iPad Today: Microsoft, VLC, and Shopping

Microsoft should Develop Office Apps for the iPad

Apple's iWork's iPad Apps are some of the best-selling iPad apps, and with Apple approaching 5 million iPad's shipped, it makes sense that Microsoft should invest in creating a Microsoft Office for iPad. "Specifically, Microsoft should develop Office apps for the iPad, Android, Chrome OS, Blackberry tablet, and any other computeing platform that is likely to become popular over the next 5-10 years." [Silcon Alley Insider]



VLC Player on the iPad?

Applidium, the creator of VLC, has created an iPad app that allows you to play any video format on the iPad. It's chances of being allowed on the app store are low as vlc would increase the number of pirated movies watched on iPads, compromising both the itunes movie store and the Apple-Netflix app deal. [Crunch Gear]

Digital Shopping

Magento Commerce has already launched their shopping iPhone app and will soon be releasing their iPad app. The company raised $22 million in March for its "open-source mobile e-commerce apps." Charging clients $800 set-up fee and then $700 annual fee to be on the e-catalog, the company already has such clients as The North Face, the Miami Dolphins, and Flowe(Red). [TechCrunch]

iPad Today: Schools + News

A lot of people asked me why I liked the iPad when it first came out. They asked, "what could you possibly need this for?" and "who would ever buy this?" I dedicate this article and all my future iPad posts to those of you who asked ridiculous questions like those. The answers to those questions are, what can't you do with an iPad and who wouldn't want one.

Wall Street Journal [WSJ.com] reports that their Digital Subscribers will soon Outnumber their Print Subscribers

Notre Dame begins a paperless class using the iPad this Semester
"The first course to have students use an iPad instead of any text books is Project Management, a class with 40 students that will not only use the iPad as a book, but will also be encouraged to use it for everything else in daily life and report back their impressions..."

A Private School in Scotland hands out 105 iPads to Students for Lessons



Sources: [The Wire] [TreeHugger] [Gizmodo]

The Future of Road Trip Media In General [iPad Road Trip]

I have been saying for a few months now that the future of all media lay in iPad-like devices. Imagine sitting in the back of a car being able to access any magazine, any movie through netflix or the itunes store, download and blast any song on your car speakers. This technology will not only be available within the next year, but will be apart of every car within the next 2 years, changing road trips forever.

The video below, taken from Gizmodo, demonstrates how the magazine component of this device would work:

The problem with developing a product like this is not the technology, as Mercedes-Benz has introduced a touchscreen online panel into their 2010 and 2011 models. All the technology is currently available to install an iPad car entertainment system. You would need:

- An iPad [Price Depends on the Model]
- Car Wireless Internet System [About $400 on Amazon]
- Wires [for audio and power supply]
- Car Mount [This is where the money is]

The first company to successfully incorporate these four main features into automobiles will dominate the automobile entertainment market for the next 7 years. The only complicated part of this project would be the mount that fits any car.

- OE Technology Business Design Deparment