R discrete LAN filter.

All in all, as one would expect from an Apple product, the 2010 Mac Mini meets with iFixit’s overall approval with respect to its internal layout and build quality and make particular mention of concerned ease of accessibility to the device’s RAM slots with 2Gb of RAM in evidence but, thanks to sporting two SO-DIMM slots, the device can support up to 8GB of RAM.

If you’re looking for greater insight concerning the 2010 Mac Min’s teardown you can pour over iFixit’s full analysis here (images credit, sans editing, also iFixit).

[See original posting for applicable credits]

Looking to catch up on all the E3 2010 news? See Click here to access our extensive E3 2010 coverage.

Related Reading on TFTS:

1. Apple iPad Teardown Confirms ‘Great iPad Construction’ [iPad Disassembled, Scrutinized: Impartial Verdict 'Apple hit it on all Counts' But...]
2. iPad 3G Teardown Available Already [iPad Wi-Fi + 3G In Stores Yesterday, Dismantled Today]
3. New Apple Mac Mini Desktop Computer Gets Official Today [2010 Mac Mini Model Finally Released, Prices Starting at $699]
4. FCC Shows Off Apple iPad Teardown [You May Not Have An iPad Yet, But You Can Still Check Out The Inner Guts]
5. Mini iPad Tablet Coming Next Year? We Shall Call It the iPhone [Analyst Suggests Smaller Apple Tablet in the Works; Mini iPad Still Flash-less]

Not reading this in a feedreader? If so this has been taken from the original post as seen here: Mini iPad Tablet Coming Next Year? We Shall Call It the iPhone [Analyst Suggests Smaller Apple Tablet in the Works; Mini iPad Still Flash-less].

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Popular softcore, indie/alt porn site Suicide Girls has just revealed its latest foray into digital eye candy: iPad Galleries.

The self-described “Apple nerd” and site founder Missy Suicide said today in a blog post, “You can now see the set photos full frame and pinch and zoom and swipe to your heart’s content in the gorgeous new iPad galleries.”

Of course, this is all just a work-around to mitigate the sad fact that Apple won’t allow porn or porn-like applications in its App Store. As you may recall, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has famously stated his intentions to give Apple product users “freedom from porn”, whether they like it or not.

This is the latest Apple-related offering from SG since the App Store unceremoniously dumped the brand’s no-nudity Flip-Strip iPhone app, which, while racy, was hardly X-rated. The app was downloaded 5 million times before it was pulled. The company’s other iPhone app, Seduce A SuicideGirl, is still alive and kicking; this $0.99 app lets you attempt to pick up a cute girl in a comic shop at the risk of receiving humiliating rejections.

Given the companies’ history, we’re guessing that a native SG iPad app is likely not in the works; however, this full-screen gallery idea is a decent substitute.

Call us crazy, but the App Store certainly is paying a high price for morality, considering how much more revenue could be generated from relatively innocuous app like the ones SG has put on the table so far. Needless to say, we’re sure the folks at Apple lose far less sleep over this fact than do the people behind sites such as SG.

We can’t wait to see what the clever kids at Suicide Girls devise for Android tablets, though. As we all know, the Android Market gatekeepers have no such qualms about serving adult content to adults.

The nine-year-old company boasts 5 million uniques a month (currently, the site gets as much or more traffic than Hustler.com, according to Alexa) and has hundreds of thousands of subscribers who dig the brand’s sex-positive approach and countercultural bent.

Tags: App, app store, apple, ipad, porn, suicide girls

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The new Apple Store app allows users to find an Apple retail store in their local area and make reservations for retail services including free tech support and advice at the Genius Bar, personal shopping appointments and personal training sessions through Apple’s One to One program.

Users can also shop the selection of more than 1,000 products and accessories available from the Apple Online Store, get Apple product news, read customer reviews and get answers to their product questions.
 

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On June 15, 2010, the iPhone 4 becomes available for pre-order at Apple.com, AT&T stores and Best Buy. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores across the U.S. will begin offering the latest iPhone for pre-order starting tomorrow, ahead of its June 24, 2010 release date.

The new iPhone, which was announced last week at WWDC, will be available for $199 for a 16GB version and $299 for a 32GB version for new AT&T customers or current customers who qualify for the lowest upgrade pricing. In addition to featuring a faster processor and the iOS 4 software, the iPhone 4 will also features a brand new higher-resolution screen.

By pre-ordering before the June 24 release date, consumers can help avoid some of the sell-out frenzy that goes along the release of an Apple product. Assuming you don’t need to get a phone as soon as they go on sale, you could even avoid some of sure-to-be-long lines and stroll in later in the day for pick-up.

