iPad
iPad & iPhone App Review: Super Rugby
Now that the Super rugby season is in full swing I think it would only be fair to have a look at what’s on offer in the App world for the S15 rugby-head. For the purpose of this review I will take a look at three of the most popular free apps out there.
Basically all the apps provide fixture and results data, live match reporting with the standard analysis on tries, penalties, conversions and drop goals. However, when conducting my review I found it difficult to find apps that provide in-depth game analysis which I find rather frustrating considering data is widely available. Whilst watching a game live, there is a great opportunity to use your app, it would be good to know player and team stats at the micro level e.g. tackles made and meters gained per player.
Union Live 2012
Free
Made by: Sportsmate Mobile Pty LTD
Australia’s number 1 live app which also has a version for the NRL and AFL. This app has the best team analysis with good historical data. Great for pre-game analysis between the two sides you are about to watch. I particularly like the player ages and match experience stats which is great if you like to put the odd wager on at the TAB.
- Enhanced match day engine providing faster live scores and live stats.
- Automatic live game day refresh.
- All new graphical worm.
- Improved ladder – including brief and extended overview plus teams next 5 games.
- Head to head analysis (the perfect tool for your tipping competition).
- Extended player profiles – including club & first grade debut, rep honours and previous year’s stats.
- Integrated news from Australian Associated Press (AAP).
- Integrated team video channels (via YouTube).
- Game day analysis – including team line-ups (ins and outs), form streaks, latest odds, weather and AAP match previews
Super Rugby 2012
Free
Made by: Roopesh Govind
This is probably my least favourite app as it has limited analysis and is flaky in performance. My one accolade is that it is aesthetically nicer than the other apps when it’s working. The news section consists of straight RSS feeds from New Zealand Herald, Fox Sports Australia and Sport24 South Africa. Not bad but could be a lot better.
- Match Fixture
- Real time Live Score
- Real time score event
- Completed match scores
- Match schedule, team, venue
- Top sport news
- Team Ladder
Super Rugby Live Scoring
Free
Made By: ESPN Australia
This is my favourite app by far. There is plenty of pre, during and post match analysis. Two of the main stats I like to look at are possession and territory and they aren’t included. Once again these stats are standard and widely available so I can’t understand why they are missing. Player stats include tries, conversions, drop goals, penalty goals, kicks, line breaks and errors. My only bug bear with this is that they are only updated after the game. This is also the only app with a live twitter feed. Great for hearing what the players are saying.
Instant score updates and scorers.
- The latest news, weather forecast, odds, winning streak and tipping trends for every game.
- The Super Rugby ladder and win/loss history for teams.
- The latest Super Rugby news from the major news outlets.
- The most up to date twitter posts from your favourite accounts.
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Read MoreiPad (3) Launch Day Photos
Where to buy a New iPad 3
So with just under twelve hours until the official launch of the New iPad 3 in New Zealand it’s another fairly hush-hush launch like we’ve become all to familiar with. Never fear though here’s a confirmed list of stores that will have the New iPad available tomorrow morning, most stores will be opening at the regular time and none will be open before 8am. We’ve heard bigger stores will have up to 200 New iPads in stock but still recommend getting along early to get the model you’re after.
Dick Smith
Stores open at the regular time with New iPad 3 stock available at most stores including Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Whangarei, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin.
YooBee (Magnum Mac)
Most stores opening one hour early at 8am with New iPads available in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton and Wellington.
JB Hi-Fi
iPad 3 available in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and Dunedin stores which we think are opening at the regular time of 9am. Update: some stores are opening at 8am including Wellington Central
Noel Leeming
Most stores around the country will have the New iPad available. In fact with stores from Kerikeri to Invercargill Noel Leeming probably has the most locations stocking iPad 3.
Bond & Bond
Only four stores in Auckland and one in Dunedin will have New iPads available on launch day.
