Future Shop Canada is having a 3-day sale offering some pretty cool deals on gadgets and electronics, both in-store and online (via RedFlagDeals). The sale begins today i.e February 3 till February 5 2012 and also includes all iPad 2 models at reduced prices e.g 16GB WiFi-only iPad 2 is being offered at $489.99. So those who are looking to get one these days, this might be worth checking out.

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Future Shop Canada is having a 3-day sale offering some pretty cool deals on gadgets and electronics, both in-store and online (via RedFlagDeals). The sale begins today i.e February 3 till February 5 2012 and also includes all iPad 2 models at reduced prices e.g 16GB WiFi-only iPad 2 is being offered at $489.99. So those who are looking to get one these days, this might be worth checking out.

So guys, do you plan on getting an iPad 2 now (at a discount) or will you be waiting for the upcoming iPad 3?

According to a latest report by Strategy Analytics (via MacRumors), global tablet shipments reached 27 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 with iPad accounting for 58% of them further confirming that Apple continues to hold a majority of the market. At the same time, Android continues to grow with Amazon’s Kindle Fire capturing 39% share of global tablet shipments. Android’s other gains appear to have come at the expense of Microsoft ... Read More]]>

According to a latest report by Strategy Analytics (via MacRumors), global tablet shipments reached 27 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 with iPad accounting for 58% of them further confirming that Apple continues to hold a majority of the market. At the same time, Android continues to grow with Amazon’s Kindle Fire capturing 39% share of global tablet shipments. Android’s other gains appear to have come at the expense of Microsoft and RIM, which registered only 4.6% and 3.3% respectively during the second quarter.

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said:

“Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in Q4 2011, surging 150 percent from 10.7 million in Q4 2010. Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong. Apple shipped a robust 15.4 million iPads worldwide and maintained its strong market leadership with 58 percent share during the fourth quarter of 2011. Apple shrugged off the much-hyped threat from entry-level Android models this quarter.”

The report also claims that total worldwide tablet shipments hit 66.9 million units during 2011, surging 260% from 18.6 million in 2010.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, there has been no change in iPad sales following the introduction of the Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet. As reported by MacRumors, Tim responded to an analyst’s question regarding impact on the iPad from lower priced tablets that the company sold a record 15.4 million iPads in the last quarter. He further said that Apple doesn’t consider “limited function tablets and e-readers to be in the same ... Read More]]>

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, there has been no change in iPad sales following the introduction of the Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet. As reported by MacRumors, Tim responded to an analyst’s question regarding impact on the iPad from lower priced tablets that the company sold a record 15.4 million iPads in the last quarter. He further said that Apple doesn’t consider “limited function tablets and e-readers to be in the same category as the iPad”.

Quoting Tim Cook,

“We strongly believe in optimizing applications from day one to take advantage of the larger canvas. There are only a few hundred apps designed for the competition, versus more than 170,000 apps designed specifically for iPad. People who want an iPad won’t settle for a limited function tablet.”

Cook also said that Apple will “continue to innovate like crazy” and that the company will continue to compete with any company currently shipping tablets, or anyone who may enter the market in the future.

With last week’s debut of iBooks 2 and the launch of textbooks by Apple, the latest numbers from AllThingsD notes over 350,000 textbooks have been downloaded in just three days:

According to Global Equities Research, which monitors Apple’s iBook sales via a proprietary tracking system it doesn’t much care to discuss, more than 350,000 textbooks were downloaded from the company’s iBooks Store within the first three ... Read More]]>

With last week’s debut of iBooks 2 and the launch of textbooks by Apple, the latest numbers from AllThingsD notes over 350,000 textbooks have been downloaded in just three days:

According to Global Equities Research, which monitors Apple’s iBook sales via a proprietary tracking system it doesn’t much care to discuss, more than 350,000 textbooks were downloaded from the company’s iBooks Store within the first three days of availability.
And there were some 90,000 downloads of iBooks Author, Apple’s free textbook-creation tool, during the same time.

Apple confirmed the price for textbooks would be set at $14.99 across the board, which is much cheaper than your traditional hardcover. The rationale behind textbooks on the iPad is to lower the pricing and go for volume, a formula that has been tested and true in the App Store.