In the past, pre-ordering an iPhone at a Best Buy store has required a $50 deposit, but it’s unclear if that will be required this time. Depending on the foot traffic of your local Best Buy, AT&T and Apple stores, Best Buy may end up being one of the fastest places to get in and get out.

Will you be pre-ordering a new iPhone tomorrow? If so, where will you be placing your pre-order? Let us know!

Tags: best buy, iphone, iphone 4, preorders

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On Monday, Steve Jobs will take the stage for WWDC, Apple’s yearly developer conference. Anticipation is rapidly rising for the event, where the Apple CEO is expected to make major announcements, most notably about the iPhone. We’ll be on-site, covering the entire conference live.

Things are a little more complicated this year though, thanks to the lost iPhone prototype case. It’s a virtual certainty that Apple will announce the new iPhone, but could Apple surprise us with a Verizon iPhone? What about a cloud-based iTunes? Could Apple TV be getting some air time next week?

Here’s our preview of what we think Steve Jobs will drop next Monday at WWDC.

The New iPhone

We’d be beyond shocked if Apple doesn’t announce a new iPhone next Monday. In all likelihood, it’s going to be almost exactly like the prototype phone that Gizmodo got on its hands on in April. That means it’s going to have a front-facing video camera, HD video recording, an LED flash, and a more industrial look and feel.

It’ll also come loaded with iPhone OS 4.0 and its many features. Multitasking, folders and enterprise features will all come with the new iPhone. We also bet that Apple will also include some video chat software to take advantage of that front-facing camera.

As for the actual release date, a month ago we were told that the new iPhone could be released next week. We’ve been digging for more information since then and, after talking with our sources, we believe the most likely sale date for the new iPhone is now June 25, about three weeks from today.

Predicting the sale date of an Apple product is always tough, but you can expect your local Apple and AT&T stores to have the device before the end of June.

Verizon iPhone?

Don’t expect Apple to say much, if anything, about a Verizon iPhone. There are countless rumors surrounding a potential iPhone collaboration between Apple and Verizon, with launch dates set as later this year to 2012 and beyond. However, recent comments from Verizon suggest that there will be no iPhone in the immediate future.

We haven’t heard much new information on a Verizon iPhone. Our bet is that this event will be focused on the new iPhone itself and that a Verizon iPhone will get its own event later this year. Even if it were to be announced next week, it likely wouldn’t be available this month.

We’re hoping that we’re wrong about the Verizon iPhone, but we suggest you don’t get your hopes up.

iTunes Live, Mobile Me and the Cloud

Earlier this week, Apple shut down Lala, a music streaming service the company acquired late last year. At the time, we speculated that the closing of Lala might indicate that a cloud-based version of iTunes could launch next week. Discussions over a web-based iTunes have been going on for months.

With Google’s Android OS now offering users the ability to stream their music collection from their desktops, next week seems like the right opportunity for Jobs to reveal Apple’s new cloud initiatives. Not only do we think it’s like you’ll hear iTunes.com announcements next week, but Mobile Me could get some major enhancements to keep it competitive with Android.

This is the year Apple takes the cloud seriously.

Other Potential Announcements

While the focus will be on the next-generation iPhone, it doesn’t mean that Steve Jobs won’t pull a few other surprises out of his hat. The MacBook Air hasn’t been upgraded in a year, making it a prime candidate to get some attention at this year’s WWDC. There are also rumors that Safari will finally get extensions.

What do you hope Apple announces during next Monday’s keynote? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to tune in on Monday for our live coverage of WWDC.

Tags: apple, ipad, iPhone 4.0, iphone 4g, itunes, macbook, macbook air, wwdc

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The past week I preordered an iPad (32 Gb model + Wi-Fi + 3G). I’m going to replace my old netbook – a HP mini with Windows XP – with the Apple’s tablet to update this blog, browse the internet, check my e-mail and work on new articles when I travel or I’m away from home.

Probably someone is thinking the iPad isn’t the most appropriate device for my needs and I could buy a powerful netbook at a smaller price.

This is true – in part – but I can’t deny I was look forward for some time to have in my hands the last Apple product and experience if and how it’s can be used effectively not only to enjoy contents but also as a device to create them. If you have my same needs but, for several reasons, you prefer something more traditional, the best choice remains without doubt a netbook which offers a good balance among performances, portability, connectivity options and price.

Market offers a variety of products for all needs and different consumer groups.

