iPad Discoveries

On Wednesday, April 20, Apple announced the official date and time for the release of the much-anticipated iPad Wi-Fi + 3G model. The product will be available in stores and delivered to U.S. pre-order customers on Friday, April 30. Apple released a statement claiming that the new iPad, “allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models are just 0.5 inches thick and weigh just 1.6 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and deliver up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos or listening to music, and up to nine hours of surfing the web using a 3G data network.” I believe that this announcement is important to new media because it is an advancement in technology that we have never seen before. Like we have stated in class, the iPad is essentially this generations Swiss Army Knife and I am excited to see what other gadgets and additional features will evolve from this model.
On Sunday, April 25, Israel lifted a ban on iPads over concerns that they would interfere with other electronics. After tests were conducted on models confiscated under the ban, results proved that the device caused no such interference, and the 20 iPads that were confiscated are being released to their owners. The article on Mashable.com states that the ban was, “frankly bizarre, and perhaps Israeli startups can now get on with developing a multitude of new iPad apps.” However, Israeli officials still seem cautious to the device and are inexplicably limiting iPad imports to one per person. I believe that this article supports the idea that Americans are culturally more accepting to new media than people in other countries. And I believe that your society has grown so much already and we will only continue gathering knowledge and essentially adapting to advancements without even knowing it.