Can Apple thrive without its visionary CEO?

SLIGHT TUMBLE: Pedestrians walking past an Apple Store in San Francisco. Shares of Apple Inc fell modestly on Jan 18 following the company's disclosure that Jobs is taking another medical leave of absence. - AP

SAN FRANCISCO: If investors were as visionary as Steve Jobs has proved to be during his 35 years of tech wizardry, they might be able to figure out whether Apple can still thrive if its founder and CEO doesn't return from his indefinite medical leave.

But Jobs' prescience is a rarity, which is why doubt and anxiety will probably hang over the company until his fate is clearer.

The iPod-iPhone-iPad revolution that Jobs unleashed over the past decade should ensure that Apple's revenue and earnings keep growing for at least the next two to three years, according to analysts.

What's more, Jobs has assembled and trained a savvy, hard-driving management team that should be capable of following his road map for the company.

The question is whether Apple can remain a step ahead and develop products that reshape technology, media and pop culture if Jobs isn't around to divine the next big thing.

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New iOS keeps iPad fresh and new

MORE APPS IN ONE SCREEN: iOS 4.2.1 brings with it the ability to create folders on the iPad, and store up to twenty apps per folder.

The iPad gets its biggest update yet with more than 100 features introduced. We highlight the major ones.

Apple has finally released iOS 4.2.1 for the iPad, bringing the operating system in line with the OS on the iPhone 4.

While the iPhone users have already had iOS 4.1 on their devices for some time, which comes with multitasking and Game Centre, iPad owners have had to live with iOS 3.2 which has none of these features.

So, while iPhone users probably won't see many new features by updating their phones to the latest operating system, iPad users will have a lot to enjoy.

We take a look at some of the more interesting features from the more than 100 new ones and bug fixes that Apple has added into the new operating system.

Multitasking

The most major change for iPad users has got to be mulittasking and now iPad users can run certain application services in the background.

MULTITASKING: Double-click the Home button on the iPad to bring up a list of applications that you can switch between. Some applications will be able to run certain services in the background, such as downloads, or game save states or audio streaming

For example, a clock radio application will still stream audio when you're browsing the Net withSafari, an in-app download will continue even when you're not in the application and games will start exactly where you left off.

Switching between applications on the iPad is done the same way as on the iPhone - a double-click of the Home button opens up a small side-scrolling menu showing your open applications.

Quick settings menu

Accessing the multitasking menu and scrolling all the way to the left also allows quick access to a number of often-used settings, namely brightness, volume and iPod playback controls.

QUICK SETTINGS: Scroll all the way to the left in the multitasking menu and you'll have access to brightness, volume, playback and rotation lock settings

Also housed in this menu is a rotation lock control to lock your screen orientation in either landscape or portrait.

In fact, by moving the screen rotation control to the multitasking menu, Apple has also changed the hardware slider switch on the side of the iPad which was used to lock orientation to a volume mute switch. There is no option in the settings to change the slider switch back to an orientation lock, so like it or not, users will just have to get used to locking orientation by going into the multitasking menu.

Folders

Another major feature which iOS 4.2.1 brings to the iPad is folders. Like on the iPhone, you can now group applications together into a single folder and are not limited to the twenty-applications-per-screen limit.

To create a folder, simply touch and hold on an app for about two seconds until the icon wobbles, then drag the app on top of another app to put them together in a folder.

You can store as many as 20 apps in a single folder and can name each folder anything you want, although the iPad intelligently names the folder according to the types of apps you put in.

Unified, threaded e-mail box

Users who manage multiple e-mail accounts (like this writer) will be happy to know that iOS 4.2.1 brings with it a unified inbox in which you can see e-mail messages from all your accounts.

UNIFIED INBOX: Users can now check out e-mail messages from various accounts in one single inbox. Messages are also threaded, with e-mail messages having the same heading grouped together.

With the unified inbox, users no longer have to switch between e-mail accounts to check their incoming messages.

If you like to see a separate view of your various e-mail accounts, you can still organise it that way.

Along with the unified inbox, iOS 4.2.1 introduces threaded e-mail, where e-mail messages with the same subject line are grouped together for a cleaner inbox and easier reading.

Game Center

Game Center is a new application that comes with the operating system and is meant to bring gamers on the system together.

GET YOUR GAME ON: Game Center comes to the iPad, a central location to see apps you're playing and your friends are playing.

Much like Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 console, Game Center is meant as a central location where you can connect with other gamers, see what games they are playing and compete by earning achievements.

Game Center is a nice idea, although the number of supported games are not as extensive as one would like.

AirPrint

New in iOS 4.2.1 is AirPrint, which ostensibly allows a user to wirelessly print documents, webpages and photos directly from the iPad.

WIRELESS PRINTING: The AirPrint icon can be accessed in most applications that you would print from. However, limited printer support means that this feature isn't as useful as it could be.

In use, however, AirPrint isn't so useful because the feature only works on printers connected to your local network and supported by AirPrint, which isn't that extensive at the moment.

We tried to print from the iPad to the network printer at the office but did not manage to find the non-supported printer at all.

AirPlay

On paper, AirPlay promises seamless streaming from the iPad to other entertainment devices, like a HDTV connected to your home network.

This means that you can watch movies and listen to music resident on the iPad, and then, when you're in front of your HDTV, to switch from the iPad to the HDTV and seamlessly watch or listen exactly where you left off.

In practice, however, the feature is a bit more limited than that. AirPlay only allows streaming of video from the iPad to devices connected to the Apple TV or music to a sound system connected to the AirPort Express.

So unless you own the Apple TV or an AirPort Express, you won't be able to enjoy this feature.

Safari tweaks

There are a number of tweaks that have been added to Safari, from small ones to a few major ones.

FIND ON PAGE: Entering a search term in Safari's Search bar now allows you to search for words within a currently open Web page.

An interesting and certainly welcome feature for the power user is a "search on this page" function which allows you to search for words on the current webpage.

This function is found in the search bar in the browser - typing a search query will now open a drop-down menu, giving you the option to search in Google or to search words within the webpage itself.

Another tweak to Safari is the "open new page" icon, which now has a number overlaid on top representing the number of pages you have open in the background.

Fancy accessories for Apple devices

iLuv casings and skins

Accessories distributor has unveiled a wide range of casings, skins and headphones for Apple products.

The iLuv casings and skins protect the iPhone and iPad while still maintaining the devices slim and sleek look.

Cool Daddy, on the other hand, uses premium carbon fibre in its casing. It is designed for users who are looking for maximum protection for their iPads while not compromising on their individual style.

Urbanears headphones

There is also the Urbanears headphones, which comes in three designs - Plattan, Tanto and Medi.

The Plattan looks like earmuffs and its earcups and headband are covered in mesh making it soft to the ears and head. The Medi are earplugs while Tanto is a portable wired headphone.

Prices for the iLuv casings and skins start from RM89, the CoolDaddy casings from RM89 and the Urbanears from RM199.

How to Buy a Wireless Router

It's hard to imagine a modern home or business network without a wireless router, but that doesn't mean it's easy to pick the right router. Our guide can help you pick the best one for your network.

Routers are an essential element of modern business network, and they're an indispensable tool in the home, too. A wireless router lets your computer connect to the Web so that you can read favorite Web sites, check e-mail, IM friends, or teleconference with colleagues. If you want to do this without cluttering your setup with Ethernet cables, a wireless router is a must. And, if it's your first time going wireless, don't worry about giving up wired speed. All wireless routers offer at least some degree of wired connectivity, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.

The wireless router market offers many different types of routers that are tailored to tackle specific needs. Vendors offer everything from very basic single-band routers designed to simply get your computer online to advanced dual-band routers that contain bonus features (such as a built-in digital photo frame). With numerous models, options, and offerings available, purchasing a wireless router is no simple affair. You may need to research the features in order to wade through the marketing hype in order to determine which router is best for your home or home office. Our Wireless router buyer's guide will help you do just that.

Determine Your Usage
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.

Single Band vs. Dual Band
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.

Know Your Standards
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).

If you have a mix of B, G and N devices (as most of us do), your best bet is to go with a simultaneous dual-band router like the $169 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit. This model excels at automatically connecting devices to the appropriate band, without user intervention. There are other dual-band routers that are good choices as well, like the $119 Linksys by Cisco Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router. This model requires user to be savvy enough to know how to configure settings so that all devices (be they B, G or N) can connect to the correct 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz band.

PC vs. Mac
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.

Routers should theoretically work across the board for Windows, Apple and Linux clients. If you have an all-Apple or predominately Apple environment, save yourself any potential hassle and go with a router from Apple.

Coverage Area/Antennas
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.

Accordingly, don't discredit routers with internal antennas. For most home purposes, new routers like the $179 Cisco Linksys's E3000 High Performance Wireless N Router have an almost unheard of 6 internal antennas with 2x3 transmit/receive. We have not tested the router yet (look for the test soon) but the E2000, which is the mid-router in the E series, was a decent performer that only has 3 internal antennas.

Keep in mind, despite whatever the antenna design is, large areas may sometimes need more than one wireless router for coverage. The average range for wireless coverage is 180 feet max indoors and 1,500 feet max in an open space—that's devoid of concrete walls or any other interference!

Feature Set
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.

Some routers have USB ports for connecting a printer or storage device, the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router. Not only does it have USB ports, but it has a slot for 2.5-inch SATA drive and doubled as a digital photo frame. This may not be a router option for anyone, but if you have additional networking needs and may be low on space on ports to connect extra devices, a fancy router like the Xtreme N Storage may be a good bet. Prepare to shell out some cash as this router listed for $300.00 at shipping.

Security
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.

Wired Connectivity
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.

Apple iPad Review

Apple - iPad - The best way to experience the web, email, & photos

All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large Multi-Touch screen. And they work in any orientation. So you can do things with these that apps you can’t do on any other device.

Price ? currently they set USD 499. I don’t know how much it will cost in RM. No price release yet by Low Yatt trader.

Double thumbs up ! i give to this gadget. Now… you can just ignore other brand from Samsung, HTC, LG, Blackberry… all windows mobile based gadget are rubish… symbian based too. Mac OS known as the mother of operating system. The most stable and the most powerful.

What I can conclude.. iPad is something like.. netbook in the pocket. Not a normal netbook… but a Mac Netbook in your pocket.

More info: apple.com