Nokia Booklet 3G

Recently Nokia launched its Booklet 3G one of the best mini laptop on the market with a beautiful design and, broad range of built-in connectivity options including 3G and Wi-Fi, and with an exceptional battery life up to 12 hours. It comes with a powerful Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor, which ensures high performances, and Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium. This netbook is perfect for people who need to stay always connected. The only negative aspect is the price €699 (or $549 for US market).

Dell Inspiron Mini10

A more affordable alternative is the Dell Inspiron Mini10 (starting price $279.00) available with Windows XP Home edition or Windows 7. Its comfortable keyboard is perfect to work on your documents (text files, spreadsheets) and the model with optional built-in GPS ($399.00) is perfect to navigate and stay connected with your coworkers, friends and family.

Acer Aspire One 532h

The new Acer Aspire One 532h is another interesting and powerful netbook which provides up to 10 hours of battery life, good performances and good connectivity options (3G optional). It comes with Windows 7 and a multi gesture touchpad which simplify the way you interact with your laptop (starting price $300.00). The only weakness in my view is a low appeal of its design but overall is a good compromise between price and performances.

If you have any suggestion about other netbook model leave a comment.

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According to Australian Macworld, a new version of the MacBook Air may show up in the Apple Online Store tomorrow morning. The same source who correctly predicted the MacBook Pro refresh last month alerted Australian Macworld of a new Apple product number in the Apple database.

The product number, MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA, suggests that it is a Mac product (the “BETTER” nomenclature is the big clue there, as it often refers to the different tiers of Mac products). As AppleInsider also notes, it is possible that the number could refer to a new Apple Cinema Display, one that is 27″ and matches that of the 27″ iMac, but we’d place our bets on a new MacBook Air.

This is why:

• The Macbook Air was last updated in June 2009. Apple rarely lets its product cycles lapse a year (an exception would be the Mac mini prior to March 2009, which went without a refresh for more than 18 months) and a May release for this niche class of notebook would make sense, according to Apple’s update history.
• Intel is on the verge of releasing both its i3 and i5 ULV processors. These chips are designed to consume very little power, meaning that great battery life in now possible for lightweight devices like the MacBook Air.
• The new battery technology that Apple introduced in its latest laptop release is screaming for inclusion in the MacBook Air.

We’ll have to wait and see if this MacBook Air rumor is true or not. If it is, does a refreshed MacBook Air interest you, or are you content with a laptop and iPad/netbook combination? Let us know!

Tags: apple, macbook, macbook air

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In an eerily timed blog post, “Dilbert” cartoonist Scott Adams uploaded two unpublished comic strips today that deal with the misplaced next generation iPhone. [See above]

The iPhone, which was left in a bar by an Apple employee named Gray Powell, came to light last week, when gadget blog Gizmodo posted footage of the yet to be officially announced phone.

We’ve seen a lot of commentary/rumblings since then — Letterman even included the next-gen Apple product in his top 10 list — and today that all came to a head when the news came out that police raided the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen and took his computers, according to the gadget blog.

Something tells us the head honchos at Apple won’t be content to view this incident as merely a “marketing ploy.”

Tags: apple, humor, iphone

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Remember the whole legal dust-up over the trademark for the name iPad? Well, now that’s been resolved.

The iPad launch is only a week away and as such, Apple is getting its ducks in a row: accepting submissions for iPad apps to the App Store, making developers use pre-release models in darkened rooms, oh and getting that whole trademark mess cleared up. Yup, as of last week, Apple is the new owner of the name iPad, having purchased the trademark from Fujitsu.

Even before announcing the product, Apple had already filed a request to take the trademark away from its owner Fujitsu. In fact, the two companies have been battling over the mark since last fall, with Apple filing three separate extension requests to challenge the validity of Fujitsu’s ownership.

Fujitsu originally filed for the trademark in March of 2003 but then stopped responding to USPTO requests, seemingly abandoning the mark until it reignited interest in the name in June of 2009. As you can see from the following public record, the mark was transferred to Apple Inc. officially on March 17.

So all that marketing has not been for naught; the iPad is now an official member of the Apple product family.

Tags: apple, fujitsu, ipad, law, trademark

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The Think Different campaign, launched in 1997, was a key factor in Apple’s recovery from financial difficulty and reinvigorating their brand with creativity and re-establish lost brand.

Think Different: Einstein

After this campaign, Apple has had many creative campaigns that today has positioned their brand as not just a computer for creatives but for the everyday computer user. However, it’s the ‘Think Different’ campaign that sparked it all.