PB Tech
We haven’t been able to confirm which stores will have stock but PB Tech will be selling the New iPad tomorrow.
Harvey Norman
Seven stores will be opening at 8am with New iPads available. Harvey Norman wins the prize for best launch image…
Independent Apple Resellers
Ubertec is opening in Parnell, Auckland at 8am and iStore in Takapuna have so far only confirmed they’ll be updating their website at midnight 
What time are you planning on buying a New iPad (3) tomorrow and where from? Let us know in the comments and if anyone has any photos or updates from around the country let us know on twitter.
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New iPad NZ Price Announced
A strong New Zealand dollar has seen the new iPad price drop almost 10% across the board. The entry-level 16GB wi-fi only model iPad 3 price is $729 – a full $70 cheaper than the iPad 2 it replaces.
The new iPad goes on sale in New Zealand this Friday 23-March online and at Apple retailers around the country. We’ll have a post up in the next few days with the best places to buy and all your options.
New iPad NZ Prices: New iPad (iPad 3) prices on the left and iPad 2 on the right
Will the lower price make you more likely to get an iPad 3 or get a higher spec’d model?…
Read MoreNew iPad First Impressions
After Jono’s mission to Sydney last week I’ve been lucky enough to be using a new iPad (black 32GB wi-fi + 4G) for a few days and WOW everything about this device is amazing. The speed, the apps, the games and the camera are all made better by the retina display.
Firstly a bit about me, I’ve been a bit of a screen geek for the last decade always needing the clearest and highest resolution display – whether on a phone, laptop or my desk. I sold my iPad 2 pretty quickly as it was just too jarring to look at switching between my 960×480 pixel iPhone 4 (at the time) and 1440×900 pixel 13″ MacBook Air.
The Retina Display
Amazing. Having used an iPad .I think if you’re coming from the original iPad, iPad 2 or another tablet you’ll be blown away as the difference is night and day.
The 5MP Camera
It’s good but not great, using the retina display as a view finder is a novelty and being able to view photos straight away on the large bright screen is the best part. The default camera app doesn’t do HDR so you’ll need an additional app for that.
In bright light the camera performs better and without a flash lighting is going to have the biggest impact on your photos.
Setup & Apps
Easy. Mail, contacts and calendars synced quickly from my multiple Exchange and Google Accounts. I re-downloaded a few apps from iCloud and bought a few more from the app store. Music is there on-demand from iTunes match and all down over-the-air without hooking up to USB to iTunes. The one app I’m still looking forward to playing with is iPhoto which I’ll most likely sync some albums over USB. Everything flies with the A5X chips and my favourite app so far is Ashphalt 6 – a $1.29 car racing game from Gameloft that’s seriously impressive on the retina display.
The Battery
Battery life is the same as iPad 2 and considering the quad-core graphics power of the A5X driving the retina display it’s a much larger battery powering the new iPad. Not larger physically as the new iPad is just a barely noticeable 1mm thicker than iPad 2 but larger in density with 42.5Wh packed into the similar enclosure providing 70% more juice than the iPad 2.
It’s here where the only real con of the new iPad becomes apparant and that giant battery takes a long time to charge so get used to leaving your iPad plugged to a wall socket over night to be ready for the next days use.
I’ll post some more thoughts soon, if you have any questions ask away in the comments.…
Read MoreApple confirms “The New iPad” goes on sale 8am Friday.
There is 2 major downsides to being in a second wave country for the launch of a new Apple device. The first of those downsides is well, your in a second wave country. The second major downside is there is that impending feeling of doom, that demand will exceed supply and your second wave country will have the launch date delayed. You have to watch and drool as other people in first wave countries collect their shiny new products, you have to listen to Apple stating record breaking sales and 3 million units sold. Surely with demand like there has been for the new iPad New Zealand launch will be delayed won’t it? No! It won’t.
