Seth Weintraub

We missed this on Friday, but Target tweeted that they will also be carrying the iPad 2 on March 11th.

(Target is also promoting its electronics trade-in program, available at more than 800 of the company’s stores, that will let customers trade in first-generation iPads for store credit starting on March 13.)  according to PCWorld.

This may sound a little fanboy of me, but I think if Apple has made enough of these things, they can clear a million on day 1.  With all their points of sale loading up, it is going to be hard not to buy one.

Thanks CanBaba!
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We don’t normally put a lot of faith in what the online sales reps say, but MacAppsDaily chatted up an Apple phone rep who said online sales would begin at 12:01 on the 11th, with free fast shipping.  That seems pretty solid and is being reported elsewhere.  While good, it isn’tt going to get you an iPad as fast as waiting in line though.

One thing this would guarantee though: FedEx isn’t going to accidentally send you your iPad before people get in them in line, like the last few launches.

Update: for clarification 12:01 am is on the 11th.  61 seconds before is the 10th.  Midnight used for understanding/clarification.

Update 2: Just recieved this:

Spoke with an Apple store chat representative: Confirmed online sales begin at 12:01am PST on 3/11/2011. Additionally, the in-store pick up reservations will not be allowed initially, according to the chat rep.

-JSUDaniel
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One of the benefits of getting rid of an Autocratic ruler/government appears to be the use of FaceTime on your iPhone.  SaudiMac reports that Vodafone Egypt is now enabling FaceTime via carrier update.

We still don’t get why carriers get to decide if you have a Wifi-only communications application.

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The Wall St. Journal Debunks this.

The rumor at Forbes is that Best Buy is going to buy each of its employees in its 1100 US locations an iPad as part of its Connected Store program.  That in itself is significant, if true.  Best Buy has sold the iPad since its inception last year and the program would not only sell lots of iPads to Best Buy, but it would also give the Apple tablets much more exposure in a more and more crowded tablet space.

A source with knowledge of corporate mobile device deployments tells Forbes that one of the country’s top 10 largest retailers expects to distribute iPads to each of its on-floor sales associates. This retailer, the source adds, operates 1,100 stores across the U.S. As the country’s largest electronics retailer — as well as a retailer that currently operates around 1,100 stores in the U.S. — Best Buy is a natural match.

It would be even more interesting is if Best Buy used those iPads as Easy Pay systems like those of GAP and of course Apple Stores. iPads have been showing up as Payment systems all over the place in the year since its launch so it seems like a great idea to us!

UPDATE: We just recieved this word in regards to the post:

Update on the Best Buy offering iPads to employees… Best Buy is not gonna give every employee an iPad. Its only going to be at the remodeled “Connected Store” locations and only few will get iPads at those locations. Some employees will be getting other devices. This is a push for employees to show off new technology to customers and to do checkouts with the devices rather than being stuck a computer/register.
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MacSales may have uncovered a secret firmware update that will allow older MacBooks and MBPros to use 8GB of RAM.

In late 2009, an EFI Firmware Update was released to address the buzzing noises coming from the optical drive. However, it seems that somewhere along the line, Apple changed this update without notating it anywhere.

Whether any other elements were affected by this change is undetermined, but it did change memory addressing; with the later version of the update installed, you could address a full 8GB in Snow Leopard. Unfortunately, Software Update doesn’t show this version as being different from the previous one, so users wouldn’t be notified if they had already updated their firmware to the older version.

The information originated in Mac Forums.

That means if you want to add 8GB of RAM, and you have one of the affected models, you can upgrade your computer to 8GB of RAM.

• MacBook 13.3″ 2.0GHz and 2.4GHz
• MacBook Pro 15″ 2.4GHz (All)
• MacBook Pro 15″ 2.53GHz model w/ExpressCard Slot (Late 2008)
• MacBook Pro 15″ 2.8GHz model w/ExpressCard Slot (Late 2008)

Here’s how: check the Boot ROM Version in your System Profiler.

• MacBook Pros with a Model ID of MacBookPro5,1 should have a Boot ROM Version of MBP51.007E.B05.
• MacBooks with a Model ID of MacBook5,1 should have  a Boot ROM version of MB51.007D.B03
• Machines with other Model IDs are not affected and don’t need an update.

If your Boot ROM version does not match the numbers above, download the appropriate firmware updater for your model machine and install according to the instructions:

• For MacBook Pros (MacBookPro5,1)
  MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.8
• For MacBooks (MacBook5,1)
  MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.4

This is a pretty incredible find, we’re not so sure why it wasn’t made public earlier.  Oh and here’s 8GB of RAM for $90 which may help out a few of you this morning.
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A Reuters report out of China mentiond that Apple had been speaking with the local carriers about connecting their local brand of LTE with the iPhone.

China Mobile Ltd, the world’s largest mobile carrier by subscribers, said on Friday that Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs has expressed interest in developing an iPhone based on the Chinese carrier’s network standard.

China Mobile is developing its next-generation TD-LTE mobile network technology and there have been talks over a possible iPhone tie-up with the carrier.[That’s about as vague a timeframe as you can get.]