Think Different: Graham

Think Different: Dylan

The brilliance in this campaign is that it was refreshing to see our heroes being honoured but more importantly, there was someone everyone can relate to. It marked the beginning when clearly Apple is no longer looking to be perceived as a niche product, that is, for creatives only.

Why should it? Designers aren’t the only type of creative people in the world and Apple recognized that even though designers were loyal followers, to truly bring the company back, they have to appeal to creatives outside that niche.

‘Think Different’ channeled the creativity of some of these key innovators, muscians, filmakers, artists and others saying, hey, we advocate all forms of creativity because creativity is about thinking different, it’s about changing the world.

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve come from or the colour of your skin, at some point, one of these ad touches you and reminds you of a defining moment in history where these people made a change.

Think Different: Ghandi

Think Different: Picasso

The ‘Think Different’ campaign is undoubtedly all about branding. There was strategic decision to not include any Apple product in the ad and placement of computer ads in fashion magazine makes a big statement. The key goal was to re-gain what their brand lost and this is evidence by Jobs statement at a party he held for his staff at Palto Alto, “our brand is the most – or at least one of the most – valuable things we have going for us now.” – Davenet

This campaign was inspired and built on campaigns like Nike’s “just do it” and MILK’s “got milk” campaigns. This is mostly true because of his mention of these campaigns at the Palo Alto party in celebration of the campaign.

Think Different: Moonwalk

Think Different: Ghandi

Think Different: Einstein

Think Different: Hitchcock

Click here to view the embedded video.

There’s a part where the executive producer said she saw something in the materials that she would never have been able to articulate. That’s very interesting because it shows that sometimes, you really have to see it to know that’s what you want.

What do you think of this? Should creatives always know before hand what they want because we’re visual thinkers? Is it a case where out thinking evolves as we go? Or is it really a case of “we know it when we see it”?

Click here to view the embedded video.

‘Think Different’ is not just another campaign but one that revitalize a brand that’s worth billions today. It’s a campaign that increased sales and placed Apple on the right path. It did not just send the message to consumers but Apple staff clearly clear got the message.

Do you think this campaign played such an integral role at Apple? What’s an example of another campaign that has such an impact on a company? Let me know your thoughts.

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As you may have read in one of my recent posts, I have become the owner of a brand new iPhone. This is the third Apple product that I have acquired (after my iPod Nano and MacBook), and there are some common elements that I have experienced with all of them. Obviously, there is the excellent design and craftsmanship. All three products feature beautiful lines and surfaces, and just generally lovely to look at. That is somewhat of a hallmark of Apple’s line of products!

iPhone Lessons and the User Experience

The other thing that was common to all three of the products was an exceptional user experience – specifically in terms of first contact. In this article, I would like to look at four lessons that I learned through my own initial experience with my new iPhone.

Before getting started, though, I would like to preface this discussion by stating that user experience (or UX as it is called) is an area in which I am still learning and growing. As such, I certainly don’t come at this subject with any claim at being an authoritative voice on the subject. Instead, I would simply like to share some of my own observations and outline what I feel that I’ve learned from them.

Attractive Packaging

Before ever even getting my hands on the iPhone (and beginning a never ending battle with fingerprints and smudges on its glassy black surface), my first contact was with the packaging itself. The box was small and compact, and a remarkable example of design in its own right! The top of the box featured an image of the iPhone itself, with the apps arranged to their default configuration.

The shape of the iPhone was also raised out of the smooth rigid cardboard, and printed with a shiny finish along the silver bevel. All of this radiated the simple promise of the device that was resting inside, waiting to be used and enjoyed.

All told, this first moment of contact with the product was extremely enjoyable (I will definitely be keeping that box). From this, I would suggest that, although simple packaging on its own will never be enough to establish a positive user experience, it’s certainly a good first step.

I think that this same premise can be translated into a lesson for designing all types of user experience. By wrapping the product in an attractive and enjoyable package (either physical or metaphorical), you can begin to establish the foundation for a positive user experience. Once the packaging is opened, however, it will always be up to the product itself to deliver that experience.

Uniformity of Brand

After opening the packaging, I obviously came face to face with the iPhone itself, resting in its simple, black plastic cradle. There were, however several other things also to be found in that little black box, including the instruction booklets, headphones, the USB cable and a nifty little adapter which turns that cable into an independent charging cord that plugs right into the wall.

All of these things were wonderfully familiar to me through my experience with other Apple products. I would like to consider each of them independently.

