Will “The Daily” Do for News What iTunes Did for Music?

With the introduction of The Daily, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has expanded into uncharted territory. Never before has an online-only newspaper been available exclusively to iPad users who subscribe to it via Apple’s iTunes store. To some, today’s unveiling at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City represents a landmark moment in how Americans will consume information. To others, it is just the latest in a series of attempts to monetize online journalism in a world that has come to expect so much of its news and commentary for free.

As is the case with most product launches in the digital space, The Daily’s reality likely lies somewhere in the middle — short of the hype, but still possessing the potential to significantly alter the media landscape if it can tap into a growing tablet market that already represents a significant niche among American news consumers.

Facebook to Launch iPad App, Preparing Web-Based Mobile Platform

The New York Times reports that Facebook is finally set to release a free iPad app "in coming weeks", remedying a curious omission for the social networking service that touts over 600 million users worldwide.

"People briefed on Facebook's plans say that in coming weeks the company plans to introduce a free iPad application that has been carefully designed and optimized for the tablet. 

The app has been in production at Facebook for almost a year, going through several design iterations, and is now in the final stages of testing, according to these people, who declined to be named because they were discussing confidential product plans.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who along with other company executives noted last November that the company was still been trying to decide how best to handle the iPad, is said to have been "heavily involved" in the app's development. 

"People who have seen the application said it has a slick design that has been tailored for the iPad and its touchscreen interface. Facebook developers and designers have also overhauled the Facebook Chat and Facebook Groups features for the application. And the app will go beyond the features available on the Facebook Web site by allowing users to shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPads built-in cameras.

Facebook's iPad app comes just as TechCrunch reports that the company is preparing to launch a new HTML5-based mobile platform codenamed "Project Spartan" that would take on iOS on its home turf by running within the mobile Safari browser.

'As of right now, there are believed to be 80 or so outside developers working with Facebook on Project Spartan. These teams are working on apps for the platform that range from games to news-reading apps. Some of the names should be familiar: Zynga and Huffington Post (owned by our parent AOL), for example. The goal is to have these apps ready to roll in the next few weeks for a formal unveiling shortly thereafter.

Facebook's vision for Project Spartan reportedly includes integration of its Facebook Credits payment system that would allow developers to offer paid apps and in app purchases directly through the web-based platform. 

Three People Sent to Prison in China Over iPad 2 Leaks

The Wall Street Journal Report that three people have been sent to prison in China over their roles in facilitating leaks of information on the iPad 2 prior to its release.

"The court announced the decision Tuesday in statements on its official account at Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblogging service in China. It said that Xiao Chengsong, general manager of Shenzhen MacTop Electronics Co., had offered 20,000 yuan, or about $3,000, plus discounts on MacTop products to a former Hon Hai employee named Hou Pengna, for information about the iPad 2. The court said Ms. Hou then paid Lin Kecheng, a Hon Hai research-and-development employee, to get digital images of the device's back cover from last September, six months before the iPad 2 was publicly announced.

The three people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 18 months and are subject to fines ranging from approximately $4,500 to $23,000. 
Cases for the iPad 2 began appearing on Chinese supply sites four months ahead of Apple's official unveiling, and it was revealed in late April that three workers had been arrested in connection with the leak soon after those initial cases appeared. The employees cited in that report had been claimed to be Foxconn employees and are presumed to be the same ones sentenced to prison in the new report, although only two of them were actually Foxconn employees while the the third was manager of the case manufacturing company that solicited the information. 

App of the week: The Los Angeles Times App For iPad

Los Angeles Times app for iPad (Free) by Tribune Interactive is the official app of The Los Angeles Times. The Southern California based newspaper organization has developed an iPad-only news app that compiles news articles, photos and video from their website. You don’t have to be from Los Angeles to enjoy this app. There is plenty of Hollywood gossip, national news and world events packed into it.

