Free 24 hr live broadcast on Bloomberg TV App

BY THE APPLE GIRL Bloomberg, in a move to differ itself from the competitors, is offering a Bloomberg TV+ App, giving a 24 hour live broadcast subscription free to all iPad owners. Other new agencies such as CNN, reserve the live stream to their subscribers only. Go grab your Bloomberg+ TV App now.

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An iPad costume

BY THE APPLE GIRL  As Wired reports, Mark Rober created a costume – a gaping hole in his torso using two iPads. Start Facetime chat between the two iPads and tape one on the front and the back of your torso. Easy as that!  Tell us about your ingenious gadget costume!

Google ChromeBook vs. iPad

BY THE APPLE GIRL Google has officially announced the ChromeBook, with partners – Samsung and Acer. ChromeBook is dual core with 11 to 12 inch display and limited on board storage of 16 GB. Here’s my breakdown on why you should buy an iPad instead of a ChromeBook. 1. ChromeBook boots up in seconds, but so does the iPad (and new MacBook Air too!) 2. On the ChromeBook, your apps, games, photos music, movies are in the cloud and are accessible wherever you go. The same with the iPad. In fact, on the iPad you can do many of the above without an Internet connection. 3. ChromeBook has a long battery life. iPad has a battery life of 10hours.  4. You can have an optional 3G connection on ChromeBook. That’s not a biggie. iPad has been doing it from day one. 5. The ChromeBook looks and feels like a laptop except that it is lighter than a laptop. The iPad is a portable tablet which does all and more than the ChromeBook.  6. The ChromeBook will be priced around $350 to $500. The iPad is thinner, lighter, faster and  starts at $499.  7. The one thing I do like about the ChromeBook is the monthly subscription plan of $20 for students and $28 for business users.  Let’s see how that fares in the market. 8. I like the hardware on GoogleChic’s beta edition Chrome, and of course its not as as slick as the iPad 🙂 Check out our Chrome OS hands on  blog!

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC Comparing an iPad and a Google ChromeBook is like comparing apples to oranges. They’re nothing a like. The idea behind the ChromeBooks is cloud computing. It is about the ability to pick up any ChromeBook device and within a matter of seconds being able to log on and have everything already configured to your liking. Unlike the iPad, there’s no need to sync your device to the cloud in order to pull down you music or movies.  In this week’s episode of GPS with Fareed Zakria, Eric Schmidt talks about could computing. Schmidt makes a really good point “as an experiment, turn off all your devices and disconnect from your internet for 6 or 7 hours, you’ll realize how dependent you’ve become on it.” So to AppleGirl’s point, yes there are things that the iPad can do offline but eventually most of what we do these days depends on internet connectivity. Bottom line, there are pros and cons with both the iPad and a ChromeBook device. It ultimately is dependent on what experience the user is seeking. Personally, I would prefer a Android tablet device. However, if I’m on the go and traveling I’m not going to complain if there is a ChromeBook for me to log onto 🙂 Check out Eric Schmidt’s interview via this link. Forward to 02:37 for info about cloud computing.

Sold out: iPad 2 replicas!

BY THE APPLE GIRL This one had me ROFL. As much as I was complaining about standing in line to get an iPad 2, Chinese folks in Malaysia are having trouble finding iPad 2 paper replicas. Chinese communities honor their dead relatives by burning fake money or replicas of luxury items such as designer handbags and flashy cars. Now the latest fad is to offer the iPad 2. The stores ran out of the iPad 2 replicas and are only left with original iPad replicas.

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC Those paper replicas sure looks realistic! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since there is the iPed (iPad knockoff) in the Asian market. The funniest thing is that the iPad 2 hasn’t even released in the Asia market. I guess the replicas are the next best thing! Check out the video below. On a side note, check out the designer shirt and shoes 🙂

iPad 2

BY THE APPLE GIRL  If you have been speculating on buying an iPad some time soon, then the best advice is to hold off for a few months. Because the next best tablet in the market will be the iPad 2. Despite Apple closely guarding the specs, there are rumors flying around and rest assured you will see at least some of these features in the next iPad. LIKELY: Thinner and Compact: Like the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 will definitely be slimmer with exceptional design quality. Cameras: The iPad 2 is expected to have a front and rear facing cameras. This is a given since I think FaceTime support is a must for any new Apple product. 3 Axis Gyroscope: With the amount of gaming and navigation potential on the iPad, I think this is another likely addition. GSM and CDMA: With Verizon now carrying the iPad with MiFi (i.e the iPad itself does not have CDMA functionality), Apple would be sensible enough to build an iPad 2 with a CDMA chip, if not for a dual technology i.e CDMA and GSM iPad. Higher Resolution: The iPad 2 could carry a high end pixel density. Imagine a higher resolution or a Retina display on a bigger real estate, I can’t stop myself from drooling 😛 Faster Processor: Apple will also plug a faster multi core processor into the iPad 2. It is expected to come with ARM Cortex dual core processor running at 1.2GHz and give a substantial performance boost. iPad 2 is also expected to sport a dual core graphics processing unit (GPU). UNLIKELY: USB port: With Apple going wireless and cloud based (MobileMe is rumored to be free in the future), I doubt that the USB port (to enable users to upload documents, movies, photos etc) would be a new feature. SD card slot: There have been pictures of iPad 2 case with space for an SD card slot. But I think the SD card slot is unlikely, since none of the Apple products – iPod, iPhone – have been given an expandable memory slot. I doubt that Apple would go down that road for the iPad. Again, if Apple has free MobileMe in the cards, an SD card slot is something you will probably not see on the new iPad. DON’T BET ON IT: 7 inch iPad: Steve Jobs himself has nipped this rumor in the bud when he called 7 inch tablets as DOA – Dead On Arrival. So obviously, it is not in his books to make one! LTE support: With most of the world still running on 2G/3G technologies and LTE at its infancy, 4G on iPad 2 is out of question. Removing the home button: There have been some rumors of the iPad 2 without a home button. The fact that the iPad is so consumer friendly is because it is easy to maneuver (thanks to the home button!) and it would take anyone just 2 seconds to figure it out. I don’t think Apple would think of removing it anytime in the near future. Expected Release: April 2011 [Update: AllThingsDigital reports that Apple has scheduled a media event on March 2 where it is expected to launch the next iPad] Expected Price: Not lower than the current iPad. [via MacRumors, BoyGeniusReport, Mashable, ZD Net, TechRadar.com, PCMag]

1984…XOOM into the future with Motorola

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  Check out the super bowl teaser for the Motorola XOOM. The XOOM will be the 1st 10.1 inch tablet running Honeycomb (Android 3.0). It also sports a 1GHz dual core processor and supports 1080p video playback, pretty sweet huh? Well what’s even sweeter is Motorola’s teaser taking a jab at Apple 😉 “It is time to live a free life”! If this is the teaser I wonder what will happen on super bowl day! AppleGirl and I are getting together not to watch the game but the ads 😉 More about the Motorola XOOM

BY THE APPLE GIRL  GoogleChic, I hope you have considered the fact that Motorola Xoom will be competing with iPad 2 (rumored to be released in the next few months). The new iPad is expected to have a dual core, a better display with front and back cameras. The choice between the two OS’s is obvious.  I would rather buy a well tested, aged and tablet optimized software (iOS) than an OS that is not even commercially released. As for the ad, GoogleChic, there have been a lot of Android phones and tablets (the very few that are out there) that said the same thing about Apple. They haven’t  budged Apple from being the top dog 🙂 While we are talking about 1984, check out Apple’s 1984 ad!

iPad 3G now $30 less at Best Buy

BY THE APPLE GIRL  Best Buy has just reduced its prices on iPad 3G models by $30. Apple iPad WiFi + 3G 16 GB: $599 (Regular price $629) Apple iPad WiFi + 3G 32 GB: $699 (Regular price $729) Apple iPad WiFi + 3G 64 GB: $799 (Regular price $829) It is interesting to note that only the WiFi + 3G is on sale, not the WiFi only. I would just wait for iPad 2 rumored to release in the next few months. Source: 9to5Mac

iPad Doorbuster!

BY THE APPLE GIRL  TJ Maxx’s doorbuster $399 deal for Black Friday was the best iPad deal this year. However, if you are still out for some holiday shopping then Bloomingdale’s is offering a free iPad when you shop $1500 worth of Y.E.S contemporary sportswear at the Manhattan Bloomingdale store on Dec 10 – 12. Spending that much money on sportswear might be a stretch for some of us, but if you are in the market to buy outfits for your soccer team, then you’ve got an awesome deal on your hands! 🙂

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC   Ouch for $1500 I would rather buy the iPad 🙂 That is pretty steep for sportsware (which you probably wont’ even wear to work out ;)) On the other hand, if you want to sign your life away to a 2 year contract to one of the major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-mobile) then you can get a free Android phone. Personally, I think the Droid Incredible is probably your best bet. Check out the deals at bestbuy.com.

Oprah loves the iPad!

BY THE APPLE GIRL  Guess what’s Oprah’s No.1 Favorite Thing? YES, it’s the iPad! While the iPod had made it to her Favorite Things a few years ago, this is the first time an Apple product is on the top of the list. Oprah said the iPad is the”best invention of the century”! And we all know Oprah loves to share her favorite things. I am jealous of the audience, who each got an iPad and a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle with VW paying taxes on all the 275 cars!

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  Dang! That’s a pretty sweet deal. My jaw just dropped not for the iPad but for Volkswagen Beetle. Last time Oprah gave a way a free vacation and a Motorola Defy for the audience, and I thought that was a good deal. Apparently, AppleGirl and I need to make a trip to the taping one day and try our luck. Heck, if I got an iPad I could at least sell it at a profit 😉 Okay, so I have to say this, out of all the things that you can do on an iPad Oprah is hooked onto scrabble? Go figure I guess, I mean scrabble and working out on a treadmill doesn’t seem very enticing to me.  In an hour and 20 mins I can run 7- 8 miles and entertain myself iPad free 🙂

Just for kicks! iPad protest!

BY THE APPLE GIRL If you are protesting in a rally like these guys in Lithuania, you will definitely need a sign to hold up. And what better way to make a sign than to stick an iPad to the end of a stick. From Obama’s autograph to a Lithuanian pensioner demonstrating against the goverment, iPad is ruling the planet! GoogleChic, unless you are giving away free binoculars during the protest, I wouldn’t advise you on trying this with the Galaxy Tab 😉

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC That is one neat idea, I especially loved the plastic bag around the iPad to make it waterproof! As for the Samsung Tab being too small, well it it looks like there are rumors that in 2011 there will be a 10 inch Tab in the market. What’s also interesting is that Samsung recently released a 10.1 inch prototype which uses a super thin LCD technology that is currently being developed by them.  The downside is that it’ll take a couple of years for them to be able to release this to the market but think about the possibilities, am sure we’ll have more than a sign on a stick concept! Check out the pics below. Source: slash gear