The lesson learned here is the importance of branding in the user experience. For me, every purchase of an Apple product only emphasizes my understanding of their core brand values. Also given that I have had a positive experience with all of their products, I can thus be confident that any future purchases will also provide me with a similar (positive) experience!

It Just Works

One phrase that we’ve heard as recently as Steve Jobs’ much heralded revelation of the already infamous iPad is that “it just works”. This is equally true of the iPhone. I was able to simply turn it on and start using it. I pressed the home button and up popped the menu. I quickly located Safari (another form of brand uniformity), launched the app and started surfing the internet.

The iPhone reall does just work (click for original image source)

It really was that easy.

And so was setting up my email. I just plugged the iPhone into my MacBook and synced them up. Immediately, the mail app on my iPhone was configured and I was able to download and read my emails. All of the other apps worked the same way. As such, my immediate experience with the product (and my continuing experience so far) is that it just works. There’s no need to jump through hoops to get it to do what I want.

The lesson to be learned here is that a product should just do what it is designed to do. This, of course, would include a website. If your site is designed to have a specific functionality, making sure that it just works the way it’s supposed to is a relatively a elementary (though perhaps not always simple) way to help ensure a positive user experience!

Wonderful Simplicity

The iPhone is also wonderfully simple and intuitive to use. This is similar to the fact that it just works, but I categorize it somewhat differently because a product can work the way it’s designed to but still be more complex than is really necessary.

Not so with the iPhone. After turning it on, I was able to navigate through the apps easily – literally just with a flip and tap of my thumb. Various functionality, such as systems settings were easy to find and understand. After just a few hours I felt more than competent with the device. This all contributed to a positive experience on my part.

Compare this against my wife, who picked up a Blackberry at the same time as I got the iPhone. She actually really loves her new phone, so I am by no means suggesting that she had a negative user experience, but there was certainly a longer learning curve as she accustomed herself to using the device and navigating through the various menus and sub menus.

Fortunately the learning curve was not so steep as to turn her off of her new purchase, but there is a user experience lesson to be learned here too. Make the use of your product (or design) as simple as possible. Of course, you don’t want to sacrifice functionality, but making your interface simple and intuitive is another crucial step towards helping to ensure a positive experience for your users and/or customers.

Conclusion

Well there you have it. This is probably not the most scientific or academic way out outlining use experience, and is certainly not an exhaustive list of the areas that you need to consider when designing for user experience. Still, I hope that you can learn something from this article. At the very least, I hope that my experiences have helped to affirm some of the things that you may have already known on the subject.

As I mentioned, I’m far from an expert in user experience, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on this one. Did any of you have a similar experience with your iPhones, or perhaps with a different product? Please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences!

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In case you have been living under a rock the past few days, and the rock doesn’t have Wifi access or any trade publications being delivered with any regularity, Apple’s iPad has landed! But the online reception has been far less than stellar, in fact it has aired a little on the cold side. Naturally in cases like these, there are going to be your regular throngs of Apple-haters who automatically come out against any new additions to their product line, but in this case, it seems to be a little bit more than that.

Now admittedly the expectations that the iPad is already failing to live up to may be completely self-induced and spurred-on by social media murmurs. It may also be because Apple has this perceived public persona as an industry leader. No matter which way you look at it, the initial reaction shows that the public reception is off to a rocky start, and that is never the way you want to get things going. Even though the iPad launched at half the price it was initially rumored it would cost, which may have also played a part in the public’s inflated performance perception, many still feel it to be lacking.

Apple bills the iPad as bridging the gap between smart phones & laptops, and in the unveiling, Steve Jobs said that the iPad would have to be better in all of the following areas than both smart phones and laptops to be successful. Otherwise there’s no reason for it’s existence.

• Browsing
• E-mail
• Photos
• Video
• Music
• Games
• eBooks

So according to Apple’s founder, if the iPad does not provide a superior experience in each of these categories then it is a superfluous addition to the Apple product line, and unnecessary to the community. And so far, it seems to not be fairing well. Now the iPad has certainly demonstrated some pretty impressive and exciting technological advancements, that will pave the way for the future, but does it really deliver on the promises of the ‘amazing’ and ‘magical’ beat all performance? Not so much.

So What is Missing

Well many of the masses have spoken, and so far, they have been saying some key things are missing from the iPad. Some features that a large segment of the tech-craving public were really expecting to be included once the first release hit the shelves were disappointingly absent from the iPad’s arsenal. Seeming to suffer from a lack of a fixed focus or direction for the tablet, it seems to come up short in several areas where users have been promised greatness. It pushes its way into many areas for sure, but it often lands shy of fulfilling what users have come to expect from such a peripheral, and also what Mr. Jobs told us it would live up to. Here is a bit of a rundown on the reactions en mass.