As of this time, textbooks are only available in the U.S. App Store, so Canadians are on the outside looking in (unless you have a U.S. iTunes account).

The story of the scammers returning empty iPad 2 boxes filled with modelling clay has reached outside of the Metro Vancouver region. According to a follow up CTV report, three more people have come forward about purchasing an iPad 2 only to find a clay brick inside. One of those buyers is from Victoria, as Rosemary Symchuk had a similar experience at Best Buy:

“The employees ... Read More]]>

The story of the scammers returning empty iPad 2 boxes filled with modelling clay has reached outside of the Metro Vancouver region. According to a follow up CTV report, three more people have come forward about purchasing an iPad 2 only to find a clay brick inside. One of those buyers is from Victoria, as Rosemary Symchuk had a similar experience at Best Buy:

“The employees were all aware that this had happened on the Mainland but none of them had actually seen it,” Symchuk said.

Symchuk said she was told the box should have been opened for her before she left the store, and it is now policy that nothing is returned without being opened first – even if it is factory sealed.

“After seeing the contents of my box the employees at that store understood why they should open the boxes,” she said.

The scam seems to have reached beyond Future Shop and Best Buy as Walmart and London Drugs have also been hit with ‘clay’ iPad 2 returns. All these retailers have modified their return policies to ensure units are inside the box for returns, even on sealed items.

Have you heard of anyone affected by these clay scams?

Apple has uploaded today’s textbook video trailer to its YouTube channel. This is the same video that appears on Apple’s website but you can now watch it from their official channel in full 1080P. Earlier today Apple announced iBooks 2, iBooks Author, iTunes U, and a new partnership with publishers at its New York City Education Media Event (which is now available for viewing ... Read More]]>

Apple has uploaded today’s textbook video trailer to its YouTube channel. This is the same video that appears on Apple’s website but you can now watch it from their official channel in full 1080P. Earlier today Apple announced iBooks 2, iBooks Author, iTunes U, and a new partnership with publishers at its New York City Education Media Event (which is now available for viewing online).

Check it out below:

Don’t you just love these emotional videos? I want to cry. *tear*

Peter Kafka over at AllThingsD was able to interview McGraw-Hill CEO, Terry McGraw and ask him questions about the economics of selling $15 digital textbooks versus $75 paper copies.

What is the plan behind this massive discount and what makes them okay with it? The answer is volume in sales, notes McGraw. Normally the publisher sells $75 textbooks that schools keep for five years. The new model would ... Read More]]>

Peter Kafka over at AllThingsD was able to interview McGraw-Hill CEO, Terry McGraw and ask him questions about the economics of selling $15 digital textbooks versus $75 paper copies.

What is the plan behind this massive discount and what makes them okay with it? The answer is volume in sales, notes McGraw. Normally the publisher sells $75 textbooks that schools keep for five years. The new model would have students purchasing $15 textbooks each year, and keep buying books each year:

So Terry McGraw figures that over five years he’ll generate the same total sales selling $15 e-books as he would selling $75 books. It’s not a total push, because in this model, Apple will take an undisclosed cut of sales — McGraw-Hill execs wouldn’t go into details, so let’s assume for now that it’s Apple’s standard 30 percent — but presumably McGraw-Hill can make some of that up by forgoing the costs of print and distribution.

Could these prices ever change? McGraw noted it’s ‘pilot pricing’ and the publishers have control over their future pricing; but when Kafka asked Apple executive Eddy Cue about this issue he had a totally different answer:

But when I posed the same question to Apple media boss Eddy Cue just now, I got a much different response. “This isn’t pilot pricing,” he said. “All of our books will be $14.99.”

I wonder what the cut works out to be for Apple with their role in distributing these textbooks. Kafka notes we could assume it would be the normal 30%, but we probably will never know. Either way, Apple was able to entice Pearson, McGraw-Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to come on board.

This all sounds great–but when will the Textbooks category come to Canada?

Apple has posted a support document for iBooks Author, a publication and distribution FAQ. Some answers to key questions are answered here.

iBooks Author is only available on the the Mac, and users will be able to export books to allow others to download for free.