After initially giving second wave countries a vague “end of March” launch date Apple has now confirmed that the new iPad will go on sale as planned from 8am this Friday. Details are typically sketchy, but we are used to that by now aren’t we? No doubt we will know pricing and who the “selected resellers”opening at 8am will be sometime on Thursday. In the mean time have a read of the statement from Apple today and let us know in the comments where you will be picking one up from and what time you will be queuing from. Will you be braving the rain or braving the almost certain 2 – 3 weeks ship time with an online order?
“The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold―the strongest iPad launch yet,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers are loving the incredible new features of iPad, including the stunning Retina display, and we can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers around the world this Friday.”
The new iPad is already available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands and will be available in 24 more countries starting at 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday, March 23 through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
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Read MoreNew iPad mission
8.50 – That was a pretty cool experience. Now time to test and review. Everyone seems to be talking up the retina display and the A5X quad core processor.
7.30 – Just chatting to a few of the guys here… Is the new iPad going to be the Porsche 911 of the tablet world. High performance matched with best looks. Thoughts?
7.00 – It’s all go here! Dick Smiths down the road steeling Apple’s thunder has been selling them since 6. Sydney is finally awake.
6.00 – Apple staff are so friendly briefing everyone on queue cards and the purchase process. News crew just scanned the line and rumours of no queue at Dick Smiths around the corner.
Here I am embarking on a mission to get my hands on the new iPad. I never even owned an Apple product until last year when I bought an iPhone. Nek minit its 4am and I’m on the street in inner Sydney whereby I’ll be keeping you guys up to date on the hustle and bustle outside the Apple store, George St, Sydney. We are the first people in the world to buy the new 3rd gen iPad. If you want the inside skinny be sure to comment on this live blog and I’ll do my best to respond. Stay tuned.…
Read MoreiPad 3 New Zealand launch on 23 March 2012
iPad 3 NZ Release Date
This morning Apple announced the iPad 3 will be released in New Zealand on 23 March 2012 in the second week of a global rollout that starts in the USA, Canada and UK on 16 March.
iPad 3 NZ Price
New Zealand pricing for iPad 3 hasn’t been announced yet but it’s staying the same in the United States at $499 for 16GB wi-fi, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB. 4G LTE models are US$629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. There’s no new 128GB models. No word yet on a cheaper iPad 2.
iPad 3 Features
There are six major upgrades over iPad 2 though only 4 will be initially available in New Zealand.
1. Retina Display
Double the resolution of iPad and 264 pixels-per-inch – existing apps will work but need to be updated by developers to take advantage of the higher res. All Apple apps updated as part of iOS 5.1
2. A5X quad core processor
Twice the processing cores of the iPad 2′s A5 and quoted as being four times the speed of Tegra 3 that powers many high-end Android devices. It has to drive the monster retina-display so in real world use it’s likely faster but unknown by how much.
3. 5MP camera
The same 5-megapixel backside illuminated sensor on the back as iPhone 4S featuring a 5-element lens, IR filter, auto-exposure, auto-focus and ISP built into the A5X processor
4. 1080P Video Recording
No comment, great for mobile newsrooms – please think of others before taking photos or videos with iPad in public!
5. Voice Dictation
It’s not Siri and officially only supports US, UK and Australian English but iPad 3 features the same microphone icon on the keyboard letting you talk rather than type.
6. 4G LTE
No New Zealand networks currently support the faster 4G mobile data speeds up to 72Mbps but it’s nice to know the iPad you buy this month should support the upgraded networks
Battery life
Quoted as the same: 10hrs on wi-fi and 9 on mobile data – incredible with all those pixels!
Form factor
Every so slightly heavier and thicker at 9.4mm (versus 8.8 for iPad 2)
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Posted in iPad
iPad 3 Live Blog
8:24 – That’s all folks. We’ve got the new iPad, a cheaper iPad 2 and Apple TV with a new 1080P interface. Stay tuned for New Zealand pricing later today. Hope you enjoyed the live blog!