Where Have All the Flash Apps Gone?

The first major fail that stung not only the online public yearning for this new Apple release, but also stung Apple in their big unveiling presentation, was the lack of Flash inclusion. Apparently, Apple is not a fan of Flash, even though it makes up a high majority of all online gaming and video content presentation. Unreliable? Really? Hello, pot. Apple called, apparently having forgotten their recent reliability issues with the iMacs and Snow Leopard to inform you that you are black. Even if the argument is made that most online based Flash would be unnecessary on the iPad anyway, we say, then don’t bill it as a media center, since a majority of people turn online for their media these days.

The main problem this presents for Apple is how difficult it is to top all other browsing experiences without the use of Flash, given that so much of the web is Flash based. Like it or not, it plays a large role right now in our online lives. We understand why many people do not want flash on their Apple devices since it tends to be glitchy and somewhat of a resource hog. However, if you really want to offer the best browsing experience then perhaps the choice should ultimately rest with the user? It seems the better route would be to at least offer it and let the user decide whether they want to utilize it or not. So while it may provide a better browsing experience than the smart phones, it does not beat a laptop.

High-Tech Finger Painting!

As a drawing tablet, the iPad does not rank that high either, given that you cannot use a drawing utensil on the screen, only your fingers. No stylus and a lack of the standard software that digital artists have come to rely on, basically calls on digital artists seeking to use the iPad as a drawing tool to refamiliarize and relearn what they once knew. Apple made sure that the only software that is compatible with the iPad is proprietary, so the usual tools most designers turn to won’t be able to run on the iPad. So it certainly cannot stand alone as a drawing tablet, despite the drawing demo that was offered in the keynote presentation.

Got Widescreen?…Not if You’re an iPad.

When it comes to the video category, Apple and their media campaign really boasts on the interface of the video player, but it takes more than an interface to make the ultimate video playback user experience. For one, you have to a true widescreen video ratio not the 4:3 aspect ratio that the iPad contains. The images are clear, yes, but if your videos tend to be purchased in the 16:9 widescreen ratio then they will be adjusted to fit, not fully displayed. Again, how does this rank as optimal over other devices.

Also if you were expecting to watch any widescreen movies, then hopefully they are not Flash based, or you are going to be doubly disappointed. But there was not a lot of clarity on whether or not you would be able to play any videos other than those you have acquired through, any guesses…that’s right, iTunes. If it is possible to play other sourced material, there is little wonder why they have remained tight lipped over it, because they are really excitedly pushing the three Apple stores you can automatically access via the iPad to purchase your media from. Cool, maybe, but cool enough? Not likely.

Not Much of a Multi-Tasker!

Another complaint that has initially come to the forefront of the iPad con list, is the devices inability to effectively multi-task. In one of the stronger showings during the keynote presentation, the e-mail feature, which seemed promising, could have been impacted by the iPad’s inability to function on numerous levels at a time. With everything the e-mail app could perform, one that was not demonstrated by Jobs was the inclusion of an attachment. Given the drag and drop functionality that appears throughout the multiple app interfaces, it seems that the attachments would be easy to not only include, but to demonstrate.

Perhaps we are reading too much into this omission, but it seems like in order to be able to drop an attachment in to your e-mail, you might need to be working in multiple apps at once. However, that does not seem to be where this device steps up to the plate. This seems more like where the device twists its ankle on the way up to the plate and never quite makes it up there. Again, this is another area where the iPad does not deliver better performance over a laptop, even though this was not one of the benchmarks Jobs mentioned was a deal breaker. But for techies, this may just break a deal or two and turn some users away.

All Capable Readers Step Forward…Not So Fast iPad!

Jobs mentioned that the iPad’s ebook reader function was another area where it was superior to both laptops and iPhones, but most ebook readers are not using those for the majority of their reading. Not if they are in fact avid book junkies. Fans of ebooks and readers were eagerly anticipating Apple’s contribution to the market, but also have been left feeling slightly slighted by the iPad. You see they were expecting it to not only live up to other readers, but to perhaps surpass them. They were not expecting Apple to compare their apples to oranges to see which made better applesauce, and hype their product as superior.

Perhaps if the comparison was made with other peripherals in that line, then the promise of superior delivery would not have been able to be boasted about as readily. Again, the handy bookstore is neat and all, but it is not enough to outrank other e-readers by far. Going with the backlit option and not offering an e-ink based interface highlights this failure, effectively shining a backlit spotlight as the iPad falls short of fully delivering on this product use directive. For heavy readers, e-ink is the easier on the eyes option that the ebookworms tend to appreciate and prefer.

