iOS Devices

iFixit looks at the FCC filings for the iPad and has some interesting observations:

1. This is likely a pre-production board so suppliers could have changed.  Notably, Apple is known to source Flash from multiple vendors including Samsung and Toshiba.  Toshiba shows up in this particular model.

2. More glue than usual is holding down chips.  This indicates that it is more rugged than a normal laptop would be.  Much more so.

3.  The battery isn’t soldiered onto the motherboard.  That means replacing the battery isn’t rocket science, though Apple still requires a full iPad replacement to replace the battery.

4. This motherboard was made by AT&S. 

5. To save space, Apple put the Wifi and Bluetooth boards on the cable that connects the 30pin interface with the motherboard.  This will also make for easy updating of that part.  No GPS parts are on this cable

6. The Bluetooth/Wifi board that Apple used on the iPad is the same BCM4329 chip that Apple used in the 3rd Gen Touch. The product code X17B ES2.0-A4, APN 339S0107,USI 20091207 is engraved on the cover.

7.  The display looks to be an LG Phillips LP497X82. 

8. The battery is a huge 24.8 (Apple advertises 25) watt-hour battery.  It is closer to a MacBook Air (40WH) than it is to an iPod Touch (4WH).   The battery is actually two separate 3.75V lithium polymer cells that run in parallel.

9. The USB power supply had to be enhanced specifically for the iPad. It’s a 10W unit manufactured by Foxlink Technology, Ltd., part #A1357 W010A051.

10 Like on the new iMacs, the iPad uses the Apple logo as a window for the Wifi antenna.  Otherwise the back is a solid piece of aluminum.  The other antenna is on the bottom left corner under the glass bezel

11. The manual is here (PDF)

Engadget grabbed the FCC’s iPad takapart and posted it.  Unfortunately, the FCC covered all of the important chips and things.  TechRestore and iFixit, we’re betting, won’t.

Overall, it looks like the iPad is mostly battery and a few logic boards.  There is certainly some room in there for a camera, if Apple wanted to head down that road.

Update: iFixit and MacRumors uncovered the FCC blackout to reveal what we pretty much knew.  Apple’s ARM chip.  Broadcom I/O (like iPhone and iPod touch) and Toshiba Flash storage which shares Apple’s orders with Samsung.

For all of you Gmail users out there, Google just announced that they are optimizing their web-based mail service for the iPad.  Hoping over to mail.google.com on your iPad will show you the new interface.  It looks very similar to Apple’s native ‘Mail’ iPad app with two panels (one for your inbox and one for the selected message).  Most importantly for diehard-Gmail users, it gives the user ALL Gmail features, including ‘Archiving’ and ‘Starring’.

In our opinion, this thing looks pretty darn good for an “experimental user interface,” as Google refers to it.  Check out a screenshot below:

Also of note, Google says they’re working on optimizing the ‘Google Mobile’ app for the iPad.  We’ll let you know when they show off that interface…

Interesting news from TiPb this afternoon.  It looks like Apple is not, in fact, cool with apps that behave like a dashboard.  It appears that Apple is removing the class of apps from the store…

Desktop, for example, no longer shows up via its iTunes link. These apps leveraged the large iPad display to offer multiple windows and mini-apps/widgets to get around some of iPhone 3.2

Truphone is the first VoIP application to be accepted into the iPad App Store (though you can probably use any of the iPhone VoIP Apps

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/main.swf

The Wall St. Journal’s Katie Boehret lets some passers by check out the iPad yesterday in D.C. It looks pretty sunny out there and it doesn’t seem to affect the experience too dramatically.  

Also, Mossberg went on Fox Business and Digits to talk more about the iPad and its implications on the technology landscape, below.

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/microPlayer.swf

Watch the latest business video at <a href=”http://video.foxbusiness.com/” mce_href=”http://video.foxbusiness.com/”>video.foxbusiness.com</a>

Did he get to keep the one from the Grammys?

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:268823

Yeah, Comedy Central isn’t on the “iPad ready”, non-Flash list.  Here’s a lesser quality Youtube version for International/iPhone users.

The iBookstore is now live on the App Store (free) and comes with Winnie the Pooh and the ability to sample of any book in the store before buying.  US-only and iPad-only for now, global editions are expected in the near future.  

It isn’t certain if Apple will build versions of the iBookstore for Mac and iPhone/iPod touch like Amazon has built with the Kindle but it would certainly be welcome.

You can also drag free ePub books manually into iTunes as demoed here.

The times, they are a changin’.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKynwgUOZJo&w=700&h=545]

via boingboing

Hot on the heels of the release of the Netflix iPad app, ABC’s ‘ABC Player’ has appeared in the App Store (iTunes download link).  As with the Netflix app though, it doesn’t look like iPhone/iPod touch users will be seeing this functionality anytime soon.

From the looks of it, with CBS and ABC now on-board, it would appear that a Hulu app might not be needed if this pattern continues throughout the networks.  Then again, that’s a BIG “if”.

Check out some screenshots below…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEU0EmiZcAk&w=700&h=400]

As we start filling up our still-in-the-mail iPads, we’re finding some pretty interesting apps in the store.  Here is a good-looking drawing application for the iPad called Drawing Pad.  I really like the sliding interface on the right. It’s $2.  

If you want Free, Erica Sadun has Draw, which is much more basic.  There are bunches of others as well.

Apple is exploring the possibilities of a head-mounted display in the form of glasses, according to a patent found by Patently Apple earlier today.  The patent application reads:

“There is a need for an improved head-mounted display system, particularly a system that temporarily integrates or merges both mechanically and electronically a head-mounted device with a portable electronic device”

As a result, Apple proposes a set of glasses to throw your iPhone in (…yea, we thought the same thing and NO, it isn’t an April Fools’ joke).  Actually, Apple did in fact hire a Senior Prototype Engineer for wearable computing just over a month ago.

Another patent image below…

All we know is…this doesn’t look like an Apple-designed product.  Wouldn’t you agree? “Concept” below…

Today as part of the updated App Store, Apple has launched a new feature which showcases the ‘App of the Week’ for both the iPhone and iPad. This week? Ngmoco’s ‘We Rule’ for iPhone and MLB at Bat 2010 for iPad. 

Today, Apple has officially unleashed their iWork productivity suite to the App Store for download. There’s not much you can do with it until Saturday besides drop your 30 small and drool at the screenshots, but it is worth a look. They are each $9.99.

Download them here: Keynote | Pages | Numbers

UPDATE: The app is now available in the App Store here.  It is still unknown whether or not the app will provide functionality to iPhone/iPod touch in the future.

Description included below:

Get Netflix on your iPad. Just download this free app and you can instantly watch TV shows & movies streaming from Netflix.
– Watch as often as you want
– It’s part of your Netflix unlimited membership
– Resume watching where you left off on your TV or computer
– Browse movies and manage your Queue right from your iPad
Not a Netflix member? Start your FREE trial today.

Hot off a night of iPad unboxings and reviews as well as rumors of a possible Hulu iPad app, AppAdvice is saying that there will be a FREE Netflix app that available in the App Store come April 3rd when all you lucky folks are cracking open those boxes (sorry folks in the UK/everywhere else). 

A supposed screenshot can be seen above.

“Netflix is a free app for the iPad that will be available on launch April 3rd. If you