“The iPad is already a tasty product among gadget lovers, but a North Sydney restaurant has become the first in Australia to replace their printed menus with Apple’s new touch screen device,” Stephen Fenech reports for News.com.au. “Global Mundo Tapas in the North Sydney Rydges Hotel yesterday introduced a custom-made iPad application which allows customers to browse the virtual pages of the menu with a sweep of their finger.”

“Diners can peruse the dishes and see a picture of what the dish looks like along with tasting notes before compiling their order and sending it wirelessly to the kitchen,” Fenech reports. “The iPad menu can also suggest the best wines to go with certain dishes and suggest the best food pairings.”

Fenech reports, “When ordering steak, users can even specify how they’d like the meat cooked and which sauce they’d prefer. It will even ask them if they’d like fries with that.”

Full article here.

“Apple this week posted a new section on its website, showing off the abilities of HTML5 in a standards based browser such as Safari, including interactive videos and photos,” Sam Oliver reports for AppleInsider.

“Using the Safari browser, users can pan around a 360-degree view of the entrance to Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue store in New York City, watch an embedded trailer for the forthcoming film ‘Tron’ and manipulate scale and perspective, or flip through a gallery of photos,” Oliver reports. “‘Every new Apple mobiledevice and every new Mac — along with the latest version of Apple’s Safari web browser — supports web standards including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript,’ the website reads. ‘These web standards are open, reliable, highly secure, and efficient. They allow web designers and developers to create advanced graphics, typography, animations, and transitions. Standards aren’t add-ons to the web. They are the web. And you can start using them today.’”

Oliver reports, “Seven different sections of content highlight the capabilities of HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript.”

Full article here

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Apple today announced that iPad sales have topped two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3. Apple began shipping iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK this past weekend. iPad will be available in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

“Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

iPad allows users to connect with their apps, content and the Internet 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 is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.

Developers have created over 5,000 exciting new apps for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch user interface, large screen and high-quality graphics. iPad will run almost all of the more than 200,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch.

Source: Apple Inc.

“Delays of two weeks or more are expected before new orders of the Apple iPad are delivered to customers because of strong demand for the tablet computer,” Kylie Davis reports for The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Freight company TNT is reported to be struggling to deliver the 20,000 orders across the country, with buyers being told their purchases should arrive before June 7, while those placing new orders are being advised of two-week delays,” Davis reports.

“One million iPads were sold in just 28 days in the US, and that huge demand delayed the worldwide launch,” Davis reports. “In Australia 30,000 were sold on the first day, with 20,000 more expected to be sold over the weekend.”

Full article, with video report, here.

Source: MacDailyNews

“First came ‘iPod shock,’ which knocked Japan’s favorite gadget — the Walkman from Sony, and its line of successors — off its long-held perch at the top of the tech-savvy wish list. Then came ‘iPhone shock,’ which sent Japan’s cellphone companies — long used to scoffing at the clunky offerings from their overseas peers — scrambling to develop similar smartphones,” Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times. “On Friday, ‘iPad shock’ hit Japan, threatening to bring upheaval to an ever-widening slew of industries in a nation once proud of being on the cutting edge of technology.”

“The iPad tablet computer from Apple went on sale in Japan and eight other countries — Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland — after selling more than one million units in the United States,” Tabuchi reports. “A flood of orders in Japan for the iPad caused Softbank, the exclusive phone carrier of the iPad in Japan, to stop accepting them after three days. About 1,200 people lined up for the release of the iPad at an Apple Store in central Tokyo on Friday… Similar lines were seen at Apple stores in Europe.”
Continue reading “‘iPad shock’ hits Japan as Apple’s revolutionary iPad rattles tech sector” »

Slash Lane reports for AppleInsider, “Early reports suggest that Apple has sold most of its first run of international iPad shipments, which has lead one analyst to predict that the iPad will outsell the Mac internationally this quarter.”

“Mike Abramsky with RBC Capital Markets said Friday that he believes between 600,000 and 700,000 iPads will be sold overseas in June, though the number could go even higher. If that forecast is accurate, it would well exceed the 500,000 Macs expected to be sold in June,” Lane reports. “‘Industry contact feedback and previously published surveys point to strong international demand, supported by media reports of long lineups at Apple stores, and strong demand for iPads,’ Abramsky wrote. ‘iPads appear to be stocked out already at some stores and resellers, particularly in countries like Japan, Australia, and U.K. Online availability has been further delayed, to a vague ‘June,’ from June 7 (prior to which was May 28).’”
Continue reading “Analyst foresees Apple selling 700K+ iPads internationally in June” »

“Apple may be preparing to update Safari with extension support, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber hints,” MacNN reports.

“‘The other big thing that’s missing (compared to both Chrome and Firefox) is a proper extension API,’ says the writer. ‘If only Apple had an imminent developer conference where they could unveil such a thing,’” MacNN reports. “While such a statement would normally be considered speculation, Gruber often phrases inside information in an insinuating manner.”

MacNN reports, “Apple’s WWDC 2010 event is scheduled to start June 7th.”

Full article here.

Source: MacDailyNews