USB Input & Card Slots A No-Go

Many were expecting easy expansion or at least common connectability with the iPad, but once again, they didn’t get it. With no built in USB connections, and no slots for sim cards to plugin, the iPad does not really deliver on either of those standard extras consumers have come to expect from their comp-related gizmos. Especially one that bills itself as a media center. We tend to expect to be able to connect it with our media hubs (which for a lot of users, means their computer or external harddrives), but this was not a design priority it seems, when they released it into a market saturated with more accessible gagdets and gizmos.

The Proprietary Paradigm

By now, Apple is well known for their tendency to stick only to proprietary software and peripherals, and the iPad furthers this paradigm down to the letter. From the only browser option available being Safari, to the only apps, and perhaps even the media, available on the tablet are the ones from the Apple store. Given that Flash is not going to be playing a part of your iPad gaming experience, new games are in development specifically for the iPad, turning its gaming experience into an impressive one. But a proprietary one. Once again, this does not allow for comparison with other gaming experiences on the laptop and smart phones since they will not be available anywhere else.

And while again, some of the gaming looks intriguing, the motion controls seem oddly similar to the Wii, which as some of you may know if you have played on it requires quite a bit of getting used to, and this may prove to share that burden. Also, with a handful of peripherals and attachments available to complement or complete the experience (i.e. the tactile keyboard peripheral and more) the user ends up having to continue down this proprietary path that Apple loves to push so much to make the most of their new toy.

Long Story Short…

Perhaps they thought the Apple name alone would drive consumers their way, and who knows, it may still go that route. But overall, some of the online populous are feeling the disconnect left by this lack of follow through and forethought. Unless the worse option is true, and they simply wanted users to have to buy a few expensive side-kicks to what some are already dubbing ‘the iPhone you can’t carry in your pocket’, just to make a few extra dollars. When portability is already an issue, do you really want to exacerbate that with additional cargo for your user to have to carry around? Apparently, if you are Apple, you do.

Also, it seems like if you really are billing this as not for your average techie, but more for the common user, wouldn’t common connectivity have been a major focus? The more proprietary it becomes, the less common the user it appeals to. Your average user would want a peripheral that they had more control over, and more crossover capabilities with the other electronic peripherals, especially if they fall under the same ‘media center’ heading that the iPad is supposed to. Also, they would expect their new fancy ‘top of the line’ media center from Apple to at least be compatible with the flawed technology that powers over 70% of the media web users attempt to access. So it doesn’t exactly fit the bill as we have come to know its scope.

While there are some fantastic new tech developments that like we said, may open new future doors, the iPad does not meet Steve Jobs’ modest benchmarks to prove its existence is necessary. And though it may shine in a couple of areas like digital photo albums and the like, does that make it worth its price tag and place in the market? Not according to Apple’s owner, but again, only time will tell at this point. What are your thoughts?

More on the iPad

• Cnet Editor’s Take: Apple iPad
• Apple iPad: The definitive guide (so far)
• Apple iPad: Everything You Need to Know
• Developers, not Apple, will make or break the iPad

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Sources

• Attached
• The Mothership
• Flickr

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One sign that an Apple product launch is pending often comes in the way of blunders by various top-level executives who may somehow be involved with the launch. Case in point: France Telecom’s deputy CEO Stephane Richard (France Telecom owns Orange) has been asked a couple of questions about the Apple tablet, to which he answered “Yes,” thus implying that the tablet will have a webcam and 3G connectivity.

The conversation has been caught on video. In it, Stephane is asked whether Apple will launch a tablet with a webcam in a couple of days, to which he answers “Yes”. He is then asked whether Orange users will be able to use it, and he again answers “Yes,” indicating that the tablet will have 3G connectivity.

Of course, this could have simply been noise in the communication channel. But it makes sense: Orange had an exclusive agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone in France, and Apple is rumored to be unveiling the fabled tablet on January 27, and launching it sometime in March. As far as rumors go, we won’t mind if this one is true.

Update: Orange is now backing away from these comments, saying in a statement that “These responses in no way reflect Orange’s confirmation of the existence of the rumoured device. The spokesperson was merely confirming that he is aware of the speculation surrounding a launch and that Orange would be delighted to have such a product were it ever to be available.” Is Orange simply trying to appease Apple for the leak, or was this an honest mistake by a bunch of overzealous tech reporters? We’ll soon find out.