8:20 – iPad 2 remains on sale starting at USD399 for 16GB wi-fi ($100 price drop)
8:17 – iPad promo playing – so far it’s just been called “iPad” not iPad 3 or iPad HD – referenced in video as “3rd-generation iPad.”
8:01 – New iPhoto app! Features look great, according to Phil ”truly a breakthrough piece of photo software.” Available today
8:00 – Updated iMovie to support 1080P output
7:57 – Phil is back demoing some Apple apps: updates to iWork suite, Garage Band and a new iCloud notes editor.
7:44 – demoing some apps: Sky Combat, Sketch and Infinity Blade dungeons
7:43 – Just like iPhone 4 existing iPad apps will be pixel doubled on iPad 3 – developers should update their apps to make them look beautiful
7:41 – New Zealand launch on 23-March, one week after US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Australia.
7:40 – battery life is the same @ 10hrs and 9hrs on LTE
7:38 – six main upgrades of new iPad: Retina display, A5X, 5MP camera, 1080P video capture, voice dictation and 4G LTE
7:37 – Two 3G hardware versions in the USA – Verizon and AT&T models
7:34 – demoing mobile data speed with photos and video v iPad 2 “it’s really fast” – available on both AT&T and Verizon in the USA – Rogers, Bell & Telus in Canada
7:33 – 4G LTE – better get upgrading your NZ networks Telecom and Vodafone! 73Mbps download
7:32 – new feature voice dictation, but not Siri?
7:32 – records HD video at 1080P as well
7:31 – anyone else think people look ridiculous taking photos in public with an iPad??
7:29 – 5MP rear camera with same lens as iPhone 4S
7:28 – A5X “quad-core graphics” – 4x the performance of Tegra 3
7:25 - 2048×1536 (double iPad 2) and 3.1 million total pixels – most ever in a mobile device and more than most other screens. Not as high PPI as iPhone but expected to be held further away at 40cm v 25
7:24 – woohoo retina display!
7:23 - Phil Schiller on stage to demo
7:22 – “The new iPad” – looks the same!
7:21 – haha comparing giant crazy looking smartphone apps on a Samsung Galaxy tab with their iPad versions – Twitter and Yelp so far
7:20 – More iPads sold last year than any PC manufacturer sold PCs – take that Dell and HP!
7:19 – recapping history of iPad – people love it for web surfing, email, games, reading and over 200,000 other apps
7:17 – now talking about iPad!
7:16 – Apple TV form factor and price are the same @ USD99 – didn’t mention processor but guessing A5
7:12 – iTunes VP Eddie Cue demoing new high-def interface – looks like iPad with giant app icons and movie posters
7:11 – new Apple TV that streams 1080P!
7:10 – iCloud now supports iTunes movies – goodbye data caps!
7:09 Recapping App Store and iCloud highlights – 25 billion downloads, 100 million iCloud users
7:07 - Now playing a demo of Siri – aarrrggghhhh Siri with an Australian accent
7:06 – video just played featuring Apple stores around the world, 362 in total but none in New Zealand!!
7:02 – 172 million post-PC devices sold in 2011 making up 76% of Apple revenue
7:01 – Apple CEO Tim Cook is on stage talking about the post-PC world portable world that’s lead by iPhone, iPad and iPod
6:55 – Apple’s iPad 3 event is just five minutes away from starting. Keep an eye on this post for the latest!
photos courtesy engadget, thanks!…
Read MoreiPad HD: What to expect
It’s now less than 24 hours to Apple’s media event in San Francisco and here’s a wrap of all the rumours we’ve heard and what we expect to be announced. We’ll have live coverage here on iPhonewzealand starting 7am Thursday morning.…
Read MoreThe Warehouse to offer parallel imported iPads from Boxing Day [update: available 6pm today]
Something stood out on the junkmail yesterday: The Warehouse are going to be offering parallel imported iPads from Boxing Day. The advertised model is the black, 16 GB, WiFi-only model but it’s priced at $719 which is a significant saving over the standard price of $799. The ad doesn’t say whether other models will be available.
This might be cold comfort for any of you who have already bought one in time for Christmas, but for those of you still on the market for a new iPad this could be a deal worth considering.
UPDATE: According to their email mailer, this deal is actually available from 6pm today via the website.…
Read MoreLeading kiwi developers offering their time for free for one day only
Do you have a burning idea for an app but no coding skills to turn it into reality? Well, this could be your big opportunity. Leading kiwi developers Carnival Labs, who have worked with some of the world’s leading brands including Dreamworks, Intel, Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald, are running a competition where you could win their time for a day, during which they will turn your app idea into the real deal.
All you need to do is let Carnival Labs know what you want to do (the full details are set out in the press release below) and their panel of judges will decide the best one. The winner will win the source code and will even be able to upload it to the App Store. Entries close 20/12 so get your thinking hats on and keep reading for the full press release.…
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Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Other News
iTunes Match available now – no really it is! Still $39.99 per year
Ok so this time it’s for real… After yesterday’s shenanigans iTunes Match has gone live and is available to New Zealand as of right now. We’ve received confirmation from a number of users saying they have been succesful and have also confirmed it ourselves.
UPDATE: And now, to mitigate any concerns that this may be another mistake, we’ve had confirmation from Apple that the service is now officially available:…
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Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Other News
iTunes Match available now, maybe?? – $39.99 per year [updated: looking like a mistake]
As reported on a number of other international sites today iTunes Match (the service that makes your entire iTunes music library available in the cloud) has been coming on and offline for most of the day for countries outside the U.S.
We have just taken a look ourselves and it would appear that whilst it is accessible to New Zealand we may be having the same issues as well. It’s possible that it going live is just a mistake or it could be that the servers are getting hammered. Either way at the moment even though we get a confirmation email to say we have subscribed it is erroring and asking us to sign out and in again. Once you have done that and you go back to your account it does say that you have a subscription and it will expire in a years time, but as yet I cannot get to the iTunes Match tab to actually use the service.…
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Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Other News
iOS 5.1 beta 2 seeded to devs… you can now delete photos from Photo Stream!
I am not sure I have been this excited about a beta in some time. Normally they come and go and eventually you get your GM release. But this one had me at hello.
iOS 5.1 beta 2 is available for developers now and with it comes the ability to delete/remove individual photos from iCloud’s Photo Stream, something that I, and many others, feel should have been there from day one.
The update is available for all the usual suspects, iPhone (4, 4S and 3GS), iPad (1 and 2), iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen) and also the Apple TV 2. Keep reading for more or head over to the developer site to download.…
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Posted in All, Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
NZiDev is underway
NZiDev got underway today and if last year is anything to go by this is going to be a great weekend for iOS developers. As we previously said unfortunately we are unable to make it this year however if you are there and want to share your weekend with us then make sure you add the #NZiDev tag to your tweets and why not leave a comment below on your experience at NZiDev.
You can also post a longer articles on particular subjects to our NZiDev forum post.…
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Posted in All, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Other News
New Zealand Developers Showcased by Apple
We already knew that we had some great developers here in New Zealand and now, for AlphaSprite, Apple know it too.
You may remember back in September last year we took a look at CoachPad, an app for the iPad that allows you to sketch out and display formations and tactics all using your iPad in a simple and intuitive way. Well now that same app has been included in Apple’s latest iPad 2 television advert.
Airing in November 2011, it revolves around the emotive theme of ‘Love’ and how people engage with the iPad 2 on a daily basis. CoachPad appears at the beginning of the clip where a basketball coach shows a gameplay strategy to his team on an iPad 2.
Congrats AlphaSprite.…
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Posted in All, iPad, Other News
