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And – it’s like a biiiig iPod.

(Picture source Jim Wilson – New York Times)

Here are some pictures and facts

• OS is based on iPhone OS
• All iPhone apps will also run on the iPad – “virtually unmodified”
  The iPhone apps can run in a black box in the middle of the screen or by doubling the pixels and fill the screen, but loose resolution
• The new SDK for the iPad is released today
• Of course, apps from the iPhone can be modified so they are perfect for the iPad
• Almost “life-size” virtual keyboard
• Synchronize data from PC or MAC
• The iPad works in both landscape and portrait mode, like the iPhone. It has a virtual keyboard, access to photo collections, direct access to iTunes’ surfeit of content.
• The new iBooks app will allow you to read an purchase eBooks. So Apple is on a collision course with Amazon.

Technical Data

• size: 9.7 inch (25 cm) multitouch display (so it’s not 16:9) TFT-IPS-Panel
• thikness 0.5 inch (13 mm)
• weight: 1.5 pounds (680 grams)
• processor: 1Ghz (own Apple A4 chip)
• 16, 32 or 64 GByte of storage
• Wi-Fi 802.11n
• latest Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Battery life: 10 hours – we will see
• Battery stand-by up to one month – we will also see
• Accelerometer
• Compass
• Speaker
• Microphone
• no camera(s)
• There will be 3G versions available – all with unlocked SIM and they use the new GMS microSIMs
• Sync over USB and iTunes
• nice accessories, a dock to use it like a photo frame and the keyboard dock to use it like a PC or a Laptop

• USB connectors to connect SD Cards or Digital Cameras over USB to transfer photos to the iPad

• iPad Case

Costs

WiFi

• 16GB – $499
• 32GB – $599
• 64GB – $699

Shipping in 60 days (worldwide availability)

WiFi + 3G

• 16GB – $629
• 32GB – $729
• 64GB – $829

Shipping in 90 days

Overall the iPad is a nice Gadget. But in the moment I can not see the practical use of that device (except reading an ebook).

In some weeks we will see in what direction the iPad develops and if I am crazy enough to buy one.

Details: http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/

Hi Guys!

In the last weeks I thought about new projects (beside the Mikrokopter project). So I started to study Objective-C programming by myself to be able to code iPhone applications in future. A good start for doing that is the book “Cocoa Programming For Mac OS X” by Aaron Hillegass.
A good podcast to start with Objective-C from the real basics is also this one from Peter and Ingo: http://0×02100.silutions.de/blog.html
Another good resource that I am using is the Stanford iPhone programming course, which is available over iTunes U and resources to the course are here: http://www.stanford.edu/class/cs193p/cgi-bin/index.php

Because the SPP Bluetooth profile is currently not supported by the iPhone (OS 3.1), data transfer has to be done over TCP/IP or some other “frickel-ware” tricks (Audio, Display and Camera, other BT-profiles, …).

So I have to put some energy in the field of embedded wireless webservers, TCP/IP protocol, debugging connections, snif packets, make connections from iPhone to an embedded (web)server and so on.

Today I did a first test with servers. I started a Java Server on the PC and connected to that server over telnet from the Mac mini in my local LAN over WiFi. All Bytes that are received by the server are displayed in the console. With the ESC Symbol transmitted from the Mac, the connection can be closed.

Here is a screenshot from the final console outputs and the sourcecode for the Java server:

Java on PC, telnet on Mac

Sourcefile server.java; Required Class out.java

Thanks to Adam B. for showing me how easy it is to code a server in Java.

ToDo’s for the next months:
* The Java console should display a connection which is established by an iPhone app.
* The Server should be an embedded WiFi server -> order an embedded WiFi module.
* Get practice in Objective-C programming, continue Stanford iPhone course
* Realize the path: iPhone (Simulator) -> embedded WiFi server
* Let some LEDs blink, dependent on the orientation of the iPhone (Simulator)
* Let some LEDs blink, dependent on some buttons in the iPhone App
* Pay the developer license fee to start developing on real iPhone hardware ($100)
* Having fun and thinking about nice tools of iPhone Apps together with embedded controllers

Greets,
Speedy