There are some compatibilities and similarities between TD-LTE and the LTE that Verizon and AT&T are rolling out in the US.  But does that mean Apple is going to build an iPhone 5 with any type of 4G LTE?  I think it is unlikely.  We do know, however, that Apple has been active in the hiring of LTE engineers over the past few months.

Mr. Debarshi Kar came to Apple in January from Motorola where he was an LTE testing engineer.  His hire might have been for this job.   And that’s just the beginning…

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That’s certainly helpful, so long as you can figure out how to download iBooks and the eBook yourself.  Oh and download iOS 4.3.
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Verizon Wireless locations will be another location at which you can purchase the iPad 2 next Friday.  The details aren’t yet clear but we’re assuming sales start at 5PM with everyone else.

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There are some funny bits in these…

And one from Conan last night, below:
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Apple showed its HDMI mirroring product with little fanfare yesterday but more than one commenter has us thinking that this might be an interesting gaming option.  Obviously Angry birds mirrored onto an HDTV won’t change the world, but perhaps playing some of the more hard core games over a wire might be something special.

Think about it.  You’ve got a device in your hands that has a multi-touch screen, accelerometer, gyro and a crazy hardcore 1080P graphics processor.

And it is connected to your HDTV with mirroring. OK, that connector could be a lot less bulky.

Also rememeber AirPlay has a slight delay so you can’t really game the same way you can over a wire.

So, while Apple shows a teacher plugging in an iPad to her HDTV, we’re thinking that’s a great way to play games.  Thoughts?  Yay or nay?
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Apple has just released the golden master version of iOS 4.3 and Xcode 4 to developers. iOS 4.3 includes personal hotspot, a faster Safari engine, new AirPlay features and more. iOS 4.3 launches March 11th alongside the iPad 2.

Non developers: Interested in having a look?  read more below
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According to the Guardian, Stateside iPad owners will now get to enjoy all the glory that is the BBC iPlayer for less than $10 (that’s £6.13 quid to you Nigel)/month when the app is released later this year.

The global version of the corporation’s online catch-up service for iPads will launch “definitely this year”, adding that it will cost, “a small number of dollars per month, definitely fewer than 10”. The international iPlayer iPad app will also give subscribers access to BBC archive programming.

Interestingly, Mark Thomson, BBC director general said:

The iPlayer app allows the BBC to “sell directly to consumers” without shows being rebranded or reformated, which often happens when UK shows are bought by international broadcasters.When asked what effect the iPlayer’s international launch will have on the business model of the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, Thompson said the corporation is following in Hollywood’s footsteps and “looking at a series of windows” for shows, to “optimise value across that lifecycle”.

Perhaps such a move could convince Jony Ive to stick around for a few more years.
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For the fourth year in a row, Apple is Fortune’s “Most-Admired” company. “The company’s blistering pace of new product releases,” writes Shelley DuBois, “has continued to set the bar high for tech companies across the board.”  This follows winning the past three years:

• Apple is Fortune’s ‘most admired’ – for the third year in a row
• Apple tops Fortune’s ‘most admired’ list – again
• Apple tops Fortunes Most Admired Companies

Fun Fact:  I also have an interesting  book review in the upcoming issue:

The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation (Vanguard Press) by one-time Apple senior vice president Jay Elliot

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We broke the JointVenture news over the weekend but Apple officially launched JointVenture yesterday underneath all of the iPad 2 excitement.  We pretty much covered it all before so we won’t bore you…
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As we reported yesterday, Walmart will soon be carrying the iPad 2.  And it will be .2% off.  Another exciting line-waiting venue.

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Electric Pig and other sources have confirmed to us that Apple is giving back the $100 price difference between prices last week and today on recently purchased iPads.  In the US, Apple dropped prices at least $100 so it is a healthy chunk of change.   The window is 14 days or February 16th (or thereabouts).

Also, as of yesterday, Apple has new significantly lower prices on refurbished iPads
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In case you want to sit in the parking lot of a Best Buy rather than the parking lot of an Apple Store: Best Buy will have iPad 2 at launch.  Wooo!

Will the other usual suspects (Verizon, AT&T, Walmart) as well?  We certainly hope so!

(Update: We’ve just gotten word that Sam’s Club and by extension Walmart will have them at launch too.  The SKU’s just entered the system according to a tipster)
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There were a flood of rumors recently about an improved iPad 3 with Retina screen debuting during the typical iPod Fall release timeframe.  From the way Apple repeated over and over that 2011 was the year of the iPad 2  (as well as “Post-PC era”), it seems pretty clear that we’re probably going to have to wait until 2012 to see an iPad 3.

Now a bigger iPod?  That’s something else entirely.
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Apple just posted the video they showed at the event.

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Just like the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 is more than half battery.  It is interesting that these incredibly small devices are almost completely battery by size and weight.  Every generation the batteries get bigger and the electronics get smaller – like a reverse Moore’s law or something.

Contrast with iPad 1, below:
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Infinity Blade ($2.99) for iPad and iPhone today got an upgrade, the timing couldn’t have been better…

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