iPad 3 Expected to Launch in Around March-April

Apple fans will wake up to some exciting news this morning. Digitimes is reporting that the iPad 3 will launch in three to four months. Apple will phase out the iPad 2 gradually, declining iPad 2 production in Q1.

According to 9to5Mac, features include “a Retina Display, a faster A6 processor, possible Quad Core and be slightly thicker than the current model.”

I’ve been holding out for the iPad 3 myself, waiting on the iPad 2 after many failed visits to the Apple Store around release time. The hype is only going to grow as we go into the new year and more details are released about the new version.

Considering how well the iPad 2 initially sold, there’s no reason to expect a drop in product demand, even considering the initial success of the Kindle Fire. Simply put, the iPad 3 will be huge.

How productive is an Apple store employee?

It’s a question we’ve all pondered one time or another. Turns out, Apple employees are actually very productive.

The stores generate over $100k per employee per quarter. In 2010, revenue was $481,000 per employee. This year the average is around $320k excluding the fourth quarter. In 2009 the average revenue for the technology sector was $388k/yr. A retailer like JC Penney generates about $124k of revenue per year per employee.

One thing to consider is that Apple rarely puts their products on sale — so to compare Apple to JC Penney, a retail store that routinely puts items on sale — may not be the best comparison. That being said, Apple Store employees are absolutely killing it when compared with the tech sector. And that matters.

Apple Store employees can’t be viewed as vastly superior salespeople compared with direct competitors, but Apple does appear to make a nice chunk of change off their brick-and-mortars. Don’t expect that to stop.

AT&T Starts Throttling Heavy iPhone Data Users To 2G Speeds

The worst thing about AT&T’s throttling is that there is no specific amount of data that notifies the user what constitutes the Top 5%. If you’re going to throttle the top data users, it’s important that users understand what “heavy usage” means to the company.

Heavy data users on AT&T’s network could always switch over to Sprint, which offers (and has constantly pushed) unlimited-everything on their network. But with analysts calling for the end of unlimited data for smartphone users on Sprint’s network, it looks like data usage will only shrink from here on out.

A few months ago, I deactivated my Sprint mobile hotspot when the company began to cap 3G and 4G data at 5GB a month. As someone who had used the hotspot as a replacement for home wireless, the device essentially had no further value to me.

While AT&T says that this decision would only affect jailbreakers, some people are complaining that they received this message after consuming as little as 2.5GB of data.

Something seems a little fishy to me.

A Look at Apple’s Spot-the-Shopper Technology

This feature allows shoppers to ask for assistance when they feel comfortable doing so, unlike in other retail stores where customers are hounded by employees eager to make a sale, Mr. Aguirre said.

“It’s more toward customer experience,” Mr. Aguirre said. “We don’t want to feel like we’re hassling our customers to shop. We want them to feel at home.”

Apple has single-handedly changed the way retail stores interact with their customers. I’ve been in plenty of retail stores where I’m constantly hounded by store salespeople trying to close sales. Apple approaches it completely differently — Through making the customer feel at home and comfortable, they believe they can do retail better.

I got a chance to speak with a store representative from the Clarendon Apple Store, who demonstrated the technology for me. It’s an impressive system. Of course, not all retailers are as tech-savvy as Apple, but I would also argue that you don’t need to be a genius to grasp the interface and understand how it works.

I also learned that there was no formal training on how to use it. Store employees picked up the technology and essentially taught themselves. There may have been an in-store training session, but according to this source, Apple didn’t send any implementation consultants out to the brick and mortars.

It’s a disruptive system that will eventually make its way into more retailers and more brick and mortar stores.

Apple Announces Black Friday Sale

Here it comes, but don’t get your hopes up too much. Last year’s discounts were minimal among all products. There’s little indication that discounts will be higher this year. Apple has a hard enough time keeping their products on the shelves even at full price.

When you’re comparison shopping, don’t forget about Amazon. Checking Apple Insider’s price guide is also recommended.

UPDATE: 9 To 5 Mac has revealed the deals from a trusted tipster.

iPhone 4S Battery Life Fail

9 to 5 Mac is reporting that despite Apple releasing an update to iOS 5, many users are still complaining of battery life issues.

While turning off Location Services, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi should provide temporary relief, it still comes as a massive disappointment for users who were looking for the fix.

Hopefully, Apple will be able to come up with a prompt update that fixes the problem for all users. With new Android phones on the horizon (including a sweet deal on the Motorola Droid Razr at Amazon), iPhone 4S users who value battery life may be inclined to switch over to one of the new Android handsets coming out.

As someone who has had major battery and random restart issues with the HTC Droid Incredible, I’m fairly positive that a brand-new Android handset is not in my immediate future. Luckily, my 4S handset has not suffered from any major battery issues as of late.

RIP Steve.

I thought it would be a little bit of time before I would even have to think about a post like this, but I guess you’re never ready.

Steve Jobs is gone. It has become reality. And I never thought it would be this hard.

My first memory of Apple was in the third grade. The desktop computer was quite clunky back then. But there was a beauty about it. My class used the computers to play educational vocabulary games.

There was a certain magic about pressing the power button. The amazing sound. The Apple logo. When you turned on a Macintosh computer—even as a third grader—the feeling was indescribable. Anything was possible when you turned on the product.

The first Apple product I ever owned came quite late. My dad purchased a MacBook for me to take to college. Opening the box was a thrill. I used my white MacBook all the way up until this year, when it could not hold a charge any longer.

I think the most challenging thing in life is to say goodbye. No one is ever ready. And when it’s gone, you don’t know what to say, and you don’t have the words.

Tonight, I lost much more than an excellent but replaceable product. The World and I lost Steve Jobs — hardly a product, hardly someone replaceable. He will be forever missed.

As you and I mourn the loss of such a tremendous, influential and disruptive person, I urge you to remember that life is never as long as you think it may be. The cliche “Live everyday to the fullest” seems to ring true here. After doing a bit of reflection tonight, I had no idea that Steve’s influence would have such an impact on me, but it has. I sit here in silence, still trying to understand what has happened.

If you haven’t watched it yet, make it a point to watch Steve’s commencement address at Stanford from 2005, only a few years ago.

Rest in peace Steve. You will be missed so much. But you will also be remembered forever.

Hello iPhone 4S.

Despite no iPhone 5 (and investors not being too pleased), Apple fans were delighted today when the company announced the iPhone 4S in Cupertino. It wasn’t Apple’s most exciting announcement, but despite this, the phone is pretty darn cool. The new features and upgrades certainly make it worth the purchase.

Dan Frommer has an excellent post about why users should not be disappointed, and he’s right. The iPhone 4S will be the best smartphone on the market when released. Aside from a faster processor, updated camera and other spec upgrades, Siri seems to be the biggest addition — a personal assistant controlled by your voice.

While iPhone 4 owners may not be too thrilled about the 4S, any other smartphone owner has to seriously consider dropping a few hundred bucks on one of these. Also, Sprint users must be thrilled to finally get the phone on their network. As for myself, I’ll be preordering one of these babies on October 7th. Anything is better than the HTC Droid Incredible I have now.