Tags: 3g, Apple Tablet, trending

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Their products are often seen in web design, particularly on portfolio websites, and these products are also popular subjects for icon design.

In this post we feature more than 35 sets of high-quality icons inspired by Apple and its products.

You’ll find iPod icons, iPhone icons, iMac and MacBook icons, as well as a variety of others. This post includes dock icons as well as those intended web design or other types of design.

As is always the case whenever dealing with freebies, be sure to check the license and terms of use before using them.

iPod Icons Pack

iPod Shuffle

iPod Icon

iPod Nano 3G Icons

Richie’s iPod Nano Icons

iPod Nano 4th Gen

iPod Chromatic Icons

iPod Dock Icons

iPod Nano Icons

iPod Vectors

MP3 Players Icons

iPod Touch

iPod Touch Icons

iPhone 3G

iPhone Icon

iPhone 3G Icons

iPhone Icon

Apple Led Cinema Icons

Monitor Icon

Apple LED Cinema Display Icon

iMac Icons

iMac

iMac

The MacBook in Black

Mighty Mouse

MightyMouse

MacMini Icons

Mac Mini Dock Icons

Varied Icons

iMod

Macs Dock Icons

Apple Dock Icons

Apple Hardware Iconset

Apple Product Icons

Apple Products

Gadget Icon Set

Christmas Gadgets

Apple Rainbow Icon

This post was written exclusively for WDD by Steven Snell. Steven is a web designer and blogger and he maintains Icon Fever, a gallery site of the best icons.

If you find an exclusive RSS freebie on this feed or on the live WDD website, please use the following code to download it: f1bW3v

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Apple style is very popular trend in our days – their design and style is really unique, clean and always good-looking. No wonder there are many designers trying to understand that style, why it works and how. There also a bunch of advanced coding tutorials available out there. Since I am Apple website style fan myself, I did research and showcased several amazing coding tutorials I found in the Internet.

I thought I will find more, but I guess Photoshop Apple tutorials are a lot more popular now than coding tutorials. But I hope you will enjoy this article as well – it’s short, but really quality one!

1. A Beautiful Apple-style Slideshow Gallery With CSS & jQuery

Here you’ll be making an Apple-like slideshow gallery, similar to the one they use on their website to showcase their products. It will be entirely front-end based, no PHP or databases required.

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2. Apple style Accordion Menu

This tutorial will walk through how to create your own simple plugin, and then replicate the Apple downloads drawers using the very excellent Accordion plugin.

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3. How to: Recreate apple.com menubar

Apple.com menubar is really an exemple in terms of clean, semantic code and very cool design. In this tutorial, you will recreate Apple’s website navigation bar and study the techniques used.

4. Leopard Desktop with jQuery using jqDock

In this tutorial you’ll learn how to use jQuery to create a completely coded Dashboard, just like Leopard! This can be handy in hiding a whole lot of gadgets or widgets you don’t have space for!

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5. Create apple.com-like breadcrumb using simple CSS

In this great tutorial you will recreate http://store.apple.com/ type menu navigation.

6. Create an Apple Inspired Flash Preloader

In this tutorial you’ll create an Apple inspired preloader MovieClip and lrearn how to display some loading information. All this using Flash and ActionScript 3.0.

7. Create an apple style menu and improve it via jQuery

In this tutorial you will create Apple-flavored Leopard-text-indent style from Photoshop to coding it with jQuery.

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8. A fancy Apple.com-style search suggestion

In this tutorial author will be trying to recreate the effect from that website by creating a fancy apple.com-style search suggestion.

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9. The iPhone unlock screen in xHTML, CSS and jQuery

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10. How To: Recreate the Apple Product Slider with JQuery

Stylishly capitalize on limited space with a side scrolling image gallery, similar to the one that Apple uses to show off their products.

11. Fixed Floating Elements

Learn how to create floating comment form like apple shopping basket.

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12. WordPress Sidebar Turned Apple-Flashy Using jQuery UI

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13. Slider Gallery like on Apple website

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14. Apple’s Navigation bar using only CSS

15. Free Apple Style Template

Related posts:

1. 50 Really High Quality Photoshop Navigation Menu Tutorials
2. 55 Jquery Tutorials, Resources, Tips And Tricks: Ultimate Collection
3. 51 Form Element Resources and Tutorials Using CSS And Javascript
4. 70 Hand Drawing Style Resources, Brushes, Textures,Icons And Tutorials
5. 43 PSD to XHTML, CSS Tutorials Creating Web Layouts And Navigation

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