Comics on iPad 3

I still think we need a bigger tablet for art-rich books, but doubtlessly the high-res screen of iPad 3 (sic) has made it less urgent, 'cuz you can see more detail.

All of the views below are of about 1/4 of the screen, area-wise, 1/2 length-wise.

iPad 2, photograph:

iPad 3, photograph:

(Click for bigger pics, on all.)

iPad 2, screenshot:

iPad 3, screenshot:

(In the screenshots, the higher resolution translates to size on the computer screen. You'll have to click on them to compare the size.)

One can easily live with the iPad 2's screen, for sure. But equally sure, the screen of the iPad 3 is the future, it's like being there.

Got it today

I got my iPad 3, woo-hoo.

A cool little change is that you can use the iPad while it's being sync'ed. Very good.

Here's an interesting thing: I can read better (for fine text) on my iPad two if I change my regular glasses for my reading glasses. So you would think that with my regular glasses, the higher resolution of the iPad 3 wouldn't look any different, no?

But this is not so, even without the reading glasses, I can easily see that the screen is better. (How much it benefits me I'd not like to speculate yet.)

This fits with a datum I got from photography expert Ctein (K-tein): unless a lens is hopelesly out-matched, you will get higher resolution (more detail) if you get more megapixels in a camera, even if the lens has less resolution.

Or in other words, you would think that either the lens or the sensor has the highest resolution, and only improving the other one would improve the results. But that is not so, improving either one will improve detail, unless the gap is really huge.
I find this very interesting.

Alternative uses

Tommy found this funny video, How Do You Like The iPad We Got You, Dad? 

iPad camera sample

Thanks to TMO. 

Sample from the camera in iPad 3 (naming dictatorship be durned). I'd say that's very good for a camera which fit in the very tight space in the thin iPad. Fully good enough for  almost any online purposes (for normal people, not photo freaks.    :-)

And here are some screenshots from the iPad Retina Display. Dang nice. (Save an open to see at full size.)

Pressure sensitivity, Galaxy Note 10.1

I was just talking a couple of days ago with my old artist friend Umbra (our read Ganesha Games) about pressure sensitivity on tablets. We ended up not being very optimistic about seeing it soon.
But lo and behold: Samsung has announced that the upcoming Galaxy Note (not Tab) 10.1 will include Wacom's pressure sensitivity technology!

I honestly don't know if it means anything to the average user, but for artists this might be a big deal, if it works well for a reasonable price. Wacom's screen tablets are wonderful but costly, and have to be plugged into a computer with monitor connection and USB, making them quite clumsy.

Admittedly we also need good art software which works with that pressure sensitivity, let's hope that comes. (It's Android of course.)

The Note 10.1 will also support side-by-side apps, for apps optimised for it.

Lawsuit: Apple’s Siri Advertising “Misleading & Deceptive”

Lawsuit: Apple’s Siri Advertising “Misleading & Deceptive”, article.
From a purely technical perspective, most of the suit’s complaints could be understandably forgiven due to Siri’s continued status as a beta service that is a work-in-progress. Mr. Fazio claims, however, that Apple crossed the line when it began to advertise the incomplete Siri as a major reason to purchase the iPhone 4S and that such a campaign for a service that is known by Apple to be incomplete amounts to misleading and deceptive advertising. 

Well, I can't say I disagree with that. For many, including me, Siri is a very embryonic technology, and to present it as a miracle of artificial intelligence crosses a line, and upgrading to iPhone 4S is not an insignificant investment for most people to base on the shining hope of such technology. I myself may well not have bought it if the only differences had been a slightly better camera and processor, the iPhone 4 worked fine for me.

From the ad: "Text my wife I'll be thirty minutes late"... does that really work for anybody, even native English speakers?

Bigger article about the disappointments of Siri.

A long time ago, I made a compact with Apple. "You can control my entire technological life, from my computer to my phone to my stereo. I'll pay premium prices. I'll dive into your product ecosystem, and buy books and music and movies and apps from you. Even though they won't work on devices made by anybody else."

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