The new iPad 2.0 revelations are the most revealing yet
Posted by David N. Guy | June 30, 2010 | Comments Off
Hot on the heels of the release of iPhone OS 4, Apple has recently been talking about the upcoming iPad 2.0, scheduled for release on Sunday (July 4th).
Among a number of expected updates to the device, described on its release as “irreproachable” by Stephen Fry, are a host of completely surprising new features. Perhaps the most interesting of these is the new second screen, located on the back of the device, which, utilising the gyroscopes and accelerometers contained within, means that never again will you have to worry about turning the iPad around to see the screen. Picking it up and just using it is now so easy it truly astonishes.
Steve Jobs also demonstrated an interesting new feature that takes advantage of the second screen. Called Zoetrope Mode, the user holds the iPad between their palms, one pushed against the top right corner, one against the bottom left (there is also a left handed mode, which lets you invert these settings), and then spins it around. A single static image is displayed on each screen, andas the iPad is spinning around, this changes to a new image while the screen is facing away from the user, creating possibly the most impressive animation techinque currently available. Watching stick figures moving around the white void in which they lived was incredibly moving. It will be interesting to see what the likes of Pixar will be able to do with this.
So far, opinion seem to be incredibly positive. Although Stephen Fry was unavailable for comment, it is known that he was quietly impressed by it, despite his dislike for the childish medium of animation.