News

The Apple store is down internationally, as Apple updates its store to get ready for the US pre-order of the iPad. Starting at 8:30 AM EDT, prospective customers will be able to order the WiFi-only and 3G capable versions of the Apple's hotly anticipated tablet. Today's pre-ordering is open to US customers only. The WiFi-only iPad is slated for arrival in stores and homes on April 3rd, with 3G models arriving later in the month.

iPad pre-ordering begins tomorrow, and those of you who intelligently want to avoid either lines, rumored supply shortages, or both, can finally lay claim to an iPad, or two, or three. Beginning at some time after midnight tonight, Apple will update their online store and allow customers to start placing pre-orders for both the WiFi only and WiFi + 3G versions of the highly touted Apple iPad.

As usual, Apple's been hush-hush on the details, which is a little odd considering the details usually allow buyers to make more informed decisions on whether or not to purchase a product. However, Apple's never conventional when it comes to drumming up buzz for their products, so having bloggers and journalists running rampant trying to dig up details on the launch of one of their products likely suits them just fine.

The iPad Guide has put together a list of

Apple released to developers its latest version of the iPhone SDK yesterday (version 3.2 beta 4), and an article published today by The iPad Guide details clues revealed by developers that show evidence of video conferencing support on the iPad.

A report filed a few weeks ago on The iPad Guide brought to light rumors that Hulu was developing and iPad application or a version of its popular video sharing site specifically for the iPad. In other words, the folks behind the technology at Hulu were at work creating a version of Hulu that didn't require Adobe Flash. In regards to Mobile Safari and Flash support, the capabilities of the iPad and the iPhone are seemingly identical, meaning that a Hulu for the iPad would be expected to work on the iPhone as well.

As The iPad Guide article suggests, "the same limitations presented by the iPad are those that have kept Hulu from the iPhone. Any effort by Hulu to develop an iPad-compatible version of Hulu would, in turn, create a version of Hulu that is also iPhone compatible. So, the proper question might be, if Hulu has a non-Flash version of their website in their wheelhouse, then what has kept them from building it for the iPhone?"

Unlike YouTube, who had to re-encode all of their videos in order to bring them to the iPhone, Hulu already

Apple announced today the Wi-Fi only iPad is scheduled for release in the US on Saturday, April 3. The company is accepting pre-orders for all models (including 3G versions) starting on Friday, March 12. Shipping of 3G models in the US and iPad availability in other countries is planned for late April.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will appear as a free download on the App Store in the US on April 3. Apple has developed 12 new iPad-optimized apps that will be included on the iPad out of the box.

Could it be that Netflix is moving closer towards developing an application that would allow subscribers to watch instantly on the iPhone? A new survey question has been discovered that suggests Netflix is gauging interest in a Wi-Fi movie streaming app.

In the past, Netflix used a similar strategy prior to the release of their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 applications. Support for instant watching is also on its way to the Wii console this spring. Netflix is performing market research constantly and often circulates up to 20 surveys at a time.

There could be long lines for the iPad launch after all if reports of a delay in production are accurate. Analyst Peter Misek from Canaccord Adams says production problems at Hon Hai Precision mean that Apple could have only 300,000 units ready at launch.

The company was planning to have one million units ready for sale in March, along with another 800,000 available in April. The limited numbers might result in Apple delaying the iPad release date or even limiting initial sales to the US only.

A patent application filed by Apple in August 2008 shows some novel ways to interact with the iPhone. Swiping over the camera lens and a series of taps on the back of the iPhone are described as a way to control voicemail playback while the iPhone is against the head.

Holding the iPhone in the hand would make the camera lens react differently, controlling calling options or scrolling through contacts lists or web pages. Taps would be detected through an accelerometer inside the device.

Incredibly, what began as a project in the shadow of Apple's computer business is forecast to account for 45-50% of total company revenues in 2011. Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi believes Apple is on track to hit these targets, as the iPhone made up 30% of its revenues in 2009.

20.7 million iPhones were sold in 2009. Apple is forecast to move up to 50 million units in 2011. Sacconaghi, agreeing with other industry figures, has also forecast iPad sales in 2010 at 2.2 million units.

Square Enix has just released two classic games on the iPhone App Store. Final Fantasy was first introduced in 1987 and took the gaming world by storm. Those in North America might remember first playing Final Fantasy on a Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990.

The graphics and interface have been updated in the iPhone version and its sequel, Final Fantasy II. Both games include bonus dungeons not found in the originals and are available for $8.99 each.