Wednesday, March 2, 2011

iPad 2 Announced Today

As expected, today's Apple announcement revealed the iPad 2.  The new device will be released in the United States next Friday, March 11 and will be available internationally a couple weeks later on March 25.

New features include front and rear-facing cameras with HD video recording, slimmer size (thinner than the iPhone 4), A5 chip (making it run twice as fast while retaining the 10hr battery life), gyroscope, and the option of black or white.  3G models will run on both AT&T and Verizon's networks, with the same price point of $499 for the 16GB wifi-only iPad.  There's a couple new accessories as well: an HDMI output cable and a smart cover that wakes up the iPad or puts it to sleep when you open or close it.

Complementing the release of the iPad 2 is the release of iOS 4.3, also set to come out 3.11.  It'll have better Safari performance, AirPlay improvements, and the option to make an iPhone 4 a personal hotspot.  Of particular interest to iPad owners will be the availability of two very useful Mac apps - iMovie and GarageBand, both of which you can get for $4.99.  Oh, and PhotoBooth will be another new app addition.  Random House has also partnered with Apple to bring some 17,000 new ebooks to the store.

That pretty much wraps up the news, details can be found all over the internets, and here are the CNET, Engadget, and Guardian articles to start you off.

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