How can I distribute my work?

You can publish your book to the iTunes Bookstore; you must choose to sell your book ... Read More]]>

Apple has posted a support document for iBooks Author, a publication and distribution FAQ. Some answers to key questions are answered here.

iBooks Author is only available on the the Mac, and users will be able to export books to allow others to download for free.

How can I distribute my work?

You can publish your book to the iTunes Bookstore; you must choose to sell your book or offer it as a free download. You can also export your book from iBooks Author as a PDF, text, or iBooks document for you to distribute outside the iBookstore.

I’m an author (or publisher). Can I distribute this work on my own website?

You may distribute books created in iBooks Author free of charge on your own website. If you wish to sell your book, you must do so through the iBookstore.

Check out the rest of the FAQ here.

Update 1: …and it looks like the Textbooks category is absent in Canada. It requires a US iTunes account to access.

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Today at Apple’s education event in New York City, the company announced what was previously rumoured: a massive change in the way we will use textbooks in education, as noted by Steve Jobs in his biography.

Phil Schiller was on stage to announce the ... Read More]]>

Update 1: …and it looks like the Textbooks category is absent in Canada. It requires a US iTunes account to access.

–

Today at Apple’s education event in New York City, the company announced what was previously rumoured: a massive change in the way we will use textbooks in education, as noted by Steve Jobs in his biography.

Phil Schiller was on stage to announce the update to iBooks 2 that brings support for textbooks. How to create these new textbooks? Easy. Just use the free app iBooks Author, available for free from the Mac App Store. iBooks Author allows for anyone to create rich, detailed, and interactive textbooks for free.

Apple also announced a partnership with three major textbook publishers that produce 90% of textbooks: Pearson, McGraw-Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Without these big players on board, it would’ve been difficult for Apple to do this alone.

Apple also introduced a standalone iTunes U app, to bring free courses via an easy to use app. Teachers and professors can also use iTunes U to broadcast assignments and updates to students.

These announcements definitely will change the way students learn. Textbook prices will start at $14.99. The only barrier to entry is the purchase of an iPad.

Download links: iBooks 2, iBooks Author, iTunes U.

More to come…

With Apple’s education media event set to take place in New York tomorrow, last minute speculation and apparent leaks have made their way to to the web. Last night sources told Bloomberg Apple will debut tools to allow easy creation of digital textbooks, something we heard earlier from the WSJ.

At an event in New York tomorrow, Apple will announce a set of tools that make it easier ... Read More]]>

With Apple’s education media event set to take place in New York tomorrow, last minute speculation and apparent leaks have made their way to to the web. Last night sources told Bloomberg Apple will debut tools to allow easy creation of digital textbooks, something we heard earlier from the WSJ.

At an event in New York tomorrow, Apple will announce a set of tools that make it easier to publish interactive textbooks and other digital educational content, said two people with knowledge of the announcement, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

The plans, to be unveiled by Apple Internet software chief Eddy Cue, are aimed at broadening the educational materials available for the iPad, especially for students in kindergarten to 12th grade, the people said. By setting its sights on the $10 billion-a-year textbook industry, Apple is using the tablet to encourage students to shun costly tomes that weigh down backpacks in favor of less-expensive, interactive digital books that can be updated anywhere via the Web.

Also stated by sources are plans by Apple to release a modified version of the ePub standard that is currently used by existing publishers.

Project ‘Bliss’ Inspired by Al Gore?

AppleInsider has received tips tomorrow’s event would introduce an e-textbook project that is currently codenamed ‘Bliss’, and was inspired by Al Gore’s previously released e-book, ‘Our Choice’:

The person who contacted AppleInsider indicated that Apple’s Internet software chief, Eddy Cue, is responsible for the distribution side of the new e-textbook initiative. But Rosner is said to be in charge of development of the editor used to create digital textbooks, as well as the reading software that will allow students and teachers to view the files.

The person said the internal code-name for the project is “Bliss,” and said the software will allow publishers to make textbooks more interactive.

Tomorrow’s media event is set to take place at 10AM EST/7AM PST at Guggenheim Museum. Stay tuned!