This is not a subscription-based app that requires you to pay $1.99 per month or already have a subscription to the daily newspaper. However, you do have to register your name and email address in order to use it. Like some other news apps, like The Associated Press or USA Today, the articles are refreshed regularly and can be read offline once they have been downloaded.

The greater Los Angeles area is home to some of the most interesting news stories in the country. Not only does Hollywood, with all of its colorful residents, fall within the LA borders, but it is also home to the Lakers, the Dodgers, Venice Beach and Universal Studios. With so much going on in the county, you can imagine how riveting their news can be.

Having grown up in Southern California, reading articles from this news app brings back a lot of childhood memories. I remember spending the day at the Santa Monica Pier, or driving into LA for a burger from Original Tommy’s. Reading up on what is happening in those areas is like walking down memory lane.

How to : restore deleted photos from iOS devices

A lot of people are looking for a way to restore their deleted photos from iPhone, iPad or even Mac computers. Now it's easy and possible to do it using a software called Picturescue, and really easy to restore deleted photos by mistake, just setup the software on your computer and then choose the device you want to restore photos from, if it's an iPad, iPod or an iPhone it doesn't really matter, because the software works on all these devices. After you choose your device, the software is going to show you the all ready saved backup files, and it's also going to show you the date on the files. When you see the files you will be able to restore any photos from it. The only problem is that you need to buy it and it cost $4.99, because if are using the free version you will only be able to browse the backup file and you won't be able to restore it, so you should buy the it.
The software is now available only for Mac users, and there isn't any available version for PC users yet. You can download it and see some videos on the official website from here .

Here's a screenshot :

Intel Backs Kno with $30M, Sticks It to Apple

The consumer market can be pretty lucrative. The enterprise market can be particularly lucrative too, but the educational market is one that is still largely untapped by the rising popularity of tablets. Well,Kno wants to change that and they’re doing it with some big bucks from Intel.

It sounds like Intel Capital, the investment arm of the chip company, is set to point $30 million towards the development of the Kno digital textbook. Yes, it’s very educationally based, so it’s not completely fair to call it “just” a tablet. This money will really help the relatively young startup, but just like Dragon’s Den (or Shark Tank), the investment also means that Kno taps into Intel’s network and expertise.

Use those hardware partners, speed up the development, and get the Kno into classrooms. I wouldn’t be surprised if more than a few Intel doodahs end up in the final product too, just so one hand can pay the other.

It’s not like Intel and Kno are the only ones tapping into education either. Some school in Auburn, Maine has just decided to buy 285 iPad 2s for every kindergarten student and teacher. The idea is that the kids can learn better from them than they can from a traditional PC. The Kno might not be targeting quite that young, but it’s clear that the competition for school-focused tablets is heating up.

App of the week : Weber’s On the Grill

If you love to grill or barbecue, you are going to love this app! Weber’s On the Grill™ features 280 classic Weber recipes plus 40 recipes for rubs, marinades, and sauces that are sure to get you fired up to get out and grill. You can tag your favorites, and even create and share a master grocery list for your grilling recipes that you can take with you to the store. There’s a timer within the app, too, so you know exactly when to take your food off the grill.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

SEARCH AND BROWSE over 300 triple-tested, classic recipes from Weber’s best-selling cookbooks, from starters to desserts, including rubs, marinades, and sauces. Recipes are from Weber's Art of the Grill™, Weber's Big Book of Grilling™, Weber's Charcoal Grilling™, and Weber's Real Grilling™.

STORE ingredients from any recipe in an itemized grocery list. To make shopping easy, the ingredients are organized by category to facilitate shopping. You can add as many recipes to the grocery list as you want, and the app will combine all the ingredients you will need at the store. A simple check box lets you mark off items as you shop.

SHARE recipes and grocery lists with friends and family via email.

REFERENCE 100+ tips for expert grilling.

LEARN essential grilling techniques for taking your skills to the next level.

WATCH short instructional grilling videos by celebrity chef and cookbook author Jamie Purviance. TAG your favorite recipes and techniques for future reference.