Multi-color iPad Mini coming Next

 Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller announcing the iPad Mini. The first iPad Mini, which offers a 7.9-inch display was launched in October 2012 and is due a refresh, but will that include a high-resolution display? ©AFP Photo/ Kimihiro Hoshino

(AFP Relaxnews) -- The latest reports concerning what Apple may or may not be planning to launch before the end of this year are centered on the second generation 7.9-inch tablet.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the second-generation iPad Mini, widely expected to launch in September, will have a higher definition Retina display after all and will also be available in a choice of back plate colors.

The original device, launched in October 2012 sported a standard definition 7.9-inch display and was available with either a black or a sliver-white anodized alloy back. However according to unnamed sources, Apple, that most secretive of tech companies, is planning to offer potential owners a choice of colors like the iPod touch.

There is no doubt that a new small tablet will be launched later this year, the only disagreement so far is focused on screen resolution. Reports earlier this year, courtesy of Apple analyst extraordinaire, Ming-Chi Kuo, of KGI Securities, stated that due to the prohibitive costs, the next iPad Mini would be a stopgap product and that a high-resolution version wouldn't be launched until 2014 when manufacturing costs had fallen.

However, in recent weeks news has emerged that despite their love/hate relationship, Apple has chosen to partner with Samsung in order to build smaller high-resolution displays for smaller devices, leading the Wall Street Journal to the conclusion that the Retina iPad Mini will be coming out this year.

Looking around at the current state of the small tablet market, if Apple doesn't up the resolution on its next device, it will be the only branded tablet in that space that doesn't offer a 1080p viewing experience.

The latest Google tablet, the Nexus 7, has a high definition screen as does the existing Amazon Kindle Fire. What's more, the next generation Amazon tablet, also expected to launch in September, is claimed to have a higher resolution still, while Samsung has a number of 7-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch tablets with HD displays on offer in different territories.

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source: mySinChew

USIAN BOLT IN TEMPLE RUN 2 !

Have you played "Temple Run" and its sequel, "Temple Run 2"?. The "Temple Run" series is an infamous mobile based games developed by Imangi Studio. The game has the player taking on the role of an explorer who, having stolen an idol from a temple, is chased by "demonic monkeys". The game was initially released for iOS devices, and later ported to Android systems and Windows Phone 8.

But now, for a limited time only, the World's Fastest Man can be purchased as a playable character in Temple Run 2! 

Imangi Studios, maker of the massively popular Temple Run games, has just announced that it has signed the athlete on as its very first branded playable character for a "limited time" only.

Bolt joins the game's cast of fictional characters as a 99-cent in-app purchase available from the game's "Upgrades" menu, wearing his signature yellow-and-green Olympic uniform. He also brings with him a new power-up, "Bolt." When activated, the character auto-dashes at breakneck speed, immune from the game's traps, with the coin magnet.

To get access to the purchase, you will need to update the game. Temple Run 2 is free for iOS and Android.

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RUMORED RETINA DISPLAY IN IPAD MINI 2

The next-generation iPad Mini, expected to debut before the end of the year, will likely have a Retina Display, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The report cites Asian suppliers, which are apparently gearing up to make their production runs for the new tablet. Further, Samsung is said to be among Apple's suppliers for the next iPad Mini's display, despite the ongoing legal disputes between the two companies. Apple did not confirm 
the information in the report.

The timing of the Journal's report is curious. Earlier this week, Apple released iOS 7 Beta 4. Sharp-eyed developers believed they saw references to future generations of hardware buried in the iOS 7 beta code. Their analysis suggested the designations found in the code proved the next-generation iPad Mini would in fact not have a Retina Display. The new report effectively counters that belief and sets minds at ease. 

Does it matter if the next-gen iPad Mini has a Retina Display or not? First, the term "Retina Display" is a marketing phrase coined by Apple to tout the high resolution screens on its devices. The iPhone, larger iPad, and several MacBooks have Retina Displays, which really just means that they are pixel rich.

The iPad Mini's display measures 7.9 inches across the diagonal and has 1024 by 768 pixels. The screen doesn't even measure up to the lower 720p HD spec, let alone the full 1080p HD spec. It's not a terrible screen, but many others have it beat. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 has a full HD screen, and so does the recently-announced Nexus 7. The pixel density of the iPad Mini's screen doesn't hold a candle to these two competitors. This is the real issue.

Google is offering a compelling value in the Nexus 7. It costs $100 less than the iPad Mini, and though it has a slightly smaller screen, most of the specs are superior to Apple's smaller tablet. Specs many not be everything, but if there's one spec that stares people in the face, it is the display.

Take the new Nexus 7 with its great display and pair it with FUD-riddled stories suggesting that the iPad Mini won't be able to compete because of its crummy screen, and you get a response from Apple. That response is this well-timed leak about the suddenly improved likelihood that the iPad Mini will indeed have a Retina Display.

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source: informationweek