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Adding to the growing collection of iPad 2 rumors, 9to5 Mac has done a bit of digging into the latest SDK to find a listing that says the iPad 2 will have a back-facing 1-megapixel camera. This is only slightly higher quality than the camera in the current-generation iPod touch. The front is suppose to be a VGA camera, just like the one in the iPhone 4 and iPod touch.

Sources have told the site that K94, the name of the folder where the listing was found in the SDK, is the iPad 2’s codename.

As some of our commenters pointed out in Erica Sadun’s recent wishlist, the purpose of the back camera might simply be for better augmented reality apps, or for use in Facetime to take a quick casual shot of your surroundings. As another commenter suggested, it would also be useful for taking inventory in a retail environment or scanning any number of barcodes — and you wouldn’t need a lot of megapixels for that.

Of course, like everything else released lately, this is still just a rumor. We won’t know for sure until the magic unveiling sometime within the next couple months.

[via Engadget]

iOS 4.3 beta suggests 1-megapixel camera for iPad 2 originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has reiterated company policy regarding the use of Chinese component suppliers and said it is “committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply base,” according to Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu quoted in Macworld today. The company says it requires all suppliers to agree to Apple’s code of conduct before any contracts are signed.

Apple didn’t comment directly on the report released yesterday by The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) critical of Apple’s oversight of suppliers. In what it calls a Supplier Report (PDF), Apple has detailed the steps it takes to maintain compliance with policies that suppliers must meet. Apple admits that its own audits showed frequent violations by overseas companies, but the audits also detail the steps Apple took to keep these violations in check.

The 36 environmental groups that issued the critical report yesterday claim there is too large a gap from Apple written policies and the reality in the plants. You can download a PDF of the critical report, but note that it is in Chinese. The IPE also produced a video, also in Chinese, about the issue.

Apple responds to critics of Chinese working conditions originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting next year, fourth to 12th grade students attending the Webb School in Knoxville, Tennessee will be required to have an iPad for classes. Jim Manikais, technology director at the private school, said this new policy was designed to let students “use that technology whenever they need it.” Currently, students have to “check out a cart, a laptop cart, or schedule lab time to take a class to a lab” which made it difficult for both teachers and students to use technology regularly in the classroom. The school has a three-year rental plan for parents who are unable to purchase an iPad. This payment plan will cost about $200 per academic year or $20 per month for the ten-month school year.

School officials will block Facebook and Twitter on the school campus and English teacher, Elli Shellist, already has a plan to monitor web browser usage in class. The savvy teacher will randomly perform a flip check that requires students to flip their iPad towards the teacher so he can check what application they have opened. Of course, it won’t take very long for even more savvy students to write an app that switches back to the appropriate application when the iPad is flipped forward rapidly. We won’t even mention the antics that may ensue when the dual-camera iPad 2 makes its inevitable debut in the classroom.

Despite the potential for abuse, this is an excellent use of technology that will continue to expand in the future. Other academic institutions like Seton Hill and the University of Notre Dame encourage the usage of iPads in the classroom, while textbook publishers like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are developing applications for use in academic settings.

[Via KSLA]

Tennessee school requires iPads of all 4th-12th grade students originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saurik is releasing a major update to Cydia that includes a new Manage Account feature. Though it won’t help you jailbreak your device, the new version of Cydia will make it easier when you need to re-install your favorite jailbreak applications. Similar to the Mac App Store, this Cydia account lets you keep track of purchased applications and downloads. This is a much-needed feature that iOS 4 unfortunately still lacks.

The next time you jailbreak your iOS device and launch Cydia, you will be able to log into your account and easily install your tweaks and apps without having to search the Cydia repositories. The login for this feature is tied directly to your Facebook or Google account so you won’t have to remember yet another password. More good news for jailbreakers as a future of version of Cydia will expand on this account feature and let you make comments, add ratings, and back up installed Cydia repositories.

[Via Engadget and Redmond Pie]

New Cydia release makes re-jailbreaking easier originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to a report of Asymco, the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch collectively generated sales of about US$17.3 billion which accounts for 65% of Apple’s overall sales in its latest reported quarter. Of the three iOS devices, the iPhone and iPad combined for $15 billion in revenue while the iPod generated $2.3 billion. This is an impressive, but not surprising, set of figures for a trio of devices that are less than four years old.

There is little doubt that the iPhone and iPad lead the pack in their respective categories. Looking back over the past year, both the iPad and iPhone 4 experienced shortages due to overwhelming demand for these two iOS products. Long lines dominated iPhone 4 launches around the world and Apple itself confirmed that it could have sold more iPhones if supply was more abundant. The iPad dominates the tablet market has won accolades from Walt Mossberg and even Oprah.

While iOS dominated quarterly sales, the remainder of Apple’s revenue comes from OS X-based products (20%), OS X software which includes both the operating system and the software Apple develops for it (3%), iTunes music sales (2%) and accessories and other products not related to software (10%). Based on the figures, 90% of Apple’s sales is derived from hardware and software powered by OS X or iOS and only a mere 10% of revenue comes from the sales of other non-OS products. Even the naysayers cannot deny that Apple has built an empire on the success of its two core operating systems.

[Via Fortune]

Where Apple’s